Extemp Central

Last weekend Stanford University hosted its 37th Annual Stanford Invitational. Like last year, the event took place in a virtual environment but this year’s event kept the tournament’s traditional name. The tournament allowed extempers to dabble in International and United States Extemp because each category took place in different flights. 53 extempers entered the tournament in Varsity International Extemp and 60 extempers entered in Varsity United States Extemp.

In International Extemp, Aidan Marks of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (MN) narrowly defeated #2 Theodore Gercken of the College Preparatory School (CA) by two ranks in a split final round. Among the five finals judges, Marks took two first place ranks but a third place rank and two fourth place ranks. Gercken captured one first place rank but an errant sixth place rank doomed his overall composite score in what was his sixth National Points Race final round appearance of the season.

#10 Charlotte Reitman of the University School (FL) finished third after managing to get a first place rank and two second place ranks. But Reitman’s chances of winning the tournament were dashed by taking a fifth and sixth place rank.

Nathan Cai of Brophy College Preparatory (AZ) took the last remaining first place rank in the final round, also securing a second and third place rank. However, picking up a sixth place rank caused him to finish tied with Reitman and he lost a judges’ preference tiebreaker 4-1.

The last two finalists in International Extemp came from the Harker School (CA) as Joy Hu finished four ranks behind Cai for fifth. This was five ranks better than teammate Michelle Jin, who placed sixth.

In United States Extemp, the Harker School dominated. Jin and Hu reversed their fortunes from International Extemp, taking first and second place, respectively. Jin overcame a sixth place rank in finals after capturing two first place ranks, defeating Hu by two ranks.

Jin and Hu’s Harker teammates Gordy Sun and Kashish Priyam finished third and fourth. Sun and Priyam were making their second National Points Race final round appearances this season as Sun was a third place finisher in IX at the James Logan MLK last month and Priyam was the runner-up in USX there was well.

All of the Harker School’s extempers took every available first place rank in the USX final round.

Ali Malik of Monta Vista High School (CA) finished fifth in USX, one rank behind Priyam. Malik defeated Lakshya Chaudhry of Vancouver Debate Academy (Canada) on a judges’ preference tiebreaker 3-2.

There were several ranked competitors in the National Points Race that did not clear to the final round of IX or USX. #6 Sruti Peddi of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ) reached semi-finals in both categories, while #13 Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory (CA) reached the semi-final round of IX. IX runner-up Gercken also went out in the quarter-final round of USX.

All of the finalists will receive National Points Race points since Stanford was a fifth tier event. Jin and Hu will receive credit for their USX finishes instead of their IX finishes because they did better in USX. For their victories, Marks and Jin will receive 40 points.

With regards of TOC qualifications, all semi-finalists will receive a bid leg to the Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. All finalists receive a bid leg to the University of Kentucky TOC.

Here are the results of the 2023 Stanford Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):

Read More

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

Read More

1. What does the future of European energy look like?
2. Should the EU open formal membership negotiations with Ukraine?
3. Has the Erdogan government effectively responded to the Kahramanmaras earthquake?
4. Is North Korea running out of foreign policy options?
5. Should Bolsonaro return to Brazil?
6. Is the Arctic the next major battleground between global powers?
7. What does Israel need to do to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords?
8. Should China abandon the Belt & Road Initiative?
9. Is the AUKUS alliance working?
10. Should stratospheric aerosol injections be used to combat climate change?

1. Has President Biden’s foreign policy been too erratic?
2. Will U.S. consumer spending levels decline in the next economic quarter?
3. Should Chinese companies be barred from owning U.S. farmland?
4. What should the U.S. do to ends its nursing shortage?
5. Does the U.S. need to make more investments in its air defense networks?
6. Should states loosen child labor laws to deal with worker shortages?
7. Was President Biden’s State of the Union speech a success?
8. Should “medical aid-in-dying” laws be made universal throughout the United States?
9. Will the growing legalization of sports gambling create new hardships for the U.S. working class?
10. Should Congress repeal the Iraq war authorization?

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

Read More

Two weeks ago, the Barkley Forum on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia drew one of the largest extemp fields of the year. 91 extempers dueled it out for this year’s championship, which culminated in a showdown of highly ranked extempers in this year’s National Points Race.

And just like at the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin at the beginning of the month, #1 McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ) kept her season-long unbeaten streak intact, defeating #21 Jack Ververis of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) by seven ranks in the final round. It marks Paltzik’s fifth victory at a National Points Race event this season.

It would not be a national circuit extemp event without Plano West Senior High School (TX) getting some of its competitors through to the final round. This time, it got two extempers through to the last round and #6 Gabriel Bo took third and #3 Kyle Letterer took fourth.

#2 Theodore Gercken of the College Preparatory School (CA) notched his fifth final round at a National Points Race event of the year. He finished in fifth place.

