THE CONYERS CUP

Squads strike resolutions from a list of 3 (negative side strikes first).

3–8 chambers of 10–15 students each (40–80 students total).

Part 1: Docket Construction

Each chamber is charged with writing 3–5 bills or resolutions that best address the issues raised in the resource packet.

Part 2: Congress Debate

Since bills were written to be effective rather than to generate debate, the splits might be more one-sided than usual. The important thing is that you get a chance to speak at least once in the round, so look for that opportunity even if the splits are bad. Some options include: A) give a NEG speech to stress-test the ideas, i.e. what might an opponent say? B) give a NEG speech that calls for a change in the bill, e.g. "I can't vote for this bill until we double the budget and fix Section 3!" C) Give an AFF speech even though someone just gave one, i.e. break cycle. If you can actually add new arguments and evidence, it's not the worst thing.

Judges

• 1 well-trained parliamentarian to keep order, facilitate prep, flow the debate, and rank top 9 debaters (does not help with prep)
• 2 judges to award speaker points and rank top 9
• Tournament directors judge dockets for clarity, practicality, and impact

Same Congress format — but each chamber debates a different room's docket.

• Parliamentarian flows the debate and ranks top 9
• 2 judges award speaker points and rank top 9