2025 BHS RHETORIC RUMBLE OPEN (NIETOC)  

 

Dear Speech and Debate Coaches and Teams:

 

The Benton High School Chapter of the National Speech and Debate Association cordially invites you to our second annual 2025 BHS RHETORIC RUMBLE OPEN to be held on October 24th and 25th. This year, we offer:

1. A competitive tournament with multiple events not often offered at a Varsity Tournament

2. Sweeps Trophies for: IEs, Debate, and Overall Champions. 

3. We are also a NIETOC Bid Tournament

 

Events at the Varsity tournament will include:

Lincoln-Douglas

Debate Public

Forum Debate

Policy Debate 

Student Congress

US Extemporaneous Speaking

International Extemporaneous Speaking

Humorous Interpretation

Dramatic Interpretation

Duo Interpretation

Original Oratory

Program Oral Interpretation

Informative Speaking

LIVE RADIO SPEAKING

Poetry/Prose

Storytelling

 

Policy Debate: Resolved: The United States federal government should significantly increase its 

exploration and/or development of the Arctic.

 

Lincoln-Douglas: Resolved: In the United States criminal justice system, plea Bargaining is just.

 

Public Forum: Resolved: The United Kingdom should rejoin the European Union.

 

Student Congress:  September Legislation 

 

We will guarantee 2 entries in each event and then all other entries will be waitlisted upon entry. Extra entries will be awarded as available. Entry fees will be $8.00/entry, $10/partner entry. 

 

Submit entries on SpeechWire: 

Benton High School Rhetoric Rumble 

The deadline for entries is Monday, October 17th, 3 pm. 

 

 

Please note:  Though BHS is not completely inaccessible, it is not particularly wheelchair-friendly. If you have a student(s) who is wheelchair-bound and/or struggles with stairs, please let me know who and in what event(s) he/she will compete in, so that I may reassign rooms to better accommodate him/her.

 

Sincerely,

 

Main Tournament Contact: Dr. Shane Heard    BHS S/D Coach    shaneheard@sjsd.k12.mo.us    816.261.3358

 

Additional Contacts:

Chris Thomas BHS S/D Coach christhomas@sjsd.k12.mo.us 816.279.1136

Emily Koehler BHS S/D Coach emilykoehler@sjsd.k12.mo.us 706.936.8743

 

 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

 

Friday, October 24th 

 

12:00-1:00: Registration 

1:30:           Round 1 Extemp Draw 

2:00:            Round 1 Individual Events 

3:00:            Round 2 Extemp Draw

3:30:           Round 2 Individual Events

4:30:           SEMS Extemp Draw 

5:00            SEMS Individual Events  

6:30            FINALS Draw

7:00            IE FINALS

ASAP         Awards: IE Awards, Overall Speech Sweeps Award

 

Saturday, October 25th  

 

8:00am:      Round 1 Debate

10:00am    Round 2 Debate

12:00pm:    Round 3 Debate

2:00pm:      Round 4 Debate

4:00pm:      Round 5 Debate

ASAP         Awards: Debate Awards, Overall Debate, and Team Sweeps 

Award

 

 

NIETOC: We anticipate having NIETOC bids in each of the events. Based on previous year’s numbers, we hope to qualify 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place NIETOC Bids.’’ 

 

 

General Information and Rules

 

● NOTE: BHS students MAY be allowed to compete in the tournament, only in order to reach NIETOC bid numbers. Due to the fact that BHS students “may if needed” compete in some events, a grievance committee has been established in case there is an issue with judging  (though, of course, all judges will be screened and conflicts will be removed). 

● We have an early out on October 24th.  

● ARRIVAL: FRIDAY: Please arrive from Noon-1:00pm. SATURDAY: Please arrive 6:30-7:30 am.

● Drop off in front of the school (see map). Busses park in the parking lot in front of BHS (West), or in Junior Parking Lot South of BHS, or in the Football Parking Lot against the wall East of BHS (see map).

● Registration will be in the main hallway.  

● Tabulation Room: Tab will be open throughout the tournament in the Library Media Center. 

● Facilities and Concessions:

1. Students should remain in the common area (Cafeteria) or the Alternative Commons Area if assigned, between rounds.

2. All postings will be made public in the hallway outside of the Cafeteria. 

3. A concession stand will be available in the Cafeteria. 

4. Benton High School is a non-smoking campus. 

 

● Coaches, Judges, and Bus Drivers:

1. A hospitality room will be provided for judges, bus drivers, and coaches in Room 106.

2. Busses need to park unload in front of the school and then park in the Junior Lot (See Map Below). 

 

Competition Information and Rules

 

1. Speech and Congress Events will be held on Friday ONLY. IEs will have 3 rounds and paneled judges in the final round. Congress will have 2 rounds and then a Super Session Final.

2. Debate will be held on Saturday ONLY. Debate will have 4 rounds, Sems, and Finals.

3. Each school shall be guaranteed up to two entries in each competitive event offered. Extra entries will be granted on a basis of space availability and order of submitted entries. 

4. A student may not enter both divisions of Extemp speaking, nor enter more than one division of debate.

5. Students may not do Congress and another Individual Event. 

6. No Maverick teams will be allowed in any division of debate. 

7. MSHSAA rules of conduct will be enforced.

8. WIFI will be made available to all competitors in debate and extempers.

9. Tab will be open for view throughout the tourney. Results will become permanent 10 min. after final tab.

10. A student may not use the same selection for more than one event.

11. Each school must have an adult sponsor, able to judge at all times.  

12. Trophies: Trophies will be given to the top six entries in individual events and the top eight in debate. 

13. ALTEC, Inc. (Overall) Sweepstakes: We will be offering:

1. Overall IE Sweeps Trophy (presented at Friday Awards)

2. Overall Debate Sweeps Trophy (presented on Saturday Awards)

3. Overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Sweeps Trophy (presented on Saturday Awards)

IE Sweeps will be awarded in the following: For the top 6 in the finals room: 1st: 30pts, 2nd: 25pts, 3rd: 20pts, 4th: 15pts, 5th: 10pts, 6th: 5pts, and points will be given for Semi-Finalists.

Debate Sweeps will be awarded in the following: 5 Pts for a Loss. 10pts for a win. Finals Places: (Including Congress): 1st: 30pts, 2nd: 25pts, 3rd: 20pts, 4th: 15pts, 5th-8th:10pts.

 

Overall Sweeps (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) will be awarded from a combination of both IE and Debate Sweeps. 

 

Debate Events

 

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE:

1. Our tournament will use the NSDA 2025 September/October Lincoln-Douglas topic.

2. Time limits for Lincoln-Douglas debate will be: 6-3-7-3-4-6-3. 

3. Each debater will be allowed a total of 4 minutes of prep time 

4. Tie-breakers:  Win-Loss, Head to Head, Opponents' Wins, Opponents' opponents' wins, Total speaker points

5. A debater more than ten minutes late to a round will forfeit unless it is the fault of the tournament.

6. Debaters are allowed to use laptops in rounds but must follow MSHSAA guidelines.

 

PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE:

1. Our tournament will use the NSDA 2025 September/October Public Forum topic.

2. PF debate will be:  4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2. Each team will be allowed a total of 4 minutes of prep time.

3. Sides will be determined by a coin flip at the start of each round.

4. Tie-breakers: Win-Loss, Head to Head, Opponents' Wins, Opponents' opponents' wins, Total speaker points

5. No maverick teams will be allowed to debate.  

6. A team more than ten minutes late to a round will forfeit unless it is the fault of the tournament.

 

POLICY DEBATE: 

The resolution will be the NSDA/MSHSAA approved topic. 

1. Time limits will be 8-3-5. Each team will be allowed a total of 8 minutes of prep time.

2. Tie-breakers: Win-Loss, Head to Head, Opponents' Wins, Opponents' opponents' wins, Total speaker points

3. No one-person teams will be allowed to debate.  

4. A team more than ten minutes late to a round will forfeit unless it is the fault of the tournament.

5. Debaters are allowed to use laptops in rounds and must follow MSHSAA rules.

6. No one-person teams will be allowed to debate.  Team personnel must remain constant throughout the tournament.

 

STUDENT CONGRESS- September 2025 NSDA legislation packet. The judges and parliamentarian will rank the students at the end of each session which determines who advances to Super Session.