Faye Zhang of Eastview High School (MN), an MBA invitee last season, was the sixth place finisher.

Notable extempers that were eliminated in semi-finals included #8 Pierce McDade of the University School (IL) and #13 Charlotte Reitman of the University School (FL). Notables that went out in quarter-finalists included #4 Phoena Lin of Plano West, #5 Sruti Peddi of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ), and #12 Sydney Carroll of Battle Ground Academy (TN).

Paltzik is the first extemper from Arizona to win the Barkley Forum at least as far back as 2000, which is how far Extemp Central’s history of the tournament goes.

All of the extempers who reached the semi-final round and beyond earn National Points Race points. Paltzik earns 70 points for her victory.

All of the semi-finalists at the tournament earned a bid leg to this year’s Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. They also earn a bid leg to the University of Kentucky TOC.

Here are the results from the 2023 Barkley Forum (Click here for tab sheet):’

Read More

1. Did the Biden administration appropriately respond to the Chinese spy balloon?
2. Should the U.S. provide fighter jets to Ukraine?
3. Will the DNC’s alterations to its primary calendar cost it New Hampshire in 2024?
4. Should Karine Jean-Pierre be replaced as White House Press Secretary?
5. How could Nikki Haley capture the 2024 Republican presidential nomination?
6. Will the mainstream American media ever regain the trust of the public?
7. To what degree did Governor Ron DeSantis win his fight with the College Board over AP African American Studies?
8. Should entertainment awards continue to divide acting categories by gender?
9. How will artificial intelligence affect the lives of Americans over the next decade?
10. Should the U.S. put more money into nuclear fusion research?

1. What signal was China sending to the U.S. with its spy balloon?
2. Should the British Conservative Party roll back Brexit?
3. Why has Argentina failed to tame its inflation crisis?
4. Will Pope Francis’ African visits provide a boost for LGBTQ+ rights across Africa?
5. Should Australia become a republic?
6. Are neighboring countries making Peru’s democratic crisis worse?
7. Have Western oil sanctions on Russia failed?
8. What should be Pervez Musharraf’s legacy?
9. Has Myanmar’s junta lost control of the country?
10. Is the EAC’s intervention in Eastern Congo falling short of expectations?

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

Read More

1. Should the British government withdraw from the Northern Ireland Protocol?
2. Could the Wagner Group become a threat to Vladimir Putin’s hold on power?
3. Will 2023 be a year of disorder across Central Asia?
4. Does Bangladesh need to loosen restrictions on Rohingya refugees?
5. What steps should the new Brazilian government take to better protect the Amazon?
6. Can India provide significant counter-terrorism assistance to African nations?
7. Should Peru move its elections forward?
8. Are Egypt’s economic difficulties a threat to al-Sisi’s regime?
9. Should Mercosur seek a free trade agreement with China?
10. Who is winning the “shadow war” between Iran and Israel?

1. To what extent will the horrific death of Tyre Nichols impact the debate over police reform?
2. Does Kyrsten Sinema have a path to return to the Senate in 2024?
3. Is the U.S. dangerously escalating the Russia-Ukraine War?
4. Can the Federal Reserve tame inflation without creating a recession?
5. Is the GOP’s FairTax Act a big gift to Democrats?
6. How can the U.S. enhance electric vehicle adoption while simultaneously reducing negative environmental impacts such a policy would have on developing nations?
7. Should Joe Manchin run for president in 2024?
8. Does the U.S. need to alter its present relationship with Ethiopia?
9. Should Congress abolish the debt ceiling?
10. What will be the most important governor’s race of the 2024 cycle?

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

Read More

Last week the Maine Forensic Association hosted its annual State Championship Tournament at Bangor High School. The tournament drew a field of six extempers, who competed across four rounds.

Grant Lapierre of Cape Elizabeth High School won the championship by ten ranks over Carly McCabe of Showhegan Area High School. The win is the first for Cape Elizabeth in the category in five years.

Lawrence High School had two finalists as Stella-moon Devie and Ryder Bernie took third and fourth place.

As per Extemp TOC guidelines, all of the top six finishers earn an automatic qualification to this year’s tournament.

Here are the results from the Maine Forensic Association State Championship (Click here for tab sheet):

Read More

1. Will the placing of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert on the House Oversight Committee hurt the GOP’s 2024 electoral prospects?
2. What is the most important case that the Supreme Court will hear in its next term?
3. Has the Biden administration responded poorly to his mishandling of classified documents?
4. Are criminal charges against Alec Baldwin a case of prosecutorial overreach?
5. Have discipline policies become too lax in America’s schools?
6. Will George Santos serve his full term?
7. To what extent is U.S. inflation driven by corporate profits?
8. How far should the U.S. go in assisting Somalia’s fight against al-Shabab?
9. Should the U.S. begin to treat Mexican cartel leaders the same as terrorists?
10. How would a President DeSantis change American education policy?