Garrett,+Stephanie


 * Note - I am often listed on pairings as Garrett, Stephan because it cuts my name off. Not to be confused with the Garrett, Stephen philosophy that is also on the wiki

Stephanie Garrett (Formerly Stephanie Dillard)

Head Debate Coach at Kent Denver School

4 Years Debate at Liberty University Lynchburg, VA

4 Years Debate at Ridgeview High School Middleburg, FL

30+ rounds on Latin America topic Do what you want, and I'll more than likely be OK with it. Preferences are below, but know that I would rather you read the arguments that you think you are best at, and can give you the best chance of winning the debate, instead of adapting to what you think I like/don't like.

1. It’s your debate to make as you will, but naturally I will judge the debate in a certain paradigm unless asked otherwise– My default is whether or not the topical plan presented is better than the status quo or an alternative competitive policy option. I do NOT mind if you change this paradigm, but make sure your change is explicit. If you go outside of my go-to judging default, you need very clearly state what my new one should be.

2. I strongly believe that one of the most valuable aspects of a debate is communication. PLEASE keep this in mind when you’re in front of me – nothing grinds my teeth more than unclear, mumbling, very quiet and/or abrasive debaters. Effective communication and articulation about your arguments will get you way further than reading another card. I'm not OK with profanity, unless it is somehow integral to the argument you're making. Lastly, be cordial. I think rude, mean debaters make the activity really un-fun and miserable, and I will not hesitate at all to dock speaks for this. If you say anything racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. you will get abysmal speaks. My threshold for what I consider to be racist/sexist/homophobic/etc is really low.

3. Kritiks - Need very clear, explicit articulations. Too many debaters use buzz words and pre written overviews as a crutch, and think that because they're reading a kritik, they for whatever reason don't need to engage the line by line as much. This is a detrimental mistake in front of me. I'm fine with kritiks, but still default to evaluating them in an offense/defense paradigm (unless your K tells me I shouldn't). I'm probably not as well versed in Lacanian psychoanalysis as you, so don't assume I know anything.

4. Topicality – An under utilized argument in high school. Too many affs are untopical, and too many negs are easily scared away by going for T. Let's fix that.

5. Theory – I think theory is also another underutilized option for most teams. I probably lean neg on a lot of theory arguments, but mainly because affs usually don’t do the work to win a theory debate. Do not expect to turn a 5 second extension of conditionality bad in the 1ar into a 5 minute conditionality bad rebuttal – I am really hardcore when it comes to not letting new arguments in the last rebuttals. Usually, rejecting the argument remedies all the wrongs, so you should have some really good reasons why it’s not sufficient if you want me to vote for you.

6. CPs and DAs– The more specific, the better. Will I vote for a generic congress CP or Consult whoever? Yes. Will I be happy about it? No. I really respect negatives who work hard on specific strats against affs. Case specific PICS are always OK and not abusive ever. I often reward teams generously with higher speaker points if you come up with a great DA/CP strat that is hyper specific and smart. Likewise, I like affs who are on top of their game and come up with innovative responses to old arguments.

7. Prep Time - It stops when you eject the jump drive from your computer. Because of this, you're probably better off just starting an email chain at the beginning of the debate. Also, I strop flowing when the timer goes off. Whatever you mutter while it's beeping is not going to be written down. If I left anything out, feel free to ask me. I’m sure this philosophy will evolve as I continue to judge. I also HATE prep time stealing. If you notice your opponents stealing prep, feel free to call them out. I will be totally OK with that. .