Last changed on
Tue July 9, 2024 at 2:51 PM PDT
-Debated 4 years LD, graduating in 2013; qualified to TOC twice and reached Quarterfinals my senior year.
-Have coached for 10 years; am currently the Head Debate Coach at Lynbrook High School.
Am rewriting this for TDI:
If I'm your judge, just concentrate on explaining your arguments in the clearest and most straightforward way possible. Don't hide behind buzzwords like 'engagement, containment, entanglement, probing,' etc. etc. -- instead, explain your arguments to me like a story. Don't merely assert that a country would react a certain way if the US did something -- provide clear warrants by pointing to particular lines in your evidence or by referencing historical examples. I think it is an excellent investment of your time, in front of me, to sometimes go slow and read lines from evidence to emphasize what's important, or, when it comes to your opponent's cards, what's missing.
I would also signpost, number arguments, and begin argument comparison in the debate as early as possible.