The Triumph Method.
What We Teach...
The Triumph Debate Winter Intensive offers two distinct learning tracks - our traditional division and our progressive division.
Our traditional division features a robust curriculum that uniquely emphasizes a deep approach to philosophy, critical thinking, and technical debate abilities. We teach students the skills and knowledge needed to succeed at local, state, and national competitions. Our nationally recognized staff know what it takes to win at tournaments like NCFL and NSDA Nationals, and know how to prepare students for these competitions. With nearly half of Triumph Debate instructors pursuing degrees in philosophy, we are the best camp for students who want to master their understanding of framework and ethics.
Our progressive division is an ideal option for students competing on the national circuit, attending TOC-bid tournaments, or looking to get more exposure to technical debate. With introductory and intermediate tracks, our curriculum teaches students how to begin their TOC journey, and prepares them for technical debates at the highest level of competition. Our progressive division covers the main four circuit concepts - LARP, procedurals (topicality and theory), philosophy, and kritiks. Students attending our progressive division will be provided supplemental topic materials prepared by our expert instructors.
Students from both the traditional and progressive division will learn and practice on the January/February NSDA topic.
"Triumph debate is a masterful articulation of the fundamental ideas and concepts of debate, how to use them, and how to apply that to debate rounds. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
- Zach G. (Winter Intensive, 2020)
How We Teach...
The Triumph Debate Winter Intensive is hosted virtually, using GSuite, Google Meets, and Google Classroom. Prior to the start of camp, students will be invited to join our Camp Google Classroom, where all relevant camp materials will be located - including schedules, meeting rooms/links, copies of camp forms and documents, complaint and feedback forms, camp cases/files, practice round pairings, lab and lecture notes, materials, and PowerPoints, file/case review submissions, and more.
Our Intensive emphasizes application and practice to master all skills and concepts. To achieve this, students will:
- Engage in daily activities to practice content areas, such as a framework tournament or impact tournament
- Be placed into small groups to refine and "drill" specific skills, such as speed, clarity, flowing, word economy, strategy, lay appeal, and more
- Participate in a minimum of three to five practice rounds throughout the week
Winter Intensive students are placed in a "lab" system, within their respective divisions, based primarily off of previous experience and diagnostic exams. Each lab is led by two Triumph Debate instructors, with a camper to staff ratio of 5:1.
Labs at Triumph Debate have built in "open" time. Open labs are designed to allow students to have a voice in the topics they would like to learn. Campers can request specific lectures, opt to participate in a workshop, ask any questions they may have, and more.
Additionally, each division features morning and evening office hours, where students have the opportunity to meet with instructors individually and ask questions, learn about new or interesting topics to them, and work on honing their skills.
Why We Teach...
The evidence is clear - debate provides unique knowledge, skills, and abilities that improve students academic, professional, and personal lives. Students who participate in Speech and Debate, on average, maintain a higher cumulative GPA by approximately 0.4, are 3.1x more likely to graduate high school, and perform better on tests such as the ACT (Mezuk et. al 2011). On a personal level, students who engage in debate have boosts in confidence, improvements in critical thinking, and stronger communication skills (Akerman and Neale 2011). Without a doubt, debate changes lives.
Yet, debate is also a competitive activity. Many students and coaches struggle with balancing the desire to have fun with the goals of winning. Though we teach students how to win, our camp boasts a non-competitive learning environment with collaboration and growth as the underlying values.
Triumph Debate ensures all students - no matter their backgrounds, experience levels, or goals - are accepted and can participate in this life changing activity.
"I would very much recommend Triumph Debate's Winter Intensive! Throughout the camp, I have learned so many new debate concepts and ideas! Personally speaking, I am very new to the circuit, and this camp was much needed to help me gain a clearer and broader picture of what the many complex components of debate are. I was able to find certain topics that I am interested in and would like to specialize in throughout my debate career. You could tell each instructor had a passion for debate and sincerely cared about helping each of us get one step closer to reaching our potential in debate, no matter what level we had."
- Rhea R. (Winter Intensive, 2020)
Sample Elective List
(2021 Winter Intensive)
- Ecocentrism vs Anthropocentrism
- Theories Of Property Rights
- Utilitarianism; A Deep Dive
- International Relations; Political Realism vs Cosmopolitanism
- Theories Of Equity; Structural Violence, Civic Republicanism, & Communitarianism
- Theories Of Legalism; International Law, Human Rights, & Constitutionality
- Rebuttal Tools: Blocksheets, Frontlines & Preflows
- Indicting Evidence
- The Rebuttal Economy: Winning The Time Tradeoff In Rebuttal Speeches
- Strategically Selecting Arguments
- Infusing A Narrative Into Your
- Case Terminalizing Impacts; Always Win Impact Calc!
Sample Lessons
Tip: to view our sample lectures, click the play button in the left corner!
Ethics & Philosophy
In this seminar, Triumph Debate instructor Eva Lamberson discusses the application of the moral and political theory of cosmopolitanism in a Lincoln Douglas debate round. Specifically, how to leverage its advantages, what makes the theory appealing to all judges, and how to construct it into cases.
The sample video was taken from our 2020 Winter Intensive session.