Radford,+Jamie

Howdy

I debated for four years in Alabama high school debate, and then four years at Samford University. We generally did very well regionally, with moderate success at the national level. We were, on average, about a 4-4 or 5-3 team at national tournaments, if that gives you some idea as to where I'm coming from. I really enjoyed debate and I care a lot about the activity.

I appreciate clear, persuasive speaking. My flowing abilities were only "ok" during my debate career, so I'm sure that by now they have gotten a bit worse. That being said, I will pay close attention to your debates and try to make the most fair, objective decision possible. However, if you are a team that is very fast, and you are debating a team that is slower, but very persuasive, you ought to slow down a bit, because I'm inevitably going to absorb and understand the other team's arguments better. My greatest criticism of debate is that the speaking style has become so far disconnected from the way that people communicate outside of debate, that we're sort of doing ourselves a disservice by sticking so closely to that style. I'm not biased against fast speaking or anything. And I appreciate this element of debate. I'm just saying do yourself a favor and slow down a bit in front of me.

Ideologically, I really have no "preferences." As a debater, I ran a lot of "performance" type arguments with some success. But, I actually sort of enjoyed researching in the "policy" area better. I will say that some of the people who try to do the performance thing are really not very good at it, such that the round becomes like a really awkward slam poetry event. That being said, I am sort of right-brained by nature, so I appreciate creative argumentation, whether its performative dance of "pollution good" turns. But I also sincerely appreciate reasonable, persuasive, passionate arguments about policy issues, NPR-style.

I look forward to judging your debate. J.