As noted in the last post, there will be no further publications from PFDebate. This means no updates and no books.

My father’s PFDebate bank account is currently in probate, meaning it will take quite some time to get his business in order. Please be patient while this is all worked out.

-Nathaniel Jordan

Dear PFDebate Community,

It is with great regret that I inform all of you that PFDebate will no longer be publishing any handbooks. Robert Jordan, the owner and sole operator of PFDebate suffered a massive heart attack on Monday morning and has passed away.

More information will be coming soon. Please bear with us as we begin the process of putting his affairs in order.

All the best,

Nathaniel Jordan

Crossfire Briefs: January 2012: Release 1 is now available. Order now the January 2012 monthly subscription and receive all four releases for $22.

The teams have been selected for the 2012 Harvard Public Forum Round Robin will take place on February 16-17, 2012.

Cameron Silverglate & Ethan Goldstein
American Heritage School (FL)
Coach: David Childree

Zachary Posess & James Weldon
Delbarton School (NJ)
Coach: Bro. Kevin Tidd

Priyanka Mohanty & Joseph Kim
Desert Vista High School (AZ)
Coach: Michael Witt

Michael Norton & Kyle Grigel
Falmouth High School (ME)
Coach: Michelle LaFond

Grant Sinnott & Jake Bayer
Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL)
Coach: Mike Wascher

Saachi Gupta & Steven Yaffe
Millburn High School (NJ)
Coach: Michael Paul

Lauren Wiggins & Porter Nenon
Myers Park High School (NC)
Coach: Andrew West

Nick Temple & Michael Adams
Pinecrest High School (NC)
Coach: Libby Carter

Megan Mers & Julia Geiger
Ransom Everglades (FL)
Coach: Douglas Miller

Nathan Leys & Kayleigh Courard-Hauri
Des Moines Roosevelt (IA)
Coach: Harry Strong

Sam Saskin & Liam Downs-Tepper
Stuyvesant (NY)
Coach: Julie Sheinman

Jonathan Stettin & Grant Ebenger
University School of NSU (FL)
Coach: Bradley Hicks

Dalton Feeley & Danny Rego
University School of NSU (FL)
Coach: Steven Schappaugh

Fionn Adamian & Ben Zimmermann
Walt Whitman High School (MD)
Coach: Ari Parker

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: December 2011 (Income Disparities and Democratic Ideals) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the December 2011 issue you will receive all four releases at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: December 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

Resolved: The costs of a college education outweigh the benefits.

A total of 458 schools voted for the January resolution. The winning resolution received 70% of the vote.

The following free topic resources are available for the December 2011 Public Forum Debate topic.

• PFDebate Radio: December 2011 Topic Analysis
• Debate Central: December 2011 Topic Analysis
• Planet Debate: Democracy and Inequality Topic Dialogue
• Forensics Online: NFL’s December 2011 Topic Analysis
• Forensics Online: December 2011 Research Links
• NFLtv: December 2011 Topic Analysis Video

If you know of others, please let us know.

Episode 15 of PFDebate Radio is now available. In this episode we discuss the December 2011 Public Forum Debate topic (Income Disparities and Democratic Ideals).

The January 2012 Public Forum vote opens Wednesday, November 23, and continues through Wednesday, November 30. Voting will conclude at 4:00pm CST. The two resolutions from which advisors may choose are as follows:

• Resolved: The U.S. system of presidential primaries and caucuses is contrary to democratic values.
• Resolved: The costs of a college education outweigh the benefits.

The January resolution will be announced on December 1, 2011.

The September 2011 (Post-9/11 Security Measures) edition of Crossfire Briefs is now available as a free download.

All back issues of Crossfire Briefs are available as free downloads.

Andrea Reed, Director of the Tournament of Champions, has announced several major changes for the Tournament of Champions. The Tournament of Champions Foundation, Inc. has been created and is committed to funding and implementing numerous objectives including: fee reductions, Breakfast of Champions sponsorship, academic scholarships for champions, and travel grants.

For details, see Andrea Reed’s post on the College Policy Debate Forums.

We will be recording our December 2011 topic analysis for PFDebate Radio on Tuesday, November 22. If you have a topic-related question that you would like to ask, please call by Tuesday afternoon and leave a voice mail message at 417-429-2846. That number goes directly to voice mail without ringing a phone, so feel free to call any time. We will select some calls to play (and answer) during the podcast. You do not need to state your name to ask a question.

The field for the Capitol Debate National Public Forum Challenge V, which will be held following the 39th Annual Laird Lewis Invitational Tournament on January 8, 2012 at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina has been announced.

This year’s field features teams from around the country with significant accomplishments in Public Forum Debate, including previous champions of NFL Nationals, TOC, New York City, Yale, Princeton, Apple Valley, Glenbrooks, Golden Desert, NCDA Championships, Laird Lewis, James Logan, Harvard, Liberty Bell, and the Flying L.

The National Public Forum Challenge is a “by-application only” tournament. Sixteen Public Forum Debate teams will be selected based on record, reputation, and geographic representation. Applicants are encouraged to have a strong Public Forum Debate track record.

The tournament starts with two pre-scheduled rounds. The remaining rounds are double-elimination and “challenge format,” meaning that the teams get to select their opponent! Capitol Debate is graciously providing a cash scholarship for all of the finalists.

Cameron Silverglate & Ethan Goldstein
American Heritage (FL)
Coach: David Childree

Jeremy Andreades & Towsif Ahasan
Bronx High School of Science (NY)
Coach: Jon Cruz

Chiraayu Gosrani & Jordan Knott
Cary Academy (NC)
Coach: Carole Hamilton

Zachary Posess & James Weldon
Delbarton School (NJ)
Coach: Bro. Kevin Tidd

Nina Jaffe-Geffner & Emma Smith
Hunter College High School (NY)
Coach: Noel Selegzi

Hal Shimkoski & Shannen Bazzi
Lake Highland Prep (FL)
Coach: Mike Wascher

Grant Sinnott & Jake Bayer
Lake Highland Prep (FL)
Coach: Mike Wascher

Kevin Kapoor & Tanner Terry
Morristown West High School (TN)
Coach: Suzanne Terry

Nicholas Temple & Michael Adams
Pinecrest High School (NC)
Coach: Elizabeth Carter

Rishi Narula & Joey Walter
Ridge High School (NJ)
Coach: Lynne Coyne

Adam Badrawi & Tejus Pradeep
Ridge High School (NJ)
Coach: David Yastremski

Anna Pisac & Shannon Harris
Snohomish High School (WA)
Coach: Bill Nicolay

Akshay Jadadeesh & Aakash Jagadeesh
The Harker School (CA)
Coach: Carol Green

Anuj Sharma & Aneesh Chona
The Harker School (CA)
Coach: Carol Green

Laurel Leavitt & Abraham Fraifeld
Trinity Prep (FL)
Coach: Mike Vigars

Rachel Baron & Evan Cernea
Walt Whitman High School (MD)
Coach: Ari Parker

Episode 49 of The View From Tab podcast has an extensive discussion about Public Forum Debate that stems from Jim Menick’s decision to make Public Forum Debate the primary type of debate at Henrick Hudson. The discussion of Public Forum Debate begins at the 9:30 mark.

