Every once in a while I encounter a situation where a debater wants to restart a speech. When is this appropriate? There are a variety of factors to consider. The basic concern is that it may be unfair to give a debater a chance to give the same rebuttal twice. They may articulate arguments more clearly or efficiently, or make different strategic choices. Additionally, judges have an opportunity to hear the same argument or arguments twice, and so are more likely to follow them. There are reasonable exceptions to this basic logic. When a debater realizes five seconds into a speech that her timer didn’t start, it seems reasonable to simply restart. This is especially true if the speech is a constructive, where the debater is just reading and therefore doesn’t have the opportunity to meaningfully improve her performance.
When Is It Appropriate to Restart Speeches?
When Is It Appropriate to Restart Speeches?
When Is It Appropriate to Restart Speeches?
Every once in a while I encounter a situation where a debater wants to restart a speech. When is this appropriate? There are a variety of factors to consider. The basic concern is that it may be unfair to give a debater a chance to give the same rebuttal twice. They may articulate arguments more clearly or efficiently, or make different strategic choices. Additionally, judges have an opportunity to hear the same argument or arguments twice, and so are more likely to follow them. There are reasonable exceptions to this basic logic. When a debater realizes five seconds into a speech that her timer didn’t start, it seems reasonable to simply restart. This is especially true if the speech is a constructive, where the debater is just reading and therefore doesn’t have the opportunity to meaningfully improve her performance.