Judge Philosophies

Amanda Ozaki-Laughon - Concordia

<p>Hello,&nbsp;</p> <p>I am the Director of Debate at Concordia University Irvine. I competed both nationally and locally at PSCFA and NPTE/NPDA tournaments during my 4 years of competition, and this is my 3rd year coaching and judging.&nbsp;</p> <p>I tend to prefer policy debate, and am sympathetic to trichotomy arguments that say policymaking includes the educational facets of value and fact debate. Value and fact debates are often lacking in the very basic structure of claim+data+warrant, and rarely use terminalized impacts. These shortcomings are much easier to logically rectify if policymaking is used. &quot;should&quot; is not necessary to test whether or not the resolution is true.&nbsp;</p> <p>Theory comes first in debate, since it is a debate about the rules. I default to competing interpretations and am unlikely to vote for your counter interpretation if it has no counter standards for that reason. MOs should choose whether to go for topicality or the substance debate and collapse to one OR the other, not both. Likewise, PMRs should choose whether to collapse to MG theory arguments OR the substance debate, not both.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kritiks should explain why they turn the AFF and have terminalized impacts. The framework should be utilized as offense to frame out the method of the AFF, and prioritize the impacts of the K. The Alt should explain why they solve for the AFF, and avoid the disadvantages of the link story. I prefer critiques that do not make essentialized claims without warrants about how the AFF&#39;s method in particular needs to be rejected. I prefer critical affirmatives be topical in their advocacy statement or policy option.&nbsp;</p> <p>Disadvantages should explain why they turn the AFF and have terminalized impacts. Uniqueness claims should be descriptive of the status quo, with a predictive claim about what direction the status quo is heading. Politics disadvantages should have well-warranted link stories that explain why the plan uniquely causes losers/win, winners to lose, etc.&nbsp;</p> <p>Counterplans should solve for at least one of the advantages of the AFF. Plan-inclusive counterplans are core negative ground, though perhaps less so on resolutions with 1 topical affirmative (resolutions that require the AFF to pass a bill, for example). I usually default to counterplans competing based on net benefits, and thus permutation arguments need to explain why the perm shields the link to the disadvantage(s).&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>


