Month: October 2013 Page 1 of 3

R&D: India’s Relations with China

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On October 31, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D provides articles for extempers on India’s foreign relations with China.  The two growing Asian economic powers are seen as future global superpowers, but internal problems may undermine the attainment of their geopolitical goals.

 

 


Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2013

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On October 30, 2013

In Quiz

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quiz-01Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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2013 Florida Blue Key: Saffran and Nellans Trade Victories in Latest Showdown; Thirteen Extempers Tentatively Qualify for 2014 Extemp TOC

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On October 29, 2013

In National Circuit Results

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Last weekend in Gainesville, Florida, more than seventy extempers participated in the thirtieth annual Florida Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament. This year’s tournament attracted one of the strongest fields in recent memory, as seventy-four extempers competed in United States Extemp and seventy-five in International Extemp. Miles Saffran of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) , winner of this year’s Wake Forest and Yale tournaments, exchanged victories with Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA), with Saffran winning International Extemp and Nellans winning United States Extemp. Nellans defeated Saffran by two ranks in the United States Extemp competition and took three one’s in the International Extemp final, but Saffran’s consistency across all five judges helped him achieve his third victory of the year in a Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament. Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) and Isabella Paretti of Cypress Bay High School (FL) exchanged third and fourth places in United States and International Extemp as well, with Wartel taking third in International Extemp and Paretti taking third in United States Extemp. The top four in each category were participants at last year’s Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin.

Due to the impressive size of this year’s field, all extempers who reached elimination rounds earned a tentative qualifying leg for the Extemp TOC. Like St. Mark’s, extempers could earn both legs at this tournament if they managed to break in United States and International Extemp. Eight extempers, Varun Bhatia of Trinity Preparatory School, Sydney Britton of American Heritage School (FL), Daniel Greene of the University School (FL), Abhishek Kodumagulla and Connor Leech of Durham Academy (NC), Oscar Larraza of Nova High School (FL), Giancarlo Musetti of Cypress Bay High School (FL), and William Peebles of Cary Academy (NC), completed their qualifications by adding a leg from Blue Key to their performance at previous tournaments. Five more extempers, Omer Bensaadon and Kendra Blandon of Cypress Bay High School (FL), Natalia Castro of Jupiter High School (FL), Keegan Paugh of Stevens High School (SD), and Yijia Liang of Upper Arlington High School (OH), acquired both of their needed qualifying legs at Blue Key to make the 2014 TOC field. Four other extempers earned their first qualifying leg.

This weekend does not feature a TOC qualifying tournament, but the weekend of November 9th will feature two qualifying tournaments on opposite sides of the country as the Remy Wilcox High School Tournament will take place at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and the Titan Invitational will take place at Nova High School in Davie, Florida.

Here are the results from the 2013 Florida Blue Key Speech & Debate Tournament (Click here for tab sheets)

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Healthcare.Gov Problems

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On October 29, 2013

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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On October 1st, the federal government launched healthcare.gov, which allowed for Americans in 36 states to find healthcare policies that were congruent with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.  By March 31st, all Americans are required to purchase health insurance or pay a fine.  Although conservatives challenged this individual mandate in court shortly after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010, the Supreme Court found it constitutional last summer as a tax.  President Obama hoped that the national exchange would lead to millions of Americans signing up for health insurance and that it would generate good press for his landmark achievement.  However, the website has been riddled with problems, ranging from individuals being unable to create accounts to access the exchange to time outs to slow browsing speed.  States that are running their own exchanges, like Washington, Kentucky, and California have also experienced some technical difficulties.  Conservative critics have seized on the problems of healthcare.gov to bolster their political fortunes after the government shutdown and if these problems are not fixed it could imperil the Affordable Care Act.

Extemp Central has broken down the politics of healthcare reform in the past and extempers are urged to check out our previous briefs on healthcare reform.  This brief will dive into the current controversy by breaking down the problems of healthcare.gov, the impact these problems could have on the success of the Affordable Care Act, and the potential political fallout in Washington D.C. if these problems are not fixed.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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R&D: Healthcare.Gov Problems

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On October 29, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the problems facing healthcare.gov.

 

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2012

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On October 28, 2013

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will Saudi Arabia ends its ban on female driving?
2. Can alternative energy sources provide the foundation for significant economic growth in Africa over the next century?
3. Should the Canadian Senate be abolished?
4. Is it in India’s national interest to have friendly relations with China?
5. Would a grand coalition in Germany between the CDU and the SPD weaken Germany’s democracy?
6. Should Britain, France, and the Netherlands pay slave reparations to Caribbean nations?
7. Will Cuba’s decision to unify its two currencies be a net positive for its economy?
8. Should Israel be given a seat on the UN Security Council in 2019?
9. Why are Hondurans losing faith in their nation’s two party political system?
10. What steps do African nations need to take to end slavery?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2013

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On October 28, 2013

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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HOTtopics1. Will problems with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act erase the gains Democrats made during the government shutdown?
2. Has Edward Snowden significantly damaged American foreign policy?
3. What should be done to curtail a rising number of mass shootings in the United States?
4. Should the National Football League put a team in London?
5. Is the $13 billion settlement between the Justice Department and JPMorgan Chase unwarranted?
6. What is Michael Bloomberg’s legacy?
7. Will Rand Paul’s push for a 28th Amendment succeed?
8. How can the U.S. convince Syrian opposition groups that attending an international conference to resolve the Syrian civil war is in their best interest?
9. Is Twitter more important than Facebook?
10. How safe are U.S. schools?

R&D: Venezuela’s Economy

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On October 25, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D provides sources on Venezuela’s economy, which is facing significant problems.  Analysts wonder if these problems will produce the end of the Bolivarian Revolution begun by former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

 

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R&D: NSA Spying Activities Against France

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On October 24, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D explores recent revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) has been doing extensive electronic surveillance in France.

 

 

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Strategy: How to Use a Notecard

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On October 23, 2013

In Strategy

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by Logan Scisco

Regular readers of Extemp Central may wonder why I am devoting this week’s strategy piece to using notecards, since you rarely find extempers on the national circuit with them.  Although it is true that you will not find many extempers in elimination rounds at national circuit tournaments that use a notecard, at local tournaments they still proliferate.  Many beginners start their extemporaneous speaking careers by using a notecard, but many of them do not use it correctly.  This creates bad habits that can harm them when they eventually get rid of the notecard and begin to speak without notes.  This strategy piece will explain why notecards are used and how speakers should go about using them in a round.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of October 21st-27th, 2013

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On October 23, 2013

In Quiz

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quiz-01Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

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2013 St. Mark’s: Sherren Posts Impressive Victory in International Extemp; Defending NFL USX Champion Rende Takes U.S. Extemp

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On October 22, 2013

In National Circuit Results

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st. marksLast weekend, the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational featured its unique extemporaneous speaking tournament that allows extempers to compete in International and United States Extemp.  The tournament typically features the best students from Texas and a few Midwestern states and the final rounds tend to have some overlap between them.  In this year’s event, Oliver Sherren of the Parish Episcopal School (TX) won the International Extemp title by posting straight 1’s in his final round and Arel Rende of Booker T. Washington High School (OK) secured a four rank victory in United States Extemp.  Rende was last year’s NFL United States Extemp national champion and he is the first Oklahoma extemper to win a championship at St. Mark’s since at least the year 2000.  Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA) finished second in each category.  Nellans won both categories last year, so Dillon Huff of Southlake Carroll High School (TX) remains the last extemper to attend St. Mark’s and win consecutive titles.  Huff accomplished this feat in 2008 and 2009 by winning the International Extemp category.  Aside from Rende and Nellans, the only other extemper who made both final rounds was Ash Maholtra of Plano Senior High School (TX), who finished 4th in both categories.  Booker T. Washington High School had four finalists across both extemp categories at the tournament, the highest of any school in attendance.

International Extemp featured fifty-three competitors, meaning that all competitors who made the semi-final round and beyond earned a qualifying leg to this year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University.  United States Extemp featured sixty-two competitors, so all extempers who made the quarter-final round and beyond earned a qualifying leg.  In total, twenty extempers earned qualifying legs and five extempers, Sherren, Grant Bumgarner of Booker T. Washington High School (OK), Phoebe Lin of Plano West High School (TX), and Sydney Walter and Rachel Evans of Salado High School (TX), earned both qualifying legs at the tournament to earn a tentative qualification to this year’s TOC.  All extempers that earned a qualifying leg for this finish are indicated in italics.

This weekend, the Florida Blue Key Tournament, which allows extempers to double up in both extemp categories, will take place at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Here are the results from St. Mark’s (Click here for tab sheet):

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2013 Cal State University-Fullerton Tournament: Sun Picket Fences the Final to Win

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On October 22, 2013

In Local Results

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tocThis weekend saw twenty-two extempers compete in Cal State University-Fullerton’s annual speech and debate tournament.  The tournament is a tentative qualifying tournament for the 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions.  Jovion Sun of Schurr High School (CA) was the tournament champion, posting straight 1’s in the final round.  Schurr High School and San Marino High School (CA) had the most extempers in the final round, placing two each.

All of the extempers that made the final round earned a tentative qualifying leg to this season’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University.  None of the final round participants have previously qualified through other categories, so all of them earned their first qualifying leg to this season’s TOC.

Thank you to Clayton Jacobs for helping us secure the accurate results of the tournament.

Here are the results of the 2013 Cal State University-Fullerton Tournament (Click here for tab sheets):

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Government Shutdown Aftermath (2013)

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On October 22, 2013

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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Last Thursday, President Barack Obama signed an agreement to end the first government shutdown in nearly twenty years.  The shutdown, which lasted sixteen days, coincided with another debt ceiling crisis since the Treasury Department’s borrowing authority needed to be raised by October 17th.  The threat of not raising the debt ceiling is what compelled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to craft a compromise piece of legislation that passed the Senate and House last week.  However, their compromise creates the possibility of another government shutdown in January and another debt ceiling crisis in February.

While I wrote a topic brief about the looming government shutdown and debt ceiling crisis several weeks ago, I felt that it was necessary for extempers to get a gauge for the fallout of these two latest battles since the shutdown dominated American airwaves for the last two weeks.  This topic brief will focus on the deal reached by Senator Reid and Senator McConnell, the political fallout of the recent shutdown battle, and the economic fallout of the government shutdown and current austerity measures.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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R&D: Government Shutdown Aftermath (2013)

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On October 22, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the aftermath of the recent government shutdown.

 

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