Thinking Strategically
Why Debate Resolutions Are Getting Too Big… And What to Do about It
Each year, my debate club requires every student to go through the NCFCA’s “Comprehensive Guide to Policy Debate” curriculum in the fall, regardless of experience level. Having read it multiple times before, I was skimming the week’s assigned chapter twenty or...
Why You Need to Rethink the Judging Philosophy
A critical aspect of marketing is understanding the consumer. While it may not seem like it at first glance, debate has everything to do with marketing. You present the judge with a case, and you must prove that your case, or “product,” is better than your opponent’s....
Guidelines to Dropped Arguments – Part 2
In the previous article, we discussed how you should "Give Your Opponent the Benefit of the Doubt" when it comes to dropped arguments and treat your point being unrefuted as "Additional Support, Not Standalone Proof". In this article, we'll be discussing three more...
Guidelines to Dropped Arguments – Part 1
In my second year of speech and debate, I had a favorite phrase: "My opponent dropped my argument." Whenever my opponent ignored the slightest bit of my analysis, I harped on it and even made it a voting issue. I wrote an elaborate script that I'd give every time my...
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!...
Why You Should Share Your 1AC – With Everyone
This is an adapted version of a lecture Isaiah McPeak gave in 2012 at debate camps nationwide. As Team Policy debaters prepare for the new debate season this coming fall, the time and thrill of researching new cases will also come full swing. With this time,...
A Blast From the Past: Think Outside the Box
Whenever I come into conversation with a parent or student who wants resources to "get better" at debate, among many recommendations, I tell them to take a gander at the Ethos blog. If you have the time to scroll and scroll, it goes way back and contains a veritable...
Using Ethos Evidence: A Primer
Every style of policy debate operates from different and sometimes competing preconceptions and assumptions. At Ethos Debate, we run off several well-worn and sometimes overused phrases. One of those, we proudly tout, is that we teach debaters how to think, not what...
Building Blocks of Thought
Everyone who is reading this has, at some point, taken apart something, examined the pieces, then put them together again—sometimes in a different way. For some, it might have been some old computer or furniture. For many others, it may have been toys such as legos....
Negative Strategy: Pretending You’re Affirmative
Throughout life (and especially in debate), the biggest improvements are oftentimes made with the slightest of changes. And usually, those changes have to do with the way you think. Change your mindset, and you can change the way you play the game. So what does this...
Lessons learned from XL 2.0
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...
Becoming a Better Listener
The cornerstone of communication. The one ubiquitous activity of which mastery is essential for everyone. The life-skill that is paramount to “Win Friends and Influence People.” What is it? Listening. Just like listening is crucial in life and day-to-day...
Principled Policy
“Drew, this is TP. This isn’t LD. Morals don’t matter here." I actually had a debater say this to me while discussing a neg strategy. My approach was to focus on how the US as a world leader has an obligation to act lawfully and obey international norms. This was...
Hidden Arguments and Disguised Values in Lincoln–Douglas Debate
We all know how hard it is to debate those who have trouble structuring arguments and organizing them. Points are scattered all across the map. In contrast to your claim that they never responded to your case, they insist that they did, and take the opportunity to...
Midseason Preparation: Accelerate Your Debating
I’m never going to forget my eagle scout project. My team and I repaired antique fire ladders for the City of Chesapeake’s Fire Department - but we did it using the classical style: scraping the old varnish off of the ladders with shards of glass. The hardest part of...