Still have students that need to compete before districts? COME TO THE RHS SWEETHEART CLASSIC! 

 

Dear Coach and Team:

 

The Ruskin Golden Eagles Chapter of the National Speech and Debate Association cordially invites your team to enter the 2027 Ruskin HS Sweetheart Classic to be held February 12th-13th, 2027. We will  be using SpeechWire Tournament Services and entries for the tournament should be entered online at https://www.speechwire.com, Tournament: Ruskin High School Sweetheart Classic. 

 

We will offer the following events: Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Policy Debate, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Program of Oral Interp, International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, Congressional Debate, and a special event of our devising: Meme Valentines/Candy Grams. For this special event, we will send out a google drive for student to upload their pictures of their pieces or video of their candy gram. Obviously all entries should be school appropriate. The goal of this is a fun event to join the theme as we host before Valentine's Day. More detailed rules will be sent with the link to coaches who have entries in this event. Judges will fill out ballots via QR code at the Judges Table. Every event will be capped at 2 entries with a waitlist if we have the rooms. Congress is capped at 30 entries. The Valentines Event is capped at 4 entries per school. 

 

Policy, LD, & PF debaters will have four rounds of preliminary competition, breaking to quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals (unless entry numbers dictate breaking to sems or finals). Individual Events will have two preliminary rounds, breaking to semifinals and finals. Congress will have two preliminary sessions breaking to a two part Final Super Session held during IE Semifinals and Finals, unless entry numbers dictate a single smaller section.

 

Please note that as per MSHSAA regulations, laptops and all other electronic devices are permitted, HOWEVER, Ruskin does not guarantee power sources.  Students using electronic devices in classrooms may not unplug any electronic device in order to utilize an electrical outlet. PLEASE MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT USE OUTLETS ON A RADIATOR!!! THESE OFTEN BLOW FUZES. There are limited outlets in many classrooms, especially on the first floor. As per NSDA requirements, Internet access will not be allowed in rounds nor in extemp draw. Be prepared to show a judge or tournament official you're on airplane mode if requested. 

 

Each school must have a coach or adult sponsor available to judge. Also, if you know of any local recent grads and/or adults who would be willing and able to be a judge at our tournament, please help us contact them. We're a small school with a small team, and any help matters. We will reduce entry fees by 10$ for every judge you bring with you, with a max deduction of $50. Please help. 

 

The entry deadline is January 20th, 2027, with drops due by February 11th at 6pm for free. Drops on the day of will incur a fee unless illness occurs. Entries will be guaranteed two per event, with wait-listed entries being granted as equitably as possible. We are a smaller school, with around 55 - 60 rooms, so we may not be able to guarantee much more than that. Congress uncapped. Meme Valentine capped at 4. 

 

 

We look forward to hosting you and your teams.

 

If you have any questions, email Coach Wicks at Caitlyn.Wicks@hickmanmills.org

Sincerely,

 

Ayoka (Caitlyn) Wicks 

Director of Speech and Debate          

Tournament Chair

 

 

 

SCHEDULE

 

Friday, February 27th, 2026

 

2:30 - 3:30 Registration in Glassdoor Hall outside Cafeteria

3:00 Extemp Draw

3:30 – 5:00 Student Congress Session 1

                3:30 -  5:00 Round 1 Individual Events

                5:00 Extemp Draw

5:30 – 7:00 Student Congress Session 2

                5:30 - 7:00 Round 2 Individual Events

                7:00 Debate Round 1

8:30 Debate Round 2

 

Saturday, February 28th, 2026

 

7:00 – 7:30 Registration in Glassdoor hall outside Cafeteria

7:30 Extemp Draw Sems

8:00 Semifinals Individual Event

9:30 Debate Round 3

11:00 Debate Round 4

1:00 Extemp Draw Finals

1:00 – 2:30 Congress Super Session

1:00 Finals Individual Events 

2:30 Debate Quarterfinals

4:30-ish Awards Assembly

 

 

 

 

General Rules:

A student may enter a maximum of two individual events plus debate; Congress may only enter that specific event during IEs plus debate; debaters may only enter one debate event and extempers may only enter IX or USX, not both.

Each school must provide a qualified school judge for each day of their school competition.

Trophies will be awarded to the top three places in Individual Events and Debate, with medals being awarded for 4th-6th places. 

Entry fees are $8 per entry.  Schools are financially responsible for all entry fees as of 3:00 P.M. Wednesday, 2/18/26.

All MSHSAA, NSDA, and Ruskin High School policies will be in effect; competitor misconduct (smoking, harassment, assault, vandalism, etc.) could result in disqualification.

No playing of musical instruments (guitars, mandolins, harmonicas, harps, etc.) or electronic music without the use of headphones is permitted in the school. 

