by Noah McKay | Apr 25, 2023 | Communication/Rhetoric, Speaking, Technique
Pixabay.com, https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/01/31/17/58/bullhorn-2026013_1280.png Several students have come to me recently with variations on the same question: What should I do if judges complain that I speak too quickly or aggressively in debate rounds? (What I...
by D. J. Mendenhall | Apr 22, 2023 | Concept Analysis, DebateSmart, Lincoln-Douglas, Research Tips, Uncategorized
If you have been on the internet much at all recently, you have probably heard of the new AI, Chat GPT. It’s known for being able to produce text that follows remarkably specific criteria in a matter of seconds based on prompts that anyone could write, such as “write...
by Ben Brown | Apr 14, 2023 | Concept Analysis, Theory
In my estimation, the average person has a relatively high view of “debate” as an activity. In their mind, debate is a competitive endeavor where young people invest time researching current events or philosophy, and, after gathering enough information,...
by Patrick McDonald | Apr 10, 2023 | Speech Events, Strategy
As I have previously noted, each speech category offers something unique—each has a defining aspect. Sometimes, it is fairly easy to determine what the defining aspect of a category is (e.g., Informative and Persuasive). Other times, it can be somewhat difficult to...
by Jeremiah Mosbey | Apr 6, 2023 | Speaking, Speech Events
https://pixabay.com/photos/road-signs-sign-symbols-warning-7055475/ “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell it to them, and then tell them what you told them.” Virtually every speaker and debater has received this advice at some point in their career. The...
by Nathanael Morgan | Apr 3, 2023 | Debate Resources, Disadvantages, NCFCA, Stoa, Strategy, Team Policy, Uncategorized
Source: Pixabay In recent years, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend among Team Policy debate, both in Stoa and in NCFCA (although most of my experience has been within the Stoa sphere). As debaters progress in their skills, one idea I almost never hear brought up within...
