Mason Mentor Award Winners

2005

• Anthony Figliola: Holy Ghost Prep, PA
• Tom Durkin: Loyola- Blakefield, MD
• Meg Howell: Mountainview, AZ
• Jill Stedman: Georgetown Prep, MD
• David Yastremski: Ridge, NJ
• Donald Hitt: Madison County, VA

2006

• Susan Marianelli: Milton Academy, MA
• Paul McMullen: Calvert Hall College High School, MD
• Steve Medoff: Pennsbury, PA
• Alicia Slavis: Christian Brothers Academy, NY

2007

• Mary Schick: Michael Krop, FL
• Debbie Simon: Milton Academy, MA
• Harry Strong: Des Moines Roosevelt, IA
• Michelle Hill: Albuquerque Academy, NM
  
  
  

  Invitation for the 2008 Patriot Games Classic

  You are invited to attend the 5th Annual George Mason University Patriot Games Classic to be held on the George Mason University Campus in Fairfax, Virginia on December 6 and December 7, 2008.
  
  The GMU forensics team is excited to offer a fun and educational experience in 10 individual events, Public Forum Debate, and Congress.
  
  The deadline for entry is Monday November 24, 2008 at 5:00pm EST, but we strongly encourage people to enter early as once we are filled to capacity, we will no longer be able to accept entries.
  
  Additional information regarding parking and the specific location of important rooms will be submitted along with your team's entry confirmations.
  
  We look forward to seeing you all in December.
  
  Sincerely, Peter Pober
  Director of Forensics

  TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

  • Events Offered:
    • Pattern A: Extemporaneous Speaking, Storytelling, Duo Interpretation
    • Pattern B: Original Oratory, Poetry Interp, Humorous Interp, Declamation
    • Pattern C: Dramatic Interpretation, Prose Interpretation, Impromptu
  • Competitors may enter at most 2 events per pattern.
  • Students who enter Congress may also any one event in Pattern A, but may not enter any additional events in Patterns B or C
  • Students who enter Public Forum Debate may also enter any one event in Pattern A, but may not enter any additional events in Patterns B or C nor may they enter Congress. Public Forum will use the December 2008 NFL Topic
  • The top six students in each event, along with non-advancing semi-finalists, will receive an award. A quarter-final round will be added to the schedule for all non-Congress events with more than 100 students/teams entered.
  • Congress Specific:
    • Each school entering Congress must provide a bill for debate. The bills may be faxed or e-mailed (Attention: Peter Pober) no later than 5 p.m. November 24, 2008. We will post the legislation packet for all schools on the website no later than 5:00 pm November 25th, 2008.
    • Legislation may also be submitted the day of the competition but it may not be considered until all bills submitted before the deadline have been debated and voted upon.

  FEES

  • Entry fees are $15 for each IE slot, $20 for each Duo Team, $25 for each Congress entry, and $30 for each Public Forum Team.
  • A qualified judge should be provided for every six entries or fraction thereof in individual events, Public Forum, and Congress. New this year: alums of the GMU Speech Team or the George Mason Institute in Forensics (GMIF) who judge on your school's behalf cover 8 slots instead of the normal 6! Judges may be hired at $10 for each uncovered entry.
  • Entry fees will be calculated at 5pm on November 24th. For any drops/changes Nov. 24-Dec 2, the school will still be responsible for the original entry fee. Drops made Dec. 3-4 will incur a $20 drop fee in addition to the entry fee. Drops made Dec. 5 or the day of the tournament will incur a $50 drop fee in addition to the entry fee. All judges dropped after Nov. 27 will incur a $100 drop fee plus the uncovered charges. All judges dropped the day of the tournament will incur a $200 drop fee plus the uncovered charges.

  TOURNAMENT HOTEL

  Marriott Fairfax at Fair Oaks: 11787 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway. (703) 352-2525
  
  Located a mere 10 minutes from the GMU campus, the Marriott Fairfax will serve as the official tournament hotel for the GMU Patriot Games. The hotel will also host tournament registration and the coaches reception on Friday night. We have a block of rooms reserved for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at $74/night plus tax for a king or two queens. Please click here to make your reservation, or call the number listed above and refer to group code 'gmfgmfa'.
  We highly recommend schools stay at the tournament hotel as this is a specially negotiated rate that will be difficult to beat!!
  • TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

  • Event Rules

    ENTRY REMINDER

  • Entry Form) Entry Forms must be received by November 24, 2008 at 5:00pm EST. You may register via:
    Fax: (703) 993-1096
    Phone: (703) 993-4119
    E-mail: jwarren8@gmu.edu
    
    

    Patriot Games Round Robin- December 5th, 2008

    Extemporaneous Speaking
    The Round Robin will consist of a series preliminary rounds. Each extemper will compete against every other extemper in a series of head to head rounds. The two extempers in each round will draw at the same time and perform their speeches back to back. Each round will also feature cross-examination as per the guidelines used at the NFL National Tournament- following the speech, the opponent will have three minutes to cross examine the speaker.
    Thirty minutes prior to the round, each pair of competitors will receive five topics in a given topic area. The first speaker will veto any one topic he or she desires, eliminating it from consideration by either their opponent or themselves. The second speaker will choose which of the remaining four topics they wish to speak on in the round. The first speaker will then choose any of the remaining three topics to be the subject of his or her presentation.
    When draw has concluded, both speakers will go to the contest room. First speaker will perform, second speaker will cross-examine the first speaker at the conclusion of the speech. Second speaker will then have up to five minutes, if they so desire, to re-familiarize themselves with their outline and then perform. First speaker will cross examine the second speech as well.
    Dramatic Performance
    The Round Robin will consist of a series of head-to-head preliminary rounds: each competitor will perform against every other competitor. Each performer must perform a cutting not to exceed ten minutes in length from a published play, screenplay, fictional, or non-fictional work. Poetry may not be used for this event. The competitor does not have to perform the same selection in every round- for example, a competitor may shift between a traditional HI text and a traditional DI text between rounds, but is certainly not required to. Manuscripts may not be used.
    Never before seen in high school forensics, the Dramatic Performance Round Robin features a cross-examination period. Following the first performance in the round, the second competitor will have up to 3 minutes to engage in an open cross-examination concerning any aspect or aspects of the performance they find relevant: cutting choices, interpretive choices, literature selection, and humorous versus dramatic tonal decisions are but a few of the possible avenues the cross-examination may take. Following the second performance, the first competitor will also have 3 minutes to engage in a similar cross-examination.
    Original Oratory
    The Round Robin will consist of a series of head-to-head preliminary rounds: each competitor will perform against every other competitor. Each performer will perform an original speech of their own composition which does not exceed ten minutes in length and contains no more than 150 directly quoted words. The competitor does not have to perform the same speech in every round- for example, a competitor may prepare multiple speeches or variations on the same speech from round to round. Manuscripts may not be used.
    Never before seen in high school forensics, the Original Oratory Round Robin features a cross-examination period. Following the first performance in the round, the second competitor will have up to 3 minutes to engage in an open cross-examination concerning any aspect or aspects of the performance they find relevant. The first speaker will have the same opportunity to question the second speaker once their speech has concluded.
    

    The exhibtion rounds of all three events will take place Sunday evening after the main tournament concludes and before the awards ceremony

    
    Applications Due October 15th, 2008 by 5pm EST
  • Round Robin Application and Information (Microsoft Word Version)
  • Round Robin Application and Information (PDF Version)