ARDREY KELL HIGH
SCHOOL
SPEECH AND DEBATE
TEAM HANDBOOK
2014-2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Information
Welcome
Contact Information
Website
Additional Links
Student Expectations
Membership
Practice Requirements
Tournament Sign-Ups
Conduct at Tournaments
Dress Code
Behavior
Student Leadership
Parent Expectations
Requirements
Judging
Communication
2014-2015 Tournament Schedule
GENERAL INFORMATION
WELCOME to North Carolina’s largest forensics team!
Entering our ninth season, Ardrey Kell Speech and Debate is coming off its third
consecutive State Championship. Recently named a School of Honor by the
National Speech and Debate Association, our team is looking to exceed past
success as we strive towards building one of the premier programs in the nation.
With an ever-growing roster of championship-caliber competitors across all
disciplines of speech and debate, our students have created an atmosphere of
excellence that helps them to excel in competition, in the classroom, and in life.
Our alumni regularly matriculate to some of the nation's most prestigious colleges
and universities. The skills that they gain here are invaluable.
We hope that you will join our family this year.
Go Knights!
CONTACT INFORMATION
Head Coach: Chris Harrow
christopherc.harrow@cms.k12.nc.us
Parent Booster Co-Presidents: Windi Brady & Mary Lyons
windi.g.brady@ampf.com
mary@mediavisionds.com
Parent Booster Treasurer: Amy Denny
adenny1@carolina.rr.com
WEBSITE
akspeech.weebly.com
ADDITIONAL LINKS
speechanddebate.org – The National Speech and Debate Association
ncspeechanddebate.org – The Tarheel Forensic League
schools.cms.k12.nc.us/ardreykellHS – Ardrey Kell High School
STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
MEMBERSHIP
The goal of the Speech and Debate Team is to provide an opportunity for active
student participation in Speech and Debate competition and activities. There will
be no try-outs or “cuts” unless needed to comply with specific tournament entry
limits. A student must be in good discipline standing: ANY infraction of Ardrey
Kell or Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools conduct policy could prevent a student
from participation at the determination of the head coach. Decisions will be made
upon consultation with administration, student and parent(s). A student must be
passing in all his or her classes to participate in tournaments: No student that is
not making a minimum of “C” in all his or her classes will be eligible to participate
in tournament competition.
PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS
The practice schedule for 2014-2015 is:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 3:00pm – 4:30pm or as needed. Practices will be
segregated by division (Debate, Speech, Congress) and will be led by coaches
and the appropriate team captains.
Team members are encouraged to attend at least one (1) practice per week. This
time will allow them to work 1-on-1 with coaches and peer captains to develop
their speaking, research, and writing skills in order to excel in their chosen
event(s).
That said, we are all busy! Many of you play a sport, participate in other activities,
take advanced classes, or even do all of the above! We understand that not
everyone will be able to commit his or her time each and every week. Practice is
vitally important, however, both to your personal growth and the growth of our
team, so please try your best to commit the time that you can. Students who
would like to discuss alternate arrangements should speak with Mr. Harrow.
TOURNAMENT SIGN-UPS
The tournament schedule will be posted online at our team website, and
physically on the bulletin board outside Mr. Harrow’s classroom (A-303). Signups will open no later than 1 month prior to the start of any given tournament,
and close no later than 1 week prior. Mr. Harrow will distribute, via email, a list of
events offered and registration requirements for each tournament at the opening
of the sign-up period. Students are to follow these instructions when signing up
for any given tournament. Forms will be available electronically on the team
website and physically from Mr. Harrow.
Certain tournaments where long travel or hotel stays are required will likely have
sign-up periods well in advance of most localized tournaments. Students and
parents must be aware of strict deadlines for these tournaments, as flights,
hotels, etc. must be booked well in advance.
Students and parents must be aware that final registration for a tournament is
contingent upon turning all monies and forms into Mr. Harrow no later than 1
week prior to the tournament date. Failure to do this may disqualify students from
tournament participation.
Failure to attend a tournament once registration is complete will result in a
forfeiture of all monies paid for that tournament, as tournaments charge our team
“drop” fees when students do not show up. Additionally, no student may drop
from a travel tournament once a flight, hotel room, etc. has been booked for that
student barring exceptional extenuating circumstances. These drops must be
discussed with Mr. Harrow and the student’s parent(s). Having a test or project
due is not an extenuating circumstance; all students are responsible for ensuring
they can balance academics and participation before signing up.
