[fblike]
by Logan Scisco
Although I advise new coaches to extemporaneous speaking to recruit students that show an interest in history and politics, one thing that amazes me at tournaments is the lack of historical context that extemporaneous speakers use in making their arguments. It as if handling questions about North Korea, Sino-American relations, and domestic politics happen in a present-day vacuum where historical events are irrelevant to the narrative. Students often get “tunnel vision” when crafting their speeches because of the stress of prep time and the concern that one will not have time to fit all of their arguments in during the speech. They may also lack the needed historical knowledge to add proper context to their speeches. This strategy piece will explain how historical knowledge can aid a speech and provide advice for incorporating it into rounds.