Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament
2022 — Northbrook and Online, IL/US
Junior Varsity Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideMy pronouns are he/him.
Saint Louis UDL policy debater in high school (2015-2018). Former president of NPDA parli debate at Tulane (graduating Dec '21). I began judging LD and PF in 2018. I now work full time as a housing specialist for a Permanent Supportive Housing program.
Email chain: liv.berry014@gmail.com (also email me here if you have any questions or accessibility needs)
If you feel unsafe at any point in a round or during a tournament, let me know (either in person or via email) and I will do everything I can to get you out of the situation and get the issue handled w tab/equity office/tournament directors etc. Your safety comes first, always
I clap at the end of rounds
Please put cards in docs instead of the body of the email. I don't care if it's just one card - I want a doc.
Spring 2023 Update:
- I no longer think it is particularly useful to list all of my thoughts and preferences on specific arguments and debate styles in my paradigm. It shouldn't matter to you or affect the way you choose to debate. You should debate in a way that feels fun, educational, and authentic to you. I will judge the debate in front of me.
- I am not as involved in debate as I once was. Judging is now a special treat that requires taking off work. This could be good for you or it could be bad for you. Either way, it means I'm genuinely thrilled to be here.
- Be mindful when it comes to speed and jargon. I don't know the all the acronyms or buzzwords and I don't know community consensus or trends when it comes to things like counterplans or topicality.
Some general thoughts:
- TLDR: Read what you like and have fun with it! Whether you're reading a rage aff without a plan text or nine off in the 1NC, if you're into it, I'm into it.
- The best part of debate is the people. Be kind.
- I see my role as a judge as an educator first and foremost
- The best way to win my ballot is to filter arguments through impact framing. Why is your model/disadvantage/advocacy/etc more important? What does it mean to mitigate/solve these impacts in the context of the debate? Why is the ballot important or not important?
- Every speech is a performance. How you choose to perform is up to you, but be prepared to defend every aspect of your performance, including your advocacy, evidence, arguments, positions, and representations
- Tell me why stuff matters! Tell me what I should care about and why!
- If you are a jerk to novices or inexperienced debaters, I will tank your speaks. This is an educational activity. Don't be a jerk
LD SPECIFIC:
- I don't know what "tricks" or "spikes" are. I judged a round that I'm told had both of these things, and it made me cry (and I sat). Beyond that, I've judged lots of traditional, kritikal, and plan rounds and feel comfortable there.
GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, LEARN THINGS
Michelle Canon
If you are using email chains: michellecanon8@hotmail.com Please include me so I can view cards if needed.
Experience: 4 years of high school debate at Truman High School (Independence, MO) 1987-1991; qualified to NFL Nationals 1991 Team CX Debate- Awarded Overall Speaker award 5th place; Qualified to Nationals in '90 and '91 in Original Oratory.
4 Year Collegiate Debate- William Jewell College (Liberty, MO) Debated CEDA 1991-1995; Placed at CEDA Nationals 1994 (I think we dropped in quarters? it's been a hot minute :D), 1995 Season I helped coach Novice as my partner had graduated.
General Preferences:(this is focused on Novice Debate)
I have seen a lot of topics over the years and have judged fairly routinely. My favorite debates provide direct clash and there is a cohesive approach from both teammates. I want to see that you are thinking through your team's approach and your arguments complement each other. The 2AR and 2NR are the crystalizing rebuttals and I want impact calc on how the arguments are weighed out.
I am a flow judge, so I want a road map on how many off-case and what areas of case you want you to signpost arguments applied on the flow. I love structure- I understand that's not the trend so please emphasize your tag lines, if you are reading quickly. I flow off of what you say, and I expect both teams to flow off of what is said in the round, not off of exchanged documents. I will always prefer quality over quantity. I get very frustrated when both teams read blocks quickly and don’t slow down for main points. I used to speak fast but I haven’t done it in a long time so please keep it reasonable. I expect you to fill all your time, and I expect quality arguments. I see speed as a necessity in certain speeches and arguments, but only go as fast as you can be clear, if no one understands what you're saying it's not going on the flow and won't be weighed in my decision. Do not choose speed over quality. Condense down and make a solid argument.
I will vote on almost any developed argument that is extended through the entire debate. If the argument is case side and it takes out a stock issue that will warrant a negative ballot. Case side you have to develop the argument and it has to be extended in rebuttals and weighed by 2NR. I will not weigh anything that is not extended into rebuttals. Of course, no new arguments initiated in rebuttals.
T-I appreciate a good T debate and will vote on it if it is set up as an off-case and developed (meaning analysis, definition, clear stated violation) and extended. I will vote Neg on T if the affirmative drops it- but the negative has to extend it and go for it.
I was a 2N my entire time debating - I love a well-developed Disad, I expect the shell to be run in the 1NC and I expect 2N to set up shop and blow it up if that's what you are going for in the debate. Please don't run contradictory DA's. Keep your story clean and extend the full disad. If you spend all your time proving a link and internal link but fail to have clear impact scenario in your 2NC then you aren't winning as big of an argument as you could.
CP-I like counter plans as well for a policy debate. Make sure they are mutually exclusive, competitive, non-topical and net the highest impacts. The only counterplans I'm not a fan of is the big generic theoretical counterplans like an Anarchy counterplan. I see that as a waste of time. I'd rather you make intelligent arguments then read a big generic CP- if this is what you want to go for make sure you develop the argument clean and clear with a more specific creative spin to get my vote here.
K- I see K (at the novice level) a pretty non-persuasive argument. I think it detracts from having a strong debate and becomes more about gaming the round (again at the Novice level) vs debating the topic. That being said, if you are running a more creative affirmative trying to catch negatives off-base, then I'm willing to consider K's and other theoretical arguments more heavily to provide some negative ground. I ran plenty of crazy cases so I get it, but that will open up the flexibility on links and more theoretical arguments. If there is clear negative ground, it's going to be hard to get me to vote on K. And for goodness sakes, if you are running a K over language or protection of specific rights- please don't violate your own K during the round with your own discourse. I have never heard an affirmative K, so if you are running it you better know it inside and out and be able to clearly explain it- and please know I really don't want to go here for a novice debate.
Please don't make this competitive reading where each team reads their own briefs. There needs to be direct clash- that is what debate is about. Final rebuttals should write the ballot on what is the most significant in the debate and weigh out the debate.
I want to see courteous, respectful, intelligent debates. I don't see debate as a personal argument, so please don't take it there. I will give poor speaks for anyone rude, condescending or overly disruptive.
