• 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.

THANK YOU for your interest in judging at our Speech and Debate Tournament!!! We rely on community support to help our tournament run smoothly!!!

You will use this web site (Stoa Hub) to pick the time that works best for you to judge.  All speech events will occur on Friday and all Debate events will occur on Saturday.

Please arrive 45 minutes prior to your selected speech and/or debate round in order to receive  orientation.

TIME COMMITMENT FOR JUDGES

Lincoln Douglas Debate: Approximately 2 – 2.5 hrs, which includes 45 min for training and 45 minutes for the actual debate with the remaining 30 min to an hour allotted to completing the ballot.

Team Policy Debate: Approximately 2.5 – 3 hrs, which includes 45 min for training and 1.25 hrs for the actual debate with the remaining 30 minutes to an hour allotted for completing the ballot.

Speech: Approximately 3 – 3.5 hrs, which includes 45 min for training and 2 hrs for the actual speech round with the remaining 30 minutes to an hour allotted for completing the ballot.

For scheduling purposes please allow an hour to complete the ballots. The students value your comments on the ballots and will learn from them. Some judges can give great feedback in a short amount of time, others need longer.

During Judge Training, you will be given a good overview of the events and the judging process at the tournament. There will be three types of judge training - Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate, Team Policy (TP) debate, and Speech. Speech training will only occur on Friday, which is the day that all speech events will take place.

Once you have completed training for Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate, you may judge additional Lincoln Douglas debate rounds without the need of repeating the training. However, additional training will be required for judging a Team Policy (TP) debate round. The converse is also true.

Also if you arrive early, stop by the Judge Deliberation Room where you will find a variety of good things to eat and drink. These goodies will also be available while you are completing your ballot.

You will receive an e-mail giving details about check-in, judge orientation, etc. approximately a week prior to the tournament.

If you would like to learn more about judging and the debate events prior to the tournament, some resources are included below.

DEBATE TRAINING SLIDES
Please feel free to read and become familiar with the LD and TP  debate training slides content by clicking on the links below.

 LD Debate Orientation Slides Oct - December 2024

 TP Orientation Slides 2024-2025

YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO JUDGE! The goal of our competitors is to be able to communicate their ideas clearly and respectfully to anyone. If you are a good listener who is over 18 and not actively competing in high school speech or debate, WE NEED YOU!

If you are on the fence about whether or not to give community judging a try, watch this short video.

TOURNAMENT LOCATION
The tournament will be held at the Community Church of Monroe at 224 E Old Highway 74, Monroe, NC 28112

Look for the neon green poster board signs for directions.

More instructions will be emailed out to registered judges about a week before the tournament.

Parent Judges are critically important for a well-run, on-time tournament.

Requirements:

1)       Each student will be required to have a parent judge available to judge for the entire tournament.

One person cannot serve as the parent judge for more than one student except:

+ A parent with multiple children competing
+ The parent of team policy debater can be the designated judge for his/her child's partner
+ If you need an exception to these requirements, then please email F5speechandebate@gmail.com.

2)       Each parent, or their designee, will be responsible for judging up to 4 Speech rounds (Friday) and 5 debate rounds (Saturday).

+  Tab will assume that you will be there all day to judge. If this is not the case, please email F5speechandebate@gmail.com.

+ Please do not plan on leaving campus to pick up food. We may need you to judge.

+ Debate rounds will have only one judge with the exception of the Final rounds, which will hopefully have a minimum of 3 judges.

3)       Please Communicate Changes to your attendance or your student's attendance or your student's events as soon as possible by emailing F5speechandebate@gmail.com.

4)       Before judging, parents or their designee should attend Debate and Speech training (required at least once during the 2024-2025 competition season).

+Speech training will be offered on Friday morning at 7:20 AM and at 45 minutes prior to each Speech Round.

+Both  LD and TP debate trainings will be held on both Friday morning at 7:20 AM and on Saturday morning as well as at 45 minute intervals prior to each debate round on Saturday.

+ The debate training is only required if you have not yet been trained in debate during the 2024-2025 competition season.

+ All training will be held in either the  Judge Training Room or the Judge Deliberation Room. Both rooms are in the Gym/Fellowship Hall Building.

• Parents, it is your responsibility to be trained as early in the day as possible for both types of debate (Lincoln Douglas and Team Policy) regardless of your judging preferences. We will be giving a combined debate training for Lincoln Douglas and Team Policy.

• If you are called on to judge and cannot fulfill the duty, due to lack of training or neglect, your student may be disqualified from the tournament.

• You will be given a good overview of the events and the judging process at the tournament during Judge Training.

