Alonsozana,+Matthew

**Boston College & Loyola Blakefield High School**

I am a Presidential Scholar (Class of 2014) at Boston College double-majoring in Economics and Biology, minoring in Philosophy as a Pre-Law with the BC Honors Program (Philosophy and Theology). I have been involved in several policy projects in the U.S. and internationally and continue to play an active part in policy debate and discussion. I was a former Vice President of Debate at Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD during high school.

**Lincoln-Douglas Debate Paradigm** I debated at several competitive levels from 2006 to 2010 for Loyola Blakefield in Maryland. I have also had the opportunity to compete successfully on the local, regional, and national levels in several other events including Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu, Congress, and Public Forum Debate. Currently, I debate within Boston College as a member of the Rhetorical Society on several topics and have coordinated and participated in discussion forums and panels on a wide range of issues from politics, philosophy, and economics to ethics and biomedical engineering.

I believe that my experiences as a debater and my expertise regarding several different subject matters contribute greatly to my perspective as a judge. That being said, I was very active in Forensics during high school and have an intimate familiarity with several events and the various arguments and styles that exist within them. I am just as interested in learning from the debate presented before me as the debaters are, and I am looking forward to seeing the plethora of ways in which the issues broached during round are handled.

**Presentation:** I expect there to be **a level of decorum and civility upheld throughout the round.** I will not tolerate blatant disrespect from or between the debaters in round. While I will not drop a competitor if he or she exhibits improprieties in round, such factors weigh heavily in my distribution of speaker points. If debate is meant to be an educational exercise, then it does not include vulgarities, screaming, or rudeness.

**Speed:** Given the nature of events in which I have been involved, I must say that I am not a proponent of extremely fast delivery, but you are allowed to do so. I will say "clearer" once if I cannot discern what a debater is saying. If enunciation or speed shows no alteration, then I will not flow what I cannot understand. That being said, **I do have a high tolerance for speed- just show common sense and annucaition with how fast you deliver.**

**Theory:** I will allow theory arguments in round; **I have no predispositions as to how I think a debater should approach a round**. While the purpose of any rhetorical exercise is to discuss and discern the implications of the matter at hand, the argumentative parameters of the debate are set by the participants. **Tell me how and why your position at the end of the round is superior.** As to how one crystallizes the elements in round or presents their arguments, that is completely up to the framework and lens gleaned from the interaction between the two debaters. In addition, **cases of abuse must be substantiated and proven**; one cannot merely claim abuse and let it lie.

In essence: Give me clear **IMPACT ANALYSIS** AND thorough **DECISION CALCULUS.**

**Additional Considerations:** No matter how a debate ends up being crafted in round, I do expect one thing: **substantive clash.** If the two debaters are not engaging each other, then the round is effectively useless, like two ships passing in the night. No judge wants to be left without a clear, definitive picture of how the round went or how each debater formulates his or her position. Even if the final RFD is hard to decide, a round of direct clashing is worth a thousand indirect rounds with specious reasoning and obtrusive argumentation.

Debate is sometimes a game, sometimes a crucible, and sometimes an embryo of intellectual discourse, but no matter what level of debate, **it is always a communicative exercise**. Communicate and articulate to me clearly, and if you can intelligently, creatively, and respectfully deliver your arguments to me while pointing out the fallacies within your opponent's, then you have done a commendable job that bodes well for your career.

Please feel free to ask me any questions before round.

"All speech is vain and useless, unless it be accompanied by action." -Demosthenes