Dekeyzer,+Aaron

Aaron Dekeyzer
Rowland Hall-St. Mark's Debated in HS & College Rounds on the Topic: 10

1. Don't let yourself get caught up in the debate - If you distance yourself from the debate before your final speech, maybe by taking a deep breath and becoming fully present, you will have more clarity and make better arguments. Debates often come down to a couple items. I would rather see you evaluate that and have a strategy for winning, than doing so much you do nothing.

2. Be confident - One of my college coaches taught me about ethos; he had a ton. It certainly impacts a judges perception. However, don't be so spirited that you are impolite.

3. Connect with your judge - In each round you enter into a relationship with your judge. Make the most of it.

4. Debate is a game - We do this activity for fun, so please take part. This is not to say that there are not other parts of debate, like education, research, speaking, listening, evaluating, performing. If one of these comes up and is important, you may want to frame the debate in a way so that I vote on it.

5. Debate how you will - Don't question who I am or what I like. It's about you. My 4 year college experience prepared me to evaluate any debate, as long as it is communicated clearly. I will say that unique/interesting arguments are nice to listen to.