I debated mainly policy back in the day. That being said I appreciate a good K debate and have a pretty high threshold for Topicality.

Impact calculus paramount.

I'm middle of the road when it comes to speed. Slower on tags and cites and we should be fine. I'll let you know if I need to be clearer. I don't mind tag teaming, clarity is the goal, just be sure to give your partner a chance.  Be nice. 

10/2/2018

Things to note:

I have not flowed a college varsity round in about 3 years. Be intentional in slowing down and speaking up around tags and warrants.

I don't like spreading. Sure i can comprehend the necessary things, but so much is lost at 300 words a minute. Speaks reflect largely on this.

While I was a K debater in college, I deal exclusively in policy now.

Debate Specifics:

Aff - Be related to the topic. I like any good affirmative plan text or not, i just want to know what your method is and does at the end of the round. I will vote against on reasonable fw args. K Affs probably dont get a perm in my world, or im at least extremely sympathetic to the arg if the neg makes it.

Neg -

5+ off is probably abuse

I prefer rigorous policy analysis over the K, and if you're reading the K I award making those smart case arguments to the link flow.

I like good topicality debates.

I'll vote on reasonable theory args.

I minimize as much judge intervention as possible, which means ill only flow while you're speaking and the laptop serves for contextual reference.

Background

Debated a year for Petoskey

MSU 2018, currently debating

Email Chain

Please use one and put me on it: waynec5119@gmail.com

Email>Pocketbox but I won't be bitter.

Clipping

Seems to be a problem. If you do it and if I catch you, then I will drop you. 

Pre-round synopsis

I don't think anything in my paradigm deviates from the norm enough for you to spend pre-round prep reading it. I could be wrong. 

You should debate what you are best at. I’ve voted for every genre of argument. There are some arguments my record seems to favor, but I don't think it's usually significant enough to justify a change in your strategy. 

I think the primary purpose of debate is and should be to learn, research, and make reasoned arguments about a contested resolution. As such, I try to defer to what is actually debated and often vote against what I think is true. 

Other predispositions written below are thoughts I have about arguments in the abstract. That is all it is and sometimes it changes faster than this page gets edited. I think it's pretty reliable though. 

Topicality

I’ve done some preseason research on the topic and judged some debates, but I don’t have a strong normative predisposition about what the topic should look like. If you want to win on topicality, you should use the opportunity to craft that vision for me. “Core of the topic” cues are not something that will click as well with me because I don’t have a strong vision of what that should be/is.

K Affs/FW

Affs should have, at least, some sort of fundamental relationship to the topic. 

I'm not sure if fairness is an intrinsic good. 

I don't see a strong connection between debating a topical plan and producing activism or better activism. I'm more amenable to predictable limits arguments, and the education that those limits are more likely to consistently produce I do think is an intrinsic good.  

I think I vote aff when the 2NR goes for FW >60% of the time. This isn’t because I dislike FW, but because a lot of the time the aff has a set of impact-turns to FW that they win the technical debate on. I think that a good defense of why the neg’s interp doesn’t preclude the themes of the aff coupled with impact calculus can remedy that.  

Competing methodologies is persuasive... I think the aff getting to apply traditional standards of competition into K debate makes it very difficult to be negative. 

Kritiks

I’m really frustrated with some of Michigan’s reliance of super generic kritiks that rely on links of omission or really non-central assumptions of the aff in order to win. I don’t hate all kritik debates…. I don’t think… I just would prefer it if the debates were more case-specific. 

Case Debates

Are something that Michigan debate needs more of— even if you debate kritikally. A lot of affirmatives’ internal links don’t stand to scrutiny and smart analytical presses early on go a long way and increase your speaker points. 

Theory/CPs

Unless it’s perf con and/or conditionality, it’s almost always a reason to reject the argument. Process/agent/condition counterplans are probably bad. PICs I’m down with if they exclude large enough portions of the aff such that the aff should seem to have to defend them. Heavily neg on conditionality. I lean more neg than I otherwise would on all theory questions if it's a new aff or if it is not a new aff but is still undisclosed (that last bit is more Michigan-specific). 

Presumption

Is towards less change 

There are 3 things you need to know about my paradigm:

1) I believe that high school policy debate is a communication activity; therefore, I expect a clear explanation of the arguments in the round as well as a clear delivery.

a. I will do my best to evaluate whatever it is you want to debate.

b. If I do not understand your argument (or your delivery)--it is your fault, not mine.

2) I believe that high school policy debate is about policy.

a. If you want to talk about something else, please make sure you can connect it to policy in a meaningful way.

b. The less your arguments have to do with policy, the harder it will be for me to evaluate them.

3) I believe that high school policy debaters should conduct themselves both professionally and amicably

a) Tag-teaming and prompting are neither professional nor amicable.

b) If you do either of these in the round, you will lose speaker points.

Background: So I debated at H.H. Dow for 3 years and just recently started with coaching with the team. Fun Fun. I debated on a Varsity varsity level so most things that you run I will probably be able to understand. I know some of the topic due to me going to tournaments but I'm not as familiar with all of the cases and what they do, or literally any of the abbreviations, so some explanation during round would be much appreciated. :). Pokemon, Mtg, Dota, LoL, Anime... Love it all.

Truth/Tech: Basically I prefer tech. Its how I was taught to debate and so its likely that I will evaluate the round in that way. However, don't be discouraged from running anything in the Truth realm. Just because i prefer tech does NOT mean that I won't evaluate or look to during round or while making the decision. I.E. I'll probably disagree with Racism/Sexism/etc. good. Duh. 

T: T was like my favorite argument but it seems to be a bit less common this year. Just because its my favorite dont feel like you have to run it, especially because if you don't do enough work on it then it really wasn't worth running anyway. To win the T-flow for me you have to win the top, not the bottom (Although winning both wont hurt (:  ). I'm totally fine with Extra/Effects and K of T's, but if you can't articulate it then I probably wont vote on it. I don't think Potential Abuse is a voter and I also won't vote on an RVI.

Case Stuff: Do a good job on your case. Your strongest cards are in your 1AC so use them to your advantage. Don't drop it until the 2AR or I'll cry. The neg team should also put some stuff on case. The 1AC is their best cards so prove to me that its a bad idea. Non-Plan Text Cases are fine with me. Make sure I know your stance/advocacy at the end of the round or I won't vote for you.

