Rao,+Aashik

I was a LD debater for four years in high school and now am a rising senior at Columbia University.

I have not judged any debates in this topic, but I am fine with unusual arguments as long as you articulate clearly and signpost in your rebuttals. As for theory, kritiks etc., while I will listen to your arguments, if you simply make a quick argument and fail to impact and weigh, I will have to give it very little consideration in deciding the round. I tend to be traditional in my view of debate, and while I think policy-kind argumentation is interesting, it is rarely done well by LD debaters. I will be far more impressed by someone with a clear Value/VC, who structures his own case and his rebuttals around these standards, and who crystallizes well – than with someone who has borrowed arguments from his policy team without understanding them. In like manner, when it comes to speed, I am generally fine with it, but if I cannot understand you, I will give you one warning and then stop flowing.

The most important thing for you to do is comparative analysis. Simply extending an argument generally is not enough. You have to weigh your impacts with your opponent’s, and be clear in doing so right from your first rebuttal. Be clear in crystallizing – do not give me a laundry list of arguments your opponent dropped. Give me clear standards to evaluate the round and tell me how you link to those standards.

If you are making key a priori arguments, or putting forward an unusual Value/Criterion, be sure to spend particular attention in defending these. Pre-emptive arguments are well appreciated. If you are going to use major philosophical standards, make sure you actually understand what the philosopher is saying. Having studied philosophy in college and heard it used in debate rounds, I think that many debaters grossly misinterpret and misuse philosophers. So, be sure that you know your position.

I will generally give speaker points between 27 and 30. Signposting, clarity in strategy, and effective crystallizing are the things I will particularly look for in determining your speaker points.