Advice:Awareness

I have a little bit of advice and a small assignment for you debaters today. First, the advice: always, always be aware of what is going on in the world. This may sound like common sense, but try to watch the news, browse the fronts page of the newspaper, or read the headlines online everyday. I get tons of ideas for positions that start with a simple article.

For example, today I was on CNN.com and I started reading about the swine flu outbreak and the reasons it was killing in Mexico. I noticed a quick little blip, "Sullivan also pointed to possible "complicating factors," such as malnutrition, poor housing or crowded conditions." (I bolded the important part.)

Reading through news articles can be a debater's best friend. It always gives you a working, convincing knowledge of politix or spending scenarios and how to counter them, even if you lack evidence in round.

On to your assignment, in the next few days, I want you guys to just be aware of what is going on in the world, and try to look at articles in the newspaper, online, or whatever you have available to you. Look for articles that could pertain to new resolution. It'd be great if you posted the headline, date of publication, and how it pertains to the new resolution. I think that a week from Thursday should give you sufficient time. One last little bit to this assignment, try to enjoy it.

Debate Full Policy Round Day I Hybrid teams

We will debate this week. Schedule will be decided during A lunch block. Debate will begin immediately following the bell for B lunch. Same goes for Tues/Wed/Thurs. After your round, you are to post a summary to Alex and Lisa recapping the round and asking the coaches for advice. These are full rounds with no stop/go. All policy debaters are expected to watch and flow. Speech times are normal but no speed reading allowed. This means every card counts folks.

Debating this week.

We need to debate Tues, Wednesday, and Thursday--be ready!

Camp

Hello Students!

It is that time of the year that you must be thinking about attending camp this summer. I encourage all of you to go to camp if you have time and can afford it. For those of you that are tight with money/don't want to travel I suggest looking into the Nebraska Debate Institute (NDI). It is probably going to be the cheapest by far and you will have the local judges and coaches helping you out all week. I would also suggest the Wildcat Debate Workshop (WDW) at K-state or Wyoming Debate Institute (WDI), this would be for the upperclassmen and those of you who want to spend more than one week at camp. I would like all of you to answer this post by saying what camp you are interested in and which you think you will be going to.

****For those of you who are not going to camp for one reason or another, I am NOT saying you have to go. I would just like a number of who is going to camp and who isn't. I am especially interested with the number going to NDI because I will be helping out. Scott Wike is in charge of NDI and he emailed me asking how many Fremont Debaters will be attending. All I want to give him is a number, do not feel obligated to go.*****

Thanks,

Kappy

PS-If you want more information on one camp or another don't hesitate to ask!

Topicality & DA format and structure

Topicallity and DA's have a specific structure and format so that they will be easy to flow and to extend throughout the debate. I have noticed during this last season that Fremont is lacking in topicality and DA structure. It will be alot easier to beat and extend topicality and DAs if you guys know the structure/format.
I would like all of you to make a general T shell and frontline along with Da shell and frontline. Just examples, you can use old Da's and T shells if need be but I would rather you guys take the evidence you are cutting and try to make shells.
If you have any questions please let me know.

Attention Novices:
I don't expect you to know or understand what I'm saying right now. The varsity should help you and try to explain what I am talking about. If you have ANY questions or don't understand something after the varsity has talked with you, please, please, please, don't hesitate to ask questions. If you want to ask me questions more privately (and this is for anyone) my email address is: kaplinger.lisa@gmail.com

Thanks guys! You rock!

Policy resolution for 09-10

To prepare on this topic, what is your main goal to be competitive?


Answer and then prepare for debate next week.

Tubs

Tubs--hybrid teams must set up tubs for Affirmative side of debate using the plantext we've been blogging and debating. Also, go back to the questions posed by Lisa regarding the mini-debates and answer them. You will experience the last four speeches in the round next week as you debate a full round (NO speed) with timed speeches and CX in your hybrid teams. Your responses to Lisa's questions count as this blog prompt.

Mini rounds phase II continued

Before mini-rounds, expain how the "negative block" works and what the affirmative can do in their second speech to make this difficult for the neg.

Past Blogs

Alex and Lisa have commented personally to individual debaters on several past blogs. Give them feedback today letting them know where you are according to what they have shared with you. See 4/2, 4/6, 4/14 and 4/15.

Next phase of mini-debate.

Begin to prepare for second speech. Varsity needs to post. Novice need to prepare to answer neg arguments in 1NC and extend from 1AC. We will begin to debate during C/D lunch tomorrow.

More mini rounds phase I

We need to finish our last mini-rounds for the first speeches. On Tuesday we will begin the second phase in which the 2AC and 2NC will be delivered in class as well as a CX. Your task is to prepare your answers. Use your flows. If you have questions as to what to run, post a question to either Alex or Lisa on this blog. Novice policy debaters should outline what you plan torun in that second affirmative speech by the end of Monday's class. Varsity policy debaters on neg need to have all your evidence posted you plan to use in the second speech against the novice affirmatives based on your flow by the end of Monday's class.

Policy debaters please go back and read comments from Alex on all previous blogs. We will continue working on mini-debates first speeches today. Let me know that you have done this by giving Alex feedback on his comments using today's blog.

