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Communication and Rhetoric

Patterns, Not Problems

Patterns, Not Problems

No matter how you’re involved in the speech/debate scene, at some point you’ll probably be asked to give feedback to help other people improve. This post aims to make that feedback better. “Fix patterns, not problems.” - Tracy Wilk, former Google executive, quoting...

BAM – Miscommunication!

BAM – Miscommunication!

This post talks about communication in the real world. As you read, though, think about how these principles apply to debate and speech. As you practice these concepts in competition, you’re actually strengthening your conversations with family, friends, and...

Debate. Is. Everywhere.

Debate. Is. Everywhere.

As a competitive high school debater, one of my pet peeves was when people would say to me, “Oh, I’d be great at debate. I love arguing with people!” It frustrated me that they would reduce debate to mere argumentation, because there is so much more to it....

Writing In Real Life

Writing In Real Life

On Wednesday, I told you that we're on the hunt for some new Ethos team members. Since then, I've gotten resumes, writing samples--and questions. Questions about Ethos, about the blog, about writing. And as I look over them, I keep coming back to one core idea: what...

Persuasive Inoculation

Persuasive Inoculation

This post is from longtime debater and speaker Catherine Alles. Catherine competed in TP with NCFCA for 5 years, and qualified to Nationals all 4 years of high school. Look for more posts from her over the next few months! When a doctor injects a patient with a...

Advanced Verbal Techniques – Get Inside your Audience’s Mind.

Advanced Verbal Techniques – Get Inside your Audience’s Mind.

How do you take your speeches to the next level? How do you separate yourself from the rest of the room, and even the other speakers in the debate round? Focus on the key distinguishing factors that make all the difference. Most of the time you can just get good or...