You are cordially invited to the Florida Civics & Debate Initiative FCDI Statewide Virtual #2 to be held Saturday, January 20, 2024.

This tournament will be virtual and totally asynchronous. 

The FCDI Statewide Virtual #2 offers middle school and high school competitions. All Florida schools are welcome to compete in this tournament.

There will be 4 rounds of competition. The tournament will end January 20. The full schedule can be found in the Schedule tab on the registration page for the tournament.

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024, at 3:00pm EST/2:00pm CST.

EVENTS and DIVISIONS: We offer middle school, novice, and varsity divisions. If numbers allow, we will offer separate middle school and novice divisions. We reserve the right to combine divisions. If we combine divisions, we will offer a Middle School Champion Award in addition to the usual awards.

No double entry allowed.

Speechwire student accounts are required for participation at FCDI tournaments. 

WE WILL BE OFFERING ONLY ASYNCHRONOUS EVENTS. THEY ARE:

Pro Con Challenge: Students will write a 3-5 minute affirmative case and a 3-5 minute negative case on the following January/February LD topic or January PFD topic:

-LD Topic: Resolved: The United States ought to substantially reduce its military presence in the West Asia-North Africa region.

-PFD Topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

They will read both of those speeches within a time limit of 10 minutes and submit it through the recording process.

Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge: Competitors use the two pieces of legislation we have provided (Located in Files for Download Tab) and construct two authorship speeches 3-5 minutes in length. They will read both of those speeches within a time limit of 10 minutes and submit it through the recording process. Students record both Congress speeches as a single video. It does not matter in what order they are recorded.

Declamation (Middle and Grades 9/10 only)

Dramatic Performance

Duo Interpretation

Informative Speaking

Just Talk (Middle and Novice only)

Oral Interpretation

Original Oratory

Program Oral Interpretation

Asynchronous Events require students to video their performance in advance. Coaches then upload it to Speechwire. Students in those events do not have to present during the tournament.

Instructions on how to record and upload videos to YouTube:
(1) Create a YouTube account (a personal account, NOT a student account)
(2) Be in business professional attire
(3) Record video
(4) Go to your YouTube channel homepage
(5) Click “Create video”
(6) Choose the video from camera roll (make sure you choose the correct video you want to upload)
(7) Add description
(8) Select UNLISTED (it’s step 2 or 3)
(9) Upload the video NOTE: YOU CANNOT turn off your phone or leave your computer until the video is fully uploaded
(10) Go back to your YouTube Channel
(11) Click “Your Video”
(12) Click SHARE
(13) Copy the link
(14) Paste the link in an email and send it to your contact. EACH RECORDING MUST BE ONE TAKE, NO CUTS.

It is the affirmative duty of the coach to ensure that student videos are viewable.

ORAL INTERPRETATION requires two (2) videos per student. Link POETRY as Video #1 and PROSE as Video #2.

Videos must be uploaded by Noon EST/11AM CST, Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

JUDGES: Adults, coaches, and qualified varsity students (juniors or seniors with at least 75 NSDA points) may judge. Judges need to be trained. They may take the NSDA judge training course if they did not attend any judge training. It is the affirmative duty of the coach to ensure that all judges (except students) must be approved as volunteers through their district’s volunteer system.

The judge ratio for this tournament is 1 judge for every 5 entries or fraction thereof. 

Adults who are judging should be entered as Adult Judges.

Varsity students with at least 75 NSDA points may judge the middle school and novice divisions. Those judges should be entered as student judges. 

All judges must register have a Speechwire Judge Account account. Account information will be sent to judges when they are registered to a tournament as a judge.

COACHES: Coaches must be available for the duration of the tournament.

FEES: $4 per student

Please make checks payable to and mail to:

The Florida Debate Initiative

c/o Tara Tedrow

215 N Eola Dr

Orlando, FL 32801

DAY OF TOURNAMENT CONTACT:

Day of tournament contact is Paul Gaba. Phone is 561-352-0635.

Please only text Paul. Please include your name, school, and event when texting.

If Paul is in class, he will respond back to you as soon as time allows.

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