Full Invitation as a PDF, including Schedule and Directions to Groton
Rules for Cross-Ex
Guidelines for Judging Policy Debates – 100-point-scale
Cross-Ex Debate Ballot

Dear fellow debaters and coaches:

The Groton School Debating Society is excited to invite you to our 3rd annual Oregon Style Prepared Debate Tournament on Sunday, September 25, 2022. We are presently planning to have an in-person tournament but are prepared to switch to hosting virtually should the need arise. Please note the Groton School campus is only open to individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Decisions about additional safety procedures will be made closer to the date of the tournament (masks may be required in indoor spaces).

The tournament will consist of three rounds of cross-ex style debate in both the advanced and the novice divisions. Pairs will debate on the same side of the resolution for all three rounds. The resolution for the tournament will be:
Be it resolved that the United States federal government should develop a nation high-speed rail network.

Affirmative teams are strongly encouraged to propose a specific plan consistent with this resolution. For more detailed information on plans and expectations for an Oregon style debate, please review Curt Robison’s excellent discussion of generic debate responsibilities (which is attached to this message).

Schools may enter one 4-person team in each of the advanced and novice divisions (two 4-person teams in total) and must provide a judge for each team entered (Groton will not be able to provide judges). Experienced advanced debaters may judge in the novice division, but per DANEIS rules, advanced teams must be accompanied by an adult judge.

Fees and registration are noted in the above pdf. The deadline for registering for the tournament is Sunday, September 11th.

Scoring for this debate will be based on a 100-point scale. To see a sample ballot, please go to https://www.groton.org/debate/sample-ballot. All judges should be briefed on judging criteria in advance of the tournament. We ask that you please pay particular attention to the categories outlined at the end of the attached Guidelines for Judging Oregon Style Cross-Examination, Policy Debates.

We hope that you can join us and look forward to welcoming you to the Circle on September 25th.

Sincerely,
Michael Gnozzio and Irenae Aigbedion
Faculty Advisors, Groton School Debating Society