Morgan,+Trish+Telesco

I coach the Novice LD Debate team at Los Altos/Mountain View. In addition, for nine years I taught public speaking, group communication, and rhetorical criticism at the college level. Here's what you can expect from me.


 * 1) Speed: If I can’t understand you, I can’t vote for you. If your volume is extreme, I won’t vote for you. It is the debaters’ responsibility to be clear, audible, and comprehensible, as well as to speak with some degree of eloquence. That being said, I am able to understand and flow up to about 250 words per minute. I will say "Clear" or "Speed" if there is a problem. If you don't adjust, you take the consequences in my voting. Be very clear about signposting and cards.
 * 2) Since this is values-based debating, I’m going to be making my decisions largely on the basis of how well you tie your value criterion to your value and how well your contentions support your value criterion. The more specific and nuanced your value criterion the better. If you don’t have a value criterion, explain why. I expect to see some clash.
 * 3) I will listen to theory and critique, but there’s a high threshold for making them stick. I have a general understanding of the typical arguments used, but you should assume you’ll need to do some explaining.
 * 4) I am always interested in unusual and creative arguments, not that interested in convoluted philosophical arguments that aren’t explained clearly. If you can inject some humor, all the better.
 * 5) Generally, I dislike jargon. I also get really irritated by debaters who claim their opponent has conceded a point or dropped a point when that hasn’t occurred – don’t take me for a fool. Just because you say something doesn’t make it so.
 * 6) Be polite, be fair, and make a little eye contact. And have some fun – if you look like you’re enjoying yourself that always boosts speaker points.

You won’t be surprised after reading the above, to learn that I value clarity – in thought and speech.