Thakur,+Viraj

Bellarmine College Prep Class of 2015 UC Berkeley Class of 2019

Judging LD at the Cal Invitational 2016:

Background:

I competed in IE and Public Forum (a little bit on the circuit, mostly local tournaments and CHSSA State) for 4 years in the CFL. However, I’ll be judging LD at this tournament, so, for all intents and purposes, consider me a lay judge. I have no experience debating or judging LD, and I don’t have knowledge on the topic.

Judging:

Stay away from speed and jargon - if I don’t understand what you’re talking about, I can’t pick you up. I will flow, but debate is really about persuasion - you’ll get my vote with logical arguments that are well-developed, not blippy arguments that you throw all over the flow. Clarity is your friend. I’m open to voting on most arguments, as long as they’re reasonable (try to avoid huge/unrealistic impacts). I don’t recommend you make theory or the K a huge part of the debate. That being said, if you go for theory, please keep it as simple as possible: I’m not going to be able to follow a muddled theory debate. Basically: keep it slow, keep it simple, tell me how to evaluate and weigh your arguments, and present good evidence to back up your claims.

Respect your opponent! There’s a difference between being assertive and being rude - being aware of that distinction makes for a better debate. If you’re polite, go slow, and speak fluently, you’ll get high speaks from me.

That’s pretty much all for me. If you have any more questions, feel free to hit me up on Facebook or ask me before the round. Good luck to everyone competing.