Santiago,+Ricky

Ricky Santiago

Ricky Santiago-Harry S. Truman High School Debate Coach Years Coaching: 4 Years Debated: 7 (4 Years High School, 3 Years College)

I think debate is a game. It has some educational benefits, but those educational benefits are often lost if the framework for the debate does not allow for significant clash. I think that our ability to debate about significant issues (as you, the debaters, define them) is what is great about our activity and our society. Your framework for debate should allow for meaningful discussions within the game of debate.

Argumentative Preferences:

Negative Kritiks – I like Ks. The best Ks are ones that directly engage the affirmative. I am probably more liberal than most when it comes to what it means to “engage the affirmative”. I think that state bad Ks, language Ks and kritiks of the system can be argued to engage the affirmative (I could also probably be persuaded that they do not).

Kritikal Affirmatives – These Affirmatives interest me a lot, as I've read them for half of my career. I'd prefer if it's topic related, but I definitely am not opposed to it having no relation. I will forewarn you I enjoy Framework and Topicality a lot, not that I favor the negative in this position, but prepare to answer those arguments well.

Topicality/Procedurals – I love T debates and other procedural arguments a lot. I view this debate right down to the line-by-line. Competing Interpretations is a good form of debate, but I'm not opposed to other ways the affirmative would ask me to evaluate. Just explain. With that said, a 20 second T argument in the 2NR is unlikely to get my ballot.

Theory – I enjoy Theory. I tend to judge theory debates the same way I judge policy debates. You should win a link (they are a pic), an impact (pics are bad) and implications (why voting against them matters). When multiple theory arguments exist in the debate I often weigh the impact of each theory argument. Don't contradict yourself on one flow indicating to me that "Reject the arg, not the team" on one flow, but ask to vote them down on another unless you're willing to provide the justification as to why one theory impact differs from the other.

Disads – Most DAs are pretty bad. Of course, so are most of your affirmative advantages. Debaters rely too much on evidence and do not spend enough time exploiting holes in the evidence. Try combining evidence with some smart analytics and your speaker points will be rewarded accordingly.

Cplans – This is probably where I have the fewest dispositions. I don’t really have a stance about pics, agent cplans or the like. Cplans supported by specific evidence make me much happier than your super generic cplan strategy, Consults, or Delays. However, I am equally likely to vote for either.

Performance debates – See above. I tend to find performance debates interesting. If you are affirmative relate what you do to the topic. When you are negative contrast what you with what the affirmatives does. Warning: Explain the implications of your performance to me. What happens if you win the argument that traditional debate evidence is bad? Do they lose the debate for reading the evidence in the first place or do I just not consider that type of evidence?

Some other things:

1. Be Clear-I'll try to notify you if you're not, but I can only do so much. 2. Be nice –You can be the best debater I've watched, and if you're extremely rude to others your speaks can be affected. Please be nice, we don't need to be rude and discourage others to continue debating. 3. Author names are not arguments – When you extend arguments, give warrants too. Author Names don't tell me anything. It's only a starting point. 4. I work extremely hard in making my decisions because I know that as a debaters you work extremely hard as well. You can do lots of things to make my life easier so I do not have to do as much work. Things like if then statements and explaining the warrants behind your arguments will get you pretty far in my book. 5. Don’t steal prep – Every second of prep you steal is a moment of my life I can never have back. And it’s cheating. 6. Debate should be fun. If you are not enjoying yourself (and making the experience enjoyable for others) then you should spend your time doing something else.

I'm always Open for Questions. Ask before the debate if you have any.