The 47th Churchill Classic TOC and NIETOC Qualifier
2022 — San Antonio, TX/US
Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideExp: I debated for four years at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas between 2008-2012. I went to camps at UTNIF and GDI. And I've been judging since 2012. Needless to say policy debate and I go way back.
Overview: While I ended my debate career on the left side of argumentation, experimenting with form and critical theory, I would still bust out a strategic cp/D/A where strategy required. At this juncture I enjoy a great policy-oriented debate as much as I enjoy a well argued critical position. If your coach or buddy says they knew how I debated and high school and that you should do 'X' in front of me, disregard them. Be you. Do what you do best. Read the arguments you like to read, just take strategy into consideration.
How I Judge: I default to an offense/defense paradigm, regardless of whether critical or traditional arguments are being read. Given the nuanced uniqueness of the activity - that the rules can be debated while debating - I think it is important for debaters to establish their interpretations of what is acceptable through T, Theory, and Framework where it is applicable. It is on you to tell me how I should see the round, how I should evaluate the arguments within it and how I should vote. It's also on you to tell me what type of calculus to use when I vote (impact weighing, f/w, theory, etc). Should I be a utilitarian or should I look at the round in another way? What is the role of my ballot? Should an argument deemed theoretically objectionable in round be rejected or should the team that read it be voted down? You tell me.
Etiquette: Whether you think policy debate is a fun place to role play and prep for college or you think it is a revolutionary ground for X movement, above all this activity is two things: a student activity and an educational activity. As students, you are expected to interact on the spectrum between not rude and cordial. I understand that arguments can get heated, particularly those that a debater might have a personal connection with. Don't be afraid to express what you need to express and say what you need to say, but be mindful that stark disrespect and gratuitous foul language don't float in my boat. Be competitive, be authentic. As long as you are mindful of the line between competition and flat out aggression in terms of how you carry yourself, all should be well in my book.
Tech Considerations: Paperless debates tend to give me 1,001 headaches as a judge. A lack of proficiency amongst students causes rounds to drag on and reflects a lack of preparation. Ballpark estimate, I think 75% of you are bad at doing this in an efficient and effective manner. Don't be a statistic! Prep time ends when the flash drive is out or when the speech doc is sent.
I'm open to answering any specific questions pre-round.
Email for chains: chrisbrannen(at)gmail. com (Put the @ where the (at) is)
Teacher in Goose Creek CISD
I’ve been an educator for 15 years and coached Debate for 8 years.
On Policy:
* On Impacts: I prefer real-world impacts. I'm generally deciding the debate by weighing the impacts of arguments at the end of the round.
* On Kritiks: I don't like kritiks much, but I recognize they are a thing and that even the actual government uses the reasoning present as a justification for some policy decisions. Personally, I find K logic to be circular and uncompelling. If you and your opponents really want to K debate, I'll hear it and try to judge it but I probably won't enjoy it much. :(
* On DAs: Make sure that you do solid impact comparison. At the end of the round, I need something to weigh. The link controls the direction of uniqueness/the DA, not the other way around. Arguments like this can be helpful to you
*On Framework: If you give me a framework, and win the framing debate, I will view the round through your framework. You still have to impact the debate and win down the flow. In other words, if your opponents meet your framework better than you and say so they win. If your framework is morally repugnant to me I will reject it. In the absence of framework debate, I default policymaker.
* On Topicality: The plan is what makes you topical. I will view the round through the lens of competing interpretations unless you tell me to do otherwise. I don’t think affs need to specify their agent.
* On Speed: I'm good on most speed. I’m kind of deaf so yell. Please signpost clearly and slow down for tags.
* On Theory: I default to reasonability. I'll hear a good theory argument, though, given that it is thoughtful and has a point. I don’t vote for whining. I really don’t care if your opponent hurt your feelings or offended your sensibilities. Beat them on the flow and we can discuss them being mean after the round. I'll even go tell on them to their coach if they were really bad. :)
* On Counter plans: I like them. I prefer single-actor counter plans to multilateral actor counter plans. I generally believe that if the US already belongs to that organization then the counterplan is plan plus or the net benefit doesn’t have a link. Absent debate, I think PICS are good and dispositionality or unconditionality makes for good debate.