We have PFDebate stickers to giveaway. Just send an email with your mailing address to info@pfdebate.com and we will send you a couple of stickers. Please put “Stickers” in the subject line.

As you compete this weekend, keep in mind that you probably can’t do any worse than Rick Perry.  This assessment from a Republican political consultant Mike Murphy is harsh.

GOODWYN: What happened to Rick Perry last night has happened to almost all of us. We knew what we were about to say and suddenly the idea flies out of our mind, headed toward Mars. But repeated problems raise questions about Perry’s readiness, for the debates and the job of president. Mike Murphy is a Republican political consultant.

MIKE MURPHY: It’s rare that somebody actually gets worse every debate. Normally, they start bad and get better. He’s kind of a trailblazer in that regard.

GOODWYN: Murphy has despaired as he’s watched Perry’s debate performances. During one debate, he tweeted that watching the Texas governor tackle a complex policy question was like watching a chimp with a locked suitcase. But the GOP consultant says that with Herman Cain’s sexual harassment troubles, Perry had a real opportunity last night.

MURPHY: He’s got a chance to make his case, maybe he can have a comeback. He is from a big state. He’s got a good story to tell. But I can’t imagine a worse debate night than he had last night, short of grabbing the microphone and beating somebody to death.

Crossfire Briefs: December 2011: Release 1 is now available. Order now the December 2011 monthly subscription and receive all four releases for $22.

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: November 2011 (Direct Popular Vote vs. Electoral Vote) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the November 2011 issue you will receive all four releases at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: November 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.

A total of 472 schools voted for the December resolution. A breakdown of the voting was not posted by the NFL. The January ballot will have two entirely new resolutions for vote, starting on November 23.

Episode 14 of PFDebate Radio is now available. In this episode we discuss the November 2011 Public Forum Debate topic (Direct Popular Vote vs. Electoral Vote).

The December 2011 Public Forum vote opens Monday, October 24, and continues through Monday, October 31. Voting will conclude at 4:00pm CDT. The three resolutions are:

• Resolved: The U.S. federal government should increase economic incentives to encourage job growth.
• Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.
• Resolved: Gender equality merits greater emphasis in U.S. foreign policy.

The December resolution will be announced on Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

We will be recording our November 2011 topic analysis episode of PFDebate Radio on Tuesday night. If you have a topic-related question that you would like to ask, please call by Tuesday afternoon and leave a voice mail message at 417-429-2846. That number goes directly to voice mail without ringing a phone, so feel free to call any time. We will select some calls to play (and answer) during the podcast. You do not need to state your name to ask a question.

The 2012 Harvard Public Forum Round Robin will take place on February 16-17, 2012. The application deadline is December 1, 2011. Tournament information and the tournament application form are now available online.

Questions should be sent to: harvardpfdroundrobin@gmail.com.

The following free topic resources are available for the November 2011 Public Forum Debate topic.

• PFDebate Radio: November 2011 Topic Analysis
• Debate Central: November 2011 Topic Analysis
• Planet Debate: November 2011 Topic Analysis
• Forensics Online: NFL’s November 2011 Topic Analysis
• Forensics Online: November 2011 Research Links
• NFLtv: November Topic Analysis Video

If you know of others, please let us know.

Release 1 of Crossfire Briefs: November 2011 is now available for purchase and immediate download. The release schedule for the remaining issues on the November 2011 (Direct Popular Vote vs. Electoral Vote) is:

Release 2: October 19, 2011
Release 3: October 26, 2011
Release 4: November 2, 2011

All four issues are included in the $22 price for the monthly subscription.

NFL.tv has posted two videos about the October 2011 Public Forum Debate topic (Private vs. Public Space Exploration) from Carol Green at The Harker School. The first video is a general topic discussion. The second video is about preparing Pro and Con cases for the topic.

The Bronx Round Robin in Public Forum Debate will  be held on Thursday, October 13 at the Downtown Conference Center at Pace University. The following teams will be participating:

American Heritage High School (FL): Giovanni Campanale & Alyssa Turk
The Bronx High School of Science (NY): Jeremy Andreades & Towsif Ahasan
Delbarton School (NJ): Zach Posess & James Weldon
The Harker School (CA): Anuj Sharma & Aneesh Chona
The Harker School (CA): Reyhan Kader & Kevin Duraiswamy
Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL): Jake Bayer & Grant Sinnott
Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL): Shannen Bazzi & Hal Shimkoski
Ridge High School (NJ): Sam Klein & Mike Shaw
Spain Park High School (AL): Catherine Milling & Kalyn Lee
University School (FL): Daniel Rego & Dalton Feeley
University School (FL): Jonathan Stettin & Grant Ebenger
Walt Whitman High School (MD): Kevin Chang & Chandini Jha

Just a reminder that this week is one of the few weeks during the season that Crossfire Briefs is not published. Our complete release schedule is posted online.

The release date for Crossfire Briefs: November 2011: Release 1 is October 12. We have been told that there are some states using the November topic as early as October 15, so we are going to do our best to distribute Release 1 a day or two early.

Pre-order your copy of Crossfire Briefs: November 2011.

Dear Coaches,

I would like to announce a new speech and debate tournament, the Spain Park High School “Rubicon” which will be held on November 11-12, 2011 in Birmingham, Alabama. This will be our inaugural tournament, and we hope to establish a long and successful tournament tradition at Spain Park. We were host to the 2009 NFL National Tournament, and we have been selected to host again for the 2013 NFL National Tournament. This will be a great opportunity to check out the local scene before your teams qualify next year.

Our tournament was selected by the Tournament of Champions to have a TOC Finals bid in Public Forum Debate. Also, we intend to have a Novice Policy division which will be judged by many fine coaches including Skip Coulter, retired coach at Samford University. Members of the Samford policy team will also be available to lend their advice and critiques. Students from the University of Alabama Speech Team will come to judge the Individual Events, and we offer a host of opportunities for IE’s. We have many fine judges for Lincoln Douglas, novice and varsity divisions. We will have a Student Congress following new NFL guidelines. And we are offering Supplemental Debate for debate students not advancing to outrounds.

We trust that you will find our judges’ lounge satisfactory with complementary meals and refreshments served throughout the tournament. We want to put on a great show for our first big tournament, and it is our mission that our hospitality leaves you with a lasting impression.

Please visit the following website for details:
http://www.joyoftournaments.com/al/spain/

Let me know if you have any questions, and I hope to see you at our first tournament!

Sincerely,
Oliver Parker
Director of Forensics
Spain Park High School

If you want a topical t-shirt or sweatshirt for the November 2011 topic, checkout ElectoralCollegeUSA.com. They are the only source for “Electoral College” shirts since they trademarked the commercial use of “Electoral College” in 1995.

