Council of Forensic Organizations
Providing Information about Intercollegiate Speech and Debate
Third Annual Gateway Forensics Tournament
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Third Annual Gateway Forensics Tournament
December 5, 2020
Dear Forensic Colleagues,
The Webster University forensic program, Missouri Omega chapter of Pi Kappa Delta, and School of Communications invite you to the 3rd Annual Gateway Forensic Tournament, to be held at synchronously on 8 X 8 on www.forensicstournament.net on Saturday, December 5th. We will be offering all 11 AFA individual events. We will also be hosting the C. Thomas Preston Study Break Debate Tournament on Sunday, December 6th. We have decided to make this a one-day tournament this year instead of a swing due to covid. We will resume our swing next year.
We are excited to be able to offer the community another opportunity for a swing tournament.
There are several incentives to entice you into attending the Gateway…
- Two tournaments in one weekend
- Another opportunity to compete before winter break
- Experienced Tab Staff
- A Sunday debate tournament (C. Thomas Preston, Jr. Study Break Debate Tournament) for any novice or inexperienced junior IPDA debaters
Please contact us with any questions. We hope to see each of you in St. Louis this winter for the Gateway Forensics Tournament.
Sincerely,
Gina Jensen Tom Serfass John Wallis
Director of Forensics Assistant Director of Forensics President
Tournament Director MO Omega Chapter of PKD
2020 Gateway Forensic Tentative Tournament Schedule
All Times are Central Times
Saturday, December 5
7:00 Individual Events-Registration/Check in
8:00 Extemp Draw
8:30 Round 1, Individual Events “A”
9:45 Round 1, Individual Events “B”
11:00 Extemp Draw
11:30 Round 2, Individual Events “A”
12:45 Lunch on your own
1:30 Round 2, Individual Events “B”
2:45 Extemp Draw
3:15 Finals, Individual Events “A”
4:45 Finals, Individual Events “B”
6:45 Awards–TBA
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General Tournament Notes
Awards
Awards will be presented to all students reaching elimination rounds–including duplicate awards for duo. We will also be giving top novice awards in all IE’s. Additionally, team sweepstakes awards will be given to the top three teams at each tournament and for the swing. Quadrathon awards will be presented to the top three students at each tournament and for the swing as well.
Student Eligibility
Students must be currently enrolled at the college or university for which they are competing. Students may not have attended a collegiate national forensic tournament in four or more academic years OR completed eight semesters of collegiate competition. A semester is defined as having competed in more than two tournaments. Either of these standards being met (eight semesters of college competition or four years of collegiate national tournament participation) will render a student ineligible to compete in this tournament.
Local Host Entries
Webster University may enter some events. Competing Webster students will be eligible for awards.
Sweepstakes
Points will be awarded to a school’s top three individual event entries per event. ALL of a school’s elimination round entries will count toward sweepstakes. The points system will be:
IEs 3-2-1 for a 1, 2 or 3 rank in preliminary rounds
1 for all semifinalists
6-5-4-3-2-1 for 1st through 6th or 7th in finals
Fees and Judging
The tournament fees schedule is as follows—assessed for each tournament:
IE entries (including duos) $ 8.00
Uncovered IE entries $ 10.00 plus entry fee
Changes or drops on December 5th $ 25.00 per change
Dropped judge after Thursday, December 5th $100.00 per judge
One individual events judge will cover ten entries.
Fees can be sent by check made out to “Webster Forensics”. Please mail checks to Gina Jensen, School of Communication, Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119.
Entry Deadlines and Instructions
This year’s Gateway is using the tournament entry services at www.forensictournament.net. The invitation, tournament notes, and tournament entry are all located at this site. Search for Webster University Gateway Forensics Tournament. Schools not using this service in the past will need to enter a roster of students and judges prior to entering the tournament. Students and judges will need to link their accounts to their schools. This site will also allow schools to view the entire tournament entry. All schools must submit entries on www.forensictournament.net. Entries will not be accepted in any other form. Entries are due Tuesday, December 1st.
Fees are assessed at 6:00 pm CST Wednesday, December 2nd. Direct questions to Gina Jensen at jensen@webster.edu.
Individual Events Notes
Events/Flights
All 11 AFA-NIET events will be offered in two flights.
Flight A—dramatic, extemp, persuasive, poi, prose
Flight B—after-dinner, communication analysis, duo, impromptu, informative, poetry
Rules
AFA rules will be followed for all events. Students should not enter material that has been used in competition before September 1, 2020.
Extemp topics will be taken from socio-political, international, and economic areas. Each round will be one of these three. In the instance that the tournament holds semifinals, final round topics will be editorial cartoons. For extemp draw, we allow electronic sources and the internet. We will provide a link to the extemp prep room.
Students in impromptu will have a choice of two topics that will vary by round and section. Topics will be selected from philosophical quotations and song lyrics. Students will be asked to wait in the impromptu waiting room until it is their turn to speak. Judges are asked to send a competitor to the waiting room to get the next speaker. Once a speaker has entered the room, judges will private message the quotations to each speaker when it is their turn.
Cross-Entering
Individual event competitors may enter up to three events per flight. We are, however, committed to running a tournament that stays on time. Critics will be instructed to not wait beyond the allotted ending time for each round. A student may enter only two duos with different partners. We will make efforts to accommodate multiple entered students in flight A with early speaking positions in extemp. Please allow 5 minutes for a student to re-connect should they have wifi issues. After 5 minutes, students with wifi issues should be judged on the material they were able to present up until the time of their wifi issues.
Elimination Rounds
Semi-finals will be held in all events with 50 or more entries. Semi-final round brackets will be seeded into unbroken brackets. Final place finishes will be determined based on (1) majority of 1’s, (2) ranks, (3) judges’ preference, (4) points, and (5) seedings.
Quadrathon
In at attempt to reward diversity in competitive excellence, students must enter a minimum of four events and compete in public address, limited preparation, and interpretation events to be eligible for quadathlon. A student’s best four events will count toward this award.
Novice Awards
The top novice in each event will be given a special award. To be eligible, the student should be in his/her first collegiate year in the appropriate genre of event (public address, interpretation, or limited preparation).
IMPORTANT IE JUDGING NOTE: In addition to the obligation of the final round in each flight, all judges are obligated for any semifinal rounds in either flight regardless of whether or not they are used in or qualify students for semi-final rounds. We will offer a help room for students and judges should they need it. We will also have a standby room for judges without ballots to wait.
Breaking Brackets
The tournament will not break brackets for elimination rounds.
Sexual Harassment
The tournament will adhere to the Pi Kappa Delta Statement on Discrimination. Please report any incidents to the tournament director immediately.
- Thomas Preston Jr Study Break Debate Tournament—Sunday
A separate parliamentary debate tournament is being held Sunday This is a four round/one final round tournament with a novice division for “pure” novices and a junior division for “experienced” novices and less experienced juniors. It is not part of the Gateway Forensics Tournament, but information is available through Gina Jensen at jensen@webster.edu.