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Friday, December 16, 2011

Congress bills for Klein Oak

Prelims are using TFA Fall Docket items 10, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22 and 30
Super Congress is the TFA Fall Supplemental Docket, even number items.

You can find the pdf. here:

http://www.txfa.org/congress.asp

Olle Middle School, Jan. 20 & 21

Here's the schedule for Olle Middle School.
Oratory is 10 minutes
Humorous & Dramatic are 10 minutes
Storytelling must be Memorized


Friday, January 20, 2011
3:15
4:30
Leave Lanier Middle School
Debate Round One
5:30
Debate Round Two
7:00
9:00 p.m.
Debate Round Three
Return to Lanier Middle School

Saturday, January 21, 2011
6:30 a.m.
7:00
Leave Lanier Middle School
Registration/Changes
7:30
Extemp Draw—Prelims
8:00-9:00
Section A Prelims
9:15-10:15
Section B Prelims
10:30-11:30
Section C Prelims
11:45-1:00
Section D Prelims - Debate Quarterfinals
1:00
Extemp Draw—Semifinals
1:30-3:00
Section A/B Semifinals
3:00-4:30
Section C/D Semifinals - Debate Semifinals (3:30)
4:30
Extemp Draw—Finals
5:00-6:30
Section A/B Finals
6:30-8:00
Section C/D Finals - Debate Finals (7:00)
9:00
10:00 p.m.
Awards Ceremony (will be sooner if possible)
Return to Lanier

Klein Oak, Jan. 7, 2012

Here's the schedule for Klein Oak.  A few important items:
Dramatic & Humorous - The maximum time limit is 7 minutes
Oratory - The maximum time limit is 8 minutes
Storytelling - Must be MEMORIZED
Lip-Sync - Maximum time limit is 10 minutes


6:15 a.m.                      Meet at Lanier
6:30 a.m.                     Leave Lanier

7:30 am                     Extemp Draw

8:00-9:00                 Section A Prelims

9:00-10:00                Section B Prelims

10:00-11:30               Section C Prelims, Round I Debate, Congress Prelims

11:30-12:30               Section D Prelims, Round II Debate

12:00                          Extemp draw for Semis

12:30-2:00                Semis A & B

2:00-3:30                  Semis C & D, Round III Debate, Congress Finals

4:00                            Extemp Draw for Finals

4:30-6:00                  Finals A & B, Debate semis (if necessary)

6:00-7:30                  Finals C & D, Debate Finals (if necessary)

8:00 pm                     Awards Assembly (in Auditorium)

10:00 p.m.               Return to Lanier

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dec. PF Topic help

Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.

Before getting into the Pro's and Con's of this topic, it's important to acknowledge some things and make sure the debates don't veer off into shouting matches about class warfare (which is likely to happen anyway).

The income disparity in this country, or wealth gap, has grown considerably over the years.  Many stats will prove that.  But is it such a given that this condition is a bad thing?  After all, the wealthy provide a lot of opportunities for regular folks.  Jobs. Scholarships. Charitable donations.  Some CEO's don't even take a salary as they make their millions in investments.  And who are we talking about when we talk about the poor?  There are people who live in unsavory neighborhoods.  There are those who use social welfare (food stamps, medicaid, unemployment benefits).  But even most of those people own cars, use cell-phones and have televisions.  The poor in Somalia would have nothing in common with the poor in the U.S.  The truly poor in our country would be the homeless and families in crisis.

Thinking about these issues will help you focus your points.  It will also help you to stay on topic and avoid points that vilify the wealthy or make rude judgements about the poor.  Instead, ask yourself "Despite my feelings about the wealthy and/or the poor, what affect do these circumstances have on ideals like equal representation, the civil duty of voting, and the integrity of government?"

If you're still struggling I'll have some point-specific items up this weekend.

An Open Letter to MLB

Dear MLB and Bud Selig,
You stink for moving the Astros to the American League.
Sincerely,
A native Houstonian and long-time Astros fan

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Katy Results





KATY HIGH SCHOOL






Nov. 5, 2011





1ST PLACE SWEEPSTAKES











Senior Poetry

Storytelling

Extemp.