Brittany Hubble - El Camino

<p><strong>BG:</strong></p> <p>I competed in debate for El Camino College for 2 years from 2013-2015 and have been judging and coaching ever since. While I attended many CC tournaments, I also competed at several 4-year tournaments including NPDA and NPTE. My partner and I ran all types of arguments in debate (policy, critical affs, kritiks, etc.), but typically leaned towards policy debate. However, you are welcome to debate any way you like, but you should be prepared to justify your strategy if it is called into question. I tend to favor the strategy that is the smartest, most warranted and best for winning that round.</p> <p><strong>Impacts:</strong></p> <p>You should have them! I believe it is your job to tell me which impacts should carry the most weight in the round and why. I have no problem voting on a nuclear war or economic collapse scenario as long as you have a clear warranted story to explain how you get there. I am also not opposed to you asking me to prefer systemic impacts. It is really up to you, but I will usually default to net benefits and evaluate the impacts using timeframe, probability and magnitude unless I am told otherwise. I really really like impact calc and think it is a necessary component to winning a debate.</p> <p><strong>Case Debate:</strong></p> <p>I really enjoy the case debate and I really dislike debates where the aff is never discussed. You should engage with the aff no matter what you are running on the neg. Case turns and offense on case are awesome. I am not opposed to voting on 8 minutes of case out of the LO&hellip;in fact this is a great strategy for refuting both policy and critical affs when done well.</p> <p><strong>Diadvantages:</strong></p> <p>Love them. Case specific disads with nuanced internal link stories are great. Please make sure they are not linear, as I will have a low threshold for voting on the aff outweighing on probability.</p> <p><strong>Counterplans:</strong></p> <p>Another excellent negative strategy. There should be a net benefit to the CP, competitiveness and it should solve the aff. Topical counterplans are fine. PICs are fine but I am also open to hearing why PICs or other types of counterplans are bad. Again, you just need to justify your strategy and win why it is a good idea.</p> <p><strong>Conditionality:</strong></p> <p>I have recently changed my perspecive on conditionality. I am fine with multiple conditional advocacies but I HATE multiple blippy arguments that become something completely different in the block. The same can be true for any argument and not just an advocacy. That said, I will also vote on condo bad.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kritiks:</strong></p> <p>I think there are a lot of rounds where the K is the best and sometimes only good negative strategy. However, I prefer case/topic specific links and arguments other than &ldquo;they used the state.&rdquo; I am not saying this can&rsquo;t be a link, but you should probably have more compelling ones. I also really like well-warranted solvency that is specific to your method/alternative. You should be well versed in the lit supporting your arguments. I don&rsquo;t like people blurting out tags and then having no idea how to explain them. I think you should call people out on this and use it as offense against them. You should also not assume that I have read the lit on your K and know all of the terms you are using. You are not doing yourself any good by confusing both your opponents and me. Most of this applies to the K on the aff as well. I prefer critical affs that defend the topic or use the topic as a springboard for discussion. I will vote on affs that do not depend the topic, but I will also entertain arguments that say you should.</p> <p><strong>Identity Arguments:</strong></p> <p>With the increase in identity arguments being proposed in debate, there is something you should know. While I understand their purpose and ability to be an avenue for individuals to promote advocacy, I find them difficult to evaluate and I am probably not the judge for you. Past experiences debating them have produced triggering memories and force me to include a bias when deciding rounds. I have been&nbsp;in a round where debate became an unsafe space and I would hate to have to adjudicate a round that would recreate that for another individual.</p> <p><strong>Theory:</strong></p> <p>I think theory is a great tool for both the aff and neg to secure ground in the debate and explain why certain arguments should be excluded from a debate. Your argument should have impacts! Don&rsquo;t just say it is bad for education or fairness then move on. You should also have counterinterps, reasons to prefer, offense, etc. against theory to win.</p> <p><strong>Speed:</strong></p> <p>Speed is fine but please be clear. I don&rsquo;t see how it is beneficial for making arguments that only your partner can hear and understand. I also believe the round should be accessible and you should respect a clear. There is nothing impressive about being a bully and spreading someone out of a round after they have repeatedly asked you to slow down. You should probably be able to win without it. Otherwise, I should have no problem flowing you and think speed should be used as a tool to make a lot of good arguments.</p> <p><strong>Speaker Points:</strong></p> <p>If you can do the above well, you will probably receive good speaker points from me. Being new to judging and understanding that speaker points can impact you in a tournament in ways other than speaker awards, I would say that I am currently on the more generous side of awarding speaker points. That is not to say I just hand out 30s or will not tank your points for being a jerk. I have a very low tolerance for offensive rhetoric or rudeness in rounds.</p> <p><strong>Miscellaneous:</strong></p> <p>Be organized and sign post. Don&rsquo;t assume you want me to apply arguments in specific places without being told to. I have pretty apparent nonverbals and you can usually tell if I think your argument is bad. You should probably use that to your advantage and move on. Read plan texts, advocacies, interpretations, counterinterps, role of the ballots, etc. twice and give a copy to your opponents if they want one. I prefer policy debate over value debate and think you can discuss the same arguments in a policy round more effectively. Overall, I think you should have fun with the debate and make it fun for everyone. I am open to answering questions to clarify anything or regarding specifics that may relate to your round.&nbsp;</p>


