I competed in policy debate in high school, parliamentary debate in college, and I have been coaching since 2001. I would consider myself a tabula rasa judge, as much as that is possible. I feel comfortable with any line of argumentation, but expect clear articulation of said argumentation. I want you to provide me with compelling reasons why you should win the debate. Generic argumentation, weak links, and time sucks are not appreciated. I don't judge a ton (in my local circuit I am in tab a lot), but I did judge at NSDA Nationals in 2020 including some late Elim rounds. I keep a detailed flow so staying organized is key to winning my ballot. Pronouns: she/her/hers. If you have questions, feel free to ask before the round starts. Email for the chain: amdahl-masona@nclack.k12.or.us.

I did L-D debate in high school. I have been a lawyer for 30 years, all in litigation. I currently prepare professionals to testify at deposition and trial, so I love good cross-examination/crossfire questions and the ability to respond to questions directly.

I am looking for clear, logical and convincing arguments. I will flow the round, but dropping an argument is not always a deciding factor when I judge. I am looking for you to persuade me. To do so you need to speak clearly, not quickly.

The way I see debate, you don't get to decide the topic and you don't get to pick the side you are arguing, so my focus is completely on the debaters and how you perform. Did you persuade me? Were you logical? How did you handle your opponent? Who was better?

I am a lay judge so take that into consideration, please do not spread.

I expect that you are professional at all times.

Speak to me as though I'm an average person. Keep in mind that a concisely presented argument is a key consideration for me.

Please time yourselves and each other.

I have five years of speech and debate experience, mostly doing IEs. My senior year of high school, I received 1st place in DI at this very tournament (Robert D. Clark Invitational), so I am beyond excited to be here!

I want to feel something when I judge an event. I will be paying attention to the impact of the piece, and how apparent it is that the piece has been prepared thoughtfully, and the general takeaway/meaning behind the piece itself.

I will also be taking into account the general rules of the event, including time limits and the specific requirements of each event.

I am finally updating my paradigm after about six years of using this site!

Here's me in a nutshell:

1. Experience

* three years as a college Parli competitor in the NPDA; Parli team captain
* wrote master's thesis on "Characteristics and Impact of Superior Forensics Tournament Ballots"
* twelve years coaching experience at four private high schools in three different countries (U.S., China, Kuwait)
* coaches all formats except Policy
* team has earned state and national titles

2. General Preferences

* flow judge
* Some speed is okay.
* Off-time road maps are fine, but unnecessary. Honestly, I don't listen closely to them, and they never buy you enough extra time to actually make the difference in the outcome of a round.
* Don't electronically share your flow or case with me--this is an oral communication event. If you want me to hear something and know it, you need to say it.
* Things I highly value in all debates include: Clash, Impacts, Voting Issues. As a general rule of thumb, remember that whatever you say to me, you should make clear WHY you are saying it. How does this argument connect to the round as a whole? Why does it constitute a reason I should vote for you? How does it relate to what your opponents are saying? Etc. Please don't let your rounds turn into "two ships passing in the night." Grapple directly with the arguments made by your opponents, and make my decision easy at the end of the round.

3. Specific Preferences - Parli

* Ask each other lots of questions! There is a reason you are allowed to do this.
* GOV should provide sufficient resolutional analysis in the first few minutes of the PMC for all of us to know what type of round we are dealing with (policy, fact, value) and how the round will be decided at the end. Don't skimp on this part. If any terms in the resolution are ambiguous, define them.
* For resolutions of policy, talk about stock issues -- Harms, Plan, Solvency, DAs, etc. I will act as a policy maker.
* For resolutions of value, talk about value and criterion, then help me weigh these in the final two speeches.
* I am fond of creative/unique interpretations of resolutions. However, I will also vote on Topicality if OPP makes the argument well.
* Counterplans are fun but are often misused.
* Kritiks very seldom win my ballot. Proceed with caution.
* I dislike generic off-case arguments. The arguments you make should be ones that you and your partner have come up with during your prep time in response to the specific resolution you were provided. Please don't just read shells your coaches/captains have written for you, especially not if you don't really understand them.

I'm an assistant debate coach and competed in debate in all 4 years of high school, so I can keep up with complex arguments, as long as you bring them back to real world implications & keep your speeches organized.

