1. Is NATO suffering from “brain death”?
2. Was Evo Morales’ resignation a victory for Bolivian democracy?
3. Is growing political fragmentation making it harder to govern European countries?
4. Should the IMF look to replicate its success in Jamaica with other borrower nations?
5. What will the next Spanish government look like?
6. Do leftist politicians have the answers for what ails Latin America?
7. What can India do to fix revive its manufacturing sector?
8. Should European governments allow Islamic State militants to return home?
9. Will Iran possess a nuclear bomb within the next five years?
10. Is it in Taiwan’s best interest to have close economic ties to China?
This week’s local results include competitions from Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Ohio. We also have the results of the Bradley University’s L.E. Norton Invitational.
If you would like us to post the results of your event, please send them along to [email protected].
Report provided courtesy of Daniel Kind
In Gainesville, Florida on Halloween weekend, the 36th annual Florida Blue Key tournament took place. As per usual with Blue Key, the tournament was held with clean breaks. Differing from the usual, however, was the combining of the International Extemp and Domestic Extemp Section. This Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking pool drew in 120 competitors all over the nation, from California to Tennessee.Juliette Reyes from the American Heritage School (FL) picked fenced the final round, earning straight 1st place rankings from the three judges in the final to win the tournament. Gus Lanz of Cypress Bay High School (FL) came in 2nd place. Right on his heels and separated by a margin of one rank, Mo Marks from Theodore Roosevelt High School (IA) earned 3rd place. Mary Courtney Finn, hailing from the Battle Ground Academy (TN) came in 4th place. Meanwhile Bhrajit Thakur of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) and Sinan Kassim from the NSU University School (FL) finished out the finalists in 5th and 6th place respectively.
In other news, congratulations to Mo Marks for getting 1st place and Juliette Reyes for getting 2nd place in the Blue Key Extemp Round Robin. Additionally, congratulations to the other Round Robin participants, Bhrajit Thakur, Sil Gamboa Marty, Mukta Dharmapurikar, Gus Lanz, and Daniel Kind.
Blue Key is another fifth tier tournament in the 2019-2020 Extemp Central National Points Race. Reyes earned 40 points for her victory, while Lanz attained 34, Marks gained 28, Finn scored 20, Thakur got 16, and Kassim accrued 13 points.
Here are the results of the 2019 Florida Blue Key (Click here for tab sheet):
1. Are Iraqi prison camps becoming a new breeding ground for Islamic extremism?
2. Should Brazil seek a closer relationship with China?
3. Will the next British general election resolve the Brexit question for good?
4. Could tensions between Colombia and Venezuela eventually lead to war?
5. Will Alberto Fernandez be able to fix what ails the Argentinian economy?
6. What does Russia seek in a multipolar world?
7. Are developing nations too vulnerable to cyber attacks?
8. Will Saad Hariri’s resignation satisfy Lebanon’s protesters?
9. Could global efforts to contain climate change and limit fossil fuel consumption cause political havoc in the Middle East?
10. Is rising regional inequality a threat to global stability?
1. Can Kayne West become the vehicle for another religious “Great Awakening” in the United States?
2. Is the next Democratic debate a “must win” for Joe Biden?
3. How can Pete Buttigieg grow his support among African-American voters?
4. Will the recent Chicago teacher strike hurt Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s political standing?
5. Was Representative Katie Hill’s resignation a victory or a setback for the #MeToo movement?
6. Does the U.S. Congress need to rein in presidential powers?
7. How might Paul Singer’s activism affect AT&T’s future operations?
8. Should New York close Rikers Island?
9. Has the American public turned its back on international military engagement?
10. Should progressive politicians embrace free trade?
This week’s local results include competitions from California, Kentucky, and Massachusetts, and a handful of college tournaments from the Midwest and East Coast.
If you would like us to post the results of your event, please send them along to [email protected] .
1. What does Joe Biden need to do to turn his presidential campaign around?
2. Does the U.S. need to remain a party to the Open Sky treaty?
3. Are Democrats building positive momentum toward an impeachment of President Trump?
4. Does the FAA need to create more regulations on the use of drones by private companies?
5. Who will win Kentucky’s gubernatorial election?
6. Will the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi provide a major political boost to President Trump?
7. Should the U.S. revert its foreign policy to a Cold War mentality with regards to China?
8. Is it time for the U.S. to cease its role as the world’s policeman?
9. Should homeschooling be banned?
10. Does California need to do more to protect the state power grid?
1. Will the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi do significant damage to ISIS?
2. Is Russia a paper tiger?
3. How can Argentina reduce its acceleration rate of inflation?
4. Is Narendra Modi doing enough to fix India’s economic system?
5. Were the recent Canadian elections a victory for Justin Trudeau?
6. Was Bolivia’s recent presidential election legitimate?
7. Should North Korea walk away from talks with the United States?
8. Has Jokowi’s presidency been a disappointment?
9. Does the EU need to reform itself before it accepts new member?
10. What challenges does the Mexican economy currently face?
At the end of each week, Extemp Central will provide a listing of results from the various local circuits around the country. One of the things we would like to get back to is some more coverage of events taking place on the national circuit and locally, so this is a way for extempers to see what is going on elsewhere, as well as the college ranks.
