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Debate traditions that you need to drop

07Jun

June 7, 2017 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

When I first joined the NCFCA, I was overwhelmed by all the things I had to learn. Depending on how long it has been since you were a novice, you may have forgotten what it was like to learn all the terminology and ways of doing things. Wait, so what is the difference between Inherency […]

Book Gleaning — Made to Stick

17Oct

October 17, 2016 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

Book gleaning is a series of posts that highlight specific books and what we can take from them to apply to public speaking. In this post, we’ll be discussing the book Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of […]

Owning the lectern

02Feb

February 2, 2016 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

Credit goes to Samuel Sefzik (several time tournament champion and high-placing debater at Nationals) for the second and third idea. Confident body language sometimes boils down to small details in how you act in a debate round. Some of the things you don’t even pay attention to while debating can affect the judge’s perception of your […]

Stop at the nod

10Mar

March 10, 2015 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

Do you want to know how to get more words in your speech while still winning each argument? Stop at the nod. All you have to do is wait for the judge to agree with your point, then move forward. Don’t beat the dead horse! Benefits: Saves time Avoids exasperating the judge Allows you to […]

Connect with your judge

06Feb

February 6, 2015 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

  The style of speaking that I advocate on this website is very conversational and personal. It avoids aloofness, it prioritizes making sure your judge likes you and understands exactly what you’re saying. One of the keys to pulling off this style is actually connecting with your judge. You not only want the judge to […]

“You may be thinking…”

06Jan

January 6, 2015 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

Here’s a cool phrase you can use in order to address any concerns that the judge has. I often used this phrase when I already knew what the judge’s objection would likely be. For example, “The result of all this is nuclear war. Now I know what you might be thinking—is that really likely? Surprisingly, […]

Be professional

16Dec

December 16, 2014 by PotentSpeaking Leave a Comment

It’s probably happened to you before. The judge walks in while all the debaters are chatting boisterously, and suddenly everyone stops and pretend nothing was happening. It’s awkward. Really awkward. But even though it happens pretty often, lots of people continue to make the same exact mistake. So I felt the need to address this. […]

The judge philosophy

24Oct

October 24, 2014 by PotentSpeaking 2 Comments

  I always cringe when I hear it. The sound of a debater trying to ask the “judging philosophy” question. It seems that almost every debater I’ve come across has managed to make the question confusing and robotic. So, let’s talk about how to ask for and use the judging philosophy. What not to do […]

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Recent Posts

  • Drawing a line in the sand using false equivalence
  • Debate traditions that you need to drop
  • 7 Debate Tactics You Probably Don’t Use (but Should)
  • Book Gleaning — Made to Stick
  • Making an Affirmative response sheet

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