elibrennan@gmail.com YES, I'd like to be on the email chain (or i guess we may just use Zoom to transfer speech docs).

Evidence: I am happy, very happy, to prefer the team with the better evidence on key questions, you just need to explain why your evidence is superior: be clear about which evidence you want me to read, why I will find it superior, and why that matters for the overall strategic situation of the debate.I haven't been reading much evidence at all after debates because the approach to extending the evidence lacks substantive warranting. In those situations, I prefer to just compare warrants provided by the debaters- to see who did the better _debating_. All that said, I really do like that policy debate can create stable strategic advantages for better research and better interpretation of that research.

Framework: I'm sympathetic to Framework arguments mostly in situations where the Aff. is apparently trying to avoid substantive clash. Many debaters who specialize in, or rely on, framework arguments fail to convince me that they could not have anticipated, or developed answers to, the Affirmative's arguments. Developing substantive responses to widely different kinds of arguments seems like something we should each be good at. I often sense that debaters are just not interested in literature they claim to have been unable to anticipate. All that said, if you have a solid set of answers to the questions our community brings to the topic, and your opponent makes it unreasonably difficult/impossible to engage in those debates, please by all means go for framework. Winning the quality of education component is usually the key to that ballot for me.

K Debate: I like policy debate and critical debate. Do what you do best, and I'll follow. Adapting your blocks to the specifics of the Aff is the easiest way to improve your chances. For the Aff to weigh their advantages against a K, defending the knowledge claims is more reliable than theory arguments (for my ballot). A lot of teams are letting alternatives off the hook, which creates a tough debate for the Aff. Putting both offensive and defensive pressure on the Alternative is a more robust strategy, in my view, than a framework argument giving theoretical reasons I should ignore evidence against the Aff perspective.

Theory: A lot of theory debates are messy because debaters overly rely on their blocks. It gets blippy and lacks the kind of comparisons that make ballots reliable. I do understand, and am sympathetic to, theory positions that are necessary to keep the rest of the debate under control for your side. You often end up needing to go "all in" if the substantive debate gets out of control. Just be sure to debate "access" to the terminal impact of education in a clear and comparative way. I'm probably more sympathetic to process counterplans and solvency advocate arguments than most of my colleagues, in that I like these debates to be resolved with the best research, rather than the best spin.

Global advice: Think actively during the whole debate, find a way to create and enjoy moments of excellence, and respect your opponents (or at least the people they could be). Make whatever arguments you feel/think best. Take the time to explain your argument most comprehensively at the places you are most vulnerable- always contextualizing one step further than your opponent (they say 'purple', you say 'sun-drenched lavender').

Most of my decisions result from setting the 2nr against the 2ar, controlling for new args (esp. new 2ar args), checking evidence, defaulting to meta-arguments (comparisons) from debaters, and then imposing (i hate it as much as you do) meta-arguments where necessary.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have before, during, or after the debate.

*Sidequests: +.2 Speaker points on offer for the sickest burn on opposing authors.

Rylee Buchert

- Graduated Jenks HS in 2019.

- Currently debating CX for MSU and LD for TU.

- Qualified to the TOC twice and took 9th/3rd at NSDA my Junior and Senior years.

Top Line Stuff

- Add me to the chain: ryleebuchert@gmail.com

- Regarding online debate, I am more than willing to be patient and let everyone get their computers set up so the debate can flow smoothly. If at any point your internet cuts out or something goes wrong, just let me know and we will pause the round.

- Evidence quality matters a lot to me, I will reward you if you correctly assert that your cards are good.

- Do evidence comparison, it's the best way to boost your speaker points with me.

- Don't assert something was dropped if it wasn't.

CJR Topic

- I haven't done any research on this topic, but I'm picking it up pretty quickly. Just don't spread a bunch of acronyms at me without explaining what they mean first.

DA/CP/Impact Turns

- Yes

- If you're going to read spark (Or similar impact turns) I'm probably not the best judge for you.

Theory

- Aside from condo, most theory args are a reason to reject the arg not the team.

- Condo is good (I will not likely vote for it unless it's dropped). I had 1NCs with 4+ condo off, I don't really care if you have 50 CP's/K's in the 1NC. (Updating this as I voted for Condo bad in a round - I will not vote for this unless the neg severely mishandles it, please don't).

- Please slow down on theory, if you spread through a chunk of text, I will only vote on what I get down.

- If your theory shells in the 2AC are one line long, chances are I won't vote for them.

T

- I think most teams spend too much time explaining the impact to things like limits/ground and not enough on the internal links. Especially on this topic, I would like to see teams really flesh out the specifics on why the aff's interpretation is bad and not just rant about limits and ground being important.

- If you extend T, I would prefer it be a full extension, not just a blippy one minute time skew.

- Competing Interps > Reasonability.

K

- Didn't go for many K's in high school but have enjoyed judging these rounds a lot.

- I am most likely not familiar with any lit base outside of Cap/Security, so please don't spread through a three minute overview without explaining things.

- Be specific on the links and relate them to the aff.

