2026 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 third annual 2026 BHS RHETORIC RUMBLE OPEN to be held on November 6th and 7th. 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 OPEN tournament will include:

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Public Forum Debate Policy Debate 

Student Congress US Extemporaneous Speaking International Extemporaneous Speaking Dramatic Interpretation Humorous 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 establish national health 

insurance in the United States.

 

Lincoln-Douglas: Resolved: De-extinction is unethical.

 

Public Forum: Resolved: European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should 

ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

 

Student Congress:  October 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 Friday, October 30th, 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

 

(vr24)