I am affiliated with duPont Manual High School as the head speech and debate coach. I used to debate college LD, so I am familiar with the general format of most all debate. I always say that CX>LD>PF>CON...if that's not agreeable with you, then that's unfortunate, but that's just how my hierarchy Debate chain/list works. I respect all debate divisions, so please do not misunderstand

1. I enjoy K Debate, especially if it gives insightful

Anthro K’s are not as convincing to me.

2. Do not use abbreviated jargon yet because I am still learning how to apply jargon to my RFD. For example, use CONDITIONAL instead of CONDO, or Topical(ity) instead of T, or PLAN INCLUSIVE COUNTER PLANS BAD instead of PICS… Sorry, but it will make the ultimate difference because I will be able to follow my flow/your narrative.

3. I am a flow judge.

4. I will call clear if I cannot understand you, and I won’t take off of speaker points after the first time.

5. Please stand to MY RIGHT side because I am deaf in my left ear. SO, if you are facing me, please spread or speak standing to the left side of the room. I will always try to sit in the center of the debate.

6. I have had experience judging CX at UPenn, PF at several national tournaments as well as in Chengdu, China, and I used to debate in LD in high school and at IU for a year. I have been coaching at duPont Manual HS in Louisville, KY for 4 years.

7. Theory Debate…I will deal with it, however, it makes me feel inferior or confused or . It just might take me a bit longer to articulate an RFD, so don’t ty and an endearing candidness - it's so adorable and

8. I love progressive LD, and spreading is fine with me.

9. LOUD, CLEAR, and SIGN POST along the way. Also, give me an off time road map before each speech, please. Traditional debate is wonderful too; however, I DO look for SOLVENCY AND COUNTER PLANS are also valued by me.

10. For PF, I value both long term and short impacts, but I need the debaters to weigh the round and tell me what i prefer in the end. Make it very clear to me what your voters are. For LD, I need you to uphold your framework and give me the Roll of the Ballot. Make it very clear, and repeat it for me so I am sure to catch it/them.11. I love topicality; an overview

I can take speed, but please be clear. I encourage progressive debate, so I will not dock speaks for calling clear. Therefore, I will call clear until I can understand you. Please take the time to adapt if I call clear.
I base speaker points on several different factors. This includes clarity of speaking, presentation, projection, and the ability to debate strategically. Impact your arguments and tell me why they matter. Pick the most important arguments and tell me the reasons I should vote for it. Also, signposting is a must.

If you have any questions please contact me at 502-572-4635 or erica.cooper@jefferson.kyschools.us.

I've been judging Congressional Debate at the TOC since 2011. I'm looking for no rehash & building upon the argumentation. I want to hear you demonstrate true comparative understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the plan presented by the legislation. Don't simply praise or criticize the status quo as if the legislation before you doesn't exist.

L-D Paradigm:

Each LDer should have a value/value criterion that clarifies how their case should be interpreted.

I prefer to evaluate a round by selecting whose V/VC weighs most heavily under their case. Winning this is not in itself a reason for you to win. Tell me what arguments you're winning at the contention level, how they link, and how much they weigh in comparison to other arguments (yours and your opponent's) in the round.

Voting down the flow, if both sides prove framework and there’s not a lot of clash I would move on to the contention level and judge off the flow.

PUBLIC FORUM

SPEED
Don't. I can't deal with speed.

EVIDENCE
Paraphrasing is a horrible practice that I discourage. Additionally, I want to hear evidence dates (year of publication at a minimum) and sources (with author's credential if possible) cited in all evidence.

REBUTTALS
I believe it is the second team's duty to address both sides of the flow in the second team's rebuttal. A second team that neglects to both attack the opposing case and rebuild against the prior rebuttal will have a very difficult time winning my ballot as whichever arguments go unaddressed are essentially conceded.

SUMMARIES
The summaries should be treated as such - summarize the major arguments in the debate. I expect debaters to start to narrow the focus of the round at this point.

FINAL FOCUS
FOCUS is key. I would prefer 2 big arguments over 10 blippy ones that span the length of the flow. If you intend to make an argument in the FF, it should have been well explained, supported with analysis and/or evidence, and extended from its origin point in the debate all the way through the FF.

IMPACTS

I rock with the nuclear war impact, but it's getting a little old, lol. The concept of a nuclear war is too complex and I find that it's been thrown too loosely in the debate space. I know it's cliche, but please don't generate this impact and tell me you win on magnitude and expect that to be a reason for me to give your team an easy ballot. If one of your impacts genuinely leads to an outbreak of a nuclear war, please warrant it well.

INTERPoverall: I pay real close attention to the introduction of each piece, I look for the lens of analysis and the central thesis that will be advanced during the interpretation of literature. When the performance is happening, I'm checking to see if they have dug down deep enough into an understanding of their literature through that intro and have given me a way to contextualize the events that are happening during the performance

POI: I look for clean transitions and characterization (if doing multiple voices).

