West,+Megan

West, Megan (Formerly Loden) Director of Forensics at Cypress Bay High School (Weston, FL) since 2010

I was an LD debater on the Texas circuit for four years in high school (2000-2004), and a parli debater for four years in college (2004-2008). While debating in college I attended the NPDA, earning a top speaker award in 2005. I previously coached the college parli team at Cal State Long Beach (2008-2010). This is my fifth year serving as the DOF at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, FL where I judge predominantly public forum and individual events, but coach (and sometimes judge) everything else (LD, Policy, Congress).
 * Experience **

My "old school" LD training combined with my parli success during my undergraduate career (and my now marriage to a policy debater) has left me eagerly learning all of the intricacies of technical debate (emphasis on the word "learning"). I am of the "it's your round, not mine" philosophy, but I really __don't like theory__. **Clarity and weighing** are essential in flushing-out arguments and my decision-making process. YOU MUST EXPLAIN COMPLEX ARGUMENTS. I am intelligent, but I can't read your mind. As a communication scholar with a M.A. in Rhetoric, I also love K debate, but I won't vote on a K without an alt, and still appreciate additional explanations and clarity. Tell me WHY YOU WIN THE ROUND.
 * General Paradigm**

I think speed has a place in debate, and I can follow/flow teams at //almost// any delivery rate they choose (I'm good with up to about a 7 on a 1-10 scale). That being said, I am much happier with a mid-speed round than a super fast round where I miss a few things. Please SLOW DOWN ON TAGS. I also think persuasiveness, narratives, and vocal emphasis are always welcome elements. Oh, and you obviously don't need to stand-up (or sit-down/handstand) and look a certain way; I love comfort about as much as I love debate.
 * Speed/Delivery**

I think that speaker points are unnecessarily arbitrary; I also know that giving every debater in a round 30s skews results. As such, I use speaker points as a rank. If you are the best debater in the round, you will get 30 points, second best, 29 points, third, 28, and worst, 27. I will only give you below a 27 in a round if I am offended about an argument or action during the round. I will also deduct an entire point if you are not flowing the majority of the time that you should be OR if you pack-up your belongings and don't take notes/look at your flow during my RFD. The trend to stop flowing because you are looking at a document (that, mind you, the judge can't see) is gradually excluding us from the rounds, and not taking notes/looking at your flow during an RFD is just dumb and counter-educational.
 * Speaker Points**

The transition to paperless debate has been a stressful one for me to watch. That being said, I do understand the cost, convenience, and even educational benefits of technology in a debate round. My preference is just that (a) flashing, etc. happens as quickly as possible, and most importantly, (b) you remember that I am not looking at the same materials (see "Speaker Points" note above). I will start running prep time if I think that you are taking too long to transfer something. You are responsible for your technology's performance.
 * Technology**

Oh, and have fun. Isn't that why we all do this?