Lexington Winter Invitational
2019 — Lexington, MA/US
Novice LD Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideAs a Lincoln Douglas Judge I am a very traditional judge from a very traditional area of the country. With that, comes all of the typical impacts.
I am not able to flow spreading very effectively at all.
I, very rarely, judge policy, but those would be in slower rounds as well. Because of that, though, I am at least somewhat familiar with K debate, K AFF, theory, CP's, etc.
For me to vote on progressive argumentation in LD, it has to be very clearly ARTICULATED to me why and how you win those arguments. Crystal clear argumentation and articulation of a clear path to giving you the ballot is needed.
I competed in Policy for three years in high school, and Parliamentary debate in college for three years. I've been judging PF since then.
Columbia University 2018
New York University School of Law 2022
Speed
It is your burden to make sure that your speech is clear and understandable and the faster you want to speak, the more clearly you must speak. I am generally fine with spreading.
I never time debates. That's not my job. Therefor, it is your job. Police yourselves and eachother. There is an art to this. Opposing teams can hold up their iPhones to indicate their opponent has run out of time.
I generally allow for a 15 seconds grace period to finish sentences.
Posture
Circumstances permitting, you must stand up, in a centralized spot, and face me during constructive arguments. This is preferred but not necessary during cross.
Evidence
If you fail to call out bad evidence, it will be accepted as true for the round.
Judging style
If there are any aspects of the debate I look to before all others, they would be impact analysis and weighing. Not doing one or the other or both makes it much harder for me to vote for you, either because I don't know how to evaluate the impacts in the round or because I don't know how to compare them. If you don't compare them for me, I will do it on my own and no one wants that.
Burden Interpretations
The pro and the con have an equal and opposite burden of proof.
ikeleorocket@gmail.com
Hi.
I debated LD for Lexington for four years and I'm a sophomore at NYU.
I mostly ran theory and Ks during high school but I'm also well versed with LARP debate.
My general philosophy is to try and be as tabula rasa as possible.
I don't care whether or not your aff defends the topic. I frequently read affs in high school which did not defend the topic and am well versed with debates such as framework and cap.
Queerness arguments were my speciality but I'm familiar with anti blackness, high theory, etc. Informed readings of Deleuze, Muñoz, or Edelman will yield high speaker points.
I enjoy a good theory debate (good means thorough and specific not 8 different shells with no weighing).
I find Bostrom and existential risk arguments persuasive.
Phil debate is fine just not where I'm at my best necessarily. Same goes for tricks.
I have a low threshold for responses to arguments that are obviously false - doesn't mean I will intervene against them however.
I'm fine with speed and I'll say clear as many times as I need to, just slow down for theory interps and advocacy texts.
Speaker points:
- I like strategic arguments
- I like word efficiency
- I dislike rudeness during CX or in round
- I like concise overviews and impact calc
- Please don't read climate change denial
pomo/phil/tricks - 1/2
theory/k - 2/3
larp - 4
i like to think i evaluate rounds pretty technically. read whatever you want but i was mostly into poststructuralist/pomo stuff, existentialism, kant, tricks, etc. im most familiar with deleuze, baudrillard, nietzsche, and the like but that said ur gonna have to explain your arguments no matter what. i'll evaluate any argument that i understand unless theres a reason i can't.
please make it interesting thats my only request, obviously i'll judge every round to the best of my ability but i would much rather judge an interesting round and hear cool arguments. that usually doesn't mean "meme" arguments, but if you're good enough to win with a meme arg then by all means go for it.
Hi! I'm a fourth year out from Lexington. I'm a senior at Vanderbilt now studying Biology and Public Health with a Chinese minor (I'm also premed). I haven't judged since two years ago and haven't thought extensively about debate since three years ago.
When I debated, I liked running K's, primarily Deleuze/ high theory stuff. That being said, I'll listen to anything! You will definitely have to go slower on theory/ tech-y phil stuff (or everything since I haven't listened to spreading in legit years), but read whatever you want.
You can email me at avery.k.fortier@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions before or after the round! Please just have fun, be nice, and try to learn something. Mostly, please be nice. I will give you higher points if you are nice.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Lex 2024 update: I don't judge frequently so please don’t go full speed or assume I know acronyms and recent trends - you will receive much higher speaks if you slow down, enunciate, pause between cards, signpost clearly etc.
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I debated for 4 years in Lincoln Douglas at Lexington High School, graduating in 2020. I competed on the local and national circuit and qualified twice to the TOC. My paradigm mostly lists preferences that will affect speaks but will not affect my decision. Feel free to email me if you have questions: simranngandhi@gmail.com
- I will evaluate any argument that has a clearly explained claim, warrant and impact unless the argument is blatantly discriminatory
- I read kritiks, philosophy, policy and theory/T arguments at different points in my career and I'm comfortable evaluating any of those debates
- I won't vote on arguments I don't understand even if they're conceded throughout the debate
- I don't like strategies used to avoid answering arguments - this goes for any type of debate not just tricks
- I won't vote on ad hominems or arguments about out of round issues other than disclosure
Ways to get good speaks:
- Clarity and efficiency > speed
- Good topic knowledge
- Lots of clash and weighing
- Smart CX
I am a freshman at Tufts and debated for Lexington High School for four years.
I'm honestly fine with most arguments. I usually ran ks and some phil but also sometimes LARP and occasionally theory/T. That being said, I am super not inclined to vote for tricks.
Please, for the love of god, err on the side of explanation (for all cases but especially really nuanced args that I might not have heard before). Clear overviews in the last rebuttal that explains to me why you win the round and write my ballot for me are cool. Impact calc is always super encouraged and appreciated. Also, please signpost as much as possible.
If you feel like it would be a good idea to email me your speech, here you go: avanik68@gmail.com. However, keep in mind that if you make me read your whole case on my laptop because your speaking is bad, things do not look awesome for your speaker points (on the whole, I am pretty generous with speaker points).
Last note, I don't care if you are standing or sitting or what you are wearing but I would really appreciate if you do your best to be as nice as possible to your opponent. Debates can get heated which is understandable but making people feel shitty for no reason, is well, shitty.
If you have any specific questions, please ask me before the round or email me!
I did LD for four years at Lexington High School, graduating in 2020. My email is 0evanli0@gmail.com
I'm willing to vote on any argument I understand excluding ones that are offensive. I was most familiar with theory and policy arguments as a debater, but I try to be as open minded as possible when judging. Please try to be clear and slower than usual as I have not judged in a while.
