February 27 - March 2, 2025

On the campus of Howard University

 

Hosted by:

Howard University

2025 HBCU National Speech and Debate Championship

 

The National HBCU Speech and Debate League is proud to invite you to the 2025 National HBCU Speech and Debate Championship hosted virtually at Howard University on February 27-March 2, 2025.  This tournament will be held live.  This tournament represents an opportunity for HBCU students to compete against their peers and build skills to help them for a lifetime.

The skills that are learned in speech and debate are valuable tools for students in the classroom and beyond the walls of their alma mater.  For this reason, The National HBCU Speech and Debate Association will seek to promote forensics education in all HBCUs.

 

The tournament will feature IPDA Debate, NPDA Debate, and ten of the American Forensics Association Individual Events; this tournament will also feature Slam Poetry and Interviewing events.  

This tournament, through the sponsorship and fundraising of the organization, will be presented with no entry fees, which includes awards for the appropriate winners.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  We are very excited about this tournament and look forward to hosting this event.

 

We will be adding a new Individual Event, Homiletics.  Here is a brief description of the event.

 

Registration

Registration will be available as soon as the website is built.  This should be Approximately January 21^st.  The link to the registration website will be sent in a separate email.  Registration will be open until February 9^th, 2025, at 11:59 pm.  To get an accurate headcount for food, please register all students, coaches, and judges by that deadline.

 

Travel and Accommodation

Unfortunately, the National HBCU Speech and Debate Association cannot assist with travel or accommodation.  However, private donations and Howard University will sponsor all lunches, dinners, and the awards banquet.

 

Judges

Each school is required to furnish 1 judge for every 5 individual event entry and 1 judge for every debate entry.  If you cannot provide a judge, your school will be charged a $10 fee per uncovered individual event entry and $75 for every uncovered debate entry.  If a school judge misses a ballot and the ballot must be reassigned, a $25 fee will be assessed.  Students will not be allowed to advance to break rounds until the fee is paid.  THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE.

 

Events

 

Debate – NPDA/IPDA – Students may only enter one type of debate.

Pattern A - (DUO, EXT, PER, PRO, POE, INTERVIEWING, Homiletics) - Students may enter up to 3 events per pattern.

Pattern B - (DI, IMP, INF, POI, ADS, SLAM POE) - Students may enter up to 3 events per pattern.

 

Debate – FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS TOURNAMENT WE WILL NOT BE USING FLEX TIME

NPDA: NPDA will use NPDA national tournament guidelines with topics announced round as a strike system. NPDA will use a 7-8-8-8-4-5 format with 20 minutes pre-round preparation after the topic has been announced. No materials should be brought into the debating chambers that were written prior to the preparation for that given round. http://www.parlidebate.org/npda-rules

 

IPDA: The IPDA division will use a 5-2-6-2-3-5-3 format with 30 minutes of pre-round preparation. IPDA rules can be found at http://www.ipdadebate.org/event.html. IPDA Will utilize individual strike in round prior to prep time.

 

Pattern A -

Duo Interpretation: A cutting from one or more texts of literary merit, humorous or serious, involving the portrayal of two or more characters presented by two individuals. The material may be drawn from any genre of literature. This is not an acting event; thus, no costumes, props, lighting, etc. are to be used. Presentation is from the manuscript and focus should be off-stage and not to each other. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Extemporaneous Speaking: Contestants will be given three topics in the general area of current events, will choose one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech that is the original work of the student. Topics will be categorized into three areas: domestic socio-political, international, and economic. One topic area will be used each preliminary round. Elimination rounds will utilize a mix of these topic areas. Maximum time is 7 minutes. Limited notes are permitted. Judges will provide time signals.

Persuasive Speaking: An original speech to inspire, reinforce, or change beliefs, attitudes, values, or actions of the audience. Audio-visual aids may be used. Multiple sources of evidence or other supporting material should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Poetry Interpretation: A selection or selections of poetry of literary merit which may be drawn from more than one source. Use of manuscript is required. Play cuttings are prohibited. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

 

Program Oral Interpretation: Selections from two or more of the established genres of interpretation (prose, poetry, drama) that develops a theme. Manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Homiletics:  Contestants will be given three topics in the general area of spiritual thought, will choose one, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech that is the student's original work. Topics can be categorized into three areas: biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. One topic area will be used in each preliminary round. Elimination rounds will utilize a mix of these topic areas. Maximum time is 7 minutes. Limited notes are permitted. Judges will provide time signals. 

 

Pattern B -

After-Dinner Speaking: An original humorous speech designed to exhibit sound speech composition, thematic coherence, public speaking skills, and good taste. The speech should not resemble a night club act, an impersonation, or a comic monologue. Audio-visual aids may be used. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes.

