Reminders and Announcements for Tomorrow's Chicago Middle School Debate Championship

Coaches,

After a long season, we celebrate a year of accomplishment, great competition, and education with the Chicago Middle School Debate Championship tomorrow at Schurz.

A few important reminders that each coach should look at before Saturday morning:

• The location is:

  Schurz High School
  3601 N. Milwaukee Ave.
  Chicago, IL

• Parking information (share with parents and observers): There is a parking lot across the street from the school and street parking is also allowed on Milwaukee, Addison, Waveland Avenues and around Schurz High School and Athletic Field in all areas except for bus zones and fire hydrants – please leave a handwritten note in your car saying “Schurz Visitor – CPS Middle School Debate Tournament.”
• Please review and follow the CMSDL Tournament Five Schedule for Saturday. Please note that we end at 4:30 pm and that we start early, with registration from 7:30 – 8 am. Round 1 starts at 8:30 am sharp.
• All coaches and support coaches should check with their students and judges and e-mail David any changes through Friday night as soon as you know of them to the latest updated versions of the:
  • CMSDL T5 Official Registration

• Morning changes and registration: Saturday morning, breakfast and registration begins at 7:30 am. Please note the time.

  Call/text with any changes and check in by 7:45 am at the latest or your team will be left off the pairing and forfeited. Do not plan to arrive at 8:00 am after registration and breakfast are over. Please make sure you call any changes as soon as you know of them on Saturday morning directly to the Tournament Director:

  • David Song, 8 4 7 – 9 5 1 – 9 6 6 2
  • If you can’t reach David, please try Desiree Weber, 3 1 2 – 6 1 8 – 8 1 0 9
• Judging: All judges should plan to arrive on time and all non-coach judges should be available no later than 8:00 am. Because we are enforcing a requirement for high school Varsity debaters to undergo a full training this year, we will have less high school debaters than in previous years, meaning most coaches (including newer ones) will be judging all or almost all debates. We appreciate coaches working with us on this.
• Tardiness policy: Our tournaments run on-time. We respect your time and value the contribution you make to the experience of students from your school and all the others that are a part of the league, it is a professional expectation that coaches ensure their students and judges arrive on time and are ready to debate at scheduled times. Those who are late for debates or have unannounced changes are asking for exceptions that would delay the tournament for everyone else’s students, which we can’t allow. Forfeits will occur 15 minutes after the start of each announced round. Round 1 starts at 8:30 am sharp and forfeits are at 8:45 am. Losing your first debate of the day at the most important tournament of the year due to tardiness is not the way to go.
• Student conduct: Quitting during debates isn’t allowed. Novice students must compete and should be encouraged to use their thoughts and the Core Files in order to use as much of their speech time as they can. The most basic rule of the CMSDL is that giving up isn’t allowed – being nervous is natural, but students don’t learn anything if they don’t try.

• Observer conduct: Debate is about the debaters. Observers are welcome but should not distract students or judges during debates and should not attempt to discuss the debate with judges or discuss an ongoing debate with students. Judges may ask observers to leave the room if they are becoming a distraction – please comply with this request and do not argue with it.

• Travel plans: Please check/confirm with all students and judges that they are arriving on time and leave extra time for your vehicle or for the bus. The weather is supposed to very nice tomorrow.

We look forward to an enjoyable and competitive culmination to an historic year in the Chicago Middle School Debate League.

See you Saturday morning.