CARD CUTTING ASSIGNMENT Debate Stetson

1. CARD CUTTING ASSIGNMENTDebateStetson

2. Your assignment is for you and your partner to create 40 “cards” from the evidence that you have found (you may have to find more evidence to reach the required 40). Save all of these as a running word document—DO NOT PRINT THESE UNTIL I TELL YOU TO. ASSIGNMENT

3. You and your partner may each have a running document—I will just need to see 40 total from your team You will receive bonus points for every 5 cards that you go above 40 CARDS FOUND ON A DEBATE WEBSITE, ALREADY CREATED FOR YOU, WILL NOT COUNT. THIS WILL BE TREATED AS PLAGIARISM. ASSIGNMENT CONTINUED

4. Due Date for the 40 cards: End of class on Monday, April 7th We will be in the lab each day between now and the due date. I will check them while we are in the lab I will be checking for the correct format and for the number of cards. Assignment Continued

5. Research wins debates. It feels great to win on an argument that you have written. You will understand it really well, you will know exactly where all of the cards are and you will be able to predict what the other team will read against you. That level of preparation translates into calm confidence that will win debates! Research takes practice. There is a learning curve. Over time, you will know what databases or searches to use and what types of cards are the most useful. Do not be surprised if you have trouble at first. Why RESEARCH?

6. Arguments need support from expert sources when we want to borrow credibility that we do not have. When do you need a card?

7. What makes a source worth quoting? • Official qualifications • Experience in the field • Recent if the information required may have changed • High quality publisher • Information used in context • Free from bias (having a strong opinion is fine though) • Supported by other research • Unclear/poor qualifications • Unclear author • Out-dated information • Blog or other random internet source • Information warped to fit your purpose • Someone who has an incentive to misrepresent the truth • Fringe opinion

8. It depends on what you are looking for: • Current events: Google News (which is awesome but also contains some garbage) • In depth articles: Library databases, books • Side note: You may NOT use Wikipedia—fun general reading and often OK but not an acceptable academic source. Consider yourself warned. Similarly, you may not quote from e-mails or blogs written by debaters. How to find decent sources

9. Cards got their name because evidence used to be cut out and pasted down on actual recipe cards. Then, debaters moved to cutting and pasting onto paper “briefs.” Now, we do everything electronically. All files need to be placed into a Word document and saved. Computers!

10. No factoids. Cut cards that have specific uses in rounds, not random bits of information. Always ask yourself “how is this card going to be useful in the round?” • Quality is all that matters. Assume 2 things: • The other team will have a good card that says the opposite and yours needs to be better. • The judge is calling for the card. • Fewer repetitive cards. No more than four pages of the evidence making the same argument. • Never cut evidence that is out of context. If an author later disagrees with the claim in a card that you have cut from them, it is out of context. Ask yourself—would the author agree with this tag? Not the whole position necessarily but the tag? If there is any question, ask a coach, DO NOT turn it out to the team. What make a Good card?

11. Recent evidence helps. • Never cut evidence off of a debate list-serve, a private e-mail or a debate related blog. Some teams do this, it is cheating and will hurt our reputation. • Qualified evidence is better. Staff writers are OK for uniqueness evidence and maybe some other simple claims but better qualified evidence wins more debates. • Cut cards that are too long, not too short. Ways to ensure that your evidence represents complete ideas (and therefore arguments) include the following: • One sentence cards are useless because they have no reasoning. • NEVER begin or cut off a card mid-sentence. • Do not cut cards that start with “however” or “but.” Include the above paragraph or sentence so that your evidence represents a complete idea. What make a Good card?

12. Complete and accurate. Full name of the author, complete date, qualifications (may need to Google these), title of publication, page number if available, cut and paste web address, note database. Format: Last name, date in BOLD (rest in parenthesis). ALWAYS collect cites as you go, never plan to go back and get them later. Citations

13. Full name of the author Complete date Qualifications (may need to Google these) Title of publication Cut and paste web address REVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH CITATION

14. A “Tag” is the title given to the piece of evidence. This is read out loud before the citation and the actual evidence. The tag should be a strongly worded, short summary of the evidence. The tag is generally all the judge writes down on his or her flow. Tagging

15. Use strong language—If the author makes a good argument, maximize the usefulness of the evidence with a strongly worded tag. This is accomplished by: • Avoiding vague words like “good,” “equals,” “bad,” or “very.” Use more specific language. “Very bad” should be replaced by “10 million deaths” etc. • Never state a passive relationship between two things, such as “X and Y are both happening.” Such passive relationships are not useful in debate; re-tag it to say “X causes Y” or “X prevents, increases or decreases Y.” • Stay away from debate jargon. A little is OK, especially with affirmative DA answers, but tags that are more story-oriented will do more to catch the judge’s attention. • Do not over-tag—For instance, if your evidence says a disease will impact 10% of the population, do not tag the evidence to claim extinction. • Shorter tags are usually better. Tagging

16. Remember the header. Have running header for all of your cards Clear block titles. Use a uniform font. Control-A (select all) is your friend, Times New Roman 10 pt looks good. Tailor it a little yourself if you like but make sure that it is uniform and easy to read. Organize the cards from best to worst. People will naturally read what is on the top of the page so put the best ones up there. Eliminate extra returns. It saves paper and looks nicer. Blocks

17. TAG: (YOU COME UP WITH THIS ON YOUR OWN) ________________________________________ COMPLETE CITATION: (SEE THE SLIDES ABOVE FOR THE REQUIRED INFORMATION) ________________________________________________________________________________ EVIDENCE: (JUST COPY AND PASTE THE NEEDED PART OF YOUR RESEARCH) ________________________________________ OUTLINE FOR A CARD

18. TAG: Scratching Cuba from the terror list is a stepping stone to better relations CITATION: McKenna, Peter, 2013, Professor and Chair of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island (4/17/2013, “Cuba Languishes on Terror List for No Good Reasons” The Chronicle Harold, http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1123835-cuba-languishes-on-terror-list-for-no-good-reason) EVIDENCE (CARD): It’s worth mentioning that the Cuban government strongly condemned the terror attacks of 2001, offered to send medical supplies and health care professionals in their aftermath, and acquiesced in Washington’s plan to house suspected terrorists at its Guantanamo Bay naval facility. Havana has now unequivocally condemned the deadly Boston Marathon bombings and rejected all forms of terrorism.¶ Surely if North Korea could be removed from the bad-boy list in 2008 by the former George W. Bush administration — and that Pakistan has never made it onto the list even though it had sheltered Osama bin Laden for years — it is long overdue to scratch Cuba’s name off. And the Cubans have certainly strengthened their case for doing so under the leadership of Raúl Castro, who has introduced fundamental economic and social reforms, permitted Cubans (including vocal dissidents) to travel freely abroad, opened a constructive dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, and released dozens of political prisoners.¶ The Canadian government, fresh from Minister John Baird’s visit to Havana, should be using its “good offices” to convince the Americans to delist the Cubans. If successful, it would have the salutary effect of bolstering Canada’s brand and profile in the region — a wise move given that the Harper government has made the Americas a centrepiece of its foreign policy thrust.¶ Removing Cuba from the terror list would also reassure the Cubans and go some way toward resetting the U.S.-Cuba relationship on a proper diplomatic footing.This symbolically important step, in conjunction with a series of other confidence-building measures (such as the release of Gross), might lead to the lifting of the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba and restore Washington’s credibility in the hemisphere.¶ Such a move would obviously be in the best interests of Cuba, the U.S. and the wider international community. Sample Card #1