Caitlin Smith - U of Minnesota

<p>Experience/General Stuff:</p> <p>I debated 4 years of NPDA/NPTE parli in college for Wheaton College (graduated in May) and 4 years of LD in high school. I&rsquo;m currently coaching parli at the University of Minnesota and LD at Apple Valley High School. I care a lot about debate, about equity in it, access to it, and very much believe in the power it has to change lives. I try to evaluate rounds as on-the-flow as I can, though, of course, none of us are unbiased. That said, debate is a game and the real world at the same time, so I will not check my status as a moral agent at the door. I&rsquo;m fine with speed and will clear you if you pass my threshold (which is unlikely). Please say all plans/CP&rsquo;s/T-interps/alts/etc. slowly and twice and take at least one question in your speech (if there isn&#39;t flex time/CX). Finally, please be respectful of your opponents and partner.</p> <p>AD/DA/CP Debate:</p> <p>I&rsquo;ll be honest, I never did well at complicated economic or political AD/DA debate, so I will be largely limited to my understanding of what you put out in a given round. If you&rsquo;re clear, there shouldn&rsquo;t be a problem, just don&rsquo;t expect me to know what various terms or abbreviations mean off the bat.&nbsp;</p> <p>Weighing:</p> <p>Please do it. This will make my job a lot easier, and also make it a lot more likely that I see the round the way that you would like me to. I will evaluate the round as you tell me to, but, that said, I default to probability first and will have a substantially lower threshold than most parli judges to vote on systemic/materialized/highly probable impacts (given any arguments being made that I should prefer them). This does not mean I will not vote on nuclear, disaster, etc. scenarios, just that I will not accept prima facie an unwarranted claim that those impacts outweigh all other things if your opponents are making arguments to the contrary.</p> <p>Theory:</p> <p>Win the debate on whatever layer you would like, I have no problem voting on theory. I like debates that are contextualized to the way that arguments interact; if you can do the nuances of a theory debate, and/or if your opponent is clearly abusive, I will be happy to vote on that position. I default to competing interpretations.&nbsp;</p> <p>Kritiks:</p> <p>I debated lots of K&rsquo;s in my time in parli and I love them. The biggest thing I need is a clear alt text and alt solvency. Tell me the (presumably very good) reasons your K matters in this round/against this case/whatever and give me a clear picture of what your alt is going to look like, and I will be happy. I really hate chicken-and-egg style root cause debates and would much prefer to hear substantive debate about the issues in the K. Please don&rsquo;t assume I know your literature. I will vote on what is said in the round, not my prior knowledge of your particular author.</p> <p>Performance:</p> <p>Debate is both a game and the real world. Bringing real world issues to the forefront within debate rounds is simultaneously extremely important and extremely difficult. It definitely creates change in our community and, as such, is something I take very seriously. I will attempt to evaluate every round as fairly as I can, while recognizing I do not check my status as a moral agent at the door. The one thing I like to be clear in these debates, therefore, is the role of the judge. I don&rsquo;t mean that you have to include me in your movement, make me feel comfortable, or anything like that; I mean expecting me to evaluate what I&rsquo;m supposed to do at the end of a debate round, with many moral issues on the table and no framework to deal with them, is very likely to give me an anxiety attack. I don&rsquo;t say this because I anticipate any such problem, but simply because it is a very real concern for my mental health.</p> <p>Speaker Points:</p> <p>26-30, unless you do something very rude or exclusionary.</p>


Carlos Tarin - UTEP

<p>I consider myself to be fairly straightforward in my approach to debate.&nbsp; I think the best debates happen when teams actually engage the issues invoked by the resolution, rather than getting bogged down in pointless meta-theoretical exercises.&nbsp; I am open to a variety of perspectives, but will generally default to a policy-making paradigm that evaluates net benefits unless I am given a reason to do otherwise.&nbsp; If you want to run more creative positions (critical or otherwise) I&rsquo;m okay with that as long as I am given a rationale that substantively articulates the importance or worth of those arguments.&nbsp; Basically, don&rsquo;t play games with the round for the sake of playing games; warrant your positions and give me a clear way of evaluating the claims you are making.&nbsp;</p> <p>I am okay with some speed, but generally don&rsquo;t appreciate spreading (and, in all fairness, I probably won&rsquo;t catch everything if you&rsquo;re going crazy fast).&nbsp; I try to stick to the flow as much as possible, but if you arguments aren&rsquo;t clearly labeled or are rushed, I&rsquo;ll eventually give up trying to follow along.&nbsp; Tell me where to go on the flow and where I should be (cross)applying arguments if necessary.&nbsp;</p> <p>Things I generally don&rsquo;t like: unnecessary topicality (usually won&#39;t vote for this unless there is demonstrable abuse happening in round), convoluted theory arguments (of the debate variety; I dig philosophical arguments), time sucks, rudeness.</p> <p>Your chances of winning my ballot will be greatly improved if you: clearly give me reasons why I should vote for you in rebuttals, weigh impacts, provide actual clash, win frameworks.&nbsp;</p> <p>Miscellaneous: I&rsquo;m usually pretty nice with speaker points (just don&rsquo;t be a jerk).&nbsp; Points of order are fine (I won&#39;t consider new arguments in rebuttals, but you might be hearing things differently -- so feel free to call them), but don&#39;t go overboard with them -- if a team is making lots of new arguments, I won&#39;t flow them.&nbsp;</p>