If we can get some laughs in the debate and have positive fun I'll always reward with higher speaks.
Put me on the email chain - sarahelisedavidson@gmail.com
**I don't know anything about this topic, please explain any jargon etc**
Online debate:
-I'd prefer if you have your camera on, but having it off is fine
-If my camera isn't on, I'm not ready
-Ask for confirmation that I'm ready before giving your speech
General things:
-time your own speech and prep
-tech > truth
-fairness > education
-I tend to place a lot of weight on evidence quality. I'll still vote on spin of course, but, if the debate is close, I usually look to the quality of both sides' evidence.
-I care a lot about judge instruction in rebuttals. It's really helpful and will get you good speaks
-I love impact turns, advantage cps, and well-debated disadvantages
-I don't like judging topicality or theory debates, but you should still go for it if you know it's the right strategy.
-I was a 2A, but my views are probably more in line with that of a 2N.
T:
-Topical versions of the aff and case lists are good.
-A smaller topic is probably better than aff innovation.
-Competing interpretations > reasonability
Soft left affs:
- I'm predisposed towards extinction-level impacts, and I tend to think utilitarianism is the best framework for evaluating choices between policies. You're far better off spending more time attacking the link and internal link level of a DA than wasting a bunch of time on framing, which is usually a wash anyway. I think that a securitization-type framing argument is way better than some arbitrary "probability first" or "util bad" claim, BUT winning this requires meaningfully reducing the risk of the DA.
DA:
- My favorite debates are DA/case debates.
- I love politics DAs, but aff specific and topic DAs are even better. But feel free to read whatever contrived DA scenario you want. I'll vote on it if you win it.
- Pls do impact calculus - it makes my decision 1000x times easier
- Turns case is also super persuasive to me
- If you're going for a non-unique + link turn, actually explain why the aff resolves the link
CPs:
- Impact out your solvency deficits or explain why the perm shields the net benefit
- I'm not a good judge for process CPs. Complicated competition debates are confusing to me
- I won't kick the CP for you unless you tell me to
Theory:
- I will vote on theory, but you need to give examples specific to abuse within the debate and impact out theory in the 2AR
- cheaty fiat cps (ie Tsai should resign or Saudi should stop the war in Yemen) are definitely bad
- Agent CPs, 2NC cps, 50 state fiat, consult Cps, con cons, etc are probably good
- condo = good (but, again, I can be persuaded otherwise)
- perf con is a reason you get to sever your reps
Ks on the neg:
- i feel like my views on the k have changed a lot over the past few months. i like it more than i used to.
- cap, security, fem ir, and settler colonialism are the literature bases I'm most familiar with -- if you want me to vote on other things, i need lots of explanation
- i prefer specific links to the plan - the more specific, the better
- actually engage with the 1ac and spend time on case in the 2nr - i like when neg teams take lines out of the 1ac and/or recut 1ac ev
- floating PIKs are bad
- the alt should resolve your impacts and links
- i hate long overviews - your overviews should be short & contextualized to the aff
K affs:
- I prefer that you read a plan & im probably not the best judge for you if you read an untopical aff, but I'll still vote for a k aff and I have several times in the past
- at least have some sort of relation to the topic
- just asserting that the USFG is bad is not enough to get my ballot
- k affs probably don't get perms - if the aff doesn't have to be topical, then Cps / K's don't have to be competitive, but this needs to be explained in the debate
Neg v. k affs:
- framework - fairness is an impact (but you have to explain why it is), TVAs are great, tell me what debate looks like in the world of the aff & neg and why your model is better
- presumption - go for it. a lot of k affs just don't do anything
- k's vs k affs - not great for this. if you're going to go for a k, pls do thorough explanations and impact out each of your links
Speaks
- I'll dock your speaks if you're mean or rude to me or others in the round
Glenbrook South '22
UIUC '26
Put me on the email chain - cdresslerdebate@gmail.com
I'll keep it brief:
Fine with anything, but more used to CPs/DAs
I'll try my best to not intervene - evidence explanation goes a long way
Impact out your arguments, regardless of whether or not they were conceded
2023 update
I have minimal knowledge on this topic. This should further incentivize you to really explain your arguments. This also means you should minimize using complicated topic acronyms
Lindsay Jade (or LJ, whichever works!)
she/her
Greenhill '21 | UT Austin '26 (2A)
assistant coaching for Greenhill
please put me on the email chain! lindsayjadef@gmail.com
generic things:
-tldr: read whatever you're best at! I have preferences, but am generally open to hearing whatever you have to say.
-I'd always prefer to evaluate the round in front of me rather than intervene. I will try to evaluate debates based on the flow before reading evidence, unless explicitly told to read a certain card.
-tech > truth
-numbering arguments = better speaks and better decisions!
-dropped arguments are true, but need to be fully extended along with an explanation of the implications you want them to have on my decision
-fully explaining/developing arguments and good line-by-line skills are important to me and will lead to higher speaker points than reading excessive overviews. If your answer to an argument is to cross-apply the overview, I tend to believe that the arguments in the overview should've just been on that part of the line-by-line. Similarly, I am much less likely to vote on "they dropped this line in my 2-minute long overview" than a more contextualized individual line-by line argument
-please be kind and respectful to each other!
-open cx is fine, but please don't excessively talk over each other/interrupt.
Policy affs:
-framing contentions are fine when you contextualize them to your aff and the CP/DA. "Probability first" still requires substantive answers to the DA to prove the probability is actually low.
-my bias is generally to weigh consequences, but I can be persuaded as to which ones matter more and why
-smart analytics and/or internal link defense > generic impact defense card
K affs vs. framework:
-I am probably slightly better for the neg here, although I have some (very very limited) experience reading k affs
-I'm fine with both limits/fairness and clash/idea testing/education style impacts (however, if your 2NR is the fun impact, the RFD probably won't be very fun for you).
-impact calculus and analysis, explaining how your interpretation best resolves that impact (and theirs can't access it), and how it interacts with the other team's impacts, will make it easier for me to evaluate the debate in your favor
-I'm seeing a trend towards impact turning topicality without extending a counter interp. Personally, I find it more intuitive when the impact turn to framework is resolved by the aff's counter interpretation, and having a counter interp will help me have a clearer understanding of you solve your own offense (even if it doesn't try to be T/in the direction of the topic at all). If you don't want to go for a counter interp, having an explanation for why you don't need one would be helpful.
Ks:
-Some of my favorite debates to judge! I have experience debating pretty much all the Ks you usually see every year, but you should still do your best not to assume knowledge
-2NC overviews longer than 30 seconds seem excessive to me
-I probably care less about framework than most judges - framework determines which arguments I evaluate, but does not guarantee you win those arguments or the debate. If you want it to implicate any other part of the debate, you should explain that to me
-My "default" framework is that the aff gets to weigh the plan, but the negative can probably get most links to representations/justifications. Of course, this can be changed if the aff or neg is just so far ahead on framework, but I tend to not consider "role of the ballot" arguments as much. Instead, substantive arguments about why representations/justifications outweigh material action or vice versa are more persuasive to me. I tend to think teams (especially if you aren't reading an extinction impact on the aff) invest too much time in framework that should be used on the link/perm/alt debate in most cases.
-floating PIKs are probably bad, but if you get away with it, good for you
Topicality vs. policy affs
-I am probably less willing than others to vote on "limits for the sake of limits" just because the topic might be huge. Neg teams' limits arguments are more persuasive when they're explained in the context of those limits being predictable (accompanied by examples). Please impact out your argument and explain how it turns each others' impacts.
-aff teams: good impact analysis (why impacts outweigh and turn theirs), defense to neg impacts, and examples are the way to my ballot
-not a big fan of subsets/whatever the throwaway T argument becomes this year, but really enjoy aff-specific smart T arguments (I know this isn't always possible and will still vote on whatever you win)
-I think reasonability is underrated when explained without relying solely on buzz words. This also applies to CP theory!
CPs and theory:
-love CPs
-aff teams: the permutation and links to the net benefit are your friend. If perm do both is the 2AR strategy, then explanations about how it shields the link starting in the 2AC is best if not necessary (the words "shields the link" alone is not an arg!)
-also, solvency deficits are best when they're clear and impacted out/explained
-neg teams: be sure to have a clear story/explanation for how the aff/perm links to the net benefit and the CP alone avoids it
-theory debates are probably some of my least favorite debates to judge, but if it becomes the debate I understand
-nothing except conditionality is probably a voting issue. my voting record has shown me that as a judge I tend to lean negative on conditionality, but I will do my best not to intervene
-if I think you are partially right about a theory argument but can't fully reject the team or argument, I still might be more sympathetic to a permutation that might not have been a winner in a vacuum. I won't automatically do that cross-application for you, though, so you should tell me to!
-my initial bias is that most process CPs are fine (but can be persuaded otherwise). I'd rather see creative permutations/specific theory interps than "process CPs bad"
-PICs out of words that aren't in the plan text are probably illegitimate
-judge kick: will do what you tell me to - if you care a lot, bring it up early (2AC/block). If the CP is conditional and no one says anything else I'll default to judge kick.
-functionally intrinsic perms (that are limited to neg solvency advocates and only the plan and CP text) are my favorite!
DAs:
-yeah yeah!
-impact calc is very helpful, especially with turns case arguments. However, I usually end up placing more emphasis on the internal links to those impacts, whether the DA is unique, etc. (i.e., the likelihood that you're able to access those turns case arguments) - winning a slightly larger impact or turns case does not mean I'm automatically voting on 1% risk of the DA outweighs.
-that being said, tech > truth - I love (reasonably) creative spin on arguments and will reward you for it speaks-wise even if it doesn't work out for you
-politics is okay! Explaining differences between cards/warrants > the 7th card in your UQ wall
Non-negotiables (stolen from holland bald)
- death good = L
- being racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. or making the debate unsafe for anyone involved (to be determined at my discretion) = L and the lowest speaks i can assign.
- no asking for better speaks
- i will flow a 2-hour long debate comprised of eight speeches. "Calling for a double win, intentionally interrupting an opponent’s speech, soliciting outside participation in a speech or cross-x, breaking time limits, playing board games, or devolving the debate into a 2 hour long discussion is a recipe for a quick L for the team that initiates it." -shree
- you have to read re-highlightings, you usually can't insert them unless it's just one word or something
Final thoughts:
-my goal is to be a judge I would feel good about evaluating one of my debates. Feel free to ask questions after the round if any part of my decision doesn't make sense to you.
-if you have any questions, please email me: lindsayjadef@gmail.com
I'm an assistant coach at Blue Valley West. I also debated in high school a million years ago.
Don't speak super fast. I need to be able to understand what you are saying.
I will be flowing the debate. I should see you flowing the debate as well.
Please label ALL off-case arguments in the 1NC. It's confusing and bothersome to me if you don't.
I don't like disclosure debates- you should always disclose before the round starts unless breaking new.
CPs and DAs are fine- the links should be clear.
I usually don't vote on T.
Framework- Tell me why I should frame the debate the way you tell me to.
K- I am okay with you running one as long as it's explained really well.
Dropped arguments in the round- please try not to do this.
Avoid saying the other teams arguments are "abusive".
I value quality over quantity. Please don't read cards the whole time!
If you have questions, please ask!
Hi!
My name in Matheno. I have been a participant of this activity for about over 20 years. I started to debate in High School out of the DKC Urban Debate League. I emerged onto the national circuit my novice year in 2004. I have attended debate camps at University of Iowa, University of Missouri Kansas City as well as the University of Louisville. "Performance" debate is mostly how I approached debate as a framework. Do not call it Performance debate. Debate itself is a performance. I do understand what many call "traditional debate." It's how I got introduce to this activity. I just felt better equipped as a debater dozing into what felt more authentic for me. I judge my debates on what is on the flow sheets. If its not on the flow then I cannot evaluate it. Speed does not mean to forfeit persuasion. I will listen to mostly everything. I like new and different arguments. I was a big fan of K arguments and of course ran many Kritiks. I am now a staff member at the Bay Area Urban Debate League as a Program Manager. I have been a judge every single year since I left debate as a competitor. I love this activity! I have assisted BUDL, DKC and also Atlanta Urban Debate League. Write the ballot for me. If I have to do a lot of framing and impact calculus myself then I don't think you did much coverage of handling the flow. Write the RFD for the judge. Who knows what may happen if you leave it in my hands. I have a very queer mind.
Email thread: bfandbo@gmail.com
Lane Tech '22 | Michigan State '26
(R-E-L) Arielle, <3 meeting people, I like to use names! Please use mine!
she/her/hers
2a
Bias does exist and I will not say that I am an exception but I will listen to and flow any argument have fun, do what you do best.
