Christian,+Heather

I have been coaching for 11 years at Eastside High School with my primary focus being Congress and Speech events. I thoroughly enjoy debate, however, and look forward to this competition. I value evidence in a round, not simple assertions, no matter how passionately they be given. I expect you to not only offer evidence, but provide clear analysis to claims. Claims devoid of clear analysis bear little weight in my evaluation. If the warrant and impact are not clear in your argument, I will not count the argument. I want to hear well-thought and well-argued debate. As for style, I do not appreciate abrasive and disrespectful debaters. I do not believe that you must berate and belittle your opponent to win. A well-executed rebuttal is far more powerful than a screaming match in which your goal is simple to be the loudest. The loudest is often the person whose arguments have no real merit. On the same note, I also believe that break-neck speed is unnecessary. I have pretty fast ears, but that doesn’t mean that I want to listen to you speak faster than the wind in a hurricane (as a Floridian, I have been in those!). It is difficult to make a clear argument when no one understands you. If I stop flowing your debate, then I have likely stopped listening to your debate. I look forward to hearing good debate.