Tyler.anderson115@gmail.com

UMN Law '23 UMN PhD loading...

Dartmouth College '18

Acorn Community High School '14

2022 Notes: PREP TIME STOPS ONCE THE DOCUMENT HAS BEEN EMAILED OVER - NOT BEFORE

I haven't judged in a few years but I would like to think I still got it...everything I wrote below still applies...

Most important: The role of the negative is to articulate a disadvantage to the 1ac in some form or fashion.

Everything else: I've done policy debate every year of school. I think it has some value.

I've done a variety of styles of debating so I'm fine to judge any style. I've personally leaned more to the critical side in terms of how I debate but this doesn't mean I prefer K's or am more inclined to vote for them, it just means that I probably understand a lot of the words you're using.

I think the point of a debate round is persuasion. so what happens in debate rounds is important. I don't like disinterested presentations about important topics.

Every year I became a more technical debater. This means I evaluate the flow and one shouldn't casually drop arguments just because they think theirs is better. Still, I don't vote on arguments just because they weren't answered, I think work has to be done to explain why that concession was so damning or important. Also, if you want me to flow a particular way then you should just tell me.

Sounds cliche but arguments are claims plus warrants. Don't just yell a bunch of arguments with no explanation as to why they are true without any theoretical, statistical, or historical support.

"Cards" necessitate an argument but arguments don't necessitate a "card." Don't read 12 cards in the 2ac and expect me to do the analytic work for you. I rather you spend more time on the analytic word than card reading. But finding a good medium is best.

Tyler.anderson115@gmail.com

Pasting how I answered NAUDL paradigm for transparency:

"List 4 types of arguments that you prefer to listen to/debate. For example, do you like to debate disadvantages? Do you like disadvantages as long as the disads aren’t the politics DA?

1. Impact calc

2. If a framework debate, treat it as a competing method/hermeneutic

3. Creative things I haven’t heard before…I like to learn too.

4. Arguments of contemporary relevance

List 4 types of arguments that you prefer not to listen to/debate. For example, do you find theory debates difficult to adjudicate?

1. I don’t like hearing a topicality debate where the terminal impact is just fairness

2. If the 2nr is just theory, you better be pretty good at it

3. I don’t like any arguments that are rooted in attacking an individual person in debate or dedicated to marginalizing an intersection of identity

List 4 stylistics items you like to do or like watch other people do. For example, do you like debates that go line by line, meaning debaters use their flows to answer each argument that is presented in the order it was presented?

1. I like direct clash and teams answering each other’s arguments, not just pretending that work wasn’t done

2. Cards are great but explanation/analytics > evidence dumps

3. Ethos and clarity – can’t judge the round properly if no one understands what you’re saying

4. Pushing the bounds of arguments, getting creative and innovative

List 4 stylistics items you do not like to watch other people do. For example, do you dislike when other debaters answer their partner’s cross-x questions?

1. I don’t like unnecessary rudeness

2. I don’t like people talking over each other too much, including their partner

3. I don’t mind open cross-x but I think that’s different than your partner being unable to speak

4. I don’t like rhetorically violent assumptions or any type of marginalizing discourse that could harm anyone in the room, even spectators

In a short paragraph, describe the type of debate you would most like to hear debated.

I don’t have a type of debate I prefer to hear and I would like to believe my judging history proves that. I did tend to have my own style of debating while I competed but I don’t believe that’s a helpful guide for what you should read in front of me. I prefer to hear “great” debates where all debaters are developing deep and substantive arguments with a passionate display of all the hard work you have done over the course of your career/year. Read what you are best at reading but don’t assume I am an expert in what that is. "

Kiernan, (she/her)

Really quick about me:

• I've been involved in debate in one form or another a lot of my life, i believe it is such an amazing opportunity and i am so glad that you are participating in it!
• i am a sophomore at central high school (woo class of '26!), debated 2 years there and 3 before in MS.
• coach for hidden river MS starting 2023
• email is kiernanbaxterkauf@gmail.comif you need it for any reason
• ---MS---

middle school debate is for y'all to have fun and learn! if you have any questions at any point just ask them and I will always try my best to help, debate can be stressful and confusing sometimes and I want as many people possible to have a good experience- also just be nice to each other!

(yes i am aware MS kids don't read paradigms)

---HS---

t/l I'm a pretty lenient judge, i will vote on anything that is run well and makes as much sense as a novice round can. but here's a short little other bit:

-i definitely tend more towards policy and clash rounds over kritik arguments. But as of stuff for this season i understand all of it, as i am debating it, and i am well aware a good kritik can easily win a round.

-i am a tech over truth judge but if you are arguing anything that is homophobic, sexist, racist etc its going to be really hard to get good speaks that round, but i will try my best to hear you out and leave my opinions aside.

-in your rebuttals, please try and organize your points, the cleaner your line by line is, the easier it is for me to vote for you. if i cannot flow your points against what your opponents are actually saying is gonna make it a lot harder.

-all of my middle school stuff applies here too but i hope you all know that already. by the end of the debate you should be telling me the overall reasons i should vote for you, think big picture, tell me a story.

For any questions feel free to email me at benwberger@yahoo.com

Hey! I'm Ben, a debater from St. Paul Central HS. I use He/Him pronouns. I debated in middle school for 2 years with the topics of IDEA, and Water Resources. I have debated the Economic Inequality topic in HS.

Be nice and have fun! Debate is fun activity that we chose to spend our time doing. I think anything hateful, mean, or just generally unkind things are bad for debate. This is not to try and stop from being assertive, please be, but just dont make things get mean. This of course means you should be respecting pronouns and names of everyone in the round and outside the round. Don’t be sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, islamophobic or any of the other -ist's.

My job when judging is to make sure you get the most out of every debate. If there are any concerns, issues, or something like that, please tell me so I can best help you. If you feel most comfortable emailing me then please do so. Especially if there are any accessibility issues I want to make sure everyone has the best possible experience with debate.

Tech > truth although i doubt there are many judges who would disagree on that.

Tech issues happen so just lmk if anything is going on.

Tag team/open cross-ex is fine, just make sure the person who is the intended speaker does most stuff. If your against a mavrick team then no tag team. If you high five or like fist bump them before 'tagging in' during CX, ill be very happy. I don't mind if you stand or sit when giving your speeches or CX.

PLEASE try to flow every speech. It is a good habit to have early, because the later you go on in debate the harder it gets to break that habit(trust me on this, I am still trying to get out of this). Especially as the NEG, flow the 2AR because it will be very helpful to you.

Finally if anything is misspelled in my feedback its because I am awful at spelling and I can't figure out how to make spellcheck work on tabroom lol

+0.1 speaks if you mention how birds aren't real in a creative way.

They/them--respecting each other's pronouns is not optional

My email is cbozicdebate@gmail.com I'm happy to answer any questions!

I debated for two years in middle school at Field and Justice Page

I'm a sophomore at Washburn and have debated there for two years as well

This is my first year coaching (Justice Page) and judging, so bear with me as I am still learning

The most important thing in debate is to have fun. Debates supposed to be a game/fun activity that you can learn a lot from and the best way to do that is to not take winning (and debate overall) too seriously

Run arguments you love and are genuienly (don't know how to spell that) interesting to you! I know its tough with the middle school packet but throw in jokes and fun statistics if you can! It makes debate really fun when you're passionate about what you're arguing

Please respect your opponents. they are learning how to do this with you and being rude to them or disrespecting them in any way, shape, or form not only harms the debate space but will be reflected in the rfd/speaks. The goal is to argue the evidence, not the opponents

Biggest in-round things are probably signposting (my flows are always messy. this helps a ton), timing yourself (I will have a timer with me. Will it be accurate? that is not a guarantee), speaking clearly and loud enough that I can hear you, working with your partner, and using your prep time!!! It's there to help you!

Tag team cx is completely fine, just make sure that you and your partner use time equally

I debated LD for Highland Park in St. Paul form 2001-2005. I coached for a few years in college, but not since 2008. I have continued judging since college, but that's declined to just one or two tournaments per year recently.

As a debater, I was competitive on the national circuit with everything that entailed: speed, critical args, topicality, theory, plans/counterplans, etc. So I am familiar with all of these things. However, it's been a long time since I was deeply immersed in the cutting edge of argumentation and techniques in LD, or had the frequent opportunities to practice flowing rounds at top speeds. I can handle a moderate amount of speed, but not the fastest rounds - and you will want to be sure to enunciate. I consider it the debater's obligation to be clear to the judge. I will say "clear" up to twice per speech, but after that point I will stop flowing if I don't understand you. If you look up occasionally, it will be obvious that I'm not flowing. Similar to speed, I'm definitely no longer well versed in whatever philosopher/philosophy is currently en vogue. Don't just reference an argument by using the author's last name for shorthand and assume I know the details.