'Goods': topicality debates, kritiks period, clash, case debating, clarity, debating substance > going for condo, judge instruction, cross ex, arguments = claim warrant and an impact.
things that are questionable to me: affs with 5 scenarios but like zero terminal impacts, process counterplans, links of omission, "immediacy", fairness,lying about your evidence.
literally zero topic knowledge pls explain and slow down + I flow on paper I need pen time
Peter Karteczka (call me Peter, not judge)
UIUC '25
GBN '21
peterkarteczka@gmail.com (yes I want to be added)
Top Level -
- I debated at Glenbrook North HS for 4 years (3 years in person, 1 year virtually).
- The ballot goes to the team that did the better debating. That being said I am not well versed in kritikal literature and have little experience going for the kritik so if that is your thing I should not be your ordinal 1.
- Tech > Truth. I am comfortable voting for any argument (process CPs, ASPEC, floating PIKs, plan flaws, etc) as long as it is executed correctly.
- I'll only adjudicate claims about things that occur in-round.
- Quality of evidence is extremely important.
- "Marked copy" does not mean "remove the cards you read." You do not have to do that, and you should not ask your opponents to do that.
- Clipping is an auto-loss and accusations should have evidence.
Online debate -
- For online debate, you need to slow down and prioritize clarity.
- Get verbal confirmation from everyone before speaking and debate with your camera on.
- Please minimize unnecessary tech time, I understand things happen but taking a while to send out emails annoys me.
- If I suspect you are stealing prep I will deduct it from your prep time or speech time.
Novice + Camp debates-
- Don't adapt to me. I'll adapt to you. Please be respectful, especially during cross-ex. There is no need to be overly rude, defensive, demeaning, etc. These debates in my mind are solely for learning experiences, however, keep in mind, that you will get better feedback by going for arguments that I have more experience with.
My predispositions -
- These are my general predispositions, they can all be reversed through technical debating.
- I’d like to stress that you should do you. As a debater, it always annoyed me when judges were ideological or made decisions that I thought were arbitrary, so I try to minimize my own biases while judging as much as possible. However, I'd also like to emphasize that not understanding your argument is not the same as being ideologically opposed to it. My familiarity with certain arguments could affect my ability to adjudicate, if I do not understand your argument I will not vote on it.
- As a 2n, I primarily went for policy strategies (da + case, adv cp + da, process cp) against topical plans and for framework against kritikal affs.
- I like it when debaters gave me easy outs rather than forcing me to dive deeply into contested issues.
CPs -
- As a debater, I went for process counterplans relatively often. However, that does not mean I default negative on theoretical questions regarding legitimacy and competitiveness (having a solvency advocate goes a long way when debating legitimacy).
- I understand the need to go for generic counterplans with internal net benefits, though I think everyone would rather you opt for a more substantive strategy should it be possible.
- I find that affs that have advantages structured around the mechanism to be extremely strategic and persuasive against process cps.
- I will likely default to judge kick (if the counterplan is conditional) absent a substantive debate about it.
- Arguments I don't like: object fiat, delay fiat, 'going through legal deficits' fiat, counter planning out of a double turn.
- Perms should have warrants and perm texts.
DAs -
- I find theory arguments against politics DAs to be unpersuasive.
- Make turns case arguments, and make sure to answer turns case arguments. Having multiple levels to turns case arguments (e.g. link turns internal link, link turns impact, AND impact turns internal link, etc), is extremely persuasive.
- Specific link evidence and carded turns case evidence goes a long way as well.
- "Framing pages" where you say "DAs are bad" are bad.
- It has become apparent that strategic plan vagueness and plan text in a vacuum are becoming increasingly common. If I don't know whether the disad links until the 2ar we have a problem.
- For politics, uniqueness usually determines the direction the of the link. For generic/case-specific da's the link probably controls the direction of the uniqueness debate.
T -
- I appreciate strategic plan vagueness and plan text in a vacuum, but teams are going too far. At a minimum, it should be possible to line up your plan with your solvency evidence and it should be relatively straightforward about what the plan does.
- Don't assume that I know topic dynamics (side-bias/functional limits/link uniqueness/other resolutional words, etc).
- It is your job to paint a vivid vision of what debate looks like under your topic and why their interpretation of the topic is worst than yours.
- As a debater, I found that precision offense encompasses most predictability and ground offense. However, precision claims have to be followed with quality evidence.
- Plan text in a vacuum is silly and should not be your main form of offense.
Ks -
- Kritiks were never really my thing but I will try my best (the closer the K is to a DA the better).
- The strength of epistemological arguments are severely diminished with performative contradictions.
- Util is probably good. I find that approaches where the neg attempts to access aff impact framing through link turns case/alt/other things more persuading than further kritiking the affs framing.
- Long overviews can be incorporated in line by line, there should never be a time where I need a separate flow for the overview.
- It will be very difficult to convince me to vote for high theory or post-modernism.
Plan-less affs -
- If you tend to read these affs, I am probably not the judge for you, I tend to find that it is hard to fully grasp offensive arguments made on framework when I am not versed in the literature.
- Fairness is an impact, but I find clash and education-based arguments to be more persuasive especially when there are case turns involved.
- I find that impact turns are more persuasive as aff offense than most defensive counter-interpretation strategies.
- NEG teams should impact turn (cap good, heg good, etc.)
- Please do not go for a K vs a planless aff in front of me.
How to get good speaker points (28.5+) -
- Have a developed negative strategy with minimized abuse.
- Keep track of prep and speech times.
- Be efficient with prep time and time allocation.
- Have a well-formatted card and speech docs (this can go a long way).
- Sending analytics (As a debater, I was not allowed to send analytics, however, I find that sending them offers more substantive clash).
- In an effort to promote disclosure at the high school level, any team that practices near-universal "open source" will be awarded .3 extra per debater if you bring that to my attention prior to the RFD.
Things that will make me severely dislike: (you should probably strike me if this would apply to you)
- Not flowing, being mean to your partner or opponent, reading more than 7 off (unless new disclosed aff), not following speech times, not disclosing properly (this can be quite obvious), reading offensive arguments, giving up, going to the bathroom multiple times (if absolutely needed, go before opposing teams speech).
I am a debate coach at Little Rock Central. Please put both on the email chain: jkieklak@gmail.com; lrchdebatedocs@gmail.com
I believe that my role is to listen, flow, and weigh the arguments offered in the round how I am persuaded to weigh them by each team. I will listen to and evaluate any argument. It is unacceptable to do anything that is: ableist, anti-feminist, anti-queer, racist, or violent.
I think debates have the lowest access to education when the judge must intervene. I can intervene as little as possible if you:
1) Weigh your impacts and your opponents' access to risk/impacts in the debate.
