Mayes,+Thomas

You are likely to run into me at Iowa tournaments.

Please keep in mind the following three things, which apply to any form of argument you may consider using: 1. Tell me what to prefer. 2. Tell me why to prefer it. 3. Tell me that you did what I should prefer.

I did L/D during the Reagan administration, but I have no views about how L/D should be. I am not tied to a historical ideal of the activity. In my view, the nature of the activity is to be resolved by coaches, competitors, and competition committees. My job is to evaluate the round that is presented to me. I evaluate rounds based on their internal competitiveness, not against some external standard of goodness.

I have no default "positions" or evaluative mechanisms. I will listen to any type of argument. If there is weighing to do, please do it. Arguments do not weigh themselves.

Since this is a competitive activity, and not a seminar or a discussion group, I must award a ballot to someone. If there is no reason to affirm or negate at the end of the round, and I am left to my own devices (meaning neither competitor has done a good job of attending to the three items above), I will penalize the debater who made the biggest strategic error by assigning that debater the loss. I have resorted to this tie-breaker once, but it was in a bid round. Don't leave me to my own devices. Attend to the three items above.

Also, since this is a competitive activity, I will be constrained by any instructions on the ballot.

I am fairly generous with speaker points, tending to cluster around a 27.5 on the customary 1-30 scale. To ensure I remain generous, (1) be funny, (2) be yourself, (3) be smart, (4) be decent to your adversary, and (5) keep trying and pressing your positions until the timer goes off (even if you think you're losing).