Oxford Debates
2015 — CA/US
Public Forum / LD Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show Hide
- Clarity is of utmost importance. Speed is fine.
-Please, slow down for plan/cp/alt text, T/theory interpretations, and tag lines!
-I have not done topic research, so be careful with acronyms.
- tend to reject reasonability as a lens to view T debates.
Background
- Community judges for 2 years
12 years in policy debate. CSU Fullerton.
Quality over quantity
Im open to whatever just give me something substantive to vote on.
K: I don't know all the literature out there and even if I do I expect explanations and I expect you to make it reasonably understandable for your opponent. I like the wild, the unexpected, the innovative.
FW: I like critical AFF's in general but I think FW is important too. Try to keep it organized for me. Framing becomes super important.
CP: Take your time articulating that cp text to me.
DA: If uniqueness is in question I hope you take some extra time clarifying it for me in the last speech.
T: I like topicality in theory but the I dislike how they sometimes play out. If you want me to vote on a standard it should have in round abuse or generally some well warranted reasoning. Dropped blippy arguments are not persuasive to me.
Updated for NSDA Nationals 2024:
My name is Teja Vepa, please feel free to add me to the chain - Tejavepa {at} g mail
Current / Prior Roles and Affiliations:
Director of Speech and Debate - Collegiate School, NY (2022 to present)
Program Manager - Debate - Success Academy Charter Schools, NY (2019-2022)
Associate Director - Policy Debate - Polytechnic School, CA (2013-2019)
Debate Coach - Claremont HS, CA (2009-2013)
2023-24 Topic Specific:
I have not judged many rounds on this particular topic. I may need some common acronyms specified. If you make it clear early, that would be helpful.
Paradigm for NSDA:
As of this year, I have approximately 20 years of experience with policy debate. I think Nationals is a unique tournament and debaters are tasked with adapting to a varied audience. You do not have to debate specifically for me. I am capable of and enjoy evaluating rounds that range from stock issues, policymaking, plan v K, K v K, and K v Framework.
I will vote for planless affs. I have coached at programs that are significantly more K friendly (Polytechnic) and at programs that typically prefer Plan debates (Claremont). I think both of these models have value.
Specific Argument Types:
DA: The more specific, the better. I tend to disprefer generic DAs unless the link is highly specific. I tend to beleive that the uniqueness controls the direction of the offense.
CP: I do like counterplans and these are some of my favorite debates. Ideally your CP has an internal net benefit. Process counterplans are fine. Conditionality is probably good.
K: Go ahead, I am familiar with a series of K literature bases, and specifically more familiar/well-read with these literature bases: Cap/Neoliberalism, Settler-Colonialism, Lacan/Psychoanalysis, Foucault/Biopower, Threat Construction/ Heg, Agamben/Biopolitics, Zizek. Though I am less well-read on identity arguments than postmodern high theory Ks, I do have experience with the sections of the literature base that are used in policy debate.
K Aff: I think these are legitimate. Please have a stable advocacy and be sure to win your aff if you are using it to outwiegh T/Framework.
T: I am willing to vote on it--T is about technical execution. I tend to prefer limits over other standards, so please explain your impacts if they are based in ground etc.
Framework: I tend to value education over procedural fairness.
Questions:
Happy to answer them before the round, or feel free to email me.
Update for Loyola 2020
Honestly, not much has changed since this last LD update in 2018 except that I now teach at Success Academy in NYC.
Update for Voices / LD Oct 2018:
I coach Policy debate at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA. It has been a while since I have judged LD. I tend to do it once a or twice a year.
You do you: I've been involved in judging debate for over 10 years, so please just do whatever you would like to do with the round. I am familiar with the literature base of most postmodern K authors, but I have not recently studied classical /enlightenment philosophers.
It's okay to read Disads: I'm very happy to judge a debate involving a plan, DAs and counter-plans with no Ks involved as well. Just because I coach at a school that runs the K a lot doesn't mean that's the only type of argument I like / respect / am interested in.
Framework: I am open to "traditional" and "non-traditional" frameworks. Whether your want the round to be whole res, plan focused, or performative is fine with me. If there's a plan, I default to being a policymaker unless told otherwise.
Theory: I get it - you don't have a 2AC so sometimes it's all or nothing. I don't like resolving these debates. You won't like me resolving these debates. If you must go for theory, please make sure you are creating the right interpretation/violation. I find many LD debaters correctly identify that cheating has occurred, but are unable to identify in what way. I tend to lean education over fairness if they're not weighed by the debaters.
LD Things I don't Understand: If the Aff doesn't read a plan, and the Neg reads a CP, you may not be satisfied with how my decision comes out - I don't have a default understanding of this situation which I hear is possible in LD.
Other thoughts: Condo is probably a bad thing in LD.
.
.
Update for Jack Howe / Policy Sep 2018: (Sep 20, 2018 at 9:28 PM)
Update Pending
Please use the link below to access my paradigm. RIP Wikispaces.