Month: December 2009 Page 1 of 3

2010 MBA Round Robin: The Sweet Sixteen Part I

By

On December 31, 2009

In MBA Coverage

Starting today and running through Sunday, Extemp Central will be providing detailed profiles of the sixteen extempers that have been invited to this year’s Extemp Round Robin at Montgomery Bell Academy.  These extempers will be competing for 150 National Points Race points and the opportunity to add their name to a distinguished list of champions at arguably the most prestigious extemp tournament of the year.

Just like last year, Extemp Central will provide live coverage of the event by providing pairings for rounds as well as Exhibition Round participants when they become available on Sunday afternoon.  Results will also be provided after the tournament concludes.

Extemp Central will also be having a contest where readers will have the opportunity to win prizes by guessing the exact placing of the top five extempers at the tournament.  This contest will open Monday and run through mid-day Friday.  Further details will be provided on Monday.

The profiles of the sixteen extempers attending will be grouped into fours and will be listed in alphabetical order.

Read More

Extemp Central News Quiz Answers for the Week of December 14th-18th, 2009

By

On December 18, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01Here are the answers to this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  We hope that you did well!

As a further note, Extemp Central will go on its holiday hiatus for the next two weeks.  This means that there will be no new extemp questions on the site, quizzes, or R&D content.  However, we will be unveiling the profiles for the extempers competing at the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin and there will be a contest that the extemp community can participate in to win some prizes concerning the Round Robin.  Check back next week to see this information.

Extemp Central wishes everyone a great Christmas break!

Read More

R&D: The Top Five News Stories/Reports You Want to Read Today

By

On December 17, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for December 17th:

Democrats’ Blues Grow Deeper in New Poll from the Wall Street Journal

Anti-corruption body bars 248 people from leaving Pakistan from the Guardian

Deforestation and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions (Backgrounder) from the Council on Foreign Relations

The world this year from the Economist

Irish Republic out of recession as GDP grows from the BBC

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of December 14th-18th, 2009 (Short Answer Version)

By

On December 17, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01Here is your short answer version of the Extemp Central news quiz.  Answers for it will be posted tomorrow morning.  Good luck!

 

 

 

Read More

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of December 14th-18th, 2009 (Multiple Choice Version)

By

On December 17, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01Here is your multiple choice version of this week’s extemp news quiz.  Answers for the quiz will be posted tomorrow morning.  Good luck!

 

 

 

Read More

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Want to Read Today

By

On December 16, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for December 16th:

D.C. Council approves same-sex marriage bill from The Washington Post

Mixed Views of Obama at Year’s End from the Pew Research Center

Why southern Yemen is pushing for secession from the Christian Science Monitor

US advances plans to close Guantánamo from the Financial Times of London

Failure Looming at Copenhagen Climate Summit from Der Spiegel

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 15th-21st, 2009

By

On December 16, 2009

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

HOTtopics1.  Is there a something rotten with the state of Venezuela’s banks?
2.  Has Russia effectively thwarted Georgia and Ukraine’s steps toward NATO membership?
3.  What should be Yukiya Amano’s first priority as the new head of the IAEA?
4.  Why is Greece on the brink of bankruptcy?
5.  Will EU expansion plans into the Balkans delay Turkey’s admission into the organization?
6.  Can Tony Abbott resuscitate Australia’s Liberal Party?
7.  Is domestic criticism of Stephen Harper’s stance towards China misplaced?
8.  Will the Tamils be the kingmaker in the Sri Lankan presidential election?
9.  Do Chinese efforts to prosecute Liu Xiaobo show that a crackdown on human rights defenders has become standard operating procedure for the Chinese government?
10.  Which is worse:  the bombing of Iran or Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon?

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today

By

On December 15, 2009

In R&D

Note:  This week’s Extemp Central news quiz will be released on Thursday with answers to be released on Friday.  Yesterday’s content could not be updated due to technical difficulties.  We apologize for the incovenience.

Here is your R&D top five for December 15th:

Battered Berlusconi from the Economist

Turkey’s Kurd Initiative Goes Up in Smoke from The Asia Times

What a Difference a Year Makes: the 2010 Senate Outlook from The Rothenberg Political Report (Courtesy of RealClearPolitics)

Piñera Wins Plurality in Chile Vote, Will Face Frei in Runoff from the Latin American Herald Tribune

Clinton Defends Human Rights Approach from The New York Times

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 15th-21st, 2009

By

On December 15, 2009

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

HOTtopics1.  Are efforts to construct a “green” economy too optimistic?
2.  Is Obama’s offer of assistance to small business coming too late?
3.  Should the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decisions be audited by Congress?
4.  Will General Motors ever find its way back into the black?
5.  Should TARP funds be used for job creation?
6.  Did the Supreme Court make the right ruling in Smith v. Alvarez?
7.  Should the U.S. government play a stronger role in guiding the nation’s food and nutritional choices?
8.  What does the Atlanta mayoral race say about race relations in America?
9.  Is Obama’s foreign policy alienating allies and failing to win friends?
10.  Will the Blagojevich trial help the GOP capture Obama’s old Senate seat?

