Novi Update -- The Largest Ever

The numbers really are astounding: by most counts we have 75 students registered for the Legislative Debate at Novi. The most immediate impact is that it will mean 3 or (if any last minute registrations show up) 4 chambers. Planning for the event will keep students in the same chamber for both preliminary sessions. This will be an advantage to the shy and to the newbie, since the loner the event goes, the more comfortable they get with the process, and the more likely they are to talk.

This dynamic will likely mean that the first session goes through the entire agenda, but the second session may talk longer.

The impact of large chambers.
In the present arrangement, we will have 25 students in each chamber.

The larger the chamber, the more challenging the event becomes. Your audience is bigger so right there, it gets scary. And the number who can get out of the chamber to the Super Session is also decreased. With 3 chambers, that would mean advancing the top 8; with 4 chambers, we advance the top 6 or 7. Speaking up will be a necessity.

And here's the other problem: the time is limited. Even with 2 hours, that gives students perhaps 25 speaking slots, if that. Cross-Ex will be restricted -- that simply takes time from other speakers.

More room for POs
The upside of multiple chambers (and slightly longer time), is more room for students to try out being a Presiding Officer (PO). There could be room for as many as 12 different POs -- given the experienced schools who will be coming, we should have not problem filling these slots.

Who's Coming
These are the schools to date:

• Grand Rapids City
• Ionia
• Jackson County Western
• Kalamazoo Central
• Kenowa Hills
• Novi
• Portage Central
  
• Rochester Adams
  
• Utica Stevenson

A Word about Food
Planning has food (sub sandwiches, some healthy snacks as well as the unhealthy) on site. With the big mall up the road and it being Holiday Shopping season, going out would be rather difficult. It may make sense to pack along some extra water, snacks etc.

Finally, the Bills and How to Prepare
Here is the list of the bills, by session:

Session One:
Bill # 3 Ban the Sale of Dangerous Outdoor Chemicals. Rinck, Grand Rapids City,
Bill # 7 Mandatory Drug & Alcohol Testing for Pilots & Aircraft Personnel. Ghandikota, Novi
Bill # 8 Mass Transit Protection. Boehme, Kalamazoo Central
Bill # 11 Deny FEMA Aid to Predicted Disaster Areas. Hong, Portage Central
Bill # 14 Be "One Less." Bharadwaj, Novi (mandatory Gardasil vacc.)
Res # 1 Salvage Meritocracy. Groenleer, City

Round 2
Bill # 1 Create Emergency Draft. Cross, Jackson Western
Bill # 6 Ban Radio Censorship. Srini, Novi
Bill # 9 Encourage Use of Bio-Fuels. Lindsay, Rochester Adams)
Bill # 13 Surrogate a New Drinking Age and Implicate a New Driving Age. Potts, Portage Central
Bill # 15 Stop Racism at Airports. Khare, Novi

Super Session
Bill # 2 Change the Voting Day. Ritsema, City
Bill # 4 What's Your Number? Le, City (Mandate Glycemic Index info on nutrition labels)
Bill # 5 Fund Parthogenesis Research. Israel, Novi
Bill # 10 Increase Funding to Anti Terror Military Groups. Bogren, Portage Central
Bill # 12 Response to North Korean Atrocities. Luo, Portage Central

Preparation Strategy
The first session will see the least discussion. Expect the session to go through the entire packet. Pick the top three bills to prepare for, and you should get your chance to speak.

The second session, more students will be speaking. Discussion will go loner. Consequently, you want to have data and ideas that let you speak to a majority of the bills; four minimum.

The Super Session is the money round. Your rank here will determine final ranking. Start your research here. Find articles, or positions on each of the bills. Often a Super Session will only get to half of its bills -- but which half? So be prepared.

Comments on the bills will follow in upcoming posts.