And if you don’t quite understand how the Electoral College works, you might enjoy their music video.

Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.

444 schools voted for the November resolution. The winning resolution received 59% of the vote.

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: October 2011 (Private vs. Public Space Exploration) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the October 2011 issue you will receive all four releases at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: October 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

The following free topic resources are available for the October 2011 Public Forum Debate topic.

• PFDebate Radio: October 2011 Topic Analysis
• Debate Central: October 2011 Topic Overview
• Planet Debate: October 2011 Topic Analysis
• Forensics Online: October 2011 Research Links
• NFL.tv: Carol Green’s General Topic Discussion Video
• NFL.tv: Carol Green’s Preparing Pro and Con Cases Video

If you know of others, please let us know.

The November Public Forum Debate vote opens Friday, September 23, and continues through Friday, September 30. The November Public Forum Debate topic will be announced on Saturday, October 1. The two topics on the ballot are:

• Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.
• Resolved: The U.S. federal government should increase economic incentives to encourage job growth.

I don’t know if I like this shirt as much as I like the Grumpy State Debate Team shirt, but it is close.

These shirts are for sale at NBCstore.com for $40 each.

Texas Forever!

Episode 13 of PFDebate Radio is now available. In this episode we discuss the October 2011 Public Forum Debate topic (Private vs. Public Space Exploration).

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: September 2011 (Post-9/11 Security Measures) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the September 2011 issue you will receive all three releases at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: September 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

The September 2011 issue of Rostrum is now available. The following items should be of interest to the Public Forum Debate community.

NFL Board of Directors Spring Minutes

Approved chapter advisors voting online for the Policy, Lincoln Douglas, and Public Forum Debate topics. Last year’s online topic voting was an experiment.

After testing a pilot ballot with new wording proposed by the Public Forum Advisory Committee (2009), the board offered some changes for clarification and ease of use and adopted the new ballot form. You will notice two major changes:

•     There are now individual debater points, not team points
•     There is more instruction to the judges (bullets before the comments section)

The 7th-14th place teams at the NFL National Tournament are now automatically qualified for next year’s NFL National Tournament.

National Winners in Public Forum Debate

Middle School Nationals Results

Pi Kappa Delta Seeks Public Forum Debate National Coordinator

The release date for Crossfire Briefs: October 2011: Release 1 is going to be pushed back one day to Thursday, September 8. If you have already purchased the October issue, you will receive a download link late, late Thursday night. I apologize for the delay.

Episode 12 of PFDebate Radio is now available. In this episode we discuss the September 2011 Public Forum Debate topic (Post-9/11 Security Measures).

We will be recording our September 2011 topic analysis episode of PFDebate Radio on Saturday for release early next week and we want to try something new.

If you have a topic-related question that you would like to ask, please call and leave a voice mail message at 417-429-2846. That number goes directly to voice mail without ringing a phone, so feel free to call any time before Saturday. We hope to select some calls to play (and answer) during the podcast. You do not need to state your name to ask a question.

Resolved: Private sector investment in human space exploration is preferable to public sector investment.

The resolution was selected by 318 schools, which constituted 55 percent of the vote.

The October Public Forum vote opens Wednesday, August 24, and continues through Wednesday, August 31. One advisor from each active school may log in to the Points Application to cast his/her ballot. Voting will conclude at 4:00pm CDT. The two resolutions from which advisors may choose are as follows:

• Resolved: The economic benefits of human space exploration outweigh the costs.
• Resolved: Private sector investment in human space exploration is preferable to public sector investment.

The October resolution will be announced on September 1, 2011.

In addition to launching a new PFDebate Store, we have also partnered with our friends at SpeechGeek to make Crossfire Briefs available in the SpeechGeek Market.

SpeechGeek acquired Debate Champs last year and Corey Alderdice has worked hard to integrate the old Debate Champs and SpeechGeek Yahoo stores into a modern Shopify store which was rebranded as SpeechGeek Market over the summer.

We look forward to working with Corey and the SpeechGeek Market.

PFDebate.com is now accepting advertising on a limited basis. Ad slots are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

PFDebate is selling ad space on a monthly basis from September 2011 through June 2012. A maximum of six 125 x 125 ads will display on the sidebar of every page of blog.pfdebate.com, podcast.pfdebate.com, resources.pfdebate.com. Additional ad space may be added to forums.pfdebate.com at a later date.

For more information, see our advertising page.

Apparently the September 2011 topic has been sponsored by the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the International Debate Education Association (IDEA). The OSF and IDEA are providing free topic research and background material through Planet Debate.

The topic for the 2008 NFL National Tournament (Resolved: US policies established after September 11, 2001 have substantially reduced the risk of terrorist acts against the United States) has substantial overlap with the September 2011 topic (Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom).

For a quick start on the September 2011 topic, see Crossfire Briefs: NFL Nationals 2008. All back issues of Crossfire Briefs are available as free downloads.

Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.

The resolution was selected by 325 schools, which constituted 66 percent of the vote.

On this final day of summer vacation, I just want to point out that I, Bob Jordan, am The Original Old Spice Guy–not that other Old Spice Guy and certainly not Fabio. I mean look at them. Now look at me. On this point there can be no debate!

Original Old Spice Guy Bob Jordan in 1968 at age 3.

It is the last weekend before the season begins and I have not done a Wasting Prep Time post in a long time.

It is hot outside, but apparently toy companies are starting to think about the holidays and advent calendars. Lego introduced a limited edition Star Wars Advent Calendar at the San Diego Comic Con (with special packaging, not special toys) and now the regular Lego Star Wars Advent Calendars are available. Lego Advent Calendars are very popular and I guarantee you won’t find one of these for $40 in November. How can you resist Yoda in a Santa Suit?

Disclaimer: The Amazon link is an affiliate link and PFDebate will earn a small commission on any sales.

As you may have noticed a number of website changes are in progress. Early this week we started rolling out an updated version of the PFDebate logo. This morning we rolled out a new home page and a new online store. We are also in the process of replacing the wiki and creating a new subdomain for PFDebate Radio.

The content should be okay, but the design may be wonky for awhile as we make some design changes. We appreciate your patience.

I have succumbed to pressure and I am beginning to setup a fan page on Facebook. I need 25 fans so I can claim a user name for the fan page. Please become a fan of PFDebate’s Facebook page so I can get the ball rolling. Thanks!

From NFLonline.org:

Chapter advisors may vote for the September Public Forum resolution between August 8 and August 14. Voting will conclude at 4:00pm CST. Advisors must use this special link to log in to the Points Application to vote. The regular Points Application login page will not work. The two resolutions for consideration are:

• Resolved: In United States airports, current security measures to thwart potential terrorist threats are justified.
• Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.

The National Federation of State High School Associations met this past weekend in Denver to select the five policy debate topics that will appear on the ballot for 2012-2013.

