NPDA DEBATE TOPICS

Round 1: The United States federal government should hold artificial intelligence developers liable for financial fraud facilitated by their generative AI models.

Round 2: Law enforcement agencies should be prohibited from using facial recognition technology in public spaces.

Round 3: The United States federal government should substantially limit or prohibit private equity firms from owning hospitals.

Round 4: The United States federal government should adopt a policy that prohibits live televised broadcast of executions.

Quarters: Future military assistance to Ukraine should be predicated upon the constitutional replacement of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Semis: The United States should sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Finals:

Tournament Update:

Friends,

On behalf of the PLNU Speech and Debate team, Welcome to the Sunset Cliffs Classic Invitational.  We are so glad to note a healthy increase over past years and hope that holds for other events throughout the year as well. 

Here are a announcements:

• IEs and NFA LD begin tomorrow (Friday) at 10:00 a.m. for Registration in Cabrillo Hall #C 101.
• Please pay fees at Registration or on line with forensicstournament.net
• Competition begins at 11:00, so please eat before arriving.
• Coaches and judges will be fed for lunch and dinner in Cabrillo Hall on Friday, a continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday night as well.  Students will need to try the cafeteria (normally good, but on Fall break it may not be super stocked), or nearby food options in close driving distance, or of course doordash, etc. . . 
• The other debate formats will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
• Students may lounge in the ARC in the basement of Nicholson Student Center.
• Extemp Prep will be in Starkey B 100 (behind Cabrillo Hall where Registration is)
• Latest Rain projections are good with only slight chances, around 10% throughout the day, then pleasant weather Saturday and Sunday, Sunny and fair.
• A Map of the campus is shown in the documents on our splash page.
• We are honored and happy to welcome such a talented group of competitors to campus this weekend.  Please let us know how we can make this a more pleasant experience for you.
• A quick request to our amazing competitors, judges and coaches.  Please remember that for most competitors, this will be the first nonscrimmage tournament of the year and they are a little nervous, but anxious for your supportive and respectful suggestions on how to improve.  At the risk of sounding like I am a child of the 70s, which I am, let's be kind to one another.  There is enough vitriol and comdemnation already in the world around us.  Let's make a point of picking each other up and being encouraging to one another.  If this event teaches one thing, it is that we can make a difference in the world.  Let's make that a positive one.

Skip Rutledge

Cell Phone me with any questions or problems (619) 655-0112

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Dear Colleagues:

The Point Loma Nazarene University forensics squad is pleased to invite you to our annual SUNSET CLIFFS CLASSIC Invitational forensics tournament. The tournament will be Friday through Sunday, October 23-25, 2026. We hope you can come enjoy our beautiful seaside campus and the typically sunny weather, nicely conditioned with an ocean breeze.

We will offer open and novice division competition in all eleven AFA individual events (collapsing some events and/or divisions, should numbers so dictate); preliminary rounds of Novice, Junior and Senior divisions of IPDA (5), TPDA(4) and NPDA(4) Parliamentary Debate with appropriate elimination rounds; four preliminary rounds of junior and senior divisions of NFA LD debate if numbers allow. We will not be able to offer BP this year though. Elimination rounds are planned for all events of course.

• British Parliamentary Debate Note: This year we will not be able to offer British Parliamentary Debate

• Topic Areas and Recommendations: You are encouraged to provide a list of debatable, balanced resolutions for tab staff to consider for all formats of parliamentary debate. There are often ballot issues on the California ballot during this time frame, so some of those topics may be debated in various events.

• Some noteworthy attractions of the Sunset Cliffs Classic include:

• Strong competition.

• A picturesque ocean front campus.

• Two $5,000.00 scholarships for the top community college competitors (one each for debate & IE’s) for tuition remission at PLNU the following year if accepted by our admissions.

• Attractive trophies.

• Enjoyable food nearby, and especially in the judge’s area for judges and coaches.

• We attempt to honor the rules and traditions of the governing bodies for these events, so for example we will not break brackets in IPDA and TPDA, and phones cannot be used in rounds for any reason, even time keeping in IPDA and TPDA. Although we will veer from the NPDA national organization’s custom/rules and will not allow electronic data devices to be used in NPDA debate rounds to honor PSCFA and Phi Rho Pi protocols. Phones can be used to keep time in NPDA though, and for no other reason. In NPDA brackets are broken. We will also allow group coaching in debate.

• IPDA, TPDA, AND NPDA DEBATE ROUNDS WILL ALTERNATE RATHER THAN RUN ON SEPARATE DAYS. THIS HELPS FOR MORE ROUNDS AND POWER MATCHING.

• INDIVIDUAL EVENTS: For IE teams, please note that rounds will be Friday only and starting late enough for LA Friends to come join us for the day.

Please let me know of any questions or concerns.

Dr. Skip Rutledge, Director of Forensics

skiprutledge@pointloma.edu

Cell (619) 655-0112