RIVERHAWK INVITATIONAL ​

    8 December 2021 - speech recordings are due
    10-11 December 2021 - live debate and     asynchronous speech judging​
    ​

    DEADLINE
    7 December 2021 (to register and to drop)
    8 December 2021 (to submit video link)
    ELIGIBILITY
    PLATFORM
    Open to MS/HS students
    Online through NSDA Campus or pre-recorded

    Information

    Riverhawk Invitational 
    December 10-11, 2021
    Hosted by Chiawana High School
     
    Friends and Colleagues,
     
    I’m pleased to invite you to the 2021 Chiawana Tournament, this December 10-11, hosted digitally on NSDA Campus and Tabroom.com. This year’s tournament will feature competition in both speech and debate. We are proud to announce that we are also a NIETOC bid tournament.
     
    Many of you have never heard of us! “Chiawana” is a Native American word that means “big river.” Our school is in Pasco, Washington, just a mile or so from the banks of the Columbia River. We are in our twelfth year of operation and have been the largest school in the state (based on enrollment) for most of that time. Our mascot, the Riverhawk, is also known as the osprey, a bird of prey native to the area.
     
    We will have registration open for open and novice divisions in Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, and Congressional Debate as well as Dramatic, Humorous, Informative, Program Oral Interpretation, and Original Oratory, We will collapse divisions as necessary based upon registrations. We have no separate classification for middle school students, but they can enter in our novice division.
     
    We believe that judge feedback is an important learning tool for all competitors, and we are not limiting entries in speech events. Competitors may enter as many speech events as they wish/are capable of. We do not require a tournament-specific introduction on video entries.
     

    Some key details:
    • Speech will be asynchronous. Recordings will be submitted to Nadia well ahead of the start of the tournament, so please consult the schedule to prepare.
    • Speech judges will receive pre-recorded preliminary ballots Friday morning, and they must be returned by 9 a.m. Saturday. Speech judges must also be available to adjudicate finals asynchronously on Saturday within the finals time window.
    • Debate will be live/synchronous, using NSDA Campus on Friday and Saturday. Congress might use a separate platform due to user limitations, we will send more information on the platform and access codes when rooms are determined.
    • NIETOC bids are offered in following events: (EX, OO, INF, DI, HI, Duo, POI) at the following levels:
      • 0-19 contestants - FIRST Place bid
      • 20-34 contestants - FIRST, SECOND & THIRD Place Bids
      • 35-50 contestants – FINAL Round Bids
     
    This year, given the electronic tournament format, we will have an ombudsperson available for competitors and coaches alike during the course of the tournament. We follow the National Speech and Debate Association principles of ethics, equity, and inclusion. We believe that debate should be a safe and fair space for all participants, and we will do our best to make this happen.
     
    Please note that due to the changing landscape, changes to procedures may be necessitated. Please review the rules in advance.
     
    Thank you for all you do and have a great season!


    Event Details

    Divisions:
    • Novice Division: Open to all students who have no debate experience prior to this school year and who have not placed first through fourth in any debate division at two invitational tournaments with 15 or more schools. Middle school students should sign up for novice.
    • Open Division: Open to any debater regardless of experience or class standing.
    Debate Matching:
    • The first two rounds of debate will be randomly matched. Rounds 3 and all subsequent rounds will be power-matched. We will do our best to break competitors with winning records to elimination rounds.
    Online Specific Info:
    • We will use NSDA Campus. Make sure your students have active Tabroom accounts well ahead of the tournament. They will be unable to compete otherwise.
    • Teams in LD and PF are allowed up to ten minutes of tech time. If the debate is paused for technology related reasons, that team’s Tech Time begins to count down. If a team uses all their Tech Time before the round ends, they will be required to forfeit that round. The tech time is not to be used as prep.
    • Cameras should be on. This is a safeguard against outside assistance and it is an important accessibility feature. Cameras also help maintain the social atmosphere of debate.
    Debate Events:
    • Lincoln Douglas
      • We will use the 2021 Nov/Dec topic
        Resolved: A just government ought to recognize an unconditional right of workers to strike. The novice topic will not be used.
      • Debaters have four minutes for prep.
    • Public Forum
      • We will use the 2021 Nov/Dec topic.
        Resolved: Increased United States federal regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and/or assets will produce more benefits than harms. Teams have three minutes for prep.
    • Congressional
      • Washington State uses a pre-prepared docket created by the WSFA. The complete packet will be used. Click here to access.

    CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE 
    Students will be allowed to use computers in-round for flowing, note-taking, the reading of speeches, and looking up pre-prepared evidence. Students are discouraged from using the internet during the round for purposes other than video-conferencing. The tournament will not be liable for any computer crashes or technological issues, and students should bring paper copies of evidence and speeches to be prepared for this occurrence.
    Divisions:
    • Novice Division: Open to all students who have no debate experience prior to this school year, and who have not placed first through fourth in any debate division at two invitational tournaments with 15 or more schools.
    • Open Division: Open to any debater regardless of experience or class standing.
    Legislation:
    • The official legislation adopted by the State will be the legislation used for the tournament. A copy of the legislation is available on the Tabroom site. Please have your students in Congress bring their own copies of the legislation. NO COPIES WILL BE PROVIDED.
    Docket Setting:
    • We will follow the docket setting method suggested by the WSFA committee. Each school represented in each house will draw numbers to determine the order for a legislation draft. They will then take turns picking bills to be debated. This will determine the docket for the session.
    Scoring:
    • Each speech will be awarded up to 6 points by the judge in the round. The parliamentarian will score the PO. After each session, judges will rank the top eight speakers, including the PO. The cumulative total of these ranks in preliminary rounds will determine the students who will advance to Super Congress.
    • The parliamentarian’s one-time ranking of the chamber at the end of preliminary rounds will be used to break any ties that result both in determining who breaks to Super Congress.
    • If the number of entries results in more than one chamber of Congress for a division of competition, Session III will be a Super Congress. After Session II, the top 6 to 10 members of each chamber (based on total judge rankings from sessions I and II) will advance to the two-segment Final Session. The legislation identified by the State as Super Congress Legislation will be the only legislation discussed during this round. Awards will be based on the cumulative rankings of judges during the final round. Parliamentarian rankings will be used to break ties. There will be a top PO award as determined by the Parliamentarian.
      • If there is only one chamber of Congress for a division of competition, Session III will be a regular session, and final scores for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, will be determined by the accumulation of judges’ rankings for all three rounds. Outstanding PO will be determined by the parliamentarian.
     

    INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (SPEECH)
    Two divisions will be offered: Novice-first year competition, and Open-all others. If a student has more than five rounds of experience in speech events in a previous season, this student must be entered at the Open level.
     
    Overtime: For most individual events, no penalty should apply if the student falls within a 30-second grace period. Speaking beyond the time when there is no grace period or more than 30 seconds beyond the event time limit simply means that the judge may not give that student first in that round. Exceptions to this guideline are made clear on individual ballots.
     
    Finals: The tournament directors reserve the right to determine winners of one-panel events based on preliminary round results due to limited entries in a division/event. Every effort to provide a final will be made to accommodate NIETOC bids.
     
    Online Specific Information
    • There are to be no in person audiences during the recording.
    • Recordings are to be made from a single camera in a fixed position.
    • Editing of recordings is not permitted and there should be no breaks in recording.
    • Unless otherwise noted, all rounds will be judged using a single video submission throughout the tournament.
     
    How to Submit Your Video
    After recording the performance with the program of your choice, complete these steps
    1. CREATE A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT, if you do not already have one.
    2. PUBLISH YOUR VIDEO: Log in to www.youtube.com, click “upload” at the top of the front page. Upload in standard and not high-definition.
    3. EDIT VIDEO DETAILS: The title of your video should be the event followed by your name (EX: PROSE-Your Name). In the description, add the TITLE of your selection, along with your NAME.
    4. EDIT VIDEO VISIBILITY: When creating the Visibility, change the audience option from “Public” to “Unlisted” to ensure the privacy of your video; only those with a link to the video can watch. Do not make your video “Private” or “Public”
    5. Confirm Viewability: After your video is fully uploaded, please ensure that your video has no technical issues with sound/video and that the performance is viewable from beginning to end. You might share the link with someone you trust in order to double-check that the link works.
    6. Send this URL to Nadia immediately so she may check and enter it on Tabroom.
     
