If you have never done Parli before or in a league where Parli is not currently offered, you may be thinking to yourself, “Why would I want to Debate in Lasting Impact’s Online Trailblazers Tournament?” OR “Why would I want to get involved with Parli?” OR “Why would I take the Lasting Impact Introduction to Parli summer course?” Well, I’m glad you asked! Parli has a plethora of benefits to you, as a growing debater…
Warning!! Long, thorough article!! To close out this year’s resolution analysis articles, here are the NCFCA TP and LD reviews! As with the resolutions, I’ll be going over the pros and cons of each option and then offering my opinion on which I believe is the best resolution. To provide some guidance, I’ll be rating each topic in two categories. First will be educational and engagement potential. Here I’ll basically be judging each topic on their ability to prevent the year from going stale, and value to students as a learning opportunity. Secondly, each topic will be graded on its ability to facilitate competitive debate rounds, basically which topic will generate the greatest quantity of fair, even debates. I’ll look at balance, breadth of aff and neg arguments, and the available research on the topic. Each category will be rated on a scale of 1-3, with 1 being the best topic for that category and 3 being the worst.
This last weekend over a hundred people from over twenty states met to participate in a debate tournament…. ONLINE. I know what you are thinking… Why? What for? What’s the point? The point was to be a pioneer! The point was to grow and participate in building communication skills in new ways. What Lasting Impact! created was something unique and different. Read on to hear all about this new type of speech and debate tournament…
Have you taken a look yet at the new proposed NCFCA resolutions for 2021? There is quite a breadth of interest represented there!! Our hope, as always, is that you explore the resolutions for yourself, or as families. Have discussions and read analysis. We are excited to be able offer different perspectives over the next few days…
The new topic options have been presented for STOA team policy debate and there is incredible potential for an extremely engaging and competitive year of debate across all three topics. Just like last year, I’ll be going over the pros and cons of each option and then offering my opinion on which I believe is the best resolution. I’ll be rating each category in two topics. First will be educational and engagement potential. Here I’ll basically be judging each topic on their ability to prevent the year from going stale, and value to students as a learning opportunity. Secondly, each topic will be graded on its ability to facilitate competitive debate rounds, basically which topic will generate the greatest quantity of fair, even debates. I’ll look at balance, breadth of aff and neg arguments, and the available research on the topic. Each category will be rated on a scale of 1-3, with 1 being the best topic for that category and 3 being the worst.
During my sophomore year, I was asked as apart of the advanced debate class to spend a round helping a novice team through their first round. Before the debate, I sent them this worksheet I had made, emphasizing that these four main sections were essential for each and every speech they give. Here is what it looked like:
Mister Chief Justice and may it please the court…
Moot court is something special. It transcends the everyday and takes you to a higher plane of thought. At least, that’s how I think of it. I LOVE moot court, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it is HARD. However, I have learned that if you invest in it, moot court will grow you into a stronger, smoother speaker who gives mic-drop answers using razor-sharp reasoning skills.
I would like to give you a few tips to approaching moot court that makes you a better advocate and helps you have more fun. These aren’t just abstract tips. I’ve actually done these. In fact, I’m doing them right now as I prepare to compete at Nationals in collegiate moot court.
Fullyimmerse yourself in mootcourt Moot court can be daunting at first. And two months in. And six months in. In all honesty, I’m still intimidated by it to this day. That’s ok. The Supreme Court of the United States is daunting too. Ask anyone who has argued before the Supreme Court.
“Come on, Hope,” you say. “It’s just pretend. We’re not actually arguing for a real person in front of the real Supreme Court.” To which I say, “but what if it were real? What if you actually were arguing for a real person before the real Supreme Court trying to affect real change?”
That is the attitude you should have when you compete in moot court. Take it seriously! Fully immerse yourself in the role of The Attorney: arguing passionately on behalf of your client, who has been seriously injured; or defending the United States of America, who has done nothing wrong. Don’t do it half-heartedly. You get out of moot court what you put into it. So throw your whole self into it! Treat every round as if it were your one chance to speak before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). Your client is counting on you for justice. Act like it.
Read the cases Real talk: life is busy. Between high school (or college) classes, SAT prep, and everything else you are doing, your time is very limited. I get it. But actually reading the cases is invaluable to your moot court preparation for a few reasons:
Quotes
SCOTUS has some pretty punchy lines. Use them to your advantage. Memorize them to use as answers to questions. Incorporate them into your arguments. Respond to opposing counsel’s arguments with them. They are wonderful little tools.