• Click on the  links below to view the training materials that we will use for our Speech and Debate events. Please feel free to read them and become familiar with them.

o   LD Debate Orientation Slides Oct - December 2024

o   TP Orientation Slides 2024-2025

o   All Speech Judge Orientation Documents and Slides 2024-2025

5)       Be mindful of judging conflicts

• If you have a close personal relationship/friendship with, are related to, or have coached a competitor, we ask that you do not judge that individual.

• Parents, please include the names of the following in the Conflicts Section when registering to judge:

+ Your children's TP debate partners

+ Students that you may be traveling with

+ Students that you have listened to or helped at club.

+ Alumni judges, please be sure not to judge anyone you have coached or who was a competitor during the time you competed.

6)       Complete forms

• Parents should complete the Medical and Liability Waiver located on the left hand side of this tournament website and turn it in during check-in the morning of the tournament or email it to F5speechandebate@gmail.com by 8 PM on Thursday, November 21^st.

We are so thankful to the Community Church of Monroe for graciously allowing us to use their facilities for our tournament. Please treat their property with care as you would your own.  Thank you!

*Directions*

The Community Church of Monroe is located at 224 E Old Highway 74, Monroe, NC 28112. As you get close, look for the neon green poster board signs for directions/parking.  There will be drop-off parking to the left of the church; however, the primary parking for parents/students will be on the lower level to the right of the church.  We would like to try to reserve the upper lot for our Community Judges.

*Student / Parent Check-in*

Check-in will be from 6:50 – 7:10 AM in the Gym/Fellowship Hall. This building is the only facility other than the church building on site and is located to the left of the church building as you face the church.  Once you arrive, please pick up your name tag, turn in your Liability Form (if you haven’t already sent it), and proceed straight into the gym to find a seat/table.

Student announcements will be made at 7:15 AM in the gym on both Friday and Saturday.

*Facility Layout*
There are 3 areas that we’ll be using in the facility: 1) The Gym/Fellowship Hall – This is where we will have morning announcements, hang out between rounds, and where we will have meals.  The rooms located in this facility will be used primarily for judge training, tab, and judge deliberation.  There are two rooms that will be used for LD rounds on Saturday.  2) The Church Basement – This will be the main location for speech and debate rounds. This facility will be accessed by walking outdoors around the front of the church to the entrance at the lower-level parking lot. There will be signs showing the way.  3) The Church Sanctuary – This area will be used for the Awards Ceremony on both days and for LD rounds and the TP Final round on Saturday.

*Expository Storage*
You may store your props for your Expository speeches in the Church Basement room B2 (the nursery).   *Reminder to others:* If the props/boxes don’t belong to you, then please do not handle. Only Interp in a Box and Expository students should enter the prop storage area.

*Other Facility Information*
Please remember that this is a borrowed facility, and a house of worship; therefore, please be respectful of the church facility and grounds.

*Please keep all food and drinks (other than water) in the gym/fellowship hall!*

*Please be mindful to clean up after yourself and throw away your trash!*

*Announcements and Awards*

Student announcements will be made in the gym at 7:15 AM on each day. Students should be on time!

At the end of each day, awards will be in the Sanctuary. More directions will be given closer to time. Ballots will be distributed following awards.

*Lunch and Dinner* 

Pre-ordered food will be served in the gym via the pass-through window at the kitchen.  Please do not enter the kitchen.

*Facility Set-Up (Friday Night)*
On Friday night, after completing their last round, the last 2 speakers in each room are responsible for setting that room up for the following Saturday’s debate rounds (this shouldn’t take more than 5-7 minutes). If needed, please encourage judges to head back to the judge deliberation room to complete their ballots so that you can complete rearranging the room. 

Please set the room up according to the diagram for DEBATE, which will be taped to the wall near the door. Also please be diligent to pick up paper clips, pens/pencils, and paper/trash off the floors.

*Facility Clean-Up (Saturday Night)*

After completing their last round, debaters should be diligent in picking up paper clips, pens/pencils, and paper/trash off the tables and floors of the competition rooms.  Dinner will be available in the gym after the final round at 5:30. After eating, please make sure to clean up your area.  It would also be helpful if you could assist with breaking down tables and moving chairs and tables to the “judge deliberation room” side of the gym.  Thank you for your help with this!

Special Notes about Waitlists:
If an event is full, please go ahead and sign-up on the waitlist. Most times we are able to accommodate people on the waitlist.
- Students that can provide multiple judges will be given priority.
- Competitors (LD) or teams (TP) that have both partners registered/waitlisted the earliest will be given secondary priority.

