Quarry Lane Open Scrimmage 12
2022 — Online, CA/US
Debate Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideHey! I'm Amrit (he/him) and I debated Public Forum for 4 years at the Quarry Lane School and am now a freshman at the University of Washington.
UPDATE FOR NSD Camp Tournament
I CAN NOT evaluate kritiks but I'm very open to theory shells and maybe tricks but run them at your own risk
IF YOU READ A K I WILL DROP YOU WITH 26 SPEAKS
Tech > Truth (If you make the argument that 1+1 = 3 and it is extended properly and not responded to, I will vote on it even though 1+1 = 2)
Add me to the email chain: 2005amrit@gmail.com
I expect all cards for both constructive and rebuttal speeches before the speech is given. Teams that don't do this will have their speaks capped at 27.
Things I like to see in round:
- Frontlining in second rebuttal
- Extending defense and arguments in Summary
- interacting with frontlines when extending defense, do not extend "thru ink"
- doing comparative weighing (explain WHY you o/w on magnitude, timeframe, severity, etc.)
- ^^this is what will decide rounds for me
- no new weighing in second FF, very minimal weighing in first FF, most of your weighing should come in summary (even better if it's in rebuttal)
Speaks:
- +0.5 if you read cut cards in case
- +0.5 if you are disclosed on the wiki with highlights and cites
- Automatic 30 if you read solely from cut cards in both rebuttal and constructive
Progressive:
Shells:
Familiar with most (Paraphrasing, Disclosure, TW) , I can't judge a full-fledged theory debate nearly as well as others so run at your own risk
Kritiques:
I know less than nothing about these, please do not run unless I'm the only judge on a panel who doesn't know them.
Quarry Lane, CA | 6-12 Speech/Debate Director | 2019-present
Harker, CA | 6-8 Speech/Debate Director | 2016-18
Loyola, CA | 9-12 Policy Coach | 2013-2016
Texas | Assistant Policy Coach 2014-2015
Texas | Policy Debater | 2003-2008 (2x NDT elims and 2x top 20 speaker)
Samuel Clemens, TX | Policy Debater | 1999-2003 (1x TOC qual)
Big picture:
- I don't read/flow off the doc.
- no evidence inserting. I read what you read.
- I strongly prefer to let the debaters do the debating, and I'll reward depth (the "author/date + claim + warrant + data + impact" model) over breadth (the "author + claim + impact" model) any day.
- Ideas communicated per minute > words per minute. I'm old, I don't care to do a time trial of flowing half-warrants and playing "connect the dots" for impacts. 3/4 of debaters have terrible online practices, so this empirically applies even more so for online debates.
- I minimize the amount of evidence I read post-round to only evidence that is either (A) up for dispute/interpretation between the teams or (B) required to render a decision (due to lack of clash amongst the debaters). Don't let the evidence do the debating for you.
- I care a lot about data/method and do view risk as "everyone starts from zero and it goes up from there". This primarily lets me discount even conceded claims, apply a semi-laugh test to ridiculous arguments, and find a predictable tiebreaker when both sides hand me a stack of 40 cards.
- I'm fairly flexible in argument strategy, and either ran or coached an extremely wide diversity of arguments. Some highlights: wipeout, foucault k, the cp, regression framework, reg neg cp, consult china, cap k, deleuze k, china nano race, WTO good, indigenous standpoint epistemology, impact turns galore, biz con da, nearly every politics da flavor imaginable, this list goes on and on.
- I am hard to offend (though not impossible) and reward humor.
- You must physically mark cards.
- I think infinite world condo has gotten out of hand. A good rule of thumb as a proxy (taking from Shunta): 4-6 offcase okay, 7 pushing, if you are reading 8 or more, your win percentage and points go down exponentially. Also, I will never judge kick - make a decision in 2NR.
- 1NC args need to be complete, else I will likely buy new answers on the entire sheet. A DA without U or IL isn't complete. A CP without a card likely isn't complete. A K with just a "theory of power" but no links isn't complete. A T arg without a definition card isn't complete. Cards without any warrants/data highlighted (e.g. PF) are not arguments.
- I personally believe in open disclosure practices, and think we should as a community share one single evidence set of all cards previously read in a single easily accessible/searchable database. I am willing to use my ballot to nudge us closer.
