Recent Speech & Debate Site News & Updates
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CX Debate Topic Vote
Your Vote Counts!
Each year, Texas UIL is actively involved in the policy debate topic selection process, sponsoring two debate coaches to the national deliberations, along with Jana Riggins, State Debate Director and voting delegate. The three-day meeting focuses on choosing timely, accessible, and student-centered topics and rotates to major cities around the nation. This year’s meeting was held in Portland, Oregon.
Jennifer Adams, Big Spring HS, and Dr. Rich Edwards, UIL debate consultant from Baylor University, had vital roles on the Resolution Wording Committee. Dr. Edwards served as Chair, leading the discussion over sixteen topics considered for the 2024-25 school debate season. After a year of research in preparing study reports, UIL coaches Clint Adams, Big Spring HS, and Preston Stotle from San Antonio Churchill adeptly defended their potential topics before seventy-plus attendees. Ultimately, both authors had their topics advance successfully through the voting process, placing Arctic Policy (Adams) Agricultural Subsidies and Intellectual Property Rights (Stotle) among the top five topics on the national ballot.
Each author was invited by UIL to share with Texas coaches why their topic is a valid resolution for schools across the nation to debate in 2024-25. See Arctic Policy below. Texas coaches are encouraged to participate in the national voting process. The first round of balloting is taking place now. Click here to access the ballot that must be submitted to the UIL State Office no later than noon October 10.
Arctic Policy - Clint Adams
The idiom “out of sight, out of mind” originated in the 1500s, and it’s one we all still use to this day. For many citizens of the United States, nothing is more “ out of sight, out of mind ” than the Arctic. Americans remain divided about whether the U.S. is an Arctic nation with Arctic interests, and some are confused about what exists in the Arctic. However, with its purchase of Alaska in 1867, the United States became an Arctic nation; yet, the Arctic has seldom figured prominently in US domestic policy.
It is my firm belief that policy debate topics tend to drive future real-world policy, so policy debaters have a unique position to be able to help focus an Arctic Policy. The high school policy debate topic has not directly dealt with the Arctic before and it would be new and unique ground for debaters to explore. The topic encompasses subjects such as potential conflict, the environment, geopolitical situations, political cooperation, indigenous rights, and resource extraction, among many others.
In researching this topic, I found that the Arctic was more than just saving the polar bears. The Arctic is a diverse ecosystem that is rapidly changing and action needs to be taken now. Instead of being “out of sight, out of mind,” choosing the Arctic as the 2024-2025 Policy Debate topic would put the Arctic front and center.
Welcome to the 2023-2024 season of Speech and Debate
Welcome to a new exciting season of Texas UIL speech and debate competition! As educators, some of the most rewarding experiences you will have this year will be with your speech team at forensic tournaments. Whether you are new to coaching speech or are a decades-long veteran of the speech community, we are here to provide resources to support your competitive endeavors and unforgettable championship tournaments.
Remember: It’s the journey, not the destination that will enrich the lives of you and your students.
UIL provides an individual webpage for each of the speaking contests that includes rules, procedures, and a wealth of resources. There is also a newly-updated complimentary digital handbook for each event designed to provide expanded discussion, rule clarification, coaching strategies, links to UIL training videos and curriculum.
Important Links to CX Debate State Meet Information
CX Debate
Potential CX Debate topics for 2023-24 advancing to the final ballot are Economic Inequality and Climate Change. Coaches can access details about each of these topic areas and the wording of each resolution at this link:
https://www.uiltexas.org/files/academics/speech/23-24_final_topic_ballot_%28UPDATED%29.pdf
Coaches of schools who compete in Policy Debate are encouraged to submit their vote. Deadline is December 20.
Top 5 CX Debate Resolutions on the Ballot
The National Debate Topic Selection Meeting was held in Kansas City this month and after 13 topic reports were presented and thoroughly discussed by 64 delegates, 5 resolutions were selected to be placed on a national ballot to become next year’s policy debate topic. Here is the announcement of those topics.
https://www.nfhs.org/articles/five-suggested-debate-topics-for-2023-24/
Take the opportunity to examine the topic reports and discuss each of these potential resolutions with your students. The UIL State Office will be sending out a ballot for you to rank the 5 soon.
Spring 2022 Debate Updates
CX Debate State Registration Required In Tabroom.com
CX teams advancing to the state meet have been verified by results in the UIL Spring Meet Online System and schools submitted judge and certification forms via the UIL website last month. Because the tournament will be managed on Tabroom.com, each school must enter debaters and judges on the Tabroom website in order for your team and judges to receive schematics and ballots during the tournament. If you hired a judge, they must be linked to your school.
Detailed instructions on how to register are posted on the CX Debate State Tournament webpage. Deadline for entering is Wednesday, March 9.
https://www.uiltexas.org/speech/info/cx-state-tournament-page
Lincoln Douglas Debate Entry Clarification
In 2020-21, a permanent rule went into effect concerning the number of LD debaters schools may enter. The Constitution states a school may enter 3 individuals in its district meet. However, if there are fewer than a total of 8 LD debaters competing, each school with a full entry may enter a 4th debater at district. This recent rule change now parallels LD Debate with a similar provision that has existed for CX Debate. The Spring Meet Online System was adapted last year to allow for the potential fourth entry, should a district fall under this rule. For clarity, if your district has 8 or more debaters competing, you are allowed to enter 3 contestants.
Additionally, last year a temporary rule waiver was put into place to address the reduction in state qualifiers for CX Debate due to the pandemic, allowing CX district participants who did not advance to the CX State Meet to also enter LD Debate. CX advancement was not limited this year and this waiver is no longer in place. If a student competed in CX Debate at District 2022, they cannot enter LD Debate this year.