fandomhigh | Polar Opposites, Tuesday

"You have all seemed a bit shy or reticient to particiapte the last few weeks," Morrigan began crisply, "-So today, we will go back to look at some of the basics, in hopes of giving you all a bit more confidence to speak your mind."

"We got you one of those hand-outs from the copying machine at the start of the class," Alistair said. Yes, he knew what a copier was now. Be proud. "These are vital rules to win an argument, like, say... Never use 'always' or 'never'."

"Smile, even if you don't mean it," Morrigan suggested. "It is supposed to show you are friendly, but I find it often unnerves your opponent and they run away."

That wasn't smiling, Morrigan, that was showing your teeth.

"Oh, here's some interesting ones," Alistair said, holding up the sheet of paper. "'Attack the idea, not the person' and 'stress the positive'. See, students, it's incredibly important to be positive when you're arguing with someone. There's no need to get hostile..."

Morrigan.

"So take another look at the handout, pick one, and tell us why you think it might be a rule," Alistair continued. "And when you're done with that, Morrigan made paint so you can make 'debate posters'."

The only reason he didn't make the finger quotes is because he didn't know what finger quotes were.

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Like you're debating.

Gabrielle

Toby Logan

Quinn Fabray

Dana Scully

Percy Jackson

Annie Edison

James of Krondor

As one does.

Ooooh. Gabrielle had engaged in quite a few debates with Xena on the road, not to mention a number of other people she'd met in their travels, but she'd never had official guidelines before.

Admittedly, she was paying more attention to the handout than the lecture, but Alistair and Morrigan always amused her.

Pick a piece of advice (http://www.paulnoll.com/Books/Clear-English/debate-advice.html) and explain why it might be a thing.

"I picked number nineteen, which is 'avoid bickering, quarreling and wrangling,'" Annie began. "It's good advice because if you start fighting with someone over a point, it drives you away from what the point really was. No one will remember what you were arguing, just that you were sniping at each other. Plus a lot of the time when you lose control of the situation and just start arguing about something, you say things that make you look bad and you can lose the debate because of that."

There are paints! Possibly fingerpaints.

Just don't put any of that in your mouth, Morrigan's been near it.

Who should be relieved she doesn't have to get into the middle of it this time.

Quinn thought the rules seemed pretty useful, actually. Though 'never say never' did get a smirk from her.

She'd be over here, working on a very pink poster.

That's what they're there for.

On opposite sides of the room.

It's still too cold out here.

Polar Opposites, Tuesday

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Listen to the Lecture

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Discuss! Debate Advice

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And/Or Make Debate Posters

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Talk to the Teachers

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