19. TAG: Cuban attempts at offshore drilling are inevitable – only a rapid response with US expertise can prevent spills SOURCE: Bert and Clayton 12 (Captain Melissa –2011-2012 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake – Fellow for Energy and National Security, “Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill”, March, http://www.cfr.org/cuba/addressing-risk-cuban-oil-spill/p27515) EVIDENCE (CARD): Defending U.S. InterestsAn oil well blowout in Cuban waters would almost certainly require a U.S. response.Without changes in current U.S. law, however, that response would undoubtedly come far more slowly than is desirable. The Coast Guard would be barred from deploying highly experienced manpower, specially designed booms, skimming equipment and vessels, and dispersants. U.S. offshore gas and oil companies would also be barred from using well-capping stacks, remotely operated submersibles, and other vital technologies. Although a handful of U.S. spill responders hold licenses to work with Repsol, their licenses do not extend to well capping or relief drilling. The result of a slow response to a Cuban oil spill would be greater, perhaps catastrophic, economic and environmental damageto Florida and the Southeast. Efforts to rewrite current law and policy toward Cuba, and encouraging cooperation with its government, could antagonize groups opposed to improved relations with the Castro regime. They might protest any decision allowing U.S. federal agencies to assist Cuba or letting U.S. companies operate in Cuban territory. However, taking sensible steps to prepare for a potential accident at an oil well in Cuban waters would not break new ground or materially alter broader U.S. policy toward Cuba. For years, Washington has worked with Havana on issues of mutual concern. The United States routinely coordinates with Cuba on search and rescue operations in the Straits of Florida as well as to combat illicit drug trafficking and migrant smuggling. During the hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides Cuba with information on Caribbean storms. The recommendations proposed here are narrowly tailored to the specific challenges that a Cuban oil spill poses to the United States. They would not help the Cuban economy or military. What they would do is protect U.S. territory and property from a potential danger emanating from Cuba. Cuba will drill for oilin its territorial waters with or without the blessing of theUnited States. Defending against a potential oil spill requires a modicum of advance coordination and preparation with the Cuban government, which need not go beyond spill-related matters. Without taking these precautions, the United States risks a second Deepwater Horizon, this time from Cuba. Sample Card #2

20. TAG: Licensing American companies to develop Cuban offshore resources leads to effective drilling and increased influence in the region CITATION: Pascualand Huddleston 9 (Carlos – Vice president and Director of Foreign policy – the Brookings Institution, and Vicki – Visiting Fellow, “CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement”, April, http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf) EVIDENCE: licensing U.S. companies to provide services for the development of Cuban offshore oil and gaswould provide benefits to theUnited States and Cuba. (At this point it should be noted that the Secretary of Treasury has always had and contin - ues to have the authority—as embodied in OFAC regulations—to license any transaction found to be in the U.S. national interest. This power has been used over the past fifteen years by various r epublican and Democratic administrations to license a variety of commercial transactions be - tween the United States and Cuba). The following are some of the reasons we might wish to become engaged in developing Cuba’s offshore oil and gas. First, if U.S. and other reputable companies are involved in Cuba’s offshore oil developmentit would reduce Cuba’s dependence on Venezuelafor two-thirds of its oil imports. Second, it is preferable that U.S. oil companies with high standards of transparency develop these resources rather than, for example, russia’s notoriously corrupt oligarchy. Third, U.S. influence in Cuba is likely to increase if U.S. companies have an economic relationship on the ground. Fourth, U.S. companies have the technology and expertiseto develop Cuba’s offshore oil and gas. Sample Card #3

21. TAG: Now is the critical time to resolve diplomatic relations with Venezuela-Maduro’sremarks CITATION: Reuters 5/19/13 [http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/20/us-venezuela-usa-idUSBRE94J01R20130520 –2013—SR] EVIDENCE: (Reuters) - Venezuela's recent designation of an acting head of its diplomatic mission in the United States shows the OPEC nation's desire to restore full diplomatic relations, the foreign minister said in an interview broadcast on Sunday.¶ Disputes between Caracas and Washington were common during the 14-year-rule of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, leaving both nations without ambassadors in each other's capitals.¶ Foreign Minister Elias Jaua suggested in a televised interview that the move to name government ally Calixto Ortega as charge d'affaires in Washington could be a prelude to restoring ambassadors.¶ "This is a message for U.S. politicians so they understand Venezuela's desire to normalize relations ... via the designation of the highest diplomatic authorities," he said. "Why? Because the United States remains our top trade partner."¶ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has in recent months said he wants better ties with Washington as long as the relationship is respectful. SAMPLE CARD #4