2026 Tournament Director: Tyler Baas-Peterson
Assistant Tournament Director: Alec Olweean
2026 Tournament Events
SPIRIT OF COMPETITION
While this competition is meant to be a “fun” tournament, we expect a reasonable level of professionalism and decorum. In the “spirit of competition,” students should be prepared accordingly. Pieces should reach minimum time recommendations, be reasonably prepared, and be appropriate for presentation to a public audience (see Standards for Performance, below). Further, performance pieces should never ridicule or degrade other participants, schools, or the activity. Pieces should meet the standards for appropriateness used during the regular competition season. Failure to meet these standards may incur scoring penalties or other team sanctions determined appropriate by the tournament director and/or the MSCI Executive Board. MSCI shall base these decisions on the seriousness of the rule infringement.
STANDARDS FOR PERFORMANCE
All performances should be appropriate for a general audience. Although these presentations are not specifically designed for children, the material should be deemed suitable for family viewing. The material may contain little to no violence, no strong language, no drug use or references and no sexual dialogue or situations. The performances can contain witty jokes and humor and some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation, but they are common everyday expressions. It is expected that in all categories these considerations will still be followed.
Early 2000s Song Lyrics Impromptu - (Up to 6 minutes). Schools are limited to a maximum of three entries in this event. All prompts will be song lyrics from songs released in the early 2000s (2000-2009). Each round will have a different prompt that all speakers in the round will address. All other MIFA Impromptu rules apply. Ballot Here.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Sales - (5-8 minutes) Sci-Fi/Fantasy Sales is an original, persuasive speech that aims to convince the audience to buy an artifact or item that does not exist in the real world, but does exist (canonically) in a Science-Fiction or Fantasy book or film. A sales speech combines informative and persuasive techniques to encourage members of the immediate audience to respond favorably to the appeal. The sales speaker should carefully analyze the audience and develop an appropriate persuasive message for their product. The sales speaker should not invent the product or service, or the intended consumer; it must exist in an existing source material. Ballot Here.
Duo Informative - (5-8 minutes) Duo Informative is a 2-person informative speech. The informative speech is an original presentation designed to clearly explain, define, or illustrate a particular subject. Because the basic purpose of the speech is to inform, material that is argumentative, persuasive, or entertaining may be used only to illustrate, enliven, or clarify the information the speaker presents. Speakers must work cohesively with their speaking partner and balance the amount of time speaking reasonably between the two speakers. Performances must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Reality TV Interpretation - (5-8 minutes). Reality TV Interpretation is the presentation of content sourced from a single episode of a reality TV program. In Reality TV Interpretation, a character developed in depth in a monologue is equally as acceptable as a multiple character performance. Performances must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Mini-Multiple: Wait…That’s not Right - (7-10 minutes) Have you ever thought when watching a movie, “That was anticlimactic! I could write a better ending”? Well, now you can! Mini Multiple: Wait…That’s Not Right is the presentation of a selection of prose, poetry, drama, film, or any combination of genres by three to five participants. In this category, the final 2 minutes, or less, of the multiple are designated to invert the storyline and change the ending of a single story in a creative, humorous, or otherwise entertaining way; the final 2 minutes, or less, is original material that must still be scripted and able to be shown to a judge, if requested. Students are encouraged to be creative when choosing their source material, and with the two minutes of original scripted ending material. Someone in the multiple must announce when the revised/original material ending begins by saying “Wait…that’s not right”; this begins the 2-minute allowance for the original material. The entire script (including original ending, transitions, introductions, and conclusions) must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. All other MIFA Multiple rules apply. Ballot Here.
Horrific Interpretation - (5-8 minutes) Think DI/Prose, but the pieces have to come from horror movies, books, or scripts! Horrific Interpretation is the presentation of a selection from a book, play, or film script that is classified as horror (combining multiple sources—a screenplay and novel version of the same title—is permitted). A quick search of the script should be able to verify it as horror (Google search, search on IMDB, etc.). NOTE: Though horror literature is often grotesque and meant to elicit fear, performances in this category are NOT exempt from the expectations around what is suitable for performance; performances should aim to find the story in the horror that can be told without the gore and the effects, but with just the speaker’s ability to interpret and portray the literature. The entire script (including original transitions, introductions, and conclusions) must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Poetry Slam - Students perform their original poetry in a spoken-word competition evaluated by 5 judges (scored on a scale of 1-10, using one decimal point). Poems must be no longer than 3 minutes. Students may not use any props, stools, or musical accompaniment. Poems and physical actions must still comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. The high and low score will be dropped and the three remaining scores will be added together to determine the poet’s score for the round. There will be a .5 deduction for each 10 seconds the poem goes over 3 minutes, with a 10-second grace period. This means that the penalty goes into effect at 3:11. All participants need to be prepared with a minimum of 3 poems, as students may not repeat poems and will need a third poem if they qualify for the final round. There will be 2 preliminary rounds of slam, so each poet will read at least twice. Students will be placed in sections of 4-8 for each flight. There may be 2 or more flights of slammers in each round. The final round will take place in the theatre during lunch. After finals, Slam participants will eat lunch and spend the remainder of the day participating in a writer’s workshop.
Progressive Debate – In Progressive Debate individuals, as opposed to teams, debate. Debaters will present using the April NSDA Public Forum topic. There will be approximately 4-6 debaters in each round. Speaker number one will present a short constructive speech (3 minutes). Speaker two will cross examine speaker one (2 minutes). After the cross examination, speaker two will present a rebuttal to speaker one (3 minutes), then immediately move into their own constructive arguments (3 minutes). Debaters will continue until the final speaker. The first speaker will cross examine the last speaker and then present a rebuttal to the last speaker’s arguments. Speakers will be scored like an individual forensic event. Judges often will be lay judges with no special debate training.
