Barlow,+Will

Will Barlow Assistant Coach The Westminster Schools

Experience: three years of debate in high school

Philosophy: a mix of tabula rasa and speaking skills/communication

I will mostly let the teams handle the debate, but I am much more likely to vote for the team who is the most persuasive, giving the most warrants and reasons for voting for them. Just because you tell me something is a voting issue does not make it a voting issue. You have to explain to me why the issue is so important that I must vote on it.

I have been out of debate for seven years. If I cannot distinguish what you are saying and I cannot flow, the argument does not exist for the purpose of judging the round. Be sure that your card tags are clear, as well as your source and the date (in order to reference later). I am not looking for a great performance speech; I just want to hear what you are saying. Speak quickly as long as you are clear (I want to hear the warrants in the cards, not just the claims).

Other than that, I will mostly stick to what I have on the flow. Please be careful when you respond to arguments. I will weigh dropped arguments if your opponents tell me to do so. You can exploit your opponents by keeping a good flow and answering their arguments precisely.

Let me know if you have any questions before the round. At that point, I'll wait to speak until the end of the round.