- The Debate team typically meets twice per week after school from 3:00-5:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
- Most team members spend at least one additional afternoon organizing files, preparing cases, and planning strategies for the next tournament.
Tournament Rules
Each tournament invitation outlines specific expectations. In addition, be sure to consider these others:
- ALL school rules are in effect at all times, including appropriate attire.
- All teams and judges, as well as the facilities, are to be treated with respect at all times.
- Good sportsmanship is paramount. Refrain from speaking ill of other competitors and judges, no matter how much they annoyed you during a round (at least where you can be overheard!)
- You must attend all tournaments you are signed up for. If for some reason you cannot attend (family emergency, etc) you are expected to notify the coach as early as possible so that entry fees paid on your behalf can be reimbursed by the tournament.
- If an emergency has delayed your departure to/from a tournament, please contact the coach on his/her cell phone. Every reasonable effort to locate tardy/missing students in a timely manner is undertaken but you will either miss the tournament entirely or be left behind (requiring your parents to pick you up at the tournament).
- Although tournaments are also highly social gatherings, arriving late to rounds or skipping rounds is not tolerated and will have consequences.
- When not involved in outrounds, debaters are expected to support teammates still in competition and to observe final rounds.
- Parents need to be aware that, while there are chaperones in attendance, supervision at both the hotel and the tournament is limited (we can’t have one adult for every student). Students are expected to act maturely and responsibly. If, for any reason, it is thought that a student cannot live up to these expectations, he/she will not be allowed to compete.
Hotel Rules at Overnight Tournaments
- Hotel room curfew is 11pm with lights out by midnight. There will one room check at night and hallway checks afterwards.
- No boys in girls’ rooms and vice versa with doors closed.
- Once at the hotel, you are NOT to leave the premises unless it is pre-arranged with a coach.
- Please respect the hotel property and your neighbors; especially refrain from being overly noisy, running down halls or letting doors slam against their jams.
- No smoking, use of drugs or alcohol, acts of vandalism or other improper/illegal behavior is tolerated. Such poor conduct will result in having his/her parents called to retrieve the student and will not be allowed to participate in the next tournament, in accordance with BSD rules.
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