Spring Semester Call for Speech & Debate Judges

Aloha everyone!

I hope you enjoyed your holiday season and that the new year just underway is treating you well so far. The Hawaii Speech League has moved into the spring semester States-qualifying season. The next few tournaments will determine who attends the State Championship in April. I’m continuing to help our coach, Mr. Fox, by putting out a call for judges for the spring semester.

Here are The Top 5 Reasons why I hope you’ll be able to help the Lab School and the HSL this spring:

5.  For those of you who competed when you were in high school, it’s a really good way to pay it forward, to help out both the Lab School and the HSL.

4.  During qualifying season, it’s even more important for schools to meet their judging quotas.

3.  It’s even more helpful when a school is able to provide more judges than the quota calls for. The more judges there are, the easier it is to make sure the tournament doesn’t run late.

2.  Many of you are unaffiliated judges—that is, you do not know the Lab School students. That means you can judge in all categories, and that means to the Judges Chair you’re gold (but even if you’re affiliated, you’re valuable, and there’s definitely a place for you). 

And the Number 1 reason (drumroll please):

1.  It’s fun! 

Here’s the schedule for the remaining tournaments this spring:

SPEECH QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

Saturday, February 10 Punahou School

Deadline to register: Monday, February 5

7:30 a.m.    JUDGES CHECK-IN AND INSTRUCTIONS

8:00 – 9:45    Round 1  Speech   

8:30 – 10:45    Session 1  Congressional Debate

10:00 – 11:30   Round 2  Speech

11:30 – 1:45    Session 2  Congressional Debate

12:00 – 1:30    Round 3  Speech

2:45 – 4:15    FINAL ROUND

* * *

DEBATE QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

Friday-Saturday, February 16-17 ‘Iolani School

Deadline to register: Monday, February 12

Friday

3:30 p.m. JUDGES’ CHECK-IN AND INSTRUCTIONS

4:00 – 6:00 Round 1

6:00 – 6:45 Dinner Break

7:00 – 9:00 Round 2

Saturday

7:30 a.m.    JUDGES’ CHECK-IN AND INSTRUCTIONS

8:00 -10:00    Round 3

10:30 – 12:30   Round 4 

1:00 – 3:00    Round 5

4:00 – 6:00 FINAL ROUND

* * *

OAHU DISTRICT SPEECH QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

Saturday, March 2 Kahuku High School

Deadline to register: Monday, February 26

7:30 a.m.    JUDGES CHECK-IN AND INSTRUCTIONS

8:00 – 9:30    Round 1  Speech   

8:30 – 10:55    Session 1  Congressional Debate

10:00 – 11:30   Round 2  Speech

11:30 – 1:45    Session 2  Congressional Debate

12:00 – 1:30    Round 3  Speech

2:30 – 4:00    FINAL ROUND

* * *

OAHU DISTRICT DEBATE QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

Saturday, March 16 ‘Iolani School

Deadline to register: Monday, March 11

7:30 a.m.    JUDGES CHECK-IN AND INSTRUCTIONS

8:00 – 10:00    Round 1   

10:15 – 12:15    Round 2

12:30 – 2:30    Round 3

2:45 – 4:45    Round 4

5:00 – 7:00    Round 5

* * *

I don’t yet have the specific schedules for the State Tournament this year, but here’s what I do have. The HSL is splitting States this year into two tournaments. Debate and Speech will be held on different weekends in April:

DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

Friday-Saturday, April 5-6 Kamehameha School

SPEECH CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

Saturday, April 20 Punahou School

I’m guessing that Debate States will resemble the schedule for the February debate tournament at ‘Iolani and the Speech States will resemble the February Punahou tournament. Registration deadlines will likely be a week or so before the tournament.

Once again, I’d like to remind everyone how difficult it can be for new coaches to develop a pool of possible judges. For any tournament you can help with, please contact Mr. Fox as soon as you can. Here is his email address:

alex_fox@universitylaboratoryschool.org

I will continue helping out with tabulation of tournament results. I’ll look forward to saying hello to you in the judges room and thanking you in person for your help. Mr. Fox is the guy to contact about helping out, but if you should need it, here’s my email address:

billteter8@gmail.com

Thanks again for your wonderful help and support over the years. You really made it possible for Lab School teams to compete and grow as speakers and performers. And you have made my life richer and my work easier.

Aloha, 

Bill Teter

P.S. This is likely the last major call for judges you’ll get from me (hold the applause, please!). Alex Fox will be sending out any future general calls.