* On Decorum: I award speaker points based on my preferences. I like polite debaters who appear to enjoy the activity and I reward that. I like debaters to stand during their speeches and during cross-examination. I find objectionable language unacceptable as it rarely provides a good warrant.
* On Evidence: If you want me to call for evidence, it must be red-flagged in the 2NR or 2AR. I generally find quality round overviews in the last rebuttal to be helpful for me to understand why you think you have won the debate.
* If you have questions about anything, feel free to come talk to me at any tournament. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
On LD:
# I expect you to share evidence. Don't even wait for your opponent to ask. Plan on sharing it.
# On Speed: I'm good on speed. I’m kind of deaf so yell.
# On Framework: If you don't provide a scale in the round to judge by, I will (likely) fall back on who argued their Value/Criteria framework the best.
# On Plans in LD: I prefer a traditional debate, but some of the resolutions these days really do lend themselves to plans. I don't love them, but I'll try to keep an open mind if you want to run a plan or a CP.
# On Clarity: Use conditional statements and make your logic clear for me. Don't make me guess. I want to hear your reasoning. Don’t make assertions without backing those assertions. (Warrants? Impacts?)
# On Signposting: Signpost clearly. Make sure you remind me where we are and what the order of the arguments are. Repetition is a skill in speeches. It isn’t bad unless you overdo it.
# On Rebuttals: In your rebuttal, crystalize for me. Give me voting issues. Use debate jargon, I’m good with it. I’m looking for who wins the key issues of the debate. Tell me what you think those are and why you think you won them. (Or why you think your opponent lost it.)
# On Decorum: There are lines of decency one should not cross. LD is about values. I have no problem imposing a base level of my own values to the round. I award a wide range of points in debate based on my preferences. I find objectionable language unacceptable as it rarely provides a good warrant.
# If you have questions about anything, feel free to come talk to me at any tournament. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
On PF:
% I expect you to share evidence. Don't even wait for your opponent to ask. Plan on sharing it.
% On Speed: I'm good on speed, but PF is about communication. Don't be too obnoxiously fast. If you're going faster than Ben Shapiro, you're going too fast. Also, I’m kind of deaf so yell.
% I like frameworks. If you don't give me a framework in the constructive, I will default to reasonability.
% On Clarity: Use conditional statements and make your logic clear for me. Don't make me guess. I want to hear your reasoning. Don’t make assertions without backing those assertions. (Warrants? Impacts?)
% On Signposting: Signpost clearly. Make sure you remind me where we are and what the order of the arguments are. Repetition is a skill in speeches. It isn’t bad unless you overdo it.
% You have to do the order of the speeches and crossfire the traditional way. Don't negotiate to change the times or skip the grand crossfire.
% Use the final focus to tell me why you won. Crystallize the round for me.
On Congress:
! On Structure: Speeches that have solid structure make me glad. Intro/Thesis/Transition/Body/Transition/Conclusion.
! On Clash: DEBATE!!! It is Congressional DEBATE! DEBATE! Clash with your opposition!
! On Decorum: But be nice about it.
! On Argumentation: I don't like or expect the same speech 4 or 5 times in a round. The flow ought to grow. Call out the names of other reps and agree and/or clash with them! I start giving lower scores for speeches where I just hear the same thing. Bring something new! (CLASH, baby, CLASH!!!)
Email – chrisgearing333@gmail.com – chain me up
i will vote on pretty much anything as long as you justify it in the context of the round.
I default to reasonability on procedurals and theory.
Non-CX events: I’ll vote on whatever, cool with speed, you do you.
email: mitchellhagney@gmail.com
I think debate has lots of epistemological value, though I have voted that it is bad and should be destroyed more than once. I competed at the TOC and NDT, but eventually stopped debating to work in sustainable farming. Today, my day job is as the head farmer for the San Antonio Food Bank, operate a hydroponic farm and coworking kitchen space called LocalSprout (www.localsprout.com), and push local policy change to advance a sustainable and equitable food system through the Food Policy Council of San Antonio (www.fpcsa.org). I made these choices as a direct result of a decision-making style that I got from debate.
Evidence quality is important to me. +.1 speaker points if you mention a methods section in your or their articles.