In general, I'm very open to types of argumentation. Critical args, plans, or traditional cases are all fine. Just tell me the standard by which I should be evaluating the round, and then link your arguments to that standard. I will do my best not to intervene, with one caveat; I really dislike rounds that become focused on theory, and will only vote on it if I agree that there is abusive behavior or argumentation.

Speaker points are based on several factors: the quality of arguments, technical skills, and presentation. I'm not looking for original oratory, but don't expect great speaks if you're rocking back and forth compulsively, tripping over yourself while trying to spread, yelling for no reason, etc.

Lastly, I expect that all parties, debaters and myself, will treat each other with respect.

If you have any other questions, go ahead and ask before the round.

I was a policy debater at Highland Park HS from 2017-2020 but have not done debate since. Feel free to speak however fast you want, but make sure you're clear.

I consider myself pretty open minded in terms of debate format and arguments. I don't mind tag team cross-examination or debaters finishing up a sentence after speech time ends. If you have other questions, feel free to ask me!

I appreciate it when debaters keep their own time, and it's a good habit for all debaters to have, but I will also time you because I don't like running over on time.

Please put me on the email chain it's my first name and last name @gmail.com

Debated for four years at Washburn in Minneapolis. Coached Field Middle School for three years and Minneapolis South for one year.

The most important thing to me is clear and intentional big-picture strategy. Thoroughly explain the most important arguments to the round and explicitly say what you’re winning, how that interacts with the other teams arguments, and how it implicates my decision.

Take the time to thoroughly explain link chains and impacts at the end of the debate. Lately I’ve found myself setting a higher bar for a complete argument and not evaluating scenarios that fall short.

Slow down on persuasive/important arguments, it will boost your speaker points a lot.

I’ve gone for and voted for lots of different arguments so do your thing.

Always disclose your aff (if it's been read before by you or anyone else on the team) as soon as possible and have cites ready if asked for.

Have fun!

Hi!

I judge and coach middle school debate, I did 4 years of middle school debate for Yinghua and 3 years of high school debate for Highland. I'm currently a junior at Highland and coach Yinghua debate.

2 important things.

1. 1. In a debate round you need to attack the other teams argument, however you can not attack the other team. At the end of the day this is a educational game, and should not be an excuse to be mean. You need to show a basic respect for the topic you are debating about and the people you are debating against.
   2. 2 is that I cant vote on an argument I can’t hear, make sure you are projecting your voice!

In a middle school debate round (rookie) if you have won solvency that's like 90% of the battle.

For any higher level debate in middle school there is much more wiggle room.

Have fun and keep trying!

Also if you have questions don't email me because I won't see it but you can email djwhite@umn.edubecause he also coaches Yinghua and he will see it!

sabrinatheythem@gmail.com

I strongly prefer for all documents to be sent out as word files and not as PDFs.

Personal Background

I dig holes for a living! I work for a landscaping firm called Metro Blooms planting pollinator gardens in Minneapolis and the surrounding area. When I'm not digging in the dirt or coaching debate I am playing softball in the Twin Cities G(ay)oodtime Softball League, or football in the Minnesota Gay Flag Football League. I majored in Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

I was a policy debater at the University of Minnesota from 2016-2020. In the past I have been a UDL coach for Roosevelt and Highland Park, and I am currently coaching at Wash Tech. I started debating in college in the Novice division, and went on to debate in JV and Open. Because I did not debate in high school, my general expectations as a judge come from the norms of collegiate policy debate.

Conduct in the Round

Punctuality - My preference is for the 1AC to be standing up and ready to speak at the start time of the round. That means that 10 minutes before the start time, you already started an email chain and sent the affirmative out to everyone in the round. I have had to decide debates before the final rebuttals due to tardiness, and I want you all to have the opportunity to finish the debate and ask questions.

CX - I do not appreciate tag team cross ex. If you jump in to ask or answer a cross ex question before your partner even opens their mouth, I will not be happy. If you have a specific question you would like your debate partner to ask, it is best practice to take prep time before cross ex to communicate that to them. This has the added benefit of freeing up 3:00 additional minutes of prep time for you.

Prep - If you are talking to your debate partner about the round, that always counts as taking prep. If you are standing up there taking too long to email the doc, I am suspicious of you. Be as prompt as possible after stopping your prep time to avoid suspicion.

