Monday, May 20th: Mandatory Check-In for NITOC
Please read this important information regarding the Check-In procedure for Monday.
Student Check-In
We are looking forward to welcoming you all to NITOC during Monday's mandatory Check-In. Please have all copies of your scripts and submission forms prepared, signed, and ready to turn in. Every competitor is required to check in for themselves and turn in their own scripts, so please plan your arrival time accordingly.
Follow the signs to the front of the Mabee University Center, where our friendly Check-In staff will look forward to serving you!
Parli competitor Check-In time is Monday from 7:30-8:15AM
Parli Check-In will be in the same location as regular Check-In unless otherwise notified. Please check back before NITOC on the Parli Debate tab for any updates on the location of Parli Check-In.
Check-In time for all other competitors is Monday from 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Check-In will be located outside of Mabee University Center.
Check-In will close promptly at 5:00PM so our staff can join us for dinner at the NITOC Welcome social. Please plan to arrive early so that you have time to check in before the 5:00PM closure.
Script Submission
Please make sure that you have followed all the prescribed guidelines in preparing your scripts. The following are links to the StoaUSA website to review to make sure you are in compliance:
Interpretive Speeches
Platform Speeches
We strongly encourage you to submit your script electronically saving you time during Check-In. Electronic script submission is entirely voluntary with the exception of approved Late Check-Ins. You still must turn in a hard copy of your script when you check in, but there will be a special electronic script submission Check-In line just for you. Click Here for Electronic Script Submission Details
Late Check-In Policy
If for any reason you fail to arrive prior to the 5:00PM close of Check-In, we are extending a limited amount of Late Check-In. However, in order to be eligible it is your responsibility to insure that you complete all the following steps of the Late Check-In process.
- IE scripts must be submitted via the electronic script submission process before midnight on May 13, 2013.
- Notify the NITOC Registrar, Mrs. Julie Braswell, by 5:00PM Monday, May 20, 2013 at this email address: 2ajul@comcast.net. The email should state your name, your parent’s name, and that you still intend to compete but will not arrive at JBU before Check-In closes at 5:00PM. Your email must be time-stamped before the 5:00PM CDT cutoff.
- Please arrive at the Late Check-In table between 6:30PM and 9:30PM on Monday evening to check yourself in and to pick up your student registration packet. No one else is permitted to pick up your registration packet or submit scripts for you. The location of Late Check-In will be posted on the Home page of this website.
- A $25 Late Fee will be assessed for each competitor who checks in after 5:00PM, payable by cash only to the Registrar at the Late Check-In table before the 9:30PM cutoff.
- No refunds will be made for forfeiture of NITOC eligibility due to failure to check in.
Remember, if you miss the 5:00PM Monday deadline for whatever reason, it is important to follow each step of these Late Check-In instructions in order to compete at NITOC. Thank you for checking in on time and doing your part to get NITOC 2013 off to a great start!
Rationale for the Late Check-In Policy
Late Check-Ins affect the tournament in many ways. NITOC policy states that the first two rounds of debate are seeded with high-low pairings, meaning that a debater’s placement on Speechranks determines who they will be paired against. Competitors have worked hard all year to achieve their ranking, so if a competitor registers for NITOC and then doesn’t show up, we cannot simply shift pairings around. It will take the Tab staff many hours between the 5:00PM close of Check-In and the 8:30 AM start of the first round of debate round on Tuesday to prepare the ballots and postings with the correct pairings based on who has checked-in. In order to do this job accurately they need to know if everyone has arrived.
For IE events at NITOC, all three preliminary rounds are sectioned so that each room has one of the top competitors in that event in it, and club representation is as balanced as possible between rooms. So if there are 10 rooms of an event, each room would have one of the top 10 competitors in it and the remainder of competitors would be randomized except for balancing club numbers across the rooms. This system levels the playing field for everyone as it prevents multiple top-ranked competitors from being assigned to the same room, which would be disadvantageous to everyone in that room and overly advantageous to those in other rooms. But again Tab can only prepare these ballots and postings accurately after they know the complete roster of students who have checked in.
Additionally, many staff who are serving at Check-In and Script Submission tables transition into different roles for the tournament after Check-In closes. So Late Check-Ins negatively impact the tournament on many levels. While we want to do what we can for emergency/extenuating circumstances, we simply cannot do more to accommodate late arrival requests at the expense of the tournament schedule, our volunteer staff and the rest of the competitors. Therefore, Late Check-In will close promptly at 9:30PM CDT on Monday May 20th, and no further arrivals will be accepted.