A winning team will tell me why their side/case makes the world a better place. I like when teams include weighing mechanisms in their cases, and when they prove why theirs is a more important weighing mechanism and/or how they win on both their weighing mechanism & their opponent's.

I'm not a huge fan of off-time roadmaps - all I need is a basic structure of your speech, and I prefer if you give that within your time. I try not to be incredibly picky about small things, but using politically correct & respectful terms is very important to me.

I did mostly speech in middle school to high school, with only marginal experience in debate (most of it comes from helping my friends in their debate prep).

My main philosophy for debate and how to deal/prepare for judges comes from a quote from Bruno E. Jacob, one of the founders of the NSDA: "I should be able to take someone off the street and they should be able to come and judge a round. And if they aren't able to judge it, then we aren't doing something right." Thus, treat me as a lay judge. Which mostly means, as a baseline:

a) Be clear about your points. The way you convey the information, logically present the facts to tell a story, is just as important as the information itself

b) Be respectful and civil

c) I prefer to vote for an option that actually does something to solve a problem rather than argue technicality.

Background:
I debated on the Oregon circuit in LD and Parli. I am an open-minded judge and enjoy any type of argument.

Specifics:

- I'll mainly vote on the explicit voting arguments you make.
- Extend dropped arguments through to voters if you want me to vote on them!
- I'm alright with speed but will inevitably miss stuff if you get too fast! Absolutely make sure to slow down on tags.

I am a parent with 2+ years of experience judging both individual and debate events.

* Spreading: I try to flow all contentions but may miss some in cases of high speed delivery. I favor well developed arguments over trying to overwhelm other side with sheer numbers.

* Theory: Please explain arguments without relying solely on jargon, but if you over-argue your points, I'll assume that you have nothing better to say.

* Voting: I favor competitors that present the most logical arguments, and clearly explain how impacts of their case outweigh those presented by opponents. To win my vote on framework arguments, they must be well developed with clear links to your case.

* Other Preferences: Questions should be concise and relevant, not long rebuttals with a half-hearted question at the end. I don't consider road maps to be off-time. The clock starts when you begin speaking, and I will cut you off if you go more than a few seconds over time.

Affiliation: Clackamas High School

Competitive experience: 2 years of NPDA (college parli), 1 year of CEDA (college policy)

Coaching/Judging experience: 6 years of NPDA coaching with 45-60 rounds judged per year, 10 years coaching high school policy

Pronouns: He/him

Post the order in the zoom chat ((especially when someone is afk) credit to Wichita BM and Gerrit Hansen for this one)

I’m into philosophy. It was my major for my decade-long undergrad, so that won’t change anytime soon.

I'm also a former law student focused on immigration, employment, and labor.

Although I have run topical affirmatives with a plan in the past, I have generally moved towards the critical as I have continued (From a Heg and Econ National Security Courts aff to Lovecraft performance and high theory).

In CEDA, I have gone for the Cap K with a Historical Materialism alt in every one of my 2NRs. This does not mean that I will automatically pick you up if you run it, but I will be familiar with most of the arguments and authors involved in that debate.

I have come to grips with the fact that I am not very good at evaluating Framework. This does NOT mean you shouldn't run it in front of me or go for it. I think Framework is a valuable debate to be had in most rounds and I encourage people to look at varying forms of this argument in debate. You should be aware, however, that I am not going to be able to fully appreciate the nuances of Framework arguments. It's really not you, it's me.

I hold a high regard for creativity in debate, both in strategy and style. In my mind, creativity is the reason debate is such a fantastic activity. I particularly like arguments that are novel, strange, or Weird.

I am also pretty expressive in round. If you notice me nodding my head or or making a face that suggests "Hey, that sounds reasonable" then that probably means I'm thinking that. If I look up in disgust or confusion, then that means I am probably experiencing one of those things.

All that being said, I am open to most any position or style so long as you can articulate why your arguments are preferable.

Also, feel free to find me outside of rounds and ask me about a round (please bring your flow or be specific about what went on in the round, I can only remember so much on demand) or about general arguments and strategies or whatever.

Clarity: I flow all speeches in the debate and I stick to that flow when making my decision. I will call clear if I can’t understand you. If you are still not understandable to me after I call clear twice, I will stop flowing what I cannot understand.

Clipping: If there is a challenge relating to clipping cards, it must be brought with video evidence. If a team has been shown to be clipping cards in my round; that team will receive a loss and the clipper will receive 0 speaker points for that round.

