_{Wisconsin Love Fest}

_{Sponsored by}

_{UWEC Forensics and UWEC Alumni}

 

 

January 18, 2020    

                                                                                   

Dear Colleague,

The UWEC Forensics Program and the UWEC Association of Blugold Forensics Alumni (ABFA) cordially invite you to the Wisconsin Love Fest.  The Grace Walsh Individual Events Tournament (affectionately called the G.WI.E.T.), hosted by UWEC Forensics will be held on Saturday, February 8^th.  UWEC’s ABFA will be hosting the We LOVE 4N6 Alumni Tournament on Sunday, February 9^th.  Both tournaments will be held on the UWEC campus in Eau Claire.  To celebrate Valentine’s Day, your team can participate in many “love” activities. We will crown a “Love Champion” and “Cupid Brigade” on Saturday at the G.W.I.E.T.  All of the proceeds from our love festivities will go to a UWEC chosen charity.  Both tournaments will offer two preliminary rounds and finals in all NFA events.  Awards will be given to finalists in each event and to the top five teams.  Team sweepstakes and quadrathon awards for the swing as a whole will also be awarded on Sunday.  We will also be using e-ballots this year and so we ask each judge to bring an electronic device/charger (computer/tablet/phone) to fill out ballots.  Simply go to http://www.speechwire.com to register.  And, as always, we will continue the traditional GRACE WALSH AWARD -- be sure to read and complete the special insert attached to this invitation.We would love to have you join us for “Love Fest.”  For the love of forensics, come join us in Wisconsin where the weather is cold, but the people are warm.

See you in February,                              

    

Karen Morris                            Kelly Jo Wright                                   Alex Brown 

Director of Forensics               Assistant Director of Forensics          UWEC Alumni

UW-Eau Claire                        UW-Eau Claire                                     Class of 2016

morriskr@uwec.edu                wrightkj@uwec.edu                           Abrown170@gmail.com

 

                   

2020 Wisconsin Love Fest

UWEC Forensics and UWEC Alumni

February 8 and 9

Entry Information:  A Quick Overview

Deadline for entries:  Tuesday, February 4^th at 5:00 P.M.  CS.  NO Entries will be accepted after this date.  Fees are assessed on Wednesday, February 5^th at 12:00 noon.  Drops made after this time will be charged a drop fee.

 

Grace Walsh Individual Events Tournament (G.W. I. E.T)

Saturday, February 8^th, 2020 –hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

8:00 am                    Registration and Breakfast in 1614 Centennial Hall

8:30 am                    Extemp Draw in 1415 Centennial Hall

9:00 am                    Round I A

10:15 am                 Extemp Draw

10:45 am                 Round II A

12:00 pm                 Lunch Break       

12:45 pm                 Round I B

2:00 pm                   Round II B

3:15 pm                   Extemp Draw for Finals

3:45 pm                   Finals A

5:15 pm                   Finals B

6:45 pm                   Awards in 1614 Centennial Hall)

 

 

We LOVE 4N6 Alumni Tournament

Sunday, February 9^th, 2020 (UWEC Alumni)

7:30 am                    Registration and Breakfast (1614 Centennial Hall)

8:00 am                    Extemp Draw in 1415 Centennial Hall

8:30 am                    Round I A

9:45 am                    Extemp Draw

10:00 am                 Round II A (Extemp @ 10:15 am)

11:15 am                 Lunch Break

12:00 pm                 Round I B

1:15 pm                   Round II B

2:30 pm                   Extemp Draw for Finals

2:45 pm                   Finals A (Extemp @ 3:00 pm)      

          4:30  pm                   Finals B

          ASAP                           Awards –1614 Centennial Hall

         ** On Sunday….we will attempt to collapse finals into one pattern if sufficient judges are available.

                     

                             Pattern A                                    Pattern B

                             Extemp                                        Impromptu

                             Persuasion                                  Informative

                             POI                                              Prose

                             Poetry                                          DI                                                                                   

                            ADS                                              CA     

                             DUO                                            WI Oratory (Sunday Only)                                 

             **Rules for all Individual Events are consistent with NFA rule descriptions.  NFA impromptu prompts will be followed.

             For examples of these prompts go to  http://www.nationalforensics.org/

            Saturday—Rd 1 (Quotations), Rd 2 (Single Words), Finals (Questions)

            Sunday—   Rd 1 (Proverbs), Rd 2 (Questions), Finals (Alumni Quotation)

            As we no longer have a State Tournament, we will be holding two preliminary rounds and a final for those Wisconsin Schools wanting to compete to represent the State of Wisconsin at the Interstate Oratory Contest.

ENTRIES:  Event entries per team are unlimited, though teams entering large numbers in certain events might anticipate competing against teammates in prelims.  Students may enter no more than THREE events per bracket. 

AWARDS:  Awards will be presented to finalists in all events.  Team sweepstakes awards will be given to the top five schools. Sweepstakes points will be given for points accumulated in final rounds only.  Quadrathon awards will be given to the top five students. A student may enter quadrathon by entering any combination of four events.

FEES:  Fees are $8.00 per entry.  Each judge will cover six (6) slots.  Uncovered slots are $10.00 each.  Entry Fees will be assessed as of Wednesday, February 5^th at 12:00 noon.  Drops made after noon on February 5^th  will be assessed $10.00 per dropped slot.  Drops made at registration will be assessed $10.00 fee per slot and $50.00 per dropped judge.  Please make checks for both tournaments payable to payable to Pi Kappa Delta.

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS - Open Door Policy: The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is committed to providing safe performance spaces for all competitors and judges. We acknowledge the art of performance may be a healing process and/or opportunity to speak on important topics. As a performer, it is impossible to know all the ways in which content or a performance may unintentionally harm or trigger members of our audience. To better serve our competitors, we will be honoring the NFA’s open door practice during rounds this weekend. An “open door policy” means competitors and other audience members may choose to leave or stay in a room when a performance negatively impacts their wellbeing. Competitors may discreetly leave the room (e.g., before, during, or after someone’s performance) even when not double-entered, without question or penalty. Competitors may disengage from a performance (e.g., actively dissociate, put their head down on a desk, cover their ears). If competitors need to leave a round due to physical (e.g., uncontrollable coughing, vomiting) or spiritual (e.g., Salat times) needs, they may also excuse themselves without question or penalty. Judges may also take steps to protect their well-being and will be asked to read the open door policy at the beginning of every round to reinforce the norm-change emphasizing mental and physical well-being over community norms.

QUIET ROOM:  We understand that tournaments can be stressful, so we've designated a room in Centennial Hall as a quiet room if you need to get away.

ETHICAL TREATMENT OF OTHERS: The University of Wisconsin Eau Claire is fully committed to a safe and healthy educational, work and competition environment that is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment. As such, we prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, race, disability, religion and other lawfully protected categories. This prohibition includes sexual assault and misconduct, and stalking. Should you experience a Title IX violation while attending our Tournament, please report the violation to your coach or someone you trust, and the tournament host. The tournament host will ensure that the Title IX officers from the host institution, your home university/college, and from the institution of the perpetrator are notified so that investigative procedures can begin. Please report behavior that is not in line with our stated anti-harassment policy. If, at any point in time, behavior is reported that is antithetical to a positive learning environment for any tournament participants, it will be handled accordingly. Directors, please remember, you are responsible for the people that you bring to our campus.  Teresa O’Halloran, Affirmative Action Officer (715-836-2387 and ohallote@uwec.edu) , is the Title IX Coordinator for UWEC.  She has the primary responsibility for coordinating Title IX compliance efforts, including oversight of implementation and monitoring of Title IX policy; coordination of training, education and communications; and administration of grievance procedures regarding sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.

The NFA Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity committee has created several useful resources that may also be of use. Please visit the EDI Page on the NFA Website  to access the documents.
 

JUDGE CONFLICTS:

We ask that if your students have any conflicts with judges for non-competitive reasons that you let us know so we can block the judge from judging the student. Examples of when this could happen might include: the student is a family member/close friend of the judge, a student was harassed/assaulted by a judge, a student was a teammate of the judge, a student was coached by the judge. We respect the privacy of these decisions. We hope that if a judge has participated in improper behavior that the tournament director will be notified so that, if necessary, the judge can be removed from the judging pool before interacting with students. Students can inform us through their coach or inform the tournament directors. The tournament director will not ask for details and do not expect any; we trust in the decision of the student. We will provide a full list of judges to all coaches the week of the tournament. 

 

SITE-SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS:

• There are all-gender/gender-neutral restrooms on campus. The closest to Registration is in Centennial Hall, near the back entrance of the building 
• Wifi will be provided, as will more information regarding signing up for electronic ballets as the tournament approaches. Please remember to bring an electronic device!
• An update of ICE activity in the region and providing site/regional resources available if ICE arrive at the tournament. We want to ensure all students and coaches feel secure coming to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire provides a safe space for all. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s website, the nearest ICE arrest was made in Milwakee, WI in September 2019. The last time there was an ICE arrest in Eau Claire, WI was in September of 2018. ICE can not enter the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s campus, and if for any reason you feel unsafe or have any questions please contact the tournament directors, and our on campus resource at https://www.uwec.edu/academics/explore-opportunities/study-abroad/cie/international-student-services/

QUESTIONS:  For questions regarding the GWIET, contact Karen Morris at (715) 836-3305 or e-mail at morriskr@uwec.edu.  For questions regarding the We LOVE 4N6 Alumni Tournament contact Alex Brown at (763) 439-7351 or email at abrown170@gmail.com

ACCOMMODATIONS: We understand that schools continue to book rooms with familiar chains many times to increase the likelihood of gaining hotel points.  And so we have not designated a tournament hotel but instead provide the names and phone numbers of hotels we would recommend. 

Candlewood Suite-Eau Claire I-94                                                                 Sleep Inn and Suites

4937 Bullis Farm Rd                                                                                           5872 33^rd Avenue County HWY T

877-859-5095                                                                                                      866-238-4218

 

AmericInn                                                                                                             Best Western Plus

6200 Texaco Drive                                                                                                3340 Mondovi Rd

888-978-5821                                                                                                       800-568-8520

 

Holiday Inn South I-94                                                                                       Hampton Inn

4751 Owen Ayres Ct                                                                                            2622 Craig Road

877-859-5095                                                                                                       715-833-0003

 

Holiday Inn Express                                                                                            Grandstay Hotel

12858 26^th Avenue                                                                                               5310 Prill Road

Chippewa Falls, WI                                                                                               715-834-1700

715-723-4654

(vr)