This week we have results from Texas, Kentucky, and Oregon, as well as a few college tournaments.
If you would like us to post the results of your event, please send them along to [email protected] .
Report and images courtesy of Daniel Kind.
On a rainy weekend in the middle of of October, anxious extempers gathered in the Bronx for the 49th annual New York City Invitational held at the Bronx School of Science. With 83 entries in the tournament, the elimination round was hotly contested. As seems to be the precedent this season, the tournament was cumulative with a preliminary drop round.
Pranav Pattatahunaduvil of Plano West High School (TX) triumphed the tournament by a long shot, with a margin of eight ranks separating him from second place finisher – and teammate – Angela Wang also from Plano West High School (TX). Jack Silvers of Scarsdale High School (NY) and James Gao from Ridge High School (NJ) were tied for third and fourth places respectively, yet Silvers pulled away by a margin of 0.03 reciprocals to win the tiebreaker. Tristan Wertanzl of Cypress Bay High School (FL) earned fifth place and Leyla Hagan from Syosset High School (NY) finished in sixth.
Due to The NYC Invitational being a fifth tier tournament in the Extemp Central National P by oints race, Pattatahunaduvil gets on the board with 40 points. Wang earned 34 points, Silvers got 28, Gao accrued 20, Wertanzl scored 16, and Hagan got 13. (Editor’s Note: The first National Points Race standings for 2019-2020 will be released follow the Florida Blue Key)
Here are the results of the 2019 New York City Invitational (Click Here for Tab Sheet):
1. Is Russia replacing the United States as the major foreign presence in the Middle East?
2. Will Turkey’s invasion of Syria cause a rebirth of ISIS?
3. What economic reforms does South Africa need?
4. Are the aims of the Extinction Rebellion protesters realistic?
5. Is India’s banking sector putting the country on the brink of financial collapse?
6. Can the United Nations push nations to act more on climate change?
7. Is Bolivia better off without Evo Morales?
8. Should Japan abolish its monarchy?
9. Will the imprisoning of Catalan nationalists avert future crises over Catalan secession?
10. Should Peter Handke lose his Nobel prize?
1. If Elizabeth Warren becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, who should she pick for vice-president?
2. Should the U.S. support the creation of an independent Kurdistan?
3. Will the Squad’s endorsement help Bernie Sanders regain his footing in the Democratic presidential primary?
4. Does the U.S. need greater media regulations?
5. Should American high schools have later start times?
6. Is the U.S. in the midst of a constitutional crisis?
7. Should private prisons be abolished?
8. Can the U.S. end birthright citizenship without a constitutional amendment?
9. How will the Supreme Court rule in Altitude Express v. Zarda?
10. Should big pharmaceutical companies be held liable for the ongoing opiod crisis?
Jacqueline Wei competed for Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, and graduated in 2019. She is the 2018 & 2019 NSDA USX national champion & President’s Bowl winner, the 2019 MBA champion, the 2018 Texas and 2019 UIL State champion, and the 2019 Northwestern Extemporaneous TOC champion. She is currently a first-year student at Harvard University and plans to study applied math and economics.
Jacqueline kindly agreed to talk with Extemp Central about her career, sharing her thoughts on how younger extempers could improve as well as the future of the activity.
1. What would it take for Republicans to abandon President Trump in a Senate impeachment trial?
2. Will the UAW win its recent strike against General Motors?
3. Should the NBA cease its operations in China?
4. Did President Trump score major political points withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria?
5. Does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity?
6. Is America’s trade war against China unwinnable?
7. Does the U.S. have a role to play in the Colombian peace process?
8. Should the GOP embrace isolationism as its primary foreign policy position?
9. Are technology services becoming a threat to public safety?
10. Does President Trump have the constitutional authority to refuse to cooperate with the House’s impeachment inquiry?
1. Who is Europe’s foreign policy leader?
2. Why are Iraqis becoming more disillusioned with their government?
3. How should NATO respond to Turkey’s invasion of Syria?
4. Should Ecuador reinstate fuel subsidies?
5. What is to blame for growing global restrictions on asylum seekers?
6. Does the rise of Kurdish nationalism spell greater instability for the Middle East?
7. If Boris Johnson abandoned the idea of Brexit, would it do major damage to the Conservative Party?
8. Could Hong Kong’s protests create political problems in Thailand?
9. Can Abiy Ahmed leverage his Nobel Peace Prize to create more positive changes for Ethiopia?
10. Will the PiS win Poland’s upcoming elections?