here - College of Arts & Sciences - Bethel University

I will do my best to vote where the debaters in the round tell me to vote. That requires
more than saying the word "voter," providing a justification - even if it seems incredibly
obvious to you - is critical. It is probably worth noting that I have a negative "knee-jerk"
reaction to positions that are under-developed. In no way does that mean I will not vote
on them, but you will have to give me a pretty convincing reason by the end of the debate
to do so. While I do not personally adhere to a trichotomy or really any other philosophy,
I will not reject arguments supporting those ideas. Should the debaters fail to provide a
voting mechanism (weighing the arguments and providing a decision calculus), I tend to
default to a policy-maker.
Relative importance of presentation/communication skills to the critic in decision-making
:
I prefer effective debate and that will change depending on any given round. Having the
best argument can be the best form of communication, but there is no one way to
communicate. Of course, if I cannot understand you - either because you are not making
sense or are not enunciating (regardless of speed) - that is only going to hurt you. If you
are worried about it, it is usually pretty obvious if I'm flowing or not.
Relative importance of on-case argumentation to the critic in decision-making:
Questions like this always seem like a waste of time. No one argument can be relied
upon to win every round. Can on-care argumentation be sufficient to win a debate
Certainly, is it always Depends on what is being argued. If you want me to vote solely
on case, then say so, justify that argument and I will. I think that in general a solid
strategy is a well developed on-case and off-case strategy.
Openness to critical/performative styles of debating:
If you want me to vote on something, then you need to explain it and tell me why it is
important. I have no problem voting for any position, but if I do not understand it based
on what you tell me in round, then you will have a hard time winning the position.
Any additional comments:
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