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

51 Nassau Street

New York, NY 10036

646-844-2987

 

Hampton Inn

320 Pearl Street

New York, NY 10038

212-571-4400

 

Further Afield


Best Western Prospect Park

764 4th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11232

718-768-3100 ext. 7126

 

Ramada Jersey City

65 Tonnelle Avenue

Jersey City, NJ 07306

(800) 946-5338

 

Super 8 North Bergen

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]) 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