Dear Forensics Community:

 

Butler University was founded in 1855 with its charter calling for “a non-sectarian institution free from the taint of slavery, offering instruction in every branch of liberal and professional education.” As part of our university’s mission, we are proud to invite you to the 2027 Wm. H. Neher Bulldog Battle, a synchronous tournament hosted each Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend.  This year’s tournament will feature comprehensive competition in both speech and debate utilizing Zoom as our competition platform and Speechwire for balloting and tabulation. 

 

Friday, January 15, will see competition in NPDA, Team IPDA, and Public Forum beginning at 12:00 (noon) Eastern Time.  Competition will continue Saturday with IPDA and Individual Events including Broadcasting, Interviewing, and To Honor following Pi Kappa Delta rules.  In lieu of a final round, Round 3 of interviewing will be a review of submitted resumes and final placements will be determined by a total of all preliminary scores.

 

On Friday, students may enter one style of debate.  On Saturday, students may not enter Individual Events Flight A if they are entered in IPDA.  A student may enter up to three IEs per flight but will be responsible for performing within the 75 minutes allotted for each round.

 

Individual Events entries will cost $10 per slot plus an additional $10 if uncovered.  Debate entries will cost $40 per slot plus an additional $100 if uncovered.  We would rather have your judges than your money.  One judge is required for every six individual events entries (seven entries requires two judges).  One judge is required for every two debate entries each day regardless of format (one NPDA entry, one Team IPDA entry, and one IPDA entry will require one judge on Friday and one judge on Saturday). 

 

We hope you will consider attending our tournament.  We anticipate an educational and entertaining weekend filled with levels of advocacy and intellectual development that would bring pride to both Ovid Butler and Dr. King.

 

Janis Crawford, Director of Forensics

 

Gregory E. Moser, Assistant Director of Forensics

 

Jazlyn Khan, Director of Debate

 

Gebriella Seleps, Team President

(vr24)