2) Actively listen and use your time wisely. Debaters miss each other when distracted/not flowing or listening. This seems to make these teams more prone to missing/mishandling arguments by saying things like, "'x' disad, they dropped it. Extend ____ it means ____;" yet, in reality, the other team actually answered the argument through embedded clash in the overview or answered it in a way that is unorthodox but also still responsive/persuasive. Please be clear.
3) Compare evidence and continuously cite/extend your warrants in your explanations/refutation/overall argumentation. Responses in cross that cite an individual warrant or interrogate their opponents' warrants are good ethos builders and are just in general more persuasive, same in speeches.
4) You fully explain your perms/responses to perms. I am less persuaded by blippy arguments (especially the perms), and I am more persuaded when perms and are either: explained in detail or carded.
5) "Be mindful of your maximum rate of efficiency" (AT). Speed isn't typically a problem, but do be realistic about how fast you think I can type your responses that you want me to flow verbatim (perms, blippy disads, etc.) and not reconstruct.
Debate has changed the way that I believe about certain policies and policymaking. I believe that debate can do this for other people too.
I value persuasive judge instruction, and I would like my RFD to reflect key moments/lines in the 2AR and 2NR. Line by line is important.
Quick 2022 update--CX is important, use it fully. Examples make a big difference, but you have to compare your examples to theirs and show why yours are better. Quality of evidence matters--debate the strengths of your evidence vs. theirs. Finally, all the comments in a majority of paradigms about tech vs. truth are somewhat absurd. Tech can determine truth and vice-versa: they are not opposed or mutually exclusive and they can be each others' best tools. Want to emphasize your tech? Great--defend it. Want to emphasize your truths? Great--but compare them. Most of all, get into it! We are here for a bit of time together, let's make the most of it.
Updated 2020...just a small note: have fun and make the most of it! Being enthusiastic goes a long way.
Updated 2019. Coaching at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Nothing massive has changed except I give slightly higher points across the board to match inflation. Keep in mind, I am still pleased to hear qualification debates and deep examples win rounds. I know you all work hard so I will too. Any argument preference or style is fine with me: good debate is good debate. Email: kevindkuswa at gmail dot com.
Updated 2017. Currently coaching for Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Been judging a lot on the China topic, enjoying it. Could emphasize just about everything in the comments below, but wanted to especially highlight my thirst for good evidence qualification debates...
_____________________________ (previous paradigm)
Summary: Quality over quantity, be specific, use examples, debate about evidence.
I think debate is an incredibly special and valuable activity despite being deeply flawed and even dangerous in some ways. If you are interested in more conversations about debate or a certain decision (you could also use this to add me to an email chain for the round if there is one), contact me at kevindkuswa at gmail dot com. It is a privilege to be judging you—I know it takes a lot of time, effort, and commitment to participate in debate. At a minimum you are here and devoting your weekend to the activity—you add in travel time, research, practice and all the other aspects of preparation and you really are expressing some dedication.
So, the first issue is filling out your preference sheets. I’m usually more preferred by the kritikal or non-traditional crowd, but I would encourage other teams to think about giving me a try. I work hard to be as fair as possible in every debate, I strive to vote on well-explained arguments as articulated in the round, and my ballots have been quite balanced in close rounds on indicative ideological issues. I’m not affiliated with a particular debate team right now and may be able to judge at the NDT, so give me a try early on and then go from there.
The second issue is at the tournament—you have me as a judge and are looking for some suggestions that might help in the round. In addition to a list of things I’m about to give you, it’s good that you are taking the time to read this statement. We are about to spend over an hour talking to and with each other—you might as well try to get some insight from a document that has been written for this purpose.
1. Have some energy, care about the debate. This goes without saying for most, but enthusiasm is contagious and we’ve all put in some work to get to the debate. Most of you will probably speak as fast as you possibly can and spend a majority of your time reading things from a computer screen (which is fine—that can be done efficiently and even beautifully), but it is also possible to make equally or more compelling arguments in other ways in a five or ten minute speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVq5mugw_Y).
2. Examples win debates. Well-developed examples are necessary to make the abstract concrete, they show an understanding of the issues in the round, and they tend to control our understandings of how particular changes will play out. Good examples take many forms and might include all sorts of elements (paraphrasing, citing, narrating, quantifying, conditioning, countering, embedding, extending, etc.), but the best examples are easily applicable, supported by references and other experiences, and used to frame specific portions of the debate. I’m not sure this will be very helpful because it’s so broad, but at the very least you should be able to answer the question, “What are your examples?” For example, refer to Carville’s commencement speech to Tulane graduates in 2008…he offers the example of Abe Lincoln to make the point that “failure is the oxygen of success” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMiSKPpyvMk.
3. Argument comparison wins debate. Get in there and compare evidence—debate the non-highlighted portion of cards (or the cryptic nature of their highlighting). Debate the warrants and compare them in terms of application, rationale, depth, etc. The trinity of impact, plausibility, and verge analysis doesn’t hurt, especially if those variables are weighed against one another. It’s nice to hear good explanations that follow phrases like “Even if…,” “On balance…,” or “In the context of…” I know that evidence comparison is being done at an extremely high level, but I also fear that one of the effects of paperless debate might be a tilt toward competing speech documents that feature less direct evidence comparison. Prove me wrong.
4. Debates about the relative validity of sources win rounds. Where is the evidence on both sides coming from and why are those sources better or worse? Qualification debates can make a big difference, especially because these arguments are surprisingly rare. It’s also shocking that more evidence is not used to indict other sources and effectively remove an entire card (or even argument) from consideration. The more good qualification arguments you can make, the better. Until this kind of argument is more common, I am thirsty enough for source comparisons (in many ways, this is what debate is about—evidence comparison), that I’ll add a few decimal points when it happens. I do not know exactly where my points are relative to other judges, but I would say I am along a spectrum where 27.4 is pretty good but not far from average, 27.7 is good and really contributing to the debate, 28 is very good and above average, 28.5 is outstanding and belongs in elims, and 29.1 or above is excellent for that division—could contend for one of the best speeches at the tournament.
5. All debates can still be won in 2AR. For all the speakers, that’s a corollary of the “Be gritty” mantra. Persevere, take risks and defend your choices
(https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit). The ballot is not based on record at previous tournaments, gpa, school ranking, or number of coaches.
6. Do not be afraid to go for a little more than usual in the 2NR—it might even help you avoid being repetitive. It is certainly possible to be too greedy, leaving a bloated strategy that can’t stand up to a good 2AR, but I usually think this speech leaves too much on the table.
