2023 George Mason University Patriot Games: Ural Denies Burris a Second Title; The Potomac School Has Two Finalists

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On December 12, 2023

In National Circuit Results

George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia hosted 55 extempers for its annual Patriot Games tournament on December 2 and 3. Siri Ural of Shrewsbury High School (MA) denied #14 Taylor Burris‘ attempt to repeat as champion, winning the final round by three ranks to take the title.

Ural is the first extemper from Massachusetts to win the Patriot Games title in seven years. Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy won the championship in 2016.

Burris, who competes for the Potomac School (VA), finished runner-up for the second time at a National Points Race tournament this season. She was runner-up at the Florida Blue Key in October. Burris was also the only final round finisher who is ranked in this year’s National Points Race.

Navya Raju of Ridge High School (NJ) finished third, one rank ahead of Meredith Vorndran of the Potomac School. Vorndran took one of the five available first place ranks in the final round, with the others going to Ural (three) and Burris (one).

Jack Anderson of Lincoln Southwest High School (NE) and Logan Mitchell of Martin County High School (FL) finished further back in the final round. Anderson’s final round composite was 12 ranks behind Vorndran but was enough to beat Mitchell by one rank for fifth.

#3 Amy Cao and #20 Aparna Iyer of Ridge High School (NJ) were in the field but dropped in quarter-finals.

All of the finalists earn National Points Race points as the Patriot Games is a fifth tier tournament. Ural will receive 40 points for winning.

Here are the results of the 2023 George Mason University Patriot Games (Click here for tab sheet):

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 11-17, 2023

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On December 10, 2023

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

Note:  These will be the last questions for two weeks due to the winter holiday.  New questions will be posted on January 1, 2024.

1. Did Ron DeSantis improve his presidential hopes in his debate with Gavin Newsom?
2. Have academic standards become too low in American schools?
3. Should Alaska Airlines be allowed to merge with Hawaiian Airlines?
4. Why are Democratic attacks warning of Donald Trump’s threat to democracy failing to resonate with voters?
5. Should media outlets use AI to write stories?
6. What must the U.S. do to contain jihadist violence in West Africa?
7. Are Vivek Ramaswamy’s attacks on Nikki Haley sexist?
8. If New York City Mayor Eric Adams is indicted in an FBI probe, should he resign?
9. Does the Biden administration need to rethink its Ukraine strategy?
10. Should the next healthcare reform focus on better mental health coverage?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 11-17, 2023

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On December 10, 2023

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

Note:  These will be the last questions for two weeks due to the winter holiday.  New questions will be posted on January 1, 2024.

1. Should debt relief be leveraged for renewable energy investment in African nations?
2. What should Brazil do if Venezuela seizes the Essequibo with military force?
3. Should a new international institution be created to replace the United Nations?
4. What does the Indian National Congress need to do to win back power?
5. How would the formation of an OPEC for nickel affect the global economy?
6. Will Ukraine’s military effort against Russia collapse without U.S. aid?
7. Has China become the new “honest broker” in the Middle East?
8. Will Milei be able to translate his rhetoric about the Argentinian economy into bold action?
9. Should Guatemala re-run its presidential election?
10. Will Azerbaijan’s territorial revisionism stop at Nagorno-Karabakh?

2024 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin: This Year’s Field

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On December 8, 2023

In National Circuit News

This afternoon Adam Johnson, the tournament director of the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin, announced this year’s tournament field. The Round Robin will take place January 7-8 on MBA’s campus in Nashville, Tennessee. It is the year’s first major championship.

In a departure from recent editions, no school earned more than one bid to this year’s tournament. Texas has six competitors in the field, more than any other state.