Registration is considered complete when:
The competitor or both competitors (Team Policy / certain Speech events) are registered.
Parent judge registration is completed. 
Payment is received by Stripe

Late Fee
+ If there is a waitlist, you will be dropped from your event if you have not completed payment or if do not have a "parent" judge registered by the end of registration on November 4th.
+ If there is not a waitlist and you wish to compete but did not pay or have a "parent" judge registered by the end of registration on November 4th, a late fee of $15 will be added to your balance and you must complete the registration steps ASAP. Failure to do so will result in being dropped from the events.

Late Fee
+ If there is a waitlist for an event, and you have not completed payment or don’t have a "parent" judge registered by the end of registration on November 4^th, you will be dropped from your event.
+ If there is not a waitlist and you wish to compete but did not pay or have a "parent" judge registered by the end of registration on November 4th, a late fee of $15 will be added to your balance and you must complete your registration ASAP. Failure to do so will result in being dropped from the event.

Refund/Dropped Event Policy
Cancellations prior to the close of tournament registration on November 4th will garner a full refund minus any Stripe fees. There will be NO REFUNDS after registration closes.

November 5-11: A dropped event will cost $15
November 12-17: A dropped event will cost $20
November 18-20: A dropped event will cost $25
November 21: A dropped event will cost $30
November 12: A dropped event at the door will cost $35
Please contact us for extenuating circumstances.

Drops create a domino effect of extra work for our volunteer staff because they affect room allocation, judging needs, and awards orders. Thank you for understanding!

MEDICAL AND LIABILITY RELEASE

Parents, please print out and sign the Medical Release & Liability Standard Release document below. Please complete one form for each student if you have multiple children competing. Please email the completed form to F5speechandebate@gmail.com by 8 PM on November 21, 2024, OR turn it in at the tournament's check-in table at the tournament check-in. Some extra forms will be available to sign on those mornings.

Chaperones overseeing students other than your own children must bring a signed copy from a Parent of each student for whom you are responsible.

I give permission for my child, ________________________, to participate in the Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament hosted by the F5 Speech and Debate Club on November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, taking place at the Community Church of Monroe, 224 E Old Hwy 74, Monroe, NC 28112.

I am aware that my or my child’s participation in the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament may result in risks, which, among other things, include but are not limited to illness or various physical injuries and I freely assume on my own and on my child’s behalf all risks incidental to such participation.

In consideration of the participation of my child in the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament and on my child’s behalf, I hereby waive all claims against, release, covenant not to sue, and forever discharge F5 Speech and Debate Club, and its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, assigns, agents, servants, employees, officers, directors, principals, agents, representatives, volunteers, contractors, successors, and assigns (the “Released Parties”) of and from all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses of any nature arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with the scoring of the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament, my attendance at the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament, the participation of my child in the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament and/or any such related and associated activities of any kind whatsoever, and further agree to indemnify and hold each of the Released Parties harmless from and against any and all such liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs and expenses including by way of example, but not limited to, all attorneys’ fees, costs of court, and the costs and expenses of other professionals and disbursements up through and including any appeal arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with my attendance at the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament or the participation of my child in the November 22, 2024 and November 23, 2024, Queen City Classic speech and debate tournament

Signed ______________________________________________                    Date ________

Apologetics Categories are:

• Category 1: The Character and Nature of God
• Category 2: Foundations of Christianity
• Category 3: Scripture

Mars Hill Categories are:

• Current Film and Television (last 5 years)
• Current Music
• Classic Film and Television

We will utilize Stoa Joy of Tournaments for the tabulation software and will follow the Stoa Transparent Tabulation policies.

Speech

Speech will have 3 rounds with a Pattern A and a Pattern B run during each round.

We will seek to have 3 judges in each speech event.

Debate

Lincoln Douglas will have 6 preliminary rounds of debate and a final round. Lincoln Douglas will be flighted but a separate judge will be assigned to each debate within the flight.

Team Policy will have six preliminary rounds of debate and a final round.

All 6 preliminary rounds of both types of debate will be randomly paired regardless of number of debaters.

There will not be any club protect or sibling protect for this tournament.

Joy of Tournaments software will be used to randomly pair rounds while the tab assistant from a different club watches via screen share on Zoom. If for some reason, Joy of Tournaments cannot complete the random pairings, the tab assistant from a different club will participate in making the random pairings.

When making the random pairings, the school variation and squad variation will be set to ignore. It has been our experience that this results in more randomness especially when there is a large contingency from one club.

No student/team will have more than two byes. Byes will be randomly assigned.

Green checks in debate will be awarded to the top 38% of teams regardless if a team has a winning record. Teams are ranked within their win-loss bracket according to speaker points, rank points, and strength of schedule. To learn more about Stoa debate tiebreakers (what Stoa terms the mechanism for ranking teams that have the same win-loss record), see the Stoa Tab Manual beginning on page 44.