    Speech Events A brief description of each event follows. Please know that these descriptions are not exhaustive.
    • Dramatic Interpretation:
      • 1. The time limit is ten minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. Judges are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.
      • 2. The presentation must be memorized. If the speaker is using notes, they may not be ranked above students who are memorized.
      • 3. Selections must be cuttings from a single work of literature (one short story, play, or novel), as per NSDA rules.
      • 4. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to eliminate profane language. Transitions may be used to clarify the logical sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the literature.
      • 5. The presentation may not use physical objects or costuming. The contestant must name the author and the source from which the cutting was made. The gender stated by the author must be honored. However, a female contestant may play a male role, and a male contestant may play a female role. Use of focal points and/or direct contact with the audience should be determined by the requirements of the literature being interpreted. Full movement is allowed.
      • 6. A student may not use a cutting from a work of literature the student used in competition in any previous contest year. A student entered in two events may not use the same selection of literature in both events.
      • 7. For COMPLETE interp rules, including publication lists, see speechanddebate.org)
    • Informative: Informative speaking is to describe, clarify, explain, and/or define an object, idea, concept, social institution, or process. The speech must be the original work of the speaker. No more than 150 words of quoted and/or paraphrased material may be included in the expository. This speech may not have been used in forensic competition by the student prior to the current competitive season. Responsibility for choosing a worthwhile topic rests with the contestant. The use of humor will not be penalized. No costumes are allowed. Any demonstration should enhance, not be the focus of, the information presented. The speech must be delivered extemporaneously, with or without the use of notes. The contestant will not be penalized for using notes or visual aids unless they interfere with the ability to communicate with the audience. The time limit for this event is TEN (10) MINUTES, which will include audience reaction time. If the speaker goes over a 30 second grace period the contestant may not be awarded first place in the round. No minimum time limit.
    • Humorous Interpretation:
      • 1. The time limit is ten minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. Judges are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated.
      • 2. The presentation must be memorized. If the speaker is using notes, they may not be ranked above students who are memorized.
      • 3. Selections must be cuttings from a single work of literature (one short story, play, or novel), as per NSDA rules.
      • 4. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to eliminate profane language. Transitions may be used to clarify the logical sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the literature.
      • 4. The presentation may not use physical objects or costuming. The contestant must name the author and the source from which the cutting was made. The gender stated by the author must be honored. However, a female contestant may play a male role, and a male contestant may play a female role. Use of focal points and/or direct contact with the audience should be determined by the requirements of the literature interpreted. Full movement is allowed.
      • 5. A student may not use a cutting from a work of literature the student used in competition in any previous contest year. A student entered in two events may not use the same selection of literature in both events.
      • 6. For COMPLETE interp rules, including publication lists, see speechanddebate.org)
    • Original Oratory: Orations may deal with a current problem and propose a solution OR they may alert the audience to a threatening danger, strengthen its devotion to an accepted cause, or eulogize a person. Give the orator free choice of subject and judge him/her solely on the effectiveness of its development and presentation. The use of appropriate figures of speech, similes and metaphors, balanced sentences, allusions, and other rhetorical devices should be noted. Delivery should be judged for mastery of the mechanics of speech: poise, quality and use of voice and bodily expressiveness, and for qualities of directness and sincerity.
      • 1. The presentation must be memorized. If the speaker is using notes, they may not be ranked above students who are memorized.
      • 2. The speech must be the original work of the speaker. No more than 150 words of quoted and/or paraphrased material may be included in the oration and must be designated in the manuscript. This speech may not have been used in forensic competition by the student prior to the current competitive season.
      • 3. A copy of the oration must be available from the student upon the judge’s request.
      • 4. The time limit for this event is TEN (10) MINUTES, which will include audience reaction time. If the speaker goes over a 30 second grace period the contestant may not be awarded first place in the round. No minimum time limit.
    • Program of Oral Interpretation: POI is a program of thematically linked selections chosen from two or three genres: prose, poetry, drama (plays). At least two pieces of literature that represent at least two separate genres must be used. Unlike the other interpretation events, Program Oral Interpretation may use multiple sources for the program. The title and author of all selections must be verbally identified within the program. The use of a manuscript during the performance is required. Reading from a book or magazine is not permitted. The intact manuscript may be used by the contestant as a prop, so long as it remains in the contestant's control at all times. No costumes or props other than the manuscript are permitted. Introduction and transitional material may be memorized. Full movement, including walking, is allowed. Length: The time limit is 10 minutes with a 30-second “grace period.” Should a student go beyond the grace period, the student may not be ranked 1st. Judges are to use accurate (stopwatch function) timing devices. No minimum time is mandated. Publication Rules: All literature performed must meet the publication rules of the NSDA. Adaptations may be used only for the purpose of transition. Changes to the script may only be used for the purpose of transition or to eliminate profane language. Transitions may be used to clarify the logical sequence of ideas. They are not to be used for the purpose of embellishing the humorous or dramatic effect of the literature. (Note: for COMPLETE interp rules, including publication lists, see speechanddebate.org)
     

