Tournament likes and dislikes

[valerie renegar <vrenegar@darwin.cc.nd.edu>]

These are the things we liked:
-transportation.  We appreciate the offer even if we do not utilize the service.
-tournament books that provide restaurant recommendation and price ranges, maps, 
lexis numbers, and things to do if it is a fun place.
-food provided by the tournament.  It makes lunch easy and the next round get off
 on time.
-food provided or a lunch break scheduled on elimination round day.  The day when
 people need to be thinking the clearest is the day we starve them?  Doesn't make
 much sense.
-breakfast foods besides donuts.  Bagels, granola, any escape from the continual 
sugar high.
-The option of round eight or double octofinals on day two of elims.
-Three day tournaments.
-Awards dinner instead of the awards brunch that is usually too early in the morn
ing.
-Social gatherings for the students.
-The tournament hotel within walking distance (USC, UCO) and that provides contin
ental breakfast.
-Usable speaker awards.  We think the K-State T-shirts are great, as well as USC'
s glass mugs.
-Usable team awards and charitable contributions.  Our support of the IMPACT foun
dation might help bring more people into our activity.  That is better than any s
ilver platter.
-Mutual preference judging and a listing of peopleUs preference rates included wi
th the cume sheets.  Maybe some people who think they are good judges might feel 
differently when they realize how few people look forward to debating in front of
 them, or perhaps it will give others the security of knowing they are respected 
by the debaters at the tournament.
-Case disclosure lists.
-The photocopied ballot instead of the three copy version.  It is much easier to 
read.
-Innovative awards ceremonies.  The Long Beach karoke contest is the best one we 
can think of.
-Quick reporting of results to the CEDA-L.  Its great to get home and find out wh
o won that night.

These are some things we disliked about the tournaments we attended this year.
-Individual events being run in the breaks in the same rooms.  This just seems to
 create cranky people on both sides.
-More than 4 prelim rounds in one day.
-Early starts.  Our preference would be to start at 11:00, and stay later.
-Long breaks between rounds.  Anything over an hour, and with three of these in o
ne day, the day lasts forever and everyone is tired.
-Unqualified judges.  Flipping a coin without listening to the debate is not the 
way to adjudicate a round.
-Strict enforcement of a forfeiture rule.  Especially in three circumstances:
1)When buildings are at least a fifteen minute walk away
2)When pairings come out late
3)When last minute judge substitutions are made and the coach is not given time t
o modify strategy in light of this new judging.
-The final round held in a tiny room with not much room for judges and no room fo
r observers.
-lag powered rounds at 6 round tournaments.


These are just some of the things that we thought of.  I hope that they are helpf
ul in planning next years tournaments, and in sparking discussion.

Thanks for listening,
Val Renegar and the Notre Dame Debate Squad

My word processing program doesn' translate to email well.  Thanks for muddling
through.-V.

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