We will recognize all debaters with a 4-2 record or better at awards regardless if they receive a check mark as we believe that this accomplishment should be recognized.

Ballots

All ballots for each student will be placed in a large brown envelope labeled with the student's name and will be ready for pick up after the awards ceremony.

Script Submission Review

All competitors with prepared speeches must complete the script Submission process.

Submission Deadlines:

Early Script Submission Deadline – Wednesday, October 30th at 11:59 PM EST

Script Submission Deadline – Monday, November 4^th at 11:59 PM EST

Script Submission Revision Deadline – Monday, November 11^th at 6:00 PM EST

If your script needs corrections, your script must be corrected no later than this date. If not, the competitor will be dropped for that speech event and charged a $15 drop fee

Early Script Submission Prize Drawing

Each script submitted by 11:59 PM EST on October 30^th gets one entry into the drawing for one of two $15 prizes.

How To Submit Scripts Electronically

1.       Be sure that your script follows the rules for your speech event. Rules can be seen on the Stoausa.org website or here:  Speech Resources | StoaUSA

2.       In general, a script submission (one for each event) should have the REQUIRED pages in the following order:

a.       SIGNED Script Submission Form(s) that is(are) applicable to your event(s). See below

b.       Typed copy of the speech script

c.       Works cited page, as applicable

d.       Highlighted copy of the original source text, including added words, as applicable

3.       Use Submission Forms found on the Stoausa.org website:

a.        Speech Resources | StoaUSA

4.       Also see the following reference material located on the above link:

a.       Stoa Publication Guide

b.       Citations Help Page

c.       EasyBib.com (assists with Works Cited pages)

5.       Combine each speech into a single PDF file. See File Joiner resources below. If this step is an extra burden, it is OK to just send the needed files separately but needs to be in one email. Also, each part of the 1 email submission needs to have a file name: Last Name, First Name-Event Name-Name of the part of the packet. For example:

a.       Smith-Joe – Duo Interp – Script Submission Form

b.       Smith-Joe – Duo Interp – Typed Speech

c.       Smith-Joe – Duo Interp – Original Text

6.       Correct or Celebrate. If your script is returned for corrections, complete the requirements and re-submit promptly. Otherwise, it’s time to celebrate your approval.

7.       Submit your Script review package to F5SpeechScripts@gmail.com

8.       You’ll receive a confirmation email once your script has been received and approved. Please save a copy of the confirmation email on your phone or print it out to have with you at check-in.

Please submit any questions to F5SpeechScripts@gmail.com

Photo and Video/Audio Recording Policy

Recording devices (visual or audio) should not be used to tape debate or speech rounds during the tournament unless all debaters/speakers filmed give their consent.

Sickness Policy

Please do not attend the tournament if you have had fever or vomited in the past 24 hrs or have chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, or sore throat.

If you need to cancel due to illness, please email F5speechandebate@gmail.com as soon as possible.

We will provide hand sanitizer in the competition rooms.

LOCAL HOTELS

There are several hotels within 6 miles of the tournament site. We recommend making a reservation that has free cancellation.

Quality Inn & Suites

2351 W. Roosevelt Blvd. Monroe, NC 28110

704-283-9600

5.8 miles to the tournament

Best Western Inn & Suites - Monroe

2316 Hanover Drive, Monroe, NC 28110 

704-283-4746

5.9 miles to the tournament

Fairfield Inn & Suites - Charlotte Monroe

1825 Williams Rd. Monroe, NC 28110

980-290-2190

5.9 miles to the tournament

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Monroe

2505 West Roosevelt Boulevard Monroe, NC 28110

704-774-1779

6.1 miles to the tournament

Hampton Inn Charlotte Monroe

2368 Roland Dr. Monroe, NC 28110

704-220-2200

6.4 miles from the tournament

*Note on Quality Inn & Suites. This hotel is by far the cheapest on the list, but it does not have the best reviews, so we suggest looking into reviews before booking. It is in the same area as the other hotels, which is a good one.

DRESS CODE

This dress code was designed to promote professionalism and modesty in behavior and dress.

Competition

During the competition, students must dress in professional business attire.

Gentlemen: Suits or slacks and a sports coat, with a shirt and tie, and dress shoes.

Ladies: Skirt or pantsuits; slacks, skirts or dresses with jackets, and professional dress shoes. Hemlines are to be at least to the knee. Nylons are not required.

Awards Ceremony

Students must attend the awards ceremony in full competition attire.

Violations

If the competitor’s attire at any time during the tournament is deemed a violation of the dress code, the competitor will be asked to come into compliance with the dress code. A student will not be allowed to participate in the competition or awards without compliance.