    General Information

    ​Judging
    • All judges must have accurate contact information. This includes both email and phone.
    • In general, one year out judges will not be used in the open division.
    • Judges must be available for ballots during the whole tournament schedule for your specific event.
     
    Sweepstakes and Awards
    • Debate: Awards will be made to the semifinalists and above in each division of debate. The top three congressional debaters will receive awards. The top presiding officer in each division of Congressional Debate will also receive an award.
    • The top 3 speakers in Big Questions, Lincoln Douglas, and Public Forum will receive awards.
    • Individual Events: Medals will be awarded to the top three speakers in each event and division. Finalists will receive recognition.

    PF/Congress Manual
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/tabroom-files/tourns/21973/postings/28207/Public-Forum-and-Congressional-Debate-Textbook.pdf

    LD Manual
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/tabroom-files/tourns/21973/postings/28206/Intro_to_LD.J.Roberts.7.5.27.pdf

    ​Entry Price

    LD only $55
    LD + 1 Speech $60
    LD + 2 Speech $65
    LD + 3 Speech $70

    PF only $55
    PF + 1 Speech $60
    PF + 2 Speech $65
    PF + 3 Speech $70

    One Speech Event $55
    Two Speech Events $60
    Three Speech Events $65

    If parent is not judging, the OPT-OUT fees are:
    • $110 for those whose students are doing 1 speech only
    • $120 for those whose students are doing 2 speech events
    • $130 for those whose students are doing 3 speech events
    • $130 for those whose students are doing 1 debate only
    • $150 for those whose students are doing 1 debate & 1 speech events
    • $170 for those whose students are doing 1 debate & 2 speech events
    • $180 for those whose students are doing 1 debate & 3 speech events

    Each person in a PF team would be responsible of providing their own judge, so one PF team would need to either provide two judges, both pay the judge fee, or one of each option.

    Registration will not be complete until payment is received.
     
    NOTE: We will charge set up fees if we have to create tabroom.com accounts for judges. It is recommended you do so on your own.

    Schedule

    2021 Riverhawk Invitational Schedule
    All times are Pacific Standard Time
     

    Debate Schedule --- Friday
    • 3:00 – Round 1 (Debate/Double flighted)
    • 3:00 – Congress Session 1
      5:30 – Round 2 (Debate/Double Flighted)
    • 6:00 – Congress Session 2
      8:00 – Round 3 (Debate/Double Flighted)

    Debate Schedule --- Saturday
    • 8:00 – Round 4* (Debate/Double Flighted)
    • 8:00 – Congress Supers
    • 10:30 – Round 5* (Debate/Double Flighted)
    • 1:00 – Elimination Round 1* (Double flighted)
    • 4:00 – Elimination Round 2* (Single flighted)
    • 5:30 – Elimination Round 3* (Single flighted)
     
    **Rounds may be reduced based in number of entries


    Speech Information and Schedule
     
    Wednesday 12/8
    • 11.59 p.m. - Video link submission deadline (please list on the registration form or send to Nadia by this date)
      
    Friday 12/10
    • 8 a.m. – Rounds will be paneled and available to judges.
    • 9:30 a.m. – Ballot reminder blasted to all judges.
    • 10 a.m. – Judges must have clicked start round for all rounds.
     