Email: forensicsresearchinstitute@gmail.com

My paradigm definitely doesn't cover everything, so please ask me specifics and any questions before round!

Add me to the email chain and send any questions about RFDs: taliajcordova@gmail.com

Background, if that's helpful: I graduated in 2020 and this is my third year judging. 3 years parli, 1(ish) year policy. I've competed in every debate form at least once plus various speech events (mostly extemp).

General-- Equity and respect are paramount. Speech and debate should be an inclusive space--please make your opponents feel welcome! Equity violations or any expressions of bigotry are unacceptable.

I try to be as tabula rasa as possible and will vote on the flow by evaluating the line by line, impact calculus, and looking to how many arguments each team wins. This being said, please warrant your arguments and impact them out/terminalize impacts. Make extensions of your case and your rebuttals! I'm open to voting on any well explained and clearly linked-out argument and will evaluate the whole flow, but like anyone I have different thresholds for different arguments/styles. Those preferences are outlined below...

Speed-- I'm rusty at flowing spreading, so if you speak at top speed I probably won't get everything on paper, but I'm comfortable with reasonable speed as long as your opponents are. I'll clear you if need be. Please slow down on taglines.

Topicality and theory-- Neither are my favorite thing to listen to because they often reduce substantive debates to small technicalities, but there are defintely times when they're useful tools. As long as you give specific violations and standards I'll evaluate the argument. You should be able to specify the ground lost in the particular round we're in, not just read generic harms that don't link. That also means I probably won't consider 'potential abuse' as a voter--it's necessary to prove in round abuse.

Counter plans--Great! Just make sure your CP is competitive.

Kritiks-- I really enjoy listening to Ks and any argument with a critical lens and am open to voting on them, as long as you make a strong link to the aff and have a *specific* alt text. Please explain your K literature! I'm pretty well versed in cap Ks/Marx and feminist theory, and I know a little biopolitics/Foucault, but beyond that don't assume I know your authors.

This is especially an issue in policy, but don't use Ks or any other non-generic argument just for the sake of skewing out your opponents--you should be able to to break it down to its essence in an accessible way so they can actually engage with it. That doesn't mean you're fully responsible for their comprehension or that you shouldn't make the argument, but please be reasonable and don't read something for the sake of confusing people.

TL;DR: Respect each other, warrant arguments, weigh impacts!

If you're racist, homophobic, et., I'll vote you down.

Debate:

I did Parli for most of my time as a competitor. I judge through a policy lens, so please give me very specific impacts in each of your "worlds". All theory is open game if its done well. If no one brings up theory or metadebate, I won't vote on it. Whatever you tell me becomes reality- so build your reality well and remember to address all parts of the opponents' reality! Please be kind and respectful to one another.

Tell me what to vote on, or else I'll just default to whatever I think is most important. If you tell me that one impact is more important than the others, and have good reasoning to support that, I'll vote on it. Comparing your side's "world" vs. your opponents "world" will make my decision much easier. How will voting one way or the other actually manifest in reality?

Impact calculus really helps me decide how I will vote. If you have a really low probability high magnitude impact (like nuclear war), tell me why that matters more than your opponents high-probability, low-magnitude impact.

Speech:

I vote based on the following criteria:

Structure- If you have a hook, intro, thesis (if necessary), a few points and a good conclusion. For interps, just having a good intro and clear points is good. '

Content- Having interesting content is my second way of ranking people. I especially like personal anecdotes.

Rhythm / Clarity / Tone- Having consistent word density, memorizing your speech well, and hitting the 'highs and lows' of your speech are all important to me.

I like the spirited debates where teams listen to the arguments presented and provide intellectual challenges in the round. I’m the type of judge that appreciates politeness. If you find yourself being condescending, check in on whether your arguments are truly good. A better intellectual path will stand on its own.

Experience: I debated in both High School and College and coached for a few years. I was never the top debater on a team, but I appreciate the time and focus it takes to research, write and practice this art. If you run a good kritik or a creative case, explain it well and I’ll recognize it as just as legit as a traditional approach.

I prefer roadmaps and off time is fine, as is signposting throughout your speech. I appreciate a clear analysis of why you should win my vote in this particular round. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll win every Contention, so, synthesize the impacts and share your logic with me in your final speech.

TLDR Version: I did CEDA/NDT policy debate in college. Do whatever you want.

