GSU Tournament Invite Now Available

[JoeBellon]

Our invite is at http://www.gsudebate.org/events_at_gsu/gsu_national_college_debate.html. I have also pasted a copy of it below this message.

The tournament is also up at debateresults.com. Entry is enabled.

Dr. Joe Bellon
Director of Debate
Georgia State University

**************

27 July, 2010

 

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to invite you and your students to attend the twelvth annual Georgia State University National College Debate Tournament, to be held in Atlanta, September 17-20, 2010. This invitation contains all the information you will need to register, including hotel info.

We have made some important changes and kept many elements the same.

Changes:

**** Expanded meal plan. In keeping with a general national trend toward more efficient tournament schedules, and as a part of our desire to keep the tournament convenient and accessible for teams of all sizes, we’re going to provide more meals. We will provide breakfast AND lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and will once again provide dinner on Sunday after Open round 7. This will, of course, necessitate a slightly different fee structure (detailed in the appropriate section below). Basically, the only meals you will need to provide while at our tournament are any meals on Friday, dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday.

**** Clearer judging commitments. We’ve been working for a number of years to produce a compromise between our desire to provide a flexible and highly preferred judging pool and the needs of smaller programs to minimize the number of judges they have to travel. We believe we’ve finally found the right balance. We have also clarified JV and novice judging requirements.

**** While we loved the 100-point scale, it seems clear that the 30-point scale with tenth-point increments is the overall favorite of the community. It will therefore be our favorite too.

**** Fewer trophies, lower fees, more glory. We will continue to give trophies out for teams in finals and the top two speakers in each division, but we will stop giving out other trophies and we will pass the savings on to you. We will announce a larger list of top speakers in each division, however, and will find creative ways to heap more glory upon our winners.

 

Things we’ve kept the same:

**** We are maintaining 7 prelims in Open, with doubles on Sunday night. Novice and JV will stay at 6 prelims.

**** Dr. Jon Bruschke will once again be helming our tab room, with a D6 coworker TBA.

**** Time limits on judging. Judges will have 2:45 (from the start of the round) to complete decisions in prelims and 3:00 in elims. We are reasonable people and will happily take things like late start times into consideration. In elims, we will allow at least 15 minutes for post-round discussion.

**** Our historic commitment to providing a high-quality, friendly experience for your entire team in all three divisions.

**** The same tournament hotel, same room rate, same low cost internet access.

**** Last year’s improved commitment to the case list, including a team of assistant coaches from across D6 to help with information-gathering and a fee structure that rewards early compliance.

 

HOTEL INFORMATION

The tournament hotel is the Marriott Atlanta Century Center, 2000 Century Boulevard  NE, Atlanta, GA, 30345, (404) 325-0000. Their web site is http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlne-atlanta-marriott-century-center/. The Marriott Century Center is about a 10-15 minute drive from campus, and is easily accessible from I-85.

We have secured a $99 per night rate for double-doubles. For reservations, call (800) 228-9290 and ask for the GSU Debate Team event. You can make online reservations here: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlne?groupCode=gsugsua&app=resvlink&fromDate=9/17/10&toDate=9/21/10. For schools who wish to claim a tax exemption, the hotel prefers to receive a copy of the tax exempt form, a purchase order, and to receive payment via Government issue credit card or state check. Feel free to call the information number at the Marriott for details about this issue - the hotel is eager to work with you.

 

INTERNET ACCESS AT THE HOTEL

Internet access will be a maximum of $12.95 per room (our contract specifies that numerous computers may be used in a single room without accruing additional charges).

The hotel has recently started providing free wireless access in the main lobby area. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, the hotel will be providing space for tournament participants to gather and use wireless access at no additional charge.

 

TOURNAMENT ENTRY

We are using Dr. Jon Bruschke's online tournament entry system. This system can be accessed at http://www.debateresults.com. Please enter your teams and specify your judging by midnight Tuesday, September 14. Please contact Joe Bellon if you are planning to enter more than 6 teams in the Novice or JV division.

 

FEES

Make checks payable to “GSU Debate.” Our FEID# is: 58-1845423. Address: PO Box 4000, Atlanta, GA 30302-4000.

For Open teams, the fee is $150 per team. However, if a team has their 1AC case list information in to us or posted on the Wake Forest Wiki by registration, then we will charge only $125 for that team. For more information on what constitutes an acceptable caselist entry, see the specific section on the caselist, below. If one or more of your teams doesn’t have a complete caselist entry by registration, we will still provide you a $25 refund per team if their caselist entry is complete by the start of round 1. After that, no refunds.

Entry fees are $100 per JV or novice team.

We are also charging a $25 per person food fee. This will not cover our entire food expense (we are providing 5 meals), but it will prevent us from actually losing money on the tournament. So, if you have two teams in Open and two judges, your total fee would be $450. However, if both your teams have their case list information in on time, your total fee would only be $400.

 

JUDGING REQUIREMENTS

Schools must provide 4 rounds of judging for each team in the Open division, with the following exception: if you are bringing only 2 teams to the tournament in Open, you are only required to provide 7 rounds of judging total for those 2 teams. This exception assumes you are only bringing teams in Open. The idea is that you can bring 2 teams and 1 judge and be covered.

Schools must provide 3 rounds of judging for each team in the JV and Novice divisions.

As usual, we are also looking to hire judges to help improve mutuality and the overall quality of the pool. IF A JUDGE FULFILLING YOUR SCHOOL'S OBLIGATION DOES NOT SHOW UP for an assigned round, we will assign another one of your judges (our choice) to adjudicate an additional round beyond their original obligation. This is true even if we are able to replace your absent judge with someone other than a judge from your school.

All judges are obligated to judge through octafinals, or one round after their school's last team exits the tournament, whichever comes later.

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide hired judging, so if you have needs in that area, please contact us with as much lead time as possible. We expect each school to cover their own judging obligations, and we strongly encourage teams to bring judges whose reputation will allow them to judge their entire commitment of rounds. If you are willing to be hired beyond your obligation, please contact Bellon immediately - it is likely we will want your services.

Judges will have 2 hours and 45 minutes from the start of every prelim round to turn in a decision. In elim debates, judges will have 3 hours.

We expect all judges at the tournament to make a decision at the end of the round signifying that one team has won and the other team has lost the debate, and to fill in appropriate speaker points and ranks. Ballots attempting to award a double win or loss will be adjusted to this procedure by use of a coin toss.

 

CASELIST

The e-mail address for case list information is gsucaselist@gmail.com. We ask that by registration each and every team provide us with adequate 1AC case list information. What does that mean?

1) An exact plan text. If you don’t have a plan text, give us your advocacy statement. If you don’t have an advocacy statement, supply information that explains what the point of the 1AC is and how it relates (or doesn’t) to the resolution.

2) An outline of the 1AC, including tags for each piece of evidence. If you don’t have a traditional outline, provide the tags for all the cards you’re reading. If you’re not reading cards, list the major arguments you will be making in the 1AC, plus any published sources you will be referencing.

3) We reserve the right to decide that your information is not adequate if we think you’re being unreasonable. If your team doesn’t run traditional arguments, just ask yourself: if you were about to hit your own aff in round 3, what kind of information about it would you want? If that doesn’t help, imagine you run disad-counterplan, then ask yourself that question again.

Please, please send us your 1AC information as soon as you have it. The information you provide us prior to the tournament will be kept absolutely confidential until Round 2 is underway (to avoid punishing early compliance).

 

CASE LIST GOON SQUAD

We expect to have a goon squad of at least 5 experienced folks constantly roaming the tournament, making sure that we get complete information for every team on both aff and neg. It would be really nice if you cooperated with them by sending information about every major position your run on both the aff and the neg to our gsucaselist@gmail.com address or by posting your info directly to the Wake Wiki (http://opencaselist.wikispaces.com/home).

 

TOURNAMENT ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

We will debate the official CEDA resolution. Any student meeting AFA eligibility requirements may enter the open division. The JV and novice divisions will be restricted to students who meet the relevant AFA requirements. Hybrid teams will be accepted AND will be allowed to debate in elims. 9-3-6, 10 minutes prep. There is a possibility that GSU teams will enter the tournament in one or more divisions. If that happens, those teams WILL be allowed to break. Neither the Director nor any other GSU representative will make judge placement or other critical tab decisions for GSU teams unless it is absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, we will endeavor to make decisions that benefit the other team in the debate more than the GSU team.

We are seeking CEDA and ADA sanctioning, and will enthusiastically implement CEDA policies on sexual harassment and other kinds of discrimination.

The first two prelim debates will be preset randomly. We will pair rounds 3 and 4 off the results of rounds 1 and 2, high-low within brackets. We will pair round 5 off the results of 1-4, high-low within brackets. Debates after that (rounds 6-7) will be individually power matched high-low within brackets. Clearing teams and speakers will receive awards, recognition, or both. We will not break brackets in elimination rounds. Sides in elims will be determined by pre-existing constraints (when available) or a coin toss; we will not use side equalization.

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

6:00 - 9:30 p.m.    Registration, Marriott Century Center Hotel

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

7:30 - 8:30     Breakfast and pairings available at GSU Campus

8:30 ROUND 1

11:00     ROUND 2

1:00  Lunch (provided on campus in the courtyard between GCB and Sparks)

3:00 ROUND 3

5:30 ROUND 4

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

7:00 - 8:00     Breakfast and pairings available at GSU Campus

8:00 ROUND 5

11:30 ROUND 6

1:00 Lunch (provided on campus in the courtyard between GCB and Sparks)

3:00 ROUND 7*

5:30 Dinner in the courtyard between GCB and Sparks

6:00 Awards ceremony in the courtyard between GCB and Sparks. Immediately following this ceremony, pairings and a start time for the Double-Octafinals in the Open division will be announced.

