Nationals Newsletter - June 9, 2020
Nationals Newsletter - June 9, 2020

Upcoming Deadlines

  • June 10: Judge training and student site testing access. Duo recordings due. 
  • June 12: Main event speech recordings due. Supplemental speech judging deadline. 

Tomorrow: Open Site Testing for Students

As students have begun logging on to the site to upload their speeches this week, we've identified that the bulk of the issues users are experiencing are one-time problems: forgotten Tabroom.com passwords, running old versions of Zoom, needing to clear cookies, etc. Due to the sheer number of users, it is important that as many of these issues as possible are resolved before competition begins. All students and judges should plan to log in to competition.speechanddebate.org for a few minutes and test the competition site out tomorrow, June 10 between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT.
Students » On June 10, students should practice logging in at competition.speechanddebate.org with their Tabroom.com account, selecting their event from the Wing menu, entering the first room listed, and testing their sound and video to make sure they're ready for competition. 

Student Tabroom Needs

As a reminder, you will need a unique Tabroom.com account linked to your school to access the competition site at competition.speechanddebate.org.

Check out the Online Tournament Book

The Tournament program book is now available online! Check out our livestream schedule, award winners, district ads, and more. There will not be a printed tournament book this year, but you will be mailed your certificates, student ribbons, and pre-ordered T-shirts at the end of June. 

Closing Friday: Main Event Speech Recording Window

The speech recording window closes Friday, June 12. Students should not wait until the last minute to submit recordings in case there is an issue and they require support. To record, students will log in to the competition site at competition.speechanddebate.org using their unique, linked Tabroom.com account, select their event, and record their speech. Students must film and submit their performances on competition.speechanddebate.org; performances cannot be submitted as a separate video file. Once they have their best recording, they will submit their final performance. It will be saved by code in a database within the NSDA competition site. Students will receive a confirmation email that their recording has been submitted and no errors in the upload have been detected. There will be no audit of the uploads by NSDA staff; competitors must check that their recording’s video and audio is working prior to submission. If a competitor does not upload any file during the submission window, they will not be scheduled in the tournament and entry fees will not be refunded. 

Duo Recordings are Due Tomorrow, June 10

Students competing in Duo must submit their recordings through this form by tomorrow, June 10. Recording files must be no longer than 10 minutes and 30 seconds in length and no larger than 250 MB. MP4, MOV, WEBM, 3GPP, 3GPP2, FLV, WMV, and MPEG files will be accepted. More guidelines »

Room Recordings

In rooms, you'll see a flashing red light and a message that the meeting is recording. That's us! We're recording all rounds, but no participants in the room have the ability to record in Zoom for personal use. 

Round Observer Reminder

No virtual in-room observers will be permitted unless specifically permitted for a late elimination round. All competition site access is limited to those who are registered with the tournament in Tabroom.com. If an observer is in the room and refuses to leave, the judges will contact the tournament office through the helpline in the room so a tournament official can remove them. Limiting the number of participants in these rounds is the best way to protect the privacy and security of our students.

Pre-Order Your Exclusive National Tournament Souvenir!

A one-of-a-kind souvenir for a one-of-a-kind tournament! Get your unicorn to celebrate the first ever online National Tournament.

Webinar Watch-List

Check out two new excellent webinars! Debaters can get tips and tricks on succeeding at online debate from Dr. William Jensen, Director of Debate at Trinity University. Featuring a multi-faceted discussion surrounding many aspects of online communication, every speech and debate student will find something new in Eastern New Mexico University's Communication Bootcamp. See the latest webinars »

Follow Along for Updates and Behind-the-Scenes Content!

We'll all miss the in-person connections at the National Tournament, but our social media pages will give you the chance to meet competitors from across the country and hear their stories!
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Connect with Colleges, Explore Camps, and Check Out Team Tools

Don't miss our 2020 Expos! Mark you calendar and plan to join us online for the National Tournament Virtual Expo on Sunday, June 14. Our Virtual Expos provide a safe and organized environment in which coaches, parents, and students can connect with exhibitors and take advantage of great deals. See you there!
Thank you to our sponsors!
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