CONDUCT AT TOURNAMENTS
Dress Code
Students are expected to dress professionally at all tournaments. Students and
parents should view speechanddebate.org for examples of professional
tournament attire. The following should be avoided in tournament dress:
Open-toed shoes
“Stiletto” style heels, or other shoes that may be difficult to walk or perform in
Low-cut tops
Any “novelty” item, such as a tie covered in sports team logos
Ill-fitting clothing which may be uncomfortable to speak or perform in
Additionally, all hair should be worn in a professional manner and should not
obstruct the student’s face.
All students are expected to remain in tournament dress throughout the duration
of the tournament or until they have been eliminated from competition. Students
receiving awards must be in tournament dress. No student will be allowed onstage at any tournament in casual attire.
Behavior
All team members are governed by rules and regulations of CharlotteMecklenburg Schools and Ardrey Kell High School AT ALL TIMES. Every student
is expected to remain with the team at all times during tournaments. Every
student is expected to respect coaches and/or chaperones and their decisions,
including over-night room assignments and curfews. Failure to remain with the
team or abide by decisions made could result in a student being sent home from
the tournament and/or barred from future tournaments. If a student violates any
CMS or school policies while at a tournament, all information regarding alleged
violations will be submitted to school officials for action as may be warranted.
Cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, or any other illegal substances of any kind cannot and
will not be permitted. Any student found to have used and/or be in possession of
such substances will be subject to discipline by the school system and/or police.
In addition, any student found to have used and/or be in possession of such
substances while in attendance at a tournament will be immediately sent home at
their parent or guardian's expense. No student who violates this policy will be
allowed to participate in any further Speech and Debate activities during the
given school year.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Our Captains and Junior Captains are vital to the success of our program. These
students are responsible for assisting with practices, organizing team events,
recruiting new members and promoting an atmosphere of positivity within the
team. All team members should be able to look to these students as examples of
the very best aspects of our team.
As such, student leaders are expected to dedicate themselves to their roles and
keep in mind the inclusive nature of our program. You have been chosen by your
peers to lead, and it is expected that you will do so.
PARENT EXPECTATIONS
An integral part of every successful Speech and Debate Program is its committed
and passionate parents. It is your dedication to your child’s success that makes it
possible for us to do what we do at the highest level. Thank you!
REQUIREMENTS
When your child joins the Speech and Debate team they will receive access to a
variety of resources that are made available by our Parent Booster Organization.
As such, an annual membership fee is required to be paid to the Boosters prior to
any tournament participation. These dues will be outlined in our annual Parent
Meetings at the beginning of the year, or as needed for new students throughout
the year.
In addition to these initial dues, all tournament fees are the sole responsibility of
a student’s parent(s) or guardian(s). These fees will typically include an entry fee
for the tournament and a transportation fee to cover the bus or flights that we
take. For long travel trips, hotel and rental car fees may also apply. Fees will vary
by each individual tournament due to differences in distance, entry rates, etc.
Outside of the initial Parent Meetings all information about membership dues will
be provided by Parent Booster Organization leaders and/or Mr. Harrow. Please
see the “Contact” page for details on how to get in touch with the Boosters.
All tournament fees will be included in a student’s required paperwork, supplied
by Mr. Harrow during the registration process.
JUDGING
Successful Speech and Debate tournaments are the sum of many parts working
in harmony to provide a great experience for our students. The single most
important of these parts – the one that no tournament can exist without – is a
pool of volunteer judges.
Judging is fun! It is truly the best way to experience up-close what your child is
dedicating many of their Saturdays and countless after school hours to. The wide
range of events guarantees that you will be able to find something that interests
you. Many parents who judge when their child is getting started with their speech
career end up joining our “Saturday family” often. We hope you’ll be one of them!
It is expected that as part of taking an active role in your child’s involvement in
Speech and Debate that you will volunteer to judge at one or more tournaments
at which your child competes this year. As Mr. Harrow opens each new
tournament for registration he will also send out a call for volunteers. It is VITAL
that you keep in mind that if we are not able to meet our judge quota for a
tournament, we will be forced to limit entries and deny participation to some
students. This is unacceptable.
With that in mind, it is the suggestion of the coaches and Parent Boosters that
parent(s) or guardian(s) follow this quota for volunteering:
One (1) tournament judged for every three (3) tournaments attended.
