Eck,+Lydia

Hello, wonderful debater!

I am a harmless college student who enjoys watching a thoughtful round! Having debated throughout all four years of high school, I understand how frustrating it feels to spend hours preparing debate materials, devote all your energy to winning a round, feel as though you won, and receive a ballot that fails to demonstrate any meaningful decision-making process. With that said, I aim to be as fair as possible when evaluating your round.

Learning is one of my passions, so the educational value of debate is of much importance to me. When debaters display that they invested thought into case construction, I am impressed and more inclined to give more speaker points. Thought is something I value immensely - especially when it is directed to important, difficult aspects of the topic. If you'd like, you can call me "traditional" - I will always prefer clear, substantive arguments and have an almost-unhealthy obsession with debates that tackle the heart of the issue. Spreading is acceptable but only if every argument is solid. I prefer seeing the round boiled down to a __simple, manageable level__ and am always thankful when debaters group arguments (where possible) to make the round easier to process.

Use logic - please don't throw statistics and cards at each other that "must be true because some guy with a degree at some prestigious university is responsible for them...he must know what he's talking about". Statistics and cards are certainly acceptable, of course, but don't forget to always provide a "why" when presenting material ("okay, so someone supposedly important came up with this. does that make it true? why is this important? why should I look to it?"). Moreover, and more importantly, always link up to your standard - don't force me to do work for you on the flow. I don't like having to intervene, and I doubt you like judge intervention either. It's the debaters' job to thoroughly explain the importance of their arguments.

Please do not neglect the values debate. It is __extremely__ important. Why?

1. It is the defining feature of Lincoln-Douglas debate. 2. If the values debate receives little focus, then I will be confused when deciding which value and value criterion to prefer.

Give voting issues to simplify the round. I give good speaker points to debaters who are able to identify the most important issues of the debate.

Please don't forget to extend arguments your opponent dropped. There are few things more frustrating than seeing someone forget to extend a dropped argument that could have potentially won him the round. I will not extend arguments for you - it is your job to extend your points.

In the interest of fairness, please refrain from making new arguments in your last speech. I am generally able to determine whether a new argument has been made, and I punish the offense with reduced speaker points.

Err on the slow side, if at all possible - though I will always keep in mind your need to use your time efficiently. Sometimes, you have so much to say that speed is inevitable, but please slow down if your argumentation permits. I will certainly appreciate the effort.

As far as theory is concerned, I urge you to avoid using it. Only resort to it if there is a clear violation. If you use theory just because you can, I might get annoyed - the debate should be about the substance of the resolution. (You were given a perfectly good topic to debate. Why change the subject?)

Lastly, a word of cheesy, general advice: //have fun//. Cherish every round you have, and consider every tournament a valuable learning experience. Unfortunately, high school debate doesn't last forever!

I wish you the best. Good luck!

- Lydia