Ask Jim about Debate
|
Breaking Down Barriers: Ask Jim about Debate |
You can submit questions too, just email Jim at hansonjb@whitman.edu
A frontline is a brief with a list of answers that you present against an opponent position. For example, you might make a frontline against a disadvantage that says your plan costs too much money. You'd argue on that frontline things like:
1. NOT-UNIQUE--THE STATUS QUO IS ALREADY TOO COSTLY
2. NO-LINK. OUR PLAN DOES NOT COST ANY MONEY
3. TURN--OUR PLAN ACTUALLY SAVES MONEY
4. OUR ADVANTAGE OUTWEIGHS
You can also make frontlines against affirmative case advantages you expect to hear. So, for example, against a "boot camps" case on the juvenile crime topic, you might prepare frontlines against prison overcrowding, juvenile crime, and a lack of discipline in society.
To prepare a frontline--just take all the evidence you have against a position--then pick the best evidence and tape or paste it to a brief--adding in analysis arguments between the evidence. Your frontline probably should not be longer than 3 pages--otherwise, it will take too long to read or too long to figure which of the arguments on the frontline to read during your speech.
How many frontlines do you need during the year?
As many as you need to be prepared against the affirmative cases and disadvantages, etc. you expect to hit at tournaments you will attend. I'd guess you will need about 20 to 50 frontlines for your affirmative case. I'd guess you will need about 5 to 10 frontlines against each affirmative case you expect to hit.