national catholic forensic league
the national catholic forensic league is a high school forensics organization. the ncfl conducts its grand national championship annualy over memorial day weekend .
the national catholic forensic league is also a major organization of high school speech and debate events along with the national speech and debate association. ridge high school competes in the newark catholic forensics league at 6 cfl tournaments over the course of the year to qualify students for the national catholic forensic league grand national tournament on may .
the national catholic forensic league is an organization originating from the catholic secondary school community in the united states for the purpose of providing a service to all secondary school students .
the national catholic forensic league was founded in 1951. based upon the ideal of open membership, the ncfl welcomes membership to all schools public and private in the united states and canada .
welcome to the home page of the national catholic forensic league, dedicated to supporting high school speech and debate activities for public, private, and parochial high schools in the us and canada .
silas (left) and atticus nelson of desoto central high school are shown after they won the national catholic forensic league grand national championship for public forum debate, which they won over the memorial day weekend in louisville, ky .
schools joining through a local diocesan league, must submit their membership forms and dues to their local league according to their local diocesan league deadlines. to participate in next year’s grand national tournament :
dario has coached several students to the out rounds of the tournament of champions in both lincoln douglas debate and student congress and is responsible for two national forensic league national champions and four national catholic forensic champions. dario has also coached various students to elimination rounds of harvard, stanford, yale, apple valley, glenbrook, bronx and other national tournaments. dario also has coached in new jersey and florida, making him very familiar with different regional styles .
the two desoto central high school students spent memorial day weekend in louisville, ky. , where the two brothers took home a national championship in the public forum portion of the national catholic forensics league grand nationals tournament .
the student’s school must be a member of an ncfl local league. these leagues are geographically distributed across the united states. each league develops its own qualification system for the national tournament. some leagues use a point system while others hold a qualifying tournament. league quotas represent the maximum number of entries in each category that can advance to the grand national tournament from each local league .
to find the league nearest you, check the point of contacts page. if there is no league in your region, you can start one .
home schools are welcome to join the local leagues, and the ncfl, and compete, but only one per local league will count towards the league’s membership quota .
to join the ncfl, a school must be a member of a local league .
the washington arlington catholic forensic league is primarily a metropolitan debate and speech league open to all schools in the greater washington area. it is the local unit of the national catholic forensic league which was established in 1951. based upon the ideal of open membership, both the wacfl and the ncfl welcome public and private schools. the purpose of the wacfl / ncfl is to encourage and to assist in the development of articulate leaders through whose skills truth may be widely spread and become an influence in the life of the nation. further, the purpose is to promote curricular and extracurricular speech and debate activities in all secondary schools in the nation. any high school located within the geographical boundaries of the united states and canada is eligible for membership in the ncfl .
to form a new league, review the new league information document and contact a member of the executive council for assistance. we welcome new members and are happy to assist you .
high school top 30 in u. s. – nsda national championship – original oratory 2017 national speech & debate association championship tournament results link nat’l tournament of champions, 15th place – duo interpretation nat’l tournament of champions qualifier – original oratory nat’l tournament of champions qualifier – dramatic interpretation 2017 national tournament of champions results link catholic forensic lea. grand nationals, octo - finals – duo interp. 2017 ncfl grand nationals tournament results link nat’ speech & debate assoc. 1st place qualifier – original oratory 2017 southern ca district qualifier results link catholic forensic lea. grand nationals, 1st place qualifier – declamation catholic forensic lea. grand nationals, 1st place qualifier – original oratory catholic forensic lea. grand nationals, qualifier – declamation catholic forensic lea. grand nationals, qualifier – declamation 2017 l. a. diocese quals for ncfl grand nationals results link —————————————————————————————— ca hs speech assoc. state championship, 8th place – original oratory ca hs speech assoc. state championship, 18th place – declamation —————————————————————————————— l. . a. county orator’s cup, 4th place overall speaker — high school l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – impromptu speaking l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – original oratory l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – oratorical interpretation 2017 la county orator’s cup results page link
the new jersey forensic league holds several tournaments every year at locations like freehold township high school, summit high school, bridgewater raritan high school, and ridge high school, culminating with njfl state championship tournament every year on march .
named after bruno e. jacob, the founder of the national speech & debate association, the nsda’s top trophy is awarded to the school that has earned the greatest number of cumulative rounds in main events at the national speech & debate tournament. the award is endowed by pi kappa delta, the oldest national collegiate forensic honorary .
the national speech and debate association (formerly known as the national forensics league) is a major organization that directs high school speech and debate events. every june, the national speech and debate association hosts the nsda finals, which students qualify for at the new jersey district tournament in march .
the washington arlington catholic forensic league provides a series of tournaments throughout the year. in each month from october through march there is one policy debate, one lincoln - douglas debate, one public forum debate, one speech, and one student congress tournament. due to school and / or calendar restrictions several events may be held on the same date .
