by Michael Barton

Michael Barton competed for Regis High School in New York City. He was the 2010 Harvard Champion, as well as the 4th place finisher at the NCFL Grand Tournament and 13th in foreign extemp at the NFL Tournament. He currently attends Yale University, where he is studying political science. He also competes regularly in parliamentary debate for the Yale Debate Association.

Each year in February, hundreds of high school speakers and debaters flock to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend the massive Harvard Invitational. Although the tournament has attracted criticism in recent years for various inefficiencies and shortcomings, it undoubtedly constitutes one of, if not the, premier invitational tournaments on the circuit (Nationals and MBA aside). The tournament always attracts top tier talent, with three of the last four champions eventually going on to win NFLs (unfortunately I ended that streak). By and large, all criticisms considered, let me preface this by saying that I personally always enjoyed my time at the tournament immensely. I never had any complaints about the manner in which it was run, finding the prep room to be comfortable each year and the organizers approachable and helpful. That said, here are some things to keep in mind as you head into this year’s tournament:

1.      Harvard is really, really long and Boston is really, really cold.

Most tournaments last only a day or two, but Harvard is unique for a non-nationals tournament, in that it lasts from Saturday morning until Monday morning. With five preliminaries and a break to octa-finals, Harvard can feel like a marathon at times. Be sure to pace yourself, especially before the tournament begins. While practice rounds are almost always useful, try to avoid over-doing it in the days preceding the tournament. Similarly, try to avoid spending prolonged periods of time in the frigid cold between rounds. Obviously, Harvard’s campus and the surrounding neighborhood are definitely worth exploring, but dress appropriately if you do. Given the length of the days and the weather, it’s all too easy to catch a cold or lose your voice, which can put a damper on the rest of the tournament. Make sure to rest as much as you can between rounds. I very much recognize the desire to stay active, wander campus and socialize—it plagued me throughout my extemp career. But, especially at a tournament like Harvard, don’t be afraid to relax, sit in a corner, and decompress. It can go a long way towards furthering your performance in outrounds.

2.      Harvard has a lot of rounds and a clean-break system

Directly related to my previous point, the Harvard Tournament has five preliminary rounds before breaking to octa-finals, adding up to nine potential rounds. This has several implications for your approach to the tournament. First, as I said above pace yourself: every preliminary round does not need to be a national championship-winning speech. Especially in a pool as deep as Harvard’s, there will be many situations in which you hit random novices from other teams. Recognize that. Moreover, be sure to shrug off bad rounds. Unlike at other tournaments, where a bad round can sink a run for first before out-rounds even begin, one can easily squeak through prelims, octas, quarters, and semis, before having the speech of his or her life in finals. Obviously, try your hardest, but do your best to put poor performances behind you.

Another implication of having so many rounds is that the Harvard Tournament dives into deeper topics than lots of other extemp tournaments in order to fill nine unique rounds. My junior year, semi-finalists, to our complete chagrin, competed in a round on agriculture policy. Last year, semi-finalists faced questions about the Muslim World, while finalists faced “all things nuclear.” Be prepared as always to deal with these unusually broad topics, but don’t freak out if you hit such a round yourself. Do your best to formulate intelligent arguments and try to relate the topic to similar issues for which you might have files.

3.      Do not let past success faze you

This is a piece of advice that’s often repeated and not necessarily directly related to Harvard, though it holds particular significance at a tournament that attracts so much top-tier talent. Nevertheless, I think it’s critical to reaffirm this idea: anyone can beat anyone else on any given day. Many extempers in the prep room head in with preconceived notions of who they simply cannot beat, in any given circumstances. In the overwhelming majority of cases, such thoughts are probably unfounded. As in any form of competition, there are obviously going to be competitors that are generally better than others. But, particularly in extemporaneous speaking, everyone has bad rounds. Throughout my senior year, I can recall a dozen instances in which I left a round and failed to deliver a speech of the caliber that I (and some of my friends and peers) expected of me. In this instances in which I was off my game, so to speak, I might not get a five or six, but I got plenty of twos, and threes throughout my career. The point here is clear: don’t let anyone psyche you out. Especially this year, where the competition seems particularly balanced, no one is unbeatable.

I hope these three pieces of advice, though general, prove useful. In all honesty, Harvard is not a particularly unique tournament. In many respects, it can be considered, quite simply, a “super tournament.” It’s like any other tournament, just bigger and harder. Be sure to take note of the fact that computers are allowed this year, which may prove useful. Besides that, treat Harvard like any other. Have a fun time hanging out with friends, meet some new people, and enjoy yourself. Best of luck!

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