Schexnayder,+Steve

Judge: Steve Schexnayder Affiliation: Little Rock Central High School Little Rock, Arkansas Rounds judged on this topic: 10

I am a fairy traditional stock issues judge. A former high school varsity policy debater, extemp contestant and now parent of a varsity debater, I have judged at the high school level for the past seven years. I want to see the aff present a well-reasoned case, and love clash. You’re best to avoid a lot of new jargon and abbreviations with me other than time-honored traditions such as Ks, CPs, and DAs. Either open or closed CX is fine.

Speed in fine, as long as it you enunciate. But remember you have to communicate effectively to get the decision. I have had quite a bit of “spread listening practice" as the kitchen of our home is frequently “varsity debate central” near tournament times. Fundamentally, you need to convince me that that your case is superior (aff) OR there is no need for change or what we get with the aff is worse than what we’ve got (neg). Use your final rebuttals to convince me why I must vote for your team.

I have a bias toward arguing the quality of evidence. In my day job, I an a pediatric critical care medicine physician on faculty at a medical school. I have been involved in scientific evidence evaluation and reviews for over a decade, which makes me enjoy seeing the quality of the evidence analyzed by the teams. That said, if you don’t argue it, I won’t be using my personal analysis of your evidence in the RFD.

Be respectful. Have fun. Debate is a great opportunity to practice thinking on your feet, and will make you more effective in a variety of future endeavors.