[debate-l] USU National Open - BP Tournament, October 2007

Wed Aug 1 21:28:47 CDT 2007

US UNIVERSITIES NATIONAL OPEN

Invitational Tournament in the
British Parliamentary Debate Format

Saturday  Sunday, October 6  7, 2007

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of Claremont McKenna College and the Claremont Colleges Debate
Union, you are cordially invited to attend the US Universities National Open
Debate Tournament, featuring national and international competition in the
British parliamentary format. The tournament is open to US and international
colleges and universities. The event provides an opportunity to participate
in national caliber competition in the BP format.

The tournament features six preliminary debates and up to three elimination
debates. Like other intercollegiate events sponsored by the Claremont
Colleges Debate Union, the tournament will offer genuinely outstanding
competition and judging, beautiful site and facilities, the finest
tournament amenities, and a relaxed schedule and atmosphere.

Registration for the tournament begins on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 12:00
PM (PST). Places will be allocated in order of registration date and time.
Please consider registering early.

If you have any questions or require supplemental information, please do not
hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you this fall for an event
that will be extraordinarily challenging and fun.

Sincerely yours,

John K. Meany
Director of Forensics
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont Colleges Debate Union
Bauer Center
500 East Ninth Street
Claremont, CA  91711
USA
(909) 607-2667
(909) 621-8249 FAX
john.meany at claremontmckenna.edu
www.debate.claremont.edu

Tournament Information

1. Team Entries  Entries open on August 1, 2007, 12:00 PM (PST). The final
deadline for entries is Monday, October 1, 2007, 6:00 PM (PST), although
space may be unavailable at that time. You should register early. You may
change your entry until Tuesday, October 2, at 3:00 PM (PST), after which
all fees will be assessed. Entries are accepted exclusively by email. Send
entries to john.meany at cmc.edu. Please note ³USU Registration² in the subject
line. You will receive an email confirmation within 48 hours. Please confirm
all entries by email or telephone if you do not receive entry verification.

Participants must attend an accredited degree-granting post-secondary
institution. If an individual attends more than one institution, he or she
must register as a participant for the institution granting the higher
degree. Hybrid teams are eligible to participate if they meet the following
guidelines: (1) hybrid entries are restricted to international teams; (2) a
partner must be unavailable at one¹s own institution (e.g., in the case of
representatives from universities A, B, and C, an individual from A may
register with an individual from B. The tournament would not subsequently
accept a registration from another hybrid team from either A or B. If a
later A-C hybrid applied, the tournament would consider that the A members
of A-B and A-C ought be debating together. In addition, because the second
registration revealed that there is an available partner from university A
to match with the first A registrant, the tournament would reserve the right
to disqualify the original A-B pair.)

2. Judges  N-1 rule applies. Judges MUST attend the adjudicator briefing
session. Any adjudicator failing to attend the session will not be permitted
to judge debates and their institution. Those institutions without
sufficient or qualified judges must pay the hired adjudicator fee to
participate in the competition. IMPORTANT  Participating schools must note
any judging conflicts when submitting registration materials. Judges with
conflicts announced at the tournament will not be considered as qualifying
for the pool and schools will be charged double the hired judging fee rate
for the weekend. Please ask your judges for information regarding any and
all conflicts to avoid this problem. [Conflicts include any previous
coaching, debating, financial, or personal association with another
institution or its staff or contestants that may create a bias or the
appearance of a bias]. The tournament director reserves the right to deny
certification to any judge. Teams are not considered to have an entered
judge without tournament approval for the listed judge.

3. Debate Rules and Pairings  Barring an unusual event, e.g., emergency
departure of a team from the tournament, the tournament will follow WUDC
guidelines (http://www.debating.net/wudc/articles&docs/rules.php), with the
following noted exceptions: the tournament will use the WorldTab software;
the tournament will have oral disclosure in all debates; and the tournament
tabulation excel file will be available on request immediately after the
conclusion of the event.

4. Awards  At a minimum, all elimination round teams will receive awards,
as well as speakers at the top of the tab. There are additional, special
awards at the tournament (e.g., as in the past, iPods will be awarded to the
championship team).

5. Event Registration on the opening day of the tournament  Financial and
Attendance Registration will take place in Bauer 31, Claremont McKenna
College. Registration is from 8:15  8:55 AM. Registration will close 5
minutes prior to the adjudicator briefing. Directions to registration are
included. 

