Penn High School Speech Tournament

Registration	Subscribe	General information	Schematics	Files for download	Tournament schedule	Registration handbook

General information

This is a High School tournament in Indiana.

View manager contact information

Dear Coaches, 

You and your team are invited to the Penn High School Speech Tournament to be held on January 18th, 2025.Registration will run from 7:30-8:30 a.m., with a judges’ meeting at 8:30, and Rd. 1 starting at 9:00 a.m. Penn High School is in the Eastern Time Zone. The entry deadline is 8:00 p.m. Tuesday January 14th.  Entries are to be made through Speechwire. Please try to have your judges in by Thursday afternoon. Drops will be available through Saturday morning so feel free to process those on your own during the bus ride. 

Events and Divisions: We offer all ISSDA sanctioned speech events, with the addition of Congress and World Schools for those looking for a few more rounds before state debate. There will be a Novice and Varsity division offered in all events. 

A novice is any student who has not competed prior to the 2024-2025 season. Any previous speech/debate experience will make that student ineligible for the novice division, and should compete as Varsity. 

All Events and Divisions will follow ISSDA rules and restrictions.

Student Congress-December/January Docket- 

A.M. Session-

• A Memorandum to Create the Pacific-Alliance Treaty Organization to Instill Democratic Values in the Asian Pacific

• A Bill to Protect the Second Thomas Shoal

• A Resolution to Nullify the USA PATRIOT Act and All Subsequent Extensions and Amendments

P.M. Session- 

• A Resolution to Address the Overreach of the ATF

• A Bill to Increase Funding for Public Transportation

• A Bill to Invest into Hydrogen Power for Motor Vehicles

Chambers should attempt to debate three bills within each session. ​Varsity/ chambers may elect their P.O. 

Please email P.O. nominations for the novice chamber to- jstarkweather@phm.k12.in.us

​World Schools Debate - Rounds 2 & 3 Prepared topic: This House Believes That violent protest is an acceptable means to gain independence.

​Rounds 1 & 4 are impromptu rounds, with a different topic each round. 

No electronics allowed for prep or during rounds. This will be enforced at the Penn tournament, and students will NOT be able to use their phones as timers. 

These are the norms :)

Students should write out notes and speeches on paper. They should use printed copies of speeches in prepared rounds. 

• Students may use 2 reference books for impromptu rounds.

• Students will have 1 hour prep per impromptu round. (Unless the schedule requires the use of a “lightning” round with shortened prep).

Speech Notes: Students are allowed to double enter according to ISSDA Rules. Unfortunately, tripling will not be allowed at this tournament.

Materials and Files: Files for Discussion, Broadcasting will be posted by 6:00 p.m. on Monday January 13th. 

Rounds: The tournament will consist of four rounds, including 3 prelims and a final. Congress will have two rounds, and WSD will have four straight rounds. 

Judges: Please abide by the following requirements for judges. Note: We will use e-ballots so please have your judges bring an electronic device. 

Student Judges: A limited number of student judges will be allowed if they currently have over 250 NSDA points, and they can only judge Novice competitions.

Speech Judges: Provide 1 judge for every fraction of 5 entries for speech/congress (e.g., 6 entries = two judges, and so on). For WSD please provide 1 judge for every 2 entries. 

***Extra judges are appreciated. Additionally, if any of your judges are willing to cross over and trade with the Northwest Indiana District Debate, that would be even more greatly appreciated! Anyone interested in volunteering for this role, please contact Jeremy Starkweather, and in return, I will ensure a small token of appreciation with a carry out bag of Momma Starkweather’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Awards: Ribbons will be provided to the top 8 entries in each event. Sweepstakes awards/trophies will be awarded to the Top 5 Teams. Awards are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

Hospitality: We'll provide pizza for students during lunch. Additionally, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase. A coaches'/judges' lounge with complimentary lunch and snacks will be provided. To help with the financial cost of speechwire and hosting, please encourage your students to make purchases at the concession stand. 

Questions? If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Jeremy Starkweather at Jstarkweather@phm.k12.in.us or via cell phone at (574) 370-4758.

Manager contact information

Jeremy Starkweather
Email address: jstarkweather@phm.k12.in.us
Phone number: 574-370-4758

Mailing address

56100 Bittersweet Road
Mishawaka, IN 46545