North Allegheny

Speech and Debate

Frequently Asked Questions

The times are posted online on the page that has the schedule.   

 

The bus always leaves from NASH 

If you see "6 to 6" or "6-6" on the calendar, that means that the bus will pull away from NASH at 6 am, and I am guessing that we will return at 6 pm. Your child will call when we leave the host school - and the expectation is that parents will be there before the bus returns. Please do not make the coaches wait for you to pick up your child.

 

If you are judging, the expectation is that you will leave Wexford to go to the host school at the same time that the bus leaves NASH. You should go directly to the lounge - DO NOT GO TO THE REGISTRATION DESK - when you arrive.  Wait patiently. Someone will be there to check you in.

Judges may ride the bus - The coach needs to know in advance. 

You should plan to be there the entire day. They usually release judges as soon as they can. Please do not go to the tabroom to ask if you can be released early.  (Also - just because your child is done competing does not meant that you are done judging!)

 

If you are scheduled to judge and your child is not competing that day - you can either do your assignment or you can make a trade with someone.

 

The tournament location is on the calendar for the year. If you see "North Catholic" - please Google the address for North Catholic High School or use your gps.  When parents email for the address of a school, the coach Googles it for them.  Just cut out the middle person and Google it...

 

 

Almost!  If you are not free on ANY Saturdays, this may not be the activity for you. If you are busy every Saturday but you are comfortable not competing - we would still like you to be a part of us!

 

Students sign up for tournaments - and this implies a commitment.  Students must inform the coach a week in advance if this plan changes. If the student drops a full day to seven days fromt he tournament with a valid but not acceptable excuse, there will be a $105 (minimum) fee to cover the cost of a judge and the registration fee.  See the acceptable reasons for excuses in the contract.  Waiting till the last minute to drop from a tournament with a non-acceptable excuse means the student could be removed from the team - this is at the coach's discretion.

 

A student can tell the coach a week in advance that s/he cannot attend a tournament and this is 100% acceptable.  Students sign up to attend district tournaments. Students cannot get out of this commitment.

 

There are times when a student will miss just one tournament and the coach will remove the student from the team (For example - We have had cases where students have not attended a tournament as a vindictive move against a debate partner or against an event leader. These events cannot be considered excusable. We often have long waiting lists to attend tournaments, and when a student simply does not show up at a tournament, the coaches will have trouble accepting the child's word that this won't happen in the future. It is too unfair to other students) 

 

The school has to pay a fee for the student to compete and for a quota of judges.  Also - frequent drops make the team look bad in the eyes of other coaches and schools. We have a team reputation to uphold.

Another way to think about this - Your child has to go out of his / her way to sign up for a tournament. We are trying to create young men and women who will not only function in high school and later in life, but thrive.  Students and adults should honor commitments that they make.

 

For qualifying tournaments in the National Speech and Debate Association the coach does not enter the points earned. This is done by the league itself; all other points should be up to date. Allow the coach a few days after a tournament to enter points.  (She only has to hit one button to enter points for most tournaments, but she has to wait till the people at the national office to do what needs to be done at their end).  Students - Make sure to return all paper ballots to the coach after you look at them!  (There are coaches who don't enter all of their points till February. The coach just wants a few days!!!) Also note: There are times that she doesn't get congress ballots or the system doesn't upload the points correctly. Congress event leaders will get that information from a student to give to the coach.
 

Yes, students may receive forensics points for a variety of activities; some include NATV, Mock Trial, Model UN, scripture readings, helping with Middle School forensics, etc. Students should enter these points on their own, and the coach will approve these once a month.

Judges are not expected to give oral critiques, thus your speaking ability should not have any effect on your judging ability. If you are not able to understand English very well, there are alternative solutions for the day you are expected to judge. If you can find someone to judge in your place - an adult who is 19 or older who has clearances.  Students in college must be in their sophomore year (and 19) to judge. Or parents can buy out of judging.  

Yes – depending on how active your child is.  NHS contacts the coach with the names of all students who are on the team who are being considered for NHS.  The coach lets NHS know how active the student is.  Students who only attend one or two tournaments and rarely attend practices aren't given as much credit as those who are active participants.