6. Travel 
Air Travel Information: If you are arriving by air, you should make
arrangements to arrive at LA/Ontario Airport (formerly named ³Ontario
Airport² but to add to confusion for travelers, the Los Angeles Airport
Authority has added ³Los Angeles² to all regional airports under its control
 LA/Ontario Airport is NOT LAX!) The airport, in the City of Ontario, is
only 10-15 minutes from the City of Claremont. Taxi and shuttle
transportation is approximately $15-25 to Claremont. Driving Directions: To
reach Claremont McKenna College: Take the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10) to
Indian Hill Boulevard (Exit 47). Drive north on Indian Hill Boulevard for
approximately 1 mile to the Arrow Highway. Proceed right to Claremont
Boulevard (second light). Left on Claremont Boulevard for 3/4 mile to the
college entrance at 9th Street. Please park in the first parking lot on the
left  the lot closest to the campus entrance. Bauer Center is directly west
of this parking lot (the same direction that you drove into the campus).
Bauer 31 is located on the second floor of the circular, southern section of
Bauer Center. Do not park in the lot designated ³Faculty/Staff Parking²
immediately adjacent to the Bauer Center. Your vehicle will be towed from
this lot. Tournament registration and activities are on the east side of
Bauer Center (the main campus side of the building, rather than the parking
lot side). Driving Directions from the Doubletree Hotel: Travel east on
Foothill Boulevard (to the left from the front of the hotel, facing Foothill
Boulevard). Turn right on Claremont Boulevard. Right on Claremont Boulevard
for 3/4 mile to the college entrance at 9th Street. Follow the directions
above.

Accommodation Information: The Doubletree Hotel in Claremont has a special
rate for the tournament. The Doubletree is located at 555 W. Foothill
Boulevard at Indian Hill Boulevard, Claremont. The hotel rooms include
high-speed internet connections, 32² LCD flat panel televisions,
refrigerators, and hypoallergenic down bedding (according to its website,
the hotel no longer provides a Œbed¹ to guests  each room now offers a
Œsleep experience.¹) The tournament rate is $105 + tax for a quad room. You
may register online at www.doubletree.com. You may also reserve by phone at
(800) 222-TREE or (909) 626-2411. Rooms are listed under ³CMC Debate.²

There are other excellent hotels and values at LA/Ontario Airport, noted on
myriad websites. These hotels are approximately 10-15 minutes from the
campus by freeway. For those interested in other options in Claremont:
Claremont Lodge, (approximately $65-80 per single/double), 736 S. Indian
Hill Boulevard, Claremont, (909) 626-5654; The Hotel Claremont (formerly the
Ramada Inn, approximately $65-85 per single/double), 840 S. Indian Hill
Boulevard, Claremont, (909) 621-4831; and Howard Johnson Express Inn,
(approximately $65-85 per single/double), 721 S. Indian Hill Boulevard,
(909) 626-2431. These hotels are at the intersection of I-10 and Indian Hill
Boulevard. The Hotel Claremont is south of the freeway; the other hotels are
located north of the freeway. There are restaurants clustered near these
hotels. These are located about 4 miles from the campus.

Contact John Meany with requests for limited crash accommodations.

7. Fees  $90 per team and $25 per judge, coach, and observer for the
extended amenities package (includes select meals, beverages and receptions
throughout the tournament, etc.) The hired judging fee is $150 per team. All
checks are payable to Claremont McKenna College. All fees are due no later
than event registration on Saturday, October 6.

8. Tournament Schedule 

!! Note !!  Adjudicators MUST attend the Saturday adjudicator briefing. Any
adjudicator failing to attend the sessions will not be permitted to judge
debates and their institution MUST pay the hired adjudicator fee to
participate in the competition.

Saturday, October 6
8:15-8:55 AM             Financial Registration and Breakfast
9:00-9:30 AM             Adjudicator Briefing, Bauer Forum
Announcement of Motions in Bauer Forum
9:30 AM                     Round 1
11:30 AM                   Round 2
1:15 PM                      Lunch
2:30 PM                      Round 3
4:30 PM                      Round 4
6:30 PM                      Round 5

Sunday, October 7
8:30 AM                     Breakfast
9:00 AM                     Round 6
11:00 AM                   Elimination Debate 1
1:00 PM                      Awards Presentation
1:15 PM                      Elimination Debate 2
3:15 PM                      Elimination Debate 3

TO ENTER

Email john.meany at cmc.edu with school name, student director/coach name or
other contact information, team entries and judge names, with full names of
each participant. Please use the subject line ³USU Registration.²

You must include the names of all additional attendees‹coaches, judges,
students, observers.
You must designate which persons will be included in the extended amenities
package. Individuals will not be eligible to add the amenities package after
the entry deadline. Those without tickets and other designations will not be
eligible for meals, receptions, and other tournament amenities. Please note
in your registration document if you need to hire judges to cover the entry.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 12:00 PM (PST)
Registration opens. Registration order by date/time. Please consider early
registration. 

Monday, October 1, 2007, 6:00 PM (PST)
Final entry deadline; no entries are permitted after this date and time.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 3:00 PM (PST)
Final entry changes are due; fees are assessed.

Saturday, October 6, 2007 8:15-8:55 AM (PST)
Financial and Attendance Registration  Bauer Center 31 (to participate in
the tournament, teams and adjudicators must be registered at this time)