7 replies to this topic

[Anxious4varsity]

Hello - 

I'm from a fairly small team/ circuit and I'd like to get some feedback on my aff before our first tournament at the end of the month. Would anyone be willing to debate me on it? If not, just providing some feedbak would be very helpful. 

Thanks,
Riley

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[TheTrashDebater]

I like it personally, just a few tips-
1. I wouldn’t specify how much money you’re funding. Sets you up for a lot solvency deficits related to the neg saying “that’s not enough money”
2. Kind of take a step back from Colonialism, this could go three ways in round. A. Judge is on with it and you win on it, B. The judge doesn’t like the K-ish idea of colonialism and doesn’t flow it, or C. The neg runs set col and turns your case.

Other than that I like the scenarios. I would like to see the economy scenario taken a bit farther become I don’t know why Puerto Rico decline is bad. Have an external impact to that.

[DisBoiuLIfe]

This looks really similar to Rowland Hall's Puerto Rico aff

[1offframework]

I think this looks really good, but I agree with TheTrashDebater in the sense that the colonialism aspect might not go over well, especially since you are in a small district. I'm in Colorado which is pretty small and anything that even remotely sounds like a K just doesn't get flowed

[PailAmbrose]

Just my two cents: I like the concept of this Aff, but I think it has some problems with timeframe and alt causes.

Both of your scenarios rely on strengthening Puerto Rico's economy, but I don't think the Aff has a strong enough internal link to solve. People are leaving Puerto Rico for tons of reasons unrelated to education (and have been leaving for year). There are also some pretty clear barriers to the Puerto Rican economy (namely extreme debt, a lack of economic subsidies that the US grants to states, and the hurricanes) that I don't think the Aff can resolve. Plus, I'm not sure your evidence is reverse casual - even if the plan would stop people leaving Puerto Rico, I don't think it would bring anyone back, and even if Puerto Ricans were highly educated they'd probably just leave to the US for better opportunities. Combine that with a slow timeframe - it would probably take years for the effects of better education to be felt - and I think you're really vulnerable to Advantage CPs.

I would modify your case by taking some inspiration from Rowland Hall and add an impact about resolving the debt crisis. I also personally like the colonialism stuff, but it probably won't get you much offense with lay judges. If you want to keep those themes, you could add an equal justice scenario - something along the lines of "Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they deserve the same education as the rest of the country. Anything which fails to reform their education system maintains a separate and in equal system which is fundamentally immoral." I used to find that moral obligation arguments worked well for lay judges, and that will give you offense an advantage CP can't solve.

[jbh428]

Edit: I am setteler colonialsim debater and i would go 1 off against you. You should have good answers to Set Col.

Edited by jbh428, 13 October 2017 - 02:29 PM.

[tommy949]

Edit: I am setteler colonialsim debater and i would go 1 off against you. You should have good answers to Set Col.

That only works if you have a judge willing to flow it!

[jbh428]

That only works if you have a judge willing to flow it!

the circuit i debate in it is very common to find one off teams and one off judges.