K: I like hearing K arguments, when articulated well. If you can't tell me or the other team what the K is or how the Alt works then very low chance I'll vote on it. Same with perms for the Aff. I'm not super familiar with a lot of the authors but I know the thesis of most K arguments, just let me know what the K is all about. That's more important to me. 1 conditional CP and K is about my limit, if not then theory is fine (weigh the impacts on theory dont just say fairness and education.)

CP: Counterplans are cool. It needs to have some sort of netbenefit or a super solid reason that its strictly better than the aff. Aff needs to do the opposite and run/extend perms and explain why the CP is worse or not mutually exclusive to the Aff case. 1 conditional CP and K is about my limit, if not then theory is fine (weigh the impacts on theory dont just say fairness and education.)

DA: Run them. I think that DA's are often underused and actually can have a lot of weight if you do some impact calc. Spend time arguing the Uniqueness and the Link because just impact weighing is not enough to answer it. DA turns case arguments are super cool and should be run. 

Framework: I would like some form of framework argument when it comes to K's especially (other arguments too, but especially on K's). Tell me why evaluating the round in your framwork is better and why I should vote that way. 

Theory: Running theory just as a time and strat skew is super lame. Actually impact the theory in the round and tell me why the Theory argument is important and how they violate the theory that you're running.

Misc.: -CX: Be nice. I can tell you that if you're rude your speaks will definitely go down. Be nice to the other team, look at me, and ask relevent questions. Tagteaming is fine but dont take over your partners CX

          -Attitude: be nice, not rude, dont worry, be happy, dont be nervous, you're probably doing fine

          -Speaks: being nice and humor go a long way, and if your arguments are good they will also go up.

          -Flashing: if it takes longer than like a minute or so I'll probably start/take off some preptime. However, tell me if you have a tech issue and I will understand

          - Neg Block: shouldnt have to be said but for my sanity split the block. 

          - Spreading: I'm fine with speed, be sure you're clear. If I dont hear it, it's not getting flowed.

          - Cheating: don't, lol. Stealing prep is cheating, so is clipping cards, etc. If the other team accuses you I'll have them bring evidence. If you're caught, you lose and get the worst speaker points possible. If you aren't caught then they get reduced speaks and you probably get the round. There's no need for false accusations. 

Feel free to ask me any questions about arguments, tell me about your teams policy on an issue, special stuff about your aff or about you. I won't bite, if you're confused after a decision or have questions about what you could've done better then ask right after the round or whenever you see me. Happy to help. 

My paradigm is very straight forward.  I believe that the participants in the round construct, and determine, the issues, and thoughts that I should find important during the course of the round.  What this means is that I try to decide a debate based on the discussion within that given round.  This allows those in the round to "tell" me how to vote, and why I would vote that particular way.  As a result, I reward people who do comparative assessments between arguments, and those that speak not only to an argument, but also to its impact, and its impact on the ultimate outcome of the debate, including how I should vote. 

I do not have a preference for any particular argument, theory, or style of debate.  I will not automatically vote for, or against anything.  I do not apply any notion of "correct" theoretical argumentation on theory, Kritiks, or anything else for that matter.  I had my turn in the activity, and was very successful during my run, so I try to allow the current debaters to do the debating.

With that being said, the only true bias I have is against people being assholes.  This is an activity that everyone involved can benefit from, regardless of skill level.  So, I will take it out on your speaker points if you treat people like shit.  I will not vote against you for it (Unless the other team makes that an argument that they win), but I will express my displeasure through low speaker points, and an after round discussion that, at least part of, you will not enjoy.  Be competitive, but please just be considerate.

Now, I would not normally focus on my past achievements, but I have not been around the activity for years.  I realize most people will not know who I am, or what to do with my preference sheet.  I remember trying to figure out what to do with that unknown judge that came out of nowhere & could end up having one of my most important ballots in their hands.  So, it has been a long time, but as a result of having the unique pleasure and privilege of debating for John Lawson at Southfield High School, and George Ziegelmueller at Wayne State University, I enjoyed a tremendous amount of success.  I won back to back Class “A” State Championships in Michigan, including dozens of tournament wins, and dozens of top ten speaker awards, including several top speaker awards, in and out of the State of Michigan.  In college, in consecutive years, I made it to the Octa-finals, Quarter-finals, and then Semi-finals of the National Debate Tournament.  My partner, Toby Arquette, and I were a top ten pre-bid team both my junior & senior years.  In fact, we were the 3rd ranked pre-bid my senior year and made it to the Semi-finals, losing on a 4-1 decision to the eventual National Champions.  This was not meant as a bad rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s "Glory Days", I just thought it may be helpful in making your judging decisions. I debated every type of style, speed, theory, position, etc.  Please know that in spite of my time away from the activity, I am extremely confident that I will be able to make coherent decisions predicated on what is presented to me in that particular debate.  Any questions, please feel free to ask. 

I'm good with everything. Tag teaming is cool. Be nice to each other. Ask me in round for specifics. 

Email: shannonnierman@gmail.com

I debated for Wylie E. Groves High School for four years, debated for 3 years at MSU, and currently coach at Groves.

Topicality: I’m not opposed to voting on T, but rereading T shells is insufficient. There needs to be substantial work on the interpretations debate from both teams, in addition to the standards and voters debate, i.e. education and fairness. As long as the aff is reasonably topical and it is proven so, T is probably not a voter. Also, if you are going for T in the 2NR, go for only T, and do so for all 5 minutes.

Counterplans: Any type of counterplan is fine; however, if it is abusive, do not leave it for me to decide this, make these arguments.

Disads: Any type of DA is fine. A generic link in the 1NC is okay, but I think that throughout the block the evidence should be link specific. When extending the DA in the block, an overview is a must. The first few words I should here on the DA flow is “DA outweighs and turns case for X and Y reasons.”

Kritiks: I will vote on the K, but I often find that in the K rounds people undercover the alternative debate. When getting to this part of the K, explain what the world of the alternative would look like, who does the alternative, if the aff can function in this world, etc. I am well versed in psychoanalytic literature i.e. Zizek and Lacan and I do know the basis of a plethora of other Ks. This being said, I should learn about the argumentation in the round through your explanation and extrapolation of the authors ideas; not use what I know about philosophy and philosophers or what like to read in my free time. Read specific links in the block and refrain from silly links of omission.