Speaking - Speaking fast is ok but if you are failing to pronounce your words I will not be happy and I will let you know. If what you are saying in the speech does not reflect what is highlighted in your cards, I will know and I will ask you to send a document reflecting the cards that you actually read.

How to Win

Choose your strongest position in the 2NR/2AR (or earlier), and spend 5 minutes explaining the timeframe, probability, and magnitude of your strongest impact, compare/contrast your impact with your opponent's impact(s), and tell me why the plan does or does not solve for those impacts. If you bring more than one advantage into the 2AR, or more than one DA/K/CP+NB into the 2NR, I will be sad!

I care more about the technical execution of your argument than the specific content of it. Debates are often won and lost on dropped arguments. When extending arguments, simply repeating the author's name is not enough. In order for me to consider the argument extended into the speech, you must always explain the warrant from the evidence you wish to extend. Avoid reading new cards in the 2NC/2AC if those warrants already exist in the 1NC/1AC.

Do your best to answer your opponent's arguments line by line down the flow.

Speaker Points

I don't put much thought into evaluating this. It ends up being a rough relative ranking of all the speakers in the round, so if I think that you have a more or less polished style of debating than your opponents or your debate partner, it will be reflected in your speaker points. This part of the ballot is odd to me.

Hi, my name is Elliot (he/him) and I am currently a debater at Central, and coach at Capitol Hill. I have debated for two years, and currently compete in high school varsity. I'm pretty laid back, and I think that debate (especially at the lower levels) should be about having fun, and learning a little along the way.

Middle School Debate

There isn't much to say here, I am simply here to help yall have a good time and get better at debate. As a judge I will evaluate the arguments that you as debaters make in round.

My criteria for a good round is that:

1) The affirmative should read a plan text

2) Both teams should respect each other

and 3) that's about it.

This doesn't mean you can't be assertive with your questions in cx (cross-ex) or your rebuttals, but there is a fine line between being assertive and aggressive. I always try to assume ignorance instead of malice, but just don't like cuss out your opponents.

Novice Debate

Preeeeetty much the same thing as MS, except my familiarity with the packet is probably less. Other then that, yall should be fine, but I'll update this paradigm later, so maybe somethings will come up :/

Rocky references boost speaks.

Experience: I am a fifth-year policy coach for Rosemount High School. I debated for 4 years at Rosemount High School and recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in political science (quantitative-focus) and election administration. My main experience in argumentation is in policy-oriented soft-left positions, with a focus on legal theory (court CP's, Court Legitimacy, Test Case FIAT, etc), although I did often run critical arguments such as Neoliberalism, Security, Legalism, and Disability.

Please include me on email chains: sewpersauddebate@gmail.com

Framing: I view debate in a few ways:

1. It is an educational activity first and foremost. Everything else (competitive success, winning, etc) is second to education. If you aren't learning, then you aren't succeeding in debate. If you do things that actively harm someone else's education, then you will get bad speaker points.

2. It is a game - in the sense that it should be fair, and you shouldn't exclude others from the discussion. This means debate should be accessible and respectful. Intentionally misgendering your opponent, saying rude comments or anything like that (especially laughing at the other person giving the speech) is not good for a game. That will also hurt your speaker points.

3. It is a competitive reading activity - you should read your opponents' evidence and attack the specific warrants. The other team's evidence is also the best way to find links to any kritiks. Additionally, this means evidence quality matters -- if you misrepresent your warrants and the other team calls you out for it, I will intervene and only judge the warrant as the author originally intended it.

4. Clarity > Speed - I flow on paper, and if you are reading at one speed that is incomprehensible, then you will get low speaker points. I have voted for teams but given them 26 speaker points to them purely because they did not slow down throughout their speech, creating a borderline unflowable speech. Lack of clarity is anti-education.

5. In-depth conversation and argumentation >>>>> five-off or more - I think the tendency to read as many off-case arguments as possible to out-spread the other team is an inherently bad strategy and extremely detrimental to debate. It certainly damages education. I will absolutely accept Condo arguments if the other team is reading more than four-off, especially if you explain how damaging it is to education. This is one of the few areas where I am very oriented towards (my personal) truth over tech. Reading an unreasonable number of off-case arguments is a surefire way to lose a ballot in front of me. Especially if 3 or more of those arguments are separate advocacies, I will (almost) automatically buy abuse arguments.

