Welcome to the home page for the 2024 M. Jack Parker Debate Invitational tournament hosted by Northern Illinois University on Oct 11, 2024 for College students.

Status: System shutdown (No new schools, changes, adds, or drops )

On behalf of the Northern Illinois University Debate Team and Staff,

you are invited to attend the

M. Jack Parker Debate Invitational

on October 11th, 2024.

DeKalb, IL

 

The Northern Illinois University Forensics Team is excited to host our annual debate tournament, the M. Jack Parker Debate Invitational. We will be offering TIPDA debate (Team IPDA) for the first time. We are hopeful that this foray into a familiar but new format of debate will help elevate the accessibility of IPDA debate and also still offer the benefits of partner debate. The NIU Debate Team and coaching staff would like to honor the legacy of our former Director of Forensics, debate coach, and colleague Dr. M. Jack Parker.  Dr. Parker created NIU’s debate tournament with the goal of constructing a space where new debaters are able to learn the process of debate, and more seasoned debaters have the chance to hone their debate skills.  It is in this spirit that we offer a debate tournament where novices can start their debate careers, and varsity debaters can begin their debate season. 

The tournament will consist of four preliminary rounds, a semi, and a final debate round. Based on the number of entries, the tournament director may add to/subtract from the number of out rounds. This decision will be announced by the Thursday evening before the tournament. The top two novice debaters (who are not in the varsity out rounds) will qualify for a novice final round. Pairings will only be considered novice if both members are in their first two-years of competition. You will be asked to provide a list of your novice competitors at registration.

Entries are due on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

 

Matt DuPuis                                

Northern Illinois University              

Director of Debate                         

Tournament Director                        

 

TIPDA FORMAT

1st Affirmative Constructive - 4 minutes

2nd Negative Cross Examination - 2 minutes

1st Negative Constructive - 5 minutes

1st Affirmative Cross Examination - 2 minutes

2nd Affirmative Constructive - 5 minutes

1st Negative Cross Examination - 2 minutes

2nd Negative Constructive - 4 minutes

2nd Affirmative Cross Examination - 2 minutes

1st Negative Rebuttal - 3 minutes

1st Affirmative Rebuttal - 4 minutes

2nd Negative Rebuttal - 4 minutes

2nd Affirmative Rebuttal  - 3 minutes

 

Additional considerations:

There will be no flex time, like individual IPDA, speakers should be prepared to speak immediately following each other. Competitors may be allowed up to 10 seconds between speeches.

The tournament director reccommends closed CX but this is left up to the discretion of the judges and debaters in each round.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to the tournament director (mdupuis1@niu.edu) for clarification.