Q: I participate in other speech & debate leagues. May I register for Stoa, too? Yes. We welcome members of other leagues who would enjoy competing with us where feasible for them. Stoa tournaments are open to people from anywhere in the free world who are willing to pay the Stoa participation fee (is your money green?) in addition to tournament fees. Stoa hosts the National Invitational Tournament of Champions (NITOC) at the end of the tournament season. We welcome orators and debaters from other organizations. If you are from another speech and debate league, you may set this on your calendar as a goal to shoot for. If you know someone from another league, you may inform him or her about this opportunity to futher sharpen their skills. Q: What are the debate resolutions for Stoa? For the 2012-2013 season, the Stoa resolutions are: Resolved: Privacy is undervalued Resolved: The United States Federal Government should substantially reform its foreign military presence and/or foreign military commitments Q: How does Stoa determine their debate resolutions? Beginning with the planning for the 2011-2012 season, Stoa initiated a proposal process and voting procedures to select resolutions before the end of the debate year. This is in keeping with the pattern of many other debate leagues. Voting for the next year's resolutions will take place in February, and the winning resolutions will be announced March 1. Note: Students earn invitations to NITOC by their debating success, not by debating a particular resolution. Debaters from leagues with different resolutions are still able toearn ivitations. Any league may adopt the Stoa
resolution for their season, especially kindred leagues of Christian home educators. Interested in why Stoa insists that an early resolution release is a good idea? See our Early Resolution Release document. Q: How do I obtain an invitation to NITOC? NITOC is truly a "national" tournament that invites Christian homeschool speakers and debaters to attend. As an "invitational" students must meet specific requirements to receive an invitation. Stoa utilizes the online database SpeechRanks to determine who may receive an invitation. (See the NITOC 2013 page for details.) For the 2013 NITOC, it is expected that students must have their data into SpeechRanks.com by April 30 in order to receive an invitation. Q: What does "Stoa" mean? "Stoa" is not an acronym, as so many people assume. It is a Greek term for a place of gathering that was popular in ancient Classical times. Scott York, founding president of Stoa, wrote a good article on the background of the word, "Stoa," and how it relates to the goals of the organization. See "'Stoa' - What Does That Mean?" Q: What are the membership dues? Membership is $40 per family, regardless of how many children you have competing. Membership dues for adults, alumni, or coaches (without their own children) are only $10. Q: Do I have to pay for registration by computer, or may I send a check? You may pay by check, Paypal, or credit card (through PayPal's merchant system). If you have difficulties with these, let us know. We regret we cannot take children as payment in kind, no matter how talented. Q: Where do I register for Stoa? Click right here! |
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