For critical affs, teams that admit to being outside of the resolution need to describe what content and arguments debates would feature if their interpretation were adopted wholesale. It's best if that sounds like a version of debate where both sides stand a chance and is pedagogically valuable. There need to be strong answers to a topical version and reasons why awarding the ballot in a certain direction is good.
I miss the diversity of structural Ks debate used to feature. For those critiques, I like to know what the alternative looks like or why the details aren't important.
For counterplan theory, in each round there is an amount of conditional negative advocacies that is beyond the reasonable amount of testing the aff, which then degrades the quality of the discussion. Use your judgement on what that limit is. I don't like permanent/recurring inaction or attitudinal fiat. Solvency advocates are the best response to accused CP illegitimacy. If it was impossible to find a solvency advocate for a widely discussed aff, that's usually a bad sign. Multi-actor, international, and delay counterplans rarely seem to challenge the aff or the topic. They often put judges in a strange place between choosing between things no human has the authority over.
For politics DAs, I have a higher threshhold for the link debate than the community at large. I find fiat solves the link arguments persuasive if the aff requires that congresspeople change their mind. If it's normal means that the president expends capital to persuade them, I need reasons why that's normal means or why we should interpret the world that way. Delay, direct horsetrading, or focus links are different from usual political capital arguments and are often times more intrinsic to the aff.
Defense matters - No internal link, uniqueness overwhelms the link, empirically denied, impact inevitable - these arguments are some of the most persuasive to me and I am more likely to think you are smart if you say them.
I am likely to dismiss 2AR arguments entirely if I think they are new.
I usually make decisions based on comparative impact assessment. Relative to other judges, it seems like I pay more attention to impact uniqueness, which are often influenced by arguments like those that have been kicked earlier in the debate and turns case arguments. This is as true for critical debates as it is for policy ones.
You can e-mail me at ian.kimbrell.debate@gmail.com.
I coached for Saint Ignatius High School for 10 years in the 90s. I coached for Case Western Reserve University from 1995-2006. I started coaching again in 2016. The teams I coached were 75% policy and 25% Kritik debaters. I am fine with any type of argument, but I tend to enjoy fast, evidence intensive, traditional policy debates that collapse down well to a few clear reasons for me to prefer.
I do my best not to interject my opinions or perspectives into the decisions. I like being told how to sign the ballot and will try to pick either the 2NRs or 2ARs interpretation of the round. I like the analysis of warrants. The clash between competing warrants makes for the best debate.
Bravado is encouraged as long as it is done within the confines of fun, friendliness, and fairness.
DAs: Analysis of the evidence, comparison of evidence, and clear articulation of uniqueness, link, and impact are important to me.
TOPICALITY: I like topicality debates but rarely see them. I look to compare two competing interpretations. I probably have a lower threshold than most for having to justify it as a voting issue.
KRITIKs: They are fine. I treat them like any other argument. The more specific the link evidence and link story is to the affirmative, the more engaged I will be. Multiple links are exponentially more persuasive. Permutations need to be clearly explained. I am open to K is bad arguments. I am not deep into all of the literature.
COUNTER PLANS: Counter Plans are fine. Permutations need to be clearly explained. Solvency for counter plans matter.
FRAMEWORK: Clarity on Framework is helpful early on in the debate.
I have a bias towards new/odd arguments. Especially creative DAs and Counterplans. If you are looking to test something out, I may be a good judge to try it on. I'll make sure I give you all the feedback you need.
The most important thing to know about me is that while I would like to be included in the email chain, I will not read evidence during the round. I believe it risks too much judge bias even from the most experienced judges. I will read evidence at the end of the round if things are close or if the one of the debaters convinces me I need to look at one or two key pieces of evidence. Ultimately, I will vote on my flow. This means a minimum level of speaking articulation, clarity, and general ease of flowing does matter. If I can not understand a speaker I will verbally give a warning or two with no penalty.
churchill '20
i competed in policy debate for 4 years and debated on the national circuit.
put me on the email chain - alexmdebatejudging@gmail.com
***i flow on paper. when reading topicality, theory, or framework arguments, please slow down. if i don't flow an argument, it's because you did not articulate it clearly.***
-- topicality --
i generally default to competing interpretations, but most certainly can be persuaded otherwise. have thorough explanations of the internal link and impact - repeating the phrase "they explode limits" 5 times tells me nothing.
