Marist Scrimmage Series 2
2020 — Online, GA/US
Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideExperience:
I'm a varsity debater at Marist School. I did policy my first year, so speed isn't an issue. I currently do public forum on the national circuit.
Technicality:
Don't bring up new arguments in final focus. Remember to signpost. I won't count the argument if it was brought up after summary, which includes grand cross. Cross x isn't that important to me, so if an important point is brought up, tell me in your speech. Don't forget to weigh because it makes my decision easier. Make sure to clash in your debate and do analytics. Don't just read a prewritten rebuttal, summary, or final focus. Remember, extending arguments doesn't mean just saying "extend this card". You need to explain how extending it helps your case.
PF: I've probably debated on the topic multiple times, so please don't read me definitions unless they are a "unique" interpretation of the word.
Speaks:
high speaks: clarity, analytics, signposting
low speaks: spreading excessively, rude comments-- I will dock points for any offensive remarks against race, gender, nationality, etc. Cross isn't important to my ballot, but I will dock points if you don't let the other team ask questions.
Pranay Ippagunta
Northview AI, IS
presumptionflipsneg@gmail.com
Thoughts
addendum before TOC: I am extremely bad for teams that rely on mainly ethos and are averse to LBL
Top
1—Tech over truth to its logical extent. Debate is not about solely the truth level of your arguments but
your ability to substantially defeat the other team’s claims with your technical ability.
2—I valued agnostic judging when I was a debater so I will do my best to replicate that when I judge you.
My favorite judges when I debated in high school: Kevin Hirn, Kevin Sun, and Gio.
3—When debating ask the question of Why? Technical debating is not just realizing WHAT was dropped
but WHY what was dropped matters and how important it is in the context of the rest of the debate. “If
you start thinking in these terms and can explain each level of this analysis to me, then you will get
closer to winning the round. In general, the more often this happens and the earlier this happens it will
be easier for me to understand where you are going with certain arguments. This type of analysis
definitely warrants higher speaker points from me and it helps you as a debater eliminate my
predispositions from the debate."- Matt Cekanor
4—Biggest influences: Matt Cekanor, Arnav Kashyap, Kevin Hirn, Giorgio Rabbini, Rafael Pierry, Josh
Harrington, David McDermott, Conner Shih.
Deciding Rounds
"I will follow something resembling the following structure to make my decision:
A List the- arguments extended into the 2NR and the 2AR
B) Ask myself what, as per the 2NR and 2AR, winning these arguments will get for either the affirmative
or the negative. The answer to this question will sometimes be “absolutely nothing” at which point I will
strike these arguments off my flow.
C) Trace whether these points of disagreement were present previously in the debate. This will only
include substantive argumentation but will not include framing devices introduced in the 2NR and the
2AR."
D) Compare the negative and affirmative’s central issues by asking myself if losing a certain argument
for a certain team will still allow for that team to win the debate.” – Vikas Burugu
Framework
Update: I'm getting increasingly good for fairness. Lowers the burden on the negative team to win case
defense. I hold the line from the 1AR to the 2AR. When 2NCs extend fairness, 1AR drops most tricks like
fairness paradox, ballot PIC, subpoints on debate doesn't impact subjectivites. Very good for holding the
line.
Old:
1. No preference on what impact you go for. Some impacts require more case debating than others. For
example, if going for fairness, you need to spend more time winning the ballot portion of your offense
and defense against the other team’s theory of how debate operates. If going for clash, you need to
spend more time winning how your model over a year’s worth of debates can solve their offense and
spend more time with defense to the affirmative.
2. I have spent a large part of my high school career thinking about arguments for the negative and the
affirmative in these debates. To put it into perspective, almost 90% of my debates over a given season
are framework debates, on the neg and the aff. For a large amount of framework debates, the better-
practiced team always wins.
