Extemp Central

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1. Will the U.S. economy experience a recession by the end of 2016?
2. What is to blame for the recent police shootings of African-American suspects?
3. Does Hillary Clinton need a progressive or moderate vice-president?
4. Can the U.S. afford to give free college education to all Americans?
5. What regulations should be imposed on stem cell clinics?
6. Are federal, state, and local authorities doing enough to prevent forest fires?
7. What changes does the State Department need to make with regards to the handling of classified information?
8. Will the Dallas shootings do significant damage to Black Lives Matter?
9. What implications would a Paul Ryan primary loss have on the 2016 midterm elections?
10. Would Newt Gingrich be a good vice-presidential pick for Donald Trump?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 11-17, 2016

By geniao44446

On July 11, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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1. Should Finland join NATO?
2. Is Southeast Asia fertile ground for the Islamic State?
3. Would the Middle East be more stable with an independent Kurdistan?
4. Is Mauricio Macri doing enough to sell economic reforms to the Argentinian public?
5. How should Rodrigo Duterte direct Filipino foreign policy toward China?
6. What does the Brazilian government need to do to combat gang violence in major cities?
7. How will the Chilcot Report affect future British foreign policy decision making?
8. Would a significant economic downturn endanger the rule of the Chinese Communist Party?
9. Will Italy be the next European country to seriously contemplate an exit from the European Union?
10. Should IMF allow the Zimbabwean economy to collapse?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 4-10, 2016

By geniao44446

On July 4, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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1. Will the Rio Olympics be a disaster?
2. Should CEOs take stands on political issues?
3. Has the Pakistani military permanently suppressed militant activity in North Waziristan?
4. What are the security implications of the Black Sea becoming a “Russian lake”?
5. Is Aung San Suu Kyi doing enough to rein in Buddhist extremists?
6. What effect will inconclusive elections have on the Australian economy?
7. Should the British Labour Party oust Jeremy Corbyn?
8. Are ISIS’s recent attacks a sign of desperation?
9. Should Great Britain hold a revote on the Brexit issue?
10. What does Bangladesh need to do to better combat radical Islamic terrorism?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of July 4-10, 2016

By geniao44446

On July 4, 2016

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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1. How valuable is the South China Sea to American national interests?
2. Should the U.S. work more closely with Russia in resolving the Syrian Civil War?
3. How much money should Congress spend on combating Zika?
4. Will California’s gun control package become a model for other states?
5. What should the U.S. do for the “victims” of free trade?
6. How significant was the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion rights?
7. Are drone strikes becoming a problem for America’s image abroad?
8. Can Democrats count on significant numbers of Hispanic votes in 2016?
9. Has Bill Clinton compromised the integrity of the government’s investigation into Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation?
10. How can Donald Trump broaden the appeal of his populist message to the African-American community?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 27-July 3, 2016

By geniao44446

On June 27, 2016

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

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1. Is it time to privatize elements of Social Security?
2. Should those on the federal “no fly” list be allowed to purchase firearms?
3. If you were advising U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, what advice would you give him to retain his Senate seat in 2016?
4. Should prisoners be eligible for Pell Grants?
5. Can the Libertarian Party win more than 5% of the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election?
6. Will Marco Rubio win re-election to the Senate?
7. Has President Obama weakened America’s border protections?
8. Will the Brexit cause the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates the same for the rest of 2016?
9. How can states encourage more people to go into the teaching profession?
10. Should Hillary Clinton make Elizabeth Warren her vice presidential nominee?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 27-July 3, 2016

By geniao44446

On June 27, 2016

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

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1. Will the Brexit lead to the end of the United Kingdom?
2. How can the Somali government better combat al-Shabab?
3. Should Raghuram Rajan receive another term as governor of the Reserve Bank of India?
4. What terms should the European Union offer to Great Britain in exit negotiations?
5. How can the Democratic Alliance break the ANC’s hold on power in South Africa?
6. Who will become Great Britain’s next prime minister?
7. Are Mexico’s judicial reforms working?
8. How can Europe find strategic relevance in Asia?
9. What impact will the expansion of the Panama Canal have on global trade?
10. Is the OAS a failed organization?

Site News: Summer Schedule

By geniao44446

On June 20, 2016

In Site News

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Due to a personal vacation, there will be no updates on Extemp Central this week. The exception to this is that the final standings for the National Points Race will be released late on Friday.

During the summer, Extemp Central will be updating our state champions list, putting together the qualification board for the 2017 University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the 2017 Extemp TOC, and will still release practice questions on Monday’s.