Affirmatives: As I stated before, I prefer policy plans, but if you have a more critical advantage, I will not be too lost. I prefer soft-left affirmatives over policy affs, but I've run both types. Advantages that tackle discrimination including Sexism, Ableism, or Racism are very responsive to me, as I believe they have the most realistic impacts. I also generally believe the affirmative must be in the resolution. In other words, if you have a critical aff, this is not the best round to run it. I believe the affirmative should stick to the plan text and should defend that plan throughout the round. I do, however, understand the validity of Critical Affirmatives, but if you cannot answer the questions from the negative like "what ground do we get?" or "how is your model of debate accessible?" during cross-examination, you will likely lose, because I view debate as a game that needs to have at least some semblance of fairness and education. In my experience, some K affs end up being a way to scare other teams from engaging with the arguments and ends up shifting the discussion away from education. Basically, if you're able to defend how your model of debate promotes fairness and education, then K affs are fine. But I generally think plan-based affs provide for better models of accessible debate.

All that said, I have recently coached teams that almost exclusively read a non-topical critical affirmative and my stance has softened slightly on that front. I’ll evaluate your K aff, but be prepared to defend your model of debate and why you think it’s good!

Disadvantages: If you run this and want to win with it, there must be a clear link. If you don't do enough specific link work in the 2NR (i.e. show how the plan directly causes your link chain), I probably won't vote for it, unless the aff never answers it in the 2AR. Also, make sure you do impact calculus between the aff and the DA, and prove why your impact is worse. I also love when a team runs a CP with their DA. For politics DAs, I hate most of these because I think the logic behind these DAs is bad and generally relies on flawed assumptions. Politics DAs can be creative, but the bar for this is very high if I'm your judge.

Counterplans: CP's are a versatile position which I am quite familiar with. I believe Counterplans do not have to be topical, but they should still be competitive. Also, if you run a CP, make sure you answer the Perm, and when you do, make sure that you tell me specifically why it doesn't function. Theory can be an independent voter (when it is impacted out), so don't ignore it. Additionally, I think sufficiency framing is usually a pretty lazy argument that is made by teams who don't think their CP solvency is all that good. You need to prove why the CP solves BETTER than the affirmative, not just that it solves "enough" of the aff. Sufficiency framing is generally not enough for me to vote for the CP.

Topicality/FW/Theory: While the position is more valid when there is clear abuse outlined in the argument, there doesn't always have to be abuse. It can be used effectively as link traps or for other strategic reasons. I also love Effects/Extra Topicality arguments, especially if presented well. For the aff, Reasonability is a valid argument, but if you want me to vote on it, tell me why your plan is reasonably topical under the neg's interpretation and the aff's. On theory, disclosure theory is a non-starter. Do not run this, even as a cheap argument. While it won't lose you the round, it will damage your credibility with me and your speaker points. The only exception to this is if the team discloses one aff, and then changes it at the last minute. Then I can see it being warranted. For the most part, I think theory is usually used as a cheap strategy. Don't use it as that. Use it only if it is well-warranted. A-Spec is usually ridiculous and I don’t think I’d find myself voting for it all that often, although if it’s well-warranted, then maybe (the bar for that is extremely high, so please try to avoid this unless absolutely necessary). Perf con against a team reading one-off is ridiculous. Condo against a team reading one-off is ridiculous. Make sure your theory arguments make sense!

Most of all in theory debates, SLOW DOWN! You are essentially reading paragraphs which are incredibly difficult to flow if you just speed through them. I think spreading through theory is anti-education, and is a surefire way to damage your speaker points. I flow on paper, so my flowing speed is limited and I'm not going to flow theory arguments that I missed - it's your burden to make sure I get them. Additionally, if you don't slow down on theory arguments, you will damage your speaker points. Like I started this paradigm with, debate is an educational activity first. If the way you read theory is anti-educational, I will let you know after the round.

Kritiks: I am not great with all K's, so if you run one, make sure you clearly explain the story (especially the link and alternative) if you expect me to vote for it. However, I have run Disability, Security, Legalism, and Neoliberalism K's as well as Word PIKs, and done some coaching on more identity-based Kritiks, so if you're comfortable with those positions, this would be the round to run it. Basically, if you really want me to follow your Kritik, run Security, Disability, Afropess, Language K's, or Neoliberalism. If you don’t care if I understand your position, run Deleuze, Queer Pessimism or Baudrillard. I have a high bar for voting for Kritiks that I am not familiar with. Do not assume I understand your Kritik, explain it at the thesis level. Just as importantly, explain it within the context of the affirmative! What is the problematic assumption or rhetoric that the aff makes/uses? How does that cause the perpetuation of the bad thing you're Kritiking? How does your alternative resolve the issue? A Kritik that earns my ballot will answer all of these questions.