Collette Blumer - CSUF

n/a


Dakota Park-Ozee - Utah


Euni Kim - Utah

n/a


Ian Summers - Utah

<p>My background is primarily in individual events, both as a competitor and as a coach. My only debate experience was doing policy and public forum in high school, which was over ten years ago. I come from an extemp background so I will understand and appreciate well-developed and explained arguments, but I do not like spreading and am rusty on debate jargon. I will evaluate rounds based on the soundness and internal logic of arguments more than esoteric terminology and tactics. &nbsp;</p>


Jeff Samano - Fullerton Col


Joe Sindicich - CSUF

n/a


Joseph Evans - El Camino

<p>~~About me: I have been involved in forensics for 10 years. I debated HS LD for 2 years, and then 4 years of college parli debate at UCLA. I coached at CSULB while in graduate school, and I am now currently the assistant coach at El Camino College. I view debate as a game of intellect, and therefore I believe that any method of debate is viable when used as a strategic ploy to win. I will try to list my views on the major themes within debate.<br /> The way I evaluate the round: I tend to fall back to evaluating the round through the eyes of a policy maker. Unless I am told otherwise, I tend to fall back on Net Benefits. This means that I will evaluate the arguments based on how clear the impacts are weighed for me (probability, timeframe, and magnitude). I will however evaluate the round based on how you construct your framework. If (for example) you tell me to ignore the framework of Net Benefits for an ethics based framework... I will do so. On the flip side, I will also listen to arguments against framework from the Neg. You win the framework if you provide me clear warranted arguments for your position, and weigh out why your framework is best.<br /> Speed: I am usually a fast debater and thus I believe that speed is a viable way of presenting as much evidence as possible within the time alloted. I can flow just about anything and I&#39;m confident that you can not out flow me from the round. That being said, I value the use of speed combined with clarity. If you are just mumbling your way through your speech, I won&#39;t be able to flow you. While I won&#39;t drop you for the act of being unclear... I will not be able to get everything on the flow (which I am confident is probably just as bad).<br /> Counter Plans: I will listen to any CP that is presented as long as it is warranted. In terms of CP theory arguments... I understand most theory and have been known to vote on it. All I ask is for the theory argument to be justified and warranted out (this also goes for perm theory on the aff).<br /> Topicality: I have a medium threshold for T. I will evaluate the position the same as others. I will look at the T the way the debaters in the round tell me. I don&rsquo;t have any preference in regards reasonability vs. competing interps. You run T the way your see fit based on the round.&nbsp; Additionally, I have an extremely high threshold for &quot;RVIs&quot;. If the neg decides to kick out of the position, I usually don&#39;t hold it against them. I will vote on T if the Aff makes a strategic mistake (it is an easy place for me to vote).<br /> Kritical Arguments: I believe that any augment that is present is a viable way to win. Kritical arguments fall into that category. I am well versed in many of the theories that most critical arguments are based in. Therefore if you run them i will listen to and vote on them as long as they are well justified. I will not vote on blips as kritical arguments.<br /> Framework: I will listen to any alt framework that is presented ( narrative, performance, kritical Etc.) If you decide to run a different framework that falls outside the norm of debate... you MUST justify the framework.<br /> Evidence: Have it (warranted arguments for parli)!<br /> Rudeness: don&#39;t be rude!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>


Lindsay Van Luvanee - Concordia


Loretta Rowley - Utah

<p>I am primarily an individual events coach. I did not compete in, nor do I coach debate. I have taught and continue to teach argumentation courses and thus, I prefer slower delivery and well-developed arguments. Essentially, I am not well-versed in debate jargon so don&#39;t assume that I will have the exact understanding of your version of debate theory. That said, I can follow and assess any debate as long as the competitors explain themselves fully and weigh their arguments.&nbsp;</p>