Regular content will resume on August 1, which is the official beginning of the 2016-2017 season.

Extemp Central thanks all of our readers for 2015-2016 and we look forward to covering another great season in several months!

2016 NSDA Nationals: Sloane Denies Graham’s “Double” in IX; Cash Cruises in USX

By geniao44446

On June 17, 2016

In Nationals Results

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Two new national champions in International and United States Extemp were crowned a little more than an hour ago in Salt Lake City, Utah at the 2016 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament.

In International Extemp, Marshall Sloane narrowly overtook National Points Race winner Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) in the final round to win his first major championship. For the second consecutive year Graham carried a lead into the final round, but was once again upended by the final round winner as Sloane won it by six ranks (after high/low were dropped). This gave him a three rank margin of victory, thereby making him the first junior to win International Extemp in four years and the first Massachusetts extemper to win an NSDA extemp championship since 2008.

Graham was trying to become the fourth extemper in history to win the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) National Tournament and the NSDA National Tournament in the same season year. He ends his season by finishing second at three of the year’s four majors while winning one of them.

In United States Extemp, Micah Cash of Tulsa Washington High School (OK) cruised to a double-digit victory, assisted by an eleven rank win in the final round. Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX) placed second. Cash is the second extemper from Tulsa Washington to win U.S. Extemp in the last four years and his win gives the school three victories in the category over the last four NSDA national tournaments. A school has not had this level of dominance in an extemp category at NSDA since the IX/USX split in the mid-1980s.

Jacob Thompson of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA) was the highest placing non-senior in U.S. Extemp. He finished the tournament in third plac

For the first time since 2011 the winners of each category won their respective final rounds, thereby preventing a “split” between the overall winner and the final round winner.

Here are the result from the 2016 National Speech and Debate Association National
Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

2016 NSDA Nationals: IX & USX Semi-Finalist Placings

By geniao44446

On June 17, 2016

In Nationals Results

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Although we await the final placings in International and United States Extemp later this evening, NSDA has already named the exact placings of the semi-finalists in International and United States Extemp.

Included below are the rankings for the semi-finalists in International and United States Extemp at this year’s national tournament. Competitors that are highlighted in blue are non-seniors who have the option of automatically returning to next year’s national tournament in that same extemp category.

2016 NSDA Nationals: IX Final Round Analysis

By geniao44446

On June 17, 2016

In Final Round Analysis

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The 2016 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) International States Extemp final round has concluded. Here is Extemp Central’s brief summary and analysis of this year’s final round. Awards are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. EST this evening and they will be streamed at this link.

Note: 242 extempers competed in International Extemp at this year’s national tournament.

2016 NSDA Nationals: USX Final Round Analysis

By geniao44446

On June 17, 2016

In Final Round Analysis

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The 2016 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) United States Extemp final round has concluded. Here is Extemp Central’s brief summary and analysis of this year’s final round. Awards are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. EST this evening and they will be streamed at this link.

Note: 252 extempers competed in U.S. Extemp at this year’s national tournament.

2016 NSDA Nationals: IX Final Round Preview

By geniao44446

On June 16, 2016

In International Extemp, NSDA News

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This year’s International Extemp final round at the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament will feature the top three competitors in the National Points Race, one of whom is attempting to become just the fourth extemper in history to win the NCFL and NSDA national championships in the same calendar year. The round also features the winners of two of the year’s major tournaments and four state champions. Whereas United States Extemp is dominated by Southwestern states this year, International Extemp is heavily populated by extempers from the East Coast.

The International Extemp final round will follow the U.S. Extemp final, scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. EST tomorrow. The NSDA will live stream the competition and Logan Scisco and Josh Wartel will break down the round after it concludes. Extempers are also invited to make their comments about the round when tomorrow’s post-round commentary is posted.

2016 NSDA Nationals: USX Final Round Preview

By geniao44446

On June 16, 2016

In NSDA News, U.S. Extemp

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Tomorrow’s United States Extemp final round holds great potential tomorrow, as all six competitors are ranked in the top twenty-five of the National Points Race. The round will feature the winners of some of the year’s biggest national circuit competitions and four state champions. All of the participants were also competitors at this year’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, producing what might be the first all-MBA final in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) history.

The round will take place at 11:30 a.m. EST tomorrow, with the NSDA live streaming the competition. Extemp Central will provide a recap once it concludes, with Logan Scisco and Josh Wartel, both of whom were U.S. Extemp final round national champions (2003 and 2015), providing insight. Additional comments are welcome in the comment section.