view a list of ncfl local leagues and contact information. view information about forming a new league .
in addition to the above individual awards, a variety of team and league sweepstakes awards are given .
carly granda, informative speaking, 1st place, 2016 nsda national tournament dorothy vassantachart, original oratory, 3rd place, 2016 nsda national tournament dorothy vassantachart, impromptu, 3rd place, 2016 nsda national tournament jordan granda, informative speaking, 7th place (tie), 2016 nsda national tournament dorothy vassantachart, declamation, 12th place, 2016 nsda national tournament dorothy vassantachart, poetry, quarter - finals, 2016 nsda national tournament carly granda, congressional debate, 29th, 2016 nsda national tournament jordan granda, congressional debate, 2016 nsda national tournament 2016 u. s. middle school speech & debate national championship (full results link )
each year at the national tournament, chairs from across the country are recognized for their service and leadership within the national speech & debate association .
ridge forensics is the interscholastic speech and debate team of ridge high school, coached by david yastremski. throughout the school year, the team travels to tournaments at the regional, state, and national level. students compete in the following events: lincoln - douglas debate, public forum debate, student congress, extemporaneous speaking, original oratory, declamation, prose reading, poetry reading, oral interpretation, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, duo interpretation and program oral interpretation. the ridge forensics team competes in the new jersey forensic league, the newark catholic forensic league, and the national speech and debate association. click the logos for each organization to learn more. any ridge high school student may audition for the team. information about auditions (held in september) will be available at the beginning of each academic year. the tournament season begins in late october and concludes in march, with national championships held in may and june .
while under these programs, dario was part of a new jersey state champion team for eight consecutive years and has won several florida state championships in speech & debate. he has also won the university of florida gator guard, the florida forensic league regional coach of the year three times, florida forensic league state coach of the year (2012) and he is a recipient of the jenny cook coaching and service award. while at christopher columbus, dario also received the teacher of the year (2015 explorer award). dario is currently the director of operations of summit debate .
wacfl is made up of two dioceses that compete together, but qualify students to the ncfl grand national tournament as individual dioceses. approximately 25 public, private, and catholic schools in maryland and washington, dc make up the archdiocese of washington. approximately 40 public, private, and catholic schools in northern virginia make up the diocese of arlington .
dario camara is the currently the director of speech and debate at western high school in fort lauderdale, florida. as a national speech and debate two diamond coach, dario has coached many successful students in lincoln - douglas debate, public forum debate, interpretation, oratory and congressional debate. recently, western high school was awarded the coveted school of outstanding distinction along with the 2017 congressional house national champion at the 2017 nsda national tournament. as the director of the south florida catholic forensic league, dario also oversees the organization of local chapters in broward and dade counties, which is responsible for one of the biggest speech and debate leagues in the country. last year, dario was an educator of the year finalist for the national speech and debate association .
2nd & 3rd in congressional debate at the first socal jr. forensics league elementary tournament! 1st in drama as well !
the ncfl grand national tournament offers six interpretation / speech events and four debate events .
chamber assignments will not be released until friday afternoon, may 26, at on - site registration with the diocesan league directors .
by vote of the local diocesan league directors the public forum debate topic for the 2017 ncfl grand national tournament is resolved: us law should make it illegal to publish classified information concerning the intelligence activities of the united states .
note: a school that is not a member of an ncfl league may enter as an independent school for one year only. as such, that school could send one entry to the grand national tournament. after that, the school would have to join an ncfl league in order to continue participating. only schools that are not geographically near an existing local league can apply for individual membership. application for this membership should be made to the president via email, not later than december 10 each year .
awarded since the first national student congress in 1938, the karl mundt trophy is presented to the school with the largest number of cumulative participation points in congressional debate at the national tournament .
each year, the national speech & debate tournament travels to a different major city across the united states! for a list of future host sites, check out our national tournament page .
the purposes of the league shall be: • to encourage and to assist in the development of articulate leaders through whose skills truth may be widely spread and become an influence in the life of the nation, • to promote curricular and co - curricular speech and debate activities in catholic, private, and public secondary schools throughout the nation, • to establish, to maintain, and to coordinate a system of diocesan leagues with the purpose of administering schedules of interscholastic speech and debate activities, • to assist individual schools in speech and debate activities where no diocesan league has been established, • to sponsor and to administer the annual grand national tournament of the league .
registration by league directors is on friday afternoon. directors arrange to distribute registration materials to coaches and judges from their local leagues on friday night .
steven schappaugh is the director of community engagement and director of competition for the national tournament at the national speech and debate association. in his role, he oversees resource development for speech and debate professional development opportunities for educators, the rostrum magazine, student programs, the national tournament tab staff operations, and more .
by vote of the diocesan league directors, the ncfl grand nationals 2014 public forum debate topic will be resolved: minimum wage laws benefit the united states economy .
