The National Speech and Debate Tournament is a week-long high school championship forensics competition hosted by the National Forensic League (NFL). It is held annually in early June, and is hosted in a different part of the United States every year, although it tends to be hosted in cities that are amenable to the large influx of students and coaches, and have reasonably-priced accommodations.
Also called "Nationals" by many forensic competitors, the National Tournament involves competition between NFL competitors across the United States; thousands of competitors from across the country attend each year. The 2009 tournament was held in Birmingham, Alabama. The 2010 tournament took place in Kansas City, Missouri. The 2011 tournament took place in Dallas, Texas. A list of all the participants in the latest tournament (as well as several past tournaments), including the unofficial results, is available.
Read more about National Speech And Debate Tournament: Qualifying At The District Level, Competition At The National Tournament
Famous quotes containing the words national, speech and/or debate:
“Our national experience in Americanizing millions of Europeans whose chief wish was to become Americans has been a heady wine which has made us believe, as perhaps no nation before us has ever believed, that, given the slimmest chance, all peoples will pattern themselves upon our model.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)
“If the oarsmen of a fast-moving ship suddenly cease to row, the suspension of the driving force of the oars doesn’t prevent the vessel from continuing to move on its course. And with a speech it is much the same. After he has finished reciting the document, the speaker will still be able to maintain the same tone without a break, borrowing its momentum and impulse from the passage he has just read out.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C)
“My first debate in high school—”Resolved: Girls are no good”—and I won!”
—Donald Freed, U.S. screenwriter, and Arnold M. Stone. Robert Altman. Richard Nixon (Philip Baker Hall)