Rachel Jama - 3rd
Rachel Jama - 1st
Jason Lan - 1st
Betsy Broaddus - Finalist Amy Jia - 2nd
Connor Selna - 2nd
Alfred Grimaldo - Finalist Alfred Grimaldo - 3rd Andrew Hollenberg - 3rd
Mary Tindall - Finalist Maggie Wintz - Finalist Tomas Arango - Finalist
Helen Salgi - Finalist Jasmine Khadem - Finalist     Tirthana Khedkar - Finalist
Tirthana Khedkar - Finalist Litzell Juarez-Palestino - Finalist    Jasmine Khadem - Finalist



Eric Shi - Finalist
 Dane Byrd - Finalist









Dramatic

Sr. Prose




Maddie Spence 1st
Betsy Broaddus - 1st


Eric Shi - 2nd
Lauren Sonik - 2nd



Amy Jia - Finalist
Eric Shi - 3rd



Alfred Grimaldo - Finalist Mary Tindall - Finalist





Helen Salgi - Finalist





Sophie Lanier - Finalist





Jamie Lin - Finalist












Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Public Forum Debate




Kierra Morris - 1st
Gregory Pauloski & Sam Tekie - 1st

Jason Lan - 2nd
Andrew Hollenberg & Bowen Song - 2nd

James Feng - Semi-finalist Miguel Covarrubias & Haydn Pugh - Semifinalists



Tirthana Khedkar & Tommy Yi - Semifinalists









Junior Poetry

Duet Pantomime




Jillian Thomas - 1st
Luke Mouton & Thomas Quintero - Finalists
Madeline Mulhlerr - 2nd Tirthana Khedkar & Daniela Ramos - Finalists
Nia Reedy - 3rd






Jasmine Khadem - Finalist Duet Improv




Madison Black - Finalist Alfred Grimaldo & Eric Shi - 1st

Michelle Tang - Finalist Maggie Wintz & Mary Tindall - 2nd

Ali Potthast - Finalist Jasmine Khadem & Martina Khurana - Finalists



Cameron Biggart & Everett Lowenstein - Finalists



Luke Mouton & Thomas Quintero - Finalists
Junior Prose

Megan Dickson & Ali Potthast - Finalists

Jasmine Khadem - 1st





Maddie Spence - 2nd Humorous

Solo Improv

Martina Khurana -3rd Cameron Biggart - 1st Nia Reedy - 1st
Xena Toumajian - Finalist Luke Mouton - 3rd
Michael Talanker - 2nd
Maddie Van Brunt - Finalist


Matthew Baker - Finalist
Rea Golt - Finalist














































































Oratory







Mahavir Bhakta - 1st





Luke Lawyer - 2nd






Mackenzie Aden  - Finalist





Chan Golla - Finalist






Jason Lan - Finalist






Sophie Hernandez-Simeonidis - Finalist






















Duet Acting







Jessie Chen & Helen Salgi - 1st





Madline Mulhlerr & Amy Yo - Finalists




Rachel Jama & Litzell Juarez - Finalists




Alfred Grimaldo & Eric Shi - Finalists













Oak Ridge Schedule

OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
DEC. 3, 2011

6:00 A.M.              Arrive at Lanier
6:10 a.m.               We leave Lanier
7:00   - 7:30          Registration
7:30                       Extemp Draw
8:00   - 9:00           Section A Prelims
9:00 – 10:00           Section B Prelims
10:00 – 11:30         Section C Prelims, Round I Debate
11:30 – 12:30         Section D Prelims, Round II Debate
12:00                     Extemp Draw for Semis
12:30 – 2:00           Semis A and B
2:00 – 3:30             Semis C & D, Round III Debate
4:00                       Extemp Draw for Finals
4:30 – 6:00             Finals A & B, Debate Semis
6:00 – 7:30             Finals C & D, Debate Finals
8:00                       Awards Assembly (in cafeteria)
10:00 p.m.             Return to Lanier

Section A                  Section B                          Section C                 Section D                          
Extemp $7                  Oratory $7                         Duet Acting $12       Readers Theatre $12       
Humorous $7            Prose $7                             Solo Improv $7        Pantomime $7
Poetry $7                   Storytelling $7                  Dramatic $7               LD Debate $7
Ind. Lip-Sync $7       Duet Improv. $12                                                  PF Debate $12
Group Lip-Sync $12                                                                                Parliamentary Debate $12
                                                                                                                    Vocals $12

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Dec. PF Topic help

Consider this assigned reading for the weekend if you're doing PF at Oak Ridge.  Or assigned reading in general for debaters.

http://www.apsanet.org/imgtest/taskforcereport.pdf

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Revised Katy Schedule

Katy High School
Nov. 5, 2011

6:10 a.m.                Meet at Lanier
6:30 a.m.                Leave Lanier

ROUND I COMPETITION
 
8:00 – 9:15             Section A Prelims         8:45                 LD & PF Meeting in Annex

9:15 – 10:15                       Section B Prelims         9:15                 Round I  LD/PF

10:15 – 11:15                     Section C Prelims         10:00               Round II LD/PF

11:15                                 Prelims Extemp Draw   10:45               Round III LD/PF

11:15 – 12:15                     Section D Prelims

ROUND II COMPETITION

12:30 – 2:00                       Round II  A & B Events

2:00 – 3:00             LD Semis or Finals

3:00 – 3:30             Round II Extemp Draw

2:30 – 4:00             Round II C & D Events (go to Extemp first)

 FINALS ROUNDS
Extemp finalists use your favorite topic from Round I & II.

4:30 – 6:00             FINALS  (5:30 LD/PF Finals)

7:00                                   AWARDS ASSEMBLY

9:00 p.m.                Return to Lanier

EVENTS

SECTION A:  DRAMATIC, PANTOMIME, POETRY*, ORATORY

SECTION B:  READER’S THEATRE, STORYTELLING* DUET IMPROVISATION, LD

SECTION C:  HUMOROUS, SOLO IMPROVISATION, PROSE, LD

SECTION D:  EXTEMP, DUET ACTING*, LIP SYNC*, GROUP IMPROV

December PF Topic

Resolved: In the United States, current income disparities threaten democratic ideals.

I want to marry this topic!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

November/December LD Topic Analysis

Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist those in need

Ever heard of the "Good Samaritan" rule?  Referring to a parable told by Jesus in the Bible, the rule (a law in many places) stipulates that if you see someone in a life-threatening condition, such as being victimized in a crime or hurt in an accident, you are LEGALLY obligated to assist them as long as you are not endangering your own life.  This idea rose to prominence after the deaths of Princess Di and Dodi Al Fayed in a car crash, and the pursuing paparazzi chose to photograph the victims instead of rendering aid.  The law was also the centerpiece of a very underwhelming Seinfeld series finale, but I digress.

This topic should be approached with a couple of things in mind:

1. You are not limited to debating assistance in life-and-death situations.  "Those in need" can be interpreted as those who are hungry or in need of a medical attention. 

2. Avoid debates over the merits of the need.  When we see people on street corners asking for change, it's easy to rationalize not helping them by assuming that they will spend the money on alcohol and/or drugs; that they're not truly in need.  The given circumstance for this debate must be that the need is legitimate and not false. 

3. You are looking at individuals and their moral obligations.  Not countries, not societies - individual human beings.  Neither are you looking at legal obligations, like in the case of Good Samaritan laws.  This debate involves these two questions: 1. If you see someone in need, are you obligated to help them, and 2. If you don't, are you a bad person?  Aff says "Yes."  Neg says "No."

So, start writing your case and go do something nice for someone.

Nov. PF topic analysis

Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

The above web-site answers a lot of questions about the electoral college and should be read by ANYBODY doing this topic.  Once you've read that, then it should help you with your case.

Some things to consider:
1. This is not a U.S.-specific topic.  A few other democracies use an electoral system to elect their leader.  While our electoral college is probably the one we are most familiar with, it will be important to keep in mind that the impact of an electoral college (or the abolishing of one) might have different effects in different countries.