Malcolm Gamble - CSUF

n/a


Sarah Hinkle - CC


Shannon LaBove - Rice

<p><strong>Shannon LaBove</strong> MA, JD</p> <p>ADOF Rice University</p> <p>Judging Philosophy</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Background of the critic (including formats coached/competed in, years of coaching/competing, # of rounds judged this year, etc.)</strong></p> <p>I started debating at age ten when I could not see over the podiums in Junior High LD and loved it...still do. &nbsp;I competed LD in High School, Parli in college (I was in NPDA-90&rsquo;s style with hands on the head questions) and have coached a combination of &nbsp;Parli, IPDA and NFA-LD for 12 or so years for a combination of NPDA, PRP and PKD. Needless to say I understand that there are many styles of debate and consider myself a Tab/Flow judge who likes to evaluate the round presented. I am very keep it simple and give me a place to vote.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Approach of the critic to decision-making (for example, adherence to the trichotomy, stock-issues, policymaker, tabula rasa, etc.)</strong></p> <p>I do have what many call an &ldquo;old school&rdquo; debate preference which includes the following:</p> <p><em>Don&rsquo;t Like:</em></p> <ul> <li> <p>I don&rsquo;t do flow work for debaters. If you want it flow it through.</p> </li> <li> <p>I don&rsquo;t like bad law. If you don&rsquo;t know it don&rsquo;t get complicated with it.</p> </li> <li> <p>I don&#39;t like performance. This is not to say I don&#39;t see it as a valid mechanism this is to say it is not my preference in a round to watch.&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <p><em>Do Like</em></p> <ul> <li> <p>Clash-don&rsquo;t just dismiss and assume I know the position. I like link and clash work.</p> </li> <li> <p>Easy decisions-tell me where and how you want me to vote.</p> </li> <li> <p>Run what you would like-I try not to be interventionist&nbsp;</p> </li> <li> <p>Aff to define round-Will buy a trichotomy/framework issue if it is blatant and abusive.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Relative importance of presentation/communication skills to the critic in decision-making</strong></p> <p>I don&rsquo;t mind speed but am a stickler for organization and clarity.</p> <p><strong>Relative importance of on-case argumentation to the critic in decision-making</strong></p> <p>I like Clean case/off-case structure and for things to be run correctly. &nbsp;For me the Aff has Burden of Proof and the Opp to refute. Clash on case is great and preferred but will vote off/critical.</p> <p><strong>Preferences on procedural arguments, counterplans, and kritiks</strong></p> <p>No real preference here but you have to link up to round. Generic without clear link does not fly well with me.</p> <p><strong>Preferences on calling Points of Order. </strong></p> <p>If you see it call it.</p> <p>Anything else feel free to ask. I look forward to watching great debate!</p>


