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In The Bin

In The Bin

By In The Bin Podcast

The Number One or Two podcast worldwide on the art of debate, argumentation, and rhetoric. Lively, ridiculous, and intelligent conversation on matters of speech, oratory, debate, evidence, and politics!

Youtube.com/stevellano

Cover Photo by Siarhei Plashchynski on Unsplash
unsplash.com/@s_plashchynski
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Currently playing episode

CEDA Debate Coaching Legend Jackie Massey, former Director of Debate at the University of Oklahoma

In The BinAug 04, 2020

00:00
01:09:01
In the Bin: Dr. Cate Morrison on Union arguments, NCA is Next Week in New Orleans! Also, what's wrong with Public Forum Debate?
Nov 10, 202201:50:53
In the Bin Livestream from a Real Rhetoric Professor's Office [Nov 7 2022]

In the Bin Livestream from a Real Rhetoric Professor's Office [Nov 7 2022]


We talk about teaching argument, the tests of evidence, and how to make the Toulmin model work for you


Nov 08, 202202:54:50
Epistemic Security with the Canonical Debate Lab

Epistemic Security with the Canonical Debate Lab

How do we make sure that fake, false, or mis-information doesn't take over our spaces for democratic deliberation? In this episode we are joined again by Canonical Debate Lab founder Timothy High and reasonpedia.com creator Bentley Davis. Both are from the CDL and believe that they are creating something that will help reduce the risk of misinformation or purposely misleading or false information doesn't live long in our public debates.


Nov 03, 202201:33:31
In The Bin: Now with Video! AMA with Dr. Steve Llano

In The Bin: Now with Video! AMA with Dr. Steve Llano

In the Bin moving into the 2000s screeching in pain by adding video and live streaming to the show!

Join us for live shows:

twitch.tv/sophisticsteve

youtube.com/stevellano



Oct 26, 202201:35:36
May 15, 2022 But We May Be Misinformed

May 15, 2022 But We May Be Misinformed

We discuss Biden's Misinformation office, teaching debate and public speaking, and other debate and rhetoric topics. 

Join us!

May 16, 202201:08:55
Misinformation in the Classroom and Society (Part of the Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival 2021)

Misinformation in the Classroom and Society (Part of the Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival 2021)

In this episode, Cate, George, Steve and Will discuss misinformation and struggle really hard with the temptation not to misinform you about it. The struggle is real. Or are our sources bad?

Let us know what you think of the episode! @inthebinpodcast on twitter or check out Steve's Substack at sophisticsteve.substack.com

This episode is part of the Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival, happening August 16-19, 2021. It features a large number of podcasts on rhetoric every year. Check them out! The carnival episodes are available with the hashtags #tbrpodcastcarnival2021 and #contendingwithmisinformation


Aug 19, 202101:01:21
The Canonical Debate Lab: Can Internet Debating Have Value?
May 05, 202101:10:30
Rhetoric, Post-Structuralism, and Pedagogy with Dr. Lee Pierce

Rhetoric, Post-Structuralism, and Pedagogy with Dr. Lee Pierce

This episode is a conversation with Dr. Lee Pierce who is an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric at SUNY Geneseo and host of the podcasts Rhetoriclee Speaking and New Books Network.  

Dr. Dan and Steve join Lee in a conversation about graduate rhetoric pedagogy, post-structuralism, and whether or not reading everything Derrida ever wrote really matters. 

Join in the conversation by posting your comments, questions, and thoughts using Anchor's listener note tool! We'd love to hear from you.

Apr 23, 202101:19:08
Lessons Learned from Taking Intercollegiate Debate Online

Lessons Learned from Taking Intercollegiate Debate Online

In this episode Steve has a conversation with Will Silberman who tabs nearly every British Parliamentary (WUDC) format tournament in the United States about mistakes, missteps, and lessons learned from holding debate tournaments in the pandemic. What, if anything, was learned about how to hold debates during the past thirteen months?

Mar 30, 202101:10:50
Kenneth Burke's "Terministic Screens"

Kenneth Burke's "Terministic Screens"

Dr. Dan O'Neil, Dr. Tim Barr and Dr. Steve Llano discuss Burke's idea of the Terministic Screen as well as chat about the Burkean Parlor. 


