Madison Cup Format

- Madison Cup Format-

Check out the flow of an actual round

Ever wish you could attend an event combining the exhilaration of top tier collegiate sports with the intellectual stimulation of a spirited exchange of ideas? Now you can. It's The James Madison Commemorative Debate and Citizen Forum. Debate teams compete for The James Madison Cup a soon-to-be coveted award that will go home each year with the winning team.

Timed to coincide with James Madison University's yearly celebration of James Madison's birthday in mid-March, The James Madison Commemorative Debate and Citizen Forum centers on an important question facing American democracy.

The crowd will enjoy the excitement of an Oxford Mace style debate in which several teams hosted by the JMU Debate Team argue their side of the resolution while audience members comment, too. A distinguished panel of judges chooses not only which team takes home The Madison Cup but also which audience member wins for best comment from the floor. So come prepared!

The James Madison Center at James Madison University sponsors the event in the spirit of James Madison's ideal that a republican democracy is healthy only when informed and civil debate thrives. The entire event will be broadcast live on the World Wide Web.

Example Debate Format:
The 2004 final round proceeded as follows.

1st Affirmative Speech (Wake Forest #1): (4 minutes) uninterrupted

1st Negative Speech (George Mason #1): (4 minutes) uninterrupted

2nd Affirmative Speech (Wake Forest #2): (5 minutes): The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

2nd Negative Speech (George Mason #2): (5 minutes): The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

3rd Affirmative Speech (Georgetown # 1): (5 minutes): The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

3rd Negative Speech (James Madison #1): (5 minutes): The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

4th Affirmative Speech (Georgetown #2): (5 minutes) The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

4th Negative Speech (James Madison #2): (5 minutes) The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

5th Affirmative Speech (Mary Washington #1): (5 minutes) The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

5th Negative Speech (Towson #1): The first and last minute of the speech are uninterruptible. In the 2nd-4th minutes of the speech any opposition debater may ask the speaker to yield to a question. The speaker may accept, or decline the question.

6th Affirmative Speech (Mary Washington #2): (4 minutes) Uninterrupted

6th Negative Speech (Towson University #2): (4 minutes) Uninterrupted

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