Thomas,+Chris

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #000000; font: medium arial,sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; webkitborderhorizontalspacing: 0px; webkitborderverticalspacing: 0px; webkittextdecorationsineffect: none; webkittextsizeadjust: auto; webkittextstrokewidth: 0px; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Christopher Thomas Debated at University of Kansas- 3 years Debated at University of Texas San Antonio- 2 years Currently Coaching at University of Texas San Antonio Current Coaching at Churchill High School, San Antonio TX   I typed up multiple different judge philosophies and it got really annoying. I just complied a list of the easiest tips for debating in front of me. - Read whatever you want. I understand that you need to read framework sometimes, and I equally get having to be scrappy and not make an argument in the 1AC. Just because I debated the K doesn't mean I don't get disads or Cps, and it certainly doesn't mean you should limit your argument choice in front of me. I don't care what you want to say or how you want to say it, but have a defense of why you did, what you did. - Debate however you want. Simple as that. It is the hippy in me. Don't say this in order to look progressive, but because different people have different approaches to argumentation and communication. After all, the debate round isn't about me. - Ethos, Ethos, Ethos! I can't stress this enough. It is always easier to vote for someone when it seems the debater cares about what they're saying. Finding credibility in your presentation is important and often times those points in debate can be the most powerful. This was probably a large chunk of my debating style. - Respect Others- I ask that the debaters not use gender, racist, homophobic or sexist language. I won't drop you simply because of this language but I will hold speaker points accountable for your choice of words. I am also quite senstive to language style arguments that would call for a reject of teams because of their rhetoric. Does that mean call everyone a racist or sexist? no. But just watch what you say, because you'll need to defend it. Be nice to your partner, don't take CX from them. I love good smack talking, but there is a line between that and disrespectful. - At the end of the day I fundamentally believe that if a judge cannot understand your argument then they should not vote for it. A lack of clarity of the judge represents a failure to effectively communicate on part of the debater. I just won't vote for something I don't understand. I don't have to believe it, but surely need to understand it. - Humor, Sass and Wit gets you everywhere. You win ethos and speaker points. - When Affirmative and Answering a Kritik always, always, always just defend what you do. Framework is not persausive when read by the affirmative. Winning the specificty of your affirmative is better than generic kritik answers or impact turns. - Be prepared. Bring paper. Bring pens. Bring a timer. I don't have specifics in here, I know that, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask.