Hamad,+Sam

Edited 4/22/13 for TOC

I debated for 3 years in high school. One year at Katy Taylor and the other 2 at Churchill. I competed on the TFA and TOC circuit and qualified for the TOC my senior year. This is my second year coaching and I am the assistant LD coach for The Kinkaid School in Houston.

Speed: I'm fine with speed, but the slower you go the better I'll flow, so don't think you have to go fast because it looks cool. If you ask me to say clear before the round, I will gladly do that, but if you don't and you aren't clear, I'll only get what I can.

FYI: As typical as it sounds, I expect you to tell me how to vote. If neither debater does that, its just going to make everyone mad. I will try my very best to make the decision that I feel most confident about and explain that decision to you as extensively as possible, but at the end of the day, if you're upset with the decision, you probably could have told a better story. I will evaluate offense the way you tell me to, so make sure to extend and justify a standard.

So, i'm not looking for you to go as fast as you can and win every single argument. Use your arguments/evidence to construct the best advocacy/story in the rebuttals that you can. I like to think I understand the way arguments interact pretty well, but I don't want to sit there and make applications that you didn't explicitly make in the round. Just try your very best to explain how the technical arguments tell a cohesive ballot story, because big picture + technical efficiency = great debater (I borrowed that one).

Theory/Topicality: Don't run it just to run it. I prefer competing interpretations, but will vote on reasonability. While I do believe Theory should be very "technically" debated, I also think there is an important degree of conviction involved. Sure they might have forgotten to extend their interpretation, but don't put all your eggs in that basket, that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore theory. Be //**comparative**// in your theory weighing. Too many debaters expect one extension of offense to be sufficient, but don't do any work to explain why their interpretation is **//better than//** their opponents, not just "good."

I don't have a very high standard for affirmative theory, so if you run 4 conditional counter-plans to force them into running theory in the AR, good luck.

Essentially, I will vote for theory and topicality, but if you're running it just to throw another issue on the table, that's probably not your best strategy in front of me. I would much rather see a debate focused on topic-specific issues, but I understand sometimes theory is the best option. A lot of debaters full into the trap of making the same, generic theory arguments back and forth, which makes the issue impossible to resolve. Be the debater to distinguish yourself in this debate. This would be a really good time to incorporate the style I mentioned above in "FYI." Feel free to ask me more specific questions on this issue if you feel the need to before the round.

Kritiks: I'm not very familiar with critical literature. I understand the gist of most popular critical FW/Arguments, but I'm very far from being an expert. With that said, I will vote for kritiks, but you have to do a really, really good job of explaining the arguments. **I need some sort of decision calculus.** If you don't give me that, chances are you're going to have a tough time winning with a K.. I don't want to scare you away from running critical arguments, I'm just letting you know I'm not very well versed in them. So there's my warning.

I really haven't established how I give speaks yet, but I know its hard to be perfect, so I will give you a 30 if you do a great job. (what that means? I don't know, you show me). This will be my first time judging at the TOC. I will adjust appropriately, because I'm sure all of you would get 30's at any other tournament.

Lastly, please don't be a jerk. You should be having fun. I just hate it when debaters are super tense and the room is really awkward because everyone is on edge. I know its stressful, but put a smile on before you come in and enjoy debate while you can. This tournament is highly competitive. Tensions are high. You all worked very hard to get here and I understand/respect that. I'm sure you've heard it 100 times, but the experience, friends, and skills you gain from debate are far more valuable than the victories. Two years out of high school, nobody will remember the bids, tournaments, or rounds you won. They'll remember the kind of person/debater you were. Try and keep that in mind. Personality will definitely have an influence on your speaker points.

I know my paradigm is very vague/brief so feel free to ask me any questions you have before the round. Also: sam.hamad92@gmail.com feel free to email me any questions and ask me anything you want before/after the round.