Debate Camp Talks
The Biblical Role of Government – God set up five different types of government for us. Each has a leader, a task, and a tool for discipline. Understanding these jurisdictions will go a long way to helping you understand how to do academic debate more effectively. Not only will you be able to write stronger cases, and be able to anticipate the negative strategy, but this will carry into your everyday life by gaining understanding why there are so many crises in every sector of society, and what needs done to begin the process of restoration.
Understanding The Constitution – This document is the foundation of our federal government and is overtly or covertly present at every debate round. If knowledge is power, gaining more understanding of what our government is supposed to do as opposed to what they are doing will strengthen your AFF case as well as your NEG strategy. This can also satisfy the school requirement for Constitutional Study. Come and discover some of the genius of this founding document.
Policy Resolution Overview – This is a 60-minute session on the current Policy Debate resolution for your organization for the upcoming season. I will give some history, current issues, as well as some possible case ideas.
Intro to Policy – In this session we will analyze the general form of a Resolution and why that’s important, the general structure and pattern of a debate round, and general debate theory including defining some key terms, understanding the structure of an argument, 4-Point Refutation, the two components of the Affirmative, and the Stock Issues. This would be good for everyone, even seasoned debaters as there may be some things they haven’t heard before.
The Stock Issues – This session will focus on the explanation and importance of the Stock Issues for both AFF and NEG, and how these tools are a part of every debate round, even if the terms are not used.
Logic, Fallacies, and Debate – What’s the difference between “valid” and “true?” How about contradictions vs. contraries? There are different categories of fallacies, some seen more than others in the debate round, and they can show up anytime someone is speaking, even in CX. Learn how to identify and deal with these infringements on logic.
Writing the 1AC – Writing your own 1AC can seem like a big task, however, there are few activities that will teach the student more about debate than learning this important task. We will look at the organization of the 1AC, where the Stock Issues fit, as well as how to fulfill the AFF burdens. Also discussed will be the two main AFF case structures (Harms/Solvency and Comparative Advantage), as well as taking Sourcebook material and altering it to make it your own.
The AFF Plan – The AFF Plan needs its own talk as it is quite unique. We will discuss all the components of the Plan, how they fit together as well as with the resolution. Included will be discussions on solvency, identifying the inherent barrier, plan advocacy, and making modifications.
Negative Strategy That Wins – The job of the Negative is to cast reasonable doubt on the Affirmative. This can be done in several ways. This session examines the beginning and some intermediate approaches to Negative Strategy including the Division of Labor, using the tools of the Stock Issues, 4-Point Refutation, and DisAdvantage Theory.
Evidence Standards – Researching, formatting, and cutting evidence is a key part of Policy debate. So key that most all adjudications are a result of a challenge to the opponent’s evidence. In this talk we will cover what evidence is, and how to ethically cut and present evidence in the debate round, as well as how to identify evidence violations.
Principles of Cross Examination – Cross-Ex can be one of the most fun parts of the debate round for those who have mastered it. It can be one of the most frustrating or scary aspects for those who struggle. This 3-minute event can make all of the difference in the debate round. This talk will look at the role/demeanor of the competitor, the kinds of questions, how to ask those questions, how to prepare for CX, and some of the tools you can use. We will also do a few fun exercises that will help you become that person who wins the CX time more often.
Flowing and Organization - One of the things that keep debaters from getting the ballot has to do with flowing and organization. No one can remember everything their opponents have said, so taking good notes is key. This leads to a more organized and less confusing debate for you, your opponents, and most importantly, the judge.