Hello:

My name is Ben Dodds. I have been involved with speech and debate for 18 years. I did policy debate for four years in high school and two years of CEDA/NDT in college. When I transferred from Gonzaga to Oregon, the policy team was cut and I started doing Parli on the NPTE/NPDA circuit.

I coached the University of Oregon team for six seasons after I finished debating. I judged CEDA/NDT and NPTE/NPDA debates at that time.

As far as a judging paradigm is concerned, I think that this is your activity now, not mine. If you can convince me an argument is valid in any format I will listen. I have enjoyed deep and complex debates about process counterplans and politics DAs and performance Kritiks of all stripes. There have been excellent debates on everything in between. You can't go pro in debate, it ends, I want you to use the time you have here to make arguments you like.

The unifying trait of arguments that I enjoy is that YOU enjoy them. If you are passionate about an argument, know why it should matter to me and can tell me that, I am game for it.

I don't have a "default" mode for evaluating or weighing arguments. If arguments are not compared, I will just compare them myself in whatever mood I am in at that moment. This cannot go well for you. Debate is subjective, no matter how much we might tell ourselves it isn't, it is and always will be. If you create the weighing mechanism and debate about what is important, I'll use that. Without comparison, my decision will probably feel arbitrary to you and me. Debate is about processing, comparing, and contrasting ideas. If you don't compare and contrast, you are not debating.

I have one specific request. I have never been in a debate where one person (or team) made all good arguments and the other person (or team) made NO good arguments. I appreciate debates and debaters that take an honest approach to their opponent's argument quality as well as their own. I want to hear an honest assessment of which arguments you think are good and bad, should be weighed or not, and matter most at the end of the round. If you show me a rebuttalist that thinks every argument they made is perfect and everything the other team said is worthless, I'll show you a bad rebuttal. I want to hear you tell me "this is their BEST argument, we STILL win because..."

I would appreciate as many specific questions as you have before a debate. I will answer them all.

I use he/him/his pronouns :)

I'm a student at the University of Oregon double majoring in economics and political science. I did public forum and extemp all four years in high school and competed on the national circuit, I've done CARD debate in college.

Public Forum:

I actively listen to but do not flow cross; so if you want me to vote on an issue raised in cross, bring it up again in one of your speeches. I love impact calculus, clash, sign-posting, extending arguments and a balanced combination of logical reasoning with statistical evidence. I am a tabula rasa judge, meaning that I will generally treat what is said in the round as gospel (the only exceptions are when someone says something overtly racist/sexist/homophobic/etc., in which case they will be voted down immediately). If your opponent says something factually incorrect, point it out AND explain why it's false. Moreover, I generally will not call for evidence at the culmination of the round unless you ask me to, so if you think your opponent is misconstruing or lacking evidence, please tell me to call for it. If you are going to run a weighing mechanism, make sure to explain how you are winning under the framework in your final focus. I'm a sucker for clear and enumerated voters that explain 1) what point you're winning 2) why you're winning this point 3) why it matters that you're winning this point (impact calc./framework).

Kindness is key. Be good people and do good things. Let me know if you have any questions! Good luck and thank you for debating!

Background
I have been coaching speech and debate for five years, focusing primarily on speech events. However, please do not assume that means I can't follow your complicated and technical debate styles as I have been judging for years and I use more complicated arguments daily at my job (I'm an attorney).

Paradigms
I am a logic-driven thinker and want well-thought-out arguments without any gaps in your links. GIVE ME VOTERS IN YOUR REBUTTAL SPEECHES! Please give me clash above anything. Know which debate event you're in; don't be arrogant in LD or too reserved in CX.

What Makes Me Smile
Turns and Perms are two of my favorite techniques and impress me greatly. I love humor when you can give it to me, but don't sacrifice logic for jokes. One of my favorite debate rounds ended up running a Kanye 2020 position in a debate on executive orders and it thrilled me to no end.

Speed
If I can't flow it because you're going to fast, I will drop my pen or cross my arms.

K's and T's
I do not like Kritiks. I will listen to them and weigh them against other arguments on the flow, but overall am not a big fan. If you run a K, please make it 100% logical. I find most T's to be annoying and whiney. Please do not run a T unless you know you can do it really well.

FlashTime and Off-Time Roadmaps
I don't count flash time as prep time, unless it becomes ridiculous. Fine with them but don't give me too much detail or I'll start your time.

