Portland State University US Nationals Warm-Up 2011‏

After discussing this with several coaches, and seeing the more optimal placing on the calendar, Portland State University is pleased to announce that we are moving the date of our Spring 2011 Tournament to March 4-6, 2011. Furthermore, the tournament has been renamed from the Portland State University Inter-Varsity to the Portland State University Nationals Warm-Up. Attached is the revised invitation that now accurately reflects the date for which the tournament will be held.

We are very excited at Portland State to be offering this tournament, and if the competition is anything like the tournament was in 2010, this should be excellent preparation for the USU Nationals in Vermont this year.

Please e-mail me with any questions at kelly.welch.portland@gmail.com.

Thank You,

Kelly Welch
Director of Debate
Portland State University


On behalf of the Portland State Debate Team, I would like to invite you to the 2011 PSU Nationals Warm-Up (previously the PSU IV), to be hosted on the Portland State Campus in downtown Portland, Oregon March 4-6, 2011. This philosophy of this tournament is to serve as a warm-up for those squads who wish to develop British Parliamentary Debate within the United States, and prepare teams who are competing at USU 2011 in Vermont. Our tournament will feature 6 rounds of preliminary competition, with the appropriate number of elimination rounds, based on entries.

There are going to be two additional components to this year’s tournament. First, we will be hosting a public debate on Friday evening, March 4, to kick off the tournament. As we get closer to the tournament, I will be asking for nominations for teams to participate. Second, we will be offering a Novice break-out for eliminations rounds. (At minimum a final round will be offered, and possibly semifinals if the quantities permit.) Finally, we have the great fortune of having Head Coach of the Seattle University Debate Team, Chris Richter, back to tab the tournament.

This tournament is open to any school that would like to participate. International teams are particularly encouraged to join us! The registration deadline for this tournament is Friday, February 25, 2011.

I hope you will join us for this fantastic event!

Sincerely,

Kelly Welch
Tournament Director
psudebate@gmail.com
503-473-7673

Tournament Information

Schedule:
Friday, March 4
• 7:00 Public Debate

Saturday, March 5
• 8:00 Registration
• 8:30 Briefing
• 9:00 Round 1
• 11:00 Round 2
• 1:00 Lunch
• 2:00 Round 3
• 4:00 Round 4

Sunday, March 5
• 9:00 Round 5
• 11:00 Round 6
• 1:00 Lunch
• 2:00 Break Announcement, Semifinals
• 4:00 Finals

Registration
All entries must be submitted via e-mail to psudebate@gmail.com. Please include the number of teams, team member names, and names of adjudicators, and any novice designations. You will receive confirmation of your registration within 48 hours. Please make all checks payable to Portland State Debate Team. Please note that we highly encourage schools to write checks instead of utilizing other forms of payment. Checks
should be sent via mail to:
Portland State Debate
c/o SALP, Portland State University
PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97201

*Please note that for this tournament Novice is defined as a person who is in their first year of collegiate debate competition, not just their first year competing in the BP format.

Fees
Explanation: This year we have decided not to provide food as part of the tournament. The decision to do so was because our on-campus catering could not compare in terms of taste or value with other options near campus. Thus, we have built in more time in the schedule for meals so that participants can avail themselves of the many culinary options that surround our campus, and our registration fee for the tournament takes into account the lack of provision of meals via the tournament itself.

Also, any team facing significant financial hardship can talk to me about having their fees reduced or waived. We don’t want finances to be a reason for teams to not compete.

Team Fee - $50

Uncovered Team Fee - $100 (N-1 Requirement)

Registration and Uncovered judge fees will be waived for all international teams.

Eligibility
This tournament is open to any undergraduate or graduate student seeking a degree in good-faith from an accredited academic institution.

Debate Rules
We will be following the WUDC rules, which can be found at http://www.debating.ie/.

Pairings
This tournament will feature 6 preliminary rounds of competition, and the appropriate number of out-rounds, based on the number of entries. As is common in international debate formats, it is possible that teams may face other teams from the same school in any given round, and to hit the same teams multiple times.

The tournament will be run on computer to produce the pairings, positions, and judge panels. Once the pairings are produced, no changes will be made to teams, positions, or judges. All teams are guaranteed to get each position at least once through the preliminary rounds. It is the obligation of each institution to let tab know before the tournament starts about any conflicts that should be accounted for in the tabulation.

Consensus judging and oral adjudications will take place after each round, including the final preliminary round.

Awards
Awards will be given to all elimination-round contestants, as well as the top 10 speakers, and the top 5 novice speakers.

Travel Information
For those of you arriving by plane, you will want to fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). It is approximately 15 minutes from downtown Portland. A taxi will cost approximately $50, or you can ride our light-rail system (The Max) for $2.50, which will take you into the heart of downtown.

Portland State University is an urban campus, located in downtown Portland, and is spread out over several city blocks. We will try to keep the tournament confined to three main buildings. The registration and general meeting area will be in the Smith Center, which is located at 1825 SW Broadway. Look for signs to guide you to registration.

To get to PSU (from the airport); take I-205 South to I-84 West. From I-84, merge onto I-5 Southbound. From there, Merge onto the I-405 Northbound and take the 6th Ave. exit. Proceed three blocks, and turn left on Harrison Street. There you will see Parking Structure #1 on your Left.

Unfortunately, because we are an urban campus, parking can be difficult. You can pay to park in Parking Structure #1 located at 1872 SW Broadway, which is directly across the street from the Smith Center. Prices vary depending on the time of day. University Place Hotel (see below) also offers guest overnight parking for $12/night, or you can always try to find parking on the street. Unfortunately, we will not be able to persuade the school to waive parking charges, as charming and charismatic as we are.

Hotel
We recommend staying at the University Place Hotel located at 310 SW Lincoln Street, Portland, OR 97201, just 3 blocks from campus. To make reservations call 503-221-0140 or toll free at 1-866-845-4647. Please ask for the “Debate Tournament” room block to receive the $79 rate. This rate is for two double beds, and includes a continental breakfast. More information about the University Place Hotel can be found at www.uplace.pdx.edu.

Crash
Crash will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis; with priority given to international teams. Please contact me in advance if you think you will require crash.

Food
Portland State has several low-cost food choices close to campus, including Subway, Starbucks, McDonalds, Hot Lips Pizza, Vietnamese/Thai cuisine, Mexican, and Market Street McMenamins Pub. Beyond that, Portland has a variety of excellent restaurants that are unique, affordable, and fit any dietary requirements. A “Welcome Packet” will be available to all participants, which lists local restaurants and a map of the area.

Recreation
Should you find the time, Portland has a variety of activities to suit any interest. Whether it is the Portland Art Museum, Powells City of Books, or Saturday Market, there’s something for everyone to do. We hope you will take the time to enjoy our great city.