HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 6-12, 2015

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. Should Republicans attack or embrace the Iranian nuclear deal?
2. Is Jerry Brown doing enough to combat California’s drought?
3. How can the U.S. military retain more recruits?
4. What steps should colleges take to combat racism?
5. Can tech entrepreneurs rescue Detroit?
6. How can President Obama sell the Iranian nuclear deal to the American public?
7. Should the U.S. adopt a vehicles miles traveled (VMT) tax?
8. Is Nevada’s Senate seat a GOP pickup opportunity in 2016?
9. Should the U.S. adopt a law making it illegal to hire models that are “too thin”?
10. Does John Kerry deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

2015 Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament: Kara Becomes First Dallastown Winner in Thirteen Years; Quigley Finishes Second

[fblike]

Seckin Kara returned Dallastown High School to the top of the Pennsylvania extemp circuit at the 2015 Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament. Kara became the first Dallastown extemper to take home the extemporaneous speaking state championship in thirteen years by narrowly defeating Collin Quigley of Holy Ghost Preparatory by one rank. Kara and Quigley each earned two first place ranks in the final round, outdistancing the rest of the field.

Mary Breen of Gwynedd Mercy Academy finished five ranks behind Kara, taking third place overall.

Four extempers earned an automatic qualification to the 2015 Extemp TOC by virtue of their final round placing in the tournament. They are indicated in italics in the results listing.

Here are the results of the 2015 Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of March 30-April 5, 2015

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of March 30-April 5, 2015.

R&D from Prepd: Religious Freedom Laws

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on religious freedom laws, focusing largely on two that were recently approved by Indiana and Arkansas.  The laws seek to provide a way for business owners to not have their religious beliefs burdened by the government, but critics allege that the Indiana and Arkansas bills allow for-profit businesses to discriminate against the LGBT community.  This is unlike other states that have religious freedom laws.

2015 Colorado High School Activities Association State Tournament: Menon and Barad End Title Droughts for Their Schools

[fblike]

The 2015 Colorado High School Activities Association State Tournament featured the return of several schools to the winner’s circle after a five-year absence.

In International Extemp, Tiana Menon of Palisade High School upset Glenbrooks winner Jack Glaser of George Washington High School to claim the state title. Menon won the cumulative tournament by two ranks, causing Glaser to finish runner-up for the second consecutive year. Henry Sparks of Cheyenne Mountain High School finished third. Menon’s win is the first for a Palisade extemper since 2010.

In the United States Extemp half of the tournament, Matthew Barad gave Air Academy High School its first winner in the category since 2009, securing a five-rank triumph against Molly Naylor-Komyatte of Lakewood High School. Emma Bakken of George Washington High School was the third place finisher.

Colorado ranks the placing of its semi-finalists, so those placings are included in our results listing.

All of the finalists secured an automatic qualification to the 2015 Extemp TOC. Ten extempers were not previously qualified and can head to Chicago next month. Those earning an automatic qualification are indicated in italics in the results listing.

Here are the results of the 2015 Colorado High School Activities Association State Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of March 30-April 5, 2015

[fblike]

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

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

R&D from Prepd: Germanwings Flight 9525

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525.  Last Tuesday, the plane crashed into the French Alps and a subsequent investigation has revealed that the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, intentionally directed the aircraft into its fatal descent.  Since Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit in the process of deliberately crashing the plane, airlines have moved to mandate that at least two people remain in the cockpit at all times.  150 people perished in the crash.