I don't disclose speaks. I give speaks based on argument quality, strategy, efficiency, and clarity.
I am a very traditional judge. I do not like speed. Speak at a normal pace.
No K's. Debate the topic.
Crystalize. Tell me why you won the debate. If you write out my RFD, you stand a better chance of winning.
Make sure that you bring up any cross-ex points in your next speech. Connect them to what you have said.
Overall, I want to know why you should win the round. Spell it out. If you leave it up to me, don't be surprised if I had a different takeaway than you wanted.
I'm a Senior at Bronx Science and have debated LD for 3 years.
Run whatever you want, I'm cool with whatever K or theory you want just don’t be offensive.
Email for email chains: ongj@bxscience.edu
~Updated for Feb 2022~
FYI I have not judged in approximately a year and I have not interacted with debate in just as long. I would recommend taking this into account while prepping strats and speaking MUCH SLOWER than you usually would.
Conflicts: Walt Whitman, Lexington, Hunter, Hamilton RM
Send docs: 19.prasadm@gmail.com
I did LD and PF at Lexington HS (MA) 2015-2019.
Disclaimers:
Hello! This is ZOOM debate which means it is GLITCHY and GROSS pls SLOW down!
Used to be Yale 2020, now thoughts on e-debate in general: I'm tired, I am burned out, and I get very bored listening to badly explained Baudrillard Ks multiple rounds in a row. If you do pref me, know that double flighted tournaments make my eyes *burn* and I will be flowing on paper for most rounds if it's a double flighted tournament. I used to care a lot about the things listed below. To some extent I still do, but I haven't taught/intensely thought about debate since summer 2019 so at the moment I'm not very invested in specific types of arguments or up to speed with whatever is trendy this season. Judging over Zoom is exhausting and it's honestly pretty hard for me to flow that well with little voices screaming out of my laptop. Please, please, please, for the love of all things good, SLOW DOWN. At least for tags. I'm begging.
PLEASE TRIGGER WARN APPROPRIATELY!!! If you don't know how please ask!
Postrounding is a no <3. Questions about strats are fine, but you won't change my ballot.
LD:
Short version.
Ks we love. LARP/policy is solid. Traditional is also good. Phil is kinda meh, you'd need to explain it very well. Please leave your tricks, skep, and frivolous theory at home, I don't trust myself to evaluate them. Probably okay at evaluating T/theory if there is a persuasive abuse story. If you read T/theory the shell needs to have an impact. Disclosure and email chains are good. When you extend or make new arguments don't forget to implicate them! Tell me what comes first and why.
Long version.
I used to vibe p hard with Mina's paradigm and I share a lot of her views on debate. I was also heavily influenced by Paloma O'Connor, CQ, and David Asafu-Adjaye. As a result, I'm not a fan of the whole "debate is a game" mindset and doing whatever it takes to win a round. Debate is about education, not about your record. Also -- I'm sorry, fairness is not a voter.
Kritiks/Non-T K affs/Performance
I mostly ran these as a debater so these are my favorite arguments. I really like hearing performance affs but you also need to be able to point to something the aff actually does.
That being said, don't read random Ks in front of me just because of my paradigm. I need to see a clear link and know what the alt does. Links of omission are ~questionable~ and I'm sympathetic to args against them. I'm also extremely picky when it comes to people reading and other kritiks relating to indigenous scholarship. I think a lot of authors are bastardized and commodified in debate and I see this the most with indigenous scholarship. Not uber familiar with all K lit, especially newer pessimism arguments.
New microaggression independent voter args that seem to be trendy and function on some sort of level between theory and K, but probably above policy?
Impact these out if you're reading them. I'm not going to vote off of a blippy one line claiming something is an "independent voter" or a "voting issue" and no implication of the argument. Also, don't just drop all the other flows because you think something is an independent voter -- I don't think this is very strategic; explain how it interacts with the other flows and which layer of the round it should be evaluated on. I don't really enjoy voting off these arguments...tbh they make me kinda uncomfy, but if they're warranted and impacted I will.
Plans/CPs/DAs/LARPy policy stuff
These are cool, low key would like to judge more of them. Just be wary of super long link chains. I default to comparative worlds in most debates (esp when framing becomes murky) so this is probably the type of debate best equipped for that.
T/Theory
I did not like these arguments as a debater and I generally do not enjoy judging them. I'm also not very good at judging them so PLEASE make the abuse story very clear and SLOW DOWN A LOT.
Post Big Lex 2020 edit: I'm honestly starting to hate these arguments less. I'm not completely opposed to T and would probably be down to judge more non-T K affs vs T rather than bad/awkward K v Ks.
Yale 2020: Idk if this is a new thing but y'all aren't impacting your shells. Like great you just spent a minute reading T, but didn't tell me what to do about it. DTD or DTA, but if not idk what I'm supposed to do with the shell lol.
Blake 2020: If you read disclosure against a trad/small school debater who is not familiar with the wiki I will probably not vote on the shell,,, like bruh why?
T v K
I went for K over T a lot as a debater but I'm gonna try to be tab about this and say both sides are gonna need hella warrants and hella weighing when making these arguments.
Tricks/a prioris/friv theory
just no <3.
Speaker Points
I start at a 28.5 and then move up or down depending on what y'all do. Go slow at first and let me get used to you before you go full speed. I'll say clear 2-3 times but if nothing changes don't expect my flow to be that great and I'm not gonna check the speech doc to play catch up. Be strategic and don't be rude and you'll probably be happy with your speaks. Read: adapt to your opponent if they have considerably less experience than you. I am not afraid of giving a mean debater with a good strat a 26.
PF:
I didn't do a ton of PF because I don't think it's very nuanced/not well-structured. Biases aside, just make good extensions, do a good amount of weighing and READ ACTUAL CARDS.
Lexington High School '20
McGill University '24
email: andrea.reier@mail.mcgill.ca
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Background: I was an LD debater for 3 years in high school and primarily ran fem critical theory. I also dabbled a bit in policy as well. I lean truth > tech, but I will evaluate most arguments in a debate. Just please crystallize and clearly delineate a ballot for me in the 2A/2N. Don't just extend arguments, explain why they're important to the round and weigh.
Tabula rasa (minus tricks, do not read these args.) But please be clear and do not speak super fast, I am not used to the high-tech jargon anymore.
Debate PREFS: PHIL > Ks > LARP > Theory* (In order of how well I evaluate these debates)
* = Good at evaluating as long as it's not frivolous theory & the round is arguably unfair.
Other stuff:
Low-point win (risk): reading off the doc the entirety of the debate i.e your 2N is 100% pre-written (you should know how to exempt args and contextualize them within the round)
**IMPORTANT** - I expect debaters to give trigger warnings before reading material with graphic and/or sensitive content (sexual assault, graphic descriptions/images of racial violence, etc.). If you defend not giving a trigger warning on very sensitive content, I will auto drop you and give zero speaks.
"also pls don't use racist/sexist/ableist language because i will tank your speaks/will not hesitate to vote on discourse. Also, please be polite to your opponents- do not be rude in the name of being assertive." - Shweta's paradigm.
have fun and good luck! :)
Hi, I'm Matthew Repecki, I am a freshman at Rochester Institute of Technology.
What will give you higher speaks
1. Being a clear speaker
2. Signposting your arguments
3. Give clear voting issues
4. Weighing your extensions vs your opponent's extensions
5. Reading topical arguments and K's
What you will lose speaking points for
1. Being rude to your opponent
2. Sitting during your speeches and cx unless you are not physically able to stand, looking at your opponent during CX and not at me, News flash your opponent is not writing the ballot I am.
3. Arguing with me after the round, it is ok to ask questions though
4. Reading frivolous Theory or Tricks
5. Being late, I nor your opponent want to be kept waiting around, get to the round early and wait outside if you are flight 2.
Speed
I am perfectly fine with speed as long as you are clear
Tricks
Just don't read them in front of me..... at all
Theory
I am fine with Theory and I think RVI's are fine to vote on as a check against abusive theory.
If you have any questions before the round feel free to ask them.
Welcome Debaters!
My name is Nachiyappan Solaiyappan and I am a sophomore at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
I debated 3 years of varsity Lincon Douglas Debate in High School and mostly judged my Senior year. I have never judged PF debate before, so if you have me as a judge, I will be mostly weighing on the clash of arguments. I also like to see strong links between arguments.
I don't like to hear "meme" arguments because although that may win you the debate round with other judges, in my mind, it is not the best embodiment of a real-world situation.
*I do not like it when people aggressively yell in rounds. Yelling is not equal to convincing*
Best of Luck!
I am the coach of Scarsdale HS and have been in the activity for 20 some odd years
LD
These days I tend to tab rather than judge so I am generally out of practice. Treat me as you would an educated parent judge. Go slow and clear. Signpost. Weigh
As a more traditional judge, I prefer to hear arguments that are actually about the topics. I will listen to any well reasoned and explained arguments though although voting on argument not about the topic will probably make me want to give poor points.
PF
i would prefer fewer cards and stats that are actually contextualized and explained than a slurry of paraphrased nonsense. Anyone can make individualized stats dance, but a solid debater can explain the context of that work and how it links to other pieces of info
I am a parent of an LD debater. The majority of rounds I have judged have been traditional rounds on the local circuit.
Please speak slowly and explain your arguments very well. I will do my best to flow and keep up with the round.
Debate Paradigm
Paul Wexler Coach since 1993, Judge since 1987 Debated CEDA,College Parli, HS LD and Policy, College and HS Speech Current Affiliation: Needham High School Coach (speech and debate) I coach a little with Arlington HS (Massachusetts)
Previous Affiliations: Manchester-Essex Regional, Boston Latin School, San Antonio-LEE, College of Wooster (Ohio) (competitor) , University of Wisconsin (Madison)(coach): Debate and Speech for Irvine-University HS (CA) (competitor)
Coach: All debate events (LD, PF, WSD, Congress) plus spectrum of speech events.
Novice Paradigm is here first, followed by PF, and then LD (though much of LD applies to PF and nowadays even policy where appropriate)- Congress and Worlds is at VERY end.
I put the novice version first, to make it easy on them. Varsity follows. LD if below PF (even though I judge a good deal more LD than PF).
PLEASE NOTE SECTION BELOW REGARDING DISCLOSURE BY NEEDHAM AND ARLINGTON HS (MA) TEAM MEBMERS!
Novice Version (all debate forms)
I am very much excited to be hearing you today! It takes bravery to put oneself out there, and I am very happy to see new members join our community.
1)The voting standard ( a way to compare the arguments made by both sides in debate) is the most important judging tool to me in the round. Whatever else you do or say, weighing how the different arguments impact COMPARATIVELY to the voting standard is paramount.
2)I believe that debaters indicate through analysis and time management what their key arguments are. Therefore, a one-sentence idea in case, if used as a major voting issue in rebuttals/final focus/, will receive 'one-sentence worth' of weight in my RFD. even if the idea was dropped cold. That's not no weight at all. But it ain't uranium either.
Simply extending drops and cards is insufficient, be sure to connect to the voting standard and explain the argument sufficiently. I do cut the Aff a little more leeway in this regard than the neg due to time limitations, but be careful.
3) As noted above, be sure to weigh your arguments compared to the arguments made by the other side. That means " We are winning Argument A - It is more important than the other sides Argument B (even if they are winning argument B) for reason X"
4) Have fun! Learn! If you have questions, please ask. This is an amazing activity and to repeat what I said above, am 'glad and gladder and gladddest' you are part of our community.
To earn higher speaker points...(Novice Version)
Be kind/professional towards those less experienced or skilled. i.e. , make their arguments sound better than they probably are, make your own arguments accessible to them, organize the disorganized ideas of opponents, etc. while avoiding being condescending.
If clearly outclassed, stay engaged and professional. Try to avoid being visibly frustrated. We have all been there! You will absolutely get this eventually. (Plus, you never know- you may make the 'golden ticket argument ' to winning the round without knowing it...)
If I think you have done either of these, it will always result in bonus speaker points.
ALSO...
-Engage with your opponent's ideas. Clash with them directly, prove them wrong, demonstrate they are actually reasons to vote for you, etc., or at least of lesser importance,
Exhibit the ability to use CX /crossfire effectively ( This DOES NOT mean 'stumping the chump' it DOES mean setting up arguments for you to use in later speeches.)
To earn lower speaker points (novice version)
1) Act like a rude, arrogant, condescending, ignoramus. (or just one of these)
In other words, making arguments which offend, 'ist' arguments or behaving like a jerk - If you have to ask, chances are you shouldn't. "if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, chances are it IS a duck." Being racist or sexist or classist or homophobic means one loses regardless, but behaving like a jerk in a non-'ist' way still means you lose speaker points and if offensive enough I'll look for a reason to vote against you.