    Saturday 12/11
    • 9 a.m. – All preliminary ballots from judges due.
    • 11 a.m. – Final ballots sent to judges.
    • 2 p.m. – Final ballots due.

    Drop Fee

    Any drops after the deadline will not get a refund and will be assessed any nuisance fee the tournament charges. Drop requests should be made to Victor and Nadia.

    Please do not drop out last minute to avoid being charged these fees.

    Contact Info

    Victor Rivas Umana
    Contact email:  vrivasumana@tgsastaff.com
    Nadia Budiman 
    Contact email: nbudiman@tgsastaff.com
    Or info@tgsastaff.com

    Registration Form

    STUDENT INFORMATION
    Suggested attire for the tournament can be found here.
    More tournament resources can be found here.
    PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION
    Your email address will be the one included when we send the logistics email.
    EVENT SELECTION
    ASYNCHRONOUS SPEECH EVENTS

    ​How to Submit Your Video
    After recording the performance with the program of your choice, complete these steps
    1. CREATE A YOUTUBE ACCOUNT, if you do not already have one.
    2. PUBLISH YOUR VIDEO: Log in to www.youtube.com, click “upload” at the top of the front page. Upload in standard and not high-definition.
    3. EDIT VIDEO DETAILS: The title of your video should be the event followed by your name (EX: PROSE-Your Name). In the description, add the TITLE of your selection, along with your NAME.
    4. EDIT VIDEO VISIBILITY: When creating the Visibility, change the audience option from “Public” to “Unlisted” to ensure the privacy of your video; only those with a link to the video can watch. Do not make your video “Private” or “Public”
    5. Confirm Viewability: After your video is fully uploaded, please ensure that your video has no technical issues with sound/video and that the performance is viewable from beginning to end. You might share the link with someone you trust in order to double-check that the link works.
    6. Send this URL to Nadia immediately so she may check and enter it on Tabroom.

    Participants will submit one video link per entry that will be used for the entire tournament. Please ensure that YouTube links are marked unlisted, and if using Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. permissions are set so that anyone with the link can view. Refer to the best practices guide for tips on recording and submitting videos.
    ​
    If you won't provide the recording link upon registration here, please send to nbudiman@tgsastaff.com, vrivasumana@tgsastaff.com, info@tgsastaff.com by 8 DECEMBER 2021.
    ​JUDGE PROVISION
    Signing up a judge without having a Tabroom account will result in us charging you for the set up fee. You can do this easily on your own by going to tabroom.com. It takes two minutes.

    First time judging? Click here to learn how to do it! Or watch our Youtube playlist here.
    ​There are also these training cards available that include a summary of each event's rules and comments.

    All speech judges must be available on the asynchronous judging schedule.      All debate judges must be available for the live schedule. Those whose students are doing both should be available during both asynchronous speech and live debate schedule unless dismissed. Any missed round will be fined by the tournament.

    ​    More tournament resources can be found here.
    TERMS AND CONDITIONS

We would love to have you visit soon at one of our open houses.
Check our home page for the schedule!

School year Hours

M-F: 3:45 pm - 8:30 pm 
Sun: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Telephone

510-270-8480
510-470-0531

Email (preferred)

For more info email us at: info@tgsastaff.com

Locations

Fremont: 200 Brown Rd #201, Fremont, CA 94539

Cupertino: 20432 Silverado Avenue Suite 211, Cupertino, CA 95014

Aborn Institute: 2804 Riedel Road, San Jose, CA 95135 

Loving Tree Academy: 36601 Newark Blvd, #83, Newark, CA 94560