1. Civil Rights
   Resolved: The United States federal government should amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, substantially increasing its protections against race and/or gender discrimination.
2. Entitlement Reform
   Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially limit the growth of its Medicare and/or Social Security spending.
3. Higher Education
   Resolved: The United States federal government should establish an education policy substantially increasing its support for postsecondary education in the United States.
4. Immigration
   Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its legal protection of economic migrants in the United States.
5. Infrastructure
   Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.

Why should you care? Because in recent years the October Public Forum Debate topic has been a subset of the national Policy Debate topic because of the NFL’s relationship with The Bickel & Brewer/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF).

[via The 3NR and Big Sky Debate]

A new Missouri law prohibits teachers from being Facebook friends with their students:

Missouri has taken a definitive step in limiting the Internet interactions of teachers and students by making it against state law for students to be Facebook friends with their teachers. Senate Bill 54 will go into effect on August 28th and make it official. Dubbed the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act after a sexual molestation victim, the law is chiefly concerned with protecting students from sexual abuse by their teachers. The illegalization of the teacher-student “friend” relationships is not the bill’s only concern, but it is naturally the one that has caught attention.

I have seen a number of coaches on Facebook, but I have no idea if they are Facebook friends with their students. If this law was enacted in your state, would it affect your coach-student communication?

The 39th Annual Laird Lewis Invitational Speech & Debate Tournament
Myers Park High School, Charlotte, NC
January 6-7, 2012
www.lairdlewis.org

The Laird Lewis Invitational is one of the most competitive and largest debate tournaments in the country. We continually host previous and future National and Circuit Champions and countless teams from around the country with strong competitive record. We had over 900 entries in all of our events in 2011. We offer an OCTAS bid to the TOC in Public Forum and a FINALS bid to the TOC in Congressional Debate.  Our Lincoln-Douglas division continues to grow we have been graciously awarded a TOC Bid for LD for our finalists in 2012!

Other Highlights:

• We offer low entry fees
• 6 prelim rounds
• Quadruple entry in IE
• Breaks to sextodecimo finals
• Free transportation to and from tournament hotel
• TOC bds in PFD (Octas), Congress (Finals), and Lincoln-Douglas (Finals)
• NIETOC bids
• We run a full tournament in a day and a half (not three days like most tournaments)
• Superior coach-run tab room
• Cool trophies
• Great food
• And new for 2012: more space in the student lounge!

Visit our website or visit us on Facebook!

The Laird Lewis Invitational Tournament at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, NC is pleased to announce that the National Public Forum Challenge is back for its fifth year! This year’s challenge is sponsored by Capitol Debate, host of the Capitol Debate Institute for Public Forum Debate. The PF Challenge is a “by-application only” tournament that will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2012. Sixteen Public Forum Debate teams will be selected based on record, reputation, and geographic representation. Applicants are encouraged to have a strong Public Forum Debate track record. The tournament starts with two pre-scheduled rounds. The remaining rounds are double-elimination and “challenge format,” meaning that YOU get to select your opponent! Our finalists will once again split a cash scholarship of $1500.

Details and application forms for the Capitol Debate National Public Forum Challenge V can be found at lairdlewis.org starting August 1.

Laird Lewis is also adding a new event for 2012: The National Congress Challenge. More details at lairdlewis.org.

Capitol Debate provides the debate community with a variety of resources, including the Capitol Debate Institute for Public Forum Debate. This Public Forum Debate summer program is different because it it is completely run by championship coaches. The following coaches have signed contracts to be at next year’s Institute: Jonathan Peele (Harker), Director; Jason Kline (Myers Park), Curriculum; Brother Kevin Tidd (Delbarton); Mike Wascher (Lake Highland); Robert Sheard (Durham Academy); Cayman Giordano (Capitol); Jay Rye (Montgomery Academy); Lynne Coyne (Ridge); Chase Williams (Desert Vista). More information can be found at capitol-debate.com.

Registration for the nineteenth annual Yale Invitational opens Monday, August 1! Registration will be open for one week before slots begin to be confirmed. The tournament will take place at Yale University from September 23-25, 2011. Yale will offer TOC bids to quarterfinalists in LD, octafinalists in Public Forum Debate, and competitors in the super session of Congressional Debate. This year’s tournament is being directed by Max Dovala and Meredith Potter; both are members of Yale’s competitive debate team. The Yale Invitational tournament packet is available online at http://yale.tabroom.com.

Today is July 15. The September 2011 topic will be released one month from today on August 15. Enjoy the remainder of your summer!

Fast Talk is a new documentary about the world of debate. The film, by Deborah Tolchinsky, follows Northwestern University during the 2005-06 season. The film’s website describes the film:

Fast Talk tracks the Northwestern University debate team as it tries for a second consecutive championship while simultaneously examining why debaters now talk so fast and how their arguments are unintelligible and inconsequential to a non-debate audience. Clearly there are benefits to fast-talking–more arguments presented in a shorter amount of time. But is there a dark side? Has debate slowly morphed from an academic activity meant to train young minds to an activity meant to train winners regardless of whether or not they know how to communicate and/or form nuanced arguments? At a broader level, perhaps what has happened to debate is a microcosm of what has happened to many arenas in academia (and the world!). Students are increasingly pressured to achieve more quickly. Often good pedagogy (and health!) is sacrificed in favor of rewards whether it be certificates, trophies or A’s. In addition, Fast Talk looks at the relationship of speed to privilege, race, and gender.

Regardless, as the film shows, there is much to admire about the present state of debate: Coach Scott Deatherage cares deeply about his team. The debaters are also very committed to their activity and very emotional about their losses.

As an aside: some viewers have responded to Fast Talk as a sports film as it depicts a nail-biting competition along the lines of Spellbound. Others have commented on the cultural critique aspects of the film as described above. Some viewers have responded to the film’s strong characters , including Deatherage but also Josh Branson, the intense team star who is trying to repeat his previous victory, and Noah Chestnut, Branson’s debate partner, who struggles with being overshadowed.

Bottom line: The film will be of interest to the general population, debaters, and academics across a wide range of disciplines: performance studies, cultural studies, rhetoric, gender studies and education.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has a story about the film. (If that link does not work, the text has been reposted on the Global Debate blog.

For now, the film can only be seen at limited screenings. Hopefully it will get picked up for broader distribution and eventually be released on DVD.

[via Global Debate]

DebateRankings.com has posted their final rankings for Public Forum Debate. The top 10 teams based on the Debate Rankings scoring system are:

1. Ridge PM (Pradeep – Moore) 48
2. Ft. Lauderdale GB (Gold – Bernstein) 37
3. Harker JB (Jagadeesh – Bopardikar) 29
4.  Leland BM (Bhaskar – Majid) 27
5. Regis CR (Cronin – Regan) 25
6. Leland CC (Crown – Chennapan) 23
7. Ridge BW (Badrawi – Winter) 22
8. Harker JE (Jagadeesh – Enea) 20
8. Independent NC (Ng – Cuba) 20
8. Walt Whitman FB (Freeman – Barnhart) 20

The 2011 National Junior Forensic League National Tournament was held during the NFL National Tournament in Dallas.

