2024 Kickoff Challenge

• Setup:

  This status is used while the tournament is still being setup.

• Open:

  This status means tournament registration is open. Families can register for the tournament.

• Drops Only:

  This status means only registration drops are allowed. There are no new entries allowed but families can drop entries.

• Closed:

  This status means registration is currently closed for the tournament. There are no adds or drops allowed. Please contact the tournament director with any questions.

• Completed:

  This status means the tournament is completed.

Harding University has a hotel conveniently located on campus called the Heritage Inn. We have a block of rooms available to us at a discounted rate. They also have a house that could serve multiple families and some RV slots that may be reserved. You can find the hotel information and reservation link here: Heritage Inn  The reservation code for our group is STOA24. Many of us have found it easier to make reservations and use the reservation code by calling the hotel directly. The number is at the link provided.

If you prefer to stay off campus, there are several nearby hotels:

Holiday Inn Express
3660 Ferren Trail, Searcy, AR, 72143

Best Western Plus
501 Willow St, Searcy, AR, 72143

Microtel Inn & Suites
3668 Ferren Trail, Searcy, AR, 72143

LaQuinta Inn & Suites
504 N Poplar St, Searcy, AR, 72143

Hampton Inn
209 S Poplar St, Searcy, AR, 72143

Safety

Parents or supervising adults, please plan to remain on campus while your student is present throughout the tournament. Your student's safety and positive experience is of utmost importance. This is a college campus, so it will not be a closed environment like many of the churches where we compete. Our tournament will actually be taking place in four different buildings. We will have volunteers posted in all four buildings to help students and judges find their way to their rooms.

Importance of Parent Judges

Thank you for understanding that a sizable pool of parent judges is critical for providing a quality tournament for all competitors. With that in mind, your minimum requirement is to judge the rounds for which you signed up. You also need to check in with Ballot Admin at the beginning of each round in case there are some unexpected judging needs.

Visitors

To keep everyone safe, all adults at the tournament need to check in and wear a name badge. If you don't receive a name badge at student check-in, please stop by the Judge Greeter to get one.

Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, just north of Little Rock.

The address is: 915 E. Market Ave.
Searcy, AR 72149

The hub of our tournament, including check-in, judge hospitality, the student room, and all meals will be located in the Burks American Heritage Building, #21 on the Harding Campus Map The hotel is also in that building. Our competition rooms will be in buildings #1 and #3 on the map.

Parking information:
When you arrive on campus, you will want to come in on East Market. The best entrance into the Burks American Heritage Building is through the Heritage Inn entrance. So the best place to park will be the lot across the street from that entrance. When you look at the map, the Heritage Inn is #51 and you can see the parking lot across the street. Most parking is open on campus, so if the lot is full when you arrive, there are several others nearby.

GPS information
If you put "Harding University" into your GPS, it typically will take you to the building where they receive their mail which is not near our tournament building. The best location to put into your GPS is "Heritage Inn Searcy AR." That should take you to our entrance and preferred parking lot.

Debate check in: Thursday, October 3 2:30-3:00pm
Speech only check in: Friday, October 4 7:45-8:00am right after announcements and devotional
Burks American Heritage Building
Harding University

Student name badges and adult name badges will be distributed at Check-In. Adult name badges can also be picked up at the Judge Greeter table any time after 3:00 pm.

VISITORS: To keep everyone safe, all adults need to check-in and wear a name badge. If you don't receive a name badge at check-in, please stop by the Judge Greeter to get one.

Orientation will begin at 3:00 Thursday and the first debate round will be at 4:00. Please be on time for check in so you can get settled and ready to compete!

Photo release

The Stoa Marketing Committee would like to feature our tournament on social media in a short video reel. We will have a photographer onsite taking short video clips to use in our reel. This will be a fun way to remember Kickoff Challenge and to attract new families to Stoa. If you would like to opt out of the videos, please email the tournament director.

Mark Pruitt at Harding University has invited each of you to register for a campus visit while you are at Harding for the tournament. The day begins at 8:00am, includes the 9:00am campus chapel service which all students attend each day, and then continues on from there with a tour of campus, academic appointments, presentations, etc. They will even treat you to lunch! If you are a high school student and would like to sign up, fill out the form at https://www.harding.edu/admissions/visit and they will get that set up for you. What a great opportunity to check out a wonderful school!

Adult/Minor Modeling Participant Release

In consideration of my membership in Stoa, which includes the membership of all my dependent minor children, I hereby grant to Stoa and to its sponsors, and those acting with Stoa’s authority and permission, the irrevocable and unrestricted right and permission to take, use, reuse, publish, and republish photographic portraits or pictures, videos or recordings of me or of my minor children, or in which I or my minor children may be included, in whole or in part, made through any and all media now or hereafter known. I also consent to the use of any printed matter in conjunction therewith or the use of my name and/or the name(s) of my minor children, in connection therewith if Stoa so decides.

I consent to the use of my name or the name(s) of my minor children for the purposes of posting tournament results and point accrual to a Stoa designated online database.

I hereby waive any right that I or my minor children may have to inspect or approve the finished product or products.

I hereby release, discharge and agree to save harmless Stoa and its sponsors and all persons acting under its permission or authority from any liability including any claims for libel or invasion of privacy, rights of publicity, copyright or otherwise. I hereby warrant that I am a legal competent adult and that I have every right to contract for myself and/or the minor in the above regard. I state further that I have read the above authorization, release, and agreement, prior to its execution, and that I am fully familiar with the contents of it.

Cancellations prior to the close of tournament registration on September 19 will garner a full refund minus any Stripe fees. There will be NO REFUNDS after registration closes. Once the tournament closes on the 19th, we will be within the 2 week window of the start of the tournament, so a $20 fee will be assessed for any drops made beginning on September 20.

Apologetics

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Mars Hill

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