-IP topic stuff - I have a law degree and am a tech geek, so anything that absolutely butchers the law will probably stay at zero even if dropped.
Topicality
-I like competing interpretations, the more evidence the better, and clearly delineated and impacted/weighed standards on topicality.
-I'm extremely unlikely to vote for a dropped hidden aspec or similar and extremely likely to tank your points for trying.
-We meet is yes/no question. You don't get to weigh standards and risk of.
-Aff Strategy: counter-interp + offense + weigh + defense or all in on we meet or no case meets = best path to ballot.
Framework against K aff
-in a tie, I vote to exclude. I think "logically" both sides framework arguments are largely empty and circular - the degree of actual fairness loss or education gain is probably statistically insignificant in any particular round. But its a game and you do you.
-I prefer the clash route + TVA. Can vote for fairness only, but harder sell.
-Very tough sell on presumption / zero subject formation args. Degree ballot shapes beliefs/research is between 0 and 1 with neither extreme being true, comparative claims on who shapes more is usually the better debate pivot.
-if have decent k or case strat against k aff, usually much easier path to victory because k affs just seem to know how to answer framework.
-Aff Strategy: Very tough sell for debate bad, personalized ballot pleas, or fairness net-bad. Lots of defense to predict/limits plus aff edu > is a much easier path to win.
Framework against neg K
-I default to (1) yes aff fiat (2) yes links to 1AC speech act (3) yes actual alt / framework isn't an alt (4) no you link you lose.
-Debaters can debate out (1) and (2), can sometimes persuade me to flip on (3), but will pretty much never convince me to flip on (4).
Case Debate
-I enjoy large complex case debates about the topic.
-Depth in explanation and impacting over breadth in coverage. One well explained warrant or card comparison will do far more damage to the 1AR than 3 new cards that likely say same warrant as original card.
Disads
-Intrinsic perms are silly. Normal means arguments less so.
Counterplans
-I think literature should guide both plan solvency deficit and CP competition ground.
-For theory debates (safe to suspect): adv cps = uniqueness cps > plan specific PIC > topic area specific PIC > textual word PIK = domestic agent CP > ban plan then do "plan" cp = certainty CPs = delay CPs > foreign agent CP > plan minus penny PICs > private actor/utopian/other blatant cheating CP
-Much better for perm do cp (with severance justified because of THEORY) than perm other issues (with intrinsicness justified because TEXT/FUNCT COMP english games). I don't really believe in text+funct comp (just eliminates "bad" theory debaters, not actually "bad" counterplans, e.g. replace "should" with "ought").
-perms and theory are tests of competition and not a voter.
-debatable perms are - perm do both, do cp/alt, do plan and part of CP/alt. Probably okay for combo perms against multi-conditional plank cps. Only get 1 inserted perm text per perm flowed.
-Aff strategy: good for logical solvency deficits, solvency advocate theory, and high level theory debating. Won't presume CP solves when CP lacks any supporting literature.
Critiques
-I view Ks as a usually linear disad and the alt as a CP.
-Much better for a traditional alt (vote neg -> subject formation -> spills out) than utopian fiated alts, floating piks, movements alts, or framework is my second alt.
-Link turn case (circumvention) and/or impact turns case (root/prox cause) is very important.
-I naturally am a quantitative poststructuralist. Don't think I've ever willingly voted on an ontology argument or a "zero subject formation" argument. Very open to circumvention oriented link and state contingency link turn args.
-Role of ballot is usually just a fancy term for "didn't do impact calculus".
-No perms for method Ks is the first sign you don't really understand what method is.
-Aff strategy: (impact turn a link + o/w other links + alt fails) = (case spills up + case o/w + link defense + alt fails) > (fiat immediate + case o/w + alt too slow) > (perm double bind) > (ks are cheating).
-perms generally check clearly noncompetitive alt jive, but don't normally work against traditional alts if the neg has any link.
Lincoln Douglas
-no trix, phil, friv theory, offcase spam, or T args written by coaches.
-treat it like a policy round that ends in the 1AR and we'll both be happy.
Public Forum
-no paraphrasing, yes email chain, yes share speech doc prior to speech. In TOC varsity, points capped at 27.5 if violate as minimum penalty.
