Polytechnic School 2010-2014

Stanford University 2014-2018

Overview: I'm happy to listen to whatever you want to read (barring arguments that are actually morally repugnant). Do debate however you want to do it, and do it well. I'm fine with speed, just make sure to slow down on plan texts and dense T/theory shells. Tech over truth in most instances. 

General Stuff: Tag team CX is fine. Prep ends when the flashdrive is out of your computer/the email is sent. I'd like to be included on email chains when possible. I'm sympathetic to most tech issues, but please don't abuse this system. I'll be timing the debate, but it's always good to time yourselves/your oponents as a backup. If the content of a particular card becomes controversial during the round, I'll probably read it after the round. That being said, good evidence spin/explanation and application during the round can go a long way. Evidence quality is super important, and one good card with extremely clear warrants that are well-defended can usually beat a lot of mediocre cards. If you want to record the debate, ask the other team before recording their speeches. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask before the debate. 

Cheating: Don't do it. If you notice the other team clipping cards, take an audio recording from the point that you've noticed it so that I can compare what's being read to what's in the document. Cheating accusations will stop the debate, so make sure you are absolutely certain before making such a claim. Marking cards is fine, just make it clear where in the card you've stopped, and offer to give the other team a copy of your speech document with marks. In most cases, cheating will result in a loss and 0 speaker points for both speakers. I will resolve these issues based on the tournament's policy. 

Topic: I haven't judged many rounds on the surveillance topic, so make sure you're clear with jargon/abbreviations. 

DAs: The more aff-specific the better, but I'm happy to hear a generic done well. "Zero risk" arguments exist. Smart turns case arguments can win most case v. DA rounds. Impact defense is a solid idea for both teams. If the impact scenario is so obscure that you have no defense for it, it can probably be defeated by smart analytics. 

CPs: Theory-wise, most CPs with aff-specific solvency advocates are probably fair game. Well researched and aff-specific PICs and agent CPs are great. Well run generics are fine, but I can definitely be persuaded by Aff theory arguments on consult/conditions CPs. If you're reading a word PIC, be sure to defend why textual competition alone is sufficient. 

Ks: I read a lot of Ks in high school, and I'm mostly focused on the K in college, so I really like watching a good K debate. That being said, please don't change your strategy to appeal to what you think I want to hear. I'd be much happier with a good politics round than an uncomfortable K round. I won't kick the alternative unless you tell me to. I don't necessarily think Ks need an alt, but you ought to justify why yours doesn't before you wish away the perm. When deciding these debates, I start with evaluating the frameworks both teams have advanced, and I'll adjudacate the rest of the debate under that framework. 

T: As I said above, make sure to slow down if you want me to get all of your standards down. I default to competing interpretations if nobody makes a reasonability argument, but I can be persuaded by both. Topical version of the aff arguments can win these debates, so affs should take care not to drop them. I evaluate interpretations and standards like a CP/DA debate, so impact calculus about what voting for either interpretation of the topic means in the context of this/later deabtes is important to me.

Framework v. Non-traditional Affs: I think Affs ought to be connected to the topic in some way, but I'm not convinced that they need to advocate instrumental action by the USFG. Both of these preferences are up for debate, and I'll vote for the team I feel has made better arguments on framework. Advocacy statements and role of the ballot claims can be good in a lot of instances, but they definitely aren't necessary for my ballot. Spend your speech time how you want to, and just make sure to explain at some point what I'm voting for if I vote for you. 

i use they/them pronouns!

Add me to the email chain! tonyhackett (at) alumni.stanford.edu

Chances are if you're reading this, you're up late deciding where you should pref me or you already have me in the back and you're frantically trying to prep and look and see if I'll be down for what you want to read. To save you the time -- I'm probably fine with it, and the tldr; of my philosophy is that you should feel comfortable doing whatever you're best at.

If you want to read the more long-winded version of my debate background / personal style / my methodology for adjudicating debate rounds, read below.

I debated for C. K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento, CA, and Stanford University ('20). I did the whole TOC thing my senior year and qualified to the NDT my freshman year. I'm currently affiliated with C. K. McClatchy/Nevada Union and St. Francis High School (Mountain View, CA).

I'll try to keep this brief --

Ultimately, my goals are to try my hardest and vote for the team who won the debate, no matter who they are.

If i have the pleasure of sitting in the back of the room and watching you debate, here are some pieces of advice --

Do what you do best. I'd rather see a well-debated counterplan and disad debate (if that's what you want to do!) than a poorly executed attempt to appease me based on my argumentative preferences in high school. If you're asking yourself at this moment whether or not I'm fine with the arguments you're planning on reading, the answer is almost assuredly yes.

Critics that I most respect are: Sarah Lim, Mimi Sergent-Leventhal, Kevin Hirn, Jarod Atchison, John Spurlock, and Sam Haley-Hill, Taylor Brough, Brian Manuel, Shanara Reid-Brinkley, Syndey Pasquinelli, and Brian McBride.

When I go about deciding debates, I try answer a series of questions. Primarily, if both teams win all of their arguments, who wins the debate? Is there a major execution error? Is there a team lacking offense on any given position? Has either team won an impact framing argument by virtue of execution or evidence? Is there significant argument interaction? Once I have found answers to these questions, I've likely decided who won the debate.

That being said, here are some specific thoughts.

K affs -- I think Kevin Hirn said it best when he said " Despite some of the arguments I've read and coached, I'm still sympathetic to the framework argument (especially in high school). I don't presumptively think that topicality arguments are violent, and I think it's generally rather reasonable (and often strategic) to question the aff's relationship to the resolution. For what it's worth, I would generally prefer to see a substantive strategy if one's available, but I understand that often framework is the best option (especially in certain circumstances, like when the aff is new or you're from a school with a small research base).

I typically think winning unique offense, in the rare scenario where a team invests substantial time in poking defensive holes in the other team's standards, is difficult for both sides in a framework debate. I think affs should think more about their answers to "switch side solves your offense" and "sufficient neg engagement key to meaningfully test the aff", while neg's should brainstorm better responses to "other policy debates solve your offense" and "wiki/disclosure/contestable advocacy in the 1ac provides some degree of predictability/debateability."

I'm interested (and invested) in both sides of the framework debate, and have about a 50/50 record voting both ways. Being inventive, smart, daring, and responsive will win you major points, as it seems like I judge mostly clash debates, and the prospect of listening to a decaf state good/reform bad debate seems unfair.

Disads/CP's -- I love nuanced counterplan/disad debates. Explain the mechanism for your counterplan and slow down on the text. I'm persuaded by presumption arguments insofaras you win a turns case argument or are winning some hard core terminal defense to the aff. I love intrinsic offense and well-prepared stategies over generics with poor evidence quality. Disads with plan specific links are for real.

Topicality -- I used to think that Topicality was incredibly trivial, but after having debated in college and seeing some of the downright wild things that policy aff's can try to get away with sometimes, I think it's an essential argument for the negative arsenal. You should explain your internal links in the context of the aff and have external impacts. Ask Jordan Foley.

I think evidence comparison is a job of the debaters, but I'll call for it if there is a technical question that comes down to how the ev reads or if there is a concern about the validity of args made in the evidence by the debaters where a large portion of the debate rests.

If you've made it this far and you're still not sure if you should strike me, maybe seeing what args I currently read in college can provide some insight:

https://opencaselist.paperlessdebate.com/Stanford/Prabhu-Hackett+Aff

https://opencaselist.paperlessdebate.com/Stanford/Prabhu-Hackett+Neg

Have fun!