From Novice to Intermediate
From Beginner to Intermediate: A Personal Journey
In this video, I outline my own personal journey from being a beginner debater to an intermediate debater. I point out the highs and lows, and some key steps that helped me reach my goals. If you're a beginner debater who wants level up, feel free to contact me with...
The 7 Deadly Sins of CX
Unscripted. Fast-paced. No prep time. Cross-examination is the true test of a debater, and my personal favorite in a debate round. It forces you not only to think on your feet, but to reason. It also necessitates a very artful crafting of your questions. This article...
How to Research (basics) – Webinar by Isaiah
Have you ever sat down to research but didn't know where to begin? Have you ever spent 5 hours in front of the computer just to find 2 pages of evidence? I know the feeling. In this webinar, Isaiah explains the most effective methods and tools for researching. He...
You Won’t Win if That’s Your Goal
“In it to win it” is not a sufficient goal. And most debaters can't differentiate between preparing to win and making winning the priority. Of course, competition is good. It's a refiner, a strainer, a purifier. It sharpens your skills, weeds out bad habits, and...
A Glossary of Normalized Debate Terms
For a skill that hinges on unblurred communication, debating can be brutally muddled. Thank unexplained debate jargon, thrown around in every speech. In the 20th century, cultivated primarily by guides who experienced debate as debaters rather than audience, debate...
A Perm by Any Other Name
“Wait, they are running a topical counterplan against us? What do I do?” I said something along these lines to my debate partner in an NCFCA policy round at a national open. Arguing theory wasn’t popular in my region (I hadn’t debated a counterplan in two...
10 Commandments of Debate Etiquette
Taken/compiled from "The Debate Bible", by Jon Bruschke Partner Interaction: 1. DO NOT interrupt your prepping partner unless they explicitly ask for your help. Immediately before they get up to speak, you get 30 seconds to tell them the 3 or 4 most important...
8 Best Things for Novice Debaters
The title here is deceiving. I write this article not just for novice debaters or people who know novice debaters. I write this also for advanced debaters that are looking for ways to contribute positively to the development of junior debaters. In each section, I've...
10 Ways to Improve the “I am a Professional” Image
An Ethos Customer asked us: "Could you give tips on developing credibility while maintaining rapport with the judges? Especially for girls. Guys seem to have a slightly easier time of it. I usually give funny and rather pertinent stories as openers for my speeches,...
When to Dump Your Case: the Why and How of Saying Goodbye
It will happen to the best of debaters. The idea that once so intrigued judges, wowed parents, and left negative teams with their jaws hanging open* sometimes loses it's effectiveness. Or, maybe that effectiveness was never there in the first place, and despite the...
Imitate CONTENT First and FORM Second
I recently went with the PHC team to NCCFI ('Christian Nationals') and judged about 11 rounds of debate. My favorite was quarterfinals in parli where it was Grove City on GOV vs. Pt. Loma on OPP (same team that won the tournament). Both teams had one ex-NCFCAer...
The Freedom to Make Mistakes
When most people think about mistakes, they usually have a negative perspective. But I’m here to inform you that mistakes are your greatest ally, at least in debate. Maybe it was my great ability at mispronouncing words and cracking blonde jokes that enabled me to...