Hello,

I am new to judging this year so I ask that you speak at a pace that I can understand as well as your opponent.

Things I like: Off time roadmaps, clearly stating what you are linking something to, summarizing main points at the end

Things I don't prefer: attacking your opponent instead of their case, bringing up nukes because it's heavy when it has nothing to do with the case.

I debated all 4 years of high school mainly public forum and parli, as well as debating in college. I don't mind talking fast as long as you signpost well and enunciate enough to be understood. If you have a weighing mechanism make sure to put it to use.

I judged based on the debate flow and f whose impacts outweighed the others.

Make sure to stress the impacts of your case and weigh them in the round, if you don't I will weigh them at the end but it's not going to be as generous. Impacts should be weighed on the probability, timeline, and how many people it affects.

Give voters in your final speech, tell specific reasons why you won, not a general summary of the debate, you’re voters should include telling me how your cases impacts outweigh your opponents

I have judged debate since 1988. I started programs in San Jose, San Francisco, and Portland. I have judged every form at the state and national level. I am pretty tabula rasa. In fact, one reason we brought Parli into the state of Oregon in 1997 was that we were looking for something less protocol driven and less linguistically incestuous. Policy and LD seemed to be exclusive to those who could master lingo. With Parli, we had a common knowledge street fight. So, I am open to your interpretation of how the round should be judged. Incorporate anything from your tool box: weighing mechanism, topicality challenge, counterplan, kritik, et al.

But, I still have to understand what you are saying and why. . .and so does your opponent. (Hey, now this guy seems like a communication judge. Eye roll.) I will not judge on debate tactic alone; I am not a Game Player . . . though I did play PacMan once in 1981.

Next, I am a teacher. This is an educational activity. Students should be working on transferrable skills--what are we doing in this debate chamber that we will use outside of the room in a classroom or a college campus or life? So, no speed. I will call "clear" to help you adapt to the room. And, while I am open to creative opposition to premises and other kritiks for the round, I won't abide by arguments that degrade a people or an individual. I was stunned when a debater once tried to argue that Internment was not that bad. I do not think they believed this in their heart; how could we have come to a spot in this educational event where this young person felt that this was a viable argument?

Let us have fun and walk out of the room with something to think about... and our limbs in tact! Con carino, Gonzo

For debate events, I will be evaluating for clear speaking, signposting, and civility. I do not want spreading.

I prefer debates based on the topic and less on semantics and definitions. If you run K or T, be prepared to explain it clearly to me

I have been a parent judge for three years. My paradigms include clarity of arguments, minimal jargon and organization.

My background is in Public Forum and Parliamentary debate. I competed in HS in Colorado and was a state finalist in PF. I competed in Parli at Lewis & Clark College. I have coached PF, LD, CX and Parli. I am familiar with all mainstream forms of debate. I can handle all the technical stuff, so if you want to run a K or something, I'm open to it. But don't just do it to do it. It needs to fit in the round and if it's bad, I will hold it against you. Kritiks are valuable to debate because they can have an impact on our discourse. To wield them as a procedural cheapens that. I also really really dislike Topicality unless absolutely necessary. Especially when someone runs T against like a novice case topic area. Running Topicality because you think you have to is so boring and just takes away from the debate.

I prefer debate to be an accessible activity. Overly relying on jargon to make your point bums me out. Do not spread your opponents. If they say "clear" you better slow down. Disregarding that can absolutely cost you the round.

Most of all, persuade me. I want warranted claims and facts presented, but I need you to do the analysis. You need to put the pieces together for me, I will not do the work for you.

I will try not to divulge my personal beliefs, and most of all, I will try not weigh them in a round. That being said, I am human and I have feelings and empathy.

I also value cordial discourse. If you get rude to your opponents (dismissive, talking over them incessantly, glaring or obviously rolling your eyes) I will mark you down on speaker points at the very minimum, and it will affect my decision. Remember, you were new once, and a supportive community keeps this activity alive.

Have fun, don't stress out, and GOOD LUCK!!

For email chains: bharrison@pps.net

I value clarity, organization, and kindness. Speak clearly, convince me.

Hi! I'm a former speech and debate kid myself. Events I have personally competed in at least once include Parli, PF, Prose, Poetry, Storytelling, POI, Impromptu, DI, Inform and, Extemp. I also have non-tournament experience in LD, Congress, Inform, Radio, and ADS. My main events were PF, Prose, and Impromptu so many of my perspectives will be from that angle.

