Technique | Ethos Debate, LLC

Don’t Give Your Judge the Benefit of the Doubt

by Patrick McDonald | Dec 7, 2022 | Speaking, Technique

I have said elsewhere that one of the cardinal rules of forensics is to “never assume that the judge knows everything you do about a topic.” This is an essential rule because being on the same page with your judge is a prerequisite to persuading or informing them. If...

You Don’t Care “How They Are Doing Today,” So Stop Asking

by Patrick McDonald | May 20, 2022 | From Intermediate to Advanced, Soapbox, Speaking, Technique

Now I’ve done it. If I was “rough around the edges” before, I’m practically Ebeneezer Scrooge now—and that’s before the ghosts paid him a visit. But hear me out on this one. My Problem With The Question™ “How are you doing...

I Rest My Case: Your Guide to a Powerful Closing Speech

by Amanda McPhetridge | Apr 25, 2022 | From Advanced to National-Class, Negative, Speaking, Technique

Have you ever witnessed a round where you can practically feel the mic-drop potential after the last speech? That’s what every single round should be like. You should be able to step away and say with a confident smile, “I rest my case.” The balance of defending...

The 85% Rule and Conversational Speaking

by Jeremiah Mosbey | Apr 20, 2022 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, Speaking, Technique

A few weeks ago, I was listening to an old episode of The Tim Ferris Show, in which Ferris was interviewing the actor Hugh Jackman. One of the most interesting concepts that was discussed was the “85% rule for optimal performance,” as Jackman was...

Collapsing Is Only Scary If You’re a Building.

by Jeremiah Mosbey | Mar 18, 2022 | From Intermediate to Advanced, Strategy, Technique, Thinking Strategically

It’s fairly often that I’ll make an argument and practically be wiped across the floor by my opponent’s response. Does that mean I’m a bad debater? Not at all! As much as we would like to believe otherwise, not every argument we make in debate...

Conquering Stale Debating

by Amanda McPhetridge | Mar 14, 2022 | Coaching a Club, Debate Partnerships, From Advanced to National-Class, Technique

Last weekend I made a beautiful chocolatey cake. Quite honestly it was fantastic, so my roommates and I ate most of it, then left the rest of it out on the counter. After a few days of the last bit sitting out, it got stale on the outside. What had once been...