Congratulations to the following extempers for being selected to compete:

*Taylor Burris (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Amy Cao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Brandon Cheng (Flintridge Preparatory School, California)
*Tyler Crivella (Seven Lakes High School, Texas)
*Lishore Kumar (Tomball Memorial High School, Texas)
*Meghana Kunapareddy (Tompkins High School, Texas)
*Katherine Lee (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Kate Liu (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)
*Sruti Peddi (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
*Isabella Razdan (Lincoln East High School, Nebraska)
*Charlotte Reitman (The University School, Florida)
*Eshaal Ubaid (Stuyvesant High School, New York)
*Siri Ural (Shrewsbury High School, Massachusetts)
*Rohit Vakkalagadda (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*April Zhang (Neuqua Valley High School, Illinois)
*Robert Zhang (Elkins High School, Texas)

Exodus to Excellence: The Lloyd Memorial/Harrison County Swing – December 2, 2000

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On December 8, 2023

“Exodus to Excellence” is a four-year series that will focus on my high school journey through extemporaneous speaking.  Assisted by old ballots and a journal kept during these years, these columns will provide reflections on lots of old competitions and the lessons learned along the way.  Each week that a tournament took place in my career, one of these columns will appear.

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of December 4-10, 2023

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On December 5, 2023

In Quiz

Here is this week’s news quiz.  Good luck!

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 4-10, 2023

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On December 3, 2023

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. What does Xi Jinping need to do to stop capital flight?
2. Should Nigeria embrace greater environmental protections as an anti-poverty measure?
3. Is al-Qaeda on the verge of a comeback?
4. Should India cease its cooperation with Myanmar’s junta?
5. How should Lula handle Milei?
6. In light of growing white lung syndrome cases globally, should China be expelled from the WHO?
7. Would a large-scale war against Israel mean the end of Iran’s Islamic Republic?
8. How should Britain’s Tories handle the Reform UK threat?
9. Does AUKUS have the potential to be a more important security arrangement than NATO?
10. How can Belarusian citizens best oppose their autocratic government?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 4-10, 2023

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On December 3, 2023

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Who will win the GOP “mini primary” between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley?
2. Should the U.S. impose conditions on military aid to Israel?
3. How can the RNC fix its fundraising problems?
4. Will the U.S. be able to close all of its coal-fired power plants by 2035?
5. How should U.S. health officials respond to growing cases of white lung syndrome?
6. Are assertions about the decline of U.S. global influence exaggerated?
7. Would greater restrictions on cell phone use by children improve their mental health?
8. What should the U.S. do if Venezuela goes to war with Guyana?
9. Should the size of the U.S. House of Representatives be increased?
10. Does the U.S. need to launch a new “war on drugs”?

2023-2024 Extemp Central National Points Race: New Standings to Reflect Glenbrooks Posted!

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On November 30, 2023

In National Points Race

Updated standings for the 2023-2024 Extemp Central National Points Race after the Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament have been released.  Check them out by clicking here or the “Natl Points Race” tab above.

This weekend will feature two National Points Race events, the last of the first academic semester.  The University of Texas-Longhorn Classic will be a third tier event, awarding points from quarter-finals to finals for all of those doing International and United States Extemp.  The George Mason University Patriot Games will be a fifth tier event, awarding points to the top six competitors.

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of November 27-December 3, 2023

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On November 28, 2023

In Quiz

Here is this week’s news quiz.  Good luck!

 

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 27-December 3, 2023

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On November 26, 2023

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Should President Biden be alarmed by his poor poll numbers?
2. Will Robert Kennedy, Jr. qualify for presidential debates next year?
3. Should the U.S. abolish statute of limitations for all crimes?
4. How many GOP candidates will still be in the race to contest the Iowa caucus?
5. Should the U.S. send military advisers to Ukraine?
6. What lessons, if any, can Donald Trump’s campaign team learn from Javier Milei’s win in Argentina?
7. Should U.S. public schools enjoy a greater degree of immunity to lawsuits?
8. Do federal prisons need to do more to protect their inmates?
9. Should free trade agreements be a cornerstone of American foreign policy?
10. Are the current spending habits of U.S. consumers sustainable?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 27-December 3, 2023

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On November 26, 2023

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Who will win Taiwan’s presidential election?
2. Will Geer Wilders be the next Dutch prime minister?
3. Can Argentina really move from the peso to the dollar?
4. Should the British government call for an early election?
5. Will Israel have to occupy Gaza when its war with Hamas is finished?
6. What would be the geopolitical impacts of a Western abandonment of Ukraine?
7. Does Mercosur have a future?
8. Will the Essequibo lead to war between Venezuela and Guyana?
9. Has the EU undermined Spain’s territorial integrity?
10. Will the next military coup in Africa take place in Chad?