Actually understanding the cases
This one seems like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times I have heard cases misrepresented or misquoted because counsel hasn’t actually read the case. Read the whole thing. Read the footnotes. Read the concurrences and dissents. Read it all.
Commentary on other cases
It is common for cases to comment on past cases. Sometimes, SCOTUS overturns past cases (a fancy way of saying that they were wrong). They may even comment on cases you have available to you. That can increase your understanding of those cases, show you how to apply them to different circumstances, and distinguish the rule from dicta. (if you have no idea what I just said, let me explain: the “rule” is the part of a case that is binding on lower courts. It is the actual decision and the reasoning behind it that causes real change. It is how they answer the question presented to them. Anything else, like commentary on other cases or thoughts about potential future cases, is “dicta,” which is the non-binding opinion of the court. Dicta can be great for persuasive or rhetorical appeal, but it is not binding on the court.)
Tune into Hope’s next article for tips on – how to read cases…
Hope Turner is a Lasting Impact! Team Member and Coach. She is the reigning Moot Court Champion, along with her partner Hope Rawlson. For more one on one coaching, contact us.
This article was submitted by an Alumni Debater (not pictured)
Debate was my high school sport. I participated in a high school homeschool Speech and Debate League, which values real-world skills over technical debate training, I developed the art of rhetoric, composition, and professional conduct. Yet the most important lesson I learned during that time was a lesson I learned from my brother.
I have heard a number of concerns voiced by students and parents about the feasibility of arguing the affirmative side of the NCFCA’s 2019-2020 LD resolution. Granted, preventive war sounds like an ethically dubious activity on its face, and the resolution appears to make some ambitious claims. How can we reasonably make a blanket statement condoning what looks, from most angles, like blunt military aggression? If you don’t have the Lasting Impact! LD Guide, which has tons of ideas and an excellent resource, this article represents my attempt to put such concerns to rest and to show how this resolution can produce interesting and well-balanced debate rounds.
On September 6th, 1998 one of the greatest quarterbacks football has ever seen started his first game. Peyton Manning, the first pick in the 1998 draft out of Tennessee, lost in his first game as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts. Unlike many of the star first round quarterbacks of today’s football, Peyton Manning was never known for his strength, speed, or agility. While he certainly possessed the physical characteristics one would expect from two-time Superbowl champion, that didn’t define his style. He wasn’t one to consistently roll outside the pocket to extend a play or hurtle a ball downfield on sheer talent alone. Peyton Manning’s study, awareness, and preparation allowed him to become the football legend he is now known for today. That notion of skill development and preparation extends so well into the world of competitive forensics. It is one of the many reasons competitive forensics ought to be considered a sport. And it would behoove competitors to think of debate as such.
It’s that time of year again, pumpkins, cool nights, falling leaves and….
Debate prep! If you are doing LD this year, I’m sure you have realized that this resolution is really challenging in more ways than one. Not only is the wording different than you’re probably used to, it’s a fact resolution so there is only one side, but also the topic is unbelievably complicated. Everyone from scholars to military experts has been debating about it for thousands of years. You will need to understand not only debate concepts, but ethics, philosophy, and history just to name a few. Because of all these reasons and the gap we saw in providing real, understandable, concrete help to you, Lasting Impact! created the 2019-2020 NCFCA LD Guidebook written by two of its top competitors, Hope Rawlson and Caleb Sampson. No matter who you are or your experience level, from novice to experienced debater, we believe this guide will be of tremendous benefit to you. This is a complete resource, not your typical “sourcebook”. In addition to LD cases, we wanted to help you understand the most important parts of LD by going through it section by section. Included in the Guidebook are extensive briefs on Definitions, Resolutional Analysis, Values, Contentions, Themes, Philosophy and Case Ideas. Plus, hundreds of evidence cards on historical events relevant to the resolution. So, whether you are learning how to do LD, teaching a club, exploring resources, or trying to get a head start on the season, we believe this Guidebook can send you on your way to being a fantastic LD debater! Click HERE to purchase or read on…
Following is an excerpt from our Themes summary and brief. We hope you enjoy-Happy Debating!!
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