In the final round of Public Forum Debate, the CON team of Chris Galliano & Gavin Martin from Sidney Lanier (TX) defeated the PRO team of Victoria Brown & Meagan Lane from Capitol (MD) on a 5-0 decision.

The complete NJFL results packet is online.

Now that the NFL National Tournament is over, we have a few announcements before everyone disappears for the summer.

One of the most common requests we receive is for examples of PRO and CON cases. If you were one of the top 14 teams at the NFL National Tournament, we would love to post your cases as examples on the wiki/resources page. You can choose to post it anonymously or with attribution. Send your files or questions to info@pfdebate.com.

This was the first NFL National Tournament in which Public Forum Debate teams were allowed to use laptops in rounds. If you were a paperless team at NFL Nationals, we would like to hear about your experience–good or bad. Send your feedback to info@pfdebate.com.

Don’t forget that PFDebate.com will be unavailable for up to 24 hours sometime between June 20-23 as we move the website to a new hosting service.

2011 NFL Public Forum Debate Champions: James Weldon & Zachary Posess - Delbarton School (NJ)

In the final round of Public Forum Debate, James Weldon & Zachary Posess from Delbarton (NJ) on the CON defeated Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown from Leland (CA) on an 11-4 decision to win the 2011 NFL National Championship in Public Forum Debate.

Delbarton is coached by Brother Kevin Tidd. Leland is coached by Gay Brasher.

1. James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
2. Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
3. Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)
4. Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
5. Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
6. Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)
7. Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
8. Hersh V Agarwal & Noah Kirsch (University HS – OH)
9. Aaron Sowards & Thao Anh Mai (Parkview – MO)
10. David R. Simpson & Ilana R. Urman (Cherry Creek – CO)
11. Nancy Gao & Joe Margolies (Nicolet – WI)
12. Katie Wong & Thomas Lloyd (Bronx Science – NY)
13. Sanjana Puri & Matthew R. Hinojosa (Flower Mound – TX)
13. Matthew Gold & Czar Bernstein (Ft. Lauderdale – FL)
13. Purrington & Avis Rodriguez (Cypress Woods – TX)

These teams were recognized and will receive scholarship money provided by the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation.

Complete un-audited results have been posted. The official results will appear in the September issue of The Rostrum.

Public Forum Debate prelim results are also available.

In our poll, Delbarton on the CON received 75% of the vote. The awards ceremony is underway, so we will found out what the judges thought.

Thanks for your participation.

N229: Leland CC defeated N231: Ridge MP on a 5-0 decision.
N101: Delbarton WP byes to the final found.

The final round in Public Forum Debate at the 2011 NFL National Tournament will be:

N101: James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
vs.
N229: Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)

Leland defeated Delbarton in Round 15.

The final round will be held at 3:3opm Central time on Saturday and will be streamed live.

N229: Leland CC defeated N101: Delbarton WP
N231: Ridge MP defeated  N240: Monett PS

Down
N101: James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
N231: Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)
N229: Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)

Eliminated
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)

N101: Delbarton WP defeated Leland WO
N229: Leland CC defeated Ridge BW
N240: Monett PS defeated Durham KB
N231: Ridge MP vs. Bye

Up
N101: James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)

Down
Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)

Eliminated
Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
N242: Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)

After 12 rounds, 11 Public Forum Debate teams remained at the NFL National Tournament in Dallas.

In Round 13:

Delbarton defeated Durham
Ridge MP defeated Parkview
Leland defeated University
Leland ?? defeated Nicolet or Cherry Creek
Ridge BW defated Nicolet or Cherry Creek
Monett vs. Bye

Up
N101: James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)

Down
N242: Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)
Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)

Eliminated
David R. Simpson & Ilana R. Urman (Cherry Creek – CO)
Aaron Sowards & Thao Anh Mai (Parkview – MO)
N214: Hersh V Agarwal & Noah Kirsch (University HS – OH)
Nancy Gao & Joe Margolies (Nicolet – WI)

After 10 rounds, 27 Public Forum Debate teams are remaining at the NFL National Tournament in Dallas.

States with two or more teams remaining:

Missouri (5)
Texas (4)
California (3)
New Jersey (3)
Florida (2)
New York (2)

Schools with more than one team remaining:

Leland (CA) – 3
Ridge (NJ) – 2

Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
Mihir Bhaskar & Adil Majid (Leland – CA)
David R. Simpson & Ilana R. Urman (Cherry Creek – CO)
Matthew Gold & Czar Bernstein (Ft. Lauderdale – FL)
Nefertiti Dukes & Nikhil Warier (Nova – FL)
Samuel Shung-Bon Yu & Taylor Edwards Beegle (Henry Clay – KY)
Kyle Grigel & Michael Norton (Falmouth – ME)
Aaron Sowards & Thao Anh Mai (Parkview – MO)
Talan Tyminski & Elani Owen (Parkway West – MO)
Lauren Lea Barnas & Dylan Hollister-Graham (Springfield Central – MO)
Joseph Paul Gruenbaum & Ryan Thomas Hogard (Lee’s Summit N. – MO)
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)
Katie Truitt & James Wilson (Millard West – NE)
Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)
Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
Brian Cronin & Shane Regan (Regis – NY)
Katie Wong & Thomas Lloyd (Bronx Science – NY)
Hersh V Agarwal & Noah Kirsch (University HS – OH)
Patrick Kellett & Michael Zoorob (Brentwood – TN)
Grayson Clark & Nicole Vital (Lamar – TX)
Shola Ogunrayi & Roman Milan (Lake Highlands Center-Dallas – TX)
Sanjana Puri & Matthew R. Hinojosa (Flower Mound – TX)
N256: Katelyn Purrington & Avis Rodriguez (Cypress Woods – TX)???
Nancy Gao & Joe Margolies (Nicolet – WI)

The NFL has also posted a list of codes. If you can match a code to a team, please leave a comment. It will be more interesting to follow the results if we can assign numbers to teams.

N101
N106
N109
N114
N117
N122
N137
N154
N168
N169
N214
N216
N228
N229
N230
N231
N232
N237
N240
N242
N256
N313
N317
N344
N348
N354
N360

After 8 rounds, 57 Public Forum Debate teams are remaining at the NFL National Tournament in Dallas.

