Portuguese,+Emily

I debated for three years as a lone wolf on the local and national circuits. I'm currently a freshman at Georgetown University.

Short version:

The two things I am most familiar with in debate are substantive rounds with a framework other than util (my favorites in high school were deont, contracts, and functional ought) and theory/T rounds. You can obviously run other things as long as they are smart and you explain them well. You can spread, but don't go at top speed because I haven't debated in a while.

Long version:

Substance- Call me traditional, but I like a good substantive debate. If that's your style, go for it. Don't feel like you have to run off cases.

Speed- Don't go full speed. I'll say clear/slow a couple times to let you know if I'm missing stuff. If you don't listen to me and slow down, I could miss something that could hinder your chance of winning, but it will be your fault.

Policy- Policy args are fine. I can flow and understand them, just don't rely on the specific jargon too much.

Ks- I only understand Ks when they are very strongly linked to the topic (i.e. an anthropocentrism K on the environmental protection topic in jan/feb 2014). Other than that, I don't think they make that much sense, and you probably won't be able to make me understand your K over the course of a round. The role of the ballot is always to vote for who did the better debating. I'll ignore your arguments as to why it is something else.

Theory- Theory is a good idea in a lot of situations. Absent any arguments, I will default to competing interps and drop the argument, but you should probably just make the arguments yourself. Even if your counter-interp is offensively worded, just read an RVI.

Other notes:

I see debate as a game. Hide tricks and aprioris, read theory/T as a time suck, or do whatever you want. I won't give you low speaks just because it's mean. Try to be sassy or interesting or something because debate can be boring. If you have questions about my decision, then ask, but I really don't want to/won't sit in a grill session with your coach. Time yourself. I don't care if you sit or stand. Have fun!!!