General: Spreading is fine, but make sure you don't go past what you feel comfortable with and SLOW DOWN ON THE TAGS. If I miss your tag because you didn't pause or slow down when reading it, I am not going to flow it for you. Make it clear, or I won't weigh the argument. When you are speaking, make sure you analyze each argument in full and make a coherent claim. Tags should be complete sentences. The word "Extinction" is not a tag. I will not flow it as an argument if that is your tag. Also, please self-time. It really helps me, and especially it helps you.

Please do not try to throw rounds. I have had a team do that in front of me, and I believe that it legitimizes a bad practice in the debate community, is anti-education, and it will severely impact your speaker points if I realize your intention.

Structuring: I will give you extra speaker points if you NUMBER AND SUBPOINT each of your arguments on the flow for the ease of flowing.

Other Positions/Arguments: There are a few positions that I will NEVER evaluate within any round. These include, but are not limited to:

-Racism/Sexism/Ableism Good

-Suicide CP/DA and/or Death K (Seriously. The way this is commonly debated brings with it serious mental health concerns and I will tolerate none of that.)

-Spark/Wipeout/Timecube, etc

Basically, if you think that your position sounds like it advocates for something offensive, don't run it.

Cross-Examination: Make sure you are polite. I am fine with tag-team if both teams agree to it, but if you shout over your partner, I will dock speaker points. Most importantly, remember that CROSS-EX IS A SPEECH. Cross-Ex is a great place to set traps for your opponents, and for you to be able to use what they say in-round against them. I do flow cross-ex, so I know what was said. Don't try to pull one over on me.

To sum it all up in a few points...

1. Education comes first. Debate is an educational activity at its core, and I believe my primary role within the round is that of an educator. If you do things that I deem as harmful to debate education, you will get lower speaker points, and may lose the round.

2. I tend to be a policy-oriented judge, although I am very comfortable with Kritiks. If you want to run one, be sure to fully explain it as if I have never heard of the philosophy before.

3. Cross-Ex is a speech and a great place to form arguments, so use it!

4. Explain everything to the fullest extent, especially links. If there is not enough work done on DA/K/T links, I will not vote for it.

Feel free to ask me any other questions before the round starts!

Hi! I was a debater for Saint Paul Central and currently coach Murray's team. You may also see me floating around MDAW and UDL tournaments.

I always try to have fidgets and earplugs/other sensory aids on me. Whether you're in my round or not, you're always welcome to ask. If you need any accommodations please talk to me before the round.

They/she. Use the right pronouns for everyone in the round or you'll lose speaker points and I'll talk to your coach. Same goes for sexism, racism, ableism, and any form of bigotry.

I do my best to be neutral, but any real life impacts are far more important. Debate should be fun, educational and inclusive.

I'm open to all types of arguments, so run what you want to. I have the most experience with standard policy affs and kritiks on neg. That being said, don't assume I know your literature. I usually don't.

**

Middle School Debaters

I'm a coach before I'm a judge. My goal is for you to learn as much as possible and enjoy debate. If you have any questions for me, I'm happy to help (as long as it isn't unfair). Read the plan, I really don't want to judge rounds without them.

**

Online debate/Tech

I've been on both sides of quite a few online debates now, and they're messy. I'll wait for tech issues, and will not judge the round or your speaks on video quality, microphone quality etc. Don't exploit this.

tech--x------------------truth

Email: lilyteskedebate@gmail.com

Hi, I'm Max [any/all]. Add me to the email chain:

stpaulcentralcxdebate[AT]gmail[DOT]com

CHS 25

Coach @ Capitol Hill MS 23 -

ABOUT ME

I'm a third year policy debater [also did LD twice lol], team captain @ St Paul Central, and I currently coach @ Capitol Hill MS. I haven't really earned a right to true argumentative preferences. Above all else, please explain your arguments and probably avoid the "Hegel K" or assume I have a preexisting understanding of it. It’s “Max” and not “judge” please please please do not call me judge.

I'm a competent flow, and if i'm judging you I'm certain i can flow you, as long as you are clear. I will not hesitate to clear you or say louder in the round. I'll give ya three warnings until I actually get annoyed. Please time yourself, I will most likely forget if its a round in JV or Varsity.

