Everyone, this is not a drill — we’re only a few days away from the NCFL Grand National Tournament (catnats, if you will)! This is a particularly exciting year, as it is the first in-person catnats in a while (after it was cancelled in 2020 and online in 2021.) Catnats is a great tournament, and I want all of you … Read More
How To Win NSDA Nationals In LD: By Jo Spurgeon
Catchy title, right? But unlike your cases, there’s no warrant. No one-trick takes you from novice to national champion overnight. So to all of you looking for that kind of blog post, I’m sorry I can’t provide you solace. I can, however, give you some ideas on the best ways to maximize this last week of prep, because as all … Read More
A Critique Of Hiring Norms In Speech and Debate
As the season continues to wrap up, more debate institutions are announcing their new staff hires. It is an exciting time for everyone; former competitors are eager to dive into the world of coaching and students are looking to see who they will be learning from. Yet, despite the momentum behind new staff hires for debate institutions, there isn’t much … Read More
Extinction Comes First: The Nuclear Arsenals Topic
Extinction Comes First: Traditional LD and the Nuclear Arsenals Topic With the current Lincoln-Douglas topic dealing directly with nuclear weapons, it makes sense that a lot of debaters will be making arguments about existential risk. In traditional LD, extinction impacts aren’t all that common. Which is why I decided to write a brief explanation of how extinction impacts function in … Read More
We Always Say There’s A Wealth Disparity in Speech and Debate – Now Here’s the Proof
We Always Say There’s A Wealth Disparity in Speech and Debate – Now Here’s the Proof Wealthy debaters have a laundry list of advantages in Speech and Debate. Generally, the wealthier you are, the better school you go to – even if it’s not a private school, you likely live in a district that receives better funding and has more … Read More
The Best & Worst Utilitarianism Responses: Explored & Debunked
Utilitarianism Responses Explored & Debunked Any debater who’s been around me knows that I love utilitarianism. It’s my favorite philosophy, and I’ve read quite a bit about it. This is why the current state of debate around utilitarianism in Ohio, and other traditional circuits, bothers me so much. It’s intellectually dishonest, lazy, and often completely warrantless. As such, I thought … Read More