Hoffman,+Michael

Michael Hoffmann Marquette University High School ‘11 Brown University ‘15

As a general rule, go for what you are most comfortable with and confident in. Having said that, remember to contextualize any strategy to the round. Clarity is a must, and less good evidence is better than a lot of bad evidence. Evidence comparison is great, and cross-x is important. Regarding specific arguments, below are some predispositions, but you can always persuade me otherwise.

Topicality – Both teams should have an interpretation, preferably one with evidence that’s contextual to this year’s topic. Also be warned, I haven’t judged many debates on this year’s resolution, so you should be careful with acronyms and discussions of what the core of topic is.

Disads – Disad debates, including those with counterplans and case arguments, were some of my favorite to participate in in high school. For the neg, case specific strategies are ideal and all debaters <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">should remember to do clear impact framing and comparison.

<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Counterplans – the best are those that are well researched and have <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">good solvency advocates. Offsets, Consult, and other process <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">counterplans are probably not competitive.

<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Ks –The more specific your links are to the aff the better. Be clear <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">about your alternative and the framework for evaluating the debate.

<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Theory – Usually a reason to reject the argument. Theory debates that <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">are fast are generally not enjoyable, so slow down and construct your <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">arguments carefully as a reason to reject the team.