Theory: I am not opposed to voting on theory, but it would make my life a lot easier if it didn’t come down to this. This is not because I dislike the theory debate rather I just believe that it is hard to have an actual educational and clear theory debate from each side of the debate. Now, this said, if a theory argument is dropped, i.e. conditionality bad, by all means, go for it!

Performance: An interesting and unique type of debate that should still relate to the resolution. As long as there is substantive and legitimate argumentation through your rapping or dancing and whatever else you can come up with, I am willing to vote on it. Even if you are rapping, I would prefer to have a plan text to start.

*As technology is vital in our life, many of us have switched toward paperless debate. I do not use prep for flashing, because I have also debated both off of paper and paperlessly in debate and I understand that technology can sometimes be your opponent in the round, rather than the other team. I am being a nice and fair judge in doing this, so please do not abuse this by stealing prep, because I will most likely notice and take away that stolen prep.

FAQs: Speed – I’m okay with speed as long as you are clear!
Tag teaming - I’m okay with it as long as it’s not excessive.

Things not to do in rounds I’m judging: go for RVIs, go for everything in the 2NR, and be mean. Believe it or not, there is a distinction between being confident and having ethos vs. being rude and obnoxious when you don’t have the right to be.

Daniel Oleynik

Experience: I debated for Wylie E. Groves High School (2011-2015), debated for 1.5 years at MSU, and currently a graduate student at UCF studying physics.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've participated in the debate community (Tabroom has me last judge in 2017) so I'm a bit rusty. However, everything under this introduction should still be accurate. As long as you explain your arguments and debate well, there should be no problem.

COVID-era Disclaimer: With everything being online, I feel its's pertinent to mention I am hard-of-hearing, and wear hearing aids, and that's how I'll hear you (They act as headphones, so all sound goes through them). I will be fine, and I've both debated and judged at the national level, but do with this information what you'd like.

Pre-round

• I’m a fan of all arguments and there’s nothing I won’t vote on. On that note, I’m a large fan on Ks and non-traditional arguments, though I don’t mind a good T debate every now and then.

• I see too many teams doing tagline extensions of cards and think that means they extended the warrants as well, if you want to make a good argument, don’t just extend the card, but make some warranted analysis as well.

• Use Cross-Ex well, but there’s a brightline between a sassy C/X and a rude one.

• Analytics are pretty under-used as arguments, a good analytic can beat evidence a good amount of time

• I don’t take prep for flashing

• Tag-teaming is fine, just don’t let it get abusive or excessive.

• Having debated for Groves, both JL and Ryan influenced me in the opinion of tech vs. truth. I usually prefer tech debates, and will vote on that, but I can be persuaded truth debates are better (though that takes techiness as well…) And if an argument is dropped or conceded, that argument gains full weight unless the team can give me a valid reason why not

• I’m a very clear judge, in the idea that, when speeches will be going, I’ll be making facial expressions and looks. If you see me making a confused look, either move on or provide more explanation for me to get it. If you see me making a pleased face, keep going.

Clipping Cards

Clipping cards is cheating, and any recorded act of it happening will be met with an L and reduced speaker points.

Bad Arguments

I’m not a fan of bad arguments, but at the same time, if a team loses it on because they failed to flow it, and doesn’t answer it throughout the whole speech, that’s on them more than me. To answer bad arguments, just say something along the lines of “this is silly” and move on.

Bad arguments include, but are not limited to: Time Cube CP/K, FIAT solves the link, Plan is bottom of the docket, any of the specification arguments that aren’t ASPEC.

Regarding the top, there are some arguments I will not vote on regardless of concessions or not: Racism/Sexism/Discrimination Good, Torture Good, and RVIs.

Being AFF

Make sure both the 2AC and the 1AR do effective line by line and don’t concede a negative argument.

Case debates are pretty nice, debating the effects of the plan are what the case debate should be about, if the debate becomes more about the impacts and less about the plan, something’s gone wrong.

I have a high threshold for allowing dropped arguments past the 1AR and doing work for the affirmative in pulling across impacts from the 2AC to the 2AR. If you can give me a reason why I should, I’ll look at it, otherwise, make sure 1AR does everything they need to.

Framework

As a former K debater, I’m not a fan of framework debates and I won’t be happy, but I’ll evaluate them the same as any other argument. As long as you win the flow, I see no reason you don’t win the debate.

Fairness and Educations are good, but they’re not specific reasons to vote one side or the other. You’ve got to impact both of them, and give me reasons why your fairness/education is better than the other teams, whether it be decision making, portable skills, ect.

Kritiks

Having read kritiks for most, if not all, of my varsity debate career I’m pretty familiar with most of the literature out there. In terms of authors.
COVID-Updates:

The only small update, is with time, I haven't interacted with these arguments as much. I love DnG and Butler still, but I don't know the "debate" version of them. In that regard, just move all down a rank. Really Familiar is now Familiar, Familiar is now Familiar-ish, ect.
________________

Really Familiar (these are arguments that I can not only follow jargon wise, but I’ll understand a lot of the arguments really well)

DnG, Zizek, Fanon, Lacan, Saldahna, Butler (grievability ethics)

Familiar (these are arguments I’m familiar with, but I’m not exactly perfect on, may need a little more explanation)

Wilderson, Agamben, Foucault, Puar, Heidegger, Butler (feminism)

Familiar-ish (these are arguments that I’m only slightly knowledgeable in, good amount of explanation will be needed)

Baudrillard, Negri, Nietzsche, Wendy Brown, Derrida, Antonio, Camus

Who? (these are arguments where I’ve heard of the person, or have a slight idea of their arguments, otherwise, a lot of explanation needed.)

Mignolo, Deloria, Hardt, (others I haven’t heard of…)

Quick side note: If you have an author, and you’re thinking I’ve never heard of ‘em, at least ask me before the round, I may have forgotten somebody.

Now that that’s out of the way, general idea of kritiks.

These are my favorite arguments and I really enjoy both debating and listening to them.

Notes for Aff

Read a perm

Watch out for arguments like Root Cause, Floating PIKs, Serial Policy Failure and Error Replication arguments, dropping these usually means game over for the aff.

The easiest, and weakest part of the Kritik is the alternative, make sure you try to take it out.

Notes for Neg

Use your link arguments well, they’re usually able to be independent reasons to vote neg.

No matter if I know the argument or the author, you should still explain what the Kritik does, explanation only helps you.

Specific links to the aff make it easier to win the Kritik, but are not necessary to win the Kritik.

Disads

I’m ok with them, don’t love them, don’t hate them.

On DAs, there’s usually three types of debaters I see.

1. They spend too much time on Link/Uniqueness/Internal Link and not enough time on impact analysis

2. They spend too much time explaining the impact and don’t bother doing any link/uniqueness work.

3. They explain all the parts of the Disad equally, with warranted analysis.

Be the third debater.

While I’m not a fan of politics, I like Case Specific DAs, really use these to your advantage and turn the case with them.

Don’t forget to do impact overviews: Mag, Probability, Timeframe, and why DA turns case.

CPs

Counterplans are fine, like with the DA, I’ll evaluate them. I don’t love them, don’t hate them.

Out of all counterplans, I think Process CPs are probably the best, while Agent CPs are my least favorite, but I’m always ready to hear theory arguments debating why I should/shouldn’t listen to either one.

If the counterplan, not including advantage, that relies on a possibility of resulting in the Aff instead of a 100% risk, I’ll evaluate with caution, and this will usually be my last-choice argument. Make sure there’s at least one argument that makes the case that the CP will result in the Aff.

I’ll listen to all theory arguments equally, but conditionality is usually is the most persuasive, especially if the Neg has more than 3 conditional advocacies.

I’m fine with PICs, but make sure you’re ready for theory arguments if they come up.

Topicality

Ironically enough, even as a K debater, I enjoy debating T. Not enough people know how to do it effectively, so a good topicality debate is pretty fun to watch.

If it’s conceded, I’ll default to reasonability and topicality is not a voter, make sure not to concede these.

If topicality is going to get developed, both sides should give examples of bad/absurd affs that one can read on the other’s interpretation.

SPECIFIC TO NON-PLAN AFFS - If debating topicality, or on that note framework, the negative should make sure to make a topical version of the plan. Affirmative should give at least one reason why the topical version doesn’t solve.

Non-Traditional Affs

I’m a fan of watching non-traditional arguments, especially with debate flooded with policy aff after policy aff.

Same with the Kritik, make sure to explain how your plan functions and any jargon that might be involved.

If I, as the judge, can’t understand how the plan solves the impacts or how the solvency mechanism operates because of a lack of bad explanation, I will default Neg to presumption. However, I have a high threshold for what constitutes a “bad explantion”

Aff - Read a role of the ballot, if the neg concedes it, you know have a much better chance of winning this debate.

Speaker Points

Humor is good, the more you can brighten up a judge’s mood, the better.

A lot of it will rely on good ethos moments and how you do on the flow. If you can keep up and not drop/concede key arguments, it’ll go better for you.

Don’t be offensive/rude, this shouldn’t have to be said…

I know that speaks matter, so if you want to know, ask me after the round individually and I’ll happily tell you what you got. It’s not that big of a deal to me.

Seem knowledgeable about the literature base that you’re reading and about the aff.

Specific things to up speaks
Related to humor: make me laugh

Bad puns, bad jokes, making fun of someone you think I know, all will probably make me laugh.

If you do something risky and it works, I’ll reward you.

Debate Background: I debated for four years at Petoskey High School, and I am currently a sophomore at University of Michigan; I debated at U of M my freshman year. I am more used to policy arguments, but that doesn't mean I won't vote on critical stuff, that just means you will have to explain it more depth.

Philosophy: I will vote on pretty much any argument, but you need to tell me what the role of the ballot is. I need to know how I should frame the debate in order to vote properly. If no one tells me what the role of the ballot is I will default to the team that I think debated the best. So tab.

Specific Arguments:

1) Theory- I generally think theory debates are boring, and either side should only go for theory when absolutely necessary. If it is argued well and has warrants I will vote on it, but I'm not a huge fan.

2) Kritiks- Kritiks are fine arguments, but make sure I understand it, and you understand it. At some point you will need to give me a coherent explanation of the K, and the alt. K affs are fine as well, but I will probably be inclined to vote neg on T if it is brought up and argued well. Other psuedo-kritikal arguments should just be explained well then I don't care if you run it. P.S. you have to win framework if it is brought up in order to win the K.

3) Counterplans- Counterplans are great. Have a net benefit, and win the perm debate and you will probably win the round. Delay, consult and other PICs of the like can be annoying, but like I said, just win the perm debate :)

4) Topicality- Don't go for topicality unless they completely drop it OR the plan REALLY isn't topical.

5) Disadvantages- Great. Do it. I will vote on it.

6) Case- Good clash on case makes me happy. A negative can't win on just case defense though for the most part. In that situation I usually would give some risk of solvency or some risk of the impacts, so have offense on case or a DA, CP or Alt on a K as well as case defense.

In round Conduct: Be respectful. Nothing irritates me more than when people are rude to their opponents, or yell at each other in cross-ex. This is a debate round not a middle school cafeteria.

Prep/speech Time: I will keep you speech and prep time, and my time counts, not yours. Also don't steal prep. That's not a cool thing to do. I don't take prep for flashing or emailing, but if I notice you steal prep time you will lose speaks.

CX: If you make an argument in CX you have to bring it up in a constructive or rebuttal speech in order for it to be weighed in the round. Good CX questions and answers = good speaks.

Speed: Speed is necessary in the way that policy debate has evolved, but make sure you are clear. If you aren't clear I won't yell at you, but I might not hear your argument to flow it, and if I don't flow the argument then it doesn't exist. It helps if you start a little slower than your top speed at the beginning of your first speech that way I can get used to your style. Another note: double breathing annoys me so much, try not to do it please and if you do don't be obnoxious about it.

Other: I'm generally tech over truth, BUT truth outweighs when both sides are similar technically. Also, if either side says something extremely inappropriate along the lines of racist, homophobic, transphobic, ablest etc. speech, then I will give that team VERY VERY low speaks. Be respectful and not a bigot, thanks. If you have any questions, just ask.       

delete

I debated for three years in high school for Portage Northern, and currently debate for Michigan State.

I am, in general, fine with any kind of argument. There are a few things I like/you should know in regards to each kind of arguments.

Topicality: I am not, and have never been, particularly a fan of T. I really think that, for the most part, things like the caselist and generic cp/da links mitigate the vast majority of abuse on the part of the affirmative, and I would much rather listen to a debate about the substance of the affirmative rather than sit and listen to different interpretations of the resolution. I will still vote on topicality, but I'm really not going to like it.

