Dear Participants of the Wildcat Winter Whirlwind TFA Swing at Clark High School in Plano, TX,

We are thrilled to extend an invitation to you and your students to join us at the Winter Whirlwind, hosted by the Clark High School and Plano Senior High School Speech and Debate teams. The event will take place on the vibrant campus of Clark High School, from January 19-20, 2024, and will be held exclusively in-person.

At the Whirlwind, we are dedicated to providing a variety of opportunities for students and programs, and as such, students will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of events. Specifically, the tournament will be a swing tournament in every TFA qualifying individual event, duo and duet acting, poetry, and prose. We will be a single tournament in Congressional debate, but will offer a semifinal round in this event. We are offering a single tournament for Lincoln-Douglas, World Schools Debate, Cross-Examination Debate, and Public Forum Debate. Students will be able to cross enter in Congressional Debate and one side of the swing in individual events, and may cross enter in both sides of the swing if they are only doing IEs. As a tournament staff, we have decided that a single-entry policy in Lincoln-Douglas, World Schools, Cross-Examination, and Public Forum debate will result in the best tournament experience for coaches, judges, and competitors at our meet.

Notably, the Whirlwind is a NIETOC qualifier (National Individual Events Tournament of Champions) in all relevant categories, on both sides of our Swing.

During the tournament, there will be four preliminary rounds in PF, LD, Policy, and World Schools debate. All teams with a winning record will clear to out-rounds. Individual events will consist of three rounds; the second round in events larger than 18 entries will be a semifinal round, in events of 18 entries or smaller, there will be a second prelim, followed by a break straight to finals. Congressional Debate will advance to a semifinal round on Friday night if there are greater than 60 competitors, or it will have a second prelim session on Friday night if there are fewer than 60. Please note that due to logistical constraints, crossover between individual events and all debate categories, except for Congressional Debate, will not be allowed.

Registration for the Winter Whirlwind is limited to school sponsors and student chaperones; independent entries will not be accepted.

Entry caps are determined based on the availability of rooms. Any additional entries beyond the established caps will be placed on a waitlist, and we will accommodate as many as our logistics permit.

We are eagerly anticipating your participation in what promises to be one of the largest and most competitive tournaments in our area. We look forward to welcoming you to Plano and providing an enriching and rewarding experience for all attendees.

Sincerely,

Neal White

Director of Forensics

Clark High School

neal.white@pisd.edu

Robert Shepard

Director of Forensics

Plano Senior High School

robert.shepard@pisd.edu