2.  This topic is a hybrid of sorts; a value topic dealing with policies.  Not only should your cases and debates cover the implications of how practical a direct popular vote is, but they should also engage the value of a direct popular vote

This article can help get you started on points:

http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php 

 And this article covers some CURRENT developments in Pennsylvania:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/analysis_electoral_proposal_la.html

Happy reading, folks!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

China Assignment for MUN

1. China’s censorship of the media: “Can the government effectively control the media?”

2. China’s human right abuses: “How should the world respond?”

3. China’s rising economy: “How will China’s economy fare in the coming years?”

4. China/U.S. relations: “Should the U.S. retaliate against China for manipulating its currency?”

5. China and the environment: “Is it time to hold China accountable for the environment?”

6. China and Tibet: “What does the future hold for Tibetian independence?”

MUN responses

Here are the prompts for P3 MUN

1. Is the United States obligated to help any country that's in need?
2. Should any country be allowed to possess nuclear weapons?
3. Are people inherently bad or good?
4. Post 9/11: Is America safer?
5. Which country would you want to live in if you didn't live in the U.S.?
6. Should children be allowed to emancipate themselves from their parents? (Assuming their parents aren't abusing them)
7. "You can tell a lot about a society by how it treats its elderly." Respond
8. Are we as people obligated to help those in need?
9. If you were President of the U.S. what would be your top priority?
10. Is democracy the best way to curb violence in the middle east?

If you have more than 10 you can turn them in for extra credit.  These are due Monday, Oct. 17

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Oak Ridge Canceled

Oak Ridge has canceled their Nov. 12 tournament so there will not be a tournament for that weekend.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Katy High School

Westside High School has canceled their middle school tournament on Nov. 4 & 5, so we will be going to Katy High School on Nov. 5 instead.

Katy was the tournament where we got 2nd last year (the only tournament we got 2nd at all year) thanks to the heavy competition in interp. and acting events, so this year it's time to exact vengeance!...In a non-violent way.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

UH canceled

The UH tournament for Oct. 7 & 8 has been canceled.  They will not reschedule, but they will have their spring tournament in April.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

November/December LD Resolution

Resolved: Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.

Nov. PF Resolution

Resolved: Direct popular vote should replace electoral vote in presidential elections.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

BNE results

BELLAIRE NOVICE EXTRAVAGANZA 2011

Congressional Debate
Michael Murphy 1st
Connor Selna 1st
Martina Khurana 2nd
Jamison Miles 2nd
Armon Tabibzadegan 3rd

Extemporaneous Speaking
Dane Byrd 3rd
Michael Talanker 5th

Cross-Examination Debate
Ashley Liu & Lauren Nyquist 3rd

Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Luke Lawyer 5th

Public Forum Debate
Gregory Pauoski & Sam Tekie 6th
Jessie Chen & Pamela Du 8th

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

BNE Extemp Topic Briefs

5.  Did David Cameron respond appropriately to the recent riots Great Britain?
The riots in Great Britain (more specifically in London) were in early August and were in response to the police shooting of a suspected gangster. A  protest was organized which turned violent and rioting ensued.  However, the violence escalated and spread to other parts of the city.  David Cameron, the Prime Minister, returned from his holiday early to help end the riots.  However the response was criticized for being too little late, as much damage was done, many were injured and five people were killed as a result of the violence.

Yes, Mr. Cameron responded appropriately
1. He ended his vacation - showed a sense of urgency
2. He supported the police
3. He correctly identified it as a crime of lawlessness and not civil disobedience

No, Mr. Cameron did not respond appropriately
1. He should've known the neighborhood's history
2. If it had been appropriate you wouldn't have seen the widespread vigilantism  
3. Spending cuts have contributed in the first place

6.  Can Rick Perry win the Republican nomination?
And how the million dollar question!  Not much to set up here.  The Presidential election is in 2012 and the Republicans need a nominee.  Incumbents are traditionally difficult to beat, unless the economy is bad (see Bush 41, Carter).  With Rick Perry currently leading in the polls, the question is can he carry that momentum to the Republican nomination?

