SpeechWire Tournament Services - Forensics Tournament Software

Seton Hall University will host the AFA-NIET District 7 Qualifying Tournament in South Orange, NJ, on Feb 29 and Mar 1, 2020. You and your teams are also invited to participate in the Lucky Seven Invitational on February 29th. We hope that you will take advantage of two tournaments on the same site. Please note: After awards on Saturday for the Lucky Seven, teams will have time to go to dinner and then RETURN for the first prelim round of the District 7 Tournament!

District 7 is comprised of the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio University, The University of Akron, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Several schools have already paid their District 7 subscription fees for the AFA- NIET. Subscription fees are $50 (after the December 1st deadline) and can be paid directly on the AFA website or will be added to your school's entry fee at the district qualifying tournament registration. If you know of other programs in your state that would be interested in joining the AFA-NIET, please encourage them to attend our district tournament or to contact me for more information. We want our district to be well represented at the 2020 AFA NIET hosted in Santa Ana, CA April 4-6, 2020. Be sure to check out the AFA-NIET website at www.afa-niet.org for the invitation and additional information.

In addition to the usual tournament awards, District 7 will accept nominations for the 2020 All-American Individual Events Team presented at the AFA-NIET. This is a wonderful recognition for students who excel at academics, service, and forensics. The nomination form and requirements are included with this invitation (additional information will be sent by Kellie Roberts, AFA-NIET Southern Rep.). Three copies of the completed nomination packet, which must include a copy of the student’s official transcript, must be turned in no later than the end of registration on the morning of February 29th.

It would also be a great help if you could please bring your team’s current qual sheets for all at large AFA qualifications to Districts. This task will help us begin the process of verifying qualifications for the national tournament.

We will be using Speechwire for entries, scheduling and tabulation. Please go to their website to enter: www.speechwire.org . If you have any questions about this year's district tournament or the national tournament, please don't hesitate to contact us.

The AFA All-American nomination form is at the end of this invitation. Please submit completed nominations at tournament registration.

District Seven Tournament Entries 1. There will be two preliminary rounds with finals. A school may not enter more than five students in each event, and only the top three entries in an event from any school will count toward sweepstakes awards. Material must not have been used by the student before September 1, 2017. Competitors may enter up to three events in a grouping. A STUDENT MAY NOT ENTER AN EVENT THAT HAS BEEN QUALIFIED FOR THE 2019 AFA-NIET THROUGH THE AT-LARGE QUALIFICATION METHOD--please see at-large qualification method below. Three tournament placements used for qualification may not exceed a cumulative total of eight (8), based on the following formula:

Up to six legs may be awarded in a final round, but no more than 50% of the competitors may earn legs in an event. The total number of entries will be rounded down.

2. Fees: AFA $8.00 per individual event slot entered Additional fees: $10.00 per slot not covered by a judge provided by your school $10.00 per slot drop $60.00 per judge drop

3. Judges: All judges must be active coaching faculty, or graduate students, or persons with forensic experience. All judges will be responsible for judging one round past the elimination round of their students -- this means all judges are obligated to judge events in both flights which go straight to finals. Each school will be expected to provide one judge for every six slots entered. The cost for hired judges will be $10.00 per uncovered slot.

4. Deadlines: All entries must be received by 5:00 pm, CST, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 for both tournaments. After this time, we will impose a late-drop fee of an additional $10.00 per slot dropped, and $60.00 per judge dropped. No additions past the deadline.

5. Awards: Awards will be given to all finalists. The top three schools will receive a school sweepstakes award.

All-American Individual Events Team: Schools in District 7 may present a maximum of two nominations per year and the nomination materials (including the form enclosed with this invitation) must be submitted at the district tournament registration. One recipient (from the nominees) will be chosen by a district selection committee to represent our district and will be announced at the District 7 Tournament Awards Ceremony. Other district nominees may be forwarded to the NIET committee as at-large nominees.

Subscription Fee for the American Forensic Association's National Individual Events Tournament.

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________

REGISTRATION FOR DISTRICT 7 TOURNAMENT WILL HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS REGISTRATION FOR THE LUCKY SEVEN

Flight B – Ext, Info, Duo, Prose, Pers, and POI

Impromptu Speaking: An impromptu speech, serious in nature, with topic selections varied by round and by section. Topics will be derived from quotations. Speakers will have a total of 7 minutes for both preparation and speaking. Timing commences with the acceptance of the topics sheet. Limited notes are permitted.