Criteria for advancing and placing in Student Congress will be as follows:

Advancing to Super Session:`

1.   Cume of judge in sessions one and two

2.   Recips for ranks of judge and parliamentarian in session one and two

Placing in Super Session:

1.   Cume of Super Session judges

2.   Recips for Super Session ranks of judges and parliamentarian

Congress legislation will be included in the invite. We are using the October 2024 Congress Legislation Packet. As a coach, we are requesting that you assign students one piece of the legislation and side per round according to the following constraints:

i. Session 1: 3, 8, 9

ii. Session 2: 2, 4, 1, 6

iii. Super Session: 5, 10, 7

 

 

Individual Events

 

HUMOROUS OR DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION:

Selections must be taken from published literature (play, novel, short story).  NSDA guidelines will apply.  Selections should possess literary merit and be appropriate for a high school performance.  The performance, including the introduction, must be memorized.  MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 10 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

DUO INTERPRETATION:

Selections must be taken from published works including novels, short stories, plays, or poetry.  NSDA guidelines will apply.  The performance, including the introduction, must be memorized.  

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 10 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

PROGRAM ORAL INTERPRETATION:

Sections must be taken from 2-3 genres and from published literature (i.e., prose, poetry, drama, plays, novels, short stories, etc.). NSDA guidelines apply. Selections should possess literary merit and must be appropriate for a high school performance. The performances should include an introduction and must be memorized. All components must be verbally identified by title and author. Binders or folders must be used. 

NSDA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 10 min. time limit. 30 Second Grace Period 

 

INTERNATIONAL AND U.S. EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING:

Drawing of current event topics will be conducted at five-minute intervals.  A total of 30 minutes prep time will be allowed. No consultation with others is allowed during prep time. Not allowed to enter both exempts. 

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 7 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING:

Students deliver a self-written, ten-minute speech on a topic of their choosing. Not more than 150 words may be in the form of a direct quotation.  Informative speakers may use visual aids that comply with the NSDA informative speaking rules. All topics must be informative in nature; the goal is to educate, not to advocate. The speech should be memorized.

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 10 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

ORIGINAL ORATORY:

This persuasive speech must be the original work of the contestant.  Not more than 150 words may be in the form of a direct quotation.  The speech must be memorized.  A student may not repeat an oratory he/she used in any previous year.

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 10 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

RADIO SPEAKING:

The student entering radio speaking shall prepare and present a script which contains news, weather, and sports, use copy no more than 24 hours old - as of the Tournament's first round - to prepare the script, use no commercials, and not portray multiple characters. Each presentation shall be read without the use of a microphone. The speaker shall turn his or her back to the judge while giving the presentation. 

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 5 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

STORYTELLING – Selections must come from published material. The memorized introduction may be given in a standing or seated position. The contestant shall narrate the story in a combination of his/her own words and original essential phrases, and from a seated position on a chair or stool. 

MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 8 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

POETRY PROSE: STUDENT MAY COMPETE WITH A POETRY OR PROSE SELECTION IN ANY ROUND: 

Scripts must be used (READ FROM) and taken from a published source of quality literature. Prose selections are not to be more than 50% dialogue. Binders or folders must be used. MSHSAA RULES WILL BE FOLLOWED: Time: 8 min. time limit. No Grace Period 

 

 

Directions for Drop-off and Parking

 

1. From the North or South, Off of I-29, Take the 229 North (Downtown St Joseph) Exit. 

2. From 229 North, Take Exit 1D, MO-752 Highway

3. Stay on MO-752, Cross over 22nd Street, and continue on 752/ Mason Road/ E. Hyde Park Ave.

4. Turn Right on the Parkway

5. Turn Right just before you reach the front of BHS and then take a very quick LEFT. Unload infront of BHS.

6. After drop off, come back around on the parkway IN FRONT OF BHS and turn on the right-hand side of BHS to get to parking beside and behind BHS. 

7. You may park your bus in either the Junior Lot or along the back wall of the Senior Lot (see below). 

 

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