Munster Debate invites you to attend our 2025 Debate Tournament on Saturday, October 25, 2025.  Please read the information below. 

Online registration is available on Speechwire.  If you have any questions, please email Jessica Hilbrich at jessmhilbrich@gmail.com. 

 

Registration: Final registration with names for all divisions are due by 9am CDT Tuesday, October 21.  Judges and emails should be registered on Speechwire by Thursday, October 23.

Last year, we pretty much ran out of rooms and were at capacity. I want to manage that a little more closely this year, so I am setting Event and Teams caps as follows:

Congressional Debate – No caps due to Fall Congress set up

Lincoln Douglas – 52 total entries, 6 entries per team

Policy – 22 total entries, 6 entries per team

Public Forum – 52 total entries, 6 entries per team

World Schools Debate – 20 total entries, 3 entries per team

**Please utilize the waitlist function** I will monitor registration and move entries off the waitlist the week of the tournament that exceed team caps if there is space available. I anticipate there will be space, but I want to make sure everyone has to chance to register before we hit the caps.

 

 

On-site Registration: 8:00-8:30am (CDT)

Student Announcements: 8:30am in the Cafeteria

Judge Meeting: 8:45am in Judge’s Lounge.

First Round     9:00am (CDT)

Awards             Approximately 5:00pm (CDT)

 

Notes:

•Events will follow ISSDA rules unless otherwise specified.

•Due to space constraints, Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas rounds will be flighted.

•Policy, LD, PF, and WSD will be power-matched rounds 3 & 4 as time allows.

 

Policy:

•2 divisions offered:  Varsity and Novice.  Novice is defined as a first year debater. 

•NSDA Novice Restrictions will be enforced, please see those here: https://www.speechanddebate.org/topics/. Novice teams are encouraged to debate using the Novice evidence packet (email Jessica Hilbrich if you are not familiar with the evidence packet). Additionally, no Counterplans or Kritiks are allowed in the novice division.

•Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly strengthen its protection of domestic intellectual property rights in copyrights, patents, and/or trademarks.

•We will observe NSDA rules changes and use 8 minutes of prep time.

 

Lincoln-Douglas        

•Varsity and Novice offered. 

•Both divisions will use the September/October topic.

•Resolved: In the United States criminal justice system, plea bargaining is just.

 

Public Forum:

•Varsity and Novice offered.

•Both Divisions will use the September/October topic.

•Resolved: The United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union.

 

 

World Schools Debate:         

•One open division will be offered.

•Rounds 1 & 3 will be prepared. The motion is TBD – Will be released by October 13, 2025.

•Rounds 2 & 4 will be impromptu. Teams may use 2 Reference books for prep.

•As a reminder, electronics are not allowed in WSD. Students should not be using cell phones as timers.

 

 

Congress:

•Munster will be hosting Fall Congress for Northwest Indiana District Schools, which include: Valparaiso HS, IN; The Culver Academies, IN; Penn HS, IN; Munster HS, IN; Crown Point HS, IN; Chesterton HS, IN; Bishop Noll Institute, IN.

•We will offer Congress for non-NW District schools. If possible, we will mix the schools for the afternoon session.

•Varsity and Novice offered. 

•ISSDA Docket. Exact Legislation still TBD and will uploaded to Speechwire. – Will be released by October 13, 2025.

•Varsity will elect presiding officers from within the house with competitors voting for best P.O. 

•Please email Mike Buck at mpbuck@munster.us if you have someone willing to PO a novice house.

 

 

JUDGES:          

•Please bring one judge for every 2 entries or fraction thereof (E.G. 2 policy teams=1 judge; 3 LDers=2 judges; 3 PF teams=2 judges).

•Congress=1 judge per 5 entries/fraction.

•All judges should be ready to judge any event.

•Varsity debaters with 250 NFL points+ may judge novice (PLEASE make sure to mark them as such on their registration.) Please limit to no more than 2 per school.

•We will be using online balloting, so all judges will need to register on Speechwire prior to coming and bring a device. Laptops or tablets are preferred over smartphones.

 

 

 

General: Snacks and lunch will be available for purchase all day.

 

Awards: Ribbons will be awarded to individuals and teams. Trophies will be awarded for Sweepstakes.

 

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Jordan Mayer, Director of Speech and Debate

Jessica Hilbrich, Assistant Debate Coach

Mike Buck, Assistant Debate Coach

Andrew Phifer, Volunteer Debate Coach

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