Zhang,+Claire

Claire Zhang Suncoast High School '11 Yale University '15

I debated LD for three years and attended VBI debate camp during the summer of my freshman year, though I never fared too well on the circuit, and I quit senior year. It has been a while for me in terms of debate, and as a result, I feel quite distant from it.

What this means is, I'm rather familiar with circuit debate, but I've probably forgotten a lot about it. I was also pretty bad at circuit debate, so obviously my understanding of everything was a bit lacking. I know the standard jargon: turns, impacts, weighing, extensions, etc. I have long forgotten other terms, but please feel free to use them as long as you make it clear to me what you're doing. That said, if I don't understand what you're doing or how your argument works, I probably won't be able to evaluate it.

This also means that I'm really bad at understanding and evaluating kritiks and theory and disads and counterplans and all that good stuff, so it's probably a bad idea to run them unless you are confident you can make them clear to me. I'm not going to reject you on face level if you use it, but if I can't understand it then, that might not work in your favor.

What will probably work best for me is a traditional type approach, a value, a criterion, your contentions and strong cards, good standard arguments with sensible logic and evidence, because that's probably what I'll be able to understand best, but, I'm going to reiterate, if you feel like you will do a better job otherwise and can adequately make me understand what you're doing, feel free to go for it. I won't reject your arguments on face level, and I'll try my best to understand you, but if I can't, then that's just the risk you're taking!

I'm good with fast talking and speed, but I'm pretty bad at being able to understand policy-esque spreading. You can go for it, but do so at your own risk. Like with everything, if I can't understand you or didn't catch an argument, I can't evaluate it.

Crystallize at the end and give me a big picture, that makes things easy. Weigh weigh weigh!

I'm going to flow, but I probably won't be as nit picky and strict and specific about it as some of the more experienced debaters and judges.

Please be polite and respectful and don't be a jerk to your opponent. I also am not a fan of arrogance or condescension. There was a reason I quit debate.