Greetings,

Welcome to the GCHS Winter Invitational on January 9th, 2021.  This is out first ever "virtual" tournament and we are excited to "host" you in this wonderful new world of speech. I am sure that I will forget something essential in this invite (it's been a year as you all know), and I anticipate emails with clarifications and/or (most likely) modifications to the outline below. 

 

1.  We will have competition in all 14 of the IHSA events.  There will be 3 preliminary rounds which will run asynchronously and a final round which will be held LIVE 

    via Google meets.  Each school may bring 3 entries total per event.  Schools may request extra entries; they will be granted when available.  

 

2.  Entry fees are based on the total number of entries. Please enter preliminary numbers by 11/30/19.  

    a.  0 - 14 entries: $125

    b.  15 – 28 entries: $150

    c.  29 entries and above: $200

 

3.  Please bring one judge for every six entries or fraction there of, with a maximum of six judges.  

 

4.  Team awards will be given to the top 3 schools based on top two finishers in final rounds. We will be making donations to charities in lieu of trophies.  

 

5.  BASIC SCHEDULE for the Week:

    

    Tuesday 1/5:  IMP Topics, Extemp Questions and Radio Packets released at 3:30 PM

 

    Wednesday 1/6:  All video links need to be in speechwire by 8 PM. All judges need to be entered as well - please follow the 1 judge per 6 entries rule.  I will 

    schedule the tournament and judges will receive their rounds so they can start judging. Ballots are due by 8AM on Saturday 1/9.

 

    Saturday 1/9: Judges should have all ballots submitted by 8 AM. Hopefully finals will be posted around 9:30 AM. Prep for RADIO and EX will begin at 10:30 AM and 

    all final rounds should start (fingers crossed) by 11 AM. We will be using Google Meets (at least that is the plan now). IMP will have two links, one "holding" 

    room and then a "performance" room. Due to the nature of HDA and DDA, this final round will use the videos from prelims; they will be played for the judges through 

    a google meet. I am hoping to do a google meets for awards at around 1:30pm. 

 

6.  Videos must be submitted via an accessible link; please make sure that this can be viewed by someone outside your school organization.  The videos should be 

    UNEDITED - meaning one take and filmed using basic equipment (i.e. iPad, phone). Students should think about using a basic background and test sound quality.  

    Judges will be instructed to focus on the speaker and ignore the set up.

 

7.  DUETS: No students are allowed to record videos while in the same space as each other since we want to encourage students to adhere to the health safety  

    guidelines. Videos that are submitted that do not adhere to this rule will be dropped from the tournament in order to ensure that all students are on an equal 

    playing field. 

 

8.  RADIO : A radio prep packet will be released at 3:30 PM on Tuesday January 5th.  This should be used for prelim rounds.  (Videos are due at 8 PM on Wednesday 1/6).  

    For the final round I hope to run a 45 minute prep by releasing the packet to students 45 minutes prior to their speaking time.

 

9.  EXTEMP/IMPROMPTU: Topics will be release at 3:30 on Tuesday 1/5. Students do not need to include their prep in their recording, but should adhere to the prep 

    guidelines set up by the IHSA. On Saturday, IMP speakers will join a google meet "holding" room and then be released one at a time to enter the "performance" room 

    where they will receive their prompt, prep, and then perform their speech for the judges. EXTEMP speakers will will participate in a 30 prep on Saturday; they will 

    receive their new topics via email or a google meet room (TBA on the best format here). 

 

10. Students will not be penalized for time except for in the final round of RADIO, where any student outside the 4:50 - 5:05 window will rank last in the round. 

    However, since it will be January, judges consider it as part of the ranking in the other events. 

 

Please make checks payable to: 

Grant Community High School c/o Speech Team

 

Return to:

Speech Team

Grant Community High School

285 E. Grand Ave.

Fox Lake, IL, 60020

 

(847) 587-2561 x3455(School)

(847) 340-3739 (Cell--Preferred)

 

We look forward to hosting you virtually in January!! Hopefully 2021 will be less crazy than 2020.  

 

 

Sincerely, 

 

Trisha Crambes

Head Speech Coach 

(vr)