Good afternoon everyone, Attached and below are the official invitation to the 5th annual Empire Debates at the King's College. We look forward to seeing you March 5-6 for the only tournament hosted on Broadway. We attempted to secure a block of rooms for a "tournament hotel" but no single hotels had enough rooms to make it worth it. As such we've recommended several hotels in our invitation, but you'll want to jump on them quickly to ensure they still have space. All the best, Jonah Ortiz The King's Debate Society - President Josiah Peterson The King's Debate Society - Coach 2016 Empire Debates The King’s Debate Society is pleased to invite you to return to the Big Apple for the 5th annual Empire Debates, a WUDC format tournament, hosted in the heart of New York City’s financial district, March 5-6, 2016. In the city of the UN, Wall Street, and Broadway, we look forward to showing you some intellectual hospitality, through a smoothly executed, competitive tournament with quality judges and motions. *REGISTRATION:* *Team: $90* *Judges: $25 per judge, n-1 requirement, $50 missing judge fee* E-mail entries, including any dietary constraints, to Josiah Peterson, Tournament Director, at [log in to unmask] Please make checks payable to The King’s College with “The King’s Debate Society” in the memo line. We will also be accepting cash or credit card payments at registration on the first day. If you are a new program, or coming a long distance, please contact us; we will do our best to work with each school's limitations. *Registration Deadline: February 26, 2015* (early estimates appreciated) *HOUSING:* Finding hotels in New York City can be difficult, as there is often a trade-off between proximity and cost. We have recommended three cheaper hotels in New Jersey and Brooklyn that are connected to the City’s mass transit systems and two hotels within walking distance in Manhattan that aren’t too expensive by NYC standards. The latter will fill up quickly so you want to reserve your rooms asap. *Within Walking Distance* *Holiday Inn <http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/reservation/searchresult?qAdlt=1&qBrs=6c.hi.ex.rs.ic.cp.in.sb.cw.cv.ul.vn&qChld=0&qDest=NEW+YORK+CITY%2CNY%2CUnited+States&qFRA=1&qGRM=0&qIta=99504425&qPSt=0&qRRSrt=rt&qRef=df&qRms=1&qRpn=1&qRpp=12&qSHp=1&qSmP=3&qSrt=sBR&qWch=0&srb_u=1&icdv=99504425&siclientid=9947&sitrackingid=688164195&dp=true&glat=SEAR>* 51 Nassau Street New York, NY 10036 646-844-2987 *Hampton Inn <http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/hampton-inn-manhattan-seaport-financial-district-NYCSPHX/index.html>* 320 Pearl Street New York, NY 10038 212-571-4400 *Further Afield* *Best Western Prospect Park <http://www.bwplusprospectpark.com/>* 764 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11232 718-768-3100 ext. 7126 *Ramada Jersey City <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g46531-d247805-Reviews-Ramada_Jersey_City-Jersey_City_New_Jersey.html>* 65 Tonnelle Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07306 (800) 946-5338 *Super 8 North Bergen <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g46679-d123789-Reviews-Super_8_North_Bergen-North_Bergen_New_Jersey.html>* 2800 Columbia Avenue North Bergen, NJ 07047 (201) 864-4500 *MEALS: * The Empire Debates will provide breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday. *E-mail any particular dietary constraints to Josiah Peterson ([log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>) by February 26, or we may not be able to accommodate your needs. *We encourage you to explore the city’s many options for dinner both days! *PROPOSED SCHEDULE:* We will have six preliminary rounds with open semis and finals with the possibility of a novice final depending on the number of entries. Novices shall be considered those participating in their first year of intercollegiate debate or competing in one of their first three intercollegiate tournaments. In our past tournaments we have always run on or ahead of schedule and are committed to doing so again this year. Towards that end are asking that you e-mail or call *Friday, March 4th* by 10PM to confirm your registrants so we can run the draw right after roll call. We currently have it set up for a long day Saturday so that we can get out early on Sunday and explore the city. *Friday, March 4th, 2015* Call or e-mail to confirm teams by 10PM. *Saturday, March 5th, 2015* 7:00AM Registration & Breakfast 7:45AM DQ for all absent teams 8:00AM Pairings 8:15AM-10:20AM Round 1 10:45AM-12:45PM Round 2 12:45PM-1:45PM Lunch 2:00PM-4:15PM Round 3 4:30PM-6:30PM Round 4 6:30PM Snacks 7:00PM-9:00PM Round 5 *Sunday, March 6th, 2015* 8:00AM-9:00AM Breakfast/Pairings 9:00AM-11:30AM Round 6 12:00PM-2:00PM Semifinals/Novice Finals* 2:00PM-3:30PM Lunch/Awards 3:30PM Finals *DIRECTIONS & BUILDING REGULATIONS:* - The King’s College is located on the 1st, 5th-6th floors of 52 Broadway, New York, NY 10004. We lease space from the United Federation of Teachers. *As such, it is imperative that these few rules be followed:* - Please use only space leased by The King’s College—the 5th and 6th floors and the ground-floor lobby. - Enter and exit the building *only *through The King’s College entrance. - You can easily reach our new campus from the A, C, E, R, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, J, and Z Subway lines. If you are coming in from New Jersey you can take the PATH train to the World Trade Center stop, a 10 minute walk from campus. - We highly recommend *Embark NYC’s free smartphone App* for navigating the NYC transport system. You can download it here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/embark-nyc-subway-new-york/id450991137?mt=8 *CONTACT INFO:* Josiah Peterson – King’s Debate Society, Coach Jonah Ortiz – King’s Debate Society, President [log in to unmask], 347-861-2521 *HOST INFO:* NELSON KEZOH – Chief Adjudicator St. John’s University, class of 2015 Winner of Empire Debates 2015 MICHAEL BARTON – Deputy Chief Adjudicator Yale University, class of 2014 Finalist in Empire Debates 2015 LUCY LEFEVER – Deputy Chief Adjudicator The King’s College, class of 2015 Winner of Brown and Gold Debates 2014 JOSIAH PETERSON – Tournament Director The King's Debate Society – Coach Instructor in Speech and Debate and Persuasive Writing JONAH ORTIZ – Tournament Host King’s Debate Society – President, 2015-present The King’s College, class of 2017 *SUGGESTED DINING:* *Harry’s Cafe and Steak* 1 Hanover Square New York, NY 10004 212-785-9200 *Pam Real Thai* 404 W 49th Street New York, NY 212-333-7500 *Penelope* 159 Lexington Ave (at 30th St.) New York, NY 10016 212-481-3800 *Highpoint Bistro & Bar* 216 7th Ave New York, NY 10011 646-410-0120 *Mad Dog & Beans* 83 Pearl Street New York, NY 10004 212-269-1177 *Main Noodle House* 1011 6th Ave New York, NY 10018 212-869-0888