-- counterplans --
good counterplan debates are great to watch. explain why the counterplan is distinct from the affirmative and why it solves. aff specific counterplans are always better than generic ones.
-- disadvantages --
have impact analysis and comparison of internal links. turn case arguments are important and underutilized. always answer the framing debate. there should be comparison between models of decision making. surface level, tag-line phrases about extinction being irreversible aren't enough to persuade me to value extinction first, especially when aff teams have well warranted framing args - the 2nr needs a clear, warranted link story, particularly true with politics disads because the evidence is notoriously shallow
-- kritiks --
for neg teams reading the k: no large overviews, i'd rather have that explanation done on the line by line. regarding framework, i generally default to weighing the aff. framework on the kritik is a link-framing argument. i need warrants why your interpretation/model of debate/role of the ballot is preferable and/or resolves the affirmative's offense. why should i utilize your framing as the lens through which i make my decision?
have specific links to the aff. even if you read a generic piece of link evidence, you can still utilize the warrants in that evidence and contextualize it to rhetoric or action of the 1ac. if you're making an ontology claim, i won't just vote on ontology - you still need a link to the aff. you should make arguments as to why the links turn the case.
i'm not familiar with a majority of kritik literature, so don't assume that i know what you're talking about. please explain your theory/thesis. buzzwords are vague and don't actually articulate the implication of your argument. i need to know what the alternative is, what it does, and why is the ballot necessary. arguments about why the alternative resolves the impact of the affirmative are always useful. generally i think you need an alternative in the 2nr, but can be convinced that you don't - just explain why
***no death good/death inevitable args -- i don't find those arguments persuasive at all***
aff teams debating the k: far too often i think affirmative teams are too defensive and aren't prepared to defend why the aff is good. have reasons why discussions about the 1ac and its content are good for debate. framework interpretations along the lines of "neg should read a competitive policy option" are not that strategic or compelling. make sure you're responding to the negative's specific framework standards.
the 2ac should line by line each link argument; waiting till the 1ar will put you behind in the debate. don't group the all of links. saying "their ev is not specific to the affirmative" is also no a sufficient response. you should address the argument made by their evidence and explain why the aff doesn't say/do that. please explain what the permutation is and how it functions. have warranted analysis as to why the permutation resolves the negative's offense.
-- k affs/performance/framework --
i'm more inclined to vote for framework but can definitely be persuaded to vote against it. i need to know what your model of debate looks like and how that compares to their model of debate.
neg teams: just like with topicality, have a well-developed internal link and impact explanation. fairness is probably more of an internal link to education than its own impact, but you should make the argument that fairness is an intrinsic good. you'll likely need a tva otherwise aff arguments about why you exclude their education become more convincing.
aff teams: i'd prefer that the 1ac would have a close connection to the topic. i need to know what the 1ac means and what it does. if the speech act of the 1ac is significant, why? why does the ballot have a causal influence on that?
-- theory --
what specifically did your opponent do? why did that make it structurally more difficult for you to debate? new affs bad and aspec are 2 arguments in debate i never want to vote for. please slow down when you're reading theory.
-- for LD debaters --
everything i said above about how i evaluate policy debates applies to LD too.
i don't like a lot of the theory stuff that y'all do. if you must go for theory, like any other procedural argument, have a well-developed internal link and impact explanation. i won't vote on an RVIs. they don't make sense, and you shouldn't be punished for reading a theory argument.
-- for PF debaters --
at the beginning of the round, the team speaking first should start an email chain. both teams should email out your entire case before your first constructive speech. in speeches after the first constructive, send out all the evidence you read *again before the speech* -- the amount of time wasted after/in between speeches asking for and sending evidence is ridiculous -- if you don't flash evidence, that will be reflected in your speaker points
-- last updated for the Longhorn Classic 2022 --
Email chain: richardsonmichael98@gmail.com
TL;DR. I’m cool with whatever you have to say in whatever format you would like to say it. I think that your arguments should interact with the topic in some way, though that doesn't necessitate having a plan text or defending the federal government. Assume you need to over-explain arguments and link stories, I like to refrain from doing work for the debater(s) - that has gone poorly for some folks I've judged in the past that assumed too much. I’ve lost some flowing proficiency since high school, but I will try my best to keep up.
