Anyone here in Policy debate? I'm a novice and I got cheated out of second place. Do you think that's right?

Question

So I went to a debate today and I'm a novice policy debator. The first debate my team was neg. The aff. said that their plan increases "slots" in the Peace Corps to 16,000. I ran a topicality attack and said that they're increasing spots, not people in the Corps. I had a definition of "persons" with me and everything, but I didn't win. WTF? I had a 3-1 record at the end of day and got 6th due to speaker points. There was only 4-0 team, and if I got 4-0 I would've gotten 2nd place.

By the way, the aff team replyed by saying that slots means people. I reread the definition of persons (because the resolved is: the US government should substantially increase the number of peoples in Peace Corps, Senior Corps, or AmeriCorps), and I should've won...right?

Answer 1

If everyone else agrees to use definition of slots/spots and people/persons interchangeably, except for you, you may be fighting a losing battle. If there was a technical error, and this was not a matter of interpretation, but you can prove the team failed to answer the question, you may have a point. Is there a procedure for writing a letter of contest to the debate judges or institutions sponsoring it? One student who successfully proved that an SAT answer was in error caused the question to be dropped so that everyone gained a point. If it is not worth the effort, use this experience to your benefit. For every situation where you are wronged and owed a debt, if you forgive it as human error, next time you may be the person forgiven for your fault. Charity always pays off and may lead to greater rewards in the future. Best wishes in your studies, career, and pursuits.