Zhang,+Jessica

I debated for 4 years at The Woodlands College Park, qualifying to the TOC my senior year. Feel free to message me on Facebook if you have any specific questions.

Yes, I want to be on the email chain: jessicajzh@gmail.com

TLDR: Read good arguments or get good at defending bad ones. Speed is fine but clarity is better. Slow down on interps, texts, and short analytics. Don't read something just because you think I'll like it. Have fun and be yourself :)

__Framework__ - I find this part of debate to be the most interesting but the hardest to resolve. - Please have some type of framing mechanism. I don't care if it's a value/value criterion, ROB, burden structure, etc. - If there are competing preclusion claims, explain why your argument precludes those claims not other framework justifications. The same applies for weighing arguments.

__LARP__ - In these debates, presumption goes to whoever defends the smallest change from the status quo. - I like it when people actually know the methodologies behind the studies they card. - In terms of speaks, I'm more lenient here if you're not the best at debating framework but less lenient if you're not the best at weighing at the contention level.

__K__ - I feel least comfortable evaluating these debates. This doesn't mean you shouldn't read a K, it just means that you should hold yourself to a higher standard of explanation in front of me. - Ks need framing to make impacts relevant. - Have topic specific links. - Alternatives should be clear in describing what they do. I'm annoyed by vague alts like "reject capitalism in every instance" that aren't followed by a clarification of what that even means.

__Theory__ - This is the layer I feel most comfortable evaluating. - If you're going for theory in your second rebuttal there should be some extension of the voter section, even if it's conceded. - I default competing interps and no RVIs. I won't default for the implication of theory because that's something debaters should set in round. - If you're going for reasonability, you should include a brightline. My gut check is super weak and most likely not in your favor. - I will vote on disclosure theory if it is won. That being said, I don't have a strong stance on whether people disclose or not; I am just irritated by people who engage in bad disclosure practices i.e. making their wiki unnavigable, selectively disclosing positions, posting potential positions they have no intention of ever breaking.

__Misc.__ - Do weighing in the first speech. - I'm frustrated by negative debaters who concede the entirety of affs and even more frustrated by affirmative debaters who don't know how to leverage their own position. - I have a really low threshold for extensions of conceded arguments. That threshold is even lower if an entire layer is conceded. Otherwise, extensions need a claim, warrant, and impact. - Tricks are cool. I'd be really entertained by hearing some new, innovative ones. - I don't really hold any strong convictions about paradigmatic issues of debate and I could be a fan of any argument that's executed well, but there are some arguments that I really don't know how to evaluate (i.e. "dropped arguments aren't true arguments"- so if your opponent concedes this but I don't think it's a true argument, can I ignore it?). This doesn't mean you should shy away from reading certain arguments, you just need to be clear about their function. - I'll say clear/slow/louder as many times as I need to. It's in your best interest to listen to me so I can keep up; if I've said one of those I've probably already missed something.

__Speaker Points__ - Speaker points are based on strategy and efficiency, not literal speaking ability. - I'll give an extra .1 speaks to both debaters for every minute before the posted start time that a round begins. - Be respectful of different backgrounds and styles of debate. I am really bothered by condemnations and blanket statements made about entire classes of arguments. If you do this, I will drop your speaks. - If you read a non-topical aff and have no answers or bad answers to T, I will drop your speaks. - Post-round discussion is valuable. If you won and insert yourself into a conversation I am having with your opponent, I will drop your speaks. - I'll probably give a few tenths of a speaker point if you bring me food or drinks that I like.