Stuff about me:
I haven't debated for several years, so I’m not going to trick myself into thinking that I remember everything about every debate argument or that I'm still able to effectively flow at super high speeds. However, I vow that I will do everything in my power to be present and alert of what is happening in the round and be respectful of your time. I will also do my best to explain my thought process for every decision so that you understand why I voted a certain way if the tournament allows. If not, I will make myself available to you to provide my insight or comments if you wish.
I debated for 4 years at Ronald Reagan HS in San Antonio, TX (2012-2016) and I am a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (hook'em). In my first three years, I did exclusively LD and Extemporaneous Speaking. I attended many national tournaments for LD, so I am very familiar with the argument types and strategies on the national circuit. I also attended UIL State for Informative Speaking. Policy debate, however, was the highlight of my senior year. As a 2A/1N, my partner and I attended elimination rounds at various national tournaments, was the top seed at TFA State where I was 5th overall speaker, was in late elims of NSDA Nationals, and attended the Tournament of Champions.
My advice to you: Do what you do best. That doesn’t mean that adaptation isn’t important. I’ve had to do my fair share and I know of its challenges and rewards. The big takeaway is that I am open to anything you have to say in any manner or format to which you would like to say it.
Some house-keeping items:
- Be Kind. Please.
- Prep stops when the email is sent/when the document is saved to the flash drive and is out of the computer.
- Speed is fine. Go slower on Theory/T Interpretations and CP Texts, as you should. I try to flow everything said in the round including the text of evidence and cross ex. Hopefully this isn’t anything new, but clarity is very important.
- I like reading evidence, and I'll call for it if it's pertinent to my thought process at the end of the round.
- Sure I'll be on the email chain: richardsonmichael98@gmail.com
Affs -- Read whatever you're comfortable with.
- I believe that affs should be a critical discussion of the topic. What that "critical discussion" entails is entirely up to the debaters. Heg/Econ scenarios, poetic performances, whatever you do best, do it. Though, I'm likely not going to be persuaded by an aff that I feel could be cross-applied to any other topic (I think you lose out too).
- In order of how much I've read them in HS (from the most to the least), it would go "middle-of-the-road" affs, K affs, then Policy affs. I do not have a proclivity towards any one of them: I've enjoyed reading them all.
- In LD, I do not have a preference as to what the aff should look like. You can do the traditional "definitions, framework, contentions," thing or you can switch it up and do it in reverse, I don't care. As long as the information is read.
Topicality -- I enjoy Topicality debates and have no qualms voting on a well-executed topicality shell.
- I default to competing interpretations if all things are equal - actually, I probably default to an offense/defense paradigm on most things.
- In HS, I rarely read any other standard than predictable limits; I intuitively think that both sides have reasonable ground for argumentation if they're smart enough, but I can be persuaded to vote for other standards. That being said, I generally think along the lines of "the caselist" in topicality debates, so doing your due diligence in these debates should be rewarded.
- I don’t think that RVI’s are a thing and I'm not sure why they ever were; I've yet to vote for an RVI argument I thought was persuasive. BUT, *shrugs* if it's conceded, then there's not much I can do about that, now can I?
Framework/T-USFG -- Go for it.
- As a 2A I've both defended and not defended a plan text, so I have experience with both sides of the framework debate. I've also read it quite a few times on the negative, so I'm familiar with how it ought to be executed.
- I don't think that FW is inherently violent, but that doesn't mean there aren't sweet impact turns to roleplaying/policy education.
- Carded topical versions of the aff are very persuasive for me.
LD Frameworks -- Do your thing.
- I don't have an expectation as to what the Framework should look like for the aff or neg. You can do the Value/Value-Criterion if you want. You can do a Standard if you want. You can read a Role of the Ballot/Judge interpretation if you want.
Theory -- With me, you should explain the violation more than normal if it's anything other than disclosure or condo.
- In all honesty, based on my skill level I'm probably not a good judge for you if your strategy is to spam 4 tricky theoretical violations and go for the undercovered ones.
- Except for conditionality and disclosure, I am not really experienced with the various types of theoretical violations floating out there, especially on the LD national circuit. In my HS experience, I'd never read anything on the affirmative that justified opponents making theory a 2NR position, so I rarely had to give a substantive 2AR on anything other than condo.