ncfl sponsors the annual grand national tournament on memorial day weekend, offering six forensics events and four debate events .
special gavels are awarded to the top presiding officers in the senate and the house in the national final session .
individual students debating issues of values and philosophy. the ncfl grand national resolution is used for this competition only .
as the tournament director i cannot wave my hands and change the rules. i enforce the rules that i' m given. i don' t even have a vote at the league director or board meetings. you have to draft the congress manual amendment, you have to get your coaches to send it to your diocesan league directors, and you have to get your coaches to have your diocesan league directors send it to the ncfl secretary for the agenda. and then you have to get your coaches to advocate for the change with your diocesan league directors so they vote for the change at the fall meeting. you have 3 months... make it happen !
the national champion policy debate team receives the harland b. mitchell trophy, named after the association’s legendary debate coach from oklahoma. during his 39 - year career, mitchell coached 18 state debate champions, three national debate champions, three national debate runners - up, and a national champion in extemp. in light of his superlative success and service, mitchell was named as the foremost debate coach in america by the national debate association in 1960, the only time the award has ever been given, and recognized as an original member of the hall of fame. the national speech & debate association applauds the legacy of its own pioneer, mr. h. b. mitchell .
all ballots, critiques, and procedures are those used at the grand national tournament; local leagues may establish variations .
custom bowls are awarded to the top senator and representative whose peers voted them most outstanding in the national final session .
awards are presented to chairs in attendance at the national speech & debate tournament during the district leadership luncheon and awards ceremony .
the pelham commendation is a clear obelisk inscribed, “in recognition of devotion to the forensic arts which teach motivation, integrity, and character. ” the award was established by the will of thomas glenn pelham and is endowed by the barkley forum of emory university. glenn pelham believed that constructive dialogue, conflict resolution, critical thinking, literacy, and communication skills are central to a civilized society. the glenn pelham award honors a practicing secondary school coach demonstrating a devotion to the forensic arts that teach motivation, integrity, and character .
this organization is dedicated to providing quality speech and debate competitions at the national level. the ncfl offers a wide variety of competition events and the tournaments are held in venues across the country. the grand national tournament is always held during memorial day weekend .
annual speech and debate tournament for students from across the u. s. and canada who have qualified for the national tournament .
two person teams using the 8 - 3 - 5 switch side format debating issues of policy. the national resolution is used .
based upon the ideal of open membership, the ncfl welcomes all schools public & private in the united states & canada. ncfl shall: • encourage & assist in the development of articulate leaders through whose skills truth may be widely spread & become an influence in the life of the nation, • promote curricular and co - curricular speech and debate activities in catholic, private, and public secondary schools throughout the nation, • establish, to maintain, and to coordinate a system of diocesan leagues with the purpose of administering schedules of interscholastic speech and debate activities, • assist individual schools in speech and debate activities where no diocesan league has been established, • sponsor and administer the annual grand national tournament of the league .
this annual award, named in honor of one of america’s finest debaters and coaches, former georgetown professor and director of forensics james j. unger, is awarded to the policy debate school that has placed the highest cumulatively in the five great national debate tournaments: the national speech & debate tournament; the ncfl grand debate tournament; the university of kentucky tournament of champions (toc); the naudl urban debate national championship tournament; and the national debate coaches association (ndca) debate tournament. the unger cup is endowed and presented in perpetuity at the national speech & debate tournament. an antique silver, three - handled loving cup, created by tiffany at the turn of the century, will remain at the national office with a professionally designed base honoring all of the recipients .
the top speaker in world schools debate is recognized annually at the national tournament. the namesake of this award is legendary attorney, speechwriter, columnist, political consultant, nsda alumnus, and outstanding debater at the 1965 collegiate national debate tournament, mr. robert shrum .
the pair were also the first from desoto county schools to be named academic all - americans by the national speech and debate association .
lincoln - douglas debate – individual students debating issues of values and philosophy. the ncfl grand national resolution is used for this competition only .
students who compete at the national speech & debate tournament all four years of high school are recognized with a special award at the tournament .
the national speech & debate association celebrates an individual who utilizes their speech and debate education in ways that profoundly impact the lives of others .
policy debate – two person teams using the 8 - 3 - 5 switch side format debating issues of policy. the national resolution is used .
the many trophies awarded to schools and leagues demonstrate our commitment to recognizing excellence. beyond the hardware, a school participating in the ncfl will be a member of a prestigious national organization. participation in a national competition and positive press releases are valuable in garnering community support for your school .
to view results from an earlier year, please view our rostrum archive. national tournament results are published in the summer (september) edition .