2)Use cases obviously not your own or obviously written by a super-experienced teammate or coach. Debate is a place to share your ideas and improve your own skills. Channelling or being a 'ventriloquist's dummy' for someone else just cheats yourself. Plus, for speaker point purposes, you are not demonstrating you have mastered the skill of communicating your OWN ideas, so I can't evaluate them.
3)Avoid engaging with your opponent's ideas. Avoiding engaging through reliance on definitions, tricks, etc., or other methods may win you my ballots, but will earn lower speaker points.
4) For outrounds and flip rounds, please especially note section marked 'outrounds' at end
PUBLIC FORUM
I've judged it and coached it since the creation.
I default to voting on the whole resolution. I vote for whichever side shows it is preponderantly more desirable That may include scope, impact, probability, timeframe etc.
Most of what I say under Lincoln-Douglas below applies here, regarding substance as well as theory/and Ks. The differences OR key points are as follows.
1) I judge PF as an educated layperson- i.e. one who reads the paper (credibile news sources) but doesn't know the technicalities of debate lingo.
As such your 'extend this" and "pull that" confuse me for the purposes of the round - I will ignore debate lingo unless you explain the argument itself.
1b) I shall ignore 'theory' arguments completely (in PF, I will also ignore 'education' theory arguments, as well as 'fairness'-- '. Frame those arguments in terms of substance if you opt to make them, if there is a connection you will be fine). Theory arguments as such shall be treated as radio silence on my flow. I will also default to thinking you are uninterested in doing the work necessary to understand the topic, and that you are publicly announcing you are proud of being ignorant.
If someone's opponent is prima facie unfair or uneducational, say so without running a 'shell'.
1c) I WILL evaluate K's when based on the topic literature. Many resolutions DO have a reasonable link when one does the research
Your rate of delivery should be appropriate to the types of arguments you are making.
2)Stand during the cross-fire times. This adds to your perceptual dominance.
3) Offer and justify some sort of voting standard I can use to weigh competing arguments.
4) On Evidence...
--a)Evidence should be fully explained with analysis. Evidence without analysis isn't persuasive to me. (the best evidence will have analysis as well, which is the gold standard- but you should add your own linking to the round itself and the resolution proper).
4b) In order to earn higher speaker points, I expect evidence use to adhere to the full context being used and accessible. This doesn't mean you can't paraphrase when appropriate, it does mean reciting a single sentence or two and/or taking excessive time when asked to produce the source means you are still developing your evidence usage ability. Of course, using evidence in context (be it a full card or proper paraphrasing-) is expected Note #6 below.
You will also want to make note of the 'earn higher speaker points' in the novice ection above, it also applies to varsity.
--Quantitative claims always require evidence, the more recent the better.
--Qualitative claims DO NOT always require evidence, that depends on the specific claim.
-5)-Be comparative when addressing competing claims. The best analytical evidence compares claims directly within itself.
-6)Produce requested evidence in an expeditious fashion- Failure to do so comes of YOUR prep time, and eventually next speech time. Since such failure demonstrates that organizational skills are still being developed. Being in the 'developing skills' range is, like with any other debate skill, reflected in speaker points earned.
'Expeditious' means within ten seconds or so, unless the tournament invitation mandates a different period of time
-7)-Blips in constructive speeches blown up large in summary or final focus are weighed as blips in my decision calculus
8)No 'kicking' out of arguments unless the opponent agrees with said kicking. "You broke the argument, you own it."
9) I will most likely only ask for cards at the round's end in the case of ethical challenges, etc, or if I failed to make note of a card's substance through some reason beyond a debater's control (My own sneezing fit for example, or the host school's band playing '76 Trombones on the Hit Parade' in the classroom next door during a speech.
10) What I have to say elsewhere in this document about how to access higher speaker points, technical mattters, and how to earn super low points by being offensiv/rude also applies to PF.
Most Importantly- as with any event " Have fun! "If you are learning and having fun, the winning shall take care of itself."
LD Debate -Varsity division
Note on January February 2023 topic. Making arguments grounded in racist appeals (such as claims group X is more prone to criminality) will result in a loss and low speaker points.
Shorter Version (in progress) (if you want to run some of these, see the labeled sections for most of them, following)
-Defaults to voting criterion.
-Theory-will not vote on fairness or disclosure. It will be treated as radio silence. See below for note regarding both Needham HS and Arlington regarding disclosure of cases by team members.
-Education theory on the topic's substantial, topic-related issues OK but if frivolous RVIs are encouraged.(i.e., brackets theory, etc ) I will almost always vote on reasonability.
--Will not vote on generic skepticism. May vote on resolution-specific skepticism
-Blips in constructive speeches blown up large in rebuttals are weighed as blips in my decision calculus
-It is highly unlikely I shall vote on tricks or award higher speaker points for tricks-oriented debaters
-No 'kicking' out of arguments unless the opponent agrees with said kicking. "You broke the argument, you own it."
-Critical arguments are fine and held to the same analytical standard as normative arguments.
-Policy approaches (plans/CPs/DAs) are fine. They are held to same prima facie burdens as in actual CX rounds- That also means if you want me to be a policy-maker, your evidence better be recent. If you don't know what I mean by 'prima facie burdens as in actual CX rounds' you should opt for a different strategy.
-Narratives are fine and should provide a rhetorical model for me to use to evaluate approach.
-If running something dense, it is the responsibility of the debater to explain it. I regard trying to comprehend it on my own to be judge intervention.
As I believe debate is an ORAL communication activity (albeit one often with highly specialized vocabulary and speed) I (with courtesy) do not wish to be added to any 'speech document ' for debates taking place in the flesh or virtually. I will be pleased to read speech documents for any written debate contests I may happen to judge.
Role of ballot - See labeled section below- Too nuanced to have a short version
To Access higher speaker points...
Be kind/professional towards those less experienced or skilled. i.e. , make their arguments sound better than they probably are, make your own arguments accessible to them, organize the disorganized ideas of opponents, etc. while avoiding being condescending.
If clearly outclassed, stay engaged and professional. Try to avoid being visibly frustrated. We have all been there! You will absolutely get this eventually. (Plus, you never know- you may make the 'golden ticket argument ' to winning the round without knowing it...)
If I think you have done either of these, it will always result in bonus speaker points.
ALSO...
-Engage with your opponent's ideas. Clash with them directly, prove them wrong, demonstrate they are actually reasons to vote for you, etc., or at least of lesser importance,
exhibit the ability to listen.(see below for how I evaluate this)
exhibit the ability to use CX effectively (CX during prep time does not do so) This DOES NOT mean 'stumping the chump' it DOES mean setting up arguments for you to use in later speeches.
To Access lower speaker points
1) Act like a rude, arrogant, condescending, ignoramus. (or just one of these)
In other words, making offensive arguments, 'ist' arguments or behaving like a jerk - If you have to ask, chances are you shouldn't. "if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, chances are it IS a duck." Being racist or sexist or homophobic means one loses regardless, but behaving like a jerk in a non-'ist' way still means you lose speaker points and if offensive enough I'll look for a reason to vote against you.
2)have your coach fight your battles for you- When your coach browbeats your opponents to disclose or flip- or keeps you from arriving to your round in a timely fashion, it subliminally promotes your role as one in which you let your coach do your advocacy and thinking for you.
3)Avoid engaging with your opponent's ideas. Avoiding engaging through reliance on definitions, tricks, etc., or other methods may win you my ballots, but will earn lower speaker points.
4)Act like someone uninterested in knowledge or intellectual hard work and is proud of that lack of interest. Running theory as a default strategy is a most excellent and typical way of doing so, and in public at that.-- (But there are other ways).
Longer Version
1)The voting standard is the most important judging tool to me in the round. Whatever else you do or say, weighing how the different arguments impact COMPARATIVELY to the voting standard is paramount.
I strongly prefer debaters to focus on the resolution proper, as defined by the topic literature. I tend to be really, REALLY bored by debaters who spend the bulk of their time on framework issues and/or theory as opposed to topical debating.
By contrast, I am very much interested in how philosophical and ethical arguments are applied to contemporary challenges, as framed by the resolution.
You can certainly be creative, which shall be rewarded when on-topic. Indeed, having a good command of the topic literature is a good way to be both.
My speaker points to an extent reflect my level of interest.
2) I evaluate a debater's ENTIRE skill set when assigning speaker points, including the ability to listen. See below for how I assess that ability.
3)One can use alternative approaches to traditional ones in LD in front of me. I am receptive to narratives, plans, kritiks, the role of the ballot to fight structural oppression, etc. But these should be grounded in the specific topic literature- This includes describing why the specific resolution being debated undermines the fight against oppressive norms.
4) I am NOT receptive to generic 'debate is bad' arguments. Wrong forum.
5) Specifics of my view of policy, critical, performance, etc. cases are at the bottom if you wish to skip to that.
ON THEORY-
I will not vote on...
a)Fairness arguments, period. They will be treated as radio silence. - See famed debate judge Marvin the Paranoid Android's (which I find optimistic) paradigm on this in 'The Debate Judges Guide to the Galaxy.' by Douglas Adams.
"The first ten million (fairness arguments) were the worst. And the second ten million: they were the worst, too. The third ten million I didn’t enjoy at all. After that, their quality went into a bit of a decline.”
Fairness debating sounds like this to me.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFvujknrBuE)
And complaints about having to affirm makes the arguer look and sound like this from 'Puddles Pity Party'
Instead, tell me why the perceived violation is a poor way to evaluate the truth of the resolution, not that it puts you in a poor position to win.
b) I will not vote on disclosure theory, it shall be treated as radio silence. The following sentence applies to both Needham HIgh School and Arlington High School. I have assisted a little with Arlington High. Both Needham and Arlington High Schools, by team consensus, do not permit its' members to disclose except at tournaments where it is specified as required to participate by tournament invitation. I find the idea that disclosure is needed to avoid 'surprises' or have. a quality debate to be unlikely.
c) I will vote on education theory. In most cases it must be related to the topic literature. However, I am actively favorable to RVIs when run in response to 'cheap' , 'throw-away' , generic, or 'canned' education theory. Topic only focused, please.
d)Shells are not always necessary (or even usually). if an opponent's position is truly squirrelly ten seconds explaining why is a better approach in front of me than a two or three minute theory shell
e) I am highly unlikely to vote on arguments that center on an extreme or very narrow framing of the resolution no matter how much framework you do- and 100% unlikely based on a half or full sentence blurb.-
'Extreme' in this context means marginally related to the literature (or a really small subset of it)
ON BLIPS AND EXTENSIONS
I believe that debaters indicate through analysis and time management what their key arguments are. Therefore, a one-sentence idea in case, if used as a major voting issue in rebuttals, will receive 'one sentence worth' of weight in my RFD. even if the idea was dropped cold. That's not no weight at all. But it ain't uranium either.
Simply extending drops and cards is insufficient, be sure to connect to the voting standard and explain the argument sufficiently. I do cut the Aff a little more leeway in this regard than the neg due to time limitations, but be careful.
OLD SCHOOL IDIOSYNCRASY- THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING
1) On sharing cases and evidence,
Please note: The below does not apply to the reading of evidence cards, nor does it apply to people with applicable IEPs, 504s or are English language learners.
1) I believe that listening is an essential debate skill. In those cases where speed and jargon are used, they are still being used within a particular oral communication framework, even if it is one unique to debate. It makes no sense to me to speak our cases to one another (and the judge), while our opponent reads the text afterwards (even more so as the case is read) and then orally respond to what was written down (or for the judge to vote on what was written down). If that is the norm, we could just stay home and email each other our cases.
In the round, this functions as my awarding higher speaker points to good listeners. Asking for the text of entire cases demonstrates you are still developing the ability to listen and/or the ability to process what you heard. That's OK, this is an educational activity, but a still developing listener wouldn't earn higher speaker points for the same reason someone with developing refutation skills wouldn't earn higher speaking points. My advice is to work on the ability to process what you have heard rather than ask for cases or briefs.
As I believe that act of orally speaking should not be limited to being an anthropological vestige of some ancient debate ritual, I will courteously turn down offers to be added to any speech documents, except at contests designed for such a purpose.
Asking for individual cards by name to examine their rhetoric, context etc, is acceptable, as I don't expect most debaters to be able to write down cards verbatim. I expect those cards to be made available immediately. Any time spent 'jumping' the cards to an opponent beyond minimal is taken off the prep time of the debater that just read the case.
I will most likely only ask for cards at the round's end in the case of ethical challenges, etc, or if I failed to make note of a card's substance through some reason beyond a debater's control (My own sneezing fit for example, or the host school's band playing '76 Trombones on the Hit Parade' in the classroom next door during the 1AC)-
On Non Debater authored Cases
I believe two of the most valuable skills in debate, along with the ability to listen, are the ability to write and research (and do both efficiently).
I further believe the tendency of some in the debate community to encourage students to become a ventriloquist's dummy, reading cases authored by individuals post-HS, is antithetical to developing these skills. Most likely it is also against most schools' academic code of conduct. I reject the idea that students are 'too busy to write their own cases and do their own research'
Therefore
I will drop debaters -with minimal speaker points- who run cases written by any individual not enrolled in high school.
In novice or JV rounds I will drop debaters who run cases written by a varsity teammate.
Further, if I suspect, given that debater's level of competence, that they are running a position they did not write ( I suspect they have little to no comprehension of what they are reading) I reserve the right to question them after the round about that position. If said person confirms my suspicion about their level of comprehension, they will be dropped by me with minimal speaker points.
THAT SAID my speaker points will reward debaters who are trying out new ideas which they don't completely understand yet- I think people should take risks, just don't let yourself be shortchanged of all that debate can be by letting some non-high school student - or more experienced teammate- write your ideas for you. Don't be Charlie McCarthy (or Mortimer Snerd for that matter)
Finally, I am not opposed to student-written team cases/briefs per sae. However, given the increasing number of cases written by non-students, and the difficulty I have in distinguishing those from student-written positions, I may eventually apply this stance to any case I hear for the second time (or more) at a tournament. That day has not yet arrived however.
ON POLICY ARGUMENTS (LARPING)
I am open to persons who wish to argue policy positions as opposed to voting standard If that framework is won.
Do keep in mind that I believe the time structure of LD makes running such strategies a challenge. I find many policy link stories in LD debate, even in late outrounds at TOC-qual tournaments, to be JVish at best. Opponents, don't be afraid to say so.
Disadvantages should have clear linkage to the terminal impact, the shorter the better. When responding, it is highly advantageous to respond to the links. I tend to find the "if there is a .01% chance of extinction happening you have to vote for me" to be silly at best if there is any sort of probability weighing placed against it.
Policy-style debaters assume all burdens that actual policy debaters have, That means if solvency -(or at least some sort of comparative advantage, inherency, etc. is not prima facie shown for the resolution proper, that debater loses even if the opponent does not actually give a response while drooling on their own cardigan. (or your own, for that matter).
That means if you want me to be a policy-maker, your evidence should be super-recent. Otherwise, I may decide you don't meet your prima facie burdens, even for 'inherency' which virtually nobody votes on ever. Why? The same reason one shouldn't read a politics DA from October 2022
Side note: If your OPPONENT does so, please be sure to all call them out on it in order to demonstrate CX or refutation skills. (I once heard someone ignore the fact a politics DA was being run the Saturday AFTER the election, it having taken place the Tuesday prior.... I was sad.
I do have some sympathy for the hypothesis-testing paradigm where up-to-date evidence is not always as necessary- if you sell me on it. Running older evidence under such a framework may or may not be strategic, but it WOULD meet prima facie burdens.
If you don't know what I mean by 'prima facie burdens', or 'hypothesis-testing' you should opt for a different strategy. - Do learn what these terms mean if interested in LARPing, or answering LARPers.
I am also actively disinclined to allow the negative to 'kick out' out of counterplans, etc., in face of an Aff challenge, during the 1NR. Think 'Pottery Barn'- to paraphrase Colin Powell- "You broke the argument, you own it."
ON NARRATIVE ARGUMENTS
In addition to the 'story', be sure to include a rhetorical model I can use to evaluate the narrative in the course of the round. if you do so effectively, speaker points will be high. If not, low.
One can access the power of narrative arguments without being appropriative of other cultures. This is one such approach (granted from a documentary on Diane Nash)
ON CRITICAL ARGUMENTS
I hold them to the same analytical standard as more normative or traditional arguments. That means quoting some opaque piece of writing is unlikely to score much emphasis with me, absent a complete drop by the opponent. And even if there is a complete drop, during the weighing stage I could easily be persuaded that the critical argument is of little worth in adjudicating the round. When debating critical theory, Don't be afraid to point out that "the emperor has no clothes."
In the round, this functions as debaters coherently planning what both they and their sources are being critical of, and doing so throughout the round.
Identifying if the 'problem' is due to a deliberate attempt to oppress or ignorant/incompetent policies/structures resulting in oppression likely add nuance to your argument, both in terms of introducing and responding to critical arguments. This is especially true if making a generic critical argument rather than one that is resolution-specific.
Critical arguments all take place in a context, with the authors reacting to some structure- be it one created and run by 'dead white men' or whomever. The authors most certainly were familiar with whom or what they were attacking. To earn the highest speaker points, you should demonstrate some level of that knowledge too. HOW you do so may vary, your speaker points will reflect how well you perform under the strategy you choose and carry out in the round
In any case, be sure to SLOW DOWN when reading critical arguments.
ROLE OF THE BALLOT-
I believe that debate, and the type of people it attracts, provides uniquely superior opportunities to develop the skills required to fight oppression. I also believe that how I vote in some prelim at a tournament is unlikely to make much of a difference- or less so than if the debaters and judge spent their Saturday volunteering for a group fighting out-of-the-round oppression Or even singing, as they do in arguably the best scene from the best American movie ever.--
I tend to take the arguments more seriously when made in out rounds with audiences. The final round of PF in 2021 at TOC was important and remarkable. In fairness, people may see prelims as the place to learn how to make these arguments, which is to be commended. But it is not guaranteed that I take an experienced debater making such arguments in prelims as seriously, without a well-articulated reason to do so.
Also bear in mind that my perspective is that of a social studies teacher with a MA in Middle Eastern history and a liberal arts education who is at least tolerably familiar with the literature often referenced in these rounds. (If sometimes only in a 'book review' kind of way.) But I also default in my personal politics to feeling that a bird in hand is better than exposing the oppression of the bush.
if simply invited or encouraged to think about the implications of your position, or to take individual action to do so, that is a wild card that may lead to a vote in your favor- or may not. I feel obligated to use my personal knowledge in such rounds. YOU are encouraged to discuss the efficacy of rhetorical movements and strategies in such cases.
ONE LAST NOTE
Honestly, I am more than a little uncomfortable with debaters who present as being from privileged backgrounds running race-based nihilist or pessimist arguments of which they have no historical part as the oppressed. Granted, this is partly because I believe that it is in the economic self-interest of entrenched powers to propagate nihilist views. If you choose to do so, you can win my ballot, but you will have to prove it won't result in some tangible benefit to people of privilege.
ON MORALLY OFFENSIVE ARGUMENTS
Offensive debaters, such as those who actively call for genocide will be dropped with minimal speaker points. The same is true for those who are blatantly racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.
I default to skepticism being in the same category when used as a response to 'X is morally bad' types of arguments.
By minimal speaker points, I mean 'one point' (.1 if the tournament allows tenths of a point) and my going to the physical (virtual) tabroom to insist they manually override any minimum in place in the settings.
If an argument not intended to be racist or sexist or homophobic or pro-murder could be misused to justify the same, that would be debatable in the round- though be reasonable. "if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, chances are it IS a duck." Arguing over if general U.S. immigration policy is irredeemably racist is debatable in the round, arguing that an entire group of people should be excluded based on religion is racist on face, and arguing that it is morally permissible to tear gas children is a moral travesty in and of itself.---
Outrounds/Flip Rounds Only
I believe debate offers a unique platform for debaters to work towards becoming self-sufficient learners, independent decision-makers, and autonomous advocates. I believe that side determination with a lead time for the purposes of receiving extensive side specific coaching particular to a given round is detrimental to debaters developing said skills. Further, it competitively disadvantages both debaters who do choose to emphasize such skills or do not have access to such coaching to start with.
Barring specific tournament rules/procedures to the contrary, in elimination rounds this functions as
a) flip upon arrival to the round.
b)avoid leaving the room after the coin flip (i.e., please go to the restroom, etc. before arriving at the room and before the flip)
c) arrive in sufficient time to the round to flip and do all desired preparation WITHOUT LEAVING THE ROOM so that the round can start on time.
d)All restrictions on electronic communication commence when the coin is in the air
Doing all of this establishes perceptual dominance in my mind. All judges, even those who claim to be blank slates, subliminally take perceptual dominance into account on some level. -Hence their 'preferences'. For me, all other matters being equal, I am more likely to 'believe' the round story given by a debater who exhibits these skills than the one I feel is channeling their coach's voice.
Most importantly
Have fun! Learn! "If you have fun and are learning, the winning will take care of itself"
POLICY Paradigm-
In absence of a reason not to do so, I default to policy-maker (though I do have some sympathy for hypothesis-testing).
The above largely holds for my policy judging, though I am not as draconically anti-theory in policy as I am in LD/PF because the time structure allows for bad theory to be exposed in a way not feasible in LD/PF.
Congress
To Access better ranks
1) Engage with your opponent's ideas. Clash with them directly, prove them wrong, further develop ideas offered previously by speakers on the same side of legislation as yourself, demonstrate opposing ideas are actually reasons to vote for you, etc
2)Speech organization should reflect when during a topic debate said speech is delivered. Earlier pro speeches (especially authorships or sponsorships) should explain what problem exists and how the legislation solves for it. Later speeches should develop arguments for or against the legislation. The last speeches on legislation should summarize and recap, reflecting the ideas offered during the debate
3)Exhibit the ability to listen. This is evaluated through argument development and clash
4)Evidence usage. Using evidence that may be used be 'real' legislators is the gold standard. (government reports or scholarly think tanks or other policy works. Academic-ish sources (JSTOR, NYRbooks, etc) are next. Professional news sources are in the middle. News sources that rely on 'free' freelancers are below that. Ideological websites without scholarly fare are at the bottom. For example, Brookings or Manhattan Institute, yes! Outside the box can be fine. If a topic on the military is on the docket, 'warontherocks.com ', yes!. (though cite the author and credentials. in such cases)
4b) Souce usage corresponds to the type of argument being backed. 'Expert' evidence is more important with 'detailed' legislation than with more birds-eye changes to the law.
5)exhibit the ability to use CX effectively - This DOES NOT mean 'stumping the chump' it DOES mean setting up arguments for you or a colleague to expand upon a speech later. Asking a question where the speaker's answer is irrelevant to you- - or your colleagues'- ability to do so later is the gold standard.
6)PO's should be transparent, expeditious, accurate and fair in their handling of the chamber.
6b)At local tournaments, 'new PO's will not be penalized (or rewarded) for still developing the ability to be expeditious. That skill shall be evaluated as radio silence (neither for, nor against you)- Give it a try!
To Access worse ranks
1) Act like a rude, arrogant, condescending, ignoramus. (or just one of these)
In other words, making offensive arguments, 'ist' arguments or behaving like a jerk - If you have to ask, chances are you shouldn't. "if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, chances are it IS a duck." Being racist or sexist or homophobic or transphobic means one loses regardless, but behaving like a jerk in a non-'ist' way still means I'll look for a reason to rank you at the very bottom of the chamber, behind the person who spent the entire session practicing their origami while engaged in silent self-hypnosis.
2)If among any speaker other than the author and first opposition, rehashing arguments that have already been made with no further development (no matter how well internally argued or supported with evidence your speech happens to be backed with)
3)Avoiding engaging with the ideas of others in the chamber- either in terms of clashing with them directly or expanding upon ideas already made
4)Evidence usage. Using evidence that may NOT be used be 'real' legislators is the gilded standard. Examples include blatantly ideological sources, websites that don't pay their contributors, etc. This is especially true if a technical subject is the focus of the debate.
4b)In general, using out of date evidence. The more immediate a problem the more recent evidence should be. Quoting Millard Fillmore on immigration reform should not more be done than quoting evidence from the Bush or even the Obama Administration. (That said, if arguing on the level of ideas, by all means, synthesize important past thinkers into your arguments)
5) Avoiding activity such as cross-examination
5b)'Stalling' when being CXed by asking clarification for simple questions
6)Act like someone uninterested in knowledge or intellectual hard work and is proud of that lack of interest
7)POs who show favoritism or repeatedly make errors.
What (may) make a rank or two of positive difference
Be kind/professional towards those less experienced or skilled. i.e. , make their arguments sound better than they probably are, make your own arguments accessible to them, organize the disorganized ideas of others, etc. while avoiding being condescending. Be inclusive during rules, etc. of those from new congress schools or are lone wolves.
