Introductions

Hello, my name is Gage Giffin and I'm assistant coach for Sedgwick High School's Debate and Forensics Team. This is my first year coaching, but I debated in high school for three years and my partner and I were the 321A Policy Debate Champions for 2023.

I know the effort it takes to be here. I commend you all for the hard work and dedication to be here. That said, we are here above all to have fun. Have a good round and may the odds be ever in your favor...

Preferences

Judging Style - I do not have one style really, I go back and forth between stock issues and policymaker. Your key to my vote is to explain your arguments and explain how I should vote. Run anything you want, but at the end of the day, explain it to me like I'm a toddler. Why do your arguments beat the opposition and why should I vote for you?

Speed - I would say I prefer a medium speed to listen to. However, I can manage with faster debates if that is what I'm given.

Evidence - If possible, please provide evidence to me. I enjoy reading along with the debate.

Kritik - I've never liked Ks. There's your warning if you run those. If you decide to, take the time to fully explain your K and what it means for this debate. Otherwise, I will not vote on it.

Topicality - Topicality is a big issue for me. You have to be within the limitations of your resolved statement. To the NEG though, that only goes so far. If you try to run a T on general words like "the", you better have a good explanation to back it up.

**If you have any questions please ask me!!! If your question isn't on here it is because no one's ever asked me before. BE THE FIRST!

Hello! I really dislike spreading, so if you could refrain from doing that, then that would be great. I also really dislike counterplans in the 2nc 

email for chain: brandtaimee@gmail.com

Overview: I'm a 2nd year assistant coach @ Garden City High School in SW Kansas. My day job is as a physics teacher. I did not debate in high school but I did debate (policy) for a short time in college before the fact that many of the classes I was taking had a lot of required lab hours got in the way. I will absolutely flow the round.

Arguments: Generally, debate how you want to debate. I think that the best debates happen when debaters are doing their thing, whatever your thing happens to be. But if you want me to evaluate the debate in a particular way, make sure you lay it out for me what that is and why. I don't mind any types of arguments... topicality, counterplans, Ks, whatever. State it clearly and lay it out for me because, while I try to be a person who thinks about things critically and is aware of many arguments/points of view/schools of thought, I may not always be super informed about whatever argument you're attempting to make. Especially with Ks, you probably shouldn't assume I know your literature base. Debate is a persuasive activity anyway, so I feel it's important that you be able to tell me why an argument is meaningful and should persuade me. That goes for things like k/non-topical affs as well -- I am willing to vote for them and have voted for them in the past, but I think it is important that why I should be willing to go outside the resolution is spelled out within the debate.

Speed: I can handle a relatively speedy debate. If I have to put a number on it, I'd say an 8 out of 10 speed is fine with me. But I have to be able to understand what you're saying, so feel free to speak as quickly as you'd like as long as you're understandable at that speed. It's a speaking activity and you're trying to persuade me of something, so I have to be able to follow. Speech docs help. Making sure your tags are clear also helps. Speed over Zoom is harder -- if you are pretty fast and it is a virtual debate it will probably be helpful if you slow down a bit. Please know that I basically always think that a good team who doesn't spread is more impressive than a good team who does, because the non-spreading team is having to make smarter choices about their arguments since they can't fit as many words into the speech time.

Other Stuff:

*** Stealing prep bothers me (I don't want to be part of the reason things run late). Sending your speech doc to your partner is part of prep time -- otherwise they can open it up at the beginning of your speech from the speechdrop or wherever just like anyone else in the round.

*** Remember that the more work you're asking me as the judge to do during the debate, the more likely I am to miss things and maybe not evaluate the debate in the way you personally wish I would. There are two aspects to that: 1) if I am all over my flow looking for where to put an argument because you didn't tell me where it should apply to, some of my brain is getting used on that instead of listening, so I might accidentally miss something; and 2) if you don't explicitly give me ways to evaluate the debate then I have to do that in the ways that I think make the most sense, which might not line up with what you wish I'd do.

*** Be good people. :)

Do not spread, ever, I despise that

I enjoy "fun" arguments

I will not read your files, I will only listen to your speeches and cross ex.

Don't drop args and if you argue T keep it under 2 minutes in any speech. 

I'm here to be convinced. Use your evidence to persuade me, and make sure you can explain why you deserve the vote.

Experience:

I debated throughout high school, and am the head coach at Bonner Springs. I stay current on politics and law.

Top Level -

1. Keep it civil. I want absolutely no personal attacks on your opponents. Stick to the evidence they use and what they actually say.

2. I want clash. I need to see that teams are meeting their burden of proof and refuting with evidence. If it Links, you can argue it. I don't mind if things get philosophical or existential, or just weird, but it has to have a credible link.

3. I will not tolerate homophobic, racist, sexist, etc. arguments. If they are presented, that team will lose the debate with lowest possible speaks. This includes coded language and dog-whistles.

