HILLTALKERS
Los Alamos High School Speech & Debate Team
Pay Tournament Fees & Membership Dues
The Day of the Tournament
Please be aware that you should arrive 15 minutes earlier than the advertised bus/LAHS Suburban departure time. If you are late, we will not wait for you, risking late arrival to the tournament and forfeit of rounds. It will become your parents' responsibility to transport you to the tournament if you are late, missing the bus or Suburban.
Be advised that students must be reachable via cell phone at all times. The coaches often use text messages to communicate meeting points and developments in the tournament. Cell phones are also neccessary to coomunicate pick up times to parents after the tournament. Please make sure that you charge your cell phone prior to leaving for the tournament and bring a charging cable with you to the tournament.
If you violate any of the behavior guidelines in the Hilltalker Handbook, you will be immediately withdrawn from the tournament and your parents will be called, requesting that they drive to the tournament and pick you up. If you are a repeat offender, you will be suspended or expelled from the LAHS Hilltalkers Speech and Debate Team, depending on the severity of your infraction.
Step 3: Pay the tournament fees before the day of the tournament.
Those students who do not pay tournament dues prior to the tournament will not be allowed to attend. Minhua Li, the Hilltalkers Booster Club Treasurer, will check the tournament roster against the list of those who have paid fees prior to each tournament.
Step 4: Prepare.
Hilltalkers: begin preparing for the trip by practicing cases and speeches, making copies of neccesary materials, readying props, forming back up plans for tournaments with no wi-fi access, and packing tournament appropriate clothing, which includes sensible shoes, color appropriate socks, belts, ties, jackets, and/or panty hose.
If you do not attend a tournament, or "drop" without notifying Mrs. Batha and Ms. E at least 3 days prior to the tournament, you will have to pay a "drop fee." This advance notice is required to remove your entry from the tournament, free up a seat on the bus, and give another student the chance to compete in your place.
Parents: while we try to expand the tournament fees to include meals during the day, we often have a team dinner at a restaurant. We recommend that your child have $10-20 cash per day on hand for an evening meal.
Step 2: Sign up for your tournament on
Please pay attention to registration deadlines announced at business meetings, on the Facebook page, and through email.
Step 1: Choose your tournament and note the tournament fee.
Please be aware that some tournaments have limited entry. The captain of each event with help Mrs. Batha and Ms. Engelbrecht determine who is eligible to attend based on practice attendance, dedication, and service points. Preference will not automatically be given to seniors and varsity members.
HILLTALKER NEWS
​Debate Camp
The Hilltalkers will kick off the 2015-2016 school year with Debate Camp on Thursday, August 6th, Saturday, August 10th, and Sunday, August 11th from 5:00 to 7:30 PM in Mrs. Batha and Ms. E's classrooms. See you there!
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NATS 2015
Congratulations to outgoing senior Ani Nadiga for his team's success in Worlds Debate at the National Speech and Debate Tournament! Ani's team placed 1st at NATS15 in Dallas, Texas this Summer.