DI: I look for the small human elements that come from acting. Big and loud gestures are not always the way to convey the point, sometimes something smaller gets the point more powerfully.

HI: I look for clean character transitions, distinct voices, and strong energy in the movements. And of course the humor.

INFO: I'm looking for a well researched speech that has a strong message to deliver. Regardless of the genre of info you're presenting, I think that showing you've been exhaustive with your understanding is a good way to win my ballot. I'm not wow'd by flashy visuals that add little substance, and I'm put off by speeches that misrepresent intellectual concepts, even unintentionally. I like speeches that have a conclusion, and if the end of your speech is "and we still don't know" then I think you might want to reassess the overall direction you are taking.

FX/DX: When I'm evaluating an extemp speech, I'm continually thinking "did they answer the question? or did they answer something that sounded similar?" So keep that in your mind. Are you directly answering the question? When you present information that could be removed without affecting the overall quality of the speech, that is a sign that there wasn't enough research done by the speaker. What I vote on in terms of content are speeches that show a depth of understanding of the topic by evaluating the wider implications that a topic has for the area/region/politics/etc.

I have a theatre background but have been coaching and judging on and off for over 20+ years. I want to hear what you are saying and feel what you are trying to convey. I expect professionalism and courtesy in the round and out of the round. I don't appreciate spreading, I want to see a debate not a race. I love innovation in ideas and I appreciate pushing the boundaries. BUT, I admire old school standards. I probably won't smile but that doesn't mean that I don't like what you are doing. (I am concentrating trying to find constructive criticisms.) I can multitask, so don't think because I am writing that I am not watching. I don't prefer to disclose.

Flow judge- arguments, contentions, delivery

Speed - normal/ slightly fast

Show me how well you know this topic

I am a relatively new judge to debate, and as such wouldn't count on a technical debate strategy benefitting you (jargon such as front lining, terminal impact, bright line, etc.) unless you are able to explain what it means. That being said, I will not disqualify a Tech>Truth argument so long as it is not absolutely ridiculous to the point of comical or insulting. THIS ALSO MEANS SPREADING. If I can't understand it, I can't and won't flow it. I don't mind defense in the summary, so long as you tell me what I am going to be weighing in the final focus.

As I am new, I am not hyperaware of the implicit meaning of "dropping cards" or such. YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHY THESE THINGS MATTER IN-ROUND IN REAL-WORLD TERMS.

Please be clear, well-paced, and moderate in your speaking, logical, thorough, and respectful in your case and in argument, and I shouldn't be a hard judge to sway.

I prefer clear, concise, easy to follow debates. Please sign post and clearly reference both your previous points and your competitors. Make it clear why I should vote for you. Avoid dropping arguments but highlight those that have been dropped by your opponent. Stay respectful to your competitor. I take this point very seriously :). I have been judging since 2008 but still consider myself less technical/more lay person.

In High School I competed in poetry and extemp. I dabbled in Debate in college for a year and I fell in love with debate. I graduated from West Texas State University with a degree in Speech Communication and Theater Education. I coached and judged Speech and Debate events in Texas in the UIL circuit for 10 years. I judged events for a homeschool/private school group in Huntsville for 2 years. I have coached and judged in the NSDA circuit for 3 years.

1. I am NOT a fan of SPREADING and if you speak so fast that I am unable to flow your arguments, I will put my pen down and I can no longer judge you. Spreading is unnecessary for a well-crafted case.

2. EVIDENCE is very important, and it needs to back up the case you are presenting. I am not opposed to you doing this pragmatically, and I enjoy when you can back this up with real world examples.

3. I will judge this case on your use of evidence, direct clash and speaking style. Did you prove your case, did you present the best case, did you attack your opponent’s case?

I'm a former high school LD-er who did extemporaneous speaking on the side. I now teach at a university and spend far too much time correcting work that is poorly thought out or communicated. I have been judging LD and PF for four years now and have prior judging experience in college.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE

Lincoln-Douglas debate is a public speaking event (per NSDA) in which a value proposition is debated. The focus in LD is on a deliberative style of argument that identifies and argues for or against the fundamental implications of the resolution in terms that are clearly germane to both the meaning and scope of that resolution. Debaters must distinguish between values that are clearly in conflict or at least contrast ("clash") with each other and persuade the judge that certain values take precedence over others. It is not a debate on empirical realities, outcomes, "impacts," plans, or policies. Arguments for the necessity or desirability of a particular position in order to achieve a desired outcome or advocacy for a particular, concrete stance on current events belong to other genres of debate. Evidence cited should be relevant to the value position taken. Citation of evidence does not make up for lack of development, context, argument, or persuasion. As a public performance, LD does not call for rapid-fire delivery (spreading). Arguments have to be articulate and intelligible as they are read (as implied in NSDA evidence rules). This implies the following:

--Do not spread. I'm not allergic, but this is a Policy habit that gets masked as progressive LD. The bottom line: I will not give you credit for parts of your case I cannot understand as it is read. You should be able to do the work in the time allotted.

