Category: Opinion

Opinion- Conclusion LD – The Battle of the Scales by: Henry Chen

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Transforming Impact-Measure to Consequentialist Obligation Measure

In this next example, we take an Impact-Measure case and transform it into a case that looks at measures of Consequentialist Obligations.

This looks similar but is quite different. It treats Utilitarianism as a Philosophy and shows why there is a moral duty to care about the “bigger” impact. This is what we call Principled Consequentialism rather than Shallow Consequentialism.

Here is an Impact Case for the LD Space Resolution “Resolved: In the exploration and utilization of outer space, international cooperation should be prioritized.”….

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Opinion – Understanding Lincoln-Douglas Values Debate – Part 2 by Henry Chen

Posted on by Heather Neumann

The Battle of the Scales

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of values debate. Maybe
you’re a student who worked hard on a case but felt confused about what the judge actually
wanted. Maybe you’re a parent judge who felt uncertain about how to evaluate rounds,
especially when one student had more evidence but the other had more philosophical
arguments. Maybe you’re a coach watching your students drift toward policy-style cases
because that’s what seems to win. Read on to hear Henry’s opinion and perspective (bio below)…

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Opinion- Understanding Lincoln-Douglas Values Debate: The Battle of the Scales by: Henry Chen

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Henry Chen has been coaching Lincoln Douglas Debate for numerous years. He coaches at Vox Speech and Debate in WA, a club with a consistent record of success at the national level. His students have regularly advanced to outrounds, and in the 2024-2025 season, the NCFCA National TP Championship round featured two teams from Vox.

As a father of three, his passion for the league is also personal; his sons have won National Championships in both Lincoln-Douglas (2022) and Team Policy (2025). This experience as both a parent and a coach informs the philosophy he is passionate about sharing. Professionally, Henry is a User Experience (UX) leader in the high-tech industry…

The Problem:
I believe Lincoln Value Debate is currently struggling because students, judges, and coaches
default to policy-style argumentation. Debates labeled ‘values’ are indistinguishable from
policy debates except for decorative value/criterion statements. Is there more… (keep reading…)

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LD in NCFCA 2024-25 by: Drew Swanberg

Posted on by Heather Neumann


It’s that time of year again. The new resolution is here and people are already forming their opinions and for next year’s debate season. We already ran an Online LD Camp (GET THE RECORDING HERE FOR ONLY $25/members –https://lastingimpact.info/product/workshop22659/ ) and the Lasting Impact! LD Guide is about to be released NEXT WEEK!! As a coach, I have already taken a deeper look at the selected NCFCA Lincoln Douglas value debate resolution for 2024-2025 debate season.  Resolved: In combat, the use of automation should be valued above the use of Personnel. At first glance and without the context, it may not be clear whether this resolution begs ethical questions significant enough to debate. I would argue however, that there is practically an ocean of relevant moral philosophy to this highly relevant and deceptively nuanced resolution…

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Presenting Progressive Perspectives in a Conservative League by Eric Meinerding

Posted on by Heather Neumann

The homeschool speech and debate circuit is quite conservative. Duh. This comes as a surprise to no one. Most of the motivations for homeschooling in the first place come from conservative places, such as evangelical Christianity. Christian leagues like NCFCA and STOA encourage their students to glorify Christ through speech and debate. This is a really good thing. My life and faith found their roots because of the conservative traditions in forensics. That being said, there should be open doors for some progressive opinions as well. Not everything. But some. And here’s why.

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#1 Unrated Skill Learned in Speech and Debate By: Griffith Vertican

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Do you know what the most underrated skill gained from speech and debate is???

The skill is not one that likely jumps to the top of your mind. Yes, speech and debate are great for developing critical thinking, vocabulary, public speaking, advanced nonverbal, interpersonal communication, research, leadership, and problem-solving skills, however, there is one more – let’s call it skill nine – that is absolutely worth highlighting… [Insert drum roll here]… self-awareness.

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NCFCA 2024 TP (proposed) Resolution Analysis by: Honor Hoffmann

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Proposed team policy resolutions can be very hit-or-miss. Some years, the entire slate of options is highly promising (like in 2022, when NCFCA debaters could choose from tribal issues, federal prisoners, or housing concerns). Other years, the provided choices leave debaters wondering who exactly is in charge of proofing these suggestions (while increasing development assistance to Honduras, Guatemala, or El Salvador is an important topic, it doesn’t exactly lend itself well to breadth of research). 

Fortunately, this year’s NCFCA lineup is more the former than the latter. While each option has its pros and cons (we’ll get into those in a moment), each would be a perfectly reasonable and interesting topic to spend a season debating…

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Learn to Think Like Your Opponent: Why Debaters Thrive in the Real World by: Liliana Zylstra

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Could the skills learned in high school speech and debate be part of the solution to the culture’s ideological conflict and political division? I believe the answer is yes. Participating in debate is the best way to learn one crucial skill that is incredibly needed and often overlooked. Debate requires students to fairly evaluate views that they don’t hold…

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Using a Sourcebook as a Guide or Map in LD or TP Debate by: Richard Green

Posted on by Heather Neumann

How do we get there? 

A question often asked when we take our family trips,  typically proposed by our youngest of children.  “When are we leaving….how far away….are we stopping anywhere…how long?” All top the list of favorite questions to ask.   The root of the conversation is the core understanding of how.  The response is founded in the knowledge that someone has done the work to show us the path.  

 The map…

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Why Your Student Should Start with LD Debate by: Noah McKay

Posted on by Heather Neumann

The perennial debate between LD- and TP-firsters is unlikely to come to and end any time soon. Probably, you’ve already heard several of the considerations I am about to offer in defense of the LD-first position. But I am willing to bet you haven’t heard them all. My hope is that these arguments will make the decision easier for those of you who are on the fence. (And, of course, I hope you choose LD.)

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Stoa and NCFCA Lincoln Douglas Debate Resolution Breakdown with Noah McKay

Posted on by Heather Neumann

‘Tis the season to panic over the slate of new debate resolutions! Just kidding. If you are looking for an opinion… Noah McKay has got one, or a few!? Check out his comprehensive opinions on this years voting Lincoln Douglas resolutions for both Stoa and NCFCA…

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