Disads: I don't really have much to say here, beyond the need to stress strong impact work on the bottom of the flow for both the negative and the affirmative.

Counterplans: I love counterplans in all forms. I think that my threshold for general counterplan theory is very high, getting me to vote on PICS bad or Process bad is going to be an uphill battle. If the net benefit to the counterplan is not a disad, but rather a non-mutually exclusive part of the cp, I need enough analysis there to vote on the perm do both. I think that those kinds of net benefits need an impact of some kind, I'm not going to vote on a plan-inclusive counterplan just because the counterplan solves slightly better. For the affirmative, when it comes to perms, I'll only vote on perm do the cp or other perms that could be considered severance if you grammatically prove why that doesn't sever the 1AC.

Kritiks: In high school, I was more kritikal than I currently am. I will still vote on kritiks and kritikal affirmatives, and I think they are a massively important part of policy debate, but know that I may not be speccifically familiar with many forms of critical literature, especcially higher theory. Feel free to clarify before the round. I'm also not a fan of novices running kritiks until a bit later in the year.

Condo: I think that my preferred limit for the neg is two conditional advocacies. That doesn't mean I'll always vote you down on condo abuse if you run three, but I think it would be very hard for me to vote down a team for running two or less conditional advocacies.

I'm generally tabula rasa; I'll vote on anything as long as it's well-explained. I'm a bit rusty as a judge so not TOO fast, please. I rarely vote on T unless the violation is egregious or the other team drops it. Extend your arguments, weigh the round, tell me the story of how I should vote in final rebuttals. For speaker points, be clear, don't be a jerk, and don't be racist/misogynist etc.

Put me in the email chain tyjuan.thirdgill98@gmail.com

I am not going to lie to you and say I am a Tab judge and I will vote for anything because that is just not true.

I don't like new arguments in the 2NC by that I mean I don’t like entire new off case arguments in the 2NC I think its really abusive to the 1AR. With that being said I am willing to listen to abuse arguments about how that is bad for debate. Although I am more inclined to reject the argument and not the team.

Topicality

By default, I view topicality through the lens of competing interpretations, but I could certainly be persuaded to do something else. I don't hate T nor do I love it. I use to love it but I don't think teams do enough work on the flow. Teams are always either winning the interpretation debate but losing the standards and voters of vice versa. That being said I will vote on T and I don't mind voting on team but you need to win the entire flow. This means having a good debate about whose interpretation is better on down to the violation and all the way through to the standards and voters.

Specifically, on T I HATE reasonability as a no voter. I think that it is your job to debate the T flow well enough so that I come to the conclusion that you are reasonably topical.

Please don't run and RVI on T I am not that likely to vote for it that being said if its dropped I will vote for it with great protest.

Theory

I evaluate theory the same as I evaluate Topicality: it is only as important to me as you tell me it is. I can be swayed either way on theory; whether it's on condo, multiple worlds etc. With that being said, teams need to be able to explain the implications of what the other team did for me to vote on said theory. If you don't explain why I should vote on it, then I won't vote on it. My default on the theory flow is to reject the argument and not the team. For example, even if the neg drops the condo flow but you don’t tell me to drop the team instead of the argument I will just kick the argument. With that being said you need to little work on the flow for a dropped theory argument in order for me to vote on it.

Kritiks

I love a good K debate. You have the potential to make me vote for any Kritik that you want me to vote on. Ks that do not engage with the substance of the aff are rarely reasons to vote negative. I'm really not here for your generic K’s don’t waste my time with this. A good K debate needs to make it so that even if the judge hasn't heard the K before they grasp and understanding of the story you are telling with the K. I don't need to walk away being a scholar on the K for me to vote for it I simply need a clear picture of the impact of the K and how the world of the alt differs from the aff .

I am skeptical of the pedagogical value of frameworks/roles of the ballot/roles of the judge that don’t allow the affirmative to weigh the benefits of hypothetical enactment of the plan against the K. I am more than willing to listen to a discussion centered around their need to defend the scholarship of the 1ac and how they should be forced to defend the epistemology of the 1ac but this should be used as a reason why the perm fails and why they don’t gain access to your impacts or maybe even their impacts but not as a reason why they can’t weigh the aff against the K.

Email: rtimm4341@gmail.com (went years opposing being on the email chain on the grounds that it removes the debate from what is actually claimed by the debaters, but zoom debate being what it is, maintaining a purist stance is not practicable)

I have been involved with debate since 2003. As you might suspect of something I've been doing longer than most people reading this will have been alive, I'm here because I genuinely believe in and enjoy the activity. Hopefully you feel the same way! Happy, fun teams make happy, fun judges make happy, fun, high point rounds.

Tech > truth. There's virtually no argument that can't win if argued well. The places where truth matters more are generally structural issues with debate, e.g., barring a drop, you can't tech uniqueness arguments into controlling the direction of the link or a non-competitive advocacy out of the perm. Other than that, I judge with the least possible intervention whatever my (often strong) thoughts on the argument may be. I tend to read VERY little evidence, as few teams actually make sufficient use of their evidence for it to be relevant to my decision. Evidence is an argument support system, not an argument itself, meaning that you need to actually flag a card and focus on its warrants for it to stand a chance at directly coming into my decision.

Far too much impact calculus is incredibly shallow. The majority of rounds, impact calc consists of noting an untouched extinction impact and asserting then asserting an immediate timeframe and 100% probability. This is as silly inside a debate round as it would be in the real world. You're much better served making specific, probabilistic arguments drawing on carded warrants and comparing them to your mitigation of their impacts. Relatedly, too many teams simply let impacts stand untouched, hoping instead to mitigate at the link and uniqueness levels. This tends to result in me having to grumpily parse whether to vote in favor of the side claiming two extinction events that may not be unique or the side claiming three extinction events that may not link. Impact defense and (be still my beating heart!) impact turns therefore tend to result in cleaner, more fun rounds.

CPs: I am extremely aff-leaning on most questions of competition. If your CP competes off the definition of normal means or certainty, it doesn't. That goes for consult, delay, condition, what have you: if perm do the counterplan is in the 2AR, you will almost certainly lose. No, perm do the counterplan as a response to your sweet consult Turkmenistan CP does not sever out of anything. Yes, that does make your CP almost impossible to run.

States CPs are often theoretically illegitimate, but I'm actually unusually sympathetic to them this year. The vast majority of our criminal justice system is controlled by states rather than the feds, meaning that there is an unusually rich literature supporting state-level solutions.

