SpeechWire Tournament Services - Forensics Tournament Software

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Please join the Summit High Speech and Debate team as we celebrate forensics and the festive season at our annual Summit Hilltopper Holiday Classic on Saturday, December 12, 2026

We recommend that you register early. We have limited space, and last year we had to close registration the week before the tournament.

EVENTS

We will be offering all of the 11 NJDSL Speech Events: Declamation, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Improvisational Acting, Impromptu Speaking, Informative Speaking, Oral Interpretation, Original Oratory, and Program Oral Interpretation.

We will also offer Congressional Debate, three divisions of Public Forum Debate, three divisions of Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and and three divisions of Parliamentary Debate.

All events will use NSDA rules, except for Oral Interpretation which will follow NCFL rules.

Parliamentary debate will follow NPDL rules.

NOTE:

The NPDL rules specify that

Computers can be used in Parli prep, but NOT in rounds.
Students must take notes on colored paper provided in Prep to use during their rounds.
In rounds, no computers will be allowed. Students can only use notes taken on the paper provided in the Prep room
There is no grace period.

NOTE: Recording or using AI during rounds is strictly prohibited. Because we are all working to develop strong speaking and writing skills, we strongly discourage using Chat GPT or AI to write your speeches prior to the round.

Students may double enter in any of the in person speech events, but may not double enter if competing in student congress or debate. Students may NOT triple enter.

There will be three preliminary rounds and one final round in all eleven of the speech events. The final round of EXTEMP will include cross-examination.

DEBATE will have four rounds with a final round if time allows.

In Public Forum and in Lincoln Douglas, students will be debating the November/December resolutions.

CONGRESS will have two sessions. Please email all BILLS by Fri, December 4. We will upload the bills to SpeechWire by Sun, December 7.

ONLINE BALLOTS

We will be using electronic ballots. Every judge must:

CREATE A SPEECHWIRE ACCOUNT
BRING A LAPTOP OR IPAD
Download CHROME.

COACHES-you must enter the emails for all of your judges when you register online.

AWARDS

Awards will be given to the six finalists in each event, to the top non-advancing novices in each event, and to the top six schools in sweepstakes.

REGISTRATION

The deadline for entry is Tuesday December 8 at 3:00pm EST. Drop Deadline is Wed, Dec 9 at 3:00pm. Registration will be done online at www.SpeechWire.com. A nuisance charge of $20 will be charged for any adds or drops made after those days.

FEES

Please present payment in the form of cash, check, or purchase order on the day of the tournament.

Team Fee $30.00

Individual Speakers $15.00 per slot

Lincoln Douglas Debate $20.00

Duo, PF, and Parli Teams $25.00 per team

Missing Judge Fee $150.00

One judge per 5 speech entries/one judge per 3 debate entries is required.

Congress judges will be pulled from the Speech pool.

Parli judges will be pulled from the PF pool.

Please make checks/purchase orders payable to: Summit High School.

FOOD

We will be selling hot food to students this year in addition to snacks and drinks. We will not be selling plastic water bottles, but we will be selling the NJSDL reusable bottles.

Judges will be provided breakfast and a delicious lunch in our Teachers' Cafeteria.

Saturday, December 12, 2026

Summit High School, 125 Kent Place Boulevard, Summit, NJ 07901

SCHEDULE

REGISTRATION will be open from 7:45-8:45 am. PLEASE arrive on time so that we can begin Round One promptly at 9:15am.

TEXT or CALL Anne Poyner at 908-304-4288 when your team is en route to let us know if you have any drops.

7:45-8:45am Registration in the Auditorium Lobby

8:45 Speech Judges Meeting in Auditorium. Debate Judges Meeting in Orchestra (next to the cafeteria)

8:45 Extemp Draw in the Library

9:15 Slot A

Rd 1: Dec, DI, DUO, HI, IA, INF, IMP, Parli, POI, Congress, PF, LD

10:45 Slot B

Rd 1 Ext, OI, OO

Rd 2 Dec, DI, Duo, HI, INF, POI

11:00 Rd 2 PF, LD, Parli

12:45 Slot C

Rd 2 Cong, Ext, IA, Imp, OI, OO

Rd 3 Duo, DI, Inf

1:30 pm Rd 3 All Debate

2:30 Slot D

Rd 3 Dec, Ext, HI, IA, IMP, OI, OO, POI

Semis D

3:15 Congress Finals

3:30 Rd 4 Debate

4:00 Speech semis and Finals

Semis: Dec, IMP, OO

Finals: DI, Duo, Ext, HI, IA, INf, OI, POI

5:00 Speech FINALS 2: Dec, Imp; Debate Finals

7:00 AWARDS (Unless we need to add a semi-final round in speech)

Looking forward to seeing y'all on December 12!

Anne Poyner, Director of Speech and Debate and Theatre

apoyner@summit.k12.nj.us

908-304-4288

Matt Lam and Alexis Nelson, Directors of Debate

Anne Poyner
Email address: apoyner@summit.k12.nj.us
Phone number: 9083044288