Where am I?
Debate
Debate 
Instructor/Head Coach: Ms. Andrea Hiesberger Assistant Coaches: Nacole Boan
Contact Information: Room 153 hiesbergera@usd230.org 913.592.7299 ext. 7350
What is Debate? Debate is a co-curricular activity, which means students have it as a daily class and are given a grade for it, and they also participate in the activity outside of school, including weekend tournaments. At the tournaments, teams of two will debate both the affirmative and the negative side (in alternating rounds) of the year’s resolution using the evidence the team has compiled during the week.
The 2011-2012 resolution: The United States federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth's mesosphere.
Benefits/Opportunities:
- NFL – After competing in a certain number of rounds, students are invited to join the National Forensics League, a national speech and debate honor society (something nice to add to resumes and college applications). You move up the degree ranks as your earn more points.
- School letter – Students who attend 5 or more tournaments (double-entered) will earn a school letter.
- Medals and trophies – Depending on how students do at tournaments, they have the opportunity to win these if they place. They also have the opportunity to compete at the state and national level.
- Teamwork and friendship – I want all of my students to work together and form a team that will support each other. Working together inside and outside of school should encourage strong, positive relationships among team members, and students should always feel welcome inside the forensics classroom.
Grading: A grading rubric will be assigned to each project. Students will be given the option to continue to work on each project and submit/resubmit them until they receive a passing score in every area evaluated on the rubric. Assignments will include but are not limited to the following: research, evidence production, filing, tournament reports, in-class and out-of-class practice debate rounds. Students will be required to get jjuges for the tournament we will host at Spring Hill High on November 12. They will also be assigned a role to play in the running of the tournament. Students are required to attend a minimum of two tournaments during the semester. A final project will be presented on the day of the final and is worth 10% of the semester, or one letter grade.
Classroom expectations: All school rules and expectations will be followed in my classroom. This includes policies with tardiness, cell phone usage, and bullying. I may verbally add rules or post additions in the class as needed. Disciplinary action will be taken if necessary.
Costs: The district pays for tournament entry fees, district transportation, and online resources. However, if students cancel their entry the week of the tournament without finding a replacement, they will be charged the entry fee. Students will need to pay for lunches at tournaments if they do not bring their own. A one-time NFL membership due of $15 is required if a student decides to become a member.
Transportation: The Spring Hill School District provides suburbans that can hold up to 8 students and will be driven by the coach or sponsor to take students to tournaments. If more than 8 students are signed up for a tournament, a bus will be taken. Most tournaments will be in near-by districts. In very few cases, there are tournaments far enough away to require an overnight stay (parents will be notified in advance if this is the case). If for whatever reason a students need to arrange their own separate transportation to or from a tournament, approval must be given by the parents in writing and shown to me in advance.
Partner Pairing/Tournament Assignment: Students can debate with partners of their own choosing for the first half of the season. Tournaments will be selected for the team by Ms. Hiesberger based on her assessment of team needs, logistics, and strength of any given team to fit the tournament. Overnight tournaments will also take into consideration a debater’s person responsibility.
Coaching/Sponsoring: Aside from Ms. Hiesberger as head coach and Ms. Boan as the assistant coach, a number of sponsors may attend tournaments with team. Since the team could be attending multiple tournaments on any given weekend, parent volunteers are sought from time to time to help in the sponsoring duties. Interested parents should contact Ms. Hiesberger.
Schedules: Most tournaments with elimination rounds are two day tournaments and begin Friday after school and end when the last Spring Hill team is eliminated from elimination rounds. If no Spring Hill teams advance to elims, teams are still required to stay and observe at least one of the elimination rounds. Students will be asked to fill out a mock ballot and staple their flow to turn in to class on the following Monday. Some tournaments are Saturday only, and some Tuesday after school novice tournaments are also sometimes offered. Here are examples of typical tournament schedules:
Saturday Only Tournaments: Friday/Saturday Tournaments:
7:30 Registration Friday Saturday
8:00 Round 1 3:00 Registration 8:00 Round 3
9:30 Round 2 3:30 Round 1 9:30 Round 4
11:00 Round 3 5:00 Round 2 11:00 Round 5
LUNCH End of first day LUNCH
1:30 Round 4 1:30 Quarterfinals
3:00 Round 5 3:00 Semis
5:00 Awards 5:00 Finals
Most Rounds last an hour and a half. Again, the above is a representation of a typical tournament. Not all tournaments work this way. Students will be given time to call before returning home to arrange any ride necessities.
Please contact me with any questions or comments! :)