Zhang,+Henry

Affiliations: Harrison (NY), Palos Verdes Peninsula (CA)

I will vote on any argument that is won, provided that it is an actual argument (i.e. there is a warrant for your claim) and that I understand it, with the exception of arguments that are actively offensive or that otherwise create a hostile environment for anyone in the room.

That being said, I do have definite preferences, and in some cases strong preferences, about what you run. I do not like arguments that could generally be construed as "tricky" or "unsubstantive" (e.g. triggers, a prioris, spike-heavy cases, etc.). I am much more easily persuaded that these arguments are bad, so debaters will have an easier time responding to them in front of me. I prefer arguments/positions that are smart, well-developed, and about the topic.

Skeptical arguments, depending on how they are presented, may violate my rule for voting on offensive arguments. In general, these are also some of the arguments I do not like, so I am very receptive to responses (e.g. it is often enough to say there is a "risk" that these arguments are wrong).

Theory: I default to competing interpretations, to drop the argument, and to not viewing theory as an RVI. I find this is hardly ever relevant though, since most developed theory debates address these questions. To be clear, I think competing interpretations requires that you win offense to an interpretation. Absent a counterargument, I will evaluate topicality before other theory arguments. I am predisposed to not like "frivolous" theory, so the same lower standards for responding to bad arguments will apply here.

Speaks: There is no one thing I look for when assigning speaks, but they're generally based on your strategy, the quality of your arguments, your command of the round, and how impressed I am by you overall. This is affected by the argument preferences discussed above. I also find that I tend to value presentation highly, by which I mean that you are clear/easy to flow, persuasive, and pleasant to listen to.

Last things:

I will say clear.

Using "cheap" tactics will make me really mad. These include stealing time, intentionally formatting your case to make it hard to read, and misnumbering arguments, among other things.

Feel free to ask me any questions before the round.