Students who are coaching Middle School cannot get service hours for Key Club or NHS because they are getting credit for NSDA points.

The events are all posted online along with a brief description of each (under "Beginning of the year information.".

Several universities nationwide offer speech and debate camps. If you and your child are interested in attending a summer program there is information on which camps specialize in which events along with dates and other information.

North Allegheny started offering a student-run summer camp - NAFI - may years ago. No one is required to attend this. It is only open to North Allegheny students.

 

In 2015, the students started a summer camp at the University of Pittsburgh called PFI. Again, these are not required. 

Because the forensics team has worked so hard to have the opportunity to earn honor cords, all the requirements to earn them must be met. Read the constitution to see the exact wording and all that is required.

 

12.) How strict are you with the dress code?

The coach is very strict about the dress code; and we have found that the more professional and clean-cut the students appear, the better they will do at tournaments.    

 

 

Again, please turn to the constitution for specifics

 

 

No.  Our goal with the dress code is to have all students dress in a similar way; this includes either a dark gray, navy blue, or black suit (preferably black). If you cannot afford a suit, email the coach and she will make sure that your child has a suit to wear.

Schools hold festivals to have students practice for upcoming tournaments.  Because it is not a “real” competition, the child will earn points but they will not be given awards for their ranks.

The school covers much of the cost for students who are competing in PHSSL and NSDA nationals. As the family, you are only expected to provide for the cost of food and any miscellaneous spending.  If there are going to be costs associated with the tournament because of budget constraints, you will be notified before your child registers!!!

 

Note that this may not be the case in 2020-2021 because the district is understandably experiencing extraordinary times.  As soon as the coach knows - you'llknow.

Unfortunately CFL nationals is the only qualifying tournament the school does not cover. The fee for the tournament varies from year to year based on where it is, how many students are attending and our judging quota. As the family, you are expected to provide for the cost of transportation, food, hotel, judging expenses, and other spending. The team does provide fund raising opportunities throughout the year which can help you and your child cover the cost of the tournament, and the coach has included a modest amount through the team funds to lower the family cost slightly.

The coach will make all of the arrangements for this tournament.  Students who qualify need to have a parent attend the tournament.

Because TOC is an above-and-beyond tournament, the school does not cover any of the cost. The fee for the tournament varies from year to year based on where it is and how many others are going. As the family, you are expected to provide for the cost of everything. The team does provide fund raising opportunities throughout the year which can help you and your child cover the cost of the tournament

 

The coach does not make any of the arrangements for this tournament.

 

The students / parents arrange all travel, lodging, and registration for national-level tournaments. If your child wishes to attend national-level tournaments, that is solely up to the parents / child and the officers who are making arrangements for that tournament.  Students are still bound by team rules for behavior if they are registered using the North Allegheny name.  The students in charge dictate the guidelines.  If a child with his / her parents wish to attend a tournament that is not being arranged by the older students, they should simply make all of the arrangements themselves. These tournaments are fun and a great learning experience, but their attendance is by no means required.   

 19)  I have been scheduled to judge and something has come up. What do I do?

Please do not email the coach until you have found someone to trade with you.  Note that when trades are made, regular tournaments cannot be traded for district tournaments (a district tournament literally will have the word "district" in it.

Very important: If you have never judged a tournament, you are not permitted to judge a district tournament without first working at a regular tournament. Some exceptions will be made, but they are not determined by the coach - this is a league rule.

20) I am scheduled to judge. What time should I be there? Where do I go? What do I wear?

Please look at the calendar. Do you see when the students leave Wexford? That is when you should leave Wexford also.  All tournaments that are listed are at that high school unless otherwise listed.  Simply use your gps or Google to get the address.  Go directly to the judges lounge - DO NOT check in at the coaches check-in table.

And you can wear whatever makes you comfortable! Jeans are perfectly acceptable for adult judges!

21)  I am schedule to judge. Can I drive my child? Can I take my child home?

Yes, but... I'd prefer that you not... sort of... the coach emphasizes team-before-individual all of the time. Part of the team experience is being on the bus with everyone.  Your child cannot leave a tournament until after the awards are finished unless there is an emergency.  If your child has something scheduled Saturday afternoon / evening that would cause him / her to need to leave early, s/he should not register for the tournament.