Just in general don't be rude, racist, sexist, homophobic or anything diminutive towards any other class of people. Also, be respectful during cross. I will grade down speaker points for any hostile behavior towards your opponents.

For Debate Specifically:

• Signposting: DO IT! Every contention, subpoint, impact, turn etc. should be signposted. If I don't know what you're talking about/on I won't write it down. I allow and encourage off-time roadmaps (just taglines or "go down aff then neg")
• Speed: I ask that you don't sacrifice legibility for speed. If you're talking so fast that your point is unclear or you have to take pauses/breaths in the middle it isn't worth it.
• Impacts: I vote on impacts so make sure to clearly state them and weigh them with an appropriate weighing mechanism
• Cross/Questions: I don't flow cross/questions so if you make a point, bring it up in your last speech.
• Timing: Please time yourselves. I won't interrupt you once your time is up but I will stop flowing.
• Evidence: Use it for everything (debate form allowing). My email is elliexqhoward@gmail.com for any evidence-related email chains.

Please be civil and clear in your speech. I'm not a fan of spreading or Kritiks. I appreciate clearly outlined contentions and organized arguments.

*Updated February 2023*

Hi, I'm Elaine (she/her)! I have experience competing LD (ages ago, for 1 year:)) and judging regularly in PF, Parli, Impromptu, and Extemp recently. I've judged most events at least once but be aware that I don't have significant experience in events outside of those listed and ask for your patience as I learn!

PF / Parli

I work hard to separate my personal opinions from how I judge your skill as a debater. I don't want you to be second-guessing my personal opinions and encourage you to make the strongest argument for your position. There are few things I refuse to hear or will hold against you. However, anything you say or do that demeans the race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, etc. of ANYBODY will severely impact your score and will be reported to event authorities. If you are directly quoting a source or citation, this must be explicit and exact, and extremely contextually relevant.

I can flow but proceed at your own risk with speed, especially if you're coming from Policy - I use paper and pen!

I love creative arguments but really don't like when teams run squirrely arguments just to throw off their opponents. Your points may suffer even if I vote for you and my threshold for your opponents' responses will be lower.

I'm not opposed to semantic arguments per se, but I scrutinize them closely with regard to impact and topicality. Also, be aware that I'm a linguist and will recognize if you're weaponizing semantics just to throw off opponents or to disguise weak pragmatics.

On cross/POI - I give points for skillful usage and lower scores for filibustering or interrupting an opponent who is not filibustering after you've asked a question. For Parli, I time the first and last minute and will hold you strictly to the rules on POI timing.

I very rarely give perfect speaker scores - 27 to 29 is my typical range.

Impromptu / Extemp

The main things I look for:

- I'm open to all content and enjoy creativity. Your choice of topic or what content you choose to present are unlikely to be relevant to the rankings. However, anything you say or do that demeans the race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, etc. of ANYBODY will severely impact your score and will be reported to event authorities. If you are directly quoting a source or citation, this must be explicit and exact, and extremely contextually relevant.

- structure and a strong roadmap (though there are exceptions to this if an undeclared structure and roadmap ultimately support the content and presentation)

- avoiding excessive repetition and filler

- tangents are better than repetition and filler, but I do map extensively and will notice

- delivery is important, but if it doesn't distract from my ability to follow your content and roadmap, I may not notice small errors or breaks

General

I enjoy wit and humor, as long as it is persuasive and germane, but won't hesitate to lower scores for meanness or rudeness.

Arguments should be clear and concise. Examples are key- if you have examples for your argument, I will weigh it. However, it's important for the other team to acknowledge this. I won't do the work for you; it's important that you address flaws in each other's cases in round so I can get it on the flow.

The more you talk over each other, interrupt each other, act condescendingly to the other team etc. the less likely I will be to judge in your favor. I'm not going to reward behavior that is harmful and often rooted in sexism.

I get some jargon, but I mostly did PF in high school so I'm not extremely well versed in debate jargon.

If you are able to explain something to me in a way that's accessible to me as a judge, that's fine. But I'm not necessarily going to know whether you laid out a kritik correctly, because that's not the type of thing I'm really familiar.

yo what up

lejakenneth@gmail.com email me with questions or further feedback you would like! Always down to help anyone in the community.

