Month: April 2020

Since the coronavirus pandemic took off in the United States, most speech and debate tournaments have been cancelled. However, the Tournament of Champions recently ran as a virtual competition, and NSDA Nationals is planning to do so as well.

Prepd is considering launching its own virtual tournament specifically for Extemporaneous speaking (link to https://prepd.in/VirtualExtemp/). Prepd wants to reimagine a speech and debate tournament from scratch as a digitally native offering, which would include:

· A massive, open, online competition

· Scholarship prizes for winners

· A dashboard for virtual audience engagement

· Digital certificates of accomplishment

· Separate pools for varsity and novice extempers

Learn more about Prepd’s vision for the Virtual Extemp Challenge by visiting https://prepd.in/VirtualExtemp/.

Prepd is still gauging interest from the broader community. Anyone who is interested in participating as a competitor, judge, or coach is encouraged to fill out this brief form: https://forms.gle/HPYpDYBqVhdbSoM18

1. Has the worst of the global coronavirus outbreak come to pass?
2. Should Malaysia continue to turn away Rohingya refugees?
3. Will the declaration of self-rule by Yemeni separtists destroy the chances of ending Yemen’s civil war?
4. Has Boris Johnson’s government mismanaged Britain’s coronavirus response?
5. Is Jack Ma becoming a threat to China’s communist leadership?
6. Should there be an independent review of the WHO’s response to the coronavirus pandemic?
7. Will governments have to introduce austerity measures once the coronavirus passes?
8. If Kim Jong Un were to die, who would take over North Korea?
9. Can working relationships with Gulf countries bolster India’s power in South Asia?
10. Does Germany need to take a more direct role in leading the European Union?

1. Will effective antibody testing be the key to reopening America’s economy?
2. What changes will American schools have to make due to the coronavirus next year?
3. Should small businesses have received more coronavirus aid?
4. Is it better for Joe Biden to stay out of the spotlight throughout the summer or to take on a greater media presence to counteract President Trump’s messaging?
5. Should U.S. states be able to declare bankruptcy?
6. Will AOC’s vote against further coronavirus aid hurt her political standing?
7. Are state lawsuits against China frivolous?
8. Is growing anti-China sentiment among Americans a boon for President Trump’s foreign policy agenda?
9. Has CNN become too politicized?
10. Does the Supreme Court need to be expanded?

1. Will the politicization of social distancing policies have a negative impact on public health?
2. Is President Trump’s plan to reopen America sound?
3. Should Joe Biden name Michelle Obama as his running mate?
4. Has the coronavirus made it nearly impossible for President Trump to win re-election?
5. Are virtual tournaments the future of high school forensics?
6. Will Laura Loomer become a member of Congress this fall?
7. Would a Democratic presidential victory in 2020 be a blow to the Squad’s future political prospects?
8. Is the coronavirus bringing Americans closer together or continuing to tear the country apart?
9. Does the U.S. government need to implement a temporary universal basic income until the coronavirus passes?
10. Do small businesses need more assistance to get through the coronavirus?

1. Will a coronavirus vaccine ever be developed?
2. Are low global oil prices hurting or helping Saudi Arabia?
3. Will the coronavirus pandemic make China a world leader?
4. Does Mexico need to launch a massive stimulus to stave off economic recession?
5. Are the Rakhine winning their struggle against Myanmar’s government?
6. Have neo-liberal policies done more harm than good for Latin America?
7. Does the coronavirus give Saudi Arabia a face-saving way to end their war in Yemen?
8. Will the global easing of coronavirus restrictions create a second spike?
9. Should Tedros Adhanom resign as the head of the WHO?
10. Will the coronavirus destroy the Asylum Cooperative Agreement between Guatemala and the United States?

1. Are global efforts to fix climate change dead?
2. Will the coronavirus pandemic accelerate history or reshape it?
3. How can Latin American countries improve their healthcare systems?
4. Does Cuba’s economy need more privatization?
5. Should Iraq break apart?
6. Is the war in Yemen nearing a close?
7. Should the debts of developing nations be eliminated or suspended during the coronavirus pandemic?
8. Will the coronavirus pandemic shift British politics to the left?
9. Should European governments issue coronabonds?
10. Is Hungary still a democracy?

1. Should the College Board administer a home-based SAT?
2. Is coronavirus exposing a significant digital divide in America’s schools?
3. Has the Trump administration overseen a deteriorating in civilian-military relations?
4. Is deflation becoming a big risk for the U.S. economy?
5. Why did Bernie Sanders fail to win the Democratic presidential nomination?
6. Will battling the coronavirus be the most significant issue in the 2020 presidential election?
7. What should states consider “essential” industries during the coronavirus pandemic?
8. Should the U.S. government mandate that more businesses relocate from China once the coronavirus pandemic passes?
9. Why are African-American communities being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic?
10. Should prison inmates count in the U.S. Census?

1. Do state governments need to better enforce social distancing guidelines?
2. What reforms need to be made to protect America’s voting infrastructure?
3. How should the DNC proceed with its convention if it cannot meet this summer?
4. Will the coronavirus cause the U.S. to shift its economic model back toward manufacturing?
5. Should nation building remain part of U.S. foreign policy goals?
6. Is the coroanvirus helping or hurting President Trump’s re-election prospects?
7. Should American schools give all students the option of repeating their current grade level in the 2020-2021 school year?
8. How much blame does Mayor Bill de Blasio bear for New York City’s coronavirus outbreak?
9. Can the U.S. cut military spending without reducing its military options?
10. How should the U.S. counter the growth of Russian and Chinese spheres of influence in today’s world?

1. Will Xi Jinping’s standing be significantly hindered by the coronavirus?
2. What will be the global implications of a collapse of oil prices?
3. Will Crimea remain part of Russia for the forseeable future?
4. Should international sanctions on Iran be lifted during the coronavirus pandemic?
5. If the Taliban retake Afghanistan will it once again become a haven for terrorists?
6. Can Keir Starmer rescue the British Labour Party?
7. Has the world lost the war on terrorism?
8. Should South Korea pay the U.S. more to host its military forces?
9. Has 2020 become a “lost year” for Saudi Arabia?
10. Are India’s coronavirus measures going too far?