Showing posts with label Debate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Debate. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Debate: Story 3
In the second competition of my debate career, I was sitting in and waiting for my opponent with my judge. She had done debate before and we were sort of chatting about the teams at each school. Then my opponent shows up, red and panting from running from wherever he was to the room we were to debate in. With him, he had ten (individual) folders and proceeded to move five desks around to place two folders on each desk. As he read his speech, he walked around the room, winding through aisles of desks, to the front and back (from my perspective), his voice louder and softer depending on where he went. He did the same for CX too! My judge and I made eye contact, as if to say, "What on earth is he doing?" I was really unconfident because he had this value called 'utilitarianism' and I had no idea what it was. I couldn't pronounce it and I still can't. I couldn't even tell what his contentions were so I couldn't attack! Thankfully, somehow, I won and I won with thirty speaker points (the max at that tournament)! It must've been because...you don't walk around the room to give your speech. Moral of the story? You never know what happens. Play confident.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Debate: Story 2
Once upon a time, I was a newbie...
I remember my first debate competition very well. The school was freezing cold and would be again the next year I came to compete. I went to my first round of the day for LD and a girl by the name of Sarah beat me. Bad. I had tears in my eyes during the round. Not my finest moment. I still don't know how I got teary; I usually don't. But I survived!
Anyway, moral of the story: Don't get discouraged. Worst things have happened. One of the best LD debaters in my school started off his debate career by coming in with the wrong topic. Unless you can beat that, don't quit. And even if you can beat that, don't quit. Debate has so much to offer.
I remember my first debate competition very well. The school was freezing cold and would be again the next year I came to compete. I went to my first round of the day for LD and a girl by the name of Sarah beat me. Bad. I had tears in my eyes during the round. Not my finest moment. I still don't know how I got teary; I usually don't. But I survived!
Anyway, moral of the story: Don't get discouraged. Worst things have happened. One of the best LD debaters in my school started off his debate career by coming in with the wrong topic. Unless you can beat that, don't quit. And even if you can beat that, don't quit. Debate has so much to offer.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
PF Topic Jan. 2015-Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
I know how hard debate is. I've been doing it for two years going on third, and I still don't have the hang of it. So to help anybody who finds this, I'll post what ideas I do have on this topic. I'll be doing the LD topic for a competition so this might not be as thorough as I'd like it to be, but I hope it helps!
Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
First, what we need to do is understand what the resolution, with all its fancy, schmancy words, means. To novice debaters: your teachers might tell you to define every word to use up time at first, but soon you'll find out that there's simply not enough time to explain your points and define every word in the resolution. My advice? Find what contentions you want to use, get your evidence, and define every word that is necessary to WIN!!!
On balance-when all factors are taken into consideration (Oxford Dictionary)
Economic-of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (Merriam-Webster)
Globalization-the development of closer economic, cultural, and political relations among all the countries of the world as a result of travel and communication becoming easy (Cambridge Dictionary)
Benefits-a good or helpful result or effect (Merriam-Webster)
Worldwide-happening or existing in all parts of the world (Merriam-Webster)
Poverty-the state of being poor (Merriam-Webster)
Reduction-the act or process of reducing (Merriam-Webster)
Another piece of advice, find the definition that best defines what you want the word to mean. Like cat could have to meanings that are similar, but different enough. One might be 'a feline' and another might be 'an animal with an attitude.' Pick the one that will most benefit your case.
Pro:
Lending Money-The dollar does not have the same value in the United States as it has in Africa. Micro-lending, I believe a small loan of some sort, can help businesses in developing countries. By giving a loan of $500 the money can go farther in Africa than in the US. And, somehow, economic globalization helps achieve this. Perhaps because an American business woman invests in a young African man's drive to succeed and loans him money to start up in a place where money goes farther than in the US. All thanks to travel and communication becoming easier.
Helping Each Other-If one country's economy is in bad shape, another can help it by hiring the people in that country. By hiring them, you pull them from poverty.
Education-If you do business in another country, the knowledge spreads in that country. Knowledge is power and if a person in poverty can grasp it, then they could get out of poverty if they know how to use it.
Awareness-When your business depends on other companies, you become aware of their problems. You become aware of poverty and start to help.
Con:
Exploitation-When the people of a poor company need money, they're desperate to get their hands on whatever job they can get. The big, bad wolves of the business world naturally take advantage of this and pay them less than, say, $1.25.
Dependency-If only one country produces a certain product (for example: toilet paper) and they go into war and cease production, you suddenly have a problem. Generally, dependency in trading, production, or in general isn't good. You depend on another country's state of economy or whatever. And that can be unreliable.
