Matterpacking - Gathering Info for WUDC Debate Success

MATTER PACKING

By Alfred Snider

http://debate.uvm.edu/matterpacking.htm

You may know how to debate, and you may do it very well, but you need something to say. At some point you need to focus a lot of your competition preparation on gathering information so thatr you can debate motion more persuasively.

Create time and space for it in your day:

Set aside time each day

Stop doing some other things such as watching television

Have it in the background

Regular sources:

Al Jazeera streaming news http://www.aljazeera.com/watch_now/

BBC World Service: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio

MSNBC Overall http://tv.msnbc.com/

Andrea Mitchell http://tv.msnbc.com/shows/andrea-mitchell-reports/

Chris Hayes http://tv.msnbc.com/shows/up-with-chris-hayes/

Economist in the office

China CCTV http://cctv.cntv.cn/englishnews/

Flipboard App http://flipboard.com/

Websites:

News for debaters: http://debate.uvm.edu/newsfordebaters.html

News for Tuna: http://debate.uvm.edu/news.html

Survey potential motions:

Debate Motion Central http://globaldebate.posterous.com/

Investigate both sides: India & Pakistan, USA & China, etc. Loook for both.

Retention:

Remember names and sources.

Save critical info.

Create a briefing book

Almanac