- I will probably let the aff weigh their case against the K unless they really mess up the theory debate.

- If your arguments are death good or debate bad, don't pref me.

FW

- I think that all Affs should be connected to the topic in some way.

- I think impacts like topic education and others of the sort can be very persuasive if framed the correct way.

- This is the one argument where a long overview is acceptable to me in the 2NC, as long as it frames the ballot well and lays out the impacts you're going for.

- I wouldn't extend every impact in the block/2NR but instead collapse down and explain.

I currently am the debate coach at Central High in Tulsa, OK, a member of the Tulsa Debate League (UDL). I competed for 5 years in Oklahoma 6A and 4 years at the University of Oklahoma. I previously worked as an assistant coach for Jenks High School and have worked at numerous debate camps.

My paradigm has somewhat altered in recent years. To put it simply, I am more interested in evaluating the entire debate not just what survived the flow to make it to the 2NR/2AR. Each speech (including cross-ex) is an opportunity for competitors to showcase skills which include logic, strategy, knowledgeably of issues, speaking proficiency, team work, research and more. As I do not want to dictate the content or style of the round to the competitors, I will add that I believe primarily the style and content of the debate are justified through the quality of the debate presented (although they can also become issues in the round themselves). Do what you want to do well and I will do my best job to evaluate the round as fairly as possible. Make sure and tell me how and why I should vote for you, that would be much more to your favor than leaving it up to me.

Lastly: speak clearly, treat everyone in the round with respect, and don't assume I know what your argument/evidence says or what the acronyms you use mean. I am more at the periphery of this activity than I once was, and as a result I may be out of the loop on contemporary trends.

Contact and Email Chain (include me in email chain and for any questions) : Shawna Hight - hrhshawna@gmail.com

You can call me Shawna or Hight, pronouns are she/her

Secondary Language Arts/Math Instructor / PhD student in Literacy and Logic, experience judging and competing in CX (pref), LD, and speech both JH,HS, and college.

Basics

I want an organized, line by line debate, but I want you to tell me how I should vote. Don't leave it up to me to figure out. Tell me why you are winning and how your arguments make your case stand. Tell me when you link/flip/turn cards and tell me what flows through - point out drops.

Speed is fine, but articulate your plan and analysis. I will not vote on what I don't get down.

Be professional and courteous, and respect identities and pronouns. There is a fine line between being an intimidating opponent and rude, don't cross it. I love debate because I believe it is a place for respectful discourse. But I'm a teacher and parent first and if you are rude, I reserve the right to reduce speaker points or drop you.

Aff : Make your plan clear, don't skirt around neg.

Neg: I like DA args but your uniqueness must be recent. Link needs to be specific. I'll vote on Topicality if there's really an issue with Aff plan, otherwise, that's a stall.

I enjoy a good Theory/K, but explain it, especially if it's a new argument. You have to show me why it wins. Side note, I do see these as DA/Counterplan type arguments and want to see the uniqueness.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm writing this fast...

Updated Last: May 4, 2023

Email: christian.d.jones[at]gmail.com (yes, I would like to be on the chain)

Experience: Head coach for 11 years.

My General Paradigm
Debates must be fair and winnable for both sides, but debaters may argue what is and is not fair. Debaters may try to convince me which particular instance of debate ought to occur in each round. I will try to have an open mind, but I do have likes and dislikes.

Speed
I prefer debaters to ensure clarity before trying to accelerate. I can handle speed, but if I can't understand it, it doesn't get flowed. If I am being honest, I would estimate that I can catch almost every argument at about 85% of top speed for the national circuit. But if you brake for taglines and present them in a unique vocal inflection, top speed is not a problem.

Decision Calculus
I will only intervene if I feel I absolutely have to. I prefer that debaters to help me decide the debate. Comparative arguments will usually accomplish this. Extrapolations in rebuttals are acceptable if they are grounded in arguments already on the flow. Arguments that are extremely offensive or outright false may be rejected on face.

Style
I enjoy and find value in a variety of argumentation styles as long as they do not preclude a debate from taking place. A debate must have clash.

Framework
The 1AC presents their argument to a blank slate. If you want to change this, you will need an interpretation and to be clear on the criteria for winning the round. This criteria should offer both sides the possibility of winning the debate.

Topicality (or any other procedural/theory argument)
If you want me to vote on a proposed rule violation, then you need to win the complete argument. You must win that you have the best interpretation, that the other team has violated your interpretation, that your interpretation is good for debate, and that the offense is a voting issue. If you want to argue that the other team is breaking the rules, then you have the burden of proof. Procedural arguments may also urge a lesser punishment, such as, excluding the consideration of an argument.

Kritik
I do not want to proscribe specifics when it comes to kritiks, but I do want to see clash and comparative argumentation in any debate. I prefer Ks that are germane to the topic or affirmative case in some way. I like kritiks that have a clearly defined alternative. Alternatives that propose something are preferable to 'reject' or 'do nothing' type alts. I am not a fan of ontological arguments, especially nihilistic ones. If you choose to enter the debate space, you have already ceded certain assumptions about reality.