Novice/Middle Schoolers:

--Top Level: Have fun, don’t do anything offensive, and learn! I’ll answer any questions before or after the round, and if its like “what speech comes next” or something like that, I’ll answer it then. The thing I want to emphasize the most is HAVE FUN!!! This shouldn't be too stressful or competitive and the focus should be building community and learning.

--Try to attempt line by line and not just read random things---in the rebuttals if you say something similar to “answering their argument about [x]”, I’ll be super excited!!!

--The rest of this paradigm is unnecessary for y'all

JV/Varsity

TLDR:

--Offense > Defense, Tech > Truth, always. The fundamental core of my paradigm will always be that I adhere to technical debating before putting my own thoughts about arguments in, and will try to remain as impartial as always---every predisposing I have will always be overwhelmed by debating in round. Dropped arguments=true, so can vote on presumption, but in rare scenarios. To me an argument is a claim + impact, i.e. saying the sky is red doesn’t matter if dropped until the 2NC explains why it matters, and then the 1AR gets new answers. The less of a warrant the argument originally had means the less of a warrant required to answer it.

--Speed is not an issue. Just be clear :) If I can flow college out rounds, its a you problem not a me problem when I can't flow you.

--Non policy FW's r fine. I will choose an interp that was given to me in the round, not an arbritrary middle ground or call FW a "wash", because I wouldnt be able to evaluate the rest of the debate then. Middle grounds are usually more persuasive, so you're free to advocate for them.

--No inserting rehighlightings. You have to read it.

Tech>Truth

I will only evaluate arguments made on the flow, not arguments you didn’t make---there are 2 exceptions to this that are exceedingly rare and will probably never matter

1] You actively harmed someone else in the round---being racist, sexist, etc or touched someone without consent---auto L. I'm including suggesting "death is good". [please note that this is distinct from questions of if death based impacts are good things to talk about, but if you need that clarified probably don't go for that argument.]

2] The issue happened outside of the round---I am uncomfortable evaluating high schoolers interpersonal drama, and would rather talk to tab before the round if it’s serious---i will do my best to conflict those that are harmful before tournaments though.

General Preferences

Clarity+Speed>Clarity>>>>>Speed

You should do line by line, answering your opponents arguments, with short [can't emphasize the short part enough] overviews in certain contexts [complex counterplans, anywhere where you're doing global impact calc, 2r's, kritiks].

The thing that will get you most ahead with me is things like judge instruction, impact comparison, having better evidence and doing active evidence comparison, referencing authors, things like "even if" statements.

I'm 17 years old. I don't have the experience or qualifications to have strong enough argumentative opinions to write them down here. As long as it isn't offensive, I'll vote on it. Debate how you want to, and I'll vote for you! The above stuff is just what I think is persuasive in an attempt to clue you in on who I am, and what I know will be helpful, not a ruleset you must follow.

Here are a list of people that have influenced how i think about debate as both a game and activity; Cayden Mayer, Marshall Steele, Kiernan Baxter-Kauf, Katie Baxter-Kauf, Maren Lien, Eleanor Johnson, DKP, Nick Loew, Azja Butler, Teddy Munson, Jake Swede, OTT, IGM, Tom Mickelson, and most of the MN/MNUDL debate community.

And finally, some quotes because people do that for some reason in paradigms

link specificity is important - I don't think this is necessarily an evidence thing, but an explanation thing - lines from 1AC, examples, specific scenarios are all things that will go a long way - DKP

My ideal round is one where both teams are cordial and having fun. I think too often we attach our self-worth to the activity. My favorite thing about debate is the people I've met along the way. I hope that the trophies and placements at the end of the tournaments don't hurt our ability to appreciate the genius of ourselves and the people next to us. If any part of my paradigm limits your ability to enjoy the round, please let me know. - Melekh Akintola

I will tank my school career for a file standard - Marshall Steele

Hello! My name is Timur Usenov and I am a debater for the UMN-TC team. I have done public forum for 4 years in high school, so I am definitely pretty experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to the basics of debate. Here are some things that I personally value and expect:

• Please accurately signpost and reference your evidence during speeches, and when you reference them later on, please do not simply tag the card like "Tannenwald 20" and expect me to remember all the points from that card. Give a brief warrant/reminder as to the main, most important contents of that card. This greatly (overall, not just for me) improves your argument and prevents me from getting lost.
• Remember to weigh, compare evidence, and analyze links/impacts. Sometimes debates just get lost and muddy with information and sometimes you just need to remember you are trying to communicate to me why you are winning. Actively strive to show me why your evidence is better, why your impacts flow, why your links still stand, and why your opponents don't. This helps me from having to create an argument/interpret what you are saying when that is your job.
• Keep track of your own time, sometimes I struggle to do so somehow, so it's always best for you to do that.
• Remain civil, but I appreciate a clash. As a debater, I was often criticized for being too aggressive or assertive, and while I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing, please remember that there are, of course, lines and boundaries that can easily be crossed into rude territory. It's one thing to be assertive, it's another to be rude. Go crazy but not too crazy to the point you make your opponents, if not me, want to leave.
• Also just a very very very personal take of mine, and hopefully you could do this in round from reading my paradigm, but please address your opponents as your opponents and not with their names, pronouns, or anything. I just cringe immensely if I hear a team address their opponents as anything but "Aff/Neg world, Affirmation/Negation, or simply Opponents." Please also use they. I just grew up doing this and I really kind of die inside hearing anything else. Obviously, I will not doc any points for this happening--I will just be distraught.
• I really value being able to understand arguments, so please do not go lightning fast (unless it's policy then I guess I will succumb to it) if you can help it.
• Finally, I really value logic and analytical argumentation. I think that is a very great way to debate and I highly encourage thinking outside of cards and evidence sometimes.

Ok, thank you! Have fun.

charlotte (they/them)

chrlttwashington@gmail.com

i'm a freshman at central, where i'm a varsity debater (+ i did a year of middle school debate) if you have any questions i'll do my best to explain :)

This used to be much longer, but at this point there are only a few things you need to know about me:

They/Them

I am currently a UMN Policy debater and an Edina High school LD Coach.

1—I am absolutely dead inside in terms of arguments I will vote on anything and everything if won and have minimal preferences. I will vote on spark, warming good, skep, condo, derrida, ect.

2—I have a lot of feelings about in round conduct—sexism, transphobia, homophobia, racism, micro aggressions or not, are things I will intervene and end debates on. If you are overly rude, dismissive, or cruel expect a 27. I have had a lot of experience on the receiving end and will always make time to talk with anyone about how to manage these situations.

3—I am tech over truth and check my biases at the door.

4—I have been an ideologically flexible debater for my entire career—read Ks, policy args, and phil in HS LD and now mainly read policy arguments. I did four years of LD and now do college policy, have been a 2A/1N and 2N/1A.

5—I will not, repeat, I will not ever flow from the doc or back flow. I will clear you three times and then give up. Low speaks will be in your future. Speed is not a problem for me, clarity is.

6—I will read evidence is it is necessary for my decision OR I have been instructed to read it, but if you can’t explain the evidence to me I will not vote on it.

7—Disclosure is an intrinsically good norm both before the debate and on the wiki after—if you send a screenshot of your wiki to the email chain and it is good I will bump speaks +0.1.

8—I value clash a lot and think clash is the basis to how we get most of the benefits of debate. I generally am convinced debates where the affirmative defends a topical action and the negative argues that action is undesirable create the most meaningful clash. Does that mean I auto vote NEG on t-fw? No. Does the AFF have to convince me they provide better model of debate? Yes.

9—Feel free to email me or find me with questions before and after debates—I love debate and would be more than willing to answer any questions.

10—Not a big fan of theory—deeply persuaded by reject the argument and reasonability. However, I am still tech over truth and have voted for everything from AFC to spec status to condo. I don’t hold really any thoughts on condo probably more willing to vote on it than most.

11—You can post round me at your own risk--I care a lot about this activity and think hard about my decisions and will always do my best to explain them, but pointless arguing with me will get you nothing.

12--Yes you can tag team, yes flex prep, yes email chains, preference for cameras on but won't penalize you in anyway, no I do not care where you sit or if you sit for speeches, call me kacee, and let me know if you have any other questions.

13--You do you, not you do me. As a debater strategic value over coded personal desire to read an argument, I read arguments I thought I could win with and that always came first for me, I really value cut throat strategic debating, but I would also love to see you go for arguments you clearly believe and are passionate about--don't try to be me I've listened to myself debate more times than I can count, but I do want to listen to how YOU debate.

14--If any part of your strategy is premised on personal attacks against individuals, judges, or coaches and their identities unrelated to the content of the debate, I am not a good judge for you---please strike me.

15--Ev ethics unless truly egregious (e.g. removing the word "not") should be debated out via theory.