Loss of Culture-People say that they lose tradition when integration starts.
Once again, I really didn't go into detail with ideas and such because I had a mock trial competition on top of this, but I hope it gives you a start on the right track. Now onto my real priority: LD.
Resolved: On balance, economic globalization benefits worldwide poverty reduction.
First, what we need to do is understand what the resolution, with all its fancy, schmancy words, means. To novice debaters: your teachers might tell you to define every word to use up time at first, but soon you'll find out that there's simply not enough time to explain your points and define every word in the resolution. My advice? Find what contentions you want to use, get your evidence, and define every word that is necessary to WIN!!!
On balance-when all factors are taken into consideration (Oxford Dictionary)
Economic-of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services (Merriam-Webster)
Globalization-the development of closer economic, cultural, and political relations among all the countries of the world as a result of travel and communication becoming easy (Cambridge Dictionary)
Benefits-a good or helpful result or effect (Merriam-Webster)
Worldwide-happening or existing in all parts of the world (Merriam-Webster)
Poverty-the state of being poor (Merriam-Webster)
Reduction-the act or process of reducing (Merriam-Webster)
Another piece of advice, find the definition that best defines what you want the word to mean. Like cat could have to meanings that are similar, but different enough. One might be 'a feline' and another might be 'an animal with an attitude.' Pick the one that will most benefit your case.
Pro:
Lending Money-The dollar does not have the same value in the United States as it has in Africa. Micro-lending, I believe a small loan of some sort, can help businesses in developing countries. By giving a loan of $500 the money can go farther in Africa than in the US. And, somehow, economic globalization helps achieve this. Perhaps because an American business woman invests in a young African man's drive to succeed and loans him money to start up in a place where money goes farther than in the US. All thanks to travel and communication becoming easier.
Helping Each Other-If one country's economy is in bad shape, another can help it by hiring the people in that country. By hiring them, you pull them from poverty.
Education-If you do business in another country, the knowledge spreads in that country. Knowledge is power and if a person in poverty can grasp it, then they could get out of poverty if they know how to use it.
Awareness-When your business depends on other companies, you become aware of their problems. You become aware of poverty and start to help.
Con:
Exploitation-When the people of a poor company need money, they're desperate to get their hands on whatever job they can get. The big, bad wolves of the business world naturally take advantage of this and pay them less than, say, $1.25.
Dependency-If only one country produces a certain product (for example: toilet paper) and they go into war and cease production, you suddenly have a problem. Generally, dependency in trading, production, or in general isn't good. You depend on another country's state of economy or whatever. And that can be unreliable.
Loss of Culture-People say that they lose tradition when integration starts.
Once again, I really didn't go into detail with ideas and such because I had a mock trial competition on top of this, but I hope it gives you a start on the right track. Now onto my real priority: LD.
Debate: Story 1
Once upon a time...I was in seventh grade. And this, is the start of my debate career.
So some time ago, I was in seventh grade and my mom wanted me join the debate club and student council. Luckily, I somehow got out of joining student council, but...that was the case for debate. Eventually, I had to go to see the teacher for debate, but I didn't know how to get there so I asked a girl who I sort of knew how to get to the room to join debate. I was still hoping to get out of debate. She happened to like to debate. Yeaaaaaaah. So in the end, she took me to T-whatever and I signed up. The teacher asked if I was dedicated and the girl vouched for me. Internally, I was like 'NOOOOOO' because I didn't want to be in debate, but at the same time I was like 'Yes, I am a quick learner.' So that's how I joined the debate team. And that girl? She happens to be one of my best friends now. I guess it was fate that I joined debate because it's my life now. And I've met my best friend because of it. Who knew all this would happen just because I asked her where T-whatever was?
So some time ago, I was in seventh grade and my mom wanted me join the debate club and student council. Luckily, I somehow got out of joining student council, but...that was the case for debate. Eventually, I had to go to see the teacher for debate, but I didn't know how to get there so I asked a girl who I sort of knew how to get to the room to join debate. I was still hoping to get out of debate. She happened to like to debate. Yeaaaaaaah. So in the end, she took me to T-whatever and I signed up. The teacher asked if I was dedicated and the girl vouched for me. Internally, I was like 'NOOOOOO' because I didn't want to be in debate, but at the same time I was like 'Yes, I am a quick learner.' So that's how I joined the debate team. And that girl? She happens to be one of my best friends now. I guess it was fate that I joined debate because it's my life now. And I've met my best friend because of it. Who knew all this would happen just because I asked her where T-whatever was?
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