UCONN BA in Political Sciences

QVCC Associate's Degree in Human Services and General Studies

Keiser U MSE in Teaching and Learning

Policy Debate Background:

Attended NU’s NHSI of Speech in 1981, TOC in 1982. Judged at northern Virginia District NFL qualifiers in late 80s. Judged at Bronx-Science, Edison, Wake Forest tournaments in early 90s. Judged at DDI summer camp 1992. Attended UVM’s Policy Debate Teacher/Coach’s Workshop in 2004 and UVM’s Workshop Debate Across the Curriculum in 2009. Judged at UVM's summer debate camp tournaments those years. Judged at Yale U. policy debate division at HS Invitationals in 2004, 2009, and 2012. Judged at UDL Nationals in 2013. Judging at 2023-2024 Springboard Series NSDA policy debates.

Given my home state of Connecticut’s lack of a policy debate division I am overjoyed to be able to participate in the policy debate community on-line. It is an honor to judge policy debates and I feel strongly in the education policy debaters receive from debating their rounds.

For negative arguments I must say I like Disadvantages a lot. Labeling and tagging the parts of the DA is important such as for example:

A. Uniqueness: - Economy is good now.

B. Link/Brink/Threshold/Internal Links:

-Increased spending for FJG/UBI/SS leads to Inflation/wage/price spiral/interest rate hikes etc.

C. Impact: Economic crash leading to global war.

For affirmative arguments I appreciate turning the disadvantage.

It is important to reestablish your affirmative ground in the round in the rebuttals by extending the case harms/advantages once you take out or turn the negative arguments.

Advantage Counterplans in my opinion need to solve the case harms presented by the affirmative and not stray to far from the harms presented by the affirmative.

T and critiques are okay along with debate theory arguments.

Please provide a roadmap of arguments at the beginning of speeches. Signposting and numbering are appreciated. Do not be afraid to persuade by slowing down to emphasize more important points such as weighing arguments and impact calculus. Never underestimate the power of clarity by slowing down and varying speed. Policy debate is fun!

Communication is of the utmost importance during the debate round. Both the negative and affirmative must be able to relay information to the judge in an organized and professional fashion. As a Tabula Rasa judge, I would like both sides to present to me the reasons their arguments should be voted on. Counterplans (CPs), Kritiks (K's), and Disadvantages (Disads) are welcomed as long as they are run correctly. If not run properly, the argument will not flow. I will rarely vote in favor of spreading. That does not mean you have to speak slowly; it means speaking clearly, enunciating your words, and knowing the correct pronunciation of the words you use. I am unable to judge what I cannot understand. Roadmaps are heavily preferred. I will approach each debate round with an unbiased perspective, urging debaters to articulate their arguments with clarity, precision, and adherence to the established norms of debate.

Effective communication which shows in a student's manner, preparation, performance, and substance. In debate events, it is important to offer evidentiary analysis and specific clash with either policy issues (CD/CX) or values/criterion (LD) without games. Pretty basic.

I really like policy. Common sense policy. Counterplans are great if you can sell it to me with the skills mentioned above.

Kritiks, no. Conditional arguments only if you are clear where you are going with it. I just don't exist in a world where we debate with those strategies. Does not mean I will vote against you, but I just may not understand where you are going with them. Be clear and persuasive, and I'll be more inclined to give you the ballot. Please don't be jerks in the round--I do like some decorum. Not asking you to be phony nice. Win the round with your policy and your ability to communicate that to me.

For larger school circuits whose debate style includes speed/spreading, I will adapt but not a fan. This is TFA and not UIL, so I respect what you are accustomed to on this circuit. I would ask the same courtesy of your coaches if they were judging UIL.

Jack Black rules. Be like Jack.