Critiques: I'll openly admit to being one of the least sympathetic judges on the circuit to the theory behind most critical arguments in debate. There's tons of great and interesting philosophy being written and read every day. Unfortunately, almost none of it is what we as a community have decided to use to write our Ks. The vast majority of "high theory" authors are embarrassing hack frauds. Every time I wind up being exposed to Zizek or Baudrillard or the like reminds me of Schopenhauer's famous comments that Hegel "was a flat-headed, insipid, nauseating, illiterate charlatan, who reached the pinnacle of audacity in scribbling together and dishing up the craziest mystifying nonsense" and wrote "such stuff as madmen tongue and brain not." (Note: if you don't know what I'm talking about, you almost certainly do not have a strong enough background in philosophy to actually understand the arguments you are making.)

That said, I have a slightly above 50% lifetime voting record in favor of the K. Good K debaters make their argument as specific to the aff as possible, something especially easy on the criminal justice topic. You will always be better off engaging with the substance of the aff. Good K debaters also try not to let the round devolve into a seeming stream of consciousness in no particular order. The average high school K 2NC/1NR seems to skip up and down the flow with no regard for structure or responsiveness. Structureless speeches result in messy flows result in frustrated judges trying to parse implicit clash after the round.

Non-traditional/performance: Debate is a game, and the only rule that can't be disputed is the length of your speeches. However, I'm never going to be a particularly good judge for performance affs. All things being equal, the neg will usually have the advantage on T/framework for two reasons: 1) empirically, almost every performance debate is a meta-debate with almost no topic-specific education after the 1AC; and 2) especially on a topic like CJR, virtually everything done by non-traditional affs could also be done topically, requiring actual engagement with your performance. That is to say, no, the aff saying "the USFG should" is not the same thing as roleplaying as the USFG.

Theory: theory arguments outside the "conditionality bad" family are almost never reasons to reject the team. This goes double for blippy little nothing arguments in the middle of a block being labelled an independent voter. However, arguments like severance or floating PIKs are often extremely useful. If you go for a CP/K, I will not compare the plan to the status quo without an extremely compelling argument why I should.

Topicality: Unless told otherwise, I default to evaluating T through a competing interpretations lens. A-spec and similar arguments are rarely a winner.

My paradigm is very simple. I look forward to a fun and kind round. You can be snarky in cross-x but please do not be rude. 

I enjoy watching rounds filled with kritiks, however I have debated policy for many years. Please make sure you understand what you are saying because it can often hurt you when you try to bs arguments.

Overall, critical rounds are my favorite to judge, da's are my favorite policy argument, and lastly, make sure you do not drop T!

Debate History:

Juan Diego Catholic: 2011-2014 (1N/2A and 1A/2N)

Rowland Hall-St. Marks: 2014-2015 (1A/2N)

University of Michigan: 2015-2019 (1A/2N)

University of Kentucky: 2019-2020 (Assistant Coach)

Wake Forest University: Present (Assistant Coach)

*Please put me on the email chain: caitlinp96@gmail.com - NO POCKETBOXES OR WHATEVER PLEASE AND THANK YOU*

TL;DR: You do you, and I'll flow and judge accordingly. Make smart arguments, be yourself, and have fun. Ask questions if you have them post-round / time permits. I would rather you yell at me (with some degree of respect) and give me the chance to explain why you lost so that you can internalize it rather than you walk away pissed/upset without resolution. An argument = claim + warrant. You may not insert rehighlighted evidence into the record - you have to read it, debate is a communicative activity.

General thoughts: I enjoy debate immensely and I hope to foster that same enjoyment in every debate I judge. With that being said, you should debate how you like to debate and I’ll judge fairly. I will immediately drop a team and give zero speaks if you make this space hostile by making offensive remarks or arguments that make it unsafe for others in the round (to be judged at my discretion). Clipping accusations must have audio or some form of proof. Debaters do not necessarily have to stake the round on an ethics violation. I also believe that debaters need to start listening to each other's arguments more, not just flowing mindlessly - so many debates lose potential nuance and clash because debaters just talk past each other with vague references to the other team's arguments. I can't/won't vote on an argument about something that happened outside the debate. I have no way of falsifying any of this and it's not my role as a judge. This doesn't apply to new affs bad if both teams agree that the aff is new, but if it's a question of misdisclosure, I really wouldn't know what to do (stolen from DML and Goldschlag). *NOTE - if you use sexually explicit language or engage in sexually explicit performances in high school debates, you should strike me. If you think that what you're saying in the debate would not be acceptable to an administrator at a school to hear was said by a high school student to an adult, you should strike me. (stolen from Val)

General K thoughts:

- AT: Do you judge these debates/know what is happening? Yes, its basically all I judge anymore (mostly clash of civs)

- AT: Since you are familiar with our args, do we not have to do any explanation specific to the aff/neg args? No, you obviously need to explain things

- AT: Is it cool if I just read Michigan KM speeches I flowed off youtube? If you are reading typed out copies of someone else's speech, I'm going to want to vote against you and will probably be very grumpy. Debate is a chance for you to show off your skill and talent, not just copy someone's speech you once saw on youtube.

K (Negative) – enjoyable if done well. Make sure the links are specific to the case and cause an impact. Make sure that the alt does something to resolve those impacts and links as well as some aff offense OR have a framework that phases out aff offense and resolves yours. Assume I know nothing about your literature base. Try not to have longer than a 2-minute overview

K (Affirmative) / Framework – probably should have some relation to the resolution otherwise it's easy to be persuaded that by the interp that you need to talk about the resolution. Probably should take some sort of action to resolve whatever the aff is criticizing. I think FW debates are important to have because they force you to question why this space has value and/or what needs to change in said space. Negative teams should prove why the aff destroys fairness and why that is bad. Affirmative teams should have a robust reason why their aff is necessary to resolve certain impacts and why framework is bad. Both teams need a vision of what debate looks like if I sign my ballot aff or neg and why that vision is better than the other side’s. Fairness is an impact and is easily the one I'm most persuaded by, particularly if couched in terms of it being the only impact any individual ballot can solve AND being a question of simply who's model is most debatable (think competing interps).