Case and Disads -

Always the best place to start. Stock issues are fundamental, and essential, in all attacks and defenses. I'm not too hung up on having cards for every individual issue; feel free to cross apply Inherency and Harms, etc.

A Neg team won't necessarily lose if they don’t present a DA, but if Neg only attacks case, they better be really strong arguments.

Topicality -

I absolutely do not want T to be the only issue that ends up being debated. If it devolves into full speeches that are only arguing T, I might as well flip a coin to decide the winner.

Pair it with On-case or a CP and keep rolling.

Counterplans –

I love a good Counterplan, as long as it has clear and specific links to the Aff. Just make sure you commit to what you run. If you kick a CP, you will probably lose the round.

Kritiks –

You have my full attention when you run a K. I feel that a K is an all or nothing gambit, so don’t dare try to sneak any DAs, CPs, or on-case (Solvency is the exception) into your speeches. Commit fully or don’t even try. And make sure it’s clear, well organized, and you actually know what you are talking about.

For the Aff: Confront it head on and actually debate the Neg. Kritiks are not inherently abusive, so figure out how your case combats their philosophy or attack the K directly.

Policymaker - Tab Rasa

Arguments in order of priority:

Advantages vs. Disadvantages (weigh the impacts)

Topicality (Must be run well by the Neg to be considered)

Counterplans

Stock Issues

Ks

No spreading, please

Past Experience

4 years of high school debate at JV/Open/Varsity level

Competed at both regional and state

Head Coach --- Goddard High School

Former Head Coach --- Bishop Carroll Catholic High School

15 years experience

> > > I know a lot about debate, arguments, and the topics you are debating. Make the round interesting, clash with your opponents, and tell me why you win in the rebuttals. < < <

AFF Cases

You must defend an advocacy. I strongly prefer policy cases, but I am not opposed to a K aff that is run well. Don't waste my time with ridiculous / meme affs... you may argue these "for the lolz," but you'll be taking the L.

On-Case and Impacts

I love on-case arguments and weigh them highly. Impact calculus is always appreciated. My favorite stock issue is inherency, and I consider it an independent voter.

DAs

I don’t weigh generic arguments. You need to win the link or argue something different. Uniqueness does not mean there is a risk of a link.

CPs

I love them, but CPs must be competitive, and you must convince me of your net benefits.

T

Topicality ensures fairness and is an independent voter; however, I don’t mind effects topical plans that can be defended. Make sure the abuse story is explained well.

Ks / Theory

Not my favorite arguments, but you can win them if you convince me to accept the world of the alt.

Delivery

Good presentation beats speed any day. This is a public speaking activity, not a race. I understand faster cards, but your tags and analytics should be enjoyable.

Evidence

Add me to the chain: immagivethe3nr@gmail.com

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Stealing evidence, clipping cards, playing on your phone, and other forms of unsportsmanlike conduct all result in an auto-loss.

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T.K.O (Technical Knockout) Policy:

If at any point before the end of the debate you think you've won beyond a reasonable doubt (if they drop T, double turn themselves, are proven to be non-inherent, makes a strategic error that is unfixable, etc.) you can stop the debate by invoking a TKO. I'll then evaluate the claim that the team invoking the TKO makes. If that team is right, they'll win on a 3 with 30s. The other team will lose on a 7 with 20s. If a team TKOs and is wrong (does not meet the "beyond a reasonable doubt" threshold), they lose on a 7 with 20s.

4th year Varsity speaker at Shawnee Heights High School.

Pure gamesplayer judging style. Don't love topicality or Kritik, but if it is warranted and understandable, I'm cool with that. A solid CP or DA tickles my fancy.

Prefer Stock Issue arguments. If you win more stock issues, you win my vote.

Speed is fine, just be articulate and BREATHE. I'd prefer you spoke slowly and clearly than sound like you're in pain trying to spread.

If you are disrespectful or make any sort of personal attacks, you will lose (yes, this happens more than you'd think).

Overall, I am looking for clean, educational debate that provokes critical thinking between teams. Be nice, smile, have fun, and you will be fine.

As a judge, I value two things highly

One: First and foremost, I see this an exercise in good communication. If you speak so rapidly that I can't follow you, I can't in good conscience give you the win because I don't know understand your argument. Second to that, I don't want you to read me tons of cards. I believe your evidence should support your speech, not be your speech.

Second: Stock issues. These exist for a reason in this event.

In essence, I value traditional, logical, and well-articulated arguments.

I do not prefer K's. There are very few K's that I believe are successful arguments and would need to be very well articulated and sound argumentation.

Do not yell! Passion does not equal louder. Please maintain a reasonable volume.

Senior at Shawnee Heights, advanced debater

Have fun, speak loud and clearly, and don't be nervous!

Convince me why you should win, don't just spew off cards and expect a win. I want to know that you know what you're talking about and arguing for or against.

Good luck!