Dear Speech and Debate Friends and Colleagues:

Please join us for William Carey’s 3^rd annual tournament the William Carey “Crusader Classic” Invitational Tournament on November 1-2, 2024.

In Debate, we offer Novice Public Forum, Varsity Public Forum, Novice Lincoln-Douglas, Varsity Lincoln-Douglas, Policy Debate, and Congressional Debate

Flight A Individual Events are Novice and Varsity Prose, Impromptu, Dramatic Interpretation, Duet Acting, Original Oratory, and Program Oral Interpretation. We also offer the supplemental event of Expository Speaking for ninth and tenth-grade students only. William Carey also is uniquely offering two non-MHSAA events for ninth through twelfth-grade students only.

Homiletics: For this event, students are to present an 8–10-minute prepared homily expounding two-to-three points from a particular biblical passage. Judges will evaluate coherence, organization, pace, creativity, and content. This event is very similar to other platform speeches, like Info and Persuasive. The primary difference, however, is that your argumentation must be based in a biblical passage or verse.

Broadcast Journalism, participants assume the role of a news anchor or reporter delivering a news segment in a simulated live broadcast of news reporting. Students will be given a packet of articles with which they will have thirty minutes to prepare a script that will be delivered. Students must consider the diversity of article types, potential commercials, and, finally, interviews. Students should use their laptops and will face away from the judges when presenting their broadcast.

Flight B Individual Events are Novice and Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Novice and Varsity Poetry Interpretation, Declamation and Informative Speaking. We also offer the supplemental event of Storytelling for ninth and tenth-grade students only. This year’s topic area for Storytelling is on Fairy Tales.

Sweepstakes trophies will be awarded to the top school in debate and individual events, as well as the top three schools overall. We will also be awarding a "Top Individual Performer" award to the top Performer at the tournament. All students are only permitted to enter four events TOTAL, either choosing two Flight A’s and two Flight B’s or one debate, one Flight A and Two Flight B’s.

Registration for the tournament closes Monday, October 28^th at midnight. Judge Registration ends Tuesday, October 29^th at 5:00 pm. Judge obligations and entry fees are on the following page.

We look forward to hosting you in Hattiesburg!

Scholarship Opportunities

Competitors who place among the top three in their respective events are offered talent scholarships on behalf of the William Carey University Speech & Debate Team.

1^st Place - $6,800 (residential); $4,100 (non-residential)

2^nd Place - $6,300 (residential); $3,600 non-residential)

3^rd Place - $5,800 (residential); $3,100 (non-residential)

Tournament Staff

Dr. Brandon Knight: Director of William Carey Speech & Debate

Lyeneal Griffin: Assistant Coach of William Carey Speech & Debate

Anna-Rachel Krebs: WCU Speech and Debate President and Student Tournament Director