7. Beginning in the 1AR, brand new arguments should only be in reference to new arguments in the previous speech. Admittedly this is a fuzzy line and it is up to the teams to point out brand new arguments as well as the implications. The reason I’ve decided to include a point on this is because in some cases a 2AR has been so new that I have had to serve as the filter. That is rare and involves more than just a new example or a new paraphrasing (and more than a new response to a new argument in the 2NR).
8. Very good arguments can be made without evidence being introduced in card form, but I do like good cards that are as specific and warranted as possible. Use the evidence you do introduce and do as much direct quoting of key words and phrases to enhance your evidence comparison and the validity of your argument overall.
9. CX matters. This probably deserves its own philosophy, but it is worth repeating that CX is a very important time for exposing flaws in arguments, for setting yourself up for the rebuttals, for going over strengths and weaknesses in arguments, and for generating direct clash. I do not have numbers for this or a clear definition of what it means to “win CX,” but I get the sense that the team that “wins” the four questioning periods often wins the debate.
10. I lean toward “reciprocity” arguments over “punish them because…” arguments. This is a very loose observation and there are many exceptions, but my sympathies connect more to arguments about how certain theoretical moves made by your opponent open up more avenues for you (remember to spell out what those avenues look like and how they benefit you). If there are places to make arguments about how you have been disadvantaged or harmed by your opponent’s positions (and there certainly are), those discussions are most compelling when contextualized, linked to larger issues in the debate, and fully justified.
Overall, enjoy yourself—remember to learn things when you can and that competition is usually better as a means than as an ends.
And, finally, the third big issue is post-round. Usually I will not call for many cards—it will help your cause to point out which cards are most significant in the rebuttals (and explain why). I will try to provide a few suggestions for future rounds if there is enough time. Feel free to ask questions as well. In terms of a long-term request, I have two favors to ask. First, give back to the activity when you can. Judging high school debates and helping local programs is the way the community sustains itself and grows—every little bit helps. Whether you realize it or not, you are a very qualified judge for all the debate events at high school tournaments. Second, consider going into teaching. If you enjoy debate at all, then bringing some of the skills of advocacy, the passion of thinking hard about issues, or the ability to apply strategy to argumentation, might make teaching a great calling for you and for your future students (https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_emdin_teach_teachers_how_to_create_magic note: debaters are definitely part of academia, but represent a group than can engage in Emdin’s terms). There are lots of good paths to pursue, but teaching is one where debaters excel and often find fulfilling. Best of luck along the ways.
2013-2017: Competed at Peninsula HS (CA)
I earned 21 bids to the TOC and was a finalist at the NDCA.
Yes I want to be on the email chain, add me: jlebarillec@gmail.com
I am willing to judge, listen to, and vote for anything. Just explain it well. I am not a fan of strategies which are heavily reliant on blippy arguments and frequently find myself holding the bar for answers to poor uneveloped arguments extremely low.
Speed should not be an issue, but be clear.
Clash debates:
Aff — Strategies that impact turn the Negative’s offense in combination with solid defense and/or a counter-interp (good)
Neg — Fairness, debate is a game (good)
skills (less good)
Topicality + Theory: More debating should be done over what debates look like under your model of the topic, less blippy debating at the standards level. Caselists are good and underutilized. I think some Condo is good. I think the Aff should be less scared to extend theory arguments against counterplans that are the most cheaty.
Kritiks: I find the link debate to be the most important here. Most times I vote aff it’s because I don’t know why the plan/Aff is inconsistent with your criticism. Strategies that are dependent on multiple non sequitur link arguments are unlikely to work in front of me.
I think that evidence comparison is extremely important and tends to heavily reward teams who do it more/earlier in the debate.
I debated at Lawrence High School for 4 years and debated in college at the University of Kansas. I have been an assistant debate coach for Shawnee Mission South High School for 4 years.
** Please add me to the email chain rose.haylee2000@gmail.com
Emma Schroeder
Washburn Rural High School ’20
KU ’24 (not debating)
Put me on the email chain - ekathschroeder@gmail.com
TLDR - I am most comfortable in a policy-orientated debate. If you want to go for anything different, be ready to over-explain. Be nice, be smart, be clear and we should have a good time
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Top Level
Don't expect me to have a lot of insight on very technical, topic-specific arguments if you don't provide context and explanation for me. I haven't researched a debate topic since high school. If I look confused you need to warrant things out more. Please don't make me google
Please. Do. Judge Instruction. If your rebuttal doesn't make some sort of claim like "if we win x argument we win the debate" then you have not done your rebuttal correctly
Tech v truth - Evidence quality and credibility is very important, and I will reward you for good research and for being ahead on the flow. But! Every argument needs a claim, warrant, and impact. Your “card” doesn’t count as tech if it’s unintelligibly highlighted. I think people need to stop assuming that terrible arguments necessitate a response. I have a lot of respect for 2ACs that *correctly* identify a nonsense arg, make a handful of smart analytics, and move on
Speed - Stop screaming into your laptops. Dear god. I flow on paper. I promise you I can flow, but if you don't explain your argument out long enough for me to physically move my pen then it probably isn't a real argument anyway. Topicality, framework, and other theory blocks need to be slowed down. I often have very physical signs of agreement or confusion with arguments. If you cannot slow down enough to look for these signs while speaking then why are you in a communication activity? My flow is the only one that matters when I write the ballot. Stop sacrificing line by line for reading blocks. It's bad debate practice and hella boring to judge
Bigotry in any way will not be tolerated. If it becomes an issue in round, it will result in a loss
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Things I like - 8 min of case in the 2NC, no laptops in the 2NR/2AR, impact calc, ballot framing, baller cross-ex strategies, unabashedly slow yet efficient debaters, persuasion, rehighlighted evidence, debaters who are funny/having a good time
Things I don’t like - general rudeness, 10 off in the 1NC (why do u need to do dis), stealing prep, clipping, death good, bad highlighting (see above rant), saying “X was conceded!!!” when it really wasn’t
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Case - **heart eyes emoji** The more case debate you do, the happier I become. Two good case cards > your extra shitty DA. I have never had the opportunity to vote on presumption but would absolutely love to. If you give me this opportunity I will gladly reward you, either with the ballot or with good speaks.
Counterplans - Will vote for conditions/consult/process/PICs but probably won’t be thrilled about it. Conditionality is probably good, but I get annoyed judging 9 off debates that suck when it could have been a 5 off debate that was good. I usually see judge kick as an extension of condo unless otherwise contested. I would like a solvency advocate unless you’re getting incredibly creative. Will be responsive to theory if every solvency deficit is being fiated through. Delay = cheating.