If clearly outclassed, stay engaged, and professional. Try to avoid being visibly frustrated. We have all been there! You will absolutely get this eventually. (Plus, you never know- you may make the 'golden ticket argument ' to ranking high without knowing it...)
If I think you have done the above, it will improve your rank in chamber.
World
First, Congrats on being here. Well earned. One piece of advice- Before starting your speaking in your rounds , take a moment to fix the memory in your mind. It is a memory well-worth keeping.
I have judged at the NSDA Worlds Invitational since 2015 with the exception of two years, though I have coached the New England teams each year. I judged WSD at a few invitationals and competed in Parli in college.
While I am well-experienced in other forms of debate (and I bloviate about that quite a bit here) for this tournament I shall reward teams that do the following...
-Center case around a core thesis with supporting substantial arguments and examples. (The thesis may- and often will- evolve during the course of the round)
-Refutation -(especially in later speeches) integrates all arguments make by one's own side and by the opposition into a said thesis
--Weighs key voters. Definitions and other methods should be explicit
Effectively shared rhetorical 'vehicles' between speakers adds to your ethos and ideally logos.
---Blips in constructive speeches blown up large in later speeches are weighed as blips in my decision calculus
--Even succinct POIs can advance argumentation
-Avoid using counterintuitive arguments.(often popular in LD/PF/CX) If you think an argument could be perceived as counterintuitive when it is not, just walk me through that argumentation.
Debate lingo such as 'extend this" and "pull that" confuse me for the purposes of the round - I will ignore debate lingo unless you explain the argument itself.
--Use breadth as well as depth when it comes to case construction (that usually means international examples as well as US-centric, and may also mean examples from throughout the liberal arts- science, literature, history, etc.- When appropriate and unforced.
If a model is offered, I believe 'fiat' of the legislative (or whatever) action is a given so time spent debating otherwise shall be treated as radio silence. However, mindsets or utopia cannot be 'fiat-ed'.
To earn higher speaker points and make me WANT to vote for you-
-Engage with your opponent's ideas for higher speaker points. Avoiding engaging through reliance on definitions or other methods may win you my ballots, but will earn lower speaker points. (This DOES NOT mean going deep into a line by line, it does mean engaging with the claim and the warrant)
Be kind/professional towards those less experienced or skilled. i.e. , make their arguments sound better than they probably are, make your own arguments accessible to them, organize the disorganized ideas of opponents, etc. while avoiding being condescending.
If clearly outclassed, stay engaged and professional. Try to avoid being visibly frustrated. We have all been there! You will absolutely get this eventually. (plus, you never know- you may make the 'golden ticket argument ' to winning the round without knowing it...)
If I think you have done these, it will always result in bonus speaker points.
and needless to say, I'm sure, offensive debaters, such as those who actively call for genocide will be dropped with minimal speaker points. The same is true for those who are blatantly racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.
If an argument not intended to be racist or sexist or pro-murder could be misused to justify the same, that would be debatable in the round- though be reasonable. "if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, chances are it IS a duck." Arguing over if general U.S. immigration is irredeemably racist is debatable in the round, arguing that an entire group of people should be excluded based on religion is racist on face, and arguing that it is morally acceptable (or even amoral) to tear gas children is a moral travesty in and of itself.
Again, congratulations on being here!! You have earned this, learn, have fun, make positive memories...
Look at me during CX: you’re trying to convince me, not your opponent.
I prefer fluency over speed. Speaking fast is fine, but if you’re going fast and stumbling over every other word, you save more time by just speaking a little slower. Plus it's easier to listen to.
No frivolous T or theory shells.
Bonus speaks if you make well-founded original args, WEIGH, or make me laugh (for a good reason).
Hey! I'm Kevin (he/him pronouns), I'm a fourth year LD debater for Lexington High School in Massachusetts.
I'm fine with pretty much all arguments as long as it isn't obviously racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic etc. Read whatever you're comfortable with.
Extend and weigh! It makes the round much easier for me to resolve. Framework debate is also super important, but please don't have a values debate or debate framework when you and your opponent basically have the same frameworks.
I mostly assign speaker points based on in-round strategy rather than speaking manner and try to average a 28.5.
If your opponent is clearly newer to debate and you're purposefully making the round inaccessible (through spreading, theory, kritiks, aprioris, etc.) you'll get low speaks. If you don't know what those arguments are, don't worry about this.
Debate is a game, play it however you want and have fun!!
PF. I strongly believe that the educational value of PF is in its "lay-ness" and access to the "general public." As such, please speak with vocal inflection and "persuasion," like you are making a speech to a human being, and not to a professional debate coach. Additionally, please avoid jargon, when possible. Please write my ballot for me in your last speech(es). I don't like intervening.
Also, I was in the LD pool for many years, so if you choose to have a framework in your constructive case, please know how to use it!
Novice LD. In Prelims, please stick to a V/VC debate, and debate the resolution. A good framework debate prior to contention-level debate is preferred. Give clear voters and impact back to the VC in your last speech. You may ask to see each others' cases during CX/Prep time, and you are free to ask clarification questions to each other during prep time. Speed is okay, but must fill up all of time.
Contact: 20zavaliagkos2@lexingtonma.org - for questions and email chains
I'll vote on anything just don't be rude.
Hello! I’m Elizabeth Zhang, a senior at Princeton High School who has competed on both the local and the national circuit in Lincoln-Douglas for the past three years.
I will vote off the flow based on who has the most offense under the winning framework.
- I have no preference for whether you sit or stand, how fast you talk, etc.
- Make sure to do work on the framework-level of the debate and make specific arguments on why I should prefer your framework over your opponents. Also, don’t debate your value in the round. It’s almost always pointless, I’ll ultimately be looking at your value criterion anyway.
- Please extend your arguments! I won’t accept new arguments in later speeches and I'll view any arguments you don't extend as dropped, so extensions are necessary.
- I’ll evaluate arguments based on whatever weighing is given to me in the round, so weigh, weigh, weigh.
- During your rebuttals, please signpost (tell me where you are on the flow).
- In your last speech, summarize the major arguments in the round and give me a route to the ballot - ideally, you should be writing the RFD for me.
- Make sure to explicitly link your impacts back to either your framework or your opponent's framework (ideally both!).
At the end of the day, I believe debate is an educational activity, so learn a lot, be respectful, and have fun!