- If theory ends up being a "game-winning" 2NR/2AR strategy, I would implore you to please go slow and over-explain the argument. It’s not that I am incapable of understanding theory (I think I'm actually selling myself a little short), it's just an area of the argument spectrum that I don't have much personal experience with.
- I am more receptive to theory as a result of actual cheating, whatever that means for the debate.
- I don't think theory needs to be in a traditional "shell" format - as long as all the components are there, we should be good.
Counterplans -- Explain to me what they actually do.
- The only caveat I have with CPs is the quality of solvency advocate evidence; I'm just a sucker for evidence that actually says what you're claiming it says.
- An explanation as to what the counterplan actually does would really help me conceptualize how it interacts with and is different from the plan, especially if it deviates from being textually and functionally competitive.
- I don't have an expectation as to what the net benefit should be. Internal Net Benefits, DA's, on-case DA's. All fair game.
Disadvantages -- I'm game for anything you've got.
- I'm a stickler for strong, definitive pieces of evidence, especially on the uniqueness debate. Though, I'll probably give you the benefit of the doubt if you do a fair amount of explanation as to why that piece of evidence may be true.
- I've read politics, linear, and on-case DA's with extinction-level or structural violence impacts so I shouldn't be unfamiliar with whatever you decide to read.
- I've done my fair share of impact turning DA's on the affirmative (I am particularly familiar with dedev or "warming irreversible" arguments) and I think these can be particularly strategic.
Case debate -- Underrated, and that is a darn shame.
- I've had some 1NRs where I just extended the warrants of 1NC evidence, read 5 minutes of cards, or a mix of the two. I’ve got no qualms voting negative on presumption if the aff’s responses are lackluster.
- Some of my best and most fun 1NRs to give were impact turns to the aff (dedev and "warming irreversible" again).
"Critical" arguments/K Affs/The K -- Read whatever you want, but be smart.
- Out of anything on this page, the K is probably what I have the most experience reading in HS. K affs and one-off K strategies were the bread and butter of my senior year.
- Some authors/criticisms that I enjoyed reading and deploying in-round include: Anti-Blackness, Berlant, Oliver, Settler Colonialism (plus every Eve Tuck article, ever), Critical Asian Studies/Orientalism/Model Minority Myth, (Racialized) Capitalism, and the Academy K.
- I prefer the line-by-line to long-winded overviews (oftentimes, they are hard to reconcile).
- Big overarching theme: you do you. This also encapsulates different arguments characterized as “performance,” though I tend to think that how you choose to debate is a performance of sorts. If you need to play music, dance, scream, do your thing.
In conclusion, some parting words.
Since my paradigm page is part love-letter-to-debate, part diary, I would like to share a thought about my philosophy on judging that may be helpful for you to know. Reflecting on my experiences as both a debater and a judge, I am a firm believer that debate, while an educational activity, is also primarily a persuasive activity. I have become increasingly annoyed with debaters and judges that are disappointed with someone's skill level (particularly if they are a novice debater or judge) and verbally express those frustrations to the public or behind their backs. Yes, having an experienced judge gives you more options to deploy different arguments and strategies, and that can certainly make for a more entertaining and enjoyable debate. But the world is not full of debate hardos. The next time you have a "lay" judge in the back of your debate, consider this: if you lose, perhaps it has less to do with the judge missing something and more about your inability to persuade someone outside of the activity (i.e. 99.9999% of people). This academically elitist pedestal some debaters find themselves upon is incredibly insufferable. So don't vent to me about how your last round's judge was a random mom or pop, you will find the opposite of sympathy from me.
If there are any lingering questions about how I view the debate or argument types I haven't listed above, don’t hesitate to ask!
Thanks y’all. Happy debating, and good luck!
Loic Rocheleau
Kapaun Mt Carmel '19
Trinity University '23
Add me to the chain:
The team that best debates will win - I will have an unreasonably high threshold for ignoring tech
--Things that meet that threshold: saying fairness doesn't matter, etc.