--Do not offer your case to your opponent to read as you speak. (It happens.) This is a speaking event. As implied in NSDA rules, only what you say is part of your case.

--Do not attempt to overwhelm me or your opponent with a mountain of evidence. Your opponent's job is not to disprove your empirical evidence (impossible to do without specific research; this is not PF or policy debate) but to question the values you claim it supports. That should be the basis of the debate.

--Value debate does not require "impacts." Plans and counterplans are definitely not required, so getting into an argument about somebody's plan or lack of CP only wastes my time and yours and demonstrates that you don't have a grasp of LD fundamentals (or have at least temporarily lost sight of them). Time you spend on plans and impacts is time you are not spending answering your opponent's case based on a value proposition, criteria, and arguments.

PUBLIC FORUM

I do not have strong personal paradigms. If you follow the letter and the spirit of the NSDA rules (no plans or counterplans, no prescribed burdens, etc.), my personal preferences should be unimportant. High school debaters need to demonstrate that they have done some research and understand their own case as well as the broader situation and context of the resolution. Keep in mind that you are talking to an adult with decades of experience and judgment of current affairs. I will definitely not impose my own worldview, but you need to have some context and a rich supply of information for your case, not just some facts you downloaded and can't contextualize. Sources should be verifiable and reputable. I will give credence to an established or known source over an obscure, highly partisan, or less reputable or verifiable one (e.g., advocacy websites, blogs).

I teach at a university. If I make comments about the substance of your case (the topic itself) on your ballot beyond what is offered in the round, it is in a teaching mode. Of course, only what actually comes out in the debate between the two teams is a valid reason for decision.

As the name indicates, Public Forum debate is also a public speaking event. Say it in plain English. Don't spew alphabet soup. I can only judge what I can understand and follow, so be sure to control tone, volume, and velocity.

TRUTH > TECH

I judge PF based not on technical terms but on how comprehensible and sound your arguments about the resolution are. You must obviously follow and rebut your opponents' arguments, but, in my experience, a point-for-point approach can lead to a futile clash of card versus card, which I can't adjudicate. You need to make a claim, provide warrants, and be sure to contextualize it: Why is it relevant? What is the link to the impact? Having a card that contradicts your opponents' card is not the same as successfully rebutting your opponents' argument. You must explain why your argument should take precedence. The more of a grasp you have on the whole issue, the more convincing you'll be. Factoids won't win it. A good story about why your position makes more sense will.

Yes, I pay attention to flow and dropped arguments, but it's your job to listen to and talk to the other team. Don't introduce new material late in the game. Addressing the terms of the resolution is perfectly acceptable. Kritiks should be focused and reasonable. Talk about the resolution or the implied terms of the debate, but don't blow up the debate by going so meta that direct clash is no longer possible. Any debate is conventionally framed by the terms of the resolution and the context of the encounter and has to respect decision criteria on those terms.

As a student, I competed at both the middle and high school levels in Individual Speech Events including, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, and Declamation. As a freshman in high school, I won the 1988 KY state championship in Oratorical Declamation. My university did not offer competitive speech and debate, so I did not compete at the collegiate level. I have taught English for 19 years, and have been the IE coach of our school's Speech and Debate team for the last 7 years. I have had students qualify for NSDA nationals in IE events in 2017, 2018, and 2019, 2020, and 2021. While coaching our team, I have had a student place in the top 60 at nationals in Dramatic Interpretation. 12th in the nation in Expository, and some of my students have claimed AL state championships in OO, Informative, and After Dinner Speaking. I have also had AL State Runners-up in DI and Duo. I enjoy contemporary pieces as much as old classics. I don't mind pieces with controversial themes, provided the topics are presented appropriately within the context of the piece.

I prefer to judge IE events, but am prepared to judge debate when needed. The following is what I prefer and/or look for when I judge debate events:

1. I am not a fan of spreading. If you speak so quickly that I am unable to flow your arguments, I will put my pen down and no longer judge you. Spreading is unnecessary for a well-crafted case.

2. Evidence is very important, and it should back up your case.

3. I will judge your case based on your use of evidence, direct clash, and speaking style. Did you prove your case, did you present the best case, and did you attack your opponent’s case?

This is my 3rd year directing a team. I am primarily a speech coach. I'm looking for clear, persuasive tone.

I flow the rounds and appreciate careful and reasonably-paced speaking, good evidence and knowledge of your sources. Not all sources are created equal so be willing to evaluate them. The date of a source can be important --- eg, it has current up-to-date information or it is a classic or comprehensive source that has not been superseded.

I value comprehensive arguments and reasoning as well substantial evidence.

I don't flow cross but I'm very much listening.

I will not insert myself into the round, meaning if I don't buy something but your opponent doesn't bring it up it will not affect you. However, you will see it on my ballot.

I have no problem with framework debate.

Think big, think critically.

Thank you