Druid Hills High School, Atlanta

(I must give credit to TG Pelham for my paradigm, he taught me everything I know about debate.)

I believe the most important skill in debate is the ability to listen to the other team, and then carefully evaluate the warrants, especially the internal links, of their arguments. Listening is key to clash and what’s debate without clash?

In the age of paperless debate, too often teams fail to listen/flow the other side, and assume that arguments were made. If a card is not read into evidence it does not exist.  It should be your goal to speak clearly so that I can understand what you say.

I try to be a tabula rasa judge. If you win an argument, or the argument is dropped, and you explain why this wins the ballot I will follow your instructions. However, because listening is so important, if both teams are making mistakes—dropping arguments—the team that demonstrates better critical analysis and clash picks up my ballot.

Kritics must make sense, and you must show that you undertand the underlying justification of that K; therefore, do not expect to win my vote for an underdeveloped K in your Neg strat. 

Topicality: I will vote on it as long as you explain why your interpretation is better and explain the consequences of that interpretation.

Counterplans: I want to hear a CP text that makes sense. I tend to agree that utopian fiat is bad for debate. Similarly the perm needs to make sense. Debates about theory only make sense to me when the argument is developed. You must tell me why something is a voting issue. I need your analysis, not just your assertion.

Kritiks: My background is in philosophy, so I tend to enjoy philosophical arguments/theory. However, you need explain the importance of the K. You need to win the link debate, and you need to have an alternative that is not totalizing.

Performance: I’m open to stretching the bounds of debate, but I need to know why debate is the appropriate format for your advocacy. Whatever your vision or re-conception/demystification, I need to be able to find a coherent purpose that will provide a ground from which to evaluate the experience, and a reason to say you “won” the round.

speak from the heart and remember.. IF WISDOM COULD SPEAK IT WOULD SPEAK ELEGANTLY

I COMPETED HAPPILY FOR FOUR YEARS AT THE BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE IM INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITY TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN THROW MOST ANYTHING YOU WANT AT ME AND ILL GET IT BUT MAYBE NOT ALWAYS IN THE WAY YOU WANT 

full paradigm at judgephilsophies wikispaces

I led LD at Walton High School '14 for four years and judged local tournaments while attending Georgia Tech '18.

I try to be tabula-rasa-ish, so make sure you give me impacts or conditions under which you win, which you should be doing regardless. For those only experienced in local debate, this means I know nothing about the resolution or your case (including what qualifies your winning the round or how to weigh arguments); I will take your case at face value and actively avoid drawing conclusions until you give them to me clearly.

I'm fine with progressive techniques meaning spreading and Ks, and I enjoy weirder arguments. However, I always go back to the framework debate.

Paint the neg/aff world for me

Notes:

- Ideally, you should be spending roughly a third to half of your AC/NC constructing and justifying your framework; don't be vague

- I encourage use of weighing, impact turns, and counterplans

- Cross-ex blind. Learning how to rephrase/restate/emphasize is good practice for real life.

- Fine with flex prep as long as both debaters are

- Prefer standing over sitting because it makes you a better real-life speaker, but I'm flexible if this is difficult