What We Owe to Each Other: Reflections on the Lay Kritik

BY SOPHIE RUKIN & RIYANA SRIHARI

My name is Riyana, a senior at Nueva, and I’m Sophie, a junior at Horace Mann. This article is an amalgamation of the many critical debate-related conversations we’ve had over the past two weeks—reflections on Nueva SW’s lay kritik at the NPDL Tournament of Champions, our thoughts on the ideological divide between our respective coasts, and our strategy for building a stronger community. 

NPDL Rankings Explanation

BY ARTEM RASKIN

The formulas for calculating NPDL rankings, as described in Article XXI, can seem arbitrary at first glance. NPDL has a points calculator which walks students through how to calculate their own points - but not why points are calculated in this way. The goal of this article is to show that the formulas are not arbitrary at all, but are in fact derived from a few basic principles.

Theses on NPDL-TOC

Theses on NPDL-TOC

BY ARTEM RASKIN

1. Parli debate is good. It offers unique educational benefits not offered by prepared debate events. Resolutions changing every round prompts students to learn about a greater variety of topics. Coach prep is limited, so students learn to craft arguments on their own. The lack of printed evidence forces students to come up with quality analytical warrants