2007-2008 Novice Case Areas

 NFHS Potential Novice Case Areas

Many states limit the topic areas for novice debaters for all or part of the school year. Those states that use this approach seek to select topics that offer a balance between the affirmative and the negative positions, provide easy research for everyone and provide the opportunity for meaningful case debate, rather than generic argumentation. In addition, some states also restrict the use of Kritiks and counterplans in Novice divisions during their period of restriction, but that is certainly a state by state decision for those states that use this approach.

The NFHS Speech Committee recommended that the NFHS identify a list of potential novice cases annually and make this list available to states. Since many tournaments include interstate competition, the speech committee believes that it would be beneficial to have some consistency among the states that limit cases for the novice division.

The following topics are suggested as "Potential Novice Case Areas" by the NFHS for the 2007-2008 National Policy Debate Topic:

• AIDS Prevention:  The affirmative plan eliminates the abstinence earmark in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and redirects that funding for other AIDS prevention programs.
• Malaria Prevention:  The affirmative plan increases funding for DDT-based malaria prevention programs in the President's Malaria Initiative.
• Food Aid:  The affirmative plan eliminates the current U.S. requirement that three-fourths of U.S. food aid be purchased in the U.S. and increases the local purchase of food aid.
• Public Health Workers:  The affirmative plan increases funding for the training of indigenous public health workers.