National Points Race: Huff Takes Lead over Elliott After George Mason

By

On December 12, 2009

In National Points Race

pointsraceheader-01The standings for the 2009-2010 Extemp Central National Points Race have been updated.  Not surprisingly, Dillon Huff of Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas has taken the lead for the first time this season in the National Points Race after his victory last weekend at the George Mason University Patriot Games.  Due to his victory, which awarded him 70 points, Huff has established a mere ten point lead over Glenbrooks winner Steven Elliott of Lakeville North High School in Lakeville, Minnesota.

In the team points race, San Marino High School in San Marino, California has jumped seven spots in the standings and into first place thanks to the efforts of Oscar Wang who placed second at George Mason University to complement the efforts of teammate Nabeel Zewail who placed second at the Yale University Invitational earlier in the season.

To look at the top 15 in the current National Points Race and top 15 in the National Team Points Race click on the National Points Race tab on the top of this page or you can click here.

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today

By

On December 11, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for December 11th:

2020:  The IEA Puts a Date on Peak Oil Production from the Economist

Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy: banks should pay for climate change from the London Times

Illegal Immigrant Students Publicly Take Up a Cause from the New York Times

Al Shabab blamed for Somalia bombing. Is Al Qaeda’s influence rising? from the Christian Science Monitor

Brazil and Argentina try again to reach an agreement on bilateral trade from MercoPress

Extemp Central News Quiz Answers for the Week of December 7th-11th, 2009

By

On December 11, 2009

In Quiz

quiz-01Here is are the answers for this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck to all those competitors who are going out for their last tournament of the semester this weekend.

 

 

 

Read More

Announcing the 2010 MBA Round Robin Extemp Field

By

On December 10, 2009

In MBA Coverage, National Circuit News

mba2010Adam Johnson, tournament director for the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin, has posted the field of competitors for the 2010 edition on Forensics Online.

The January 8-10, 2010, Round Robins in extemp and Lincoln-Douglas debate will feature some of the nation’s top competitors.

The Extemp round robin will feature 10 rounds with 4 competitors in each of the 4 sections. The extempers will meet exactly once in the first 5 rounds and exactly once in the subsequent 5 rounds. The top 5 competitors will advance to an exhibition round. Each and every round will feature 3 minute cross-examination.

Best of all, Extemp Central will once again bring you live coverage of the tournament round-by-round.  Until then, here’s the field of competitors.

Shahid Ahmed – Plano Senior High School (Plano, Texas)
Jacob Baker – Bellarmine College Preparatory (San Jose, California)
Gabriela Barahona – Spring High School (Spring, Texas)
Rohan Bhargava – Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio)
Steven Elliott – Lakeville North High School (Lakeville, Minnesota)
Tyler Fabbri – Chesterton High School (Chesterton, Indiana)
Mirza Germovic – Theodore Roosevelt High School (Des Moines, Iowa)
Anna Gunderson – Desert Vista High School (Phoenix, Arizona)
Dillon Huff – Carroll Senior High School (Southlake, Texas)
Jane Kessner – Walt Whitman High School (Bethesda, Maryland)
Aaron Lutkowitz – Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tennessee)
James Mohan – Danville High School (Danville, Kentucky)
Jared Odessky – Nova High School (Davie, Florida)
Oscar Wang – San Marino High School (San Marino, California)
Nabeel Zewail – San Marino High School (San Marino, California)
Karen Zhou – Lakeville North High School (Lakeville, Minnesota)

R&D: Top Five News Stories/Reports You Will Want to Read Today

By

On December 10, 2009

In R&D

Here is your R&D top five for December 10th:

Medicare expansion idea raises healthcare reform hopes from the Los Angeles Times

Southern Thailand:  Moving Towards Political Solutions from the International Crisis Group

Can the GOP Retake the Senate in 2010 (by Karl Rove) from the Wall Street Journal

Hamas preparing ‘offensive’ tunnels from the Jerusalem Post

China Calls Population Control Key to Climate Deal from China Deal

AGD: The Story of Stuff Presents “The Story of Cap and Trade”

By

On December 10, 2009

In AGD

With a lot of attention focused on Copenhangen this week, the eco-activists/cartoonists at The Story of Stuff present their view on the issue of emissions trading.

What does the video get right? Where do they gloss or misrepresent information? Is a video like this an easy way for the public to digest such a complex issue as cap and trade?

Page 1 of 3

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén