by Thaddeus Tague | Jul 30, 2018 | Communication/Rhetoric, Speech Events, Uncategorized
Passion can be a cornerstone for an effective or persuasive speech. Many speeches on certain subjects don’t need it, but many do. It’s a hard delineation to find. If you’ve ever seen a speaker with too much passion, you know how easy it is to become...
by Anna Johansen | Mar 7, 2018 | Speech Events, Technique, Top Drills
Welcome to our Speed Tip Series—snapshots of common issues faced by debaters, paired with quick tips to remedy them. Let us know if there’s a particular topic you’d like to see covered in a Speed Tip! Everyone knows about filler words: the perfidious little invaders...
by Joshua Anumolu | Jan 17, 2018 | Communication/Rhetoric, Speech Events, Strategy
In my last post, I covered Reciprocity, the first “principle of persuasion” examined by Dr. Cialdini in his book Influence. In this post, I will discuss the contrast principle, another essential point covered by Cialdini. The contrast principle says that perception is...
by Giovanni Segar | Dec 15, 2017 | Communication/Rhetoric, Speech Events
It was the first tournament of the year, and it was going to be a good one. It had to be. A National Open in my neck of the woods. It was Gonzales/Segar’s time to shine. Nicknamed the two tall Mexicans (guess why), we didn’t have a ton going for us. This was my fourth...
by Joshua Farquhar | Nov 4, 2017 | Speech Events, Technique
One of my favorite subjects is Russia. Russian culture, politics, language, history…it’s all fun to me. Because of this deep interest, I decided to deliver a platform speech about U.S.-Russian relations last year. Let’s just say my opinion wasn’t the most popular...
by Emily Rose | Aug 27, 2017 | Best Resources, Coaching, Coaching a Club, Ethos Info, From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Lincoln-Douglas, Speech Events, Thinking Strategically
A second-year team went from never advancing to qualifying to NITOC. A second-year LD student qualified to NCFCA Nationals and received second at a National Open. A third-year debater consistently placed first at their tournament. A novice LD debater became second in...