Misc
There's no such thing as zero risk but I'll ignore something minuscule
I have a strong disliking for framing pages but neg teams don't do enough work
Unless your author is explicitly unethical, indicts mean nothing by themselves - explain why it matters
Your overview doesn't need to exist and I'm not just talking to k teams - the 1NR doesn't need to start with two minutes on why warming is bad and then assume that answers their impact defense
Disads
Pretty straightforward here - uniqueness shapes the link - I love the politics disad - if your politics disad is actually fake (not what hipsters that are too cool to talk about Washington call fake) I'll have a very low threshold for not voting on it
Counterplans
Judge-kick is lazy - if the aff doesn't contest it and the neg explicitly says judge-kick then I guess I'll kick the counterplan for you - start the debate early if your neg - if it only shows up in the 2NR/2AR I'll most likely default aff
-Assuming no judge-kick, presumption flips aff
Condo - neutral on this (besides judge-kick) - I've yet to hear a convincing reason why dispo is insufficient for the neg - potential abuse stories have no sway on me if the neg just reads advantage counterplans
Solvency advocates - high threshold for what qualifies as one - I don't necessarily care if your counterplan has a solvency advocate, but know which battles you're winning
Process counterplans - topic specific ones are fantastic - consult NATO belongs in the trash
International fiat - if there's a solvency advocate it's probably fine - lack of one makes the abuse story a bit more persuasive
PICs - they're cool - don't PIC out of words in their cards - if it's an ethical issue make it a procedural
Topicality (versus plans)
Topic education claims are usually not persuasive unless said interp excludes a topic area explicitly in the resolution
I'll default competing interps but reasonability can make sense to me as a filter for a limits explosion claim from the neg - generally has to be backed by a supplemental standard their interp can't access
Kritiks
Reading them on the neg
-Generally fine as long as it pertains to things in-round
-The aff will probably get to weigh the aff - can be convinced otherwise but shouldn't be the A strat
-Root cause claims don't mean you solve the aff
Reading them on the aff versus framework
-Affs should defend hypothetical USfg action as per the resolution
-Things I think are impacts: procedural fairness, legal education, research skills, decision-making - you will have a hard time convincing me otherwise
-I don't think a TVA matters that much
Reading them on the aff versus anything else
-Affs probably don't get a perm - the whole "this is a method debate" is cringey but probably true
-Impact turn things - if an aff says interventions are bad and you're a heg debater there's no reason that shouldn't explode in the block - as much as I think affs should read a plan I would much rather watch a heg debate
use this for the email chain: ronivazir@gmail.com
reagan '21, baylor '25
pronouns: he/him
for prefs:
I honestly am chill with both Ks and policy strats, since I debated both in High School. However, I will say that I find it easy to follow policy strategies better since I am a first-year out, and have not debated since High School. I was both a 2n and a 2a a lot of times so that's that. I am not too familiar with this year's techy arguments and lingo, so don't just assume I know your argument. If you connect the dots and explain everything carefully I will be able to follow you. For reference, I am a mix between both Zaarah Azad and David Gutierrez when it comes to prefs.
background:
In my sophomore year I read a policy aff. my junior year I read a Baudrillard aff and a bunch of k's on the negative like semiocap, Wilderson, settler colonialism, and Baudrillard. my senior year I only read warren on the aff and neg.
notes:
- clarity > speed
-tech > truth in most instances
- don't be problematic. I am unafraid to vote on microaggressions. (racism, sexism, death good)
- clipping is bad but needs proof (L and 0 speaks for the team who does it)
- Making me laugh and making the entire environment less stressful for everyone in the room is a great thing to do
- zoom debate can be miserable if you aren't careful. please have a good mic, try and have your camera on, and don't speak over others during cx because nothing can be heard
kritiks:
- these debates can either be really good or really bad - please don't make them bad
- I'm familiar with antiblackness, set col, cap, and some baudrillard. even if i may know what you are reading, you still need to do nuanced analysis on the thesis of your k.
- I never understood long overviews cause you re-explain all of what you said on the line-by-line. if you do have a long overview, try and make it the least redundant as possible, but I would still recommend some sort of overview because I believe it helps organize your main arguments.
- I have a deep deep deep hatred for links of omission. please make them specific.
- framework determines the rest of the debate. you need a model of debate that is preferable and probably should have an offense on why the other side's model is bad for debate.
- if you read a Kritik against a K aff, I will reward specific engagement by holding affirmative teams to a higher standard for permutation explanation.
