Intercollegiate debate: stick a fork in it!
Stephen M. Llano · Argumentation and Advocacy · 2025
Wake Forest’s recent win of both the NDT and CEDA championship is a moment for reflection as well as celebration. This essay offers reflection through the metaphor of the fork, often used in software development. The essay reflects on the practice of debate seen through the metaphor of the fork to draw attention to innovations in debate practice that have often led to splits such as the NDT/CEDA divide. These moments are viewed as epidictic opportunities where the roots of our arguments in defense of debate practices are developed.