2016 NSDA Nationals: Friday’s Finalists Are Announced!

By geniao44446

On June 15, 2016

In NSDA News

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The field for Friday’s final rounds of International and United States Extemp at the 2016 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament have been set in Salt Lake City, Utah with six competitors in each category outlasting more than 200 of their fellow competitors.

International Extemp made history as the top three competitors in the National Points Race – Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL), Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ), and Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA) – all advanced to Friday’s finals. This is the first time since the National Points Race debuted in 2008-2009 that an NSDA final round will include the top three ranked extempers. Shreetika Singh of Seven Lakes High School (TX) successfully went one round farther than she did last year, breaking through into the NSDA final round for the first time. Also advancing were Charlie Barton of Regis High School (NY) and Nikhil Ramaswamy of Jasper High School (TX). Ramaswamy and Sloane are the two non-senior extempers in the final round.

United States Extemp is also shaping up to be a tough, competitive round in its own right. In fact, all of the extempers in the final round are in the top twenty-five of the National Points Race, which is the first time that this has occurred. Those advancing were Glenbrooks champion Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX), two-time St. Mark’s winner Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK), Harvard winner Katherine Hu of Plano Senior High School (TX), Extemp TOC champion Brian Xu of San Marino High School (CA), Neil Patel of Plano West Senior High School (TX), and Jacob Thompson of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA). Hu, Thompson, and Xu are the non-seniors competing in the USX final. Webb will be making his second appearance in an NSDA final round.

One of the notables that did not advance was Samhitha Sunkara of Ardrey Kell High School (NC). Sunkara was ranked seventh in the National Points Race and was trying to make the final rounds of both national tournaments this year. Graham was the only extemper to accomplish that feat this season. However, Sunkara will have another crack at finaling next year as she is not a senior.

According to the NSDA’s final round schedule, the final round of U.S. Extemp will take place at 11:30 a.m. EST and International Extemp will follow at 1:00 p.m. EST. The final rounds will be streamed live and extempers can watch them at this link. Extemp Central will provide a recap of the final rounds after they conclude, and as we announced on our Facebook and Twitter pages, Josh Wartel, two-time major champion and last year’s U.S. Extemp final round national champion, will provide additional insight into the rounds.

Check back late tomorrow afternoon for Extemp Central’s preview of each final round.

2016 NSDA Nationals: Fourteen Remain in IX & USX; Two 2015 Semi-Finalists Drop in Quarter-Finals

By geniao44446

On June 15, 2016

In NSDA News

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After ten rounds, International and United States Extemp have only fourteen competitors remaining. Six competitors will be left standings after the next two rounds and will be this year’s National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) national finalists for 2016. The next two rounds will feature five judge panels and two minute cross-examination.

The top three competitors in this year’s National Points Race stayed alive in International Extemp. Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ), who was a semi-finalist in IX two years ago, returns to the round of eleven, while Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA) is in the midst of his deepest run at the NSDA National Tournament. Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) also advanced. In addition, Shreetika Singh of Seven Lakes High School (TX), who placed seventh at last year’s nationals in IX, returns to the semi-final round for the second consecutive year. However, quarter-finals was not as kind to other members of the National Points Race as Jarrek Holmes of Kent Denver School (CO), Christopher Mayer of Montville Township High School (NJ), and California Invitational winner Matthew Zheng of Mira Loma High School (CA) failed to advance. Also, Roman Shemakov of McClintock High School (AZ), who placed eleventh in IX at last year’s nationals, was eliminated.

United States Extemp also had its fair share of notable eliminations, with two of the biggest coming from Trinity Preparatory. National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) finalist Varun Bhatia was knocked out, as was Nathaniel Saffran, who was a seventh place finisher in USX at last year’s nationals. Major names remained alive, though, such as Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX), who is seeking another opportunity to speak in the final round, Harvard winner Katherine Hu of Plano Senior High School (TX), Extemp TOC champion Brian Xu of San Marino High School (CA), and last year’s semi-finalists Neil Patel of Plano West Senior High School (TX) and Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK).

Texas is the state with the most semi-finalists, with five competitors advancing to round eleven. California had the second-largest contingent with four.

Ten non-seniors qualified for the semi-final round, meaning that they will receive automatic qualifications to next year’s NSDA National Tournament. These competitors, who are listed in blue below, will also receive automatic qualifications to the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) next year in Lexington, Kentucky.