Leave a comment or a message! We'd love to hear what you think.

Mar 25, 202101:16:01
Kenneth Burke's "The Virtues and Limitations of Debunking"

Kenneth Burke's "The Virtues and Limitations of Debunking"

Dan and Steve discuss Kenneth Burke's essay "The Virtues and Limitations of Debunking" where Burke is highly critical of a form of argumentative practice that was as popular then as it is now: Totally taking out the other side so thoroughly there's nothing left. This is not a good practice, and we will chat about why.

Leave us a voice message, a question or comment!

Mar 20, 202101:09:53
The Rhetoric of Free Expression

The Rhetoric of Free Expression

Steve talks to Dr. Joe Sery, Assistant Professor of Communication at Christopher Newport University who is an expert in First Amendment and Free Speech rhetoric, teaching and studying social movement discourse, rhetorical theory, and the rhetoric of the law.

Leave a comment on Anchor for us!

Mar 18, 202101:12:04
The Teaching of Rhetoric and the Fallacies

The Teaching of Rhetoric and the Fallacies

In this episode, Dr. Dan O'Neill and Dr. Steve Llano discuss how the fallacies, and rhetoric, have been taught and perhaps provide some hints as to how speaking, writing, debating, and arguing should be taught. 

Books mentioned in the episode:

Amartya Sen, The Argumentative Indian

Daniel E. Perdue, Debate in Tibetan Buddhism

 Jeffrey Walker, The Genuine Teachers of this Art

Herbert Fingarette, The Secular as Sacred


Mar 09, 202101:04:18
The Toulmin Model of Argument and its Influence

The Toulmin Model of Argument and its Influence

Steve welcomes Dr. Dan O'Neill to the Bin for a conversation about the influence of Stephen Toulmin's ideas on contemporary notions of debate, argumentation and rhetoric. 

Please leave a voice comment or question and we'll take it up in a future episode!

Feb 26, 202101:01:54
French University Islamo-Leftism; Do Universities Really Restrict Debate? And the Manhattan DA Race Metric for Debate Participation

French University Islamo-Leftism; Do Universities Really Restrict Debate? And the Manhattan DA Race Metric for Debate Participation

In this episode, Cate, Tim, and Steve discuss the recent French controversy on Islamoleftist thought in Universities, what the data says about the restriction of free and open debate at UK universities, and the 5 Boro Defenders recent qualification metric to determine who should participate in upcoming debates in the race to elect Manhattan's next DA. 

You can leave a voice comment to any episode here. We'd love to hear from you!

Feb 21, 202101:11:17
When Should We Not Debate? A Not-Debate about Debate's Limits
Feb 13, 202101:06:48
Debate, Advocacy, The University, and Community with Matt Lavery

Debate, Advocacy, The University, and Community with Matt Lavery

Matt Lavery and Steve talk about the role of debate at the university in pedagogy writ large and also in the popular idea of the advocacy or outreach speech and rhetoric center. 

We discuss the tradition of debating and the needs of the university, offering a few ideas about how debate could serve students by helping to reimagine the university space.

Feb 13, 202101:24:41
Music and Argument

Music and Argument

Can songs make arguments? What if you ignore the lyrics?
And what about arguing about music - what's "good" and what's "bad" when it comes to the songs we like?

We discuss that, and a lot more!

Joining Dr. Llano are Dr. Cate Morrison, Director of Debate and Dr. Ian Reyes, Professor of Film and Media from the University of Rhode Island! 

Jan 15, 202101:14:04
Dealing with the Last Presidential Debate of 2020

Dealing with the Last Presidential Debate of 2020

Our fantastic panel reviews, chats, and discusses the low-lights and lower-lights of the final Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Oct 23, 202001:04:35
Reaction and Response to the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate

Reaction and Response to the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate

Recorded immediately after the 2020 Vice Presidential debate, join a panel of debate teachers, rhetorical scholars, and one political consultant as we talk about the very sterile, boring, and perhaps too stale debate between the Vice Presidential candidates. Is this the debate we need or the one we deserve? 