the fee to participate in the grand national tournament is currently $ 50 per student (thus a duo interpretation entry, policy debate team, or public forum team is $ 100). there is a $ 50 surcharge added for each entry that is not staying inside the ncfl tournament hotel block. this does not include local and national membership fees (per school). these costs do not include travel costs, late fees, penalties, or fines, or other fees or surcharges that may be imposed by a local league. also, each league must provide judges (coaches or other qualified people) to the tournament to cover their entries, which are currently 1 judge per 2 interpretation / speech entries, 3 judges per 2 policy debate teams (or 2 judges for 1 team), 1 judge per lincoln - douglas debater, 1 judge per public forum team, and 1 student congress judge for the entire local league if there are any student congress entries .
each year, the ted w. belch award, named after the legendary coach and hall of fame member, is awarded to the coach of the the national champion policy debate team. in addition, a permanent replica trophy is housed in the national office and displays the names of each recipient on its base .
the national speech & debate association’s middle school coach of the year award annually honors middle school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities .
the top policy debate speaker award is named in honor of one of debate’s great coaches, mrs. phyllis flory barton of cincinnati - princeton, ohio. mrs. barton coached a national championship team in both of the great national leagues and upon her death, her students and colleagues endowed the phyllis flory barton top speaker award .
ncfl is not a body that takes unilateral action. we have to change our bylaws, and the student congress manual is part of those bylaws. the way ncfl works is that a proposal for this change has to come from a diocesan league director. that proposal has to be submitted by the sponsoring director to the ncfl secretary not later than september 1. then the proposal can be considered at the league directors fall meeting. if approved the change would go into effect for the next ncfl grand nationals .
online debate ballots are also available to the diocesan moderators on tabroom. they can be downloaded for the league either by individual school or as a single report for the diocese. feel free to distribute those files back to your member schools as you see fit .
the cost to join the ncfl is currently $ 50, if by december 10. local leagues may levy additional fees or costs as they see fit in addition to the ncfl fees. the cost to enter a student at the grand national tournament is $ 60 per student. these costs do not include travel costs, late fees, penalties, or fines, or other fees or surcharges that may be imposed by a local league .
you have the next action. i' ll be happy to bring up these points at the meeting and advocate for the change. you have to work with your coaches and league directors to get it on the agenda, and get the votes to pass it .
the national speech & debate association’s james m. copeland high school coach of the year award annually honors high school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities .
the members of our community believe in enhancing student performance through the forensic arts. our competitive events act as a catalyst to challenge students to read, write, and research across the curriculum. we hope that our website will provide you access to a variety of useful sources to facilitate speech and debate both in and outside of the classroom. for more information, please contact maggie paxson .
since 1951, each year we successfully conduct the grand national tournament that engages students from across the united states and canada and provides them the opportunity to compete in debate and speech events .
guidestar worked with boardsource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section, which enables organizations and donors to transparently share information about essential board leadership practices .
the headquarters hotel is the galt house hotel in louisville. diocesan league registration, mass, postings party, and awards will be held here. student congress will be held here on both saturday and sunday. all debate (ld, pf, and policy) elimination rounds will be held here on sunday .
custom bowls are awarded to the students who, in the opinion of the final round judges, won the final rounds of dramatic interpretation, duo interpretation, and humorous interpretation at the national speech & debate tournament .
president: mr. walter mullen, st. john preparatory school, brooklyn, ny vice president: rev. linford grainader, central catholic hs, johnstown, pa secretary - treasurer: sr. mary zoe, s. c. , elizabeth seton hs, pittsburgh, pa publicity director: rev. john grace, cardinal hayes hs, bronx, ny
prior to joining the nsda, he served as the director of speech and debate and associate director for student life at university school in fort lauderdale. under his guidance, the university school team was ranked in the top one percent of all teams by the national speech and debate association. additionally, he was elected to serve on the association’s board of directors, served as a district chair, and served on the ld rules and recommendations committee. as a coach at university school, dowling catholic, myers park, and des moines north, his students have won numerous state championships in iowa, florida, and north carolina in ld, pf, hi, di, oo, ext, and duo. at nationals, his school has received the overall school of excellence, debate school of excellence, and speech school of excellence awards. individual students have won a national championship in individual students have won a national championship in humorous interpretation and reached finals in congressional debate, semifinals in duo interpretation and international extemp, and elimination rounds in ld, pf, di, and oo. he has had students win the tournament of champions in pf debate, as well as advance as far as semifinals in ld debate. students of his have been in late elimination rounds at tournaments such as glenbrooks, apple valley, bronx, greenhill, valley, dowling catholic paradigm, yale, harvard, emory, and more .
at each of the preliminary tournaments students earn qualifications to attend the metropolitan championship tournaments held in march. this tournament determines the students who will represent the wacfl at the ncfl grand national tournament held on memorial day weekend each year .
the ncfl 2017 national tournament student congress legislation has been released. there are three packets of legislationlinkoed below: one for prelims on saturday; one for semi - finals on sunday morning; and one for finals on sunday afternoon .
