by Joshua Anumolu | May 1, 2019 | Communication/Rhetoric, Soapbox, Speaking, Technique
Author Robin Sloan described attending debates sponsored by the Long Now Foundation. He was struck by the debate format, writing, “The first time I saw one of these debates, it blew my mind.” Why were these debates so revolutionary? Sloan gives some context: “Our...
by Thaddeus Tague | Apr 5, 2019 | Communication/Rhetoric, Soapbox, Speaking, Speech Events, Technique
“What you write will never be more important than how you write it.” —Andrew Pudewa, Institute for Excellence in Writing The apparent disconnect between these two essential questions—“what” versus “how”—is nowhere more prevalent than the largest space for...
by Anna Johansen | Mar 13, 2019 | Coaching a Club, From Novice to Intermediate, Technique, Top Drills
For TPers in the throes of tournament season, evidence can seem like the be-all, end-all. They desperately scrounge for cards and trade for briefs, then head off to a round, gripping those pages like they’re Ben Gates making off with the Declaration of Independence....
by Josh Arnold | Feb 19, 2019 | Cross Examination, Technique
Part 1 covered fact-finding questions, while Part 2 looked at Catch-22s. Now, we get to Part 3: Storytelling. Storytelling If fact-finding is the grammar of cross-examination, and...
by Josh Arnold | Feb 5, 2019 | Cross Examination, Strategy, Technique
Don’t forget to check out Part 1 first! Catch-22 This type of questioning is more difficult because it is more complex. It involves a string of questions proceeding in a logical fashion to show an inconsistency or contradiction in the opposing team’s arguments....
by Josh Arnold | Feb 1, 2019 | Cross Examination, Strategy, Technique
This post is the first in a series on cross-examination. Part 2 will cover “Catch 22” questions and Part 3 will explore the “Storytelling” strategy. Stay tuned! One way great debaters set themselves apart is in their use of cross-examination...