3. Use defense to your advantage. Nebulous claims of inserting the affirmative can be read on the
negative with no specific internal link or impact debating will largely not factor in my decision. However,
there are fantastic ways to use defense like switch side debate and the TVA. "Most 2NRs assert TVA and
SSD with no connection to the rest of the arguments. The 2NC and 2NR should spend time applying their
impact filters to specific parts of aff offense. This can be made most effective by explaining your switch
side argument on the impact turn you believe it resolves the best."- Arnav Kashyap
4. Very specific TVA’s can work against very specific types of framework arguments. If the affirmative
has forwarded a critique of debating the topic then TVA’s can mitigate the affirmative’s DAs. However, if
the affirmative team has forwarded an impact turn to the imposition of framework in the round, they
are less useful.
5.
A)Finding a middle ground
While this approach will be significantly harder to assemble / formulate, it gives affirmative teams the
ability to impact turn both the content of debate’s that would occur under the negative’s interpretation
AND the reading of framework with significantly less drawbacks than the impact turn approach. It will,
however, require affirmative’s to wade through the traditional components of a topicality debate and
will be subject to good negative teams closely scrutinizing affirmative counterinterpretations. An
important question that not enough negative teams ask is how the aff’s counter-interpretation solves
their impact turns. “Aff odds of winning are substantially higher if you persuade me that the negative
can debate the aff over the course of a season with a relatively even win-percentage. Advance impact-
turns boldly, but do not forget defense” – Rafael Pierry.
B) Impact turning topicality
"This argument is only particularly persuasive if you win an argument aside from competing
interpretations for how a debate should be evaluated. Unless your argument is debate bad, I will
struggle to find a way to vote for no topic at all against a competent negative team. However, if you do
win an argument that reduces the question of my ballot to an individual debate, the impact-turn only
approach becomes much more viable. Aff offense here should focus on why the 1NC’s reading of
framework is violent."- Arnav Kashyap.
6. Often times when starting out, 2AR's go for too much in the 2AR. If you are impact turning T, go for
one DA's and do sufficient impact comparison. Your 2AR should answer the questions of how T is particularly violent or links to your theory of power and most importantly HOW MY BALLOT CAN
RESOLVE THOSE THINGS. Your impact only matters as much as its scope of solvency. You must also do
risk comparison. Most neg framework teams are better at this. The way the aff loses these debates is
when there's a DA with substantive impact turn and there's a negative impact that is explained less but
is paired with substantively more internal link work and solvency comparison.
If going for a CI, focus on one impact turn and focus on how the CI solves it and how the DA links to their
interp. Think of it like CP, your CI should include some aspects of their interpretation but avoids the risk
of your DAs.
Misc: live list
1--- Saying you're "X" identity position really loud does not constitute an argument.\
2---What is up with people saying impact turns to topicality means people will weaponize "title 9"
violations against framework tf.
K v Policy AFF
Ks do not disprove the desirability of plan action, those are DAs
I am finding this trend of the middle ground framework interpretation increasingly difficult to
comprehend. If the aff gets the plan, it is an auto aff win, if the neg wins framework, it’s usually a
negative win. Ks that go for links to the plan even with case turns are unstrategic because usually there’s
an uncontested affirmative. After reading this if you are like okay, we’ll read impact defense to, then
why are you even going for the K at that point, read a DA.
As you can tell, I will start my decision in these rounds on framework.
2ARs that don’t pick between clash and fairness and go for both usually fail
K v K Debates
1. Technical Debating is often lost in these debates but this necessarily happens due to the nature of K v
K debates as theory of power debating is often the most important part. That being said, vague link
debating will mitigate you winning your theory of power. 2. You need to pick something and defend it.
The neg team will ask about the affirmative in 1AC CX, that explanation should stay consistent
throughout the round. Lack of a consistent explanation will lower my threshold for buying a risk of a link
and higher the burden for you to win the permutation.
3. Use links to implicate solvency. Often times its hard to make a K aff stick to in round or out of round
solvency. Use links in the 2NC and 2NR to mitigate parts of both so even if the 2AR consolidates to one,
you still have defensive arguments.
4. "This might sound terrible for the neg, but if the neg does not refute aff shifts with specific link
explanation, I’m likely quite a good judge for the aff. Kritikal affirmatives have easy angles to exploit vs
substantive negative strategies. Neg teams are often awful at contesting the aff, so applying your theory
and solvency explanation to different pages effectively should be an easy route to victory."- Arnav. K affs
have built in theory of power and solvency that's inherently offensive. I'll be grumpy if you jettison the
aff but will not if you provide extrapolated offensive explanations in the 2AR using your affirmative and
pieces of offense that they dropped. 2AR's that do this will be rewarded with higher speaks.
Zaria Jarman — Woodward Academy ’23 and current debater at Michigan State ’27
Yes, please add me to the email chain: zariajarman@gmail.com
General Comments
- Please be nice and respect your opponents.
-
Clarity >>>> Speed. If I don’t understand what you’re saying I can not flow it. If your opponents don't understand what is happening I probably don't either. I flow on paper if that makes a difference to you.
- I will not evaluate out of round issues.
- *Online debate* — If you feel comfortable, turn on your camera. (If you do not have a camera don’t worry about it)
- please I have little econ topic knowledge, please do your best to explain to me things like specific taxes and why that matters.
- My biggest influences in debate are Maggie Berthiaume , Bill Batterman , Sam Wombough feel free to look at their paradigms.
CX
I prefer that you lead/answer your own cross-ex questions, know that tag-teaming is alright but doing it a lot will affect your speaker points.
Topicality
Generally I love a good T debate.
The evidence you read should match the definition you have in the Tag.
Topicality is not a reverse voting issue.
Please don’t forget about the impact…
K-Affs and Kritiks
I am not an expert in Kritik literature, so chances are I have not read your main author or your main authors author. I am more convinced if Kritiks are debated as DAs to the affirmative, but as long as you explain your Kritik and impact it, you will be fine.
I am certainly willing to vote on a K-Aff. I was/am a more policy debater. I prefer K-Affs that are critiques of the resolution rather than "debate is bad". I am more convinced if the impact turn to fairness is coherent.
Counterplans
While I love a 12 plank advantage CP, I think that affirmatives should not be affaird to go for theory when the negative is reading an abusive counterplan. However if the advantages to the aff are not intrinsic the negative should capitalize off of this.
DAs
I love a really good CP/DA Debate. I will vote on absolute defense — sit down on the DA in the 2NR and tell me why the squo is better.
Theory
Affirmative theory is a lot more convincing than Negative theory.
I feel comfy voting for condo if there’s more than 2 conditional off.
For non condo theory arguments I will need slightly more explanation of why its a voting issue.
Biases
- Racism/Homophobia/Sexism… Any form of discrimination is bad. If you say any of these are good it will be an auto L and auto zero speaks
- War is probably bad
- Death/suffering is bad
Random stuff
I am a 1A/2N
I really enjoy debate as an activity so I want everyone to have as much fun as I do
Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Please have fun!!! Don’t waste your weekends :(
He/Him
Northview High school
1N/2A
I personally don't have a preference when it comes to deciding what to read. I will be impartial to whatever argument you see best. As long as you are able to debate whatever argument you choose well, then I'm all ears. I of course must stress that if you run any unethical or disrespectful arguments, even if you debate it well, it won't be an argument I will vote on.
I am mainly a politics debater. That means DAs and CPs are usually the arguments I tend to go for, therefore they are usually the arguments I can pick up and understand the best. That said, I still love k debates and I have gone for the policy-oriented Ks like the abolition or security K in the past. I can pick up on Ks that are a bit more policy-oriented, but more abstract arguments with more second-hand literature may take me a second to pick up on. I still will vote on it with the same fairness as any argument. Keep in mind that I won't be extremely proficient with a k, so make sure to do your best to explain your argument well.
That being said I am pretty quick with policy arguments like DAs and CPs. If you can win that your DA/CP links, then most likely I will see it as a win. if you can't explain your link story well then most likely I won't be inclined to vote on your argument. I am more proficient with these arguments as this is what I usually would go for myself, so unlike the K, you don't have to be as explanatory with your arguments as I usually will pick up on it quick, whether for better or for worse.
T is a great argument but going for it is usually an interesting decision in my eyes. I wouldn't do it unless it was obvious I had to. But If they completely drop it in the debate then, of course, you definitely should. otherwise I personally wouldn't recommend going for it, but if you want to do it, I wont be impartial against it.
In terms of speaking, never go faster than you need to. I am not gonna rank speaks based on how fast you can go. I am completely going to judge it based on clarity. that being said if you need to go fast that's great, but make sure you don't lose clarity in the process.
Never be disrespectful in a round. This should go without saying but not only will it markdown speaker points, but I probably will not be inclined to have the decision be in your favor.
she/her
Woodward Academy '23
Georgetown University '27
Please put me on the email chain: 23cmitchell@woodward.edu
For camp debates: I have no topic knowledge, so please overexplain any jargon/complex topics
*Maggie Berthiaume and Bill Batterman have influenced a lot of my opinions and personal philosophies about debate, so feel free to look at their paradigms as well*
(https://www.tabroom.com/index/paradigm.mhtml?search_first=maggie&search_last=berthiaume)
(https://www.tabroom.com/index/paradigm.mhtml?search_first=bill&search_last=batterman)
General:
- Please be nice to opponents! Respect is important...
- Will not tolerate any racism/homophobia/sexism/etc.
- Send analytics!! It's better for you too
- Don't clip
- Clarity > speed (especially for online debate)
- Clash is key in a good debate
- Please have cameras on if possible
- Give road maps before speeches and effectively sign post
- Make sure to effectively kick off-case
- +.1 speaks for jokes in your speeches :), +.2 if you consistently open source (please let me know before RFD)
- for speaks: 28.5 is average, anywhere 29 and above is very good
- Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!
Case
Case debates are very important and often underutilized. If you are going for a counterplan or kritik, good case debating is essential to win any solvency. Same goes for aff - if you want to win a debate in front of me, good case debating is a must.
DAs
Please do not read any DA's (and any offcase for that matter) that is not winnable coming out of the 1NC. I expect a full shell (uniqueness, SPECIFIC link, and impact) and will not weigh the DA if the shell is not complete. Impact calc is essential for both sides when debating disadvantages - make sure to effectively compare case and DA impacts.
CPs
I will not weigh any CP without a solvency advocate in the 1NC. I love a good CP + DA debate though, especially if it is specific to the aff.
Ks
I have found myself gravitating towards kritiks on the NATO topic, but I am much better for topic related kritiks rather than Baudrillard/Deleuze/etc. If you run a k, please articulate the alternative well or make it clear that you are going for framework/reps based impacts.
Make sure you have specific links to the aff and these links are thoroughly explained! Best way to win a K in front of me is an effective link explanation.
T
Topicality is usually not my favorite position, going for it usually leads to low clash final rebuttals with just blocks. However, I feel like a lot of affs on the NATO topic are extremely untopical so good T interpretations are always welcome.
T vs. K Affs
I think fairness is an external impact and is very persuasive. Make sure you specify blocks with specifics to whatever is happening in the round.
Theory
Condo good (except with 5 or more condo offcase)
Neg does have fiat
PIKs are fine, unless warranted reasons otherwise
Neutral on PICs
Please feel free to ask any questions before or after round! I will happily answer.
I debated at Marist. I did two years of policy and two years of public forum.
General Stuff
Weigh and warrant arguments.
Tech > Truth
Add me to the email chain: aeovadje@gmail.com
Evidence
If you don't cut cards, strike me. I won't drop you if you paraphrase, but you must have cards available if called for and it will hurt your speaker points. If your evidence is terribly misconstrued, I won't evaluate it and will tank your speaks.
2nd Half
2nd rebuttal must frontline defense and turns
Summary and FF must extend all parts of an argument if you want me to vote off of it
Speed
I can't really handle speed anymore (I'm rusty sorry lol), but you can speak a bit fast.
Theory/Kritiks
I'll only vote for paraphrasing bad, disclosure good, or if your opponent does something atrocious.
I don't like judging K's tbh.
Other
Have fun! Debate is really competitive and intense at times, but you will make rounds better for you, your opponents, and judges if you actually seem to be enjoying yourself.
If you have any questions you can ask me in round or just email me.
Northview IS, MS
Assistant Coach - Northview High School
Assistant Coach - Suffolk University
Top
**If I look confused, I am confused, please make me not confused.
**Yes you can read the K in front of me HOWEVER reading the K in front of me on either side IS NOT a guaranteed ballot. Quite frankly I've grown frustrated with the K especially when it's poorly debated.
**Novices: "I’m a firm believer in flowing and I don’t see enough people doing it. Since I do think it makes you a better debater, I want to incentivize it.So if you do flow the round, feel free to show me your flows at the end of the debate, and I’ll award up to an extra .3 points for good flows.I reserve the right not to give any points (and if I get shown too many garbage flows maybe I’ll start taking away points for bad ones just so people don’t show me horrible flows, though I’m assuming that won’t happen much), but if you’ve got the round flowed and want to earn extra points, please do!By the way you can’t just show one good flow on, lets say, the argument you were going to take in the 2nc/2nr – I need to see the round mostly taken down to give extra points" - Ben Schultz
**LD folks scroll to the bottom for specific LD stuff
General
1—Please don't call me judge. Makes me feel hella old. Just call me Juliette.
2—Tech over truth to its logical extent. Debate is not about solely the truth level of your arguments but your ability to substantially defeat the other team’s claims with your technical ability.
3—When debating ask the question of Why? Technical debating is not just realizing WHAT was dropped but WHY what was dropped matters and how important it is in the context of the rest of the debate. “If you start thinking in these terms and can explain each level of this analysis to me, then you will get closer to winning the round. In general, the more often this happens and the earlier this happens it will be easier for me to understand where you are going with certain arguments. This type of analysis definitely warrants higher speaker points from me and it helps you as a debater eliminate my predispositions from the debate."- Matt Cekanor
4—For those curious, I mainly debated the K in high school (on both sides). I'm usually good with most Ks, even so, you still have the burden of explaining it to me well as I vote off the flow and won't do additional work for you even if I read the lit. (Excuse the rant but...) I think most POMO arguments in debate are stupid and for some reason every POMO debate I've judged the team has double turned themselves (lowk probably cuz most (if not all) POMO is ridiculous to read in this activity). Then again, debate it well and yes I will vote on whatever POMO stuff you throw my way.
K-Affs
Yes, I read a K aff. Yes, I will vote on them. No, I don't think a majority of these affs solve any of the impacts they claim to solve. I think a key thing that most of these affs lack is proper solvency. If you're going to convince me that you solve things, I need a good reason to either why your method is good (i.e. give me concrete examples of what your aff looks like) and/or tell me why an aff ballot in this debate solves. That being said, for the negative, I often find a good presumption push to be a solid strat.
Framework
1. No preference on what impact you go for (but come on, clash is not an impact... alas, if you debate it well I will vote on it). Some impacts require more case debating than others. For example, if going for fairness, you need to spend more time winning the ballot portion of your offense and defense against the other team’s theory of how debate operates. If going for clash, you need to spend more time winning how your model over a year’s worth of debates can solve their offense and spend more time with defense to the affirmative.
2. I have spent a large part of my high school career thinking about arguments for the negative and the affirmative in these debates. To put it into perspective, almost 90% of my debates over a given season are framework debates, on the neg and the aff. For a large amount of framework debates, the better-practiced team always wins.
3. Use defense to your advantage. Nebulous claims of inserting the affirmative can be read on the negative with no specific internal link or impact debating will largely not factor in my decision. However, there are fantastic ways to use defense like switch side debate and the TVA.
4. Very specific TVA’s can work against very specific types of framework arguments. If the affirmative has forwarded a critique of debating the topic then TVA’s can mitigate the affirmative’s DAs. However, if the affirmative team has forwarded an impact turn to the imposition of framework in the round, they are less useful.
5. Impact turning topicality - Do it. Do it well and you'll be rewarded.
6. Often times when starting out, 2AR's go for too much in the 2AR. If you are impact turning T, go for one DA's and do sufficient impact comparison. Your 2AR should answer the questions of how T is particularly violent or links to your theory of power and most importantly HOW MY BALLOT CAN RESOLVE THOSE THINGS. Your impact only matters as much as its scope of solvency. You must also do risk comparison. Most neg framework teams are better at this. The way the aff loses these debates is when there's a DA with substantive impact turn and there's a negative impact that is explained less but is paired with substantively more internal link work and solvency comparison.
If going for a CI, focus on one impact turn and focus on how the CI solves it and how the DA links to their interp. Think of it like CP, your CI should include some aspects of their interpretation but avoids the risk of your DAs.
K v Policy AFF
Two types of 2NRs. Ones that go for in round implications and ones that go for out of round implications.
A)In Round—In round route requires a larger push on framework and a higher level of technical debating on the level of the standards but is usually much easier if you’re a practiced K 2NR. 2NC will usually have like 10 arguments on framework, 1AR extends their standards and answers like 2 arguments. 2NR just goes for the DA and all conceded defense, GGs. In addition, the best K 2NRs going for the in round version will have a link to the “plan or the effects of the plan”. What this means in this sense is that they will tie affirmative implementation to a link that proves their ethic mobilizes bad subjects IN DEBATE.
B)Out of Round—Out of round requires like close to 0 time on framework. Most policy 2As now just grant the K links but just say affirmative vs the alternative. Thus, if you are going for the alternative with links to the plan, just spend time winning the link debate, explaining why the affirmative doesn’t happen in the way they think. Most times these Ks will have a substantial impact turn debate so winning that is essential.
K v K Debates
1. Technical Debating is often lost in these debates but this necessarily happens due to the nature of K v K debates as theory of power debating is often the most important part. That being said, vague link debating will mitigate you winning your theory of power.
2. You need to pick something and defend it. The neg team will ask about the affirmative in 1AC CX, that explanation should stay consistent throughout the round. Lack of a consistent explanation will lower my threshold for buying a risk of a link and higher the burden for you to win the permutation.
3. Use links to implicate solvency. Often times its hard to make a K aff stick to in round or out of round solvency. Use links in the 2NC and 2NR to mitigate parts of both so even if the 2AR consolidates to one, you still have defensive arguments.
4. K affs have built in theory of power and solvency that's inherently offensive. I'll be grumpy if you jettison the aff but will not if you provide extrapolated offensive explanations in the 2AR using your affirmative and pieces of offense that they dropped. 2AR's that do this will be rewarded with higher speaks.
Topicality (Policy v Policy)
1. Fine judge for these debates. T can lower your burden of prepping out some affirmatives that are inherently untopical and it's a good strat to have in your back pocket. However, for this topic the caselists and violations are pretty overlimiting.
2. Caselists are always useful for understanding these arguments.
3. Impact debating doesn't matter much in these debates but internal link debating does. Make sure to indict and compare interps and both sides. Predictability is the IL to all impacts.
4. The best 2AR's in these debates are ones that pick through negative evidence and identify no intent to define, arbitrariness, and combine that with reasonability
Counterplans
1. Probably err negative on theory concerns but if there's a technical crush I will certainly vote affirmative.
2. My predisposition toward counterplans is that they must be both textually and functionally competitive but always up to interpretation by the theory debate in round.
3. The best counterplans are PICs and other counterplans that are cut to beat specific affs. That being said, I do find some PICs to be extremely abusive so I will be sympathetic towards the aff on a PICs bad theory debate.
4. Presumption flips aff when you read a CP.
5. Affirmatives always freak out when they hit a CP they don't have blocks to but your advantages are there for a reason, its not hard to write specific deficits during the 1NC.
Theory
I dislike generic theory debates. I do not think anything but condo/extremely abusive PICs is a reason to reject the team but I can be persuaded otherwise if there is extreme in-round abuse or the other team straight-up drops it.
It will take a lot to convice me to vote aff on condo in a one/two conditional off debate. Three conditional off can start getting more legit in novice. Four and plus and sure I'll listen.
DA
1. Risk matters most when evaluating a DA. The affirmative arguments are made to give me skepticism in the internal links and the negatives job is to mitigate that by link work and turns case debating implicating affirmative solvency.
2. DA is not a full DA until a uniqueness, link, internal link, and impact arguments are presented. If not present in the block, the 1AR will get new answers. I also need a full scenario in the 2NR for me to vote on.
3. When the DA is the best utilized is the 1NR. Very hard for the 1AR when 1NR gets 5 minutes to read a slew of cards answering all 2AC claims.
Case
1. Yes you can win on a straight-up presumption ballot. This type of ballot is not popular anymore but it should be. Too many teams get away with reading an affirmative with no specific evidence or internal links. This was especially prevalent on the criminal justice reform topic but it is still a problem on the water topic too. Teams will highlight evidence terribly and act like the solve it even though it makes no sense, especially against the K. K teams should take advantage of this. Ex. aff that talks about financing technologies- solvency advocates will mention one type of technology but the advantage area will be about a different kind. Neg teams call this out and go for presumption.
2. Affirmative teams must answer all case arguments not merely by extending their impact again but by answering the warrants in the card. Most policy teams just say "doesn't assume our x" without refuting the warrants in the card.
Argument Preferences
1. Don't really care what you read in front of me. Though I've spent the vast majority of my high school career in the K realm, and probably because of that, I've thought about most policy answers to the K so either side can make sense to me. However, it is your job as debaters to ensure a technical win, and ensure my job is to solely evaluate the flow.
2. If you are going to read the K in front of me, please do it well. Because I've seen the K debated at some of the highest levels, it's annoying to see it butchered.
3. I'm fine for policy v policy throw-downs. These debates are often much easier to resolve as one team almost always clearly wins on the flow and are much easier to understand.
Speaker Points
I find myself giving speaks on the higher end. Ways to improve your speaks include:
Being funny, making smart arguments, having fun, being clear, not saying your opponent conceded/dropped something when they didn't, talking about penguins, make fun of anyone I know.
Cross-ex can be a great way to improve speaks, however, there's a thin line between being competetive and just being rude and I have no shame in docking speaks if you choose to be a jerk.
It irks me when debaters claim their opponents "dropped" something when I have it on my flow. I understand that sometimes mistakes happen and you don't flow an argument or something similar. However (comma) if it becomes a recurring problem in a speech I will dock speaks each time it happens.
Also, I will yell "clear" three times, if you choose not to slow down or be clear I will start docking speaks. If you are speaking faster than I can move my pen or type then don't complain when I didn't catch something on my flow. "I don’t care how fast or unclear you are on the body of cards b/c it is my belief that you will extend that body text in an intelligent manner later on. However, if you spread tags as if you are spreading the body of a card, I will not flow them. If you read analytics as if you are spreading the body of a card, I will not flow them. If I do not flow an argument, you’re not going to win on it." - Blake Deng
LD
I’m not an LD person, so keep things as simple and direct as possible.
I sorta know what a value criterion is.
You gotta do more weighing in phil debates.
Now on a technicality I’m probably best for the K, however, because policy speech times are longer, I tend to look for more warranted comparisons by the end of the debate. Also, I just have high standards for explanations.
I refuse to vote on something I don’t comfortably understand.
Important thing to remember is I was a policy debater NOT and LD debater. Lucky for you, my face says it all, if I look confused, I am confused, please just make me not confused. Also, NO TRICKS.
I am a four-year debater from Marist School in Atlanta. I did Policy debate for a year and a half and then did PF debate for 2 years and a half and did several speech events throughout.
Speed is fine, as long as you're clear. Please be nice to your opponents, I will take speaker points off if you're not. Please, please, please signpost and give off-time road maps! I am fine with theory and K debates, just make sure your opponents are ok with it too. I will time your prep time so do not steal. I do not flow cx but I do pay attention- especially to grand cx. I am not a fan of overviews- if you give one please tell me where to flow it and make it short.
Assistant Coach and Researcher for Banneker/Washington Urban Debate League (WUDL)
American University '27 (Public Health)
Woodward Academy '23
Email Chain: jayyoon35@gmail.com
Jay, not judge.
Topic knowledge: I am familiar with basic economic concepts, have done limited research and file production on the topic. Judged at GDS, and the Gonzaga and Michigan camp tournaments. Explain in-depth economic concepts as well as acronyms and nuances present within arguments intrinsic to the topic.
Individuals who have influenced parts of my paradigm:
Maggie Berthiaume
Bill Batterman
Sam Wombough
Zaria Jarman
Jack Hightower
David Trigaux
Liv Birnstad
Top Level
Good luck!
Be nice, have fun, don't clip, and learn something from the round.
Extinction first/extinction good is unethical and never prioritized.
Send analytics.
If I cannot flow an argument, it does not count as one.
If an argument does not have a warrant, it is not an argument.
Clash > Tricks
Truth = Tech
Accessibility
Have a way to share ev if one team is using paper.
Don't read args with graphic descriptions unless everyone in the round is fine with it.
Don't spread if speed is not accessible to your opponents.
Biases
As debate is a persuasive activity, confidence and intelligent arguments are important. While every judge has their own biases, which are subject to change over time, here are some of mine:
Death/suffering is bad
War is bad
Climate change is real and exacerbated daily
Discrimination and violence in any form is bad.
1NC
Hiding ASPEC is bad; therefore the aff is permitted to briefly address it and move on. not auto-neg even if dropped.
Case
I will consider voting on complete defense if there is minimal/no risk of aff solvency.
Case turns are good.
Don't forget about impact framing.
Disadvantages
If the DA is incomplete, it is not an argument. The 1AR gets new answers when the missing part/s are added.
The link is the most important part of the DA. I will not disregard the importance of the UQ and impact despite that.
Politics DAs are structurally flawed and rely upon a flawed model of politics. The aff can easily mitigate the risk by pointing out and emphasizing these flaws. Intrinsic DAs are better for neg ground and clash throughout the round so I might not be the best judge if your 2NRs are mostly politics.
Turns case is useful but it needs to be developed further in the overview/line-by-line.
Impact/Case Turns
I enjoy them, assuming they aren't offensive/morally objectionable. Winning an impact turn will require some defense to mitigate the risk of the case.
Counterplans
States: Don't leave D.C. out of texts or advocacy statements. Uniformity is unrealistic
Have a relevant solvency advocate in the 1NC; if the neg reads a specific solvency advocate in the block (as opposed to the 1NC), the aff gets new answers.
CPs should fiat a specific policy, not an outcome.
Process and Agent CPs: Arguments on the competition flow are likely more persuasive than theory but theory args can complement competition args if warranted out properly.
Critiques
Ks are particularly significant for this year's topic. The Ks I'm most familiar with include degrowth/growth bad (both as a K and DA/impact turn), settler colonialism, capitalism/neoliberalism, and security. Moving toward higher theory literature such as Psychoanalysis or Baudrillard is where I might start to get lost.
I will default to weighing the aff/perm against the alt. Neg teams can read links stemming from the aff's actions , defense of impacts, as well as the mechanism/ representations (without becoming a PIK). I think that PIKs out of the aff’s reps are only competitive if the neg proves that the aff’s reps are bad. If the aff wins their reps are good, I’m much more like to vote aff on a perm.
Explain the links and alt level and distinguish them from a vague and potentially utopian outcome.
K Affs
I have only been negative against critical affs.
Defend the entirety of your 1AC, including your authors and concepts forwarded.
There is a higher threshold for perms when the neg has specific links/the aff has a vaguer advocacy.
Fairness can be an impact depending on how it's argued. Even if not, it is a large internal link to other impacts.
Topicality
Not the best judge for T vs policy affs.
Plan text in a vacuum is a bad argument.
T is not a reverse voting issue.
Procedurals
Likely not a voting issue unless dropped and warranted.
Disclosure is good.
Plans should not be vague to the point where it is undebatable.
Hiding APSEC/theory is a good way to lose speaker points.
Theory
Condo: I'm comfortable voting aff if there are at least two conditional advocacies. It's also the only reason to reject the team unless warranted out in explicit detail. Condo also becomes more persuasive when combined with args like perf con. Make sure to distinguish between conditional (judge kick is not permitted) and the status quo is a logical option (judge kick is permitted) when stating the interp.
Good theory debating requires good line-by-line.
If you still have questions, feel free to ask before the round starts.