Nicaragua’s Grand Canal

[fblike]

In the nineteenth century Western policymakers became enamored with the idea of establishing a canal across Central America.  While extempers are aware of today’s Panama Canal, which was constructed by United States between 1904 and 1914, Nicaragua was actually the first choice for a Central American canal project that would link the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, thereby reducing shipping times and costs.  When the United States chose to build a canal through Panama it abandoned the idea of a Nicaraguan canal entirely, but the project has been revived by the Nicaraguan government and Chinese telecommunications tycoon Wang Jing.  Two years ago, the Nicaraguan National Assembly granted a canal concession to Mr. Wang’s Hong Kong Canal Development Group (HKND), who will operate the canal for one hundred years, with the Nicaraguan government achieving a majority stake in the canal after fifty years.  The project will cost an estimated $50 billion and is supposed to be completed within the next five years.  However, opposition is growing from indigenous communities, environmental activists, and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s political opponents.  There are also questions about whether the canal project is feasible and some engineers wonder whether the Grand Canal will eventually become a “grand mistake.”

This topic brief will provide some background on the existing Grand Canal project, highlight the Nicaraguan government’s case for why the canal needs to be built, and then discuss criticisms of the project.

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

R&D: Nicaragua’s Grand Canal

[fblike]

Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on Nicaragua’s Grand Canal.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 30-April 5, 2015

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. What reforms should the U.S. make to its juvenile justice system?
2. Should the U.S. adopt a position of neutrality in the Syrian civil war?
3. What is the source of American income inequality?
4. Would it be electorally wise for the Democrats to move in a more progressive policy direction?
5. Should the U.S. increase funding for nuclear energy?
6. Do reforms need to be made to the U.S. food stamp program?
7. Should Democrats make Elizabeth Warren the new Senate Minority Leader?
8. Does Indiana’s “religious freedom” significantly threaten gay rights?
9. How are Senate retirements affecting the 2016 congressional elections?
10. Can Ted Cruz win?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 30-April 5, 2015

[fblike]

HOTtopics1. Does Canada’s anti-terrorism bill go too far?
2. Should Dilma Rousseff be impeached?
3. Will troubles with Middle Eastern nations force Sweden to adjust its feminist foreign policy?
4. Should other countries replicate the American model of higher education?
5. Were the recent Nigerian elections a victory for militant groups?
6. Does Israel need the U.S. more than the U.S. needs Israel?
7. Is David Cameron’s idea for a 24/7 NHS feasible?
8. Who is responsible for Yemen’s unrest?
9. Can an Arab League peacekeeping force curtail the growth of Islamic militants in the Middle East?
10. What should Lufthansa do in response to the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525?

R&D from Prepd: Weekly Roundup for the Week of March 23-29, 2015

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

Here is our weekly survey of news stories to round out the week of March 23-29, 2015.

2015 Georgia Forensic Coaches Association State Tournament: Lombardo Gives Henry W. Grady Its Fourth Straight Extemporaneous Speaking State Title

[fblike]

Henry W. Grady High School continued its winning tradition at this year’s Georgia Forensic Coaches Association (GFCA) State Tournament when Sam Lombardo and Keegan Hasson took the top two places in extemporaneous speaking. Lombardo won the tournament with a cumulative score of four in the final round, three ranks better than Hasson’s cumulative score of seven. Yugnash Malik of Lee County High School was the third place finisher.

Henry W. Grady has won the last four GFCA state titles in extemporaneous speaking. At this year’s tournament, the school had half of the final round, with Denis Goldsman finishing fifth to go along with Lombardo and Hasson’s performances.

All of the extempers who reached the final round earned an automatic qualification to the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University.

Here are the results of the 2015 Georgia Forensic Coaches Association State State Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

R&D from Prepd: Israeli Legislative Elections

[fblike]

l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides articles on the recent Israeli legislative elections.  The election saw the highest turnout since the 1999 legislative elections and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party staged a comeback victory, winning a plurality of thirty seats.  The Zionist Union of Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni finished in second place with twenty-four seats.  Due to the performance of other right-wing parties, it is assumed that Netanyahu will retain his position as prime minister.  The recent election was also notable because twenty-nine women were elected to the Knesset, which is the largest number in Israeli history.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of March 23-29, 2015

[fblike]

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

To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

Page 111 of 278

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén