The institute is divided into three divisions:
(Click below for more information about each division)
- Novice Debate: Students entering their first year of competitive speech.
- Varsity Debate: Students who have competed in individual events for one or more years.
VARSITY DEBATE CURRICULUM
Week 1: Framework & Case Development
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Resolution Analysis & Framing: Students explore philosophical ground, value frameworks, and strategic approaches to the topic.
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Case Construction Intensives: Emphasis on crafting clear contentions, strong warrants, and comparative impacts.
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Evidence Strategy: Instruction on selecting, extending, and comparing evidence effectively in LD rounds.
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Rebuttal Structure: Varsity debaters refine efficient refutation techniques and strategic responses.
Week 2: Strategy, Weighing & Adaptation
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Impact Weighing: Students learn to compare values, impacts, and frameworks to control ballot narratives.
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Judge Adaptation: Adjusting rhetoric, structure, and argument selection based on paradigm differences.
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Theory Basics: Introduction to common theory arguments, strategic use, and effective responses.
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Advanced Rebuttal Strategy: Focus on 1AR efficiency and 2AR crystallization.
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Tournament Simulation: Students compete in a final LD tournament with coach feedback and evaluation.
NOVICE DEBATE CURRICULUM
Week 1: Foundations of LD Debate
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Introduction to LD Format: Understanding speech structure, timing, and judging criteria.
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Values & Criteria Basics: Learning how to build and defend frameworks.
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Introductory Case Writing: Developing clear contentions and logical reasoning.
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Rebuttal Fundamentals: Practicing concise responses and argument extension.
Week 2: Development & Application
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Collapsing & Focus: Learning how to narrow arguments in later speeches.
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Weighing Basics: Introducing comparative evaluation between arguments.
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Practice Rounds & Feedback: Regular rounds with individualized coaching.
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Tournament Simulation: A structured final competition to build confidence and readiness.