So, my paradigm. When I judge, I will be using two different frameworks.

Argumentation:

Firstly, looking at argumentation within the Lincoln-Douglas debate format, the debater should use the value-criterion framework as the ends of their argument, and he/she should use contentions as the means to reach the end of that value-criterion end. Since LD is a value debate, I do not want to only hear about the information concerning the topic at hand -- I need to know why that information is important to your value and criterion, which should uphold your side of the resolution.

I cannot stress enough the importance of your case fitting together in a logical and grammatical framework. If evidence is equally appealing on both sides of the debate and neither debater drops any arguments, I will immediate look to who upholds their value and criterion the best, which means one should tell me why this information is important. The debater appeals to me, so I should not have to make conclusions on my own, except whose case is better.

Speaking:

Secondly, your speaking, which may not reflect if you will win the round or not but can help after preliminary rounds, should be understandable: Do not spread or speak to fast. You should enunciate your words, especially for the online rounds.

The framework I will use to judge your speaking points is the first three liberal arts: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. If you do not know what those are, do not worry. Aristotle, and many others, say they are inherent in people, so focus on speaking well and persuasively. Remember, you are trying to convince me your case is what we OUGHT to do, so have some energy. I do not want to fall asleep. However, not too much energy. You should use your own judgement. If you are to fault on either side, fault on the side of too much.

Finally, this last paragraph goes along with argumentation too. So, when debating, do not attack you opponent or his/her person but their argument. The issues could be personal to you, but the debate should not involve Ad Hominem: attacking the person instead of their argument. That would be a waste of my time, your time, and your opponents. I will almost always give you a loss if you decide to attack your opponent.

If I am not looking at LD I would appeal greatest to the level or argumentation and logic that you uphold in your debate. Information is extremely important, but it cannot stand on its own, especially when you are debating something. Tell me why this information is important.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you the best.

My paradigm

Former intercollegiate debater. NDT qualifier. Do not have any prejudices against any specific arguments. Anything can win a round. Likewise anything can lose a round. Like to view the round from the outside which means I want you to apply the argument for me. Tell my WHY it means something and why it is impactful. Do not mind speed, but if it is unintelligible it does not make it to the flow and if it is not on the flow it does not count in round. Pretty much open to whatever you want to present.

I have been judging regularly for about 15 years; and I am in my seventh year coaching Harding Charter Prep HS in Oklahoma City. I love every single event offered for competition. They are all valid. Memes hating on particular events are lame. Follow @hcpspeechdebate on Instagram and Twitter.

LD/PFD: I prefer quality of information and sources as well as clarity and presence of speakers over speed and quantity of information and sources. The more you can tell me about the qualifications of a source, the better I can weigh them. If you give a simple (Last Name/Year) tag, you can assume I know nothing about the author. I like to see your personality as a debater and jokes/lighthearted moments are welcome as long as they are within the scope of the topic. I dislike plans and policy-style approaches to Lincoln-Douglas debate; if you want to do Policy, there's a debate for that. I believe that the heart of Public Forum debate is that it should assume any judge is a lay judge and is more informal and free of debate jargon. Limit pre-case observations and don't place impossible burdens on your opponent. Be civil and professional during cross-examination or your speaker points are toast. Use cross-examination time to ask questions, not make another speech. Use your speech time and prep time! Your constructive speeches should be as close to memorized as possible. I want to see you speaking/debating, not just reading. Cases on paper vs on a laptop gain an automatic advantage. Have fun!

Big Questions: Please, please, please read the Format Manual. Then read it again. Use the Format Manual as evidence in round if you need to. Please let this thing have a chance to become its own thing before we drown it in the other debate sauces.

Policy: If I am judging round round, I apologize in advance. Something has gone awry at this tournament and I am a kind-hearted person with a semi-functioning brain that has been put in to prevent the round starting hours late. We'll make it through this together. I'm probably not gonna disclose unless tab forces me to.

Congress: Don't read word-for-word pre-written speeches. You should have an outline. Pay attention to the whole of the round, not just sitting there prepping for when you are going to talk. Keep questions concise.

World Schools: Requests for POIs should rise/raise as often as needed but don't be a pest about it. You are at the discretion of the speaker. Avoid debate jargon. Rely on reason and logic. Appeal persuasively. Prop arguments should do their best to prove the resolution beyond a shadow of a doubt. Opposition arguments should be about broad rejection of the resolution, not just finding an outlier to say that one example is representative of all.

