email : Webview : Our Top 6 Tournament Moments + Final Reminders!

June 15, 2017 | A weekly publication of the National Speech & Debate Association

Dear friend,

We're highlighting our Top 6 National Tournament moments as we approach the kick off to #Nats17. Don't miss our favorites, plus final reminders below. Still have questions? We've got your back. You'll receive a nightly email about what to expect before each day of the tournament begins. Keep an eye on your inbox and see you in Birmingham!

OUR TOP 6 TOURNAMENT MOMENTS

6. Seeing the Excitement at Registration, in the Speech and Debate Store, and Around the Expo!

We love meeting you in person and watching you explore all the tournament has to offer on Sunday (HS Registration Day) and Tuesday (MS Registration).

5. Making Connections at the Education Sessions

We always look forward to watching coaches and students making new friends from across the country! We are thrilled to offer Education Sessions, sponsored by Trinity University, during both High School and Middle School tournament registration.

Click here for the line-up and get ready to expand your network! Can't make it in person? Catch sessions on our livestream, sponsored by the Victory Brief Institute, at www.speechanddebate.org/live/.

4. Celebrating our Award Winners » Nationals provides us with an opporutnity to shine a spotlight on some of our fabulous coaches, administrators, and students who go above and beyond for the speech and debate community. During Friday's National Award Ceremony, we'll recognize the William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year Award winner, sponsored by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, as well as the High School and Middle School Principal of the Year winners, and the High School and Middle School Coach of the Year winners. We can't wait for you to meet these outstanding individuals!

3. Coaches' Caucuses » Last year's inaugural Coaches' Caucuses were a highlight of the week! This year, all are welcome to take part in these valuable discussions, supported by Colorado College. Join the conversation at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in Forum A-B (second floor).

11:00 a.m. – African American/Black Coaches’ Caucus

2:00 p.m. – Hispanic/Latinx Coaches’ Caucus

3:00 p.m. – LGBT+ Coaches’ Caucus

4:00 p.m. – Womxn and Gender Non-conforming Coaches’ Caucus

2. Reactions to Breaks

From the first round of breaks, to the Student Posting Party, to making the main stage in Top 6, we love seeing the looks on competitors' faces when they see their names on the list! Take a look at the schedule for your event in our online tournament book to see when breaks will be announced for high school competitors. We can't wait to see your happy dances!

1. Watching Dreams Come True » Our favorite tournament moment by far is crowning our national champions! Watch the best of the best perform during event finals on Thursday and Friday. Grab your seat to see the high school winners announced at the National Awards Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in the BJCC Concert Hall. And don't miss the next generation of speech and debate powerhouses being announced at the Middle School Awards Ceremony at 4:15 p.m. in the BJCC Theatre. See you there!

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS

HS National Congress Docket Update » Semifinals Legislation Item # S-1, A Resolution to Restrict the Actions of Paramilitary Units, has been removed from the High School National Congress Docket. The updated docket can be found here. We apologize for any inconvenience!

Download the Nats17 Guidebook App » Find everything you need to know during the National Tournament on your phone, for FREE! Simply click here or follow the steps below to download the Nats17 Guidebook app, sponsored by BoutThat.

1. Go to the app store that corresponds with your device and search for “Guidebook.”

2. Follow the prompts on your screen, and Guidebook will download.

3. Open up the Guidebook app on your device to get started. (For desktop users or users with Windows Phones, navigate to guidebook.com/browse in your web browser.)

4. Use the Search box to type in “Nats17.”

5. Tap “Download Guide” to download the guide to your device. You may be prompted to allow push notifications and location services.

Note: We strongly recommend allowing push notifications so you don’t miss any important tournament announcements! Each time you wish to enter the app, click the Guidebook icon and select Nats17 from the My Apps section of the landing page.

Help Increase the Diversity of our Judging Pool! » Semifinal and final round judge panels at the National Tournament have not been reflective of the complete demographic speech and debate serves, nor of the breadth of thought and experience our community has to offer. Without a more diverse judge pool, it is difficult for the NSDA to produce more diverse semifinal and final round judge panels.

In order for these judge pools to live up to the values of inclusion and diversity, we need your help! If there are individuals associated with your school who are highly qualified to judge and who would enhance the diversity of our panels, please consider nominating them by filling out this form for the honor of being a part of the judge pool for the semifinal and final rounds.

Make a Nomination

Shop the Speech & Debate Store at #Nats17 » We will have NEW items and hours this year, so make sure to stop by to celebrate your accomplishment! If you did not pre-order a Nationals t-shirt, we will have additional ones for sale on site, as well as other Nats 2017 items! The store locations and hours are as follows:

Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Sheraton-Birmingham Ballroom II

Tuesday: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Westin Ballroom A-B

Thursday: 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - BJCC Concert Hall at the Center Stage Lounge

Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - BJCC Concert Hall at the Center Stage Lounge

Nats 2017 Pre-Ordered T-Shirts » If you pre-ordered a t-shirt, it must be picked up in Birmingham prior to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 22. T-shirts can be collected outside of registration on Sunday or from one of the store locations above on Tuesday and Thursday.

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