by D. J. Mendenhall | Mar 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
I really really like charts and outlines, so when I was debating I would organize a lot of my note on the best ways to debate in charts or outlines. Recently I’ve been trying to go through all my notes and update them with all the new knowledge I’ve gained on how to...
by D. J. Mendenhall | Feb 21, 2022 | Lincoln-Douglas
A wise man once said: “when you have 3 minutes to address a 6 minute speech, you don’t have time for an opening quote.” This common, comical opener for the 2AR demonstrates the number 1 problem that most affirmatives have with the 2AR, it’s just too short....
by D. J. Mendenhall | Jan 17, 2022 | Lincoln-Douglas
When I first started debating, I was told to define the terms of the resolution, and that was it. I didn’t really know why exactly I had to define the term, which terms I was supposed to define, or how to do it right. But my next year was filled with definitional...
by D. J. Mendenhall | Dec 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
When you’ve finished putting up the Christmas tree, you don’t call it done then walk away. You have to decorate it and make it beautiful too. Likewise when you finish writing the arguments for your speeches, you shouldn’t just call it done and walk away, you should...
by D. J. Mendenhall | Oct 20, 2021 | Cross Examination
Oftentimes Cross Ex is seen as the time to trap your opponent and get them to concede key information, but when I was first starting debate I struggled a lot with this because I was nowhere near aggressive enough to get my opponent to admit anything they didn’t want...