Competition Information

2019 Regional Competition Topic

RESOLVED: Convicted felons who have completed their sentence should be allowed to vote in the United States.

Download Topic Resource Packet

Northeast

Date: Saturday, May 11, 2019
Host Site: Chaminade High School, Mineola, N.Y.

REGISTER

Online

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2019
Host Site: Zoom.us

REGISTER

National Competition

Date: Thursday, July 25 – Sunday, July 28, 2019

Host Site: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum
40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065

Competition Details: The National Championship is a three-day retreat in Simi Valley, California at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The culmination of the Great Communicator Debate Series, it brings together the top two debaters from each qualifying tournament across the country, as well as the top two extemporaneous speakers from the NSDA National Tournament. Participants will compete for $50,000 in scholarships. All expenses for each qualifying student plus one guest will be covered by the Ronald Reagan Foundation. Students are free to bring more than just one guest with them, but additional guests will not be covered by the Reagan Foundation. Below is a sample schedule of the competition:
 
Thursday
Students and guests arrive at the Reagan Library

Friday
Guided tour of the Reagan Library
Lunch with President Reagan’s former Chief of Staff and an overview of the competition
Sunset dinner on the library terrace

Saturday
Full day of debate competitions
Final round under the wings of Air Force One
Dinner in the Air Force One pavilion
 
Students may choose to extend their stay and explore California after the competition; however, the competition itself lasts only Thursday through Saturday.

Qualifying for Nationals: Please register for a regional competition near you. The top two winners of each Regional Competition will be automatically qualified to attend the National Competition. Each winner will receive a flight and hotel room for themselves and one chaperone each. Further details to be given to the winners after each Regional Competition.

Past 2019 Qualifiers

greater Texas

Date: Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019
Host Site: Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville, Texas

Western

Date: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019
Host Site: Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Mid-West

Date: Friday, April 5 – Saturday, April 6, 2019
Host Site: Truman High School, Independence, Mo.

Mid-Atlantic

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2019
Host Site: Loyola Blakefield High School, Towson, Md.