T is distinct from Framework in these debates in so far as I believe that:

- T is a question of form, not content -- it is fundamentally content neutral because there can be any number of justifications beyond simply just the material consequences of hypothetical enactment for any number of topical affs

- Framework is more a question of why this particular resolution is educationally important to talk about and why the USfg is the essential actor for taking action over these questions

Case – Please, please, please debate the case. I don’t care if you are a K team or a policy team, the case is so important to debate. Most affs are terribly written and you could probably make most advantages have almost zero risk if you spent 15 minutes before round going through aff evidence. Zero risk exists.

CPs – Sure. Negative teams need to prove competition and why they are net beneficial to the aff. Affirmative needs to impact out solvency deficits and/or explain why the perm avoids the net benefit. Affs also must win some form of offense to outweigh a DA (solvency deficits, theory, impact turn to an internal nb/plank of the cp) otherwise I could be persuaded that the risk of neg offense outweighs a risk a da links to the cp, the perm solvency, etc.

DAs – Also love them. Negative teams should tell me the story of the DA through the block and the 2nr. Affirmative teams need to point out logical flaws in the DA and why the aff is a better option. Zero risk exists.

Politics – probably silly, but I’ll vote on it. I could vote on intrinsicness as terminal defense if debated well.

Topicality – You need a counter-interp to win reasonabilty on the aff. I default to competing interpretations if there is no other metric for evaluation.

Theory – the neg has been getting away with murder recently and its incredibly frustrating. Brief thoughts on specific args below:

- cps with a bunch of planks to fiat out of every possible solvency deficit with no solvency advocate = super bad

- 3+ condo with a bunch of conditional planks = bad

- cps that fiat things such as: "Pence and Trump resign peacefully after [x] date to avoid the link to the politics da", "Trump deletes all social media and never says anything bad about the action of the plan ever", "Trump/executive office/other actor decides never to backlash against the plan or attempt to circumvent it" = vomit emoji

- commissions cps = still cheating, but less bad than all the things above

- delay cps = boo

- consult cps = boo (idk if these exist on the immigration topic, but w/e)

- going for theory when you read a new aff = nah fam (with some exceptions)

- 2nr cps (yes this happened recently) = boo

- going for condo when they read 2 or less without conditional planks = boo

- perf con is a reason you get to sever your reps for any perm

- theory probably does not outweigh T unless impacted very early, clearly, and in-depth

Bonus – Speaker Point Outline – I’ll try to follow this very closely (TOC is probably the exception because y'all should be speaking in the 28.5+ category):

(Note: I think this scale reflects general thoughts that are described in more detail in this: http://collegedebateratings.weebly.com/points-scale.html - Thanks Regnier)

29.3 < (greater than 29.3) - Did almost everything I could ask for

29-29.3 – Very, very good

28.8 – 29 – Very good, still makes minor mistakes

28.5 – 28.7 – Pretty good speaker, very clear, probably needs some argument execution changes

28.3 – 28.5 – Good speaker, has some easily identifiable problems

28 – 28.3 – Average varsity policy debater

27-27.9 – Below average

27 > (less than 27) - You did something that was offensive / You didn’t make arguments.

Information about Me:

-Debated at Hendrickson High school for 4 years, octafinals of the TOC reading purely critical arguments.

-Freshman at the University of Michigan

-I purely went for critical arguments and topicality my senior year of highschool. That being said, I am not averse to voting on any argument, assuming it has been deployed in an intelligent way. If you don't know it, don't read it just because I'm your judge.

For an early TL;DR

-I am admittedly more comfortable with the k, however I genuinely enjoy debates in which someone is correctly responding to the kritik, and often find myself persuaded by logical arguments as to why a kritik is wrong, or perhaps oversimplifies a complex problem.

-For framework, I am persuaded by arguments about how framework can have real world impacts, or solves the problems the affirmative is talking about better.

-Read the random things section.

Specifics

Counterplans/DAs

-I have not judged on this topic at all (Writing before the Michigan HS tournament) so don't expect me to konw the ins and outs of a counterplan or disad without you explaining it. My favorite part of these debates is by far the impact calculus, and solid, logical internal link stories.

Topicality

-I find myself more interested in the fact of topicality which emphasizes limits and the sanctity of what makes debate valuable. I think this is the most strategic way it can be deployed, but that's just my opinion.

Kritiks

-I predominately read antiblackness arguments in highschool and in college, but I enjoy critical debates assuming each position is explained well.

Framework

-If you read it, believe in it and be passionate about it, but don't be rude about it. I am fine with any framework strategy, 

Random Things

-I am not a big fan of "They dropped it, so you have to vote on it" type arguments. With enough explanation, I will grant you that, but don't expect me to vote on an RVI that the other team didn't hear because you said it in 2 seconds and didn't explain it throughout the entire debate. I don't think debates should be won like that, you can disagree with me, but I think we both agree that it's my opinion that counts at the end of the debate.

-Don't assume someone's identity, but if you misidentify them, apologize and mean it.

-Speed is fine.

David Zin

Debate Coach, Okemos High School

debate at okemosk12.net

Quick version: If you want to run it, justify it and win it and I'll go for it. I tend to think the resolution is the focus (rather than the plan), but have yet to see a high school round where that was a point with which anybody took issue or advantage. I like succinct tags, but there should be an explanation/warrant or evidence after them. I do pine for the days when debaters would at least say something like "next" when moving from one argument to another. If you run a critical argument, explain it--don't assume I understand the nuances or jargon of your theory. Similarly, the few critical debaters who have delivered succinct tags on their evidence to me have been well-rewarded. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I can't flow your 55-70 word tag, and the parts I get might not be the parts you want. I think all four debaters are intelligent beings, so don't be rude to your opponent or your partner, and try not to make c-x a free-for-all, or an opportunity for you to mow over your partner. I like the final rebuttals to compare and evaluate, not just say "we beat on time-frame and magnitude"--give me some explanation, and don't assume you are winning everything on the flow. Anything else, just ask.

The longer version: I'm a dinosaur. I debated in college more than 30 years ago. I coached at Michigan State University for 5 years. I'm old enough I might have coached or debated your parents. I got back into debate because I wanted my children to learn debate.

That history is relevant because I am potentially neither as fast a flow as I used to be (rest assured, you needn't pretend the round is after-dinner speaking) and for years I did not kept pace with many of the argumentative developments that occurred. I know and understand a number of K's, but if you make the assumption I am intimately familiar with some aspect of of your K (especially if it is high theory or particularly esoteric), you may not like the results you get. Go for the idea/theme not the author (always more effective than simply saying Baudrillard or Zizek or Hartman or Sexton). If you like to use the word "subjectivity" a lot on your K argumentation, you might explain what you mean. Same thing for policy and K debaters alike when they like to argue "violence".