president: sr. mary zoe, s. c. , sacred heart hs, pittsburgh, pa vice president: rev. linford greinader, central catholic hs, johnstown, pa secretary - treasurer: sr. margaret joseph, s. s. j. , st. canice hs, pittsburgh, pa publicity director: rev. robert pollauf, s. j. , loyola academy, wilmette, il
in 2004, jenny and her husband david kraft, formed interprod, and in 2010 created interprod theatre, which produced the 2010 new york city planet connections theatre festivities best solo show “dig and be dug. ” in addition, she holds a masters degree in management and administration of educational programs. for over two decades, she has coached several national, regional and state champions in high school competitive debate and speech events. jenny is also a three diamond coach of the national speech and debate association .
this award honors individuals who have dedicated their life to the activity of forensics through true service to the national speech & debate association. the award is named after one of the association’s greatest servants, and its inaugural winner, brother rené sterner, fsc .
any catholic, public, or private high school located within the geographical boundaries of the united states of america and canada is eligible for membership in the ncfl (with some exceptions detailed in the constitution, article iii). students who enter the grand national tournament as contestants must be current high school undergraduate students who have not attended a secondary school during more than 9 semesters. graduate students are permitted to enter only in the academic year of graduation. all 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th year secondary school students may be members. ninth and 10th graders in junior high schools may participate either with their local high school or as members of the junior high school .
president: sr. mary zoe, s. c. , sacred heart hs, pittsburgh, pa vice president: rev. linford greinader, central catholic hs, johnstown, pa secretary - treasurer: sr. margaret joseph, s. s. j. , st. canice hs, pittsburgh, pa publicity director: rev. francis prior, s. m. , st. john preparatory school, brooklyn, ny
president: rev. robert pollauf, s. j. , loyola academy, wilmette, il vice president: rev. francis schulte, central catholic hs, reading, pa secretary - treasurer: sr. margaret joseph, s. s. j. , st. canice hs, pittsburgh, pa publicity director: bro. edward lawrence, f. m. s. , mt. st. michael acad, new york, ny
so the next action is yours, the students. review the ncfl student congress manual, write up the exact change (amendment) you want (word for word), and have your coaches send it to your diocesan league directors. encourage them to send it to the ncfl secretary by september 1. then we can vote on september 29 - 30, and make the change effective with ncfl 2018 .
president: dr. paul ward, lasalle academy, new york, ny first vice president: mr. john miller, roselle catholic hs, roselle, ny second vice president: mr. hal ross, bro. rice hs, chicago, il secretary - treasurer: sr. marianne addy, i. h. m. , maria regina hs, uniondale, ny publicity director: mr. john sexton, st. brendan' s hs, brooklyn, ny
the grand national tournament is held at a different site each year. recent cities have included omaha, chicago, milwaukee, boston, arlington va, pittsburgh, and new york city. the competitions have been held in colleges, universities, high schools, government buildings, and hotels .
president: dr. paul ward lasalle academy, new york, ny first vice president: mr. john miller roselle catholic hs, roselle, nj second vice president: mr. hal ross bro. rice hs, chicago, il secretary - treasurer: sr. marianne addy i. h. m. , maria regina hs, uniondale, ny publicity director: sr. jane frances, o. s. b. st. benedict' s acad, pittsburgh, pa
presented by past president donus d. roberts and his wife lovila, custom bowls are awarded to the students who, in the opinion of the final round judges, won the final rounds of original oratory, united states extemporaneous speaking, and international extemporaneous speaking at the national speech & debate tournament .
middle school (top placements only): 13th in the united states – original oratory 16th in the united states – declamation 20th in the united states – congressional debate 22nd in the united states – duo interpretation 2014 u. s. middle school speech & debate national championship (full results link )
president: bro. meric, c. f. x. , xaverian hs, brooklyn, ny vice president: sr. m. elizabeth loretto, c. s. j. , sacred heart academy, hempstead, ny secretary: dr. paul ward, lasalle academy, new york, ny treasurer: bro. gregory rene, f. s. c. , central catholic hs, pittsburgh, pa publicity director: mr. daniel carroll, archmere academy, wilmington, de
president: mr. kieran larkin, the mary louis academy, jamaica estates, ny 11432 first vice president: ms. catherine luhr, mount mercy academy, buffalo, ny 14220 second vice president: mr. greg cunningham, catholic memorial hs executive secretary - treasurer: mr. michael colletti, amos alonzo stagg high school, palos hills, il 60465 publicity director / recording secretary: charles sloat, iona preparatory school, new rochelle, ny 10804 grand tournament director: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va
president: sr. m. elizabeth loretto, c. s. j. , sacred heart academy, hempstead, ny vice president: dr. paul ward, lasalle academy, new york, ny secretary: bro. stephen luke, f. m. s. , christopher columbus hs, miami, fl treasurer: rev. albert bartlett, s. j. , canisus hs, buffalo, ny publicity director: bro. gregory rene, f. s. c. , central catholic hs, pittsburgh, pa
president: bro. rene sterner, f. s. c. , central catholic hs first vice president: rev. frederick easterly, c. m. , st. john vianney seminary, miami, fl second vice president: mr. robert prior, st. john' s preparatory, brooklyn, ny secretary - treasurer: sr. marianne addy, i. h. m. , maria regina hs, uniondale, ny publicity director: rev. james motl, o. p. , fenwick hs, chicago, il
jenny cook is the president of summit debate enterprises, which she started in 1995. summit debate conducts national debate and speech institutes for high school students and provides resources and outreach for high school competitive debate and speech programs across the country. she is the former director of arts at university school of nova southeastern university (2005 - 2015), a pre - k through 12 private school in davie, florida. during her tenure as an arts administrator, she oversaw one of the premier arts programs in south florida, where many of her students went on win local, state, and national awards in music, theatre, film, debate and speech .
