Flynn,+Jack

Hey all, I’m Jack Flynn. I did LD for four years at Brophy Prep, both in state and on the circuit. I also coached LD at SWSDI in the summer of 2013. I am now two years out of high school and quite rusty, with this tournament (2014 Hollywood Invitational) being my first time judging in almost two years. So please, bear with me.

I feel like speed is the first thing I should address. Like I said, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a debate round and so I am nowhere near where I used to be in terms of my ability to handle spreading. You can definitely get away with going above conversational speed, but I wouldn’t recommend going past about 60% of your top speed. I’ll say clear a few times (3 max) if you’re going too fast, but it’s best to err on the side of caution.

On a similar note, because it’s been two years, I may have forgotten what some acronyms and bits of jargon signify… you can safely assume I’m familiar with the format and philosophies, but not much else.

I’ll vote on almost any kind of argument, so long as it’s made well and you’re winning on the line-by-line. The only exceptions to this are arguments that I feel, would very obviously make the round, tournament, and circuit less accessible and welcoming to your peers who already belong to marginalized communities (i.e. I will never sign the ballot on an impact turn to racism, sexism, ableism, etc. If that upsets you, please reevaluate how you are spending your free time and energy.)

Other than that, just try to have a good time and be nice to each other. Make arguments you’re really passionate about and say things you feel need to be said.

If you have any other questions, I’m more than happy to chat and clarify things before the round. I recognize that this overview is brief and I’m a relatively friendly human being.