Hello All, Congratulations on writing your very first affirmative case. I have read through them and I'm preparing my lesson for tomorrow to include general suggestions for improvement. PLEASE BE SURE TO BRING YOUR AFFIRMATIVE CASES And your Cross X questions TO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY!
Here are a few brief comments highlighting a few of the things I plan to address.
1. When choosing a value, try to find a value that people value at ALL times! If you give a value that can be used for good sometimes but bad at other times then you must be prepared to concede this value to your opponent.
2. Choose one value and build your case around this single value. Having more than one value will confuse your judge and your opponent. Advanced debate theory does allow experienced debaters to utilize Value Systems/ Value Paradigms however I would prefer that we keep our beginning debates focused around single values. This will improve the clarity and organization of your constructive cases.
3. With regard to definitions: You are not required to give the source of your definition in your constructive case, however it is POLITE to do so. I suggest that you find a simple/ concise way to do this. For example: All my definitions are found in Webster's on line dictionary. Obviously if you've found a killer definition in an academic source, that defines a key term more succinctly or more in line with your case theory, then you should give this source credit. Doing so further strengthens your case by showing that you have researched definitions above and beyond the dictionary. For example, Joe Shmoe from the Instititute of Governmental Legitimacy defines a legitimate governement as: Yada yada yada....."
If you are sticking with dictionary definitions and you are running short on time, you do not need to give the source for each and every definition; however you will need to be prepared to give this source if your opponent asks for them on Cross X.
4. Do work on developing short concise tag lines for your key points. It is great to have your key points directly tied, in someway to your value. It is also helpful to your judge to have an opportunity to repeat these tag lines, either in the context of your contention or in the final conclusion.
You have all done a great job of getting your first case written. Always remember there is no such thing as a PERFECT CASE. It's the process of debating that will improve your case and your ability to debate.