States with 3 or more teams remaining:

California (6)
Texas (6)
Colorado (5)
Missouri (5)
Ohio (4)
Florida (4)
Minnesota (3)
New Jersey (3)

Schools with more than one team remaining:

Leland (CA) – 3
Cherry Creek (CO) – 2
Ridge (NJ) – 2
University HS (OH) – 2

Darius Ansari & Gabriel Miller (Chaparral – AZ)
Jeremy Mann & Alvin Chan (Palo Verde – AZ)
Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
Mihir Bhaskar & Adil Majid (Leland – CA)
Eric Z Wu & Hani Zewail (San Marino – CA)
Jack Lyding & Raymond Zhou (Monte Vista-Danville – CA)
Arushi Saxena & Kedar Kulkarni (Mira Loma – CA)
Alexander A. Meitus & Alexander B. Moskowitz (Cherry Creek – CO)
David R. Simpson & Ilana R. Urman (Cherry Creek – CO)
Colton Calandrella & Joseph McAdams (St. Mary’s – CO)
Zach DiSalvo & Natalie Mcarthur (Valor Christian – CO)
Brian Litchfield & Bryan David Thomson (Dawson School – CO)
Matthew Gold & Czar Bernstein (Ft. Lauderdale – FL)
Kishan Padalia & Jeremy Tudin (Pine View School – FL)
James Stage & Daniel Rego (University School – FL)
Nefertiti Dukes & Nikhil Warier (Nova – FL)
Dylan Coyle & Damon Melton (Henry W. Grady – GA)
John W Schmidt & Darby Justine Rourick (Ankeny – IA)
Megan Leigh Grable & Tyler L. Salway (South Side – IN)
Dakota McCoy & Spencer Hadley (Chesterton – IN)
Ross Marine & Pavan Kota (Blue Valley Southwest – KS)
Samuel Shung-Bon Yu & Taylor Edwards Beegle (Henry Clay – KY)
Scott Tilton & Logan Williams (Jesuit New Orleans – LA)
Kyle Grigel & Michael Norton (Falmouth – ME)
Katherine L. Baldwin & Madeline J. Johnson (Eastview – MN)
Emily Dallager & Miles Norman (Eagan – MN)
Zachary Mohring & Daniel Porter (St. Paul Academy & Summit – MN)
Joseph Paul Gruenbaum & Ryan Thomas Hogard (Lee’s Summit N. – MO)
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
Aaron Sowards & Thao Anh Mai (Parkview – MO)
Talan Tyminski & Elani Owen (Parkway West – MO)
Lauren Lea Barnas & Dylan Hollister-Graham (Springfield Central – MO)
Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)
Jordan Knott & Chiraayu Gosrani (Cary Academy – NC)
Katie Truitt & James Wilson (Millard West – NE)
Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)
Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
Timothy W. Seavey & Steven M. Strozza (Spanish Springs – NV)
Brian Cronin & Shane Regan (Regis – NY)
Katie Wong & Thomas Lloyd (Bronx Science – NY)
Hersh V Agarwal & Noah Kirsch (University HS – OH)
Nathaniel Blakeway-Phillips & Bardia R Rahmani (University HS – OH)
Gram Bowsher & Todd Ives (Gahanna-Lincoln – OH)
Cheyenne Fenstemaker & Bobby Vo (Jackson – OH)
Patrick Kellett & Michael Zoorob (Brentwood – TN)
Hira Baig & Eric Diep (Kempner – TX)
Grayson Clark & Nicole Vital (Lamar – TX)
Mandana Koohi & Rachel Hyde (Plano – TX)
Shola Ogunrayi & Roman Milan (Lake Highlands Center-Dallas – TX)
Sanjana Puri & Matthew R. Hinojosa (Flower Mound – TX)
Katelyn Purrington & Avis Rodriguez (Cypress Woods – TX)
Katiemarie Harmon & Justin See (Maeser Prep – UT)
Landon Willey & Tori Doucette (Viewmont – UT)
Gustavo Sanchez & Eric Holland (Potomac Senior – VA)
Nancy Gao & Joe Margolies (Nicolet – WI)

The NFL has also posted a list of codes. If you can match a code to a team, please leave a comment. It will be more interesting to follow the results if we can assign numbers to teams.

N101
N106
N109
N114
N117
N121
N122
N124
N135
N137
N142
N154
N156
N168
N169
N182
N185
N204
N211
N212
N214
N215
N216
N221
N224
N228
N229
N230
N231
N232
N233
N235
N237
N240
N242
N256
N262
N265
N269
N274
N278
N291
N292
N304
N310
N313
N316
N317
N332
N335
N344
N345
N348
N349
N354
N358
N360

The NFL has posted the list of the 82 Public Forum Debate teams advancing Round 7. Round 7 is at 3:00pm today and Round 8 is at 5:00pm today.

We have been able to identify the school and state for all but one team. Some states are very strong entering the elimination rounds:

California (9)
Texas (9)
Missouri (7)
Colorado (6)
Florida (6)
Ohio (5)

Schools with more than one team advancing:

Cherry Creek (CO) – 3
Leland (CA) – 3
Eastview (MN) – 2
Monett (MO) – 2
Ridge (NJ) – 2
Sprague (OR) – 2
University HS (OH) – 2

