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League

Calendar & Registration 23-24

Link to the 2023-2024 Calendar is here!

From Mr. Adam Leonard, our secretary-treasurer….

I hope you’re all having a restful summer! With August upon us, it’s time to start getting the NJSDL organized for the start of another season. The league membership form is linked here. We only need one submission from each school. We also need each school that intends to be a member for this year to complete the form, even if you have done so in the past and the information remains the same. Completion of this form allows the league leadership to plan events accurately and ensure that everyone is included, update the league’s roster, and adequately provide insurance coverage for league events and members. Please submit the form by Friday, September 8.

     If you are receiving this message and are no longer the coach of your school’s program, please do us a favor and forward this email to the new advisor or inform us so that we can update our records and reach out to that individual. 

      Many of you pre-pay your dues annual because they are included on the invoice for each year’s state championship tournament. For those that defer payment, are deciding to rejoin after a hiatus, or are joining for the first time, league membership dues are $175 if paid before October 31. Dues increase to $200 if paid between October 31 and January 31. League membership is required to participate in the NJSDL State Championship Tournament in March. Middle schools are exempt from membership dues. The high schools that are already paid for 2023-2024 are:

Arthur L. Johnson, Barringer, Bridgewater-Raritan, Central, Cherry Hill East, Columbia, Delbarton, Elizabeth, Freehold Township, Hunterdon Central, Manville, Millburn, Monroe Township, Montgomery Township, Montville Township, Morris Knolls, Mountain Lakes, Newark School of Fashion and Design, Newark Science, Newark Tech, Noor Ul-Iman, North Star Academy, Princeton, Randolph, Ridge, Ridgewood, Summit, The Pingry School, Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Timothy Christian, and University.

Let me know if you need an invoice in order to pay your dues. The league’s W-9 is linked. Dues payments (and payments for the speech festivals, Borelli tournament, high school and middle school state championships, and the New Jersey district tournaments) can be sent to the league address:

New Jersey Speech & Debate League

#337

203 Main Street

Flemington, NJ 08822

Help the league grow by sending the membership form to friends and colleagues at other schools! I’m looking forward to working with all of you again this year. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns, either to me or one of the other league officers. Most importantly, enjoy your remaining weeks of summer break!

Take Care,

Adam Leonard

NJSDL Secretary-Treasurer

By David Yastremski, ago

TEAM NJ UPDATES @ NSDA Nationals!!!!

Check this post to see the most recent updates at the National Speech and Debate Association Championships!!!

4:32PM

Worlds Schools Debate – New Jersey Gold advances to Double-Octafinals.

4:30PM

All 3 Senators advance: Aamvi Tripathi from Hunterdon Central, Ginny Kim from Ridge, and Prisha Bagul in Bridgewater Raritan.

Congratulations to the following competitors from Team NJ who have advanced to Rounds 7 & 8 at Nationals:

In DI: Ella Szabados (2264) from Summit

In Info: Matt Hecker (4112) from Summit

In IX: Amy Cao (5111) from Ridge; Akshaya Karanam (5180) from Mt. St. Mary

In OO: Ruhi Kulkarni (4511) and Jeet Patel (4512) from Monroe; Abigail Lee (4550) from Ridge

In PF: Alex Calder and Romir Patel (1122) from Delbarton; Margulis and Banerjee (1079) from Princeton

In POI: Zachary Siegel (3515) from Summit; Natalie Ramirez-Porras (3668) from Ridge

In USX: Aparna Iyer (5543) from Ridge; Riya Devroy (5636) from Millburn

By David Yastremski, ago

FEBRUARY VIRTUAL SERIES AWARDS

The Virtual Awards Ceremony from yesterday is available for you to share with your students as a video recording as well as Google Slides. All results have been posted on Speechwire.com (https://postings.speechwire.com/r-tournament.php?tournid=13470) and the eballots have been released for review.

Thank you and we look forward to the April 2023 Online Speech Festival celebrating Earth Day! Our themed Pro Con Challenge topic will be Resolved: The United States should increase its use of nuclear energy for commercial energy production. The Prepared Prompt topics inspired by Earth Day Prompts will be released on or before April 1.

We hope that in addition to providing the students on your team with another opportunity for judge feedback, these festivals can provide the opportunity for a class at your school to connect with the theme from a curricular standpoint and give new students a taste of speech and debate through the themed events of Pro Con Challenge, Prepared Prompt, and Original Poetry. Please feel free to share with other coaches and teachers the Festival Series Flyer and the Speechwire.com Registration Page for the April Festival!