A concession stand for competitors will be open, as well as a hospitality room for adults. Please have students keep food and drink in the cafeteria area please. Water bottles only in competition rooms. 

Tab will be in the Counseling Center and open throughout the tournament.Results will become permanent 10 minutes after final tabulation.

Every effort will be made to provide judges from our local community; however, every school entering the tournament must have a qualified judge available every round in which they are competing.  Coaches may be used as judges.

Every school must have a qualified adult supervisor present during competition.

 

 

Sweepstakes Rules:

 

1. Sweepstakes points in debate will be awarded as follows: 

Debate win----------------------------------5 points

Qualifying for quarters-------------------15 points

2. Sweepstakes points in IEs will be awarded as follows:

Semifinals-----------------------------------5 points

Finals---------------------------------------10 points

Third place----------------------------------5 points

Second Place---------------------------------10 points

First place----------------------------------15 points

3.  Sweepstakes will be determined by the TWO BEST ENTRIES in each event.

 

Individual Events Rules:

 

1. All MSHSAA events will follow MSHAA rules and non-MSHSAA events will follow NSDA guidelines.

2. U.S & International Extemp: Question topics will be current events on national and international issues.  Time limit will be 7 min.

3. Original Oratory:  The speech must be written by the student.  It must be memorized.  Time limit is 10 minutes.  No more than 150 words may be a direct quotation.

4.  Humorous & Dramatic Interp: Selections must be memorized and possess literary merit.  Time limit is 10 min.

5. Duo Interp: Selections must be memorized and possess literary merit.  Selections may be from any appropriate novel, play, or short story. Time limit-10 min.   You may enter  a DA to practice for Districts if you wish. Judges will be advised accordingly of the combined events and their rule discrepancies will be discussed with the judges. 

 

 

6.  Congressional Debate: We will use the NSDA December 2026 Legislation. The docket will be set as follows:  

Session 1: 1, 2, 3

Session 2: 4, 5, 6

Super Session: 7, 8 , 9, 10 

      

Presiding Officers (PO) will be elected and judges will be instructed to consider them amongst the rest of the competitors.  POs will be expected to use and track precedence in speeches and questions. No extraneous and/or frivolous motions/legislation (i.e. impeaching PO or breaking “cycle”) will be allowed from the floor.  

 

7. Informative Speaking: The speech must be written by the student.  It must be memorized.  Time limit is 10 minutes. The purpose of the speech is for the audience to gain understanding and/or knowledge of a topic. NSDA rules for visual aids will be followed. No more than 150 words may be direct quotations.

 

Advancing in Individual Events

 

Advancing in IEs will be based on ranks, preferences (if paneled), reciprocals, and quality points.  The top 6 will advance to finals. In Congressional Debate, the top 3-4 from each chamber will advance using judge ranks, preferences (if paneled), reciprocals, and Parli rankings to break ties.  Prelim ranks may be used to break ties for placing in Congress finals. 

 

 

 

Policy Debate:

All MSHSAA rules apply.

Time limits will be 8-3-5, with 8 minute prep time.

The 2026-2027 NSDA policy resolution, “Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a National Health Insurance program."

A team more than 10 minutes late to a round shall forfeit, unless it is the fault of the tournament.

At the end of preliminaries, the eight top teams in each division will advance to quarterfinals based on the following determinant order:  Win/loss, speaker rankings, record of opponent lost to, total opposition record, opposition to opposition record. 

Rounds 3 & 4 will be power-matched based on the records from rounds 1 & 2.

There are no case limits (that was first semester).

 

Lincoln Douglas Debate:

All MSHSAA rules apply.

Time limits will be 6-3-7-3-4-6-3 with 4 minute prep time.

Rounds will be flighted. Competitors serving as timekeepers for the opposite flight are appreciated.

The resolution will be the NSDA January/February 2027 topic

A competitor more than 10 minutes late to a round shall forfeit, unless it is the fault of the tournament.

At the end of preliminaries, the eight top teams in each division will advance to quarterfinals based on the following determinant order:  Win/loss, record of opponent lost to, total opposition record, opposition to opposition record, speaker quality points.

Rounds 3 & 4 will be power-matched based on the records from rounds 1 & 2.

 

Public Forum Debate:

All MSHSAA rules apply

Time limits will be 4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2 with a 3-minute block of prep time.

Rounds will be flighted. Competitors serving as timekeepers for the opposite flight are appreciated.

The resolution will be the NSDA February 2027 topic. 

A team more than 10 minutes late to a round shall forfeit, unless it is the fault of the tournament.

At the end of preliminaries, the eight top teams in each division will advance to quarterfinals based on the following determinant order:  Win/loss, speaker rankings, record of opponent lost to, total opposition record, opposition to opposition record.

Rounds 3 & 4 will be power-matched based on the records from rounds 1 & 2.