-if paraphrase, it's not evidence and counts as an analytic, and cards usually beat analytics.
-I think the ideal PF debate is a 2 advantage vs 2 disadvantage semi-slow whole rez policy debate, where the 2nd rebuttal collapses onto 1 and the 1st summary collapses onto 1 as well. Line by line, proper, complete argument extensions, weighing, and card comparisons are a must.
-Good for non-frivilous theory and proper policy style K. TOC level debaters usually good at theory but still atrocious executing the K, so probably don't go for a PF style K in front of me.
-prefer some civility and cross not devolve into lord of the flies.
Hi! I'm Kush, I'm an LD/Policy debater. None of this is steadfast, if both teams agree, I can judge in whatever way you want. kushvijapure13@gmail.com
Be funny, the activity is supposed to be fun, making me laugh = higher speaks
Debate:
Pref shortcut
Not a measure of how much I am likely to buy these arguments (I'll buy anything if explained properly) but a measure of how well I can evaluate them
1- LARP/Generic Ks (Academy, Baudrillard, Cap, Setcol, Security, Pess)
2- K-affs/Complex Ks
3- Phil (Kant,Hobbes, Butler) + Viable Shells (ie: OS, Contact Info, Disclo, Spec, Paraphrasing if its PF, etc..)
4- Trix
5/Strike- Dense Phil
General
I strongly believe debate is for the debaters, the shortcut above is how much I understand each argument, not my willingness to vote on it. I will try to evaluate anything put in front of me and will do my best to ensure a fair and equal round, that being said I do like certain things more than others so here are a couple of things that you might want to be wary of (X lies where I fall between the two).
Expressive (your face not mine) -X--------------------------------------- Stoic (your face not mine)
Policy--------------------X-------------------------Kritik
Trix------------------------------------X-------------Args with warrants
Tech-X---------------------------------------------Truth
Read no cards------------X-----------------------Reads every card
Conditionality good-------------------------X----Conditionality bad
States CP good------------X-----------------------States CP bad
Politics DA is a thing---X---------------------------Politics DA not a thing
Always util----------------------------------X-----Sometimes not util
UQ matters most---------------------------X-----Link matters most
Fairness is an impact------------X-------------------Fairness is not an impact
Presumption votes aff-----------------------X------- Presumption clearly neg
Try or die--------------X---------------------------What's the opposite of try or die
Not our Baudrillard---------------------------X----- Yes your Baudrillard
Clarity---X------------------------------------------Srsly who doesn't like clarity
Limits--------------------X--------------------------Aff ground
Presumption-------X-------------------------------Never votes on presumption
Resting grumpy face----------------------X-------Grumpy face is your fault
Longer ev----------------------------X-------------More ev
"Insert this re highlighting"----------------------X-I only read what you read
CX about impacts----------------------------X----CX about links and solvency
expressive [my face not yours]-X------------------------stoic (my face not yours)
Referencing this philosophy in your speech--------------------X-plz don't
Fiat double bind-----------------------------------------X--literally any other arg
AT: --X------------------------------------------------------ A2:
AFF (acronym)-------------------------------------------X Aff (truncated word)
"It's inev, we make it effective"------------------------X---"It'S iNeV, wE mAkE iT eFfEcTiVe"
Bodies without organs---------------X---------------Organs without bodies
New affs bad------------------X------------------------Old affs bad
Aff on process competition-------X--------------------Neg on process competition
CPs that require the 'butterfly effect' card------------X---Real arguments
Line by line--X-----------------------------------implied warrants/answer
Speaker Points:
I try to give good points, I'll be more generous if you don't take prep. My general scale is as follows:
For LD:
30 --- Top speaker
29.6-29.9 --- Late elims
29.3-29.5--- Mid elims
29-29.3 --- Debating to clear
28.5-28.9--- Even
28.0-28.5 --- Below even
Below 28 --- Other
Below 27 --- Disrespectful/Horrible evidence ethics
For CX:
29.5+ — Top Speaker
29.3-29.4 — Top 5-10
29.1-29.2 — Top 20
28.9-29 — Top 25% maybe clearing on speaks
28.7-28.8 — Top 50% wouldn't clear on speaks
28.3-28.6 — Top 75%
28-28.2 — Top 90%