Rebel Speech and Debate UIL VIRTUAL Tournament
2021 — Online, TX/US
Policy Debate Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show Hide1. I will vote on topicality wins.
2. I prefer on case and off case arguments over any K's.
3. Overall, I enjoy a good round with attacks to the affirmations made by on case arguments/off case arguments and are supported by evidence.
I do not have a specific paradigm for any debate event, I do emphasize the items below however...
-Feel free to be unique and run anything you choose as long as it is factual, honest, and topical.
-Be respectful of your judges, audience, and probably most importantly your opponent
<do not make gestures via your vocalizations or physicality that could indicate a sense of disrespect towards he/she/them>
-Be culturally component and aware of your privileges when making general statements, truly try to understand someone else's experience before conducting a stereotype
-Speed is fine if you are CLEAR.
-Claims and Warrants are coactive.
-Road maps are ideal and a recap at the end makes me happy :)
***REMEMBER YOU ARE BOLD FOR COMPETING AND YOUR WORDS HOLD POWER***
speed is fine as long as you make an email chain/speech drop - email is obinnadennar@gmail.com
im fine with all types of debate. i love critical arguments/case positions that engage with various types of philosophy. k debate is my favorite. cool with everything else.
one note on theory: i do not like frivolous theory (i.e. down my opponent since they are wearing socks - yes, i have seen this shell). if your opponent gets up in the next speech and says this is stupid and don't pay attention to it. i will discard it and i will not see it as a voting issues. that being said, if there is actual abuse in the round, theory is not only fine but welcomed. competing interps over reasonability.
please feel free to ask any questions before the round. ill be more than happy to answer them
Howdy, I debated from 2016-2020, and participated in several circuits, including NSDA and TFA, so I am familiar with most forms and styles of debate.
CX: Please for the love of all the trees that are going to die because of the flow paper I use do not run 7 off unless you truly believe they are necessary to the the round. Time suck arguments are bad sportsmanship in my opinion.
Generally, I believe in fair debates and creating learning experiences. I will listen to anything, but you need to show me that you understand your case and neg arguments, not just read from Open Ev. A simple way to do this is strong information during CX time, or giving a short explanation at the beginning or end of your constructive, if you don't have time that's fine. I tend to lean more towards analytical, theory, and case arguments, simply because I think they display critical thinking skills and show you can use common sense.
As far as speed, if you want to spread just make sure that taglines are crystal clear. For virtual tourneys I prefer you not spread only because I have never seen it work out successfully, but spread at your own risk. I don't mind open CX as long as both you and your partner are carrying equal weight.
Finally, sportsmanship is very important to me. I think assertiveness and competitiveness is good, but do not be unnecessarily rude to your opponents, it will reflect in your speaker points. If its clear that your opponents skill level is still developing I will respect you more if you turn the round into a learning experience rather than a power flex. Also, don't lose sight of your burden as the aff or neg. In most cases doubt can be a very strong voter, so keep that in mind.
Case: My only request is that you know what you are talking about. I lowkey like k affs, but dont run if you dont know what you are talking about.
DA's: Truthfully, I roll my eyes at nuclear war and hyperbolic impacts, but as a former debater I know that it's just part of debate, so its fine, but I strongly value empirical evidence and impacts that are happening now(hint climate change, structural violence,etc) its a good way to win on timeframe. Impact Calculus is also good if you have time for it in your final rebuttal. To win the DA outline a strong internal link chain and strong empirical evidence if available and make the link as specific as possible.
Counterplan: Please for the sake of keeping the flow clean do not run multiple CP's I will literally lose my mind especially if they get dropped later in the round. You have a better chance of winning the more specific the CP is. To win the counter plan you need to tell me why it is better than the aff, and how you claim the impacts of both the CP and the aff and solve for any DA's you read. I don't really like you just say "perm:do both" I think you need to read evidence that proves you can actually perm. Aff, literally all you need to do it show me why the aff is better(this is part of your burden anyway) and everything will be cool beans.
Theory: I LOVE theory, but I am not a fan of condo; however, if you make a compelling argument then I will vote on it. Condo tends to get messy, or turn into a time suck, or a non-issue, therefore, I tend to lose interest quickly.
Topicality: As the circuits become more progressive T has become a time suck which I really don't appreciate. Please for the love of all that is good only run T if it the aff is untopical and T is really only important to me if you make it important. Depending on the round my default is reasonability.
Kritik: I will listen to it, but same with the DA's I tend to value empirical evidence and impacts that are happening now. I will listen to any alt, but I tend to favor real world than phil. I value moral obligations, empirics, and understanding. I think it is also extremely important that you run the K as if I have no clue what I am doing, this will help you adapt to your judges and once again demonstrates that you know what you are talking which is very important to me.
Lincoln-Douglas: I will listen to anything, but you must show me that you have a strong understanding. I understand that each circuit is different, but during the debate I would prefer an emphasis on your value/criterion and framing, and once you nail those move onto more progressive ideas. I also want to see you use your brain when you make arguments so be sure to try and display common sense and critical thinking skills. I LOVE clash and real world impacts, its an easy way to meet all the criteria I listed previously. Finally, sportsmanship is very important to me. I think assertiveness and competitiveness is good, but do not be unnecessarily rude to your opponents, it will reflect in your speaker points. If its clear that your opponents skill level is still developing I will respect you more if you turn the round into a learning experience rather than a power flex.
