Dalmasse Sterner Invitational
2025 — Pittsburgh, PA/US
Tab Staff Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideHello! I am the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Head Speech Coach with 5 years of experience judging all speech events. If you have any questions about your ballot, my email is pjb82@pitt.edu
If you want some feedback after round, just ask!
If you're an Extemper and you just so happen to have found my paradigm and I'm judging you, this is what you should do:
Make sure you include context in your introduction - don't waste our limited time by making irrelevant connections to pop culture. Explain the context of the question (why are we talking about it today?) and any definitions, technical terms, and historical information I may need to fully understand your answer to the question.
Diversify your sources. Use reputable sources only - if I don't know what it is I'll probably look it up after round. Avoid think tanks. Warrant your claims (remind me why your evidence matters in light of the question itself, not just that particular point).
michaeldepasquale21@gmail.com, put me on the email chain please
Background:
Debated policy on the Nat circuit for 3 years, currently the head PF coach at Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Public Forum
*If you want to policy spread, read theory or Ks strike me.
*I consider myself a flay judge that can handle some speed. If you do go faster and I miss an argument thats on you
*Easiest way to win my ballot is impact weighing/comparison, reading link takeouts, turns, extending case links and impacts, writing the ballot for me in FF
*To win a round, you obviously need to have extended, fully, a piece of offense, meaning link warrant and impact need to be extended throughout summary and FF. Weigh, and weigh well. If you don't weigh, I have to weigh, and that makes me sad. I'm going to look first to clear offense at the end of the round, and use the weighing that is done to decide the round there. An effective summary and final focus should mirror each other, and they both should be doing weighing.
*I love a good overview, and love a consistent narrative in case
*You need to tell me why your impact is better than your opponents, not just repeating what your impact is
*Even though i did policy in HS i never went for Ks or theory. Always case and DAs
*If you are going to go for something in FF, it needs to be extended in every speech (Case does not need to be extended in first rebuttal if you are speaking first, if you are speaking 2nd extend case)
Policy
Like i mentioned in my PF paradigm, i did policy debate for 3 years and am now coaching Public Forum. I am good with anything you do. That being said, I don't know a lot about this topic. I'm cool with speed, but you have to be clear. Bottom line, ill vote for anything, as long as you give me a clear reason to vote for you at the end of the round. I consider a dropped argument a true argument.
Im not okay with shadow extending. If something gets conceded, you need to explain to me the argument, and why its important to the round. If your going to do an email chain, which id prefer, id like to be on that. My email is at the top of the paradigm.
Topicality: love T debates, i need a clear limits story. I am more willing to vote for you if theres in round abuse, but you do not have to prove an abuse story to win.
Ks: I will listen to them, but i am not great with Ks. I am not up to speed with all the k jargon. I need a clear link and alt. If you can prove at the end of the round why you won, and i think its convincing, ill vote for you. I recommend slowing down in the 2nr, especially if your going for the K.
Das: I do not buy generic links. If your going to read a politics da, you need to give me case specific links. Ill also be more than likely to vote for you if you can provide me with good and comparative impact calc.
Case Negs: I love case specific debates. Ill vote on presumption, and honestly any type of solvency takeout. I give analytical case arguments, especially if they are good, a lot of weight. Love impact turns.
Affirmative: I tend to swing aff when it comes debating against ptix disads with a bad link story. Same goes for cp solvency, and k links.
If you have any specific questions let me know and Ill be sure to answer them before the round.
You do you and I'll judge accordingly. Run the arguments with which you are most comfortable.
Email chain, please! jhollihan18@gmail.com
he/him
Policy:
I debated for four years in high school, most of that time being a 1A/2N, and on these topics: China Relations, Education, Immigration, and Arms Sales. Most of my 1ACs were soft left and I usually went for DA + case or the Cap K in the 2NR.
Please try not to spread or at the very least, SLOW DOWN. I have not debated competitively since high school and have become more numb to spreading; I've also become more ideologically opposed to it. If you are going at top speed, odds are I might miss something you say and you don't want that to happen. I try not to look at the speech doc, but that may depend on the speed at which you read. Try to go slower than you normally would. If you are zipping through your theory/T blocks, I will assume that you have not read this and I will be annoyed.
PF/LD:
I find myself judging very similar debates halfway through a resolution cycle. However, please don't assume I know the ins and outs or the trends of a given topic (e.g., acronyms, legislation/litigation, key arguments/data).
As a debater with a policy background, I really dislike evidence sharing norms in PF and LD. Why are we not just sharing the speech docs? Since email chains are not the community norms, you should have ALL of your evidence ready to go (though, an email chain would always be appreciated). Wasting 5-10 minutes to find one piece of evidence is not only frustrating for me, it can also hold up the tournament.