by Hannah Cavanaugh | Dec 10, 2023 | Communication/Rhetoric, Cross Examination, From Advanced to National-Class, Lincoln-Douglas, Strategy, Team Policy, Technique, Thinking Strategically, Uncategorized
One thing I’ve noticed in my short time on the other side of competition is how useless cross-examination often becomes. In my experience, it is usually used as a short conversation to get to know your opponent, to have them repeat what they just spent the last 6-8...
by Nick Storz | Nov 13, 2023 | From Novice to Intermediate, Specifications, Strategy, Team Policy
Source for cover image is istock.com “Judge, the Affirmative plan is like the four legs of a table. If you cut off one of the legs, the table won’t stand. That’s why they have the burden of proof to show…” Often, as this analogy is given, you can almost feel the eyes...
by Jala Boyer | May 26, 2023 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Strategy, Tournaments
Photo Credit: Chris Boland, https://unsplash.com/@londonweddingphotographer With the month of May coming to a close, final competitions like NITOC and the NCFCA Championship are right around the corner. Regionals was an exciting time to see people make well-earned...
by Patrick McDonald | May 9, 2023 | Lincoln-Douglas, Strategy, Theory
I will begin this article with a brief disclaimer: I have no definitive answer to this quandary. The purpose of this article is not to persuade you of a response to the question in the title but instead to raise the question. It is a topic of significant importance...
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 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...
