Ahoy!

I'm Andy Choy from Lovejoy High School in Texas. Contrary to its etymology, Lovejoy has no love, no joy, and is barely a high school, but debate keeps me alive.

There are a couple of things you should not do in round.

• Being derogatory or blatantly abusive will earn you a drop/loss and 0 speaker points.
• If you have any safety concerns, please feel free to inform me.
• Providing 0 reliable evidence will likely earn you a drop/loss and 0 speaker points.
• Debates should typically be topical. If your speech is 3 contextless minutes of Dhar Mann videos, you should reprep your speech.

"Good luck. Don't suck." - Mr. Cosio

Congressional

Argumentation

• A concise thesis statement outlining your argumentation is nice.
• Warrant your claims. Tell me why your claims hold true.
• "An assumption is an assumption because the assumption doesn't have evidence. That's why it's an assumption!" - Tommy Nichol
• Evidence citations should include organisation and date. Credibility matters, so please include author name, author credentials, and exact date if possible.
• Speeches should build on the existing debate. If yours does not, adapt it! There is always something to contribute.
• The way you structure your speech does not matter to me. How convincing your argumentation is does.
• You need not confine your speech to the constructive, rebuttal, and crystal categories.
• If you weigh well, expect me to rank well.

Rhetoric

• Stealing rhetoric from other debaters = you're throwing.
• Do not glue your face to your speechpad, practically or literally, for your entire speech.
• Deliver AGDs relatable to the topic.
• If you use cliché chess rhetoric, see my reaction as I drop you.
• If you say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," I hope you know the road to a low rank is paved with poor rhetoric.

Questioning

• I highly regard questioning because it is the only time you can immediately defend your argumentation against refutations.
• Question amount < question constructiveness, do not question to affirm your own side.
• If your "question" is not a question, your rank is not a 1.

Notes

• I award 2 or higher speech points as long as your speech is not abusive.
• Congressional debate =/= congressional politicking.

Public Forum

Email for the chain (but not for the spam): andyc30503@gmail.com

• Tech > Truth, but I will not vote for argumentation I cannot understand or verify.
• I am a flay judge.
• Please disclose.
• I often will have enough topic knowledge, but please don't assume I know everything.
• Speed is acceptable, but don't spread. I'll let you know if you are speaking too rapidly.
• Clash with your opponent's case is expected during rebuttal, summary, and final focus.
• Passionate delivery is rare in PF, so a little passion is appreciated.

+0.5 speaks for taking notes during the RFD

+0.5 speaks if you play a national anthem before round I fail to identify

I rank on a mix of who added the most to the round and who was the best explaining their point and convincing me that it was the most important in the round. Clarity and argumentation go a long way. If you do something special, tell me what it is and why its so important.

For Presentation:

• Be Confident when speaking + questioning (projection helps). Be careful of screaming into your microphone if online, adapt to the size of the room if in person.

• Try not to read off of your legal pad, especially in your intro and in any other important piece of rhetoric or impact. Eye contact goes a long way. This is still true online. If you do not have your speech printed out, I would recommend timing yourself and maintaining eye contact with the camera as if it were the judges while you have your speech opened.

• Use creative gestures. Even if you're online, keep your hands (and face) in view.

Argumentation:

• Do not repeat others' arguments unless you meaningfully extend on or refute them. Show how YOU add to the debate. Everyone past the sponsor should try to refute. If someone refutes your point, I expect you to try to question them.

• If you attempt to crystal, name the question of the debate and answer it for your side.

• NO SAME SIDE QUESTIONS

Hi!

I am Tanmay Rai, I'm a junior from Houston, Texas. I've made outrounds at Yale, Harvard, NIETOC, UT, Florida Blue Key + Congress Round Robin, NSDA Nationals, and finaled TFA State twice. All that is to say I've been around the block a few times.

Here's my paradigm for separate event categories:

Congress: (my main event)

- clash is an absolute requirement past the sponsor - the later you go, the more engagement w/ the flow you should have

- Congress is not just debate and it isn't just speaking - you must intertwine argumentation and rhetoric - an argument is not enough to just be true to win, you must make that argument convincing and compelling - how you do that is entirely up to you (serious rhetoric, humor, literally anything)

- PLEASE WARRANT (I hate card debates - they're repetitive, inconclusive, waste time, and basically accomplish nothing)

- I want to see you clash, weigh, and use round vision. Please do not rehash.

- Please be kind, ethical, and respectful. You are at least somewhat claiming to be congress so at least try to act like it.

- Think of the debate as a balance beam between the affirmative and the negative. Whoever tilts that beam most to their side gets my one.

Summary: Do what the round needs at that point in time, be respectful, stand out in whatever way works best for you, win on the flow and be compelling, and you will get my one.

- I will rank POs but since you are doing less work than literally anyone else, I have a high standards for POs. Take that as you will. I will break you if you are competent, I will not break you if you aren't.

Ultimately, be memorable, debate well, and you'll find yourself on my ballot.

Platform Speaking (Extemp, OO, Info, etc.)

In platform speaking events such as Extemp, OO, and Info, clarity and persuasiveness are paramount. Make sure to articulate your points clearly and back them up with credible sources to strengthen your arguments. Structure your speech in a logical manner to keep the audience engaged and convinced of your position. Remember, the ability to connect with your audience and effectively convey your message is crucial. Strive to keep them captivated from start to finish, and you'll leave a lasting impression.

If you leave me thinking and/or taught me something new, you'll rank on my ballot.

Debate: (LD, PF, Worlds, etc.)

I CAN UNDERSTAND HIGH SPEEDS BUT NOT SPREAD

Consider me a flay judge - I know how to flow (and will flow) and I know how it works, but I am otherwise lay and traditional. Clarity, logic, and thorough analysis are paramount. Present your arguments with precision, ensuring they're well-warranted and directly address the topic. Avoid relying solely on evidence cards; instead, focus on delivering concise and compelling points backed by insightful analysis. Respectful engagement during crossfire is essential, as is maintaining a civil demeanor throughout. I can tolerate high speeds, but heavily dislike it and cannot tolerate pure spread. If I can't understand you, I can't judge you. Avoid overly technical arguments unless you can explain them in layman's terms. Present clear voting issues and weigh them effectively to demonstrate why you should win. When providing your RFD (Reasons for Decision), I will try to come to that decision as quickly as possible and give thorough reasons. If allowed, I'd be more than happy to offer verbal and written feedback (other than what is on your ballot). Evidence ethics are highly valued, so maintain integrity in your use of evidence. Additionally, speaker points are awarded based on civility, clarity, persuasiveness, and respectfulness. Remember, I will vote based on who wins on flow, so ensure your arguments are well-structured and impactful. Win the debate and show to me how you did it.

I am here to help - so please feel free to reach out before or after round if you have any questions about me, my paradigm, the round, debate, or life in general. I've been in your shoes and want to help. You can reach me at tanmayraiusa@gmail.com.

See ya'll around soon!

Cheers!

Hi! My name is Callie. I am currently a junior at Conway high school. I have been in debate for 2 years now and I am experienced in Congress, a little of Duo interp. and acting.

Some things that I generally look for is personality and good use of rhetorical devices. When I hear you speak I truly want to find you behind the words. What you stand for and why you negate or affirm a topic. I want to be able to relate to your side and why we should or shouldn't do a thing.

Overall though I want y'all to have fun! Since the day I step foot into my debate classroom I knew that this is where I belong and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!