CARD needs a blog...

... so now we have one.

CARD is now entering its 7th year of competition. It has seen a lot of changes in that time, whether that be navigating online debate, moving from two independent topics to one topic that overlaps with the NDTCEDA topic, or looking for its identity as a publicly-facing rigorous form of evidence-based debate.

Debate formats rest upon deeper theoretical constructions and concepts regarding sound argumentation, but those constructs must also align with the practical, daily realities of teaching and learning competitive debate. It often requires more extensive thinking and arguing by those committed to the activity to hone and develop the theory and practice of a format. Thus, the beginning of the CARD blog. It is a vehicle for those in the activity (competitors, coaches, directors, judges) to develop the activity by exploring its boundaries, critically reflecting on its established practices, and advocating for new practices.

Submissions to the blog are open to all participants, but should reflect the basic standards and values CARD espouses. Submissions should be edited for clarity, communicate in a way that shows basic respect for the integrity and well-being of others, and be relevant to matters concerning the CARD community (the overarching philosophy, the library and topic process, judging practices, routine competitive practices, etc.).

Please email submissions to both collegiateardebate@gmail.com and cramt@wwu.edu. Format your submission as a word document, and include your full name and email contact information (where people could contact you for further discussion), and your program affiliation.

-Travis Cram, Western Washington University

cramt@wwu.edu