Final Thoughts: This activity is for education. Winning and excellence should always be celebrated, but not the only goal. Remember that Words Matter and Words have Power. Respect the purpose of the Pronouns and name pronunciation options in Tabroom. The NSDA has worked hard to be inclusive. Don't abuse that. #NotGarbagePeople

1. Please stand and look out during cross fire.

2. Please don't spread during speeches if it is not policy.

3. Don't keep track of your opponents' prep time

I don't have a lot of experience with progressive LD, not as much as much as most circuit judges that you will run into, but as long as you articulate and explain your argument well enough, I should be able to understand it. I am somewhat conflicted with spreading in LD, so I am a bit susceptible to arguments against it in general but if both debaters are fine with it then feel free to go all out. I will say clear 2 times before i stop flowing you all together. I usually am pretty kind when it comes to speaker points, as long as a debater does not say something racist, homophobic, transphobic, or sexist. I do not want to see any attempts to exclude your opponent from the debate space. Develop clear, concise arguments, provide evidence for those arguments, signpost and apply your arguments and have fun.

Jacob Morrison

Standard Washed Up Ex-Competitor

morrisonjacob38@gmail.com

(He/Him/His)

Background: Recent college graduate, debated in college for 3 years (Mainly Parli, was 2019 national quarterfinalist) and high school for 4 years (Mainly LD, was 2016 state quarterfinalist). Former part-time private coach until I got too busy with life.

Paradigm: I'm not gonna have a line-item paradigm here. Debate is a game and I believe a player of every game should do anything within the rules to give themselves an edge. Judging 10 rounds a tournament sucks, tell me something I haven't heard. Run your standard value case, run your kritikal aff, run your Timecube, IDC.

General Remarks: TIME YOURSELF. It should be common sense. Debate is rooted in communication so I don't care how you talk as long as you're clear. Speaker points are stupid and arbitrary so I tend to run high(er) with them. Be nice to each other and have fun. Feel free to ask me anything beforehand.

background:

el campo high school - policy, congress, extemp, and worlds (state medalist, outrounds @ nats)

southeastern ok state - LD, parli, PF, IPDA, extemp (state champion, state runner up, 2x national top speaker & 2x national quarterfinalist)

texas state - LD, parli, ipda (3x state champion, 2x state runner up, 4x state top speaker, national top speaker)

misc:

email chains are cool but so is speechdrop

hannahmn99@gmail.com

pls unhighlight your evidence -> i'm colorblind and if i can't read it, i'm not flowing it

tell me like a really funny joke to show me that you read my paradigm (which doesn't happen enough) -> i'll add points to your speaker points

if online, i'll also add no more than 0.5 to your speaks if you see and acknowledge my cats :)

i do not care what you call me but PLEASE stop calling me judge -i think this creates a really weird dynamic and it makes debaters uncomfortable

pls don't have an attitude with me, it's really annoying and you'll get the minimum speaks for it (you also might get the L). if i know your coach, i'll probably let them know what happened, as well.

i love this activity and i want you to, as well. if there's anything i can do before the round to make the teams more comfy, pls let me know, even if that means we need to have a private convo beforehand. i will do it for you

policy:

i'll listen to most policy args but here's some specific info

1) don't be a racist, sexist, etc. -> idc i'll vote you down as a punishment

2) i love Ks and K affs, but don't run them if you don't really understand the lit or the argument behind them

3) i'm down for the multiple links on the K (even analytic links) but pls collapse in the rebuttals and give me a solid story

4) make sure you have all parts for all of your args -> if you're missing solvency in the 1ac, i'll vote neg on presumption and vice versa (tech over truth)

5) cp's are cool as long as they're mutually exclusive and also non-t

6) impact calcs should happen starting with the rebuttals

7) i HATE having to vote on args that are just dropped. make sure you tell me why this dropped or conceded arg is important in context to the round

8) to win t on the neg, you have to prove abuse and not just expect me to judge on potential abuse (this is def up for debate and if you win the theory for it, i'll give it to you)

8.5) hot take i literally do not care if your aff is non-topical as long as you can defend that this is a good idea and has some net benefit

9) I will not judge kick the CP unless explicitly told to do so by the 2NR, and it would not take much for the 2AR to persuade me to ignore the 2NR’s instructions on that issue

10) literally do not lie in any aspect of the round.

11) overall -> i try and adapt to the debater so pls make it as easy for me as possible

ld:

1) not too big of a fan of this switch to policy in ld, but i'll listen to it. if this is you, read my policy paradigm

2) if you decide on traditional ld, aff must have a v/c

3) no clash = the other side gets a W on presumption

4) i'll vote you down every single time if you lose f/w (don't be shocked)

DO NOT SPREAD

Last updated: September 28, 2023

Hello! My name is Ian Stone, and I did a mix of traditional Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum throughout my 4 years in high school. I am currently a debater on the OU Parli team. I am down for pretty much all types of argumentation. I think Oklahoma LD is often far too restrictive on the types of arguments debaters are supposed to run. Definitely feel free to spread, run a k, run theory, run weird link chains or do whatever you want in front of me. I will attempt to be as tab as possible. I enjoy funky arguments that either make me laugh or learn about something new. I will give you better speaker points if you run something I haven't heard before or if you do something unique and interesting in round. If I can't understand you I will clear you, but I am usually cool with most speed. I am pretty kind when it comes to speaker points most rounds, as long as a debater does not say something racist, homophobic, transphobic, or sexist. If you do, I'll dock your speaks and talk to your coach. Also, just be comfortable in the round. You don't have to ask me to use your phone as a timer or anything like that, just you do you. Also, I think it's dumb/prohibitory to dress up for debate, but that's a different subject. Don't worry if you don't have a tie in front of me or anything like that lol. Also, I definitely do not want to shake your hand after the round. I've touched enough clammy debate hands from my time as a competitor.