Counterplans
I am open to any type of counterplan, but all arguments are subject to the standard of fairness determined in the debate round. That said, if you are going to read a counterplan, it should probably have a solvency card.

Coach for East Central High School

Noah Schrick
Experience: 5 years of high school debate at Tulsa-Union (OK), volunteer for UDL in Tulsa (TDL).
Email: nschrick98@gmail.com

Paradigm –
Game-playing.

Policy/Traditional Affs –
No objection to these. I think these can be some of the most developed and strategic affs. That being said, shady or loose internal links is a pretty easy way for me to vote neg on presump.

Topicality –
All for it. 5 minutes of T in the 2NR is a very fun, legitimate strat. If you do go for T, be sure to impact your standards out. In addition, don't just make blanket, generic impact claims such as, "this is bad for education." I think that education and fairness are impacts, but also internal links to external issues. Why is education important? Why should we care about fairness? Be sure to explain these for extra speaks and a better T debate.
Refer to speed section.

Theory –
Also all for it. I’ll vote for any theory argument as long as you can fully explain why I should vote for it. Granted, I'll have a higher threshold for a crazy, off the wall arg, however I will still vote for it if it is explained well enough and impacted out.
I default to reject the arg unless there is substantial work done to explain why I should go otherwise, or there is a prejudice made by a team that is interfering with the debate.
Refer to speed section.

Framework –
Will gladly vote on it. I do think RoBs are arbitrary, and I'm hard-pressed to believe that it can win an argument, but I guess I'm open to it if you can convince me why a drop is game-changing. Both teams usually present them in a way to exclude the other. Majority of the time, no real clash occurs from these.
Refer to speed section.

K Affs/Non-Traditional –
Go for it. Would prefer it was germane to the topic, but it's not a necessity.
Disclaimer: I am not completely up-to-date with identity args and authors. Just make sure that rather than giving author names, read out their claims and warrants to me. I'm not lay, but do explain the world of the aff and explain what the args mean. You can usually tell pretty easily if I'm following or not.

CP –
All CPs are fine. With that in mind, if you read a rider, delay, or any other similar counterplan, be ready to defend theory since I'll have a higher threshold. CPs must also be competitive and have a net benefit. It will take a lot of work to convince me to vote for a CP just because it has good solvency with no additional benefits.
Aff: if you read theory on a CP, be sure to explain why the CP in question is bad, not just the type of CP (Example: I'll vote on Intl' CP Fiat Bad, but I will be much more likely to buy China/Russia/Japan Fiat Bad)

DA –
Specifics over generic. I will vote for generic DA’s/links, but it will be much easier to sway me to not vote for them if it is generic. No link args made by aff will be harder to overcome for generics.

K –
Reading the same K shell every round won’t cut it. Whether you have cards specific for the aff case or not, you need to apply the K in terms of the aff. If you can read back 1AC/2AC cards or quotes and link it back to the K, it will go a long way for your link analysis. I really don’t like to vote on link of omissions, but I will if you can convince me why I should. Expect to put in time to convince me to vote on those; a couple sentences won’t get the job done. Don’t just repeat alt taglines at me, contextualize it in terms of the aff/round/world/whatever.
Refer to K aff section in regards to identity.

Speed –
Don’t shotgun theory/t/fw args. If you read 5 blippy analytical arguments that you believe are all key reasons why I should vote for your args, but you read them all in rapid succession without stopping for a breath and you still expect me to catch and flow every single one, I won’t. If I don’t catch it, I won’t flow it. Clarity comes before speed. Taglines should be presented with a change in pitch or volume.
Debaters tend to spread paragraphs of analytical args and expect me to flow every word. If you do have these paragraphs, slow down a tad so that I can write it. You don't need to talk in a normal speaking voice, but at least slow down a little.
That being said, I am okay with speed, despite what you might interpret from that. Don’t be afraid to read quickly in front of me. If you think you could flow it, then I will probably be able to as well.

Misc-

-Overflows > Underflows. But also, I just don't like underflows in general.
-Prep ends when the drive leaves the computer or when the email is sent.

-I love Clever technical tricks/kicks/cross-applications. This will get a major boost in speaks from me.

-CX is binding.
-Don’t clip cards. This should be obvious and applies to every round.
-If you’re kicking an advocacy such as a CP or an alt, be sure to say so.
-If there’s an email chain, go ahead and put me in it.
-Cross-Ex: Be aggressive, not rude.
-Don’t mock or be distracting during someone else’s speech. I will dock speaker points if I deem it necessary

Speaker points –
30: Probably the best speaker at the tournament
29.5+: Getting a speaker award
29+: Has a few mistakes, but is still a fantastic speaker
28.5+: More mistakes, but still above average
28+: About average, could’ve handled some things differently or improved on speaking quality
27.5+: Many mistakes
27+: Many larger mistakes
26: Made huge errors that affected the outcome of my decision
Below a 26: Behavior, actions, or words that are harmful or hateful towards a people or a person directly. Also given for those that don’t fully participate.