Yes he can!
1. Republicans will see him as the second coming of Bush
2. He can capitalize on the Tea Party momentum
3. Republicans see him as the only one who can beat Obama

No he won't!
1. He's too extreme (social security is a ponzi scheme, views on global warming)
2. Moderates have the better chance and Mitt Romney is the moderate in the race
3. He's too similar to Bush

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

BNE Extemp Topic Briefs

3.  Is Standard and Poor’s downgrade of America’s credit status justified?
In early August Standard & Poor (S&P) issued the first ever downgrade of America's credit status from AAA to AA+ .  Before addressing whether or not its justified its important to explain what it means.  All credit ratings are linked to how stable a borrower someone is.  Individuals with high credit scores are allowed to borrow more than individuals with low credit scores.  The U.S. has enjoyed the AAA rating for the past 70 years.  However, you don't have to look too far to see that our economy has some big problems, which would cast doubt on how strong the economy will be in the future and on whether or not the U.S. will be able to pay back its creditors. (Nearly 1/3 of our debt is foreign owned and 1/3 of that is owned by China)  All that said...here are your possible outlines:
 
Yes, it's justified because
1. Our debt has increased rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down
2. Even though it's symbolic, it should scare the govt. into change
3. It was done right after the government argued over the budget, showing they can't put politics aside to fix the economy

No, it's NOT justified because
1. It's symbolic
2. It's going to hurt the consumers and American people; those who aren't to blame
3. There was an error in the calculation (politically motivated?)

4.  Should the United States take a more active role in Somalia?
If you've seen the film Black Hawk Down, then you'll have a pretty good idea about where this question comes from.  You'll understand why we were there, why we left, and why we along with the rest of the world has been very reluctant to go backThe key phrase in this question is "more active role."  Right now, the U.S. is running many covert operations in Somalia in an effort to combat terrorism there.  Using the tactics they used in Iraq of giving local warlords positions of power in exchange for keeping their area secure, the U.S. is slowly beating back the insurgent forces in Mogadishu known as al-Shabaab.  Yet at heart of this question is the general issue of U.S. isolationism vs. intervention.  
Yes, the U.S. should be more active because...
1. For the sake of fighting terror
2. Humanitarian role (there is severe famine there attracting international attention)
3. Pirates
* It's important to note that all three of those points are connected; eliminating the pirates will increase the success of the humanitarian aid mission and reduce.  Consider ordering your points in a way that flows logically.

No, the U.S. shouldn't feel obligated to be any more active because...
1. We're still in Afghanistan, Iraq; we're watching Libya, 
2. The current covert operation is (unfortunately) the only way to win in a hostile environment such as Mogadishu.
3. Politically unpopular (I know this sounds shallow, sorry)


Friday, September 9, 2011

BNE Extemp Topic Briefs

1. Have the Obama administration represented the best interest of the U.S. in its response to the Arab Spring?
As with most extemp speeches you'll want to offer some up front analysis of the topic, so answer these questions first: 1. What was the Arab Spring?  2. Why was it important?  3. What's the status of the major countries that were involved?  The high profile countries from the Arab Spring are Egypt and Libya.  Egypt is a success story and Libya is becoming one, but it's taking much longer since Qaddafi hasn't been apprehended as easily as Mubarak was.  From there, you can take a couple of approaches as out-lined below

YES/NO, the Obama administration has represented...as evidenced by these three areas:
1. Oil interests
2. Diplomacy
3. Safety (making sure the countries aren't transitioning from stable govt.s into havens for terrorists)

or you could bundle those interests (oil, diplomacy, safety) and structure your points around three countries:
1. Egypt
2. Libya
3. Syria/Yemen/Tunisia (take your pick, there are several others)

2. Will the bipartisan "Super Committee" strike a deal that is good for the American economy?
Again, start with explaining what the  bipartisan "Super Committee" is (12 member committee from House and Senate comprised of 6 Republicans and 6 Democrats) and what their job is (to create a plan to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade; plan is due by Nov. 23)  If they fail to come up with a plan, then a plan of $1.2 trillion in cuts kicks in, evenly cutting across all government spending.  The Super Committee has two months to create a plan that might shift those cuts more heavily to other programs.

