by Ben Brown | Jan 7, 2021 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, Negative, Research Tips, Team Policy, Thinking Strategically
Each year, my debate club requires every student to go through the NCFCA’s “Comprehensive Guide to Policy Debate” curriculum in the fall, regardless of experience level. Having read it multiple times before, I was skimming the week’s assigned chapter twenty or...
by Jeremiah Mosbey | Dec 1, 2020 | From Intermediate to Advanced, Judging/Judges, Strategy, Thinking Strategically
A critical aspect of marketing is understanding the consumer. While it may not seem like it at first glance, debate has everything to do with marketing. You present the judge with a case, and you must prove that your case, or “product,” is better than your opponent’s....
by Kyle Lee | Oct 20, 2020 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Thinking Strategically
In the previous article, we discussed how you should “Give Your Opponent the Benefit of the Doubt” when it comes to dropped arguments and treat your point being unrefuted as “Additional Support, Not Standalone Proof”. In this article,...
by Kyle Lee | Oct 6, 2020 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Strategy, Technique, Thinking Strategically, Uncategorized
In my second year of speech and debate, I had a favorite phrase: “My opponent dropped my argument.” Whenever my opponent ignored the slightest bit of my analysis, I harped on it and even made it a voting issue. I wrote an elaborate script that I’d...
by Thaddeus Tague | Jul 31, 2019 | Best Resources, Coaching, Coaching a Club, Communication/Rhetoric, From Advanced to National-Class, Soapbox, Speaking, Thinking Strategically, Uncategorized
Endless searching and continuing education are a part of any good debater’s appetite. Learning new things, for data is a really healthy mental diet to exercise. One way to do this is through podcasts. Podcasts are unique because you can Listen – and do other...
by Thaddeus Tague | Aug 27, 2018 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, Negative, Soapbox, Strategy, Thinking Strategically, Uncategorized
This is an adapted version of a lecture Isaiah McPeak gave in 2012 at debate camps nationwide. As Team Policy debaters prepare for the new debate season this coming fall, the time and thrill of researching new cases will also come full swing. With this time,...