Communication and Rhetoric
How to Make Abstract Ideas Concrete
Image from Pixabay.com Abstract Art Backdrop - Free photo on Pixabay - Pixabay Lincoln Douglas debate is mostly about philosophy, and philosophy is hard. Really hard. So hard that most people struggle to understand it, let alone do it well. The most important thing...
Don’t Push the Elephant Off of the Cliff: Things to Remember in Cross-Examination
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...
Calculated Spontaneity-The Value of Going Off-Script
Credit: Pixabay.com Are you a sucker for spontaneity? Do you thrive on the exhilaration that arises from making a spur-of-the-moment decision to move to Australia and become a geologist? If so, my friend, you are in luck. While yes, a fundamental hallmark of debate is...
Everything in Moderation, or How Not to Sound Loud and Frantic
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...
Talking about Talking: The Language of Debate
Almost everyone in the world uses the base ten number system, meaning that the value of the place furthest to the right of an integer is ten raised to the zero power (IE, one), and each successive place increases the value of this exponent by one. Ten to the one...
Platform Perfection: Standing Out
We hear coaches (and judges) discuss the need to “stand out from the competition.” Point well taken. Just one question: What does this mean for writing, blocking, and performing our platforms? If you have ever asked or thought of a similar question, you are not alone....
Appreciating the Judge in Front of you
(Pixabay, Pexels) During my years in the league, I’ve heard a LOT of complaining, and been a part of more than I’d care to admit. It’s easy to see a problem when the tournament runs behind, when there are kids all over the hallways, or when your judge simply refuses...
The Importance of Tagging Warrants
Source: Pixabay The judge literally didn’t write anything about our disadvantages on the ballot! I don’t understand, they were our most important arguments. The Aff completely dropped them and they were impacted out and everything! Ugh. Sometimes it can be hard...
Conversational Team Policy
Earlier this season, I received a ballot from a judge who was thoroughly and absolutely confused. At the base of her puzzlement was the solitary word: inherency. My partner and I had argued that the affirmative plan had essentially already been passed, and thus...
You’re Probably “Asking the Question Too Far”
Let's suppose I'm a prosecutor trying to convince a jury to convict the defendant in a murder case. Let's call the defendant "Albert" and the victim "Buddy." Albert is on the stand and I'm cross-examining him. You might imagine that it would go something like this:...
Figures of Speech: A Handout
Recently, Thaddeus Tague dug up an old document that Ethos has used for coaching: a figures of speech handout. “Figure of speech” broadly refers to deliberate patterns or abnormalities in language with a goal of producing some effect in the audience; it includes...
Why You Should Be Friends With Your Rivals
Endless searching and continuing education are a part of any good debater’s appetite. Learning new things, for data is a really healthy mental diet to exercise. One way to do this is through podcasts. Podcasts are unique because you can Listen - and do other things!...
Debate in College
College Debate is in many ways, like other college sports. The competition is intense, the rivals are merciless, the preparation for big tournaments is blistering. Many colleges offer scholarships for various forms of debate! This list is not comprehensive, and really...
Speed Tip Series: Making Speeches Speakable
Simpler is better. I don’t know why it took me five years to figure this out. After all, our nation was basically founded on the imperative “Never use two words when one will do.” Right? So why did I, an accomplished speaker, still stumble over phrases in my 1AC or...
Question and Answer With a College Debater
Last year, Ethos brought on Jadon Buzzard as a coach and sourcebook writer. From the beginning, Jadon showed a real knack for grasping Ethos’ core mission and teaching it to his students. Today - we sit down with Jadon and talk about his debate career, and...