president: bro. stephen luke, f. m. s. , marist college, poughkeepsie, ny first vice president: bro. rene sterner, f. s. c. , central catholic hs, pittsburgh, pa second vice president: mr. hal ross, bro. rice hs, chicago, il secretary - treasurer: sr. marianne addy, i. h. m. , maria regina hs, uniondale, ny publicity director: sr. jane frances, o. s. b. , st. benedict' s acad, pittsburgh, pa
president: rev. robert pollauf, s. j. , loyola academy, wilmette, il vice president: rev. francis schulte, central catholic hs, reading, pa secretary - treasurer: sr. miriam de sales, s. s. j. , st. matthew' s hs, conshohocken, pa and sr. m. st. joachim, i. h. m. , st. maria goretti hs, philadelphia, pa publicity director: bro. stephen luke, f. m. s. , st. helena' s boys hs, new york, ny
trent kannegieter is a recent graduate of bayside academy in daphne, alabama, where he founded, captained, and coached the speech and debate team. among other awards, he was champion presiding officer at the 2016 tournament of champions, as well as placing third at the sunvitational round robin, runner - up at the crestian tradition, and winning 8 toc bids in the only 13 months he was active on the national circuit. he also championed in the deep south (al) nsda district in senate (2017) and lincoln douglas debate (2016), as well as qualifying to national tournaments in public forum and extemporaneous speaking. he will be coaching at invicta debate this summer and attending yale university in the fall .
middle school (top placements only): 1st in the united states – congressional debate 4th in the united states – prose interpretation 7th in the united states – original oratory 8th in the united states – duo interpretation 8th in the united states – congressional debate 9th in the united states – declamation 10th in the united states – declamation 2015 u. s. middle school speech & debate national championship (full results link )
attending the grand national tournament gives coaches a chance to see and learn from the best, as well as allowing their students to reach their fullest potential. the ncfl is an all - volunteer organization, run for coaches, by coaches. we offer a low - cost alternative to larger organizations that have paid staff and offices. we can also provide you with coach mentors because we are committed to the continued growth of forensics .
competing with students from all over the country exposes participants to a wide variety of styles and materials. the three judges in each of the four (speech / interp) or five (debate) rounds on saturday will each provide written critiques of every performance, guaranteeing twelve or fifteen ballots from a diverse pool of judges. students participating in the grand national tournament not only have the chance to see the best, they have the chance to be the best... in the nation !
harold c. keller’s dedication to and development of congressional debate was unparalleled. he was a speech and debate coach from davenport, iowa, and a member of the nsda hall of fame since 1990. for more than 25 years, mr. keller was a driving force in planning and implementing the national congress, retaining the affectionate title of “mr. congress. ” this award pays tribute to mr. keller’s longtime support and recognizes an individual who has successfully applied lessons learned through congressional debate to become an effective leader in public service .
morgan akers from cabot high school, ar uwa akhere from charlotte catholic high school, nc tiger ashtiani from lake city high school, id brandon black from brentwood academy, tn derek collins from hattiesburg high school, ms quinn crawford from marriotts ridge high school, md erin crust from norwin high school, pa lauren david from fishers high school, in gabe esquivel from kapaun mount carmel high school, ks molly forouhi from downers grove north high school, il heather foster from reno high school, nv garrett garver from plymouth high school, in trent gilbert from west des moines valley high school, ia ani gottiparthy from amador valley high school, ca bailee b. harper from denmark high school, wi jackson hoffmann from kapaun mount carmel high school, ks katherine hu from plano sr. high school, tx bradley johnson from union colony preparatory school, co preston johnston from ravenwood high school, tn adejoke mason from north atlanta high school, ga samuel mast from appleton east high school, wi jimmy mcdermott from prospect high school, il lindsey mcnamara from william t. dwyer high school, fl katherine nesbitt from brentwood academy, tn yuuki nishida, marianas high school, mp kevin o’sullivan from brebeuf jesuit preparatory school, in lauren palladino from north central high school, in benjamin pankow from eagan high school, mn jeff rademaker from appleton east high school, wi john ropp from ashland high school, or kalista schauer from richard king high school, tx jordan schuler from providence high school, nc anshul shah from amador valley high school, ca elliot j. sheaff from dowling catholic high school, ia alexandra singleton from gabrielino high school, ca sophia skwarchuk from flathead high school, mt hunter stecko from norwin high school, pa samhitha sunkara from ardrey kell high school, nc jacob thompson from des moines roosevelt high school, ia michael wang from dreyfoos school of the arts, fl
advocates for the form will say that this helps people who are personable, and that this is integral to the event. however, there are a few responses to this. if you’re not personable in - round, if you break with the unspoken caveats and decencies of the round, prepare for a challenge making your way up the ranks, regardless of pref. presiding officers will drop you, docket votes will go against you, and other speakers will allow your points to be buried in obscurity. this is punishment enough for “unpopular” students. if someone can survive all of this and still climb the ranks of a top national tournament, they deserve that trophy more than anyone .
