Tag: Free

Content that does not require a membership

Debate Readiness with Amy Eichholz starts MONDAY – 2/13/23

Posted on by Heather Neumann

We, at Lasting Impact!, are proud to offer a variety of Clubs and Classes! We have excellent instructors who care deeply and passionately for our students. Amy Eichholz is one of these instructors, and she is also my friend. We have been doing Speech and Debate together for over a decade. She has taught countless early, beginning debaters in one of the largest Speech and Debate Clubs in the MidWest. We are stoked to be starting another Debate Readiness Class this spring 2023. It starts Monday… and there is still time to sign up! Click HERE to register, or check out the description and Amy’s bio below…

Are you interested in a gentle introduction to some of the skills used in debate? Learning to think critically and communicate rationally about a wide variety of subjects is one of the best benefits of debate. For new debaters, the learning curve can seem steep, especially for young debate students. Debate Readiness exists to equip young thinkers with some basic tools for their debate toolbox. In this course, we will introduce logical fallacies, basic economics and lawmaking, and current the NCFCA resolutions.

Booklist:
The Fallacy Detective by Nathanael Bluedorn
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Marbury
Whatever Happened to Justice by Richard Marbury

Ages: 10 – 15

Bio: Amy Eichholz
I am a homeschool mom who began novice debate class over a decade ago alongside my oldest son, and while he and all his siblings have graduated from novice debate, I’m still happily there. I coach in my local club, Salt & Light, where I have the joy to see beginning debaters gain skills and confidence as they learn to think and communicate critically and deeply about important issues. Prior to homeschooling my children, I taught fifth through twelfth grades in public and private schools, with an emphasis on special needs and gifted education. I love debate because it synthesizes critical thinking skills and applies them in exciting, real world ways and is a powerful crucible the Lord can use to humble, teach, and grow us as His disciples. Oh, and I love to knit!

A New Speech and Debate Judge Perspective By: Chloe Peters

Posted on by Heather Neumann

“Well…I guess they sit in a circle and hold hands and sing Kum ba yah. But the program doesn’t work because the government needs more money to sing Kum ba yah…and drug dealers and immigration violators don’t even get to sing!” This is a quote from my favorite ballot of last year. It is a vivid description of my team policy case (and it’s not far off either.) 

There is a uniqueness to speech and debate leagues that didn’t become fully clear to me until this past weekend. I walked into the competition room, taking deep breaths to relax my nerves. Only this time, I wasn’t competing. I was a judge…

Continue reading “A New Speech and Debate Judge Perspective By: Chloe Peters” →

Preparing for Tournaments Using Your Moot Court Imagination by: Ethan Tong

Posted on by Heather Neumann

As the first Moot Tournament draws even closer, many students are panicking. How do you even prepare for an unlimited amount of questions from judges? How do you anticipate what questions might be asked?

Let me tell you about the key to a successful first tournament…

Continue reading “Preparing for Tournaments Using Your Moot Court Imagination by: Ethan Tong” →

Tips for LD Negs in NCFCA by: Honor Hoffman

Posted on by Heather Neumann

This past week, I had the privilege of judging multiple LD rounds at an NCFCA tournament. I saw some stellar cases and strong argumentation, but I also noticed a disturbing trend: many students seem confident and put-together when they affirm the resolution. They can articulate a strong philosophical case for private property rights, complete with appeals to social contract theory and natural rights. However, when it comes to the negative side, many cases seem far less polished. Students struggle to come up with a philosophical justification for the economic interests of the community. They let many affirmative points slide, uncontested. They often look uncomfortable.

Continue reading “Tips for LD Negs in NCFCA by: Honor Hoffman” →

Spring 2023 With Lasting Impact! Register NOW!

Posted on by Heather Neumann

We, at Lasting Impact!, are excited to jump into 2023! Join us as we learn, explore, and make Lasting Impacts! through speech and debate! This spring Lasting Impact! is offering multiple opportunities for students to expand their skills! 

Are you looking to up your speech and debate game? This winter/spring Lasting Impact! is hosting a number of different online clubs, including Extemp Roundtable with Marc Davis, Literary Analysis and Speech 101 with Heather Neumann, Apologetics and Foundational LD Debate with Noah McKay and starting in February Limited Prep with Honor Hoffman and Debate Readiness with Amy Eichholz! Our coaches have years of experience, knowledge and are actively involved with the leagues and speech and debate community. Our clubs provide not only educational material but general life skills, such as communication, analytical skills, timeline goals, and the ability to give and receive feedback from fellow peers. Clubs are a wonderful way to gain insight, knowledge, and help prepare you for the 2023 tournaments, and beyond! We are proudly a Christian-based organization mentoring students through a biblical worldview. 

Here’s what people are saying,

“Heather combines next-door warmth with canny insight, creating classes and opportunities for students and parents that perfectly meet needs in an enthusiastic, always-encouraging, Christ-focused way. How grateful we are for Lasting Impact!” – Missy 

 “Lasting Impact! fosters an encouraging and creative environment for multiple ages, providing students across America and beyond with a solid foundation of principles and skills that will be used time and time again!” – John

 “Being clear, logical, articulate, and winsome are qualities fast-fading in our culture, so we need to cultivate them. Lasting Impact! taught my student how research with legitimate sources, how to use logical analysis, and how to communicate calmly and persuasively.” – Kristi 

“As a new student in the speech and debate world, I am very thankful for my coaches at Lasting Impact! They prepared me better than I ever thought possible!” – Isaiah

We would love to have you join us in preparing to leave a Lasting Impact! For more information on specific clubs or to register please visit our Shop. See you soon! 

Significance: The Overused Stock Issue by: Brendan McDonald

Posted on by Heather Neumann

If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a thousand times. The Affirmative has just concluded their first affirmative constructive, the first five and half minutes of which they spent describing the problems of the status quo in vivid detail.

