Oh,+Debbie

I debated four years at Glenbrook North HS, and I'm currently debating for USC.

First, I don't have any argument 'preferences' - I'm open to any argument as long as they are warranted and impacted well.

However, I do have some pet peeves concerning what debaters do and don't do.

1) Lack of evidence comparison - absent this I feel as if debates devolve into a big "they say, but we say" circular discussion. I want to know //why// I should prefer your authors/arguments.

2) Inappropriate aggression - I think there is a fine line between being assertive and being rude. I understand debate invokes a lot of competitive feelings, but I believe it's critical to respect each other. This isn't just about how you address each other, but actually listening to what each other is saying and not blowing off 'stupid' arguments.

3) Throwing everything against the fridge and seeing what sticks - this essentially means I don't want to see 10 off in the 1NC just for the sake of having 10 off. There should be some strategic justification to why you are presenting certain arguments in a debate.

4) Not impacting dropped arguments - if a team drops an argument I don't think that means it's an automatic win for you. I should be able to tell you after the round why the concession matters. You don't want me asking after the round, so what? What are the implications to that dropped argument?

5) Excessive speed - don't sacrifice clarity.

6) Going too fast on texts - I guess this is a corollary thought to #5. For plan texts, CP texts, permutation texts etc. when it is important for me to hear the text please, PLEASE slow down. This will benefit you as we as myself.

7) Stealing prep time - this applies to abusing time to jump over your speeches.

If you have any other questions then I'm happy to answer them. My email: debbieoh1@gmail.com or deboraho@usc.edu