Adegbite,+Ben

I guess I should start by saying that I am a first-year out from Bronx Science and am now attending Harvard. I debated for two years as a junior and senior on both the local and national circuits.

To be honest, I believe that debate is nothing more than just an act. I’m pretty sure that no human being debates like this in real life. Thus, your job is to entertain me as much as possible. Making me laugh is one way to do this, but the easiest way is to debate like people. Try to abstain from acting like a robot and put some emotion in your performance. Be as comfortable as you can be: you can sit down during speeches, use flex prep, and even eat a sandwich during prep for all I care. I just want to be able to enjoy watching **you** enjoy the round.

SPEAKS: Getting high speaks from me is harder than it sounds. While it is true that debating with ethos will grant you points, making good, substantive arguments will definitely get you up there.

CX: Make CX like a good Super Bowl commercial: funny, interesting, and/or engaging.

THEORY: I don’t like the way theory has been used over the past few years. Theory is supposed to only be used to clear abuse, not create it. Running shells just to pick up a round easily doesn’t show me how intelligent you are, so you should probably expect a low-point win if doing so. However, if you do engage in a theory debate, make it as clear as possible.

KRITIKS, NARRATIVES, & PERFORMANCES: I don’t mind kritks as long as they are run correctly. However, as a word of warning, I am good at detecting if you are genuine; so if you run a kritik/narrative on a sensitive issue with the sole intent of winning the round, I will congratulate you with reduced speaks. I’ve never seen a performance before, so make sure you let me know if you plan on doing it.

POLICY ARGUMENTS: I ran a couple during my senior year and have come to like them. Make sure you run them correctly. Absurd/Very creative plans that are actually topical may give you higher speaks (since this might make me laugh).

SPEED: I haven’t written a flow in about a year, but I am still a good note taker. But, I was never 100% good at flowing intense spreaders. If you want to check your speed with me before the round, by all means do so. However, I will only say clear twice instead of three times before I deduct speaks. If you have a sore throat, speech impediment, or any vocal problems, I will not penalize you. I would also appreciate it if you are able to explain complex ideas in simple words. This makes life so much easier for me and helps the round flow so much smoother. If you want to use complex jargon to confuse your opponent, then be my guest.

EXTENSIONS & SIGNPOSTING: You know the drill: claim, warrant, impact. I would like it if the NEG numbers as many arguments as possible in the NR just to make flowing easier.

TRICKS: I like tricks, especially skep. I know that you’re probably thinking that you should run a skep case when you get me just to get high speaks, but I could care less. I already told you how to get good speaks. I would just chuckle. Presumption is kinda dumb unless your warrant for presuming AFF or NEG is warranted well.

MISC.: Don’t act like a jerkass; debate like a good badass. Make good turns and label them correctly. Give a summary at the end of your last speeches. Pay attention to my flowing without making awkward eye contact. Some people just aren't funny. If you are one of them, I would appreciate it if you don't make bad jokes. I like "interesting" debaters (debaters with personality). If you feel like you are being face-crushed, do anything legal to win. If you still lose, I will reward you with bonus speaks.

If you have any questions, ask me before the round; I’m pretty chill. Besides, writing this paradigm is kinda tiring.

2/13/14