Informative Speaking: An original, factual speech by the student on a realist subject to fulfill the general aim to inform the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time is 10 minutes.

Prose Interpretation: A selection or selections of prose material of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. A primary focus of this event should be on the development of the narrative/story. Play cuttings and poetry are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time is 10 minutes including introduction.

Duo Interpretation: A cutting from one or more texts of literary merit, humorous or serious, involving the portrayal of two or more characters presented by two individuals. The material may be drawn from any genre of literature. This is not an acting event; thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etc, are to be used. Presentation is from the manuscript and the focus should be off-stage and not to each other. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Extemporaneous Speaking: Contestants will be given three topics in the general area of current events, choose one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech that is the original work of the student. Maximum time limit for the speech is 7 minutes. Limited notes are permitted. Student will speak in listed order. Postings of topics will be staggered.

Persuasive Speaking: An original speech by the student designed to inspire, reinforce, or change the beliefs, attitudes, values or actions of the audience. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Multiple sources should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Program Oral Interpretation: A program of thematically-linked selections of literary merit, chosen from two or three recognized genres of competitive interpretation (prose/poetry/drama). A primary focus of this event should be on the development of the theme through the use of narrative/story, language, and/or characterization. A substantial portion of the total time must be devoted to each of the genres used in the program. Different genre means the material must appear in separate pieces of literature ( e.g., A poem included in a short story that appears only in that short story does not constitute a poetry genre.) Only one selection may be original. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

After Dinner Speaking: An original, humorous speech by the student, designed to exhibit sound speech composition, thematic, coherence, direct communicative public speaking skills, and good taste. The speech should not resemble a night club act, an impersonation, or comic dialogue. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforced the message. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Communication Analysis: An original speech by the student designed to offer an explanation and/or evaluation of a communication event such as a speech, speaker, movement, poem, poster, film, campaign, etc., through the use of rhetorical principles. Audio-visual aids may or may not be used to supplement and reinforce the message. Manuscripts are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Drama Interpretation: A cutting that represents one or more characters from a play or plays of literary merit. A primary focus of this event is on the development of characterization. This material may be drawn from stage, screen, or radio. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Poetry Interpretation: A selection or selections of poetry of literary merit, which may be drawn from more than one source. A primary focus of this event should be on the development of language. Play cuttings and prose works are prohibited. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Rationale: This award is designed with the intent to recognize students beyond the area of competition. While achievement in the forensic activity is taken into account, equal weight should be given to scholarship and service. This award should serve as a crowning touch to those seniors who have demonstrated outstanding qualities in all three areas.

General Qualifications for Nomination: Nominees should demonstrate personal qualities that show their understanding of the role of intercollegiate forensic competition in a liberal education. They should show evidence of success and good conduct in the forensic activity, excellence in their classroom studies as evidenced not only by grade-point average, but also by the range and challenge of study, and show a commitment to the betterment of their community through their forensic and non-forensic activities.

• The nominee(s) must be designated as a senior at their four-year institution and attending their last AFA-NIET as a competitor.

• The nominee(s) must have at least an overall “B” GPA in college coursework. Each nomination must include a copy of the student’s official college transcript of grades.

• The nominee(s) must provide documentation of forensic success including a resume of awards earned during forensic competition. . Letters of support for each nominee shall convey the value the individual has added to the forensic activity in general (e.g., mentoring, good sportsmanship).

• The nominee(s) must provide documentation of service work. This may include forensic-related service. Service outside of the forensic community is a significant criterion. Non-forensic service venues may include the community, civic organizations, the school, etc.

• Each nomination must include a letter of support addressing the student’s work in providing community service to their university and the community at large

Nomination Process: Nominations must come from a program director/coach and be submitted to the District Chair. District Chairs will inform member schools of deadlines for submission. Each District Committee will select one recipient from their respective district, and forward up to five additional nominations from their district to the Chair of the Selection Committee. A school may submit at most two nominations to their district. There will be at least one recipient from each of the AFA-NIET districts. At-large recipients may come from any district. District chairs must submit all nominations to the Chair of the All-American Team Committee no later than March 15, 2020

All-American Individual Events Team Nomination (submit to your District Chair)

Director/Coach of Nominee: ___________________________________________ Mailing address of Director/Coach:

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Attachments: Official Copy of College Transcript Grades Personal Statement (limit to one page) Resume of Forensic Awards (limit to one page) Resume of Service Work (limit to one page) Letters of Support (no more than three letters, including letter from a director/coach) Questions about the nomination process should be directed to your District Chair.

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