Topicality - probably my favorite argument although it’s hard to do correctly. Debaters should think of T debates like they’re debating a DA. 1 standard = 1 DA. Pick one for the 2NR, otherwise there's too many moving parts and your impact won't be explained. It is rare to see a terminal impact explained to T, you should have one. It's try or die for *your impact* baby. Arguments should be framed in the context of what the current topic looks like and how it would change. In general: Precision > Limits > Ground > Topic Education. Also, if you put a 15 second ASPEC blip at the bottom of your T shell, there’s a 100% chance I will ignore it. Put it on a separate sheet.
Kritiks - If it tells you anything, when I was a senior I did not read a K in the 1NC a single time. But if you want to, go for it and be prepared to explain! There are so many moments when I judge K debates where I think to myself "I have 0 idea what this means" and its not that I don't understand what you're saying, it's that your speech does not go beyond the use of buzzwords. Using a big word is not and will never be a sufficient warrant. The FW and links 2NRs are most successful because alts are always bad imo. Unless you are very good I will probably weigh the aff. Saying fiat is illusory doesn’t mean anything to me. Long overviews are a sign that you’re not putting in enough effort to engage with the line-by-line.
Framework - I am a bad person to read a planless aff in front of. But if you must, I believe affs need to have some form of topic link. Fairness is the most persuasive impact to me. I don’t think going to the actual case page in the 2NR is always necessary, but the arguments need to be contextualized to the 1AC. Neg teams are generally good at talking about their impacts but need to do more work on the internal link level.
rockwell.debate@gmail.com // Rocky, Rock, Rockwell, etc.// he/him // New Trier High School
- Studying Jazz Piano and Political Science at Johns Hopkins—if you have any questions about any of that, I love talking about myself.
- Please time your speeches because I won't, yes tag team cx, yes prep during cx, whatever u wanna do with that time.
- Despite considering myself pretty chill, I'm pretty punctual about time, so like, be on time
- Unpopular opinion: I'm sort of receptive to some level of post-rounding (if you're mean I'm going to be annoyed with you). I'm always down to improve as a judge, and the only way I can is if I receive feedback, but keep in mind the decision is final.
____________________
Read this if your round starts in 30 minutes:
• tech > truth, dropped = true, left is law, etc.
• assume I know nothing about the topic (especially on T <3)
• soft left, planless, and big stick affs are all good in front of me.
• i'm better at resolving a K debate than other stuff because that's where a lot of my debate experience lies, but for what its worth, as a 1a, i read exclusively policy strats
- that's not indicative of a bias towards Ks—in K v Policy rounds, I'd consider myself very impartial compared to other judges.
- I would much rather watch a good T debate than a bad K debate
• 2ac should send analytics
• i only judgekick if someone says so
• fairness is probably an internal link
• 0 risk exists
• condo is the only reason to reject the team
• extra thoughts on kritik/framework below
Notes for Kritiks:
Top level:
• In terms of familiarity, I'm most well-read on Marxism, Bio/Necropolitics, Cybernetics, and Anthropocentrism, but I understand most authors/arguments enough to adjudicate a debate at the high school level
• If by the end of the round I don't understand what your K is talking about, that's your fault for not explaining it well enough, not mine for not reading enough Lacanian post-colonial gender abolitionist authors
• If you don't want to line-by-line at all, don't be mad if I miss something or am not clear where exactly an argument belongs. My expectation isn't for the 1off Baudrillard team to stand up and be like "AT: 2AC 13", just like, roughly follow the 2AC order and signpost at the least.
Framework:
*Note: Generally, these are my opinions which demonstrate how I think about framework—you can win otherwise (see "tech > truth")
• At the end of the day, we can all admit that it's probably most fair to let the aff weigh the 1ac (or the inverse for T - USFG vs. planless affs). The framework debate should be about what fairness means and how it impacts us.
• Debate is an educational activity that uses a competitive game as an incentive structure to encourage better research, and has some limited capacity to shape/create subjectivities. I'm frustrated that many of us take "debate doesn't shape subjectivity" as a given.
- I don't think individual rounds are persuasive or can incite action (i.e. a revolution will not spill out of debate), but debate, which defines a particular approach to politics, has the possibility to influence the way we understand information and decision-making, and there may be different models of the activity which might produce more desirable thinkers. In short, "debate doesn't shape subjectivity" argument can be swapped with "school doesn't shape subjectivity" to realize how silly and reductive the argument is.
• I love philosophical/positional competition a lot, and it shapes the way I think about politics in the real world (what's that?), but I do recognize how it could be competitively unfair/problematic, so I could go both ways on it.
• I think fiating an alternative is awesome, but one should have its justification rooted in framework and not some abigious claim of "reciprocity to the affs model".
Other:
• Overdependenceon jargon is annoying (I recognize sometimes it's necessary, but this is a highschool activity): "ontology" is a good example. Google defines it as "n. the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being", so it always begs the question: ontologyof what? Ontology of the state, the ontology of the oppressed, the ontology of settlers, etc. The point being: clarify things like these and don't rely on buzzwords to make the argument
Lansing High School '21
University of Kansas '25 (not debating)
Please add me to the email chain: maddie.souser@gmail.com
Pronouns: she/her
top level
Do your thing. I'll try to resolve the debate with as little intervention as possible. I'd rather you read something you enjoy reading, I'll do my best to adapt to what arguments you read.
I’ve done limited research on this topic and have only judged a few rounds this season.
If anything on my paradigm isn't clear or your have questions - feel free to ask me before round or shoot me an email
Planless affs:
I'm best at adjudicating and giving constructive feedback in debates with policy affs because that's where most of my experience as a debater was, but I enjoy watching and evaluating planless affs.
Make sure you're explaining the literature/process that your aff takes
Being in the direction of the topic is important
Framework - 2nc/2nr's should interact with the aff at some level, ie. don't just read generic uncontextualized t-usfg blocks. Give a detailed explanation as to why the specific model/aff is worse for debate. Most debates that don't contextualize framework arguments to the aff end up sounding like "K affs are bad for debate", which is a strat you can go for but it's much easier to win with specific offense and more difficult to convince me that any and all planless affs are bad for debate.
Fairness and education can both be impacts (unless argued otherwise), but I personally think fairness is argued best as an i/l to education
Topicality:
I default to competing interpretations
TVA's are good to help explain impacts and help contextualize what offense you lose under the aff's model
Slow down a little bit on analytics
Disads
Da/cp debates are usually pretty fun and probably my favorite to watch
Specific links>topic links
Not much to say here
Counterplans:
Default condo is good, but can be convinced otherwise
Process cp's are fine, but I eer aff on theory
I default to judge kick
Condo is the only theory argument that is a reason to reject the team
2a's - please utilize going for theory more, negative teams can be pretty abusive when it comes to fiat - even if you don't end up going for it, having it in your arsenal is good practice and might save you from losing to a random process cp one day
Kritics:
Assume I don't know your lit, make sure you are explaining your ev and contextualizing it to the topic/aff
Not the best judge for kvk debates, very limited experience here
Line by line>long overviews
Other:
Judge instruction is important - your 2nr/2ar should outline what you want the decision on my ballot to look like
Be kind to everyone in the round! Debate is a fun and educational outlet for people - don't make me intervene because you've made someone else feel uncomfortable/unsafe in the debate space.
Justin Stanley - Johnson County Community College
I debated at Missouri State and have been coaching for about 10 years. I would like you to debate using the arguments that you feel will win you the debate without putting too much stock in my own personal preferences. I try to eliminate those preferences when judging and evaluate each argument outside of any feelings I have towards particular arguments. With that being said,
I am a better counterplan/disad/Case judge than kritik judge because I have more experience debating, coaching, and researching these positions. I certainly understand kritik literature more than I used to, but I am still probably not as well read on these issues as other judges.
I have a strong preference that the affirmative have a topical plan and defend its passage. However, I can be persuaded otherwise. This is an issue in which I try to eliminate my preferences and judge the debate based on what I see in the round. I often find that your defense of why you have chosen to be anti-topical is not as persuasive to me as it is to you. I haven't ever thought that topicality was genocidal. If there is a topical version of your affirmative that solves all of your "impact" turns then you are likely in a bad position. If there is not a topical version of your affirmative then that is likely more of a reason to vote against you then to vote for you.
I don't think conditionality is always the best approach for debate. This is especially true in rounds in which multiple conditional options are used to try and "Spread out" the IIAC and not necessarily to test the merits of the affirmative. I have not voted on conditionality bad very often, but I often find that has more to do with the debates then my own personal preferences.
I think PICs are often very good strategies, but I am not the best judge for obscure word PICs that claim a minute net-beneft.
A few other things...
1) Clarity - go as fast as you would like, but don't underestimate the importance of clarity in my decision. If I can't understand your argument then I am highly unlikely to vote for it.
2) Strong cross-examination will earn you additional speaker points. Being humorous and kind will also help you with speaker points. If you are a team that ranks based on speaker points then I am probably average to slightly below average in the speaker points that I give. I rarely give a 29+. Most debaters will fall in the 27 - 28.7 range for me.
3) Paperless debate is a great thing and I am relatively patient with tech problems. However, at some point my patience runs out and I get frustrated. Please do your best to eliminate delays between speeches.
4) One person should not ask and answer all of the cross-examination questions.
5) If you want me to call for a card then you should extend author, claim and warrant for the piece of evidence. Listing 20 authors in a row with no real explanation will likely result in not calling for any cards.
6) If I catch you clipping cards then you will automatically lose with zero peaker points. This is true even if the other team did not make a complaint about it.
I have been involved with debate since 1981. Mostly, I don't want to do the work for either team. I will try very hard to avoid intervention unless you are just really rude and unprofessional. I tend to vote for the team that best narrates my ballot. I tend to look for the easy way to decide (think dropped args. etc.).
I would tell you to do what you do best rather than try to adapt to what you THINK I want to hear. I have voted on K's and generics and will do so when won. I rarely vote on T but will vote on a dropped T arg since that is easy. Just make your T position reasonable. T USFG is different when run well against K affs.
Please spend some time on the role of the ballot/framework. I tend to let those positions guide me in close rounds.
Prompting should be extremely limited and I won't flow if your partner is feeding you more than a word or two. I have had rounds where prompting was almost an entire rebuttal and you won't win the round if that is happening.
I should not have to read the unhighlighted portions of your evidence to figure out what your are arguing. If you have to cut that much out to get everything in, you are likely trying to do more in the round than I can follow anyway.
If you tend to just number your argument instead of calling them what you want me to flow, how do you expect me to understand what you are talking about? You should care a great deal about how easy it is for me to flow your arguments by the way you structure your documents and the clarity of your tags.
I want a marked copy (what you actually read).
Speed is not usually an issue if you are clear and your speech doc is good. Questions? Just ask.
Email: lswanonhs@gmail.com
I debated for four years in High School at Olathe North and am currently assistant coaching there. I have not judged a whole lot of rounds and that is due to the college classes I am also taking at Johnson County Community College and the University of Kansas.
Please share what you plan on reading
email for email chains: swansonator01 @ gmail dot com
Speak clearly especially if you plan on going fast. If you are not clear in your spread...don't spread. I care more about the quality of your arguments rather than the quantity and I also care about how they fit into the flow of the debate.
I am fine with Ks and K affs and I especially care about HOW we achieve the alt if you run a K. ex. Revolution. Also, condo is good.
I will try my best not to intervene save for if you are rude and toxic in the round. Tell me how to vote and why. Run what you want to run and not what you think I want you to run.
If you run T, make sure it is reasonable and I will most likely not vote on it unless it is dropped.
Impact calculus is very important but don't forget the links. For example, how should I weigh solvency deficits and links ? In my mind, the lower the risk of the link, the lower the risk of the impact.
Offense-defense: this is the second most important issue. Realize that winning a bunch of defensive arguments will most likely make it hard to win if your opponent has an offense against you.
Nexus question: what is the most important thing to evaluate a debate. You don't have to clearly flag this in the 1 AR for me, but I should at least see the inkling of the doors to analysis you are going to blow up in the 2 AR.
1 ARs and 2 NRs if you could clean things up for me, it would be so much appreciated. Labeling groups of arguments helps me know what you are extending or responding to.
Prep time starts when cross x ends. Please don't try to steal prep time.
If the aff is going for theory against the neg like process counter plans bad, they should know I have a high threshold for rejecting the team and not the argument. I think the 2AR has to provide examples of arguments they would not have been able to run or examples of in-round abuse. This is not impossible. It just requires some thought on your part going into the 2 nc and 2 nr as to what kind of topic-specific education you think is lost or round advantages the neg procures. Against topicality try to use offensive reasons to prefer your counter-interpretation. I may have trouble voting on reasonability unless you can articulate what the vagueness of the resolution is this year and what might be considered reasonbly topical or untopical.
arontrujillo@gmail.com