This questions is asking the speaker to make a prediction.  It's easy to be pessimistic about the economy right now and answer that there won't be a deal that will pass, so here's the easy outline:

NO, the Super Committee won't strike a deal...for these reasons:
1. The cuts would have to come from entitlement programs (welfare, medicare/medicaid) and those are politically unpopular
2. If cutting is going to happen it should just be fair
3. The plan still has to pass through a Republican House, A Democrat Senate (with a Republican filibuster) and then be signed by a politically vulnerable President Obama

The bottom line/overall theme of your speech is that none of these life-long politicians are going to fall on their own sword and advocate for cuts that directly affect their states and communities; they will put their political careers ahead of what might be best for our future.

I'll get the other questions to you later.

"They Wouldn't Be Debates By Our Standards"

I agree. 
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/presidential-debates-actually-used-to-be-debates/243520/

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Great website for everyone's favorite subject...

This is a great web-site which I forgot to add to the list of web resources.  It doesn't get updated a lot, but it's a quality site.  A parent sent the link to me last year and now I share it with you.

http://www.visualeconomics.com/

Oct. PF Topic Announced

Resolved: Private sector investment in human space exploration is preferable to public sector investment.

There were two space topics for the high school coaches to vote on.  The other one was something about benefits of space outweighing the costs or something like that.  I'm glad this one won.

Any student who is NOT doing PF at Bellaire but IS doing it at UH can ditch their Sept. cases and start working on this topic.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

LD Post - Animal Rights

Over the past year I've been accused of being negligent of the emotional needs of LD'ers on the team.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: My mind was not made for LD.  My intellectual bluffing only carries me so far.  Those of you who are actually in the trenches debating these topics possess far more mental fortitude than I will ever have.  So if I've neglected you, it's for fear that I'll say something that will actually do more harm than good.  Sergio Infante said it best: "Mr. Hill, you can teach the children's encyclopedia version of LD."  It was harsh but he couldn't have been more accurate.  All that said, here are my thoughts on your current topic...

Resolved: Justice requires the recognition of animal rights.

Before you engage in a full on debate it's important to ask a couple of questions:
Do animals have rights?  If so, where do they come from and who enforces them?
If animals don't have rights then we can probably sleep well at night, knowing that no great injustice is being done as we go right along caging them and breeding them for our consumption and rationalizing it all in the name that it's just as God intended and/or it's the natural order of things; we are the dominant species.  But if you were to say that animals do have rights, then we are quickly wading into some great ethical morass.  First, if they have rights, where do they come from?  Our rights seem to be basic; what we would call, for lack of a better word, "human."  The right to justice is a human right, regardless of what country you live in or what race you are or what gender you are or what team you root for.  And if we see injustice being visited upon another person or many persons, we are moved to do something about it.  So, if we were to see an animal being treated unjustly, let's say being abused, we would do everything we could to save it.  Our society does this fairly well for certain animals.  We all did a great job of vilifying Michael Vick for what he did to his dogs, and rightfully so.  It was a truly horrific act that unfortunately was only in the spotlight because someone famous was caught doing it.  But we draw a very fine line of distinction between that and what the workers at the Tyson chicken plant to do chickens on a daily basis.  Why?  What makes dogs any more special than chickens?  Well, the easy answer is that dogs are cute and cuddly and have a utilitarian purpose in offering companionship or being guard dogs (in some cases) and are more valuable alive than chickens, who serve a much better purpose being dead; cooked and prepared for consumption. 

