Valera,+Alina

I debated in PF for three years for The Kinkaid School in Houston, TX. My school was mainly an LD and Policy debate school, so I am very familiar with those as well. I now attend the University of Texas at Austin.

__**Arguments**__ I'm not that serious about "traditional" PF arguments because I grew up around policy debaters, so I really will vote for anything (my partner and I even ran a Malthus-based argument at TFA state ). However you have to have evidence. Every argument you make should have several pieces of evidence (from different sources) and you should also have back up evidence to defend yourself with later.

__**Timing**__ You should keep track of your own time and stop right when you hit the limit. Whatever you don't have a chance to say can be brought up in a later speech. If it's final focus and there isn't another speech, then what you have left to say can't be that important since you didn't have time in summary nor final focus to mention it.

If you run out of time while presenting your case in the first speech, then you obviously did not prepare enough for the debate. That will count against you.

You should also keep track of your own prep time. Every second from the moment we start the debate to the very end should be counted in speech time or prep time. If you stop your prep then take another 15 seconds to get a drink of water, arrange your papers, etc. then I will take of speaker points.

Also, if you are going to ask to see your opponents case, please do so in your own prep time.

__**Crossfire**__ Crossfire can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You should use it to clear up something you didn't understand, set yourself up for an argument you will make later, etc. You should NOT use it to host an "I can argue louder than you can" contest. Every time you raise your voice, cut someone off, or say something rude, I will take off a speaker point. Also, you should have plenty questions to ask. If both of you are standing there trying to pass the next question to each other like a hot potato because you have nothing to ask, I will not be impressed.