SPEECH, DEBATE, AND THEATRE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Held: April 30, 2013
Board Action: June 12, 2013
Recommend to allow the use of Tablets and E-Reader’s, without sound or video capabilities, in Prose
and Poetry events.
Recommend to allow the use of non-internet connected laptops, E-Reader’s and Tablets in US and
International Extemporaneous Speaking.
Recommend to allow the use of electronic devices without sound capabilities for Radio Speaking.
*** Recommend to allow the use of non-internet computers for Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate
at all invitational, district and state tournaments. The use of electronic retrieval devices shall be
prohibited during the rounds.
Amended: Non-Internet connected computers, electronic storage, retrieval devices, etc. shall be allowed in
rounds of Policy, Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum Debate. Connectivity to any person, machine, device,
server outside the competition room, wired and/or wireless networks is strictly prohibited during all
rounds. Other prohibited devices include cell phones and personal digital assistants.
(Ex:Palm/Treo/Blackberry/ect.).
Recommend to add to Section 12-N-1, (e) unless unavoidable, a school judge should not judge a
debate team that eliminated their debate team in a previous elimination round.
*** Recommend allowing the use of Speech Wire as an approved scheduling program and covered
expense by any district tournament/district manager on a voluntary basis.
Amended: Recommend allowing the use of Speech Wire as an approved scheduling program and
covered expense by any district tournament/district manager on a voluntary basis for the 2014
district tournaments with the potential of using the Speech Wire scheduling program at all
districts thereafter.
Recommend removing the first sentence in Section 7-4-c, eliminating “Each play shall be
approximately thirty minutes in length”.
Recommend removing the first sentence in Section 7-5-d, eliminating “Each program shall run
approximately twenty-five minute”.
Recommend to add parenthesis to “character(s)” in the judging criteria for DI and HI to clearly indicate
that the student can address either one or more characters in their interpretation.
MSHSAA staff recommends to add the following wording for all events: A violation of any
rule/regulation for this event will result in disqualification from the event. Any official protest of a
disqualification shall be directed to and ruled upon by the tournament grievance committee who has the
authority to overturn a disqualification.
* Denied
** Tabled for further study
*** Approved as amended
**** No Action
All others approved