Qualley,+Benjamin

Background: Debated high school LD from 1996 to1998 at Lakeville, MN, and at Carthage College for one year. Currently, I am a Wisconsin attorney who still enjoys academic competition as a participant or a judge. I’ve judged a number of Minnesota tournaments following high school, and recently resumed judging in Wisconsin.

I am not adverse to any level of speed as long as I can make out what you are saying. If you are going so quickly that you do not enunciate sufficiently for me to hear the words, you may as well have said nothing at all.

While I believe LD, at its core, is about what ought to be, I find real world examples and their practical results to be persuasive. Too often though, debaters focus on the examples throughout subsequent speeches which unduly narrows the round or results in debating off topic. I prefer when a debater is able to avoid arguing opposing examples and instead focuses on the point the example was meant to illustrate. I would say I can be equally persuaded using philosophical analysis, but be sure to understand the concepts you put forth, and be able to explain them if you catch a question in cross.

I think evidence is under-used by many debaters, especially in the first response to an opponent’s constructive. One or two relevant cards lend credence to what you say (especially when the values or criteria are at odds), and impress your level of preparation upon the judge. While clarification of an argument can be helpful (both to yourself and the judge) if you did not hear or understand a point, cross should be used expose weaknesses of an opponent’s case and foreshadow your argument. I keep a detailed flow, and expect key admissions on cross to be utilized where appropriate in your rebuttals.

I have no real preference in rebuttals for point-by-point analysis or for crystallization; just do whichever one you do well, and keep it organized. That being said, I find depth of argument more persuasive (especially in the 2AR) than simply a quick recap of everything you said previously.