Dramatic Interpretation: A cutting from a humorous or serious play which represents one or more characters. This material may be from stage, screen or radio. Use of manuscript is required. Maximum time limit is 10 minutes including introduction.

Impromptu Speaking: Speakers will draw a topic sheet which contains two topics. They will have 7 minutes to prepare and deliver a speech using one of those topics. At least 4 minutes should be spent speaking. Topics will be selected from quotations, lyrics, proverbs, or cartoons. Contestants must wait outside of the room prior to speaking. Limited notes are permitted. Judges will provide time signals.

Informative Speaking: An original factual speech on a realistic subject to fulfill the general aim of enlightening an audience. Audio-visual aids may be used. Multiple sources of supporting/explanatory material should be used and cited in the development of the speech. Minimal notes are permitted. Maximum time is 10 minutes

Prose Interpretation: A selection or selections of prose material of literary merit which may be drawn from more than one source. Use of manuscripts required. Maximum time is 10 minutes including introduction.

Slam Poetry: Contestants will perform one self-authored poem. No introduction, other than the title of the poem, will be given. Scripts may not be used. Maximum time limit is 3 minutes.

Poems and performance

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform work that he or she has created.

3) No props, blocking, musical instruments, pre-recorded music or costumes.

4) No Profanity

The rule concerning props and blocking is not intended to squelch the spontaneity, unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than poets who move and/or dance to convey the ideas and meaning inherent in the words of the poem.

 

Sampling

It is acceptable for poets to incorporate, imitate, or otherwise "signify on" the words, lyrics, or tune of someone else (commonly called "sampling") in their own work. If they are only riffing off another's words, they should expect only healthy controversy; if on the other hand, they are ripping off another poet's words, they should expect scornful contumely. However, only 150 words may come from a source other than the author. 

 

The No Repeat Rule

Poems may not be repeated in prelims rounds. Students advancing to finals must perform one of their poems from prelims. Each poet should plan on bringing THREE original poems to compete.

 

The Three-Minute Rule

No performance should last longer than three minutes. The time begins when the performance begins, with the statement (or a similar equivalent): “My poem is entitled (called, named, etc)…” No other introduction is necessary. Judges will provide time signals. Performances lasting longer than three minutes and ten seconds should not be ranked first in the round.

Interviewing: Interviewing is designed to give students the opportunity to sharpen their job interviewing and resume writing skills. The event will consist of two rounds of interviews in which judges will ask the same questions of each student assigned to their section. Questions will be taken from a larger list provided by the tournament staff. A third round will have judges evaluate student resumes. For the first two rounds, contestants will be randomly assigned to sections of no more than five students. The interview should last for no more than 10 minutes. Competitors will not physically compete in the third round. Rather, judges for the third round will (during the time allotted for the third round) receive a packet of six resumes and will rank them on the basis of considerations not including the student’s actual qualifications for the announced job. In other words, students should present a truthful resume that reflects their actual life. Although we encourage students to be creative and use resume-writing techniques that will catch attention, they should refrain from brightly colored inks, excessively ornate fonts, the inclusion of pictures or headshots in the resume, and anything that would draw too much attention to the resume rather than the candidate and his or her qualifications for the position. There are many models for effective resume writing, and we would advise students to consult some of them as they write their resumes.

The goal is to have this even judged by corporate recruiters, who may be in a position to extend an offer for a position after graduation, or an internship. 

Competitors who wish to enter interviewing should be entered on speechwire.net AND they must also send their resumes to the HBCU League Admin email at: coach@hbcuspeechanddebate.org  Resumes are due by Feb 15^th, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.  Failure to submit a resume will result in the competitor not having a rank.

 

Eligibility

Each student delegate/participant must be an undergraduate student in good standing who has not completed eight semester of forensic participation, or attended any collegiate national or international forensic tournament, in four different years prior to the current year.

 

Awards

Sweepstakes

Individual Events Sweepstakes

 Preliminary round points will be awarded to the top 6 competitors from each school:

 Rank of 1 - 3 points

 Rank of 2 - 2 points

 Rank of 3 - 1 point

 

 Elimination round points will be awarded for each student a school advances:

 First place -6 points

 Second place - 5 points

 Third place - 4 points

 Fourth place - 3 points

 Fifth place - 2 points

 Sixth place - 1 point

 Semifinals - 1 point (for all students in semifinals)

 

Debate Sweepstakes

Preliminary round points will be awarded to the top 6 competitors from each school.  All elimination round victories will be counted:

5 points per victory

 0 points per loss

 

Overall Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes will be determined by adding individual events and debate sweepstakes totals. A school must have both debate and individual events competing in the tournament in order to be eligible for overall sweepstakes awards. 

 

(vr24)