Oct 08, 202001:03:23
Discussing and Disgusting: The First Presidential Debate of 2020 in Review

Discussing and Disgusting: The First Presidential Debate of 2020 in Review

Join us for an in-depth discussion of a depth-free debate! We cover all aspects of it from top to the endless bottom. Was this good? Tolerable? What mattered about it for us? What does it say, or can it say, about debate?

On the Panel:

Steven D'Amico, President, D'Amico Strategy and Communications

Professor Timothy Barr, Ph.D., Northeastern University

Professor Cate Morrison, Ph.D., University of Rhode Island

Professor John Patrick, Ed.D., California Polytechnic University

Professor Rob Ruiz, Ed.D., Laverne University 

George Fitzpatrick, M.A., former debate instructor at the University of Vermont

Leave us your questions, thoughts, and comments!


Sep 30, 202001:40:46
the McGirt decision, Native American law, and Advocacy for Native People

the McGirt decision, Native American law, and Advocacy for Native People

This episode explores arguments about Native American law in the United States. We talk about the recent McGirt Decision, language and law surrounding native people, reservations, and rights.

We talk about Neil Gorsuch - is he the kind of conservative we thought we were getting? Signs point to no. . .

And our first listener question is finally addressed!

Joining us on this episode is Emily Harwell and we are so grateful for her time and expertise on these questions. 

Emily Harwell is a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation and is from the Sac & Fox Nation in Oklahoma. Emily received her Bachelors Degree from Dartmouth College where she served as co-chair of the Annual Dartmouth College Powwow and President of the Native Americans at Dartmouth. In 2014, she assisted with organizing a group of volunteers to work with the Denver American Indian community to establish gardens and garden spaces during Dartmouth’s Spring Break. Emily continues to give back to the Dartmouth Native community through serving as Treasurer of the Native American Alumni of Dartmouth.

In 2019, Emily attended the American Indian Law Center’s Pre-Law Summer Institute for Indigenous law students. Emily is a rising second year law student at Cornell Law. She is the President of the Native American Law Student Association (NALSA). In her role as President, she is advocating for institutional changes in support of Native American and Alaskan Native students including the founding of an American Indian Law Journal, hiring of Indigenous faculty, and increasing availability of American Indian Law courses. This summer, Emily was a law clerk at the Native American Rights Fund and where she worked on voting rights litigation to mitigate institutional barriers to Native American voters. Emily is interested in civil litigation, jurisdictional matters, and the intersection of these issues with American Indian Law.

Aug 24, 202059:46
Our Favorite Fallacies

Our Favorite Fallacies

The fallacies probably have more written about them than good arguments do. In this episode - hopefully one of many to come - we talk about our favorite fallacies, explain them and consider whether or not they are as bad as their reputation. 

Aug 12, 202001:15:53
CEDA Debate Coaching Legend Jackie Massey, former Director of Debate at the University of Oklahoma

CEDA Debate Coaching Legend Jackie Massey, former Director of Debate at the University of Oklahoma

Dr. Steve Llano and the Bin Crew have a conversation about the past, present, and future of CEDA and NDT debate with 5 time CEDA National Championship Debate Director Jackie Massey, formerly of the University of Oklahoma. We talk about how debate was, where it's going, and what policy debate should keep and change as it gets ready for the future. Join us for a great conversation about debate with the one and only Jackie Massey.

Jackie Massey is from Comanche, OK, Founder and former Director of Debate  at the University of Oklahoma.  2003-2016.  Worked with Dr. Alfred Snider at UVM. He was a student of Doug Duke, Roger Biles and Jeff Bile. He is the founder of Next Level Debate and works to prepare candidates for debates and town halls on the campaign trail. He currently resides in Pueblo, Colorado.

Aug 04, 202001:09:01
A Conversation with Argumentation, Debate, and Rhetoric Scholar Professor Justin Eckstein, Ph.D.
Jul 28, 202001:03:22
Analyzing the Harper's Letter: What is Free and Open Debate?

Analyzing the Harper's Letter: What is Free and Open Debate?

