NJ District Congress
District Congress, as in years past, will be held at (but officially separate from) the Montville Invitational tournament at the end of February. We encourage ANY student, speech or debate, who may be interested in learning about Congressional Debate to sign up for this tournament. Unlike the other District events, we have many more Congress slots than we will be able to fill (currently 10), so all are welcome. Students entered in District Congress may not double-enter at the Montville tournament, but are more than welcome to enter any other event at Districts in March. Please see a coach with any questions.
NJSDL State Championships
Speech Piece Registration due by March 13
The NJ Speech & Debate League Championships will be held March 20-21 on the campus of Hunderdon Central Regional High School. It is the culminating tournament for many events, and state champions receive scholarships as well. Randolph has boasted many state champions in various events over the years, including the previous three straight. Qualifications are determined as follows:
- Students who break to ANY elimination round from preliminary rounds at an NJSDL or national tournament automatically receive a qualifying bid. This includes semifinals, quarterfinals, etc.
- Randolph is offered one non-qualifying slot for each official NJSDL event, so long as the total number of Randolph entries does not exceed 4. This includes separate counts for Novice, JV, and Varsity debate. Congress is unlimited.
Events for the NJSDL Championships:
| Debate | Novice Policy | Varsity Policy | Congress |
| Varsity Lincoln Douglas | JV Lincoln Douglas | Novice Lincoln Douglas | |
| Varsity Public Forum | JV Public Forum | Novice Public Forum |
| Speech | Duo Interpretation | Dramatic Interpretation | Humorous Interpretation |
| Program Oral Interpretation | Oral Interpretation | United States Extemporaneous Speaking | |
| Impromptu Speaking | Improvisational Acting | International Extemporaneous Speaking | |
| Declamation | Informative Speaking | Original Oratory |
NJ District Qualifying Tournament
New Jersey is unique in that our “state” and “district” organizations are largely the same, due to our small geographical size. In order to qualify to NSDA Nationals, students must do so at this specially-run, double-elimination tournament separate from the State Championships. Because the NSDA only qualifies students to compete in “main events,” there are fewer events on offer. There are also special rules and heightened scrutiny regarding NSDA regulations. This tournament will be held March 27-28 on the campus of the Delbarton School.
Depending on our “strength” as a team (measured by degrees earned), we will have a cap on our total entries. Currently the cap is 32. Each event is also capped at no more than 4 entries. Students are selected based on their ability to qualify, dedication to the team, and the caps in the events they have competed in or are willing to compete in. Last year, the NJ District qualified 3 entries in each event, plus a Big Questions champion.
Finally, the District will also qualify 10 students to form two all-star district teams in the new format of World Schools Debate. Students are encouraged to apply for this honor via writing a short essay. We would like to put forward applications this year. If you are a junior or senior debater who would work well in a unique debate event and a mixed-school environment, please see a coach ASAP. Students selected for the NJ World Schools Debate teams are still eligible to qualify in their “normal events” and may prefer either one, should they qualify for both.
Important Materials for Districts:
OO:INF Affidavit of Originality
NSDA “main events” include:
| Debate | Policy | Lincoln Douglas | Public Forum |
| Speech | Dramatic Interpretation | Humorous Interpretation | Duo Interpretation |
| United States Extemporaneous Speaking | International Extemporaneous Speaking | Original Oratory | |
| Informative Speaking | Program Oral Interpretation | World Debate |
Judges
These events require trained and experienced judges. We hope that ALL parents of students who are selected for these tournaments volunteer to judge for at least one of them. Because of the two-day length of each and the high need for quality judges, judge fees are much steeper at these tournaments. We will truly need “all hands on deck” from our parents. Please, consider signing up. The district pays for all our entries and transportation for these events – we need to make sure we give back on our end.