I am Kenneth (he/they) I am the head spontaneous and parliamentary coach of Lincoln High School. I think also head of Speech/Interp? My man Ben Harrison works in the labs of Big Tournaments, and we all do the most we can for our students. I care about my students very much, but if you are reading about this then you probably care more about my experience than my love for them lol. I attended* college at Lewis and Clark and am studying both Philosophy and Rhetoric and Media Studies. I did parliamentary debate and some speeches in high school. In college I did college debate for a while, found it was awful and inaccessible, and switched to speech and did that for several years. I was nationally competitive in both, and it was a very enjoyable experience that I would encourage many to consider. Speech that is, not college debate ;) In my time I have debated in Parliamentary Debate for 3 years, Public Forum for one, NPDA for one. Speech events I have performed in are Impromptu for 6ish years, Extemp for 3 years, Prose like twice ever. Poetry for a year, Info for two, Persuade for two, After Dinner Speaking for two. In high school I never did nat quals, but won state in Parliamentary Debate my senior year. In college I nationally qualified and competed on a national level in NPDA one year, extemp three years, impromptu two, ADS two, Persuade one, Info one, Poetry one. My prose and poetrys are unanimously acknowledged as having never been good :) As you can probably tell I have done nearly every event or debate format so I am a jack of all trades sort, hence my love for teaching and coaching.

TLDR for events:

~Don't say thank you!!!!!! Number of thank yous I have heard since adding this to my paradigm: 123

It is far far preferred to end speeches with a powerful memorable line or thought. Thank yous ruin this completely and ruin the ending tone of a speech.

Debates:

Say you all deserve 30 speaks, it takes 8 seconds. I will give you 30 speaks. speaker points are bad and sexist, you know the drill.

1. Policy: Anything goes. Frivolous Ks run in bad faith will be dropped. Ks cannot be kicked, if you kick a K you are running it in bad faith. If this is confusing or you have questions, please ask me about them before the round.

2. LD: Ts okay. Ks probably not. Frivolous T/Ks, especially if kicked, will be dropped. If you are wanting to run a K ask me about them before the round so I can explain.

3. Parli: Ts okay within reason. Ks probably not. Frivolous T/Ks, especially if kicked, will be dropped. If you are wanting to run a K ask me about them before the round so I can explain.

4. Pofo: Run theory in pofo I dare you :) please don't actually. I also flow cx. Don't change how you approach cx, I just think if it is said it should have flow to refer to it.

5. BQD: I hate all philosophers. Logos is your friend, not ethos. Also don't be a sociopath and any morality arguments will probably be fine. This means you too LD.

6. Worlds: ...bruh

Speech events:

Ask yourself "why is this argument made in this event and not another".

7. Impromptu: You need to have a thesis, and all of your points need to independently prove your thesis. Impromptu is best when you use a complex range of material for examples with unique interpretations and arguments for why they support your thesis. Please do not ever use yourself as an example. If you do it once you won't rank first in the round and if you use more than one self inserted example you are bottom two.

8. Extemp: You need to have a thesis, and all of your points need to independently prove your thesis. Make an argument and convince me, easy as that. Also if you do not DIRECTLY answer the question you rank behind anyone that did, which can result in an auto last.

9. Informative: Your mission is to have an argument, or "point", that is conveyed uniquely through educating the audience about a specific thing that exists, and having some form of interpretation of what this information means and its impacts.

10. Oral Interp: This format is a little strange, but it is mostly the same as whichever style you decide to do (informative/ads/etc.) with some form of persuasion often incorporated.

11. After Dinner Speaking: Your mission is to have an argument, or "point", that is conveyed uniquely through humor with deeper thematic points and overall themes throughout your piece. I value substance of the argument heavily, so more laughs doesn't win a round in my mind, although no laughs is pretty detrimental. These laughs are mine though lol, I don't care what the audience thinks I'm the judge. This may seem rough but this helps prevents things like stacking rounds. Additionally, I don't always audibly laugh and can appreciate the art and skill of a speaker without audibly laughing. It is just the nature of the event and who I am. That being said, do not be afraid to give it your all, I appreciate the commitment and challenge of this event, so swing for the fences.

12. Poetry: Your mission is to have an argument, or "point", that is conveyed uniquely through complex and overlapping pieces of poetry. This is a set, not a single piece.