The job for the AFF in this debate is to show that the utilitarian purpose should be overlooked; that the chicken is just as important as the dog.  Perhaps the dog, who the owner thinks s/he is taking care of so well, really doesn't want to kept in a house and would rather roam the streets, free to live in its own state of natu,re.  I would think that the AFF should not be too quick to latch on to Justice as its value.  You are trying to prove that within the scope of Justice, you must include animal rights, and those rights have to include the possibility that certain animals which we enjoy eating don't want to be eaten, that certain animals which we've domesticated don't want to be pets, and that certain animals which we've placed in captivity in zoos don't want to be locked up.  The key question is what is it about animal rights that would indicate that an injustice is being done?  Think of it in geometric proof terms:

1. Prove that animals have rights
2. Prove that those rights are being infringed upon (injustice)
3. Prove that in order to be just we must recognize those rights as the agents of justice

Using the LD language of Value, Value Criterion, and Contentions all you have to do as the AFF is address those issues above.  Proving that animals are being treated unjustly must be shown with a criterion just like you would use for people, but first you have to prove that animals and people are on the same level and that is the crux of this debate.

So, I've given you the children's encyclopedia version of the topic analysis.  You can go on to decorabilia or consult an alumnus for more information.  If you google contractualism animal rights you will get some helpful texts.  Good luck and happy researching!


Monday, August 29, 2011

Fall Congress Legislation

You can find the fall legislation for congress at the Texas Forensic League's (TFA) website.
http://www.txfa.org/congress.asp


Bellaire Novice Extravaganza, Sept. 16 & 17

The Bellaire Novice Extravaganza (BNE) is quickly approaching.  The weekend where I will at some point inevitably find myself in the wrong place at the wrong time and end up having to judge a round of CX.  But for you guys it should be a fun weekend of getting back into the swing of things, at least debate-wise.

You can enter PF, LD, CX, Congress or extemp.  The only cross-entering you can do is in congress and extemp. 

Tournament Schedule           

Friday, September 16, 2011            Saturday, September 17, 2011
                                                               CX, LD, PF
CX, LD, PF                                            8:00        Round 4
4:00        Round 1                                   9:45        Round 5
5:30        Round 2                                  11:30       Round 6
7:15        Round 3                                   1:15        Round 7
                                                              3:00        Round 8
                                                             ASAP     Awards (5:30 p.m. in cafeteria)
Congress/Extemp                                                Congress/Extemp
4:00-5:30     Session 1 Congress       9:00-10:30     Session 3 Congress
5:30-6:30     Extemp Round 1           10:30-11:30   Extemp Round 3
6:30-8:00     Session 2 Congress       12:30-2:00     Session 4 Congress
8:00-9:00     Extemp Round 2            2:00-3:00       Extemp Round 4

PF - Sept. Topic - Resolved: The benefits of post-9/11 security measures outweigh the harms to personal freedom.

LD - Sept./Oct. Topic - Resolved - Justice requires the recognition of animal rights.

CX - 2011-2012 Resolved: The USFG should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the earth's mesosphere.

Extemp. (Students will prepare for the following topics.  Their speaker number in each section will determine which topic they will speak on.  There will be no draw.)


1.  Have the Obama administration represented the best interest of the United States in its response to the Arab Spring?

2.  Will the bipartisan “Super Committee” strike a deal that is good for the American economy?

3.  Is Standard and Poor’s downgrade of America’s credit status justified?

4.  Should the United States take a more active role in Somalia?

5.  Did David Cameron respond appropriately to the recent riots Great Britain?

6.  Can Rick Perry win the Republican nomination?

Congress
The following bills will be used in each session:

Session 1 4:00-5:30pm             Session 2  6:30-8:00pm             Session 3  9:00-10:30am        Session 4  12:30-2:00pm
02  Rare Earth Minerals           06  Drug Courts                       12 Free Trade                          21  Bank Bailouts
03  Hybrids                                08 Antibiotics in Meat           13 Abandon Biofuels            25  Private Security Forces
04  Federal Sales Tax               09 Pakistan                               16 Felon Disenfranchisement 27  War Powers Act
05 Stem Cells                             10 Felon Organ Donors         17  F-22                                 28  Cuban Embargo
                                                    11 Yemen                                  18 Cyberdefense                 30  Nuclear Power

WE WILL HAVE A BUS TAKING US FROM LANIER TO BELLAIRE ON FRIDAY
STUDENTS WILL NEED TO BE PICKED UP AT BELLAIRE FRIDAY NIGHT AND STUDENTS WILL NEED TO BE DROPPED OFF AND PICKED UP ON SATURDAY