Then the Negative gets up for their first speech and … spends six minutes refuting those problems, makes two quick and weak solvency points, and sits down. 

As a member of the Affirmative in this above scenario, I’m ecstatic; as a judge, I’m distraught. In either scenario, I feel the Negative has just put themselves in a deep hole from which they might not escape. Allow me to explain why…

Continue reading “Significance: The Overused Stock Issue by: Brendan McDonald” →

Ask the Coach – New Competitor Advice by Heather Neumann

Posted on by Heather Neumann

I am a new student, heading to my first speech and debate tournament, what should I focus on?

Great question! There is a lot of soak in! A tournament involves long days, and often not a lot of sleep, so here’s a few tips…

Continue reading “Ask the Coach – New Competitor Advice by Heather Neumann” →

FREE Judging Debate Workshop THIS Week!

Posted on by Heather Neumann

There’s only so much time to give judges information about how to judge at a tournament, so the priority is often on procedural things: how to fill out the ballot, what to expect in the round, and what the basic rules are. What goes neglected is actually how to make a good decision. Because of this we find that many parents are confused and intimidated by the entire process. We also find that information about how to make a good decision gets passed around piecemeal, losing its original meaning through time and transmission.

While there is no one correct way to judge, there are some basic principles that help students improve the quality of debate. This workshop will go over these principles as well as our personal process of making a good judging decision. It will be simpler than you think! How we think about debate often gets overly complicated over time, when in fact debate, and therefore judging, will always boil down to basic principles of reason and decision-making.

Lasting Impact! and New England Debate Coach Marc Davis will lead the Team Policy portion and Lasting Impact! Coach Noah McKay will lead Lincoln Douglass. Directors of Lasting Impact! and New England Debate, Heather Neumann and Brenda Storz will also contribute their expertise. Combined we have multiple decades of participating in and coaching debate. We’re allotting a significant portion of time to Q&A so be sure to bring any question you have about judging.

Logistics: 12/17 at 6:30pm ET via Zoom.

Please register even if you can’t make the call, because we will send the recording to everyone on the registration list. Also, please spread the word! 

Register Here

Why You Should Share Your Cases by: Clare Cey

Posted on by Heather Neumann

It can be very tempting, especially early in the debate season, to keep your debate case a secret even within your own club. After all, you’ve poured your time, effort, and energy into this case and you want to protect it from the cruel eyes of the world. Or maybe, you want to keep an aura of surprise – to hear the whispers in hallways and the fear on your opponents faces as they walk into the room. However, these options are not practically or strategically going to give you the best competitive results. 

Some argue that you should share your case because we’re all a team, and that’s what teams should do. While true, I’d like to present a couple more selfish reasons why you should share your case with anyone and everyone early in the season. 

Continue reading “Why You Should Share Your Cases by: Clare Cey” →

SALE on Sourcebooks – One More Day! Only $20

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Cyber Monday and we are still feeling thankful! This year, we did something we never have done before- we are offering our Debate Sourcebooks for only $20! What makes our Debate Sourcebooks different from other Sourcebooks out there?

Many sourcebooks take a top-down approach to the resolution, providing you with swaths of evidence but with little way to digest it. While we still provide multiple cases and briefs to be used throughout the season, our sourcebook explores all the facets of debate, not just the evidence. We teach you the tricks of the trade, breaking down terminology and debate theory in an accessible and understandable way. Additionally, we have advanced approaches to boost your speaker points, organization, and persuasion. No matter what your strengths and weaknesses in debate are, our sourcebook is designed to meet you where you are and facilitate growth. This resource will help you gain traction as you launch into the new season. Right now, our sourcebooks are on sale! You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity that will help you identify your best speaker roles, partner compatibility, and strategic strengths.

Additionally, our coaches are on deck and ready to help you put the finishing touches on your cases and strategies as you start this season, and beyond! The holidays are here, but competition will be upon us before you know it. Don’t procrastinate!

Here’s what people are saying about our Sourcebooks, Elyse says, “The TP Sourcebook is absolutely amazing! What a great resource! And the vocabulary list… I didn’t even know half of the words, and I have been debating a couple years.” Club Leader, Speech and Debate Coach, Tena, says, “I have been helping debate students develop their speaking skills for over a decade. I have always encouraged students to utilize sourcebooks (especially early in the season) to get a jumpstart on their research and debating. I always recommend Lasting Impact! They have FAR and AWAY the best sourcebooks.” Heather says, “Our Sourcebooks are not only written for the student in mind, many Club Leaders and Coaches use our Sourcebooks to help them understand the resolution, terminology, definitions, etc. Hundreds of hours are poured into our resources, because we love what we do and love helping people succeed.”

Head to the SHOP and purchase your Sourcebook for only $20 TODAY!

Extemp Roundtable is HERE – sign up TODAY!

Posted on by Heather Neumann

Extemp Roundtable
Time: 4pm ET
Fridays – Begins Nov. 18, 2022-April 2023
Cost: $100 Members / $125 NonMembers

One downside of digital extemp is the lack of club mates getting together to discuss the news while filing articles. The extemp roundtable will recreate that valuable discussion time. Each week everyone will be responsible for a short (2 min) summary of a news topic, followed by a brief discussion. Coach Marc will help keep the discussion going and take notes. This is about information density and actively keeping up with the news. Parents are encouraged to attend to learn alongside their students. Join students from around the nation, from a variety of leagues! This is for beginners to experienced, from students to coaches. You do not want to miss out on the opportunity to discuss current events, understanding the critical thinking process, analysis, and overall communication skills this club will provide!

Go here to sign up – https://lastingimpact.info/product/club10143/

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