Sommers,+Kyla

Assistant Coach at George Washington University Debater for 8 years, first year out I love debate! As such, I will do my best to adjudicate your rounds in an enjoyable, educational, and equitible fashion. I strive my best to be objective but believe the coveted tabula rasa paradigm is impossible, so I'll explain my predispositions.  __In a round simulating government action of a plan vs. a competetive policy option or the squo:__  -I love good analytics--especially to show the abusurdity of their impacts or disads. Smart analytics beat warrentless/crappy cards any day.  -I am skeptical of CP's that result in the entirety of the plan but can be wowed by your highly technical theory block.  -The more connected your aff/disad/cp is to the literature of the topic, the more credit I will give to your argument.  -I greatly enjoy case debate and think debaters often allow the aff to claim way too much solvency.  -I tend to think debaters are too afriad to debate realistic, non-extinction level impacts.  -There is such a thing as zero risk of a link.  __In a round where the role of the ballot is contested:__

 -I believe debate is both an educational endevor and a competitive game. I can be persuaded either one of those components is more important than the other.  -I have read or am familiar with many critical concepts or authors. I still like explanation/analysis. The more you tie your argument to explicit examples of what the other team is saying or doing, the more compelling your argument will be.  -Less metaphor/buzzwords, more specific analysis. On both sides. For example, instead of saying "decision making," explain what you mean and if the impact functions in the debate space or in our personal lives. In the same way, instead of claimining "soul death" (ie) explain the tangible ways that the structural harms operate. -I can be convinced that if the affirmative has advocated the debate should be about competing methadologies, they should not get to perm the negative's methadology. -If reading framework, focus less on the absurd ("If we don't talk about government action, we can't solve climate change, and we all die") and more on the practical ("Researching and understanding state action is a key component of understanding how to change it"). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-I often find that the biggest mistake in framework debates is that the negative does not realize that the affirmative functions as an impact turn to framework. Be sure that you answer the case as well. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-I tend to believe that some parameters are good, ie your aff should at least be tangentially related to the topic and have an advocacy. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;"> __Style notes (yours and mine):__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Act like you care about what you're talking about. I am skeptical of debate becoming a game of human robots reading pre written blocks without connecting to their arguments. I don't care if your impact is hegemony or no value to life--just convey that you inserting your own voice into the debate round are passionate about what you're advocating. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Respect your oponents and their arguments. That is not mutually exclusive with trying to win the round. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-I tend to be pretty easy to read. I often laugh if I think something is absurd, say "hmm" if something makes me think or is particuraly interesting, look puzzled if I don't understand, and nod if I am into it/getting it. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; vertical-align: baseline;">-There is a high probablility I will be overly talkative (and make bad attempts at jokes) during dead time. You are more than welcome to ignore me/tell me that you need to concentrate.