Its Christmas Charlie Brown Spring Tomball Memorial Swing tourn
2023 — Spring, TX/US
Novice Public Forum
Event Description:
Public Forum Debate
Public Forum Debate is a team event that advocates or rejects a position. The clash of ideas should be communicated in a manner persuasive to the non-specialist or citizen judge. Through this contest, students are encouraged to communicate ideas with clarity, organization and eloquence and display solid logic, lucid reasoning, and depth of analysis, in the development of argumentation.
1. Resolution: The official national high school Public Forum Debate topic shall be used.
2. Procedure and Order of Speeches: Prior to EVERY round and in the presence of the judge(s), a coin is tossed by one team and called by the other team. The team that wins the flip may choose one of two options: EITHER the SIDE of the topic they wish to defend (pro or con) OR the SPEAKING POSITION they wish to have (begin the debate or end the debate). The remaining option (SIDE or SPEAKING POSITION) is the choice of the team that loses the flip. Each debater must give one and only one 4-minute speech, one individual crossfire, and one 2-minute speech and Grand crossfire in the following order:
First Speaker – Team A 4 minutes
First Speaker – Team B 4 minutes
Crossfire (first question by speaker A1 to B1)3 minutes
Second Speaker – Team A 4 minutes
Second Speaker – Team B 4 minutes
Crossfire (first question by speaker A2 to B2)3 minutes
Summary – First Speaker – Team A 3 minutes
Summary – First Speaker – Team B 3 minutes
Grand Crossfire 3 minutes
Final Focus – Second Speaker – Team A 2 minutes
Final Focus – Second Speaker – Team B 2 minutes
Prep Time 3 minutes per team
At the conclusion of the summary speeches, all four debaters will remain seated and participate in a three-minute ‘Grand Crossfire’ in which all four debaters are allowed to cross-examine one another. The speaker who gave the first summary speech must ask the first question. The speakers from each team will continue to ask and answer questions. Teams should alternate asking and answering questions rather than allowing one team to dominate so that a balance between teams is achieved. All speakers are encouraged to participate in the Grand Crossfire. Speakers should listen respectfully to opponents’ questions and answers.
3. Time: No grace time is allowed beyond completion of a sentence. The judge may penalize for overtime through reduction in speaker points.
4. Prompting Philosophy: Only the specific speaker, witness or questioner should audibly participate in the cross-examination, constructive, or rebuttal phase of the round. Assistance in the form of oral comments from a partner or team member during a speech (other than time signals in numbers) or written comments other than pre-prepared material (i.e., evidence or briefs) shall be discouraged except during the Grand Crossfire. Judges shall be instructed to respond with a remedy which is appropriate according to their own standards.
5. Team: A team shall consist of two competitors from the same school.