Lasting Impact!

Observe, Think, Practice by: Juliana Scheopner

Posted on October 28, 2021October 28, 2021 by Heather Neumann

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~ Chinese Proverb

Heather Neumann has been teaching a Public Speaking Class or Club for over a decade. Each year she prays about the lesson plan- the journey she is about to embark on with her students. At this point she has literally coached thousands of students, both nationally and internationally. I have been one of her students, I have sat in her Zoom Room watching apprehensive beginner students turn into writers, speakers, and more importantly confident human beings. Mrs. Neumann has given me permission to share her ideas with you this year. A first hand glance at what she is teaching. This year’s mantra for her classes and clubs - Observe, Think, Practice! Sounds easy. These three little words can really pack a punch if we put them to work and are being purposeful. Every year she has a new perspective or way to wrap our brains around God given gift and privilege we call the art of communication. Each week she offers us students a challenge on how we can implement her lessons, and how they can make an big IMPACT, not only in Public Speaking, but for life... Are you ready to observe, think, and practice? If so- be ready to GROW...

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NCFCA LD Resolution – Defending Transhumanism? By: Noah McKay

Posted on October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 by Heather Neumann

The Problem – You Don’t Have to Defend Transhumanism This Year
It has come to my attention that this year’s Lincoln Douglas resolution is breeding uneasiness among rank-and-file debaters and parents in the NCFCA. Of course, almost everyone is uneasy about new resolutions, because, well, they’re new. But the present distress goes beyond standard concerns about definitional vagueness or bias: some have questioned whether it is even morally permissible to defend the Affirmative position…

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Don’t Be Afraid To Think Outside of the Box by Emalyn Sharp

Posted on September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 by Heather Neumann

The season for contemplating speech topics is upon us, and as camps, clubs, and the start of a new year of Speech and Debate competition approaches, one dreaded question will swirl amongst them all.

What are you giving a speech on?

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Strategies for a More Effective Cross-Examination by Peter Montgomery

Posted on September 20, 2021September 20, 2021 by Heather Neumann

“…It is for all these reasons I strongly but respectfully urge an affirmative ballot. Thank you, and I now stand open for cross-examination.”

In the silence that follows your opponent’s final words, you finish shuffling your papers around on your canary yellow legal pad, take one final swig from your trusty water bottle, and then with a deep breath, stand up and approach your adversary at the podium, being careful to avoid making eye contact.

You set your timepiece for three minutes, take one final glance around to check if your opponent and judges are ready, then with an earsplitting beep, you activate your timepiece and start the countdown, a wide smile appearing on your face.

“Hi, that was a great speech, but of course as always I’ve got a couple questions for you today, starting with…”

If you’ve ever participated in any form of debate that has cross-examination, this situation, or one very similar to it, should be familiar to you. Starting off cross-examination this way seems natural. After all, you want to appear friendly to the judge, and you’ve seen other experienced debaters follow this same pattern. What could possibly be wrong with this approach? Quite a bit, it turns out.

In this article, we will be examining some common cross-ex tactics and pressure-testing them with alternative options to see if they really deserve the spot they have secured in the hearts and minds of debaters.

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Topicality in the 2022 NCFCA Resolution by Logan Hickman

Posted on September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 by Heather Neumann

Love it or hate it, this year’s resolution is one of the narrowest resolutions we’ve seen in a long time. Narrow resolutions make way to more topicality issues and more topicality arguments. Regardless of your position on when it is or isn’t appropriate to run topicality, it’ll likely happen a lot throughout the year, so let’s examine the topicality scene as it regards cases…

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Why Should Debate Be Part of Your Homeschool Curriculum by: Amy Eichholz

Posted on September 2, 2021September 2, 2021 by Heather Neumann

Amy Eichholz is part of the Lasting Impact! Teaching Team. She has graduated two sons and is teaching two daughters, still at home. Her journey in Speech and Debate started over a decade ago. She began as a novice parent, and is now preparing for her sixth year teaching Novice/Beginning Debate for the largest Homeschool Speech and Debate Club in Wisconsin. She is eager to see the transformation of another group of young students, both in person and online! Prior to homeschooling Amy taught fifth through twelfth grade. She will be teaching Debate Readiness for Lasting Impact! in the fall for ages 10-14. Sign up NOW or read her thoughts on why debate should be a part of your curriculum…

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LD Prep Success Tip by Meg Aerni

Posted on September 1, 2021September 1, 2021 by Heather Neumann

As we enter this next school year, it’s time to begin preparing for debate. I remember preparing for my first year of LD debate not too long ago. I found evidence, googled definitions, and printed many briefs. In fact, pretty much all of my preparation time went into writing cases and finding evidence. Generally, this is what we think of when we want to prepare. In the debate round, we need cases and evidence, so that’s what we should gather before competition starts. Right? Well, in my opinion, that’s only partially right. It’s certainly important to be prepared with these materials before your first tournament, but I don’t think cases and evidence represent the most important aspect of a debate round…

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What Makes Apologetics Club So Wonderful? by Sarah Fox and Jonathan Marsalis

Posted on August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 by Heather Neumann

New to Apologetics? No problem. No Apol. Club? We have you covered! Do you belong to a Club, but you want to grow with believers from around the country? Lasting Impact! is where both Stoa and NCFCA students will be at Monday evenings. This will be a time of growing and encouraging one another in Him. Check out the details HERE or read on what makes Apologetics Club so wonderful…

If an unbeliever asks you, “Was Jesus a socialist?” how well could you answer? If an atheist makes you question your faith, could you give a logical defense? If a Muslim asks you to compare and contrast their religion with your own then defend it, could you?

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The 2021-22 Lasting Impact! LD Guidebook is HERE!

Posted on August 24, 2021August 24, 2021 by Heather Neumann

We are excited to be part of your Lincoln Douglas Debate journey. If you know you want the 2021-22 NCFCA LD Guidebook fresh off the presses- click HERE!

Wondering why you might need the LD Guidebook this season? You may be reading our Guidebook for a multitude of purposes:

1. To learn how to do LD
2. To teach a club
3. To explore the LD resources
4. To get a head start on the season

No matter who you are or your level of experience, we hope this guide will be of tremendous benefit to you. This guide is different than most typical Sourcebooks. In addition to giving you LD cases, we wanted to help you understand the most important parts of Lincoln Douglas Debate and go through cases section by section.

There is no other Guidebook like it, specifically geared toward the NCFCA 2021-22 Season.

For new debaters or those teaching at a club:

We hope this will be your how-to guide for LD! Each section includes an explanation of that part of LD, why it is important and how to use it in a debate round. For instance, in the first section, definitions, there is an explanation of why definitions are important and how to argue them in a debate round. Following this summary is a brief of the most credible definitions we could find on the most important terms for this resolution. The same structure is used for the other sections, a summary of the topic and then a brief.

For experienced debaters:

In this resource, we have compiled a multitude of credible research and arguments for this resolution. The definitions brief has the most credible definitions for this resolution that we could find, the contentions briefs have scholarly evidence justifying and condemning each principle, the applications section has seventeen examples, more than you’ll use all year. In short, we want this resource to be beneficial and worthwhile. In addition to the summaries and descriptions, LD theory is also included.

Head to the SHOP, and go to BOOKS to purchase your LD Guide today!

Reasons Why You Need To Buy The Lasting Impact! TP Sourcebook

Posted on August 19, 2021August 19, 2021 by Heather Neumann

We are excited to announce the release of the 2021-2022 Lasting Impact! Team Policy Sourcebook! If you know you want it – purchase it HERE. But perhaps you have questions – Why this Sourcebook? What does it cover? Why Lasting Impact? In order to introduce it, the authors will answer questions about why it was written, and what we hope you can gain from it…

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TP Sourcebook is HERE! $29.95 (for a limited time)

Posted on August 18, 2021August 18, 2021 by Heather Neumann

Today is the day to buy this book. We hope you decide to take a look! Hundreds of hours have been poured into helping you succeed. Thanks for listening, now Godspeed! All kidding aside, Go HERE or to the SHOP to purchase our 2021-2022 TP Sourcebook- for a limited time it’s only $29.95!!

The Lasting Impact 2021-2022 NCFCA TP Sourcebook contains over 400 cards of high quality research, plus analysis and strategies. Within the sourcebook there are 5 cases (complete with 1ACs, Affirmative backups, and Negative briefs), 6 general briefs, and a thorough resolutional analysis document to jump start your understanding and research of this year’s topic.

Each case was tailor made to cover a broad scope of issues that are likely to be highly debated this coming season. These topics include prison labor, solitary confinement, attorney-client confidentiality, drugs, and prison care. Additionally, the general briefs provide a great way of not only jump-starting further research, but having evidence on hand that will be useful against many cases throughout the season. These general briefs cover topics including human rights: standards, human rights: violations, mental health, staff needs, medical care, and definitions/topicality. In all, the sourcebook provides a great way to dive into this year’s resolution and have research on hand all year long.

A Speech and Debate Reflection by: Cate Baldacci

Posted on August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Heather Neumann

I love when students reach out to me saying the Lord put something on their heart and they want to share it with our community (yes, you could do that too!). The journey through Speech and Debate is unique, we are each are on our own path. Yet, I love where we intersect, learn lessons, and share what we have learned with others. Regardless of the year you had last year, I hope you can reflect back and think about what the Lord was pressing upon you… are you ready for a new season!?

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