Sobetski,+Greg


 * Greg Sobetski**

I am a policy debate coach at George Washington High School in Denver. 2015-16 is my thirteenth year in debate and my ninth year of experience as a judge. Outside of debate, I'm an economist for the Colorado General Assembly.

I am a **tabula rasa** judge. Everything else on this page is a summary of my tendencies, and I'm providing this information because I believe it may be of strategic use to you. That said, I believe that judges should modify their philosophy to the debate before them more so than debaters should modify their performance to fit cranky judges. You do you.


 * I like framework debates** because they tell me what to value when voting. I perk up when you identify a clear role for the ballot or, barring that, a clear set of criteria I ought to prioritize. Clash on these issues is what I anticipate in the latter rebuttals.

I come from a relatively traditional circuit. For this reason, **I am most comfortable evaluating debates about policy.** Affirmatives advocating action by entities other than the USFG, or affirmatives with no plan whatsoever, are unfamiliar to me. I will vote for them, but I am sympathetic to defensive negative positions that question their efficacy. Performance in a debate has never inspired me to take action outside of the round. **I do not view debate as an instrument of social change**, though I will vote for a framework that posits it as such. Identity politics are not an academic interest of mine, so if you prefer to go that route, recognize that I may be less well versed in terminology than other judges.


 * I almost never pull cards after a round.** I perceive debate as a clash between competing debate teams and not as a clash between their authors. Keep in mind that while you have your evidence (and your opponents' evidence) before you, I do not. I advise emphasizing whatever points you want me to take from your evidence. If these are not clearly communicated, I likely will not weigh them.

On a related note: I've been around policy for a long time, and I'm comfortable with speed. That said, **if I can't understand the text of your evidence, I will flow the tag as an analytic.** In varsity, I expect you to flow your opponents' theory shells, etc., competently - dropping these can put you in a poor strategic position.


 * Finally: please be kind to one another! Debate should be a fun activity for everyone. Being unkind will damage your speaker points and will incline me to vote against you.**

If you have any questions, please ask. I'm happy to discuss anything prior to the round!