Also...

Live from New York...it's the National Public Policy Forum (NPPF) Finals!
The NPPF is only contest that gives high school students the opportunity to participate in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. The oral debate finals of this global competition take place annually on the New York University campus. Students compete for a $10,000 grand prize and the Bickel & Brewer Cup!
You can watch all the action live via streaming video.
1. Here's how to participate. Visit "Debate Central" http://www.uvm.edu/debate_theater/ to watch the Web cast.
2. What you need. To view the broadcast, you need the latest version of QuickTime installed on your computer. You may already have this. If not, you can access a free download by visiting the Web site above.
3. What's the schedule? The semi-final and final debates will be aired live - don't miss any of the action! See below for details.
Saturday, April 18
9 a.m. EST - Semifinal Debate # 1
Bellaire High School (Affirmative), Bellaire, Texas vs. Glenbrook North High School (Negative), Northbrook, Illinois
10:45 a.m. EST - Semifinal Debate # 2
Deer Park High School (Affirmative), Deer Park, Texas vs. Plano Senior High School (Negative), Plano, Texas
4 p.m. EST - The NPPF Finals, featuring semi-final winners
For additional information about the Bickel & Brewer National Public Policy Forum (NPPF), visit www.nppf.net !

1AC mini debate

We will begin debating at the end of B lunch block. We will run through the first speeches and the first CXs. Be prepared.

Preparing Mini Rounds

Today's task is to prepare for a mini round debate during tomorrow's class. Novice policy debaters need to cut their case by selecting inherency, solvency, and advantage cards to support plantext I. You will also need a copy of the plantext and answers for attacks on your evidence, answeers for T, and answers for disads the negative will run against you.

Negative (varsity) needs to prepare to defeat the affirmative with on case arguments, T, and disads.

Both positions are limited to cards posted by 1:00 today. Additional defense cards may be added to today's post until the D lunch block begins. Affirmative speeches will NOT be timed. Negative speeches are limited--see coach.

Convince me

First of all, how is everyone doing? Any questions, concerns or comments?

Second, I was thinking back to my time on the policy circuit and I have an interesting assignment for you. I want you to spend a little time writing a short summary of why people should about the plan text that was previously posted. (For the people with prior policy experience, think about it as an underview and a way to organize why the judge should vote for you.)

Specifications:

• Three reasons would be ideal.
• Be concise when you explain your reasons, and don't make it too long.
  
• You should be able to read it (slower than speed reading, but faster than you normally talk) in under a minute and a half.
  
• Be passionate and convince me.
• Try not to research. Use what you know, and what has been posted.
  

I'm interested to see how you approach this. Finally, I will work on one also and post it within the next week. You can critique it and ask questions of mine if you like.

Exploring social services.

Define social services. Describe five examples of social services that you believe to be relevant to this resolution and defend your position.

We will begin maverick debates using all information posted. Affirmative debaters will defend the plan and negative debaters will oppose the plan. The only cards allowed are ones on the post. Novices will run aff and varsity will run neg.

Funny K & Disadvantages for Plantext I

Task I:

DEEP THOUGHT
The whole thread is probably better explained in person, as is the philosophy. Let's just say... in post-humanism, what I'm doing through creating animated actors that represent the advocacy is scary-true. Bodies are information. Information is bodies. That's a big part of post-humanism. So having a virtual clown run the kritik is hilarious but true on many levels. And even if you're not a post-humanist, I've posted it on cross-x.com and numerous Nebraska judges are checking it out and hearing the argument we'll make next year. I'm formatting brains for the message we'll be running as a kritik (Serres). Again, that we can even do this is post-humanist philosophy. It's sort of weird arguing post-humanism while advocating it in a post-humanist way.
SIMPLE THOUGHT
Cross-X is a fun place. Here's an consolidation of what we encountered at novice nationals against our post-humanist kritik. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZz8eilfonQ
You should enjoy that - it's a good snapshot of how the other team thinks and is damn funny too if you're on my perverse wavelength.Jamie Saker
Debate Coach
Fremont-Mills Community School District

Task II:

For the next two days, you need to find and impact at least two disadvantages for Plantext I. When you finish this task, Alex asked you to research social services.

Topicality

Review plantext I and find a piece of evidence that defends or attacks its topicality. Make sure you include your own analysis following the card (cited).

Plantext advantages

Using the plantext provided in yesterday's blog, find two advantages (cite evidence). You need to find at least one card for each advantage. We will meet at the beginning of B lunch to discuss the inherency and solvency cards selected yesterday. Caution: actual varsity policy coaches are now following this blog.

From Alex Habrock:

April 1 at 9:35pm

I am now following it. I do like the idea of plan that is posted there. I would have the debaters to look into the social services and see what they find. I think this is a huge topic to cover. I'm really surprised it was framed the way it was.

Plan I

Plan: The United States Federal Government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States by offering contracts to new construction companies who hire the unemployed for the building of low-income urban housing. We fund and enforce through normal means.

Find one inherency card (must cite) and one solvency card (must cite) for this plantext.