Ronald C Hurlocker & Thomas Jiang (???)
Darius Ansari & Gabriel Miller (Chaparral – AZ)
Jeremy Mann & Alvin Chan (Palo Verde – AZ)
Nicholas Wu & Jordan Olmstead (Leland – CA)
Ashwath Chennapan & Julian Crown (Leland – CA)
Mihir Bhaskar & Adil Majid (Leland – CA)
Eric Z Wu & Hani Zewail (San Marino – CA)
William Hanson & Bobby Sarvey (Delta Charter – CA)
Brandon Louey & Courtney Shipp (Centennial – CA)
Jack Lyding & Raymond Zhou (Monte Vista-Danville – CA)
Daniel Musa & Patrick Wilke (Claremont – CA)
Arushi Saxena & Kedar Kulkarni (Mira Loma – CA)
Alexander A. Meitus & Alexander B. Moskowitz (Cherry Creek – CO)
William C Silkman & Daniel A. Reiff (Cherry Creek – CO)
David R. Simpson & Ilana R. Urman (Cherry Creek – CO)
Colton Calandrella & Joseph McAdams (St. Mary’s – CO)
Zach DiSalvo & Natalie Mcarthur (Valor Christian – CO)
Brian Litchfield & Bryan David Thomson (Dawson School – CO)
Madiha Ahmed & Kush Panara (Lake Highland – FL)
Joy K Bagwell & Scott Scheiss (Jupiter – FL)
Matthew Gold & Czar Bernstein (Ft. Lauderdale – FL)
Kishan Padalia & Jeremy Tudin (Pine View School – FL)
James Stage & Daniel Rego (University School – FL)
Nefertiti Dukes & Nikhil Warier (Nova – FL)
Dylan Coyle & Damon Melton (Henry W. Grady – GA)
Michael Flannery & Sam Roeder (Des Moines Roosevelt – IA)
John W Schmidt & Darby Justine Rourick (Ankeny – IA)
Megan Leigh Grable & Tyler L. Salway (South Side – IN)
Dakota McCoy & Spencer Hadley (Chesterton – IN)
Marlene Lorenz & Arvind Raghothama (West Lafayette – IN)
Ross Marine & Pavan Kota (Blue Valley Southwest – KS)
Samuel Shung-Bon Yu & Taylor Edwards Beegle (Henry Clay – KY)
Scott Tilton & Logan Williams (Jesuit New Orleans – LA)
Kyle Grigel & Michael Norton (Falmouth – ME)
Steven T. Alberts & Allison M. Johnson (Eastview – MN)
Katherine L. Baldwin & Madeline J. Johnson (Eastview – MN)
Emily Dallager & Miles Norman (Eagan – MN)
Zachary Mohring & Daniel Porter (St. Paul Academy & Summit – MN)
Joseph Paul Gruenbaum & Ryan Thomas Hogard (Lee’s Summit N. – MO)
C. Reece Johnson & Bryce J. Isbell (Monett – MO)
Brianna S. Petersen & Andrew D Sligar (Monett – MO)
Matt Orr & Zac Lester (Liberty – MO)
Aaron Sowards & Thao Anh Mai (Parkview – MO)
Talan Tyminski & Elani Owen (Parkway West – MO)
Lauren Lea Barnas & Dylan Hollister-Graham (Springfield Central – MO)
Will Bedwell & Steven Wild (Oak Grove – MS)
Carlos Rucker & Justin Porter (Murrah – MS)
Joshua Von Herrmann & John Brahan (Presbyterian Christian – MS)
Ariel Katz & Jordan Baker (Durham Academy – NC)
Alex Kennedy & Zach Simonetti (Asheville – NC)
Jordan Knott & Chiraayu Gosrani (Cary Academy – NC)
Katie Truitt & James Wilson (Millard West – NE)
Tejus Pradeep & Brian Moore (Ridge – NJ)
Christopher Winter & Adam Badrawi (Ridge – NJ)
James Weldon & Zachary Posess (Delbarton – NJ)
Timothy W. Seavey & Steven M. Strozza (Spanish Springs – NV)
Brian Cronin & Shane Regan (Regis – NY)
Devin Kasinki & Zachary Taylor Schuyler (Newburgh Free Academy – NY)
Katie Wong & Thomas Lloyd (Bronx Science – NY)
Hersh V Agarwal & Noah Kirsch (University HS – OH)
Nathaniel Blakeway-Phillips & Bardia R Rahmani (University HS – OH)
Gram Bowsher & Todd Ives (Gahanna-Lincoln – OH)
Molly Porter & Katie Slaven (Poland Seminary – OH)
Cheyenne Fenstemaker & Bobby Vo (Jackson – OH)
Nizar Ajanovic & Daniel Silberman (Sprague – OR)
Brooke Mischkot & Quentin Michael (Sprague – OR)
Sean Gregory & Micah Gard (Danville Area – PA)
Zhi-Zhong Lou & Jack Millard (Fox Chapel Area – PA)
Patrick Kellett & Michael Zoorob (Brentwood – TN)
Hira Baig & Eric Diep (Kempner – TX)
Grayson Clark & Nicole Vital (Lamar – TX)
Navin Kalluri & Nicholas Lyos (St. Thomas – TX)
Alex Katz & Marcela Arevalo (Klein – TX)
Mandana Koohi & Rachel Hyde (Plano – TX)
Ella Lowry & Lauren McMann (All Saints Episcopal – TX)
Shola Ogunrayi & Roman Milan (Lake Highlands Center-Dallas – TX)
Sanjana Puri & Matthew R. Hinojosa (Flower Mound – TX)
Katelyn Purrington & Avis Rodriguez (Cypress Woods – TX)
Katiemarie Harmon & Justin See (Maeser Prep – UT)
Landon Willey & Tori Doucette (Viewmont – UT)
Gustavo Sanchez & Eric Holland (Potomac Senior – VA)
Nancy Gao & Joe Margolies (Nicolet – WI)

The NFL has also posted a list of codes. If you can match a code to a team, please leave a comment. It will be more interesting to follow the results if we can assign numbers to teams.

N101
N105
N106
N109
N114
N117
N121
N122
N124
N132
N135
N137
N138
N142
N154
N156
N162
N164
N165
N166
N168
N169
N170
N172
N177
N179
N182
N185
N188
N191
N194
N204
N211
N212
N214
N215
N216
N221
N224
N228
N229
N230
N231
N232
N233
N235
N236
N237
N238
N239
N240
N242
N253
N256
N262
N265
N268
N269
N274
N278
N279
N282
N291
N292
N299
N304
N308
N310
N313
N316
N317
N331
N332
N334
N335
N344
N345
N348
N349
N354
N358
N360

PFDebate.com will be unavailable for up to 24 hours sometime between June 19-23 as we move the website to a new hosting service. The new server is being configured this week. We will try to post the exact date when we are ready to proceed.

PFDebate.com will be undergoing a number of changes during the summer and the server migration is the first step. Things may be a bit wonky between now and August 15.

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: NFL Nationals 2011 (Democracy Promotion) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the NFL Nationals 2011 issue you will receive all four releases in a single file at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: NFL Nationals 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

The following free topic resources are available for the NFL Nationals 2011 Public Forum Debate topic.

• PFDebate Radio: NFL Nationals 2011 Topic Analysis
• Debate Central: Nationals Topic Overview
• Debate Central: Public Forum Topic News
• Beehive Debate Institute: 2011 NFL Nationals Evidence and Topic Analysis
• College Policy Debate Forums: Democracy Promotion Controversy Paper
• Gordon Stables: Arab Spring Topic Resources

If you are aware of others, please provide a link in the comments.

Our friends over at SpeechGeek have recently released a new iPhone app: 4n6 Timer. This timer app supports original oratory, extemp, impromptu, and oral interp. This is a nice addition to the iOS speech & debate timer apps that are currently available: iDebate and the Ridge PF Debate Timer.

Don’t be surprised if you see a new debate-related iOS app or two this fall. Hint, hint.

The Securing Liberty Public Forum Round Robin
June 25, 2011
Stuyvesant High School
New York, NY
Application Deadline: June 10, 2011

The upcoming tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks should offer a time to reflect on whether the United State’s response to these terrorist attacks weakened its commitment to the nation’s core values enshrined within the Constitution. In the name of national security, have the rights and liberties of U.S. citizens and the citizens of other nations been unjustly compromised?

To foster an informed debate on these issues in high schools throughout the United Sates, the Open Society Foundations is sponsoring the Securing Liberty Round Robin. Held at Stuyvesant High School, the high school closest to Ground Zero, the tournament will engage with these issues in a location where they have particular resonance.

The rounds will be streamed live on the Internet and all rounds will be recorded. Representative debates will be archived and made available to students and teachers around the country as an educational tool.

The Round Robin will accompany the launch of the International Debate Education Association’s (IDEA) newest book: Securing Liberties: Debating Issues of Terrorism and Democratic Values in the Post-9/11 United States. With the support of the Open Society Foundations, IDEA is freely offering copies of this book to all high schools in the United States and preparing a curriculum that will be used to teach this subject in schools. Over 900 high schools have already requested copies of the book.

For more information on the Round Robin or to apply go to idebate.org/securingliberty or email ceckholm@princeton.edu.

Sponsored by:
Open Society Foundations

Organized by:
International Debate Education Association

In Partnership with:
National Forensic League
International Debate Education Association
Stuyvesant High School
Princeton American Whig-Cliosophic

From the NFL National Tournament website:

In Spring 2011, a series of natural disasters devastated communities across the United States. Flooding along the Mississippi River and deadly storms in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi— and now Minnesota, Kansas, and Missouri – created an urgent need to rebuild communities and lives.

