Hightower,+Candace

Background: I am a 2nd year coach at Marcus High School and I competed for in CX(UIL_Policy) for two years in high school. I generally judge LD or PF.

Flowing: I flow on my laptop and if you see me staring at you and not typing you've lost me somewhere.

Speed: I am okay with speaking quickly, but I do not like spreading. I believe it takes away from one of the key components of the origin of Lincoln-Douglas debate and I don't believe there is any place for it in PF either. If you are going too fast you will be able to tell, I won't be flowing and I'll most likely be giving you a blank stare.

Sign-posting: I'm a big fan! It keeps me organized and doesn't make me guess on what or which argument you are talking about.

Framework: I like framework in LD debate and think it is a key element, but I don't think it's the be all/end all and it won't in and of itself determine my vote.

Default: I do not believe in defaulting to one side or the other. It's your job to lay out the burdens for the round and my vote will be based on the arguments made in round or lack thereof.

Drops: Dropping key arguments can definitely influence the direction of my vote, but only if the opposing team points it out. If I notice a significant drop, but it's not pointed out during the round I will not take it into consideration when voting.

Theory: Not a fan. I don't automatically discount theory arguments, but they need to be done well and with good reason. A lot of theory just comes off as whining in my opinion. I especially dislike the use of theory in PF.

Topicality: I do believe topicality can be a voting issue but it needs to be done well.

Presentation/Speaker Points: Presentation matters! Be assertive, not rude! Stand when speaking, articulation matters, make eye contact with me when possible, and be confident but not arrogant. I usually default to 28 speaker points and you will go up or down from there based on your performance.

Other: I like traditional style LD. I do not really care for the shift that seems to be making it more like Policy and am not a huge fan of trick cases. I go into each round with an open mind and my decision is based entirely on what takes place in round. Pay attention and adapt to your judges. You can usually tell a lot about what I am thinking based on my facial expressions when you are speaking. It may be a raised eyebrow, a slight head nod, or a confused expression, but these are things I do unconsciously. If you are paying attention, you can use them to your advantage.