-Ray

Raymond Shay
Director of Technology & Interim Director of Business Administration

Head Coach, Speech and Debate Team


Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart
www.princetonacademy.org

By David Yastremski, ago

Register to become a Belonging & Inclusion Advocate

What is a Belonging and Inclusion Station? 

The Belonging and Inclusion Station (BIS)—formerly Equity Office—exists to address violations of harassment and discrimination policies and provide a safe space for individuals who report harassment and discrimination incidents at NSDA district and national tournaments. 

What is the purpose of a Belonging and Inclusion Station?

The BIS may serve as a resource for any student, coach, judge, or official participating at an NSDA-sponsored tournament. Complaints may be filed if an individual feels as if an instance of harassment and/or discrimination has occurred. Examples include:

  • Perceived discriminatory practice on the basis of (but not limited to) race/color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity/expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, and/or veteran or military status.
  • Perceived retaliation, harassment, or intimidation due to an individual’s filing of a complaint or participating in an intake regarding a violation of the NSDA’s harassment and discrimination policies.

What is the purpose of a Belonging and Inclusion Advocate?

The Belonging and Inclusion Advocate (BIA) is a designated member of the tournament staff who represents the Belonging and Inclusion Station. Advocates serve as the first point of contact for tournament attendees with inquiries related to harassment and discrimination.

For more details or to register! Visit the NSDA Belonging and Inclusion Page.

By David Yastremski, ago

Introducing the Borelli Masterclass Festival and Workshop

This year the NJSDL will be honoring ‘Vinnie’ Borelli with the Borelli Masterclass & Introductory Workshop Festival on October 29th at Summit High School. This ‘festival’ will feature student and coach-led workshops targeted at new students, parents, and coaches to the speech and debate world. Everyone is invited. If coaches or students are coming just to observe, there is no fee. Please see the invitation for more details!

By David Yastremski, ago

NSDA hires Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Dr. Paul Porter

 NSDA has hired a new Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Paul Porter. 

Dr. Paul Porter joined the national office in 2022. He holds a B.S. in Communication Studies from Ball State University, an M.A. in Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Eastern Michigan University, as well as a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University. Paul has worked on the development of programs and initiatives designed to help create inclusive environments for diverse student populations, as well as diversity strategic plans and program assessments. Paul has presented on topics such as multicultural competence and unconscious bias across the state of Indiana and nationwide.

Paul’s involvement in speech and debate began at Ben Davis High School where he was a two-time NSDA national finalist in 1997. Paul was also a national finalist at the 2000 National Forensic Association tournament and has coached at both the high school and college levels. In 2017, Paul coached a national finalist in Original Oratory at Ben Davis and most recently served as an assistant coach at Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

Paul is already putting together so many ready-to-use resources for district committees including the work he is doing to transform the Equity Office to a new resource called the Belonging and Inclusion Advocacy Station (BIAS) for use during district tournaments and the National Tournament. The BIAS facilitates a more streamlined process for intake and course of action for incidents involving harassment and discrimination.

By admin, ago

ONLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONALS REGISTRATION OPEN!

Online Middle School National Speech & Debate TournamentIt’s Time to Register!Dear David,The Middle School National Tournament is back and happening online June 7-9! This tournament offers your students a special opportunity to compete with their peers from across the country, receive feedback, and improve their skills. There is no qualification tournamant—all middle school NSDA members are welcome to compete for a chance to be named a middle school national champion! Register Today

Key Details
Entries » A school may enter up to 8 entries per event. No double entry is permitted in any live events. Students, including those entered in a live event, may enter as many asynchronous speech events as they wish.

Fees » The entry fee is $25 per solo entry, $50 per partner entry, and $75 per World Schools entry.

Deadlines » Payment, registration, and asynchronous video links are due May 15.  

Eligibility » Students must have been in the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade during the 2021-2022 academic school year. There is no qualification process; this is an open tournament. Students and their school must be NDSA members. Students involved with non-school clubs must instead be registered with the school at which they are enrolled. 

Events

Debate: Congress, Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum, and World Schools.

Live Speech: Dramatic Interp, Duo Interp (Same Room Only), Humorous Interp, Mixed Extemp, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking (No Visual Aids), and Impromptu.

Asynchronous Speech: Declamation, Prose, Poetry, Program Oral Interp, Pro Con Challenge, Original Spoken Word Poetry, and Storytelling.

Full Tournament Details, including judging requirements and a tentative schedule.
Questions? We’re here to help! Email info@speechanddebate.org or call (920) 748-6206.
By David Yastremski, ago