January 21, 2020 (rev'd 4-7-2020; 5/12)

Students, teachers, coaches, and parents,

Greetings, and Welcome to the 2020 Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Debate Series Online Regional Qualifier.

The GCDS is a unique debate experience. It stresses the person-to-person communication skills that earned Ronald Reagan the title of The Great Communicator. The skill of being able to debate important issues civilly, with storytelling, personality, and wit is a skill described by our National Finalists as “real life, where people have to be able to understand you and your position.”  It is also the only debate scholarship tournament where all National Finalists receive an all-expense-paid trip for themselves and their chosen adult to Simi Valley, CA,  and are guaranteed a  college scholarships at the National Finals. A total of $25,000 will be awarded at the National Finals, running from July 23 – 26, 2020, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

Debates for the Online Qualifier will be run on Zoom.com, a free-to-you live internet platform in which debaters and their judges will be put into virtual rooms for the duration of each round. Both students and their adult scorer/judge will each need an individual account with Zoom.

Tabulation and scheduling will be online through Tabroom.com, which is also free-to-you. Each student must be attached to a “school” account in tabroom, whether they are competing as part of a school entry or competing independently. Each student’s adult scorer/judge must be listed with that student as their “school coach” who will judge. Groups of students entering will need one adult scorer/judge for every two entries. If you are new to Tabroom.com, please reach out to me for assistance in setting up your account and getting you registered.

Best regards, and I will see you Online May 16 and 17!

Christine M. Adams

Program Coordinator, Debate