- you can kick the alt
- just cause you won your theory of power doesn't mean you won the round
t-usfg:
- i read k affs a lot but that doesn't mean I won't vote for t usfg. it just means I know a lot about how it should be run
- clash as an impact>>>>
- fairness and limits > education and ground
- often negative teams forget to do impact comparison when going for t-usfg - this is the easiest way to win my ballot
- subjectivity debates matter and can implicate a lot of the flow
- I think switch side is very persuasive and solves a lot of offense
topicality:
- I lean towards competing interpretations but will still vote on reasonability
- case lists are nice
- i appreciate intent to define arguments
- impact comparison is pretty important
- good counter interp ev is really cool.
- like t-usfg i am more persuaded by limits fairness and clash than education and ground
counterplans:
- smart, creative counterplans are appreciated if executed well
- I like counterplans that are textually and functionally competitive, but your counterplan by no means has to be, it just means that I will lean more heavily on your solvency advocate and weigh the perm if the neg can't explain how it connects to the aff. i mostly just think you should have a solvency advocate.
- I lean neg for most counterplan theories except for consult, condo, solvency advocate. theory debates get wack so do a lot of work here to make it make sense. Honestly, I would just not read this in front of me if this is your main strat
- i need instruction for judge kick.
disadvantages:
- impact comparison is especially important for these debates
- evidence comparison is also pretty important
- turns case arguments when executed correctly are strategic and beneficial for negative teams
- 1ar gets new arguments to new uniqueness, links, or impacts in the blocks
- Tell me if the link is another DA to the plan otherwise I won't bother
- I love a good link
theory:
- apart from things like condo and judge kicks I am not nuanced in theory arguments. slow down and overexplain things if you plan on doing this in front of me. I recommend just avoiding this if you have me.
case debate:
- you should probably do it always helps. If the negative has better arguments on the Case page its pretty easy to see who the better debaters are
miscellaneous:
- Don't do ASPEC
-be nice. being sassy can be fun but there is a limit
- respect your opponents. respect their pronouns. don't cut each other off. just be respectful
- put a trigger warning on your stuff!!!!!
- I am heavily influenced by Philip Dipiazza, Gavin Loyd, Sean Kennedy, Rafael Sanchez, Zaarah Azad, and David Gutierrez. if you have any questions, their paradigms could probably answer it.
sophiewilczynski at gmail dot com for email chains & specific questions.
I debated for UT austin from 2014-17 & have remained tangentially affiliated with the program since. my degree is in rhetoric, and as a debater I read a lot of big structural critiques and weird impact turns.
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tldr: I have been doing this for a while. I don't really care what you say as long as you engage it well. do what you do best, make meaningful distinctions, & don't be rude while you're at it!
clarity matters, esp in the age of virtual debate. as long as I can understand what you are saying I shouldn’t have trouble getting it down - that being said, debaters have an unfortunate tendency to overestimate their own clarity, so just something to keep in mind. slowing down on procedurals, cp/alt texts, & author names is very much appreciated.
topicality - fun if you're willing to do the work to develop them properly. I think evidence comparison is a super under-utilized resource in T debates, and a lot of good teams lose to crappy interps for this reason. as with anything else, you need to establish & justify the evaluatory framework by which you would like me to assess your impacts. have a debate, don't just blast through ur blocks
disads/CPs - fine & cool. i find that huge generic gnw/extinction scenarios often don't hold up to the scrutiny and rigor of more isolated regional scenarios. will vote on terminal defense if I have a good reason to do so. pics are usually good
K debates - make a decision about the level at which your impacts operate and stick to it. and talk about the aff. this applies to both sides. the neg should be critiquing the affirmative, not merely identifying a structure and breaking down the implications without thorough contextualization. the mechanics of the alternative & the context in which it operates have to be clearly articulated and comparatively contextualized to the mechanics of 1AC solvency. i think a lot of murky & convoluted perm debates could be avoided with greater consideration for this - impact heuristics matter a lot when establishing competition (or levels of competition). likewise, blasting through thousands of variants of "perm do x" with no warrants or comparative explanation does not mean you have made a permutation. will vote on links as case turns, but will be unhappy about it if it's done lazily.
framework - i think it's good when the aff engages the resolution, but i don't have any particularly strong feelings about how that should happen
theory - if you must
misc
case matters, use it effectively rather than reading your blocks in response to nothing
i find myself judging a lot of clash debates, which is usually cool
prep ends when doc is saved
be nice & have fun