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10 Small Things |
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| 10 SMALL THINGS ADJUDICATORS REALLY HATE BUT RAN OUT OF TIME TO TELL YOU By Cathy Rossouw (2000 World Universities Debating Champion) 1. Introducing your third speaker. We all know that they will rebut and summarise, so don't waste time repeating that. 2. Telling us your name. It's written on the score sheet, so just get on with it. 3. Typed palm cards. These are never a good idea because they make you read off your cards and make you an undynamic speaker, because it's harder to move things around. 4. Referring to "men", "man" and "him" when referring to people. This is not just politically incorrect, but means that your arguments are being limited by your choice of phrase. Why just talk about sportsmen when you could be talking about athletes. 5. Using analogies like "making a cake" or "building a house". It's much better to use real examples than silly made up ones. 6. Using personal examples. This makes it really hard for the other team to rebut, especially if you've just used the example of your dying grannie and the debate is about euthanasia. To be avoided at all costs. 7. Using Hitler, Mother Teresa or starving children as examples. Unless the debate is actually on a topic DIRECTLY RELATED, these examples don't prove anything and have been used over 1000 times. 8. Using long quotes. Quotes don't prove anything except someone once said that sentence. You're better off making an argument about what they say than just repeating the sentence. 9. Talking to the other team when rebutting. It's no use directing your rebuttal at your opposition because it is their job not to be convinced. You should always be talking to the audience and be trying to convince them. 10. Leaving the room confused. As adjudicators, it is our job to explain the debate to you, so if you don't understand, that's our fault, not yours. Please feel free to ask questions during and after the adjudication, as we really LOVE chatting about the debates with you. Don't worry, the only adjudicator who bit anyone is no longer with the DAV, so you'll be safe. |
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