Parent(s) or guardian(s) whose students compete on travel trips should give
special consideration to judging these events.
COMMUNICATION
It is essential that all parent(s) or guardian(s) stay informed about team activities,
paperwork deadlines, registration opportunities, etc. Mr. Harrow will regularly
distribute information via email. You are expected to provide Mr. Harrow with an
email address that you check often – we would hate for a child to miss out on an
opportunity because of a missed communication.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
National Circuit travel tournaments are RED. Championship travel tournaments are
GREEN.
Dates where students could miss partial or full days are italicized.
SEPTEMBER
6 – Myers Park Novice Tutorial (first-year members only)
Myers Park High School, Charlotte NC
8:00 am – 4:00 pm (approx.)
12-14 – Wake Forest National Earlybird (returning members only)
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC
Depart: ~10:30 am Friday Sep. 12 [charter bus]
Students miss 3rd and 4th block on Friday.
Return: Sunday Sep. 14
27 – Pinecrest Open
Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines NC
Depart: ~6:00 am [charter bus]
Return: ~10:00 pm
OCTOBER
4 – North Mecklenburg Viking Classic
North Mecklenburg High School, Huntersville NC
8:00 am – 7:00 pm (approx.)
18 – Bob Jones Invitational
Bob Jones Academy, Greenville SC
Depart: ~6:00 am [charter bus]
Return: ~10:00 pm
NOVEMBER
8-9 – Charlotte Latin “Corona Rostensis”
Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte NC
10:00 am Saturday – 6:00 pm Sunday (approx.)
21-23 – The Glenbrooks (attendance coach’s discretion)
Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools, Chicago IL
Depart: Morning, Friday Nov. 21 [flight]
Students miss all Friday
Return: Sunday Nov. 23
22 – Asheville Cougar Classic
Asheville High School, Asheville NC
Depart: ~6:00 am [charter bus]
Return: ~10:00 pm
DECEMBER
6 – Charlotte Catholic Invitational
Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte NC
8:00 am – 7:00 pm (approx.)
13 – Northwest Guilford Invitational
Northwest Guilford High School, Greensboro NC
Depart: ~7:00 am [charter bus]
Return: ~9:00 pm
JANUARY
9-10 – Laird Lewis Invitational
Myers Park High School, Charlotte NC
5:00 pm Friday – 8:00 pm Saturday (approx.)
11 – Laird Lewis Debate Challenge (invitees only)
~10:00 am – complete Sunday
17-18 – Durham Academy Invitational
Durham Academy, Durham NC
Depart: ~6:00 am Saturday Jan. 17 [charter bus]
Return: ~7:00 pm Sunday Jan. 18
22-25 – The Barkley Forum for High Schools
Emory University, Atlanta GA
Depart: After school, Thursday Jan. 22 [charter bus]
Return: Sunday Jan. 25
FEBRUARY
7 – Southside Invitational
Southside High School, Greenville SC
Depart: ~6:00 am [charter bus]
Return: ~10:00 pm
13-17 – Harvard Invitational
Harvard University, Cambridge MA
Depart: Friday Feb. 13 [flight]
Return: Tuesday Feb. 17
Students miss all Tuesday.
27-28 – Tarheel Forensic League State Championship
North Carolina high school TBA
*Travel times are dependent upon the host school. If held outside the Charlotte
area, students would likely miss at least 3rd and 4th block on Friday, and could
miss the entire day.
***After this tournament the season ends for some students***
MARCH
20-21 – Carolina West NSDA District Tournament
South Carolina high school TBA
*Travel times are dependent upon the host school. Students will miss at least 3rd
and 4th block on Friday, and could miss the entire day.
***After this tournament the season ends for most students***
APRIL
24-27 – Tournament of Champions (qualifying students only)
University of Kentucky, Lexington KY
Depart: Afternoon, Friday Apr. 24 [flight]
Students miss 4th block on Friday
Return: Monday, Apr. 27
Students miss all Monday
MAY
22-25 – NCFL Grand National Tournament (qualifying students only)
Various schools, Ft. Lauderdale FL
Depart: Friday May 22 [flight]
Students miss all Friday
Return: Monday May 25 (Memorial Day holiday)
JUNE
13-20 – NSDA National Championship Tournament (qualifying students only)
Various schools, Dallas TX
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We have read and understand the contents of this handbook. As a condition of
our participation with Ardrey Kell Speech and Debate we agree to follow and
obey all rules and guidelines set forth.
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