[eDebate] Northwestern Tourney Update #4

[Scott Deatherage]

You should probably check your e-mail throughout the evening.  I will 
likely post other items as they occur to me.  For now:

    * SATURDAY BUILDING SET-UP:  THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT -- PLEASE READ 
CAREFULLY.  We are essentially running two independent tournament 
centers on Saturday.  We have enough room on the DePaul campus for 
124 teams; the remainder (approximately 32 teams) will debate at the 
hotel.  The presets work in a "cell" formation, meaning that teams 
should not have to move buildings through the first four 
debates.  That said, DePaul and the tournament hotel are a 10 minute 
drive apart.  It is entirely possible -- even likely -- that schools 
with multiple team entries will have some of their teams at one 
tournament center and other teams at the other tournament 
center.  This is a little less than optimal, but the alternative 
would have been to turn away 32 teams (or 40 teams at the time we 
made this decision).  We are quite experienced at running tournaments 
with substantial geographic separation.  In Evanston, it's about a 10 
minute drive from the northern most building to the southernmost 
building, so we've pulled it off more than once.  We will work 
energetically and eagerly to provide a quality tournament experience 
for everyone.  All debates will be at DePaul on Sunday.
    * TOPIC COMMITTEE OPEN FORUM:  The topic committee invites your 
input about potential topics for next season.  They will host an open 
forum in the Superior Room on the first floor of the hotel from 6 
p.m. to 8 p.m.  Please join them and share your input or otherwise 
save your complaints if you don't like the next topic!!!
    * PRESET PAIRINGS:  Preset pairings will be released at 
registration on Friday.  They will also be posted to edebate.
    * TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION:  Registration is from 7 p.m. until 10 
p.m. on Friday at Timothy O'Tool's Irish Pub.  O'Tool's is just 
across Fairbanks Street, right outside the side door of the hotel.
    * PEOPLE MOVING:  Shuttle buses will be available at 7:15 a.m. on 
Saturday and 6:45 a.m. on Sunday.  Yellow school buses will be on the 
side of the hotel (Fairbanks Street).
    * BUILDING SET-UP AT DEPAUL:  Fully half of the debates will be 
in a building complex composed of three inner-connected 
buildings:  Schmidtt Academic Center, O'Connell Hall, and Levan 
Center.  Other buildings on the DePaul campus that we are using 
include:  McGaw Hall, 900 West Fullerton Building, 1150 West 
Fullerton Building, Byrne Hall, and Munroe Hall.  We STRONGLY 
ENCOURAGE you to spend some quality time studying the map of the 
Lincoln Park campus of DePaul found at 
<http://www.depaul.edu/maps/lpc/>http://www.depaul.edu/maps/lpc/.
    * DIRECTIONS TO DEPAUL:  We will provide maps and directions to 
get you from the tournament hotel to the DePaul campus.  If you 
research your own map, we STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to use Google 
maps.  DO NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT use Map Quest.  The directions on Map 
Quest are DEAD LETTER WRONG.
    * PARKING AT THE HOTEL:  Your registration packet will include a 
host of parking options near the hotel.  All are expensive.  Still, 
you may need the list because the hotel is at 100% capacity for the 
weekend.  Accordingly, they fear that the self park garage appended 
to the hotel may be full at times.  The Hotel garage does offer in 
and out privileges for each 24 hour period.  Most of the other near 
by options do NOT offer such an option.  The surface lot on the 
northwest corner of of the intersection of Ohio and Fairbanks is the 
cheapest option at $19.  That lot can facilitate 15 passenger vans.
    * PARKING AT DEPAUL:  Parking is available in two locations.  The 
Sheffield Parking Garage located on Sheffield Avenue just  south of 
Fullerton Avenue.  The Clifton Parking Deck is on Clifton Avenue just 
south of Fullerton Avenue.  The Sheffield Parking Garage is 
convenient to the following buildings:  990 West Fullerton Building, 
McGaw Hall, Schmidtt Academic Center, O'Connell Hall, Levan Center, 
and Byrne Hall.  The Clifton Parking Deck is convenient to the 
following:  Schmidtt Academic Center, O'Connell Hall, Levan Center, 
and the 1150 Fullerton Building, and Munroe Hall.  We have arranged 
for a "Special Event" discount of $6 per day at these 
facilities.  Just tell the attendant that you are with the debate 
tournament when you exit the garage to receive the special 
rate.  There are no in and out privileges at these garages.
    * ROOMING LIST FOR THE HOTEL:  If you have not yet provided the 
hotel with a rooming list for those in your party, they would still 
appreciate having one.  They report that very few schools have 
complied with their request.  It will be easier for guests to recover 
replace their lost room keys if their names are in the hotel computer.
    * DINNER PARTY!!!  The Original Gino's East of Chicago has moved 
back to its original location on Superior Street, a short two blocks 
from the tournament hotel.  We have again rented the entire 
restaurant on Sunday evening for a post-prelim gala and 
celebration.  Their famous Chicago Style stuffed pizza is truly 
unique from any other style of stuffed pizza you have 
encountered.  It will be fun!!!
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