* Elimination rounds in the JV and Novice divisions may begin during round 7, depending on the size of the division and our judging constraints. If necessary, additional JV or Novice elim rounds will be held on Monday, on the same schedule as Open (since doubles will be held on Sunday night).

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

7:00 am Pairings available, Marriott Century Center Hotel

8:00 Octafinal round in Open. JV and/or novice elimination rounds as necessary

Rest of elimination rounds to follow, through finals.

[RGarrett]

I don't mean to be negative, but the invite says decision times will be 2:45 however the schedule only provide 2:30 from beginning of round 1 until beginning of round 2 each day.  Even if people generally don't like how long rounds have become it seems strange not to actually have a schedule that conforms to the rules. 

There are three reasons a schedule that follows the likelihood of long rounds can improve the quality of the tournament in my opinion.  First, if you are a team stuck in a 2:45 round, round 1 Saturday you get to round 2 at 11:15/11:20, the other team and the judge might be annoyed because scheduled start time is 11:00 so now you get no prep, every round is important and teams should get an equatable way to prepare for those rounds.  Second, lunch that day (or the next) if you were in a late going round in either round 1 or 2 you won't get to lunch until 1:45, there is some time built into the schedule at this point since round 3 is delayed until 3:00, but at many tournaments those late round people (especially if they have dietary restrictions) are lucky to get food.  Beside that with the pressure to prep for round 3 many students will just forgo lunch.  If the point of having 7 rounds is to help make tournaments more livable, I think it is important that we make tournaments more livable in other ways like ensuring people a time for lunch.  The third objection doesn't matter on Sunday since the tournament is all inclusive that day, however on Saturday teams will need to find a place to eat, planning for those decisions is a lot more difficult when the exit time of the tournament is obscured.  The true exit time is likely around 8:45 not 8:15. 

I understand there is a buffer in the schedule around lunch but it seems more straightforward to list round times assuming people will go to the limit, they always do.  With the round times as is there is little preparation or travel time built into the schedule, it is just fairer to all teams to have a schedule that does give these kinds of time, some judges or competitors will take time for these things no matter what, so it is better to build a fair time in so things can actually run to schedule and be equitable across all rounds.  Some people might prefer the psychological benefit of looking at a compact schedule and thinking that they will be home early, but I think it is a lot less stressful and confusing for participants to actual model schedules on the practices that will most likely be followed at the tournament.

[JoeBellon]

Your point is well taken on Saturday. We will work on an updated schedule to reflect a more accurate start time for round 2.

However, on Sunday, there are 3 and a half hours in between the first two rounds. This doesn't change the fact that we have lunch listed unreasonably early on Sunday. We'll work on that as well.

Last year we had some difficulty running out of food for lunch on Sunday. That will absolutely not be a problem this year, and we will do our utmost to make sure everyone not only has an opportunity to eat but has time as well.

Of course, there are many factors that can delay the start times of rounds, and we recognize that some of them simply can't be helped. We'll do our best to make sure the schedule isn't one of those factors.

Dr. Joe Bellon
Director of Debate
Georgia State University

[ScottElliott]

I just don't understand how it can possibly cost $225.00 per team/ $425.00 for two teams to register for a regional tournament. Assuming 100 teams attend GSU, this means....minimum, $22,500.00 to host a single tournament at a State University? This is MORE than my program paid to attend CEDA Nationals...and even the NDT Districts. How is this possible? This, in the middle of the worst economic crisis facing the country in almost 100  years seems to be excessive.

[JoeBellon]

We are certainly sympathetic to cost issues. Allow me to point out a couple of things.

First, we are now providing five meals. The amount of money it costs us to do this is pretty staggering. Second, we spend a large amount of money every year hiring additional judges, hiring folks to help us with the caselist process, hiring extra tab room staff, and doing other things to make the tournament a more positive experience for everyone involved. Third, GSU has recently started charging us for using the rooms on campus. This fee alone costs us several thousand dollars every time we host. Fourth, we have managed to use the popularity of the tournament to keep hotel costs stable, and we have changed hotels to make parking less expensive. Finally, we go out of our way every year to help out financially strapped programs attend. I have literally never turned down a request from a program that has asked me for help.

Last year, GSU had the most teams of any regular season tournament, and I'm really proud of the work we do every year to make it a good experience. On the other hand, it is also my job to manage the finances of GSU's program. It's not an easy balance to achieve. I am always happy to talk to anyone about any aspect of our tournament, good or bad.

[Sean Ridley]

Appalachian State needs a debater for a hybrid team in the Open division. We can split the cost of the team and the judging commitment. Contact me if you are interested.

Sean Ridley
seanrridley@gmail.com