background:
el campo high school - policy, congress, extemp, and worlds (state medalist, outrounds @ nats)
southeastern ok state - LD, parli, PF, IPDA, extemp (state champion, state runner up, 2x national top speaker & 2x national quarterfinalist)
texas state - LD, parli, ipda (3x state champion, 2x state runner up, 4x state top speaker, national top speaker)
misc:
email chains are cool but so is speechdrop
pls unhighlight your evidence -> i'm colorblind and if i can't read it, i'm not flowing it
tell me like a really funny joke to show me that you read my paradigm (which doesn't happen enough) -> i'll add points to your speaker points
if online, i'll also add no more than 0.5 to your speaks if you see and acknowledge my cats :)
i do not care what you call me but PLEASE stop calling me judge -i think this creates a really weird dynamic and it makes debaters uncomfortable
pls don't have an attitude with me, it's really annoying and you'll get the minimum speaks for it (you also might get the L). if i know your coach, i'll probably let them know what happened, as well.
i love this activity and i want you to, as well. if there's anything i can do before the round to make the teams more comfy, pls let me know, even if that means we need to have a private convo beforehand. i will do it for you
policy:
i'll listen to most policy args but here's some specific info
1) don't be a racist, sexist, etc. -> idc i'll vote you down as a punishment
2) i love Ks and K affs, but don't run them if you don't really understand the lit or the argument behind them
3) i'm down for the multiple links on the K (even analytic links) but pls collapse in the rebuttals and give me a solid story
4) make sure you have all parts for all of your args -> if you're missing solvency in the 1ac, i'll vote neg on presumption and vice versa (tech over truth)
5) cp's are cool as long as they're mutually exclusive and also non-t
6) impact calcs should happen starting with the rebuttals
7) i HATE having to vote on args that are just dropped. make sure you tell me why this dropped or conceded arg is important in context to the round
8) to win t on the neg, you have to prove abuse and not just expect me to judge on potential abuse (this is def up for debate and if you win the theory for it, i'll give it to you)
8.5) hot take i literally do not care if your aff is non-topical as long as you can defend that this is a good idea and has some net benefit
9) I will not judge kick the CP unless explicitly told to do so by the 2NR, and it would not take much for the 2AR to persuade me to ignore the 2NR’s instructions on that issue
10) literally do not lie in any aspect of the round.
11) overall -> i try and adapt to the debater so pls make it as easy for me as possible
ld:
1) not too big of a fan of this switch to policy in ld, but i'll listen to it. if this is you, read my policy paradigm
2) if you decide on traditional ld, aff must have a v/c
3) no clash = the other side gets a W on presumption
4) i'll vote you down every single time if you lose f/w (don't be shocked)
I consider myself a judge who will listen to anything as long as it is warranted. I have voted on just about any argument you can imagine. I am open to both traditional and progressive arguments. Do whatever works for you. Please give me voters. I love seeing clear ways you think I should evaluate the round. If you only read this paragraph, here is the TLDR version. I love direct clash. Voters are incredibly important in the rebuttals. Don't make me do the mental work for you.
I competed for 3 years in policy in high school, 4 years of NPDA, and 2 years of LD in college, and I was a graduate assistant for the WTAMU speech team. I have been coaching in some capacity for the last 8 years, so there's not much you can run that I have not seen.
Policy Debate
Topicality
I enjoy a good T debate. Stock issues are still very important in traditional policy debates, and I want debaters to do it well. Run T if there is a clear violation. Please emphasize voters.
Disadvantages
Please read specific links if you have them. Tell me exactly how the aff plan fits into your scenario. I'm fine with terminal impacts as long as they are warranted.
Counterplans
I like CPs when they are run well. Please have a unique net benefit on the CP. You can read CP theory for the aff or neg. It's a neglected argument, but I like hearing theories on different types of counterplans and their validity.
Kritiks
Just like disadvantages, I think Ks should have specific links. Theory is great, and I enjoy it when it is run well. Make sure you have more than just a reject alt. What does the alt call me to do besides vote for you? Do not run multiple Ks in the same round/speech. A good K is a big enough theoretical and ethical issue that it should be your main advocacy.
Lincoln-Douglas
I coached in a very traditional area, which means I see a lot of traditional debate. Ethical debates are incredibly important, and they've grown on me as I have coached the activity. That said, I am open to more "progressive" styles as long as the arguments are solid. Each side should offer a value and a criterion for their case. However, you choose to structure arguments after that is up to you.
Public Forum
I have less experience with PF than I do with CX and LD, but I enjoy judging it. Unlike traditional policy debate, public forum debate does not require a plan text. The time constraints make policy-style cases difficult. I'm open to hearing that format, but it's not required to win my ballot. I want to see well-reasoned cases and good clash in rounds.
Speed
It's very hard to speak too quickly for me. It is possible to mumble or speak too quietly, especially in a virtual debate. Debate is only good if both sides know what is happening. Please make sure you enunciate clearly. Please don't gasp for air while you read. It's one of the few things I truly hate. If you're doing that, slow down. Make your signposts and taglines very clear, so I know where to flow.
At the end of the day, it is not my job to tell you what you should run. Run arguments that you like and think you will do well running.
Debate is the art of influencing the judge to agree with your arguments. If your delivery is unclear and your pace is not understandable, then you may have not effectively communicated your points. I generally lean toward stock issues, but will accept most well-formulated arguments. I am not a fan of spreading but am fine with speed as long as long as it is within reason. I am also not a fan of K's that are far-fetched. I am a fan of well-developed T's so be sure to have all elements of a T if you are going to run one or I cannot vote on it. Do not rely totally on analytic arguments as your points are more effective when supported by evidence. Neg, be sure to link your arguments directly into the aff. Aff, be sure to cover every argument made by the neg.
Lastly, and most importantly. Thank you for participating in debate. You are developing skills that you will carry with you throughout life.