The Nile Blog.
Free debate strategy, tournament prep, and coaching wisdom from champions. New posts every week! Always free!
1AC Structures: What a 1AC Is For, Its Pieces, and the 3 Ways to Build It
What a 1AC is for, the before/plan/after pieces, the five plan clauses, and the three structures: harms, comparative...
The History of US Farm Policy
If you don’t farm or hunt, you don’t eat. For most of world history, this statement was true...
The 2026-27 Resolutions Breakdown - Jonathan Helton
Every year, Stoa lets its members select debate resolutions. This year, I’ll be casting my ballot for agriculture...
Thoughts On TP Resolutions 2026-27 - Mark Roose
Intellectual property is my favorite. I kinda love it. It is an active sector, but not super political...
The Stoa TP Rez Vote 2026 - Charlie Said
Rez 2 comes in as my top pick for its impacts. We use transportation infrastructure for everything from...
Cross Examination Tips
Cross examination is one of your most powerful weapons in your arsenal. Yet debaters often squander this opportunity....
What To Do With Healthcare?
As counterintuitive as it may seem, don’t rush to Google right away. Instead, take a moment to reflect...
The Secret To Always Winning
FACT: Debate is not about winning. Debate is about learning! This is true no matter how many years...
Solving All Your 1AC Problems in Under 3 Minutes
In this short blog, I am going to show you how to solve all your 1AC structuring problems....
Your Goals Are Why You Fail
As the 2023-2024 season approaches, many debaters are considering where they are and what they want to achieve...
Fixing Cross-Ex: Part One
One of the most frustrating experiences a debater can have is dealing with a witness who simply will...
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