The upper-echelon of Policy Debate. The National Circuit (or Nat Circuit) consists of the best policy debaters in the country who travel to a series of high-profile debate tournaments which comprise the circuit. Culminates at the Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky.
Nat Circuit level debate usually eschews persuasion and public speaking in favor of strategic thinking and argumentation, which makes such claims of its "ivory tower" nature completely ridiculous, as nat circuit debaters have stopped pretending that debate is about learning. Speech rates per second can range into the high single-digits, and the inability of many laymen to understand such speed has bred resentment in many competitors in other forms of debate.
Nat Circuit debaters are invariably either the coolest, friendliest people on Earth or pompous, insufferable elitist pricks.
Nat Circuit level debate usually eschews persuasion and public speaking in favor of strategic thinking and argumentation, which makes such claims of its "ivory tower" nature completely ridiculous, as nat circuit debaters have stopped pretending that debate is about learning. Speech rates per second can range into the high single-digits, and the inability of many laymen to understand such speed has bred resentment in many competitors in other forms of debate.
Nat Circuit debaters are invariably either the coolest, friendliest people on Earth or pompous, insufferable elitist pricks.
by DisadDan May 8, 2008