Vasile Stanescu - Mercer

<p><strong>Name: </strong>Vasile Stanescu</p> <p><strong>School Affiliation: </strong>Mercer University</p> <p><strong>Education: </strong>Ph.D. from Stanford University&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Professional Background: </strong>I worked as a professional magician for a year to pay the bills after my undergraduate degree. Currently,&nbsp;I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and&nbsp;DoF at Mercer. I love my current&nbsp;job but, if I&#39;m honest, the first job was a definitely&nbsp;cooler.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Debate Experience:</strong></p> <p>I won some stuff in policy debate. Some of it was kind cool at the time but, you know,&nbsp;Myspace was also kinda cool at the time. I assume no one still cares. Don&#39;t worry; I&#39;m qualified.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Judging Experience:</strong></p> <p>I have judged over a hundred&nbsp;rounds of both parliamentary and policy debate.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Short version:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>When I debated in policy debate, I could &quot;name&quot; the black debaters.&nbsp;When we competed at&nbsp;Wakeforest (a policy tournament) this year, we had two rounds of two black debaters against&nbsp;two black debaters judged by a black judge. That would be impossible at virtually any of the national parli debate tournament we attended; there aren&#39;t that number of double black debaters; there are not always that number (-2-) of black judges. It is not the case that &quot;debate&quot; is inherently &quot;a white activity&quot;--as I&#39;ve heard in rounds--it is the case that &quot;parli&nbsp;debate&quot; remains&nbsp;predominately white.</p> <p>If policy debate can change, why can&#39;t we? Why can I still &quot;name&quot; all the black debaters--and judges--in parlimentary debate?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>I Hate &quot;Performance&quot; Debate:</strong></p> <p>Please stop pretending like you are a person in Congress, parliament, or a &ldquo;policy maker.&rdquo; In contrast, I do appreciate it when people genuinely speak about their actual lived experience both within and outside of the debate community. I think the debate space would be a better (as well as a more socially responsible) space&nbsp;if people stopped performing, role-playing, and acting like Congresspeople and started being honest and sincere. I think that debate currently does a very good job of training both lawyers and politicians; I think that we have enough lawyers and politicians. I think this space could more effectively be used to start to train activists, ethical thinkers, and scholars. How would debate look different if our goal was to train the most effective activists instead of the most effective trial lawyers? What would we value? How would we judge? What would we want to change about this activity? What would you want to do differently? If debate could be anything, how would you remake it?</p> <p><strong>I Love Speed:</strong></p> <p>For me, things cannot change quickly enough: Ferguson, Eric Garner, the prison system, climate change, factory farms, wealth inequality, TRUMP so&nbsp;many things. I&rsquo;m a former policy debater; I can understand people at any speed. However, talking at a speed that anyone can understand will probably help all of us to bring along these changes a great deal sooner.</p> <p><strong>PICS are OK:</strong></p> <p>Also selfies. Really any way that you&#39;d like to film or record a round is OK with me. I think that the debate space has to be opened up. If you make a powerful performance about what needs to change, everyone should have a chance to see it. Right now how many people come to see a round?&nbsp; Maybe a few dozen if you&#39;re incredibly lucky? And&nbsp;it&#39;s a final round? The first video when I googled&nbsp; &quot;funny cat antics&quot;&nbsp;had 32,401,857 views. (Seriously; here&rsquo;s the link: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntOCGkgt98">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tntOCGkgt98</a>). How many times have you been in round where you heard some argument about changing people through the in-round advocacy?&nbsp; And&nbsp;there were five people in the room? If you actually want to start to make a difference: talk in a way that people can understand, film the rounds, put them online, and reach out to people. I don&#39;t care&nbsp;how you run counter-plans.</p> <p>Of course, if people don&#39;t want to filmed--for whatever reason--that&#39;s fine too. Consent is king.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Perms are OK:</strong></p> <p>Really any hairstyle. What is not OK is sexism or, really, any type of discrimination. You know that women and minorities join this activity a higher rate than white men? But the reason that we don&#39;t see more of them is because they quit? Why they quit is complex, but, at least in part, it stems from issues such as unnecessary and off-putting jargon, intimidating speed and speech patterns, having to pretend to be &quot;policy makers&quot;, and, perhaps most importantly, feeling that they cannot talk about their actual experiences even when the topics they are debating are about these very experiences.&nbsp; Can you imagine any experience more alienating than not being able to talk about your own experience with racism on a topic actually about racism? Or not being able to talk about your experience of sexual harassment even on a topic on sexual harassment?&nbsp; If you need numbers, I chose this one article (among many, many others. It&#39;s slightly old but specific to the NPDA.):</p> <p>&quot;Much research in the collegiate debate community has centered on investigating sex as it compares to win/loss records or speaker points (Hensley &amp; Strother, 1968; Bruschke &amp; Johnson, 1994; Hayes &amp; McAdoo, 1972; Rosen, Dean, &amp; Willis, 1978).&nbsp; These studies generally indicate that female participation is lower than male participation overall, and female participation in outrounds is not representative of overall female participation.&nbsp; Fewer females compete than males, and even fewer women than men break into national outrounds.&nbsp; In fact, some studies (Logue, 1986; Friedley &amp; Manchester, 1985) have found female participation in NDT and CEDA to be as low as 20% and 30% respectively. Stepp and Gardner (2001) collected ten years of demographic data from CEDA national tournaments.&nbsp; They found that over the ten years female and minority participation was increasing slightly.