Default Perspective:

Having discussed my inadequacies as a judge, here is my default position for judging rounds: Absent other argumentation, I view the focus of the round as the resolution. The resolution may implicitly shrink to the affirmative if that is the only representation discussed. If I sign the ballot affirmative, I am generally voting to accept the resolution, and if the affirmative is the only representation, then it is as embodied by the affirmative. However, I like the debaters to essentially have free rein--making me somewhat tabula rosa. So if you prefer a more resolution focus rather than plan focus, I'm there. I also like cases that have essential content and theory elements (stock issues), but if one is missing or bad, the negative needs to bring it up and win it to win. I do generally view my role as a policy maker, in that I am trying to evaluate the merits of a policy that will be applied to the real world--but that evaluation is being done in a format that has strong gamelike aspects and strong "cognitive laboratory" aspects. A policymaker perspective does not preclude examining critical/epistemological questions...but ultimately when I do so, I feel it's still through some sort of policy making perspective (educational policy, social policy, or "am I thinking about this correctly" when considering my view on the policy question: if my epistemology is a geocentric universe and the plan wants to send a mission to Mars, do I have the right knowledge system to guarantee the rocket arrives in the right place). I will accept counter-intuitive arguments (e.g. extinction is good) and vote on them--although you will have to justify/win such an approach if it is challenged and in many cases there is a bit of a natural bias against such arguments.

I say "absent other argumentation" because if you want me to use another process, I all ears. I'm pretty open-minded about arguments (even counter-intuitive ones), so if you want to run something, either theoretical or substantive, justify it, argue it, and if you win it, I'll vote for it.

Weighing Arguments:

The biggest problem I observed when I did judge college rounds, and at the high school level, is that debates about how I should evaluate the round are often incomplete and/or muddled, such as justifying the use of some deontological criteria on utilitarian grounds. While such consequentialism is certainly an option in evaluating deontological positions, I struggle to see how I'm not ultimately just deciding a round on some utilitarian risk-based decision calculus like I would ordinarily use. I've had this statement in my philosophy for years and no one seems to understand it: if I reject cap, or the state, or racism, or violations of human rights, or whatever because it leads to extinction/war/whatever, am I really being deontological--or just letting you access extinction via a perspective (using utilitarian consequences to justify your impacts, and some strategy or rhetoric to simply exclude utilitarian impacts that might counter your position). That fine if that's why you want it, but I think it makes "reject every instance" quite difficult, since every instance probably has solvency issues and certainly creates some low internal link probabilities. If you do truly argue something deontologically, having some sort of hierarchy so I can see where the other team's impacts fit would be helpful--especially if they are arguing an deontological position as well. Applying your position might be helpful: think how you would reconcile the classic argument of "you can't have rights if you are dead, yet many have been willing to give their life for rights". Sorting out that statement does an awful lot for you in a deontology vs. utilitarianism round. Why is your argument the case for one or the other?

Given my hypothesis-testing tendencies, conditionality can be fine. However, as indicated above, by default I view the round as a policy-making choice. If you run three conditional counterplans, that's fine but I need to know what they are conditional upon or I don't know what policy I am voting for when I sign the ballot—or if I even need to evaluate them. I prefer, although almost never get it, that conditionality should be based on a substantive argument in the round, preferably a claim the other team made. Related to that, you can probably tell I'm not a fan of judge kick for condo. If you have it in 2NR, my perspective is that is your advocacy option...and if it isn't internally consistent, you may have problems. Similarly, if you are aff and your plan merely restates the resolution but your solvency evidence and position clearly are relying on something more nuanced (and obviously you don't have it in your plan), you make it difficult for me to give you a lot of solvency credibility if the neg is hitting you hard on it (if they aren't, well that's their poor choice and you get to skim by).

Theory and K's:

I can like both theory args, especially T, when the debate unfolds with real analysis, not a ton of 3-5 word tags that people rip through. Theory arguments (including T) can be very rewarding, and often are a place where the best debaters can show their skills. However, debaters often provide poorly developed arguments and the debate often lacks real analysis. I do not like theory arguments that eliminate ground for one side or the other, are patently abusive, or patently time sucks. I like theory arguments but want them treated well. Those who know me are aware I like a good T argument/debate more than most...I'm just complaining that I rarely see a good T debate.

I'm not a fan of K's, but they definitely have a place in debate. I will vote on one (and have voted for them numerous times) if two things happen: 1) I understand it and 2) you win it. That's a relatively low threshold, but if you babble author names, jargon, or have tags longer than most policy teams' plans, you make it much harder for me.

Style Stuff:

As for argument preferences, I'll vote on things that do not meet my criteria, although I dislike being put in the position of having to reconcile two incomprehensible positions. I'll vote on anything you can justify and win. If you want me in a specific paradigm, justify it and win that I should use it. I like a 2ar/2nr that ties up loose ends and evaluates (read: compares)--recognizing that they probably aren't winning everything on the flow.

I don't like to ask for cards after the round, or reviewing the evidence in pocketbox, etc. and will not ask for a card I couldn't understand because you were unintelligible. If there is a debate over what a card really says or signifies, or it seems to contain a nuance highlighted in the round that is worth checking, I may take a look at the evidence.

I traditionally rely on providing nonverbal feedback—if I'm not writing anything, or I'm looking at you with a confused expression, I'm probably not getting what you are saying for one reason or another.

Debate is still a communication activity, even if we rip along at several hundred words a minute. If I missed something in your speech, that is your fault--either because you did not emphasize it adequately in the round or you were unintelligible. If you are a gasper, you'll probably get better points if you slow down a bit. I tend to dislike prompting on content, but keeping your partner on pace is fine. I'd prefer you ask/answer your own c-x questions. I like numbering and organization, even though much has apparently died. At this point, even hearing "next" when going to the next tag would be a breath of fresh air (especially when it isn't being read off of a block). Similarly, I'll reward you if you have clear tags that would fit on a bumper sticker I could read without tailgating. Humor is a highly successful way to improve your speaker points. If you are organized, intelligible and funny, the much-sought-after 30 is something I have given. I haven't given many, but that reflects the debaters I've heard, not some unreasonable predisposition or threshold.

If you have questions about anything not on here, just ask.