1974 donald crawford, toledo - whitmer, ohio 1973 john goode, trigg county hs, kentucky 1972 michel sage, fayetteville hs, arkansas 1971 greg robison, seattle prep, washington 1970 pete williams, casper - natrona county, wyoming 1969 ron waife, indianapolis - north central, indiana 1968 mary - ann wilson, new trier - west, illinois 1967 nancy adams, arsenal technical hs, indiana 1966 kathy patnode, oklahoma city - northeast, oklahoma 1965 wayne keup, watertown hs, south dakota 1964 lorraine artus, canevin hs, pennsylvania 1963 craig shives, newton hs, iowa 1962 dan wick, great falls hs, montana 1961 john cusick, st. ignatius hs, ohio 1960 jim pierson, great falls - catholic, montana 1959 paul weyrich, st. catherine hs, wisconsin 1958 rodger gabrielson, kenosha hs, wisconsin 1957 roger mcmanus, wooster hs, ohio 1956 gary higdon, neosho hs, missouri 1955 sandy arroyo, san jose - lick, california 1954 leroy howe, carol gables hs, florida 1953 jim bernhard, houston - lamar, texas 1952 allen greer, dayton - oakwood, ohio 1951 dwight clark, fort collins hs, colorado 1950 kathryn bowser, springfield hs, ohio 1949 lloyd richards, omaha - central, nebraska 1948 wanda koenig, normandy hs, missouri 1941 alec mckenzie, savana hs, illinois 1940 vincent mulvaney, casper hs, wyoming 1939 mackie quave, ashville hs, north carolina
summit debate was founded in 1995 by jenny cook, executive director. the name summit debate was influenced by a historic road, summit avenue, known for showcasing some of the grandest homes in the twin cities area. summit avenue was just a short walk from where cook lived, and in her mind, the name summit captured the image of “making it to the top”; thus the motto “ reach for the summit ”. the first institute opened in the summer of 1997 with the national debate forum (ndf) in lincoln - douglas debate and public forum debate. then, in 2004, a “salon style” program in interp events, interpretive productions (interprod) was introduced to institute programming, followed by oratory and the extemp lab (exl) in 2007. with 23 years of experience, summit debate is excited to introduce middle school labs to all events in 2018 .
however, there’s one critique that leaves me lost for words: that congress isn’t meritocratic. that it’s more driven by who you know than by what you know in any given round. this isn’t something we can fix overnight, but pref balloting is one of our most flagrantly abusive practices. the fact that, at a national championship tournament, no less, a student could place eighth on judge ranks and still leave with the title, is embarrassing to the competition. to an astute debater, it sends a clear message: spend less time prepping and more time politicking. if we keep going in this direction, ten years from now, the event we all fell in love with could be unrecognizable. whatever political forces are keeping this reform at bay, they need to concede on this issue, because if congress falls down the preferential balloting rabbit hole, the clout you have in these circles will wither into insignificance .
