North Allegheny Middle School Invitational @ Marshall Middle School

5145 Wexford Run Rd, Wexford, PA 15090

Dominic Moore (dmoore1@northallegheny.org)

Dear Coaches,

The North Allegheny Speech & Debate Team is excited to invite you to the Inaugural North Allegheny Middle School Invitational at Marshall Middle School on Saturday, Feb. 1!

This is a perfect opportunity for middle school students to demonstrate their skills, gain experience and confidence, and experience how high school tournaments are run! The tournament is intended for middle school students at any skill level to feel comfortable competing in speech and debate in a low-pressure environment. Any middle school student (grades 6-8) is welcome to attend.

Location: Marshall Middle School

5145 Wexford Run Rd, Wexford, PA 15090

Check-in: 7:15-7:45

Opening Meeting: 7:45 in the MMS Cafeteria

Students should enter through the main (student drop off) entrance and report to the cafeteria.

Cost: $5 per competitor (does NOT include lunch).

Events:

Lunch:

Will be available for $5 – purchase tickets upon arrival. The main course will be Pizza.

Judges:

1 judge per 5 speech entries; 1 judge per 2 debate entries

High school students are permitted to and encouraged to judge if they’ve earned 250 NSDA points or have at least two years’ experience. Judge pools: Speech/Congress, Public Forum, and Lincoln-Douglas. Qualified Parliamentarians should email Coach Moore at dmoore1@northallegheny.org

Registration (on Tabroom): Before Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Anticipated Tournament Schedule:

7:15-7:45 Check-in

7:45 Opening Meeting in Cafeteria

8:00 – 9:15 Round 1

9:15 – 10:30 Round 2

11:00 - 12:00 Lunch

12:00 – 1:00 Round 3

1:00 – 2:00 Round 4

2:30 - 3:00 Awards (in Cafeteria)

Debaters will compete in 4 rounds and eat lunch after R3.

Congress will conclude debate at 2:00 and run two sessions, breaking for lunch at 11am.

Please Note:

Congress: Bill packet will be available on Tabroom in November.

Lincoln-Douglas topic: Resolved: In the United States, national service ought to be mandatory.

Public Forum topic: Will be released in November.

NSDA Middle School Rules will apply to all events.

Judges should bring an electronic device like a laptop or phone that can connect to the internet to write and submit ballots.

WiFi will be provided for all competitors and judges. No outside communication is permitted during rounds.

Awards will be given to top 6 in each event with greater than 10 competitors and top 3 to other events. No sweepstakes awards will be given.