While this competition is meant to be a “fun” tournament, we expect a reasonable level of professionalism and decorum. In the “spirit of competition,” students should be prepared accordingly. Pieces should reach minimum time recommendations, be reasonably prepared, and be appropriate for presentation to a public audience (see Standards for Performance, below). Further, performance pieces should never ridicule or degrade other participants, schools, or the activity. Pieces should meet the standards for appropriateness used during the regular competition season. Failure to meet these standards may incur scoring penalties or other team sanctions determined appropriate by the tournament director and/or the MSCI Executive Board. MSCI shall base these decisions on the seriousness of the rule infringement.
STANDARDS FOR PERFORMANCE
All performances should be appropriate for a general audience. Although these presentations are not specifically designed for children, the material should be deemed suitable for family viewing. The material may contain little to no violence, no strong language, no drug use or references and no sexual dialogue or situations. The performances can contain witty jokes and humor and some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation, but they are common everyday expressions. It is expected that in all categories these considerations will still be followed.
Early 2000s Song Lyrics Impromptu - (Up to 6 minutes). Schools are limited to a maximum of three entries in this event. All prompts will be song lyrics from songs released in the early 2000s (2000-2009). Each round will have a different prompt that all speakers in the round will address. All other MIFA Impromptu rules apply. Ballot Here.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Sales - (5-8 minutes) Sci-Fi/Fantasy Sales is an original, persuasive speech that aims to convince the audience to buy an artifact or item that does not exist in the real world, but does exist (canonically) in a Science-Fiction or Fantasy book or film. A sales speech combines informative and persuasive techniques to encourage members of the immediate audience to respond favorably to the appeal. The sales speaker should carefully analyze the audience and develop an appropriate persuasive message for their product. The sales speaker should not invent the product or service, or the intended consumer; it must exist in an existing source material. Ballot Here.
Duo Informative - (5-8 minutes) Duo Informative is a 2-person informative speech. The informative speech is an original presentation designed to clearly explain, define, or illustrate a particular subject. Because the basic purpose of the speech is to inform, material that is argumentative, persuasive, or entertaining may be used only to illustrate, enliven, or clarify the information the speaker presents. Speakers must work cohesively with their speaking partner and balance the amount of time speaking reasonably between the two speakers. Performances must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Reality TV Interpretation - (5-8 minutes). Reality TV Interpretation is the presentation of content sourced from a single episode of a reality TV program. In Reality TV Interpretation, a character developed in depth in a monologue is equally as acceptable as a multiple character performance. Performances must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Mini-Multiple: Wait…That’s not Right - (7-10 minutes) Have you ever thought when watching a movie, “That was anticlimactic! I could write a better ending”? Well, now you can! Mini Multiple: Wait…That’s Not Right is the presentation of a selection of prose, poetry, drama, film, or any combination of genres by three to five participants. In this category, the final 2 minutes, or less, of the multiple are designated to invert the storyline and change the ending of a single story in a creative, humorous, or otherwise entertaining way; the final 2 minutes, or less, is original material that must still be scripted and able to be shown to a judge, if requested. Students are encouraged to be creative when choosing their source material, and with the two minutes of original scripted ending material. Someone in the multiple must announce when the revised/original material ending begins by saying “Wait…that’s not right”; this begins the 2-minute allowance for the original material. The entire script (including original ending, transitions, introductions, and conclusions) must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. All other MIFA Multiple rules apply. Ballot Here.
Horrific Interpretation - (5-8 minutes) Think DI/Prose, but the pieces have to come from horror movies, books, or scripts! Horrific Interpretation is the presentation of a selection from a book, play, or film script that is classified as horror (combining multiple sources—a screenplay and novel version of the same title—is permitted). A quick search of the script should be able to verify it as horror (Google search, search on IMDB, etc.). NOTE: Though horror literature is often grotesque and meant to elicit fear, performances in this category are NOT exempt from the expectations around what is suitable for performance; performances should aim to find the story in the horror that can be told without the gore and the effects, but with just the speaker’s ability to interpret and portray the literature. The entire script (including original transitions, introductions, and conclusions) must comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. Ballot Here.
Poetry Slam - Students perform their original poetry in a spoken-word competition evaluated by 5 judges (scored on a scale of 1-10, using one decimal point). Poems must be no longer than 3 minutes. Students may not use any props, stools, or musical accompaniment. Poems and physical actions must still comply with the Standards For Performance, found above. The high and low score will be dropped and the three remaining scores will be added together to determine the poet’s score for the round. There will be a .5 deduction for each 10 seconds the poem goes over 3 minutes, with a 10-second grace period. This means that the penalty goes into effect at 3:11. All participants need to be prepared with a minimum of 3 poems, as students may not repeat poems and will need a third poem if they qualify for the final round. There will be 2 preliminary rounds of slam, so each poet will read at least twice. Students will be placed in sections of 4-8 for each flight. There may be 2 or more flights of slammers in each round. The final round will take place in the theatre during lunch. After finals, Slam participants will eat lunch and spend the remainder of the day participating in a writer’s workshop.
Progressive Debate – In Progressive Debate individuals, as opposed to teams, debate. Debaters will present using the April NSDA Public Forum topic. There will be approximately 4-6 debaters in each round. Speaker number one will present a short constructive speech (3 minutes). Speaker two will cross examine speaker one (2 minutes). After the cross examination, speaker two will present a rebuttal to speaker one (3 minutes), then immediately move into their own constructive arguments (3 minutes). Debaters will continue until the final speaker. The first speaker will cross examine the last speaker and then present a rebuttal to the last speaker’s arguments. Speakers will be scored like an individual forensic event. Judges often will be lay judges with no special debate training.