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TOURNEY REFORM #1: REALITY ROOM

I invite your comments and reactions. Not all ideas are good. To have good
ideas, you first need to have a lot of them, and then be able to tell the
good ones from the bad ones.

TOURNEY REFORM #1: REALITY ROOM

The tournament designates a certain classroom as the "Reality Room." In that
room the tournament posts the decisions for every round. It does not need to
be done immediately. For example, round four results could be posted after
round five has begun. Speaker points are not listed. The room is located at
least two flights of stairs away from the common gathering area.
Version #1: All access.
Version #2: Coach only access.

Here are some ideas I have about this to promote discussion. This is called
"unbiased elaboration" -- where you list concerns without coming to a
conclusion. This does not mean that I am completely "unbiased."

Why do this? Here are some possible arguments:
1. Students deserve to know and not all judges tell.
2. No other competitive activity keeps results secret. Burden of proof seems
to be on those opposing this idea.
3. Students will not bother non-revealing judges.
4. Those who want to know will know, those who do not want to know just do
not go to that room and look.
5. Version #1 allows freedom of information to all, while Version #2 still
allows coaches to control the process if they wish.
6. It increases judge accountability.

Why not do this? Here are some possible arguments:
1. Judges who do not wish to reveal should not be forced to by this
procedure.
2. Younger debaters who are doing poorly will become discouraged.
3. Debaters will engage in harsh interactions with non-revealing judges who
have voted against them.
4. Debaters who find out they have been eliminated in the last tournament of
their year or career may do silly things in the last round(s).
5. People will know how teams are doing and it may influence their decisions
and or points, especially in the last round.
6. Debate is too competitive now, and the less revealing the better because
it chills out the atmosphere and increases cordiality.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Tuna
Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont
Follow-Ups:
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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