<p>We cordially invite you and your squad to the Georgia B. Bowman Invitational September 18-20, 2015. We have elected to move our 2015 tournament to a three-day, eight-round tournament with a wellness-inspired schedule. The tournament will feature open and junior divisions of parliamentary debate. We will provide plenty of hospitality and some excellent competition.</p> <p><em>We have carefully constructed a tournament schedule featuring the following: </em></p> <ul> <li> <p>8 preliminary rounds, 5 elimination rounds&mdash;all 5-3 records will advance to elimination rounds</p> </li> <li> <p>Relaxed, three-day schedule with meals provided</p> </li> <li> <p>No more than three rounds without time to decompress, socialize, and eat</p> </li> <li> <p>Excluding those required to participate in doubles, no debate begins before 9:00 AM</p> </li> <li> <p>120-minute allotment for each debate&mdash;virtually guaranteeing on-time scheduling (twenty minutes of preparation time, on- time start + one hour and forty minutes for the debate, decision, balloting, judge feedback, and preparation for subsequent topic announcement)</p> </li> <li> <p>Healthy snacks constantly available throughout the tournament (Gano Assembly or other location announced at registration)</p> </li> <li> <p>Coaches gathering Friday evening</p> </li> <li> <p>Local Pig dinner and community gathering time on Saturday evening</p> </li> <li> <p>Brackets will be broken in elimination rounds</p> </li> <li> <p>Limited judge strikes available</p> </li> <li> <p>No topic areas</p> </li> <li> <p>Sweepstakes award for top three schools (records of a school&rsquo;s best four teams in preliminary rounds will be considered)</p> </li> <li> <p>Awards for Octofinalists and beyond (Open)</p> </li> <li> <p>Awards for Quarterfinalists and beyond (JV)</p> </li> <li> <p>Awards for Top 10 Open NPDA speakers (lowest cumulative speaker rankings, then total pts if needed)</p> </li> <li> <p>Awards for Top 5 JV NPDA speakers (lowest cumulative speaker rankings, then total pts if needed)</p> </li> <li> <p>Award for the top first-year speaker in Open</p> </li> <li> <p>Recognition for the top two-year college team</p> </li> <li> <p>High quality awards for Tournament Finalists, Top Speaker, and &ldquo;Coach of the Year&rdquo; Recognition</p> </li> <li> <p>Joe Gantt, of Lewis and Clark College, directing tabulations&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul>