Hello Coaches, Competitors, and Judges!

Welcome to the 5^th season of the Online Asynchronous Tournament Series (or the OATS as we like to call them). Last year over 75 teams competed at the six regular season tournaments and nationals, and we look forward to seeing so many of our friends again this season.

The OATS financial situation continues to be strong, so we are happy to announce that we are able to maintain the tournament series fee to $200 for the 24-25 season. We will maintain a $10/uncovered slot fee, and we will continue the fee waivers for student-run teams or those experiencing financial hardship. Look for a financial report from the 2023-2024 season coming soon on the Outspoken Culture website.

We will use multiple communication tools throughout the season. Outspoken Culture will continue using is an accounting software called Zoho Books. You will receive receipts through Zoho Books, so you may need to check your junk email box to locate receipts for payments. You can also expect emails to coaches and judges on Monday evening as well as additional email and social media communication throughout each tournament week.

The dates for video submission for the OATS include:

We look forward to continuing to support student advocacy, accessibility, and health/wellness this 24-25 Season. Full information is available on the OATS Invite (available on Speechwire and the Outspoken Culture website). If you have questions feel free to contact Julie Walker by phone (call or text 706-844-2773) or email (julie.walker@smsu.edu).

Sincerely,

Julie Walker       

Executive Director, Outspoken Culture         

OATS Director            

*Note: OATS 4 and OATS 5 are one week later than our typical dates

TL:DR Details

• Tournaments will be fully asynchronous, including finals
• Entries and video links are due to Speechwire on Monday @ 8 p.m. CST
• Content warnings are encouraged to give adequate warning to judges/competitors
• We encourage coaches to enter accommodation notifications in the Content Warning/Topics area
• No late adds are allowed
• Preliminary rounds will be judged from Tuesday through Thursday @ 4 p.m. CST; Final rounds will be judged from Thursday 6 p.m. through Friday @ 2 p.m. CST
• Postings will go live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. CST (or ASAP depending on ballot completion)
• All 11 categories will be offered per ASC/OATS guidelines
• The $200 Series Fee pays for all “covered-slot” entries for all OATS tournaments*
• Uncovered slots will incur an additional $10 fee
• Payments accepted by Venmo, PayPal, or by check
• The dates for video submission for the OATS include:

*Outstanding bills from the 2023-2024 OATS/ASC tournaments will prevent participation in the 2024-2025 season until the bills are paid.