&nbsp; However, the rate of success for female and minority groups stayed the same, and this rate is much lower than the rate of white males.&quot;</p> <p>This specifically applies to the NPDA:</p> <p>&ldquo;Clearly, NPDA as an organization is unable to retain female debaters.&nbsp; NPDA needs to discuss why female debaters are leaving the activity in such great numbers.&nbsp; Recruitment does not seem to be the problem.&nbsp; In fact, if the same amount of female novice debaters who competed this year stayed on for four years of competition, then the demographics of NPDA would be nearly equivalent.&nbsp; Thus, individual debate programs need to be mindful of not only reaching out to local high schools to recruit females but also focusing on retaining the females that they already have.&rdquo;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>And:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&ldquo;It is clear that NPDA is overwhelmingly Caucasian, and individual programs and coaches do need to do a better job recruiting minority students in order to promote racial and ethnic diversity within NPDA.&nbsp; However, it is not clear why minority students do not advance at the same rate as non-minority students in outrounds at the national tournament.&nbsp; Since minority students tend to have the same or more experience on average than non-minority students, minority students may not be advancing because of discrimination within the organization.&rdquo;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>(Jennifer H. Parker, forensics coach at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, &ldquo;Female and Minority Diversity Within NPDA: An Examination of the 2002 National Tournament;&rdquo; 2002)</p> <p>If we want to keep the debate space as friendly as possible to straight, white males from upper-class backgrounds, there is--literally--nothing&nbsp;that we need to change.</p> <p><strong>T is always a voter: </strong></p> <p>Well, technically, he missed a couple of years in the 80&rsquo;s. But, for the most part, Mr. T is all about civic virtue<strong>. </strong>What doesn&rsquo;t make me want to vote for a team is when people run &quot;Heg good&quot; for the 50,000,000th time in debate&nbsp;and then claim that the &quot;performance&quot; team is unfair because it &quot;hurts education.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp;Or when a team runs an economics DA claiming that marginal spending on an obviously good social program will lead to nuclear war; then claims that debate teaches &quot;real world skills.&quot;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;Nor am I fan of two white &quot;bros&quot; drinking red bull and running a critical race argument (wilderson)&nbsp;against a team that is actually composed of people of color. Please do not run a critique of sexism against a team composed of two&nbsp;women of color&nbsp;because&nbsp;they used one word you didn&#39;t like&nbsp;on a topic about sexual violence.&nbsp;Also please do not run a critique of anthropocentrism as passionately as possible in front of me and then, immediately, eat hamburgers after the round.&nbsp;(None of these are hypothetical examples; all of these have actually occurred in front of me ).&nbsp; Please reflect (beforehand) on these types of decisions. &nbsp;Please reflect before you treat others&rsquo; suffering (minorities, women, animals or others) as only a type of toy, strategy, or commodity that you can marshal and use &nbsp;to win another debate round but does not, in fact, represent something you believe in or commit yourself to trying to change or eliminate in your own life or in the wider community of debate. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Final items the form tells me that I have to include:</strong></p> <p>&ldquo;Preferences on calling Points of Order:&rdquo;</p> <p>Please pronounce it with a thick British accent. Placing your hand on your head is highly encouraged. Extra speaker points will be given for any debater who wears a large white wig. In other words: Sure? However, please reflect on the performative nature of college undergraduates acting like they are in British Parliament and shouting specialized jargon like &ldquo;the severance permutation justifies the inround abuse on conditionality for the counterplan&rdquo; while speed reading like an auctioneer through Latin phrases, Continental philosophy, and &quot;Brink&quot; updates about the Bond market. Please remember: a person reading a poem about their actual experience with racism is not the person who is making this space&nbsp;exclusionary.</p> <p>&ldquo;Relative importance of on-case argumentation to the critic in decision-making:&rdquo;</p> <p>I rate it at 7.3 (on a ten point scale). Above counter plans but below Foucault critiques. Roughly equal to the &ldquo;bright line&rdquo; standard on topicality. While not a <em>prima facie</em> burden, as a <em>tabela rasa</em> critic, I have to weigh it under a principal of <em>odi profanum vulgus et arceo</em><strong>. </strong></p> <p>In other words<strong>, </strong>I have no preference about this or any of these other preset questions. Run whatever type of critique, counterplan, &ldquo;stock issue&rdquo; that you like. I have no preferences, whatsoever, on any of this; I&#39;ll even vote on trichotomy (it&#39;s happened).&nbsp; However, what I am trying to communicate, is that I think, all of these, are entirely the wrong questions to be asking.&nbsp;</p> <p>What I will say is: Why not run a &ldquo;performance&rdquo; or a &ldquo;project&rdquo; yourself? If debate isn&rsquo;t the space that people can talk about their experiences with racism, sexism, or marginalization where should they have a chance to actually be heard? Think about how many times they/you have already been told that. And, if you are going to p<em>rima faciely<strong>&nbsp;</strong></em>exclude all of these voice/people/experiences&mdash;why do you think that this activity still matters? Is that the kind of space you want to create with your time and your energy? Here&rsquo;s the thing: Hopefully, we will dedicate a large chunk of our lives to making this the spaces around us reflects our&nbsp;beliefs and values. The debate community, itself, should be a place for us to start: that&#39;s my judging philosophy.</p> <p>I hope that none of this seems disrespectful to anyone in any way. That is not my goal. I have spent over a&nbsp;decade in this activity; I value it and I treasure. It is because I love debate that I think that the activity (in both policy and parli) needs deep and fundamental change. Come show me how it should be done.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>