In response, the NFL launched the Lincoln Financial Group/National Forensic League Disaster Relief Fund, which provides financial support for speech and debate programs affected by disasters. The first grant recipient from this fund will be Joplin High School, which was destroyed by a deadly tornado on May 23, 2011.

Opportunities will exist at the 2011 National Tournament to give to the NFL Disaster Relief Fund. Lincoln Financial Group has graciously agreed to match every dollar contributed to the fund throughout the week.

You can also make a donation online via the NFL National Tournament website.

Brian Grumka & Thomas Pigott from Delbarton (NJ) defeated Brandon Hoesli & Billy Nguyen from Salina South (KS) on a 5-0 decision to win the Public Forum Debate championship at the 2011 National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament held in Washington, D.C.

Thomas Pigott also won the 2010 NCFL championship debating with Douglas Peters.

Complete tournament results are posted on the NCFL website.

Sextodecimofinalists
Carl Sandburg (IL): Cavoto & Von Borstel
Delbarton (NJ): Posess & Weldon
James Logan (CA):Bremond & Alamazi
Falmouth (ME): Pratico & Connolly
The Roeper School (MI): Buckley & Farrow
Brookfield (CT): East Wu & Trivedi
Pattonville (MO): Fischer & Gindler
Stuyvesant (NY): Downs-Tepper & Saskin
Myers Park (NC): Nenon & Shah
La Salle College HS (PA): Gormisky & Malone
Newton South (MA): Fefer & Tolkin
Shady Side Academy (PA): Jimenez & Sundarma
Harker (CA): Sharma & Chona
Scranton (PA): Holden & Carlin
Millburn (NJ): Summers & Yaffe
James Logan (CA): Cardenas & Mojaddidy

Octafinalists
Falmouth (ME): Grigal & North
North Mecklenburg (PA): Taylor & Langford
Westminster (??): Kumar & Wallace
Houston Lamar (TX): Putnam & Tekie
Shrewsbury (MA): Harris & Aldridge
Carl Sandburg (IL): Benz & Handley
Ridge (NJ): Klein & Shaw
Presbyterian Christian (MS): Collins & Cole

Quarterfinalists
Regis (NY): Cronin & Regan
Palm Beach Central (FL): Bravo & Velasco
Tupelo (MS): Angle & Oakes
Gonzaga College HS (DC): DiMisa & Guleria

Semifinalists
Newton South (MA): Sonnenberg & Sonnenberg
Lake Highland Prep (FL): Bazzi & Shimkoski

Finalists
Salina South (KS): Hoesli & Nguyen

Champions
Delbarton (NJ): Grumka & Pigott

The NFL has posted an (almost) complete list of NFL District tournament results. I don’t know if this list reflects alternates that may be attending in place of a qualifier.

Groucho Marx demonstrates how to clash with your opponent’s arguments.

The University of Kentucky has released the list of qualifying tournaments for the 2012 Tournament of Champions.

Crossfire Briefs for the NFL Nationals 2011 topic (Democracy Promotion) is now available. The release dates for the NFL issue are:

Release 1: May 19
Release 2: May 26
Release 3: June 2
Release 4: June 9

The final release has been distributed, so Crossfire Briefs: NCFL Grand Nationals 2011 (Legislative vs. Judicial Rights) is now complete. From this point forward, when you purchase the NCFL Grand Nationals 2011 issue you will receive both releases in a single file at the time of purchase.

The Crossfire Briefs: NCFL Grand Nationals 2011 Table of Contents is now available as a free download.

Amy Myers, a high school sophomore from Cherry Valley, New Jersey has challenged Rep. Michele Bachmann from Minnesota to a Public Forum Debate on the U.S. Constitution. It is currently being discussed on MetaFilter.

Crossfire Briefs for the NCFL Grand Nationals 2011 topic (Legislative vs. Judicial Rights) is now available. The release dates for the NCFL issue are:

Release 1: May 5
Release 2: May 12

The Tournament of Champions was held April 30 – May 2 at the University of Kentucky. In the final round, Fred Enea & Aakash Jagadeesh (PRO) from The Harker School (CA) defeated Grant Sinnot & Jake Bayer (CON) from Lake Highland Prep (FL) on a 5-0 decision to win the 2011 Tournament of Champions in Public Forum Debate.

Harker becomes the first school to win multiple TOC championships in Public Forum Debate. Kelsey Hilbrich & Kaavya Gowda won it for Harker in 2009.

Champions
Harker EJ (CA): Fred Enea & Aakash Jagadeesh

Finalists
Lake Highland BSi (FL): Grant Sinnot & Jake Bayer

Semifinals
Harker EJ (PRO) defeated Ridge MP (NJ) (CON): Brian Moore & Tejus Pradeep (2-1)
Lake Highland BSi (CON) defeated Ft. Lauderdale GB (FL) (PRO): Matthew Gold & Czar Bernstein (2-1)

Update: Complete tournament results have been posted.

Resolved: That the United States should intervene in another nation’s struggle for democracy.

The sixth annual NDCA National Championships was held on April 16-18 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Three teams from The Harker School advanced to the semifinals. Harker won one of the semifinal debates which eliminated the need to advance one of the other two teams to the final round. As a result, three teams from The Harker School were declared co-champions.

Ziad Jawadi & Reyhan Kader
Fred Enea & Aakash Jagadeesh
Akshay Jagadeesh & Rohan Bopardikar

Three teams from the East Los Angeles NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: San Marino: Eric Wu & Hani Zewail
Q: Gabrielino: Oliver Sitt & Raymond Lam
Q: Arcadia: Patrick Han & Gina Oh

Two teams from the West Los Angeles NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Chaminade College Prep: Andrew Gove & Amy Philip
Q: Sierra Canyon School: Ameek Shokar & Alec Eginli

Two teams from Southside High School in the South Carolina NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Southside: Andrew Bell & Blair Brewer
Q: Southside: Aahil Merchant & Anurag Khandavalli

A fun item from ThinkGeek. It’s probably not big enough to hold your files, but it would work for tournament snacks.

Two teams from the Nebraska NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Lincoln Southwest: Alex Renken & Sydney Hayes
Q: Millard West: Katie Truitt & James Wilson

Two teams from the East Oklahoma NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Tulsa Washington: Nicholas Vandivert & Tyler Pratt
Q: Bartlesville: Beth Fentress & Lawrence Zhou

Two teams from the South Kansas NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Derby: Aurora Yager & Elias Jordan
Q: Fort Scott: Tony Jackson & Katelyn Torres

Three teams from the Eastern Ohio NFL District have qualified for the 2011 NFL National Tournament in Public Forum Debate.

Q: Jackson: Bobby Vo & Cheyenne Fenstemaker
Q: Highland: Jennifer Delozier & Ellen Wiencek
Q: Jackson: Sam Johnson & Fuad Farah