2023 Glenbrooks: Kumar Defeats 100 Competitors to Claim Championship, Denies Peddi Championship Final Round Return

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On November 25, 2023

In National Circuit Results

101 extempers converged on Northbrook, Illinois to participate in the 44th edition of the Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament, the first third tier tournament in this year’s National Points Race.

After four rounds of preliminary competition and three outrounds, #14 Lishore Kumar of Tomball Memorial High School (TX) emerged victorious, defeating #2 Sruti Peddi of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ) by three ranks. Kumar took three of the five available first place ranks in the final round, while Peddi took three of the five available second place ranks. Both competitors also had a fourth and fifth place rank dot their final composites.

This was Kumar’s second final round appearance at a National Points Race tournament this year. Kumar placed fourth at the New York City Invitational last month.

Peddi finish second at last year’s Glenbrook as well. Her finish this year marks the third time that Peddi has been in a National Points Race final round, more than any other extemper in the country. Her finishes have gradually improved as she took fourth at the UK Speech and Debate Season Opener in September and third at Yale.

Kumar is the first Texas extemper to win the Glenbrooks in five years. Kate Fisher of St. Mary’s Hall won the tournament in 2017.

Texas had two other final round participants. #11 Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX), who took third at the Florida Blue Key last month, finished third and Tyler Crivella of Seven Lakes High School (TX) finished fourth. Crivella was just one rank back of Zhang for third place.

Like Peddi, Crivella was in last year’s Glenbrooks final round and he placed third at that competition.

NSDA International Extemp finalist Rohit Vakkalagadda of Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA), who finished seventh in last year’s National Points Race, finished fifth in his first National Points Race final round appearance this season.

Sixth place was earned by Claire Han of Munster High School (IN). Although Han ended up at the back of the final round she was only three ranks away from Zhang’s third place finish, showing how close the final round was after Kumar and Peddi absorbed most of the top ranks.

The Harker School (CA) also had an impressive showing for its team, placing three extempers in semi-finals. This strong showing was put together by Joy Hu, Kashish Priyam, and Gordy Sun.

Some ranked extempers were in the Glenbrooks elimination rounds but fell short of finals. These included #15 Skyler Burrus of American Heritage School-Palm Beach (FL), #15 Arya Goyal of Scarsdale High School (NY), #15 Elizabeth Ovelil of Desert Vista High School (AZ), and #20 Sumedh Seetharam of Scottsdale Preparatory Academy (AZ), all of whom were knocked out in quarter-finals.

Since Glenbrooks was a third tier tournament, all of the extempers who reached elimination rounds will earn National Points Race points. Kumar earns 100 points for winning.

Here are the results of the 2023 Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

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Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of November 20-26, 2023

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On November 21, 2023

In Quiz

Here is this week’s news quiz.  Good luck!

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 20-26, 2023

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On November 19, 2023

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Should Russia hold international agreements hostage to get a solution to its favor in Ukraine?
2. Has Saudi Arabia lost control of the global oil market?
3. Would political turnover in Israel help or hinder its war against Hamas?
4. Who will be the next prime minister of the Netherlands?
5. Is the UN failing the peoples of Sudan?
6. Why did Liberian President George Weah lose his re-election bid?
7. Is David Cameron return to the British cabinet a sign of the Conservative Party’s strength or weakness?
8. What steps should Sweden take to tackle growing gang violence?
9. Will Kenya ever deploy its police force to Haiti?
10. Should Costa Rica reduce its welfare state?

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