1. Are Israel’s demands for a Gaza ceasefire unreasonable?
2. Will anti-government protests in Bangladesh force the creation of a caretaker government?
3. Have Germany’s anti-Nazi laws failed to achieve their purpose?
4. Will Imran Khan’s forces win the next Pakistani general election?
5. After its recent counteroffensive, should the Ukrainian government sue for peace?
6. Are women’s rights backsliding in China?
7. Is the world economy headed for a sudden fall?
8. How will the Taliban crackdown on opium cultivation affect the global drug trade?
9. Is global cooperation on AI regulations achieveable in the long run?
10. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey: Who is best situated to negotiate a peace between Israel and Hamas?
Month: November 2023
1. How can President Biden generate strong African American turnout for his re-election campaign?
2. Should the UAW make Tesla its next target?
3. Are college protests over the Israeli-Hamas war getting out of control?
4. Could any type of new assault weapons ban pass Congress before the next election?
5. Who will win the Kentucky gubernatorial election?
6. To what extent are businesses’ pricing practices responsible for high inflation in the U.S.?
7. Should states require a proficiency test to earn a high school diploma?
8. How can the Democratic Party win back rural voters?
9. Should President Biden reshuffle his foreign policy team?
10. How should cities handle large homeless encampments?
Updated standings for the 2023-2024 Extemp Central National Points Race have been released. Check them out by clicking here or the “Natl Points Race” tab above.
While there was not a lot of movement created by the New York City Invitational and the Florida Blue Key, the Glenbrooks promises a shakeup in the standings. Glenbrooks will be the season’s first third tier competition, awarding 100 points to its winner and points to the extempers that reach quarter-finals.
The National Points Race resumed on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville last weekend for the 40th edition of the Florida Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament. 76 extempers from eight states battled it out over three days of competition, which included five preliminary rounds and three elimination rounds.
Charlotte Reitman of the University School (FL) won her second career National Points Race tournament, edging out last year’s George Mason University Patriot Games winner Taylor Burris of the Potomac School (VA) by one rank.
Burris was a sixth place finisher in last year’s Blue Key.
The three-judge panel for finals each gave their first place ranking to different competitors and rarely agreed, creating a situation where all of the final round competitors from Reitman to sixth place finisher Chloe Leng of the Hawken School (OH) were separated by one rank.
#9 Ronak Patel of the American Heritage School – Broward (FL) was the only ranked extemper to reach the Blue Key final round. Patel placed fourth.
Third place was earned by Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) and fifth place was awarded to Kate Liu of Plano East Senior High School (TX).
#5 Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA) was in the field but dropped in quarter-finals. Cheng was trying to get back to finals as he placed third at last year’s event.
Siddharth Sudhakar of Nova High School (FL), who finished fourth last year, was also eliminated in the quarter-final round.
All of the extempers who reached the final round will earn National Points Race points. Since Blue Key was a fifth tier tournament, Reitman will earn 40 points for her win. New standings will be posted on our website this weekend.
Here are the results of the 2023 Florida Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):