As far as traditional LD goes, I think that framework by itself is unimportant. The only time framework matters is if it is coupled with impacts. It is just a weighing mechanism, but people in traditional LD sometimes do not grasp that. It is not a voter in and of itself. Tell me how evaluating the round through your lens (the criterion) affects the big picture of the round. Also, values are usually pretty dumb, I definitely will not vote off of a value. Like, don't even read one in front of me probably? Kind of a waste of time to talk about IMO. Also, I do not want to intervene in the debate, so weighing is pretty critical. If there are any more questions feel free to ask me before the round! I disclose every round so stick around if you want me to tell you how I voted. More people in Oklahoma need to disclose because it makes tournaments way less stressful and better for competitors! Please be nice in round. In high school, I absolutely hated it when people were just obnoxious in round. I still hate it in college. Lets all just hang out, have a good discussion, and have fun. If you're mean to your opponent or talk over them a bunch in CX your speaks will definitely be affected. Also, if you're being mansplain-y or weird I'm going to dock your speaks.

For email chains, questions, or extended criticism: ianestone99@gmail.com

My name is Robin Mitchell Stroud and I'm primarily an LD judge for Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma.

I didn't compete in high school debate, however, have earned four degrees (BA, MHR, MEd, PhD) and am very comfortable with argumentation in a competitive setting across a breadth of subjects. Educational areas of concentration include:

* Bachelor of Arts (psychology)

* Master of Human Relations (international/intercultural relations)

* Master of Education (foundations of education)

* Graduate certificate (women’s and gender studies), and

* Doctor of philosophy (gender studies; religious studies and philosophies of education)

I am newer to judging in circuit/progressive tournaments, however, have experience and very much enjoy judging in traditional ones. See my preferences for each below.

TRADITIONAL TOURNAMENTS

PHILOSOPHY/FRAMEWORK: I enjoy philosophical/theoretical argumentation and value a strong and clear framework. Be explicit in how your contentions support your framing (when presenting your case and throughout the round).

ARGUMENTATION: Arguments shouldn't merely be repeated in rebuttals. Debaters who extend and develop them will do better in front of me as will debaters who clearly articulate and extend their warrants and impacts.

EVIDENCE: Please don't be repetitive with evidence. Repetitive evidence doesn’t equal more weight, and solid analytics can take out that kind of evidence. While evidence is good, please ensure that it's useful and efficient to your argumentation and soundly ties to your framing.

SPEAKER POINTS: Be respectful. Be confident. Engage with questions in CX. Signpost.

NOTE: If both debaters are okay with bringing circuit style argumentation and speed into a traditional round, I'm okay with it.

Aside from these, be sure to have fun!

CIRCUIT TOURNAMENTS

PHILOSOPHY: I like and am most experienced with philosophical/theoretical argumentation and enjoy it best in a round. I am accustomed to weighing arguments under dense philosophical frameworks and can understand it if you do the same.

FRAMEWORK: I appreciate strong and clearly communicated framing. If I don't understand how the framing and argumentation engage in a round, I won’t vote on them so please make sure they are clear. While I am most familiar with a traditional structure, I am comfortable judging others. If you can explain your framing and properly weigh with it, I'm open to just about anything.

EVIDENCE: Please don't be repetitive with evidence. Repetitive evidence doesn’t equal more weight, and solid analytics can take out that kind of evidence. While evidence is good, please ensure that it is useful and efficient to your argumentation and soundly ties to the framing.

KRITIKS: I like a debate that is grounded in critical argumentation. I’m well versed in certain kinds of critical, feminist, pragmatist and theo/alogical theories, and am pretty comfortable voting on other kinds of critical arguments if they are explained well in the round.

POLICY: I'm okay with policy style arguments.

SPEED: I like to flow rounds and am generally fine with speed. Just be sure to slow down for tag lines so I can capture them correctly. If you’re going to spread at a super-fast speed, you'll need to flash your case to me.

SPEAKER POINTS: Be respectful. Be confident. Engage with questions in cross examination. Signpost. And again, if you spread, make the taglines clear.

T/THEORY: If you're going to run a T argument, you'll need to do a very good job explaining it and its impact on the round.

If you’re sharing documents, please add me to the chain: robinmitchellstroud@gmail.com.

Aside from these, be sure to have fun!