In this episode, the panel takes a closer look at the Harper's Letter demanding Open Debate. We cover why the signatories matter and how one of the largest professor unions in the United States dropped the ball on protecting free speech, the history of open debate in magazines like Harper's, and what the Harper's Letter can tell us about why Dr. DisRespect was banned from Twitch. 

Jul 21, 202001:13:08
A First Take on the Harper's Letter

A First Take on the Harper's Letter

The Bin will have a few takes on the now infamous "Harper's Letter" where luminaries from the world of the arts signed a letter calling for more open debate in society. Dr. Steve Llano is joined by Dr. Timothy Barr to give our response to the letter: What exactly does Harper's want here when they are calling for open debate?

Timothy Barr, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Northeastern University in Boston. 

Jul 17, 202001:06:02
Debate Was a Very Negative Space, but We Stayed Anyway

Debate Was a Very Negative Space, but We Stayed Anyway

This episode is a conversation between two recent university graduates and two former/current debate directors about how and why debate teams and programs become negative. We've all heard the stories about how bad it can be, but in this episode Dr. John Patrick and Dr. Steve Llano explore what would motivate people to stay and devote a lot of their spare time in college to participating in something negative.

We welcome our guests,  Aurora and Nikkia who join us to talk about their debate experiences as undergraduates in California. It's a great conversation about leadership, mentorship, debate's connection to curriculum and the university, and how perspective shapes the debate experience.

Jul 14, 202001:15:51
Debate, Parties, Politics, and Elections: A Campaign Manager's View
Jul 07, 202001:03:12
Creating Good Debate Topics
Jun 30, 202001:05:11
Debating COVID-19, Epidemics, Lockdown, and more with Data Analytics
Jun 23, 202001:08:39
How To Debate About Economics without Freaking Out

How To Debate About Economics without Freaking Out

The frightening prospect of debating about economics has kept many a debater awake at night in fits of rhetorical dread. This episode is the first of a few that will try to make it a bit easier for you to debate economic motions by demystifying some of the concepts, terms, and some of the typical arguments you hear in an economic debate. 

Jun 16, 202001:03:37
Police, Protesting, and Persuasion: Debate's Role in Social Change
Jun 11, 202001:02:55
 The Bin Asks, "What's the 2020-2021 Debate Season Gonna Look Like?"

The Bin Asks, "What's the 2020-2021 Debate Season Gonna Look Like?"

We know you are concerned. We thought we'd ask two debate directors - Matt Vazquez of Cape Cod Community College and Cate Morrison of The University of Rhode Island their thoughts about what debate might look like in 2020-2021. Will there be tournaments? Will there be funding? Will there be a future for debate program funding?
Have a listen and see if you agree!

Jun 09, 202058:40
Episode 3: Wyoming debate legend Matt Stannard is In the Bin

Episode 3: Wyoming debate legend Matt Stannard is In the Bin

A conversation with Matt Stannard, founder of the Wyoming Debate Cooperative and legendary coach of CEDA/NDT, NPDA, and NTPE champs. We cover everything from building a collective to Bertolt Brecht in this fantastic conversation. Do online debates have a future? What's the biggest issue when founding a collective? What's the biggest change debate's seen in the past 10 years? Listen and find out!

Jun 02, 202001:10:51
Episode 2: Assessing and Adapting Debate

Episode 2: Assessing and Adapting Debate

The Double Steve Experience is back!

Dr. Steve Llano (Associate Professor of Rhetoric, St. John's University) and Steve Johnson (Director of Debate, University of Alaska) discuss experiences in adapting debate for the sudden shutdown of spring activities in 2020. They discuss assessment and designing debate for the future, predicting what debate events will look like in the fall of 2020.

May 26, 202001:05:22
Episode 1: Back On the Air, and Back Against the Wall: Debate's In Trouble!

Episode 1: Back On the Air, and Back Against the Wall: Debate's In Trouble!

Dr. Steve Llano (Associate Professor of Rhetoric, St. John's University) and Steve Johnson (Director of Debate, University of Alaska) discuss the revalations about debate and debate's future that the quarantine has revealed.

May 20, 202001:03:58
The Bin Is Back

The Bin Is Back

Trailer for the New and Not Improved In the Bin Podcast.


For more information: sophist.nyc/inthebin


Apr 25, 202001:07