elementary school l. . a. county orator’s cup, 1st place overall speaker — elementary division l. . a. county orator’s cup, 6th place (tie) overall speaker — elementary division l. . a. county orator’s cup, 8th place (tie) overall speaker — elementary division l. . a. county orator’s cup, 1st place – original prose l. . a. county orator’s cup, 1st place – original duo l. . a. county orator’s cup, 2nd place – congressional debate l. . a. county orator’s cup, 2nd place – declamation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 2nd place – dramatic interpretation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 2nd place – prose interpretation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – storytelling l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – declamation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – dramatic interpretation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 3rd place – prose interpretation l. . a. county orator’s cup, 4th place – congressional debate l. . a. county orator’s cup, 4th place – informative speaking 2017 la county orator’s cup results page link —————————————————————————————— nat’l communication arts championship, 1st place – duo interp. (perfect score) nat’l communication arts championship, 1st place – congress debate (perfect score) nat’l communication arts championship, 1st place – declamation (perfect score) nat’l communication arts championship, 1st place – dramatic interpretation nat’l communication arts championship, 2nd place – storytelling nat’l communication arts championship, 2nd place – dramatic interpretation nat’l communication arts championship, 2nd place – declamation 2017 national communication arts championship festival
president: charles sloat first vice president: ms. roberta hyland second vice president: barbara fontenot executive secretary - treasurer: mr. michael colletti ,
president: ms. catherine luhr first vice president: mr. greg cunningham second vice president: charles sloat executive secretary - treasurer: mr. michael colletti publicity director / recording secretary: ms. roberta hyland grand tournament director: mr. roland burdett
president: ms. lynda luce, waupaca hs, waupaca, wi first vice president: mr. kieran larkin, the mary louis academy, brooklyn, ny second vice president: ms. catherine luhr, mount mercy academy, buffalo, ny executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: mr. greg cunningham, hull jr / sr high school, hull, ma 02045 grand tournament director: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va
president: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va first vice president: ms. lynda luce, waupaca hs, waupaca, wi second vice president: kieran larkin, the mary louis academy, brooklyn, ny executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: ms. catherine luhr, mount mercy academy buffalo, ny grand tournament director: ron steinhorst, new london high school, new london, wi
president: ms. carmen adkins, sandalwood hs, jacksonville, fl first vice president: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va second vice president: ms. lynda luce, waupaca hs, waupaca, wi executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: kieran larkin, the mary louis academy, brooklyn, ny grand tournament director: ron steinhorst, new london high school, new london, wi
president: mr. michael nailor, danville area hs, danville, pa first vice president: ms. carmen adkins, sandalwood hs, jacksonville, fl second vice president: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: ms. lynda luce, waupaca hs, waupaca, wi grand tournament director: mr. james lyness, regis hs, new york, ny
president: mr. ron steinhorst, new london sr. hs, new london, wi first vice president: mr. michael nailor, danville area hs, danville, pa second vice president: ms. carmen adkins, sandalwood hs, jacksonville, fl executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: mr. roland burdett, arlington, va grand tournament director: mr. james lyness, loyola school, new york, ny
president: sr. maureen lawrence, ihm, villa maria academy, malvern, pa first vice president: mr. ron steinhorst, new london sr. hs, new london, wi second vice president: mr. michael nailor, danville area hs, danville, pa executive secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, milford, ma publicity director / recording secretary: mrs. carmen adkins, sandalwood hs, jacksonville, fl grand tournament director: mr. james lyness, loyola school, new york, ny
president: mrs. mary beth mccarthy, hayden hs, topeka, ks first vice president: sr. maureen lawrence, ihm, bishop mcdevitt hs, philadelphia, pa second vice president: mr. ron steinhorst, new london sr. hs, new london, wi secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, nat ick hs, natick, ma publicity director: mr. michael nailor, danville area hs, danville, pa grand tournament director: mr. james lyness, loyola school, new york, ny
president: mr. michael colletti, gordon technical hs, chicago, il first vice president: mrs. mary beth mccarthy, hayden hs, topeka, ks second vice president: sr. maureen lawrence, ihm, bishop mcdevitt hs, philadelphia, pa secretary - treasurer: mr. richard gaudette, natick hs, natick, ma publicity director: mr. ron steinhorst, new london sr. hs, new london, wi grand tournament director: mr. james lyness, loyola school, new york, ny
the national catholic forensic league ( ncfl ) is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951 . it is organized into regions which correspond to roman catholic dioceses . member schools include both public and parochial high schools . the ncfl recruits member schools in both the united states and canada . as of january , 2011 , there were 65 active dioceses with ncfl leagues . the irs recognizes the ncfl as an organization eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable donations . the ncfl sponsors the grand national speech and debate tournament held each year over memorial day weekend . it offers an array of events similar , but not identical , to those of the national speech and debate association . 
the national catholic forensic league (ncfl) is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. it is organized into regions which correspond to roman catholic dioceses. member schools include both public and parochial high schools. the ncfl recruits member schools in both the united states and canada. as of january, 2011, there were 65 active dioceses with ncfl leagues. the irs recognizes the ncfl as an organization eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable donations. the ncfl sponsors the grand national speech and debate tournament held each year over memorial day weekend. it offers an array of events similar, but not identical, to those of the national speech and debate association.
the national catholic forensic league (ncfl) is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. it is organized into regions which correspond to roman catholic dioceses. member schools include both public and parochial high schools. the ncfl recruits member schools in both the united states and canada. as of january, 2011, there were 65 active dioceses with ncfl leagues. the irs recognizes the ncfl as an organization eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable donations. the ncfl sponsors the grand national speech and debate tournament held each year over memorial day weekend. it offers an array of events similar, but not identical, to those of the national speech and debate association.