13. POI: Same as Poetry, except the material used is much more diverse in medium than just poetry. This is a set, not a single piece.

14. DI: Your mission is to have an argument, or "point", that is conveyed uniquely through depiction of character and character progression and story. If there is not a central character, or implied "common" character, your piece will be harmed significantly. I have seen sets for this, but the best DI's I recall have all been singular pieces.

15. DUO: Your mission is to have an argument, or "point", that is conveyed uniquely through the relationship between two people. Singular pieces way way preferred. It is harder to convey relationships if your characters keep changing. I have seen good sets, but I highly discourage it unless you absolutely know what you are doing.

Eventually I will write some manuscripts about each event individually and add them here. The thank you count will keep me coming back to this.

I still consider myself a novice parent judge. Please speak slowly, do not use jargon, and be polite to your opponents!! Giving off-time roadmaps and summarizing main points at the end of speeches will also be helpful. Toward the end of the round, be sure to emphasize why you think your team has won the round.

English Teacher (middle school) 30+ years. Philosophy Major. I value creativity, unique perspectives, honesty, and kindness. This is an opportunity to really learn to think and be exposed to many different perspectives! In the late 70's/80's I debated in Arizona--high school and at ASU. Policy debate was the only option and it was the beginning of spreading, when the speed of speaking became important for success. I follow Robert's Rules of Order and/or the event rules specified by tournament hosts to insure fairness and consistency: adhering to time limits, speaking routines, and questioning rules in debate. Have fun, learn, make friends, and do your best.

1/2024

I am a parent who was honored to judge at many tournaments last year, both Debate & IE rounds. I have a legal background and currently work in the pet and veterinary space doing research and analytics. Thus, pretend that I know nothing about speech & debate. Explain what you are doing and why.

I prefer clean, eloquent and well-supported arguments in debate events. Please don't speak too quickly (spread) even in policy debate. If I can't hear you/understand you, I can't evaluate your position. Debate still requires skills of persuasion, and much of that comes from tenants of communication like eye contact, facial expressions, vocal inflections, etc.

With IE events, please hold yourself with confidence. Body language is the first point of impression. Speak clearly, take pauses when you need them rather than stumbling (you can catch yourself and breathing through moments for clarity is key).

In debate rounds I expect:

Organization

Sign-posting

'Clash' as needed

Professional Behavior

In debate rounds I have difficulty with:

Spread (overly rapid delivery) - Due to tintinitis (ringing in the ears) I cannot fully understand 'spread' and thus if I cannot understand what the competitor is saying, I cannot give credit for what is being said, or the ability to 'flow' my notes so that I can judge accurately.

In Individual Event rounds I expect:

To hear a 'well polished' speech.

Good Luck participants

I would expect participants to be humble and polite to opponents. Make sure speeches are clearly organized and don't speak too fast that it's difficult to understand. I consider myself to be a tabula-rasa judge. Relax and enjoy the tournament.

Hello my name is William,

I am 31 years old, born and raised in Oregon. While being new to judging Speech and Debate, I have a professional passion for mediation and community building. I work within Multnomah County for the Public Health department.

Overall:

• I am generally a tabula rasa judge, except for situations in which a generally untrue claim is made (Ex: Climate Change Denial, Vaccine Skepticism, Other likewise false claims of fact).

• Heavy use of debate jargon or lingo will not automatically get you better speaker points.

• Please do not spread or needlessly talk fast, unless absolutely necessary.

• Signpost contentions.

• When giving voters speeches, be extremely clear what your voting issues are (Ex: “We won on the issue of solvency because of x, y, and z”).

• I am okay kritiks as long as you give substantial backing (arguments and evidence) to why one for the round ought to be considered in the first place.

• Only use Topicality Shells when absolutely necessary (example: an opponent’s weighing mechanism or definition is very out of topic, and it disrupts the purpose or coherence of the debate).

For Parli:

• Use questions to not an excessive amount. The opponent only has so much time to speak, and there are no cross examination segments. I would say limit yourself to 3 to 5 questions per speech (excluding voters and protected time where questions are not allowed).

For Prepared Debate Formats (LD, Policy, etc.):

• Although cards are absolutely necessary for such formats, I will not disqualify your argument if you do not have cards to back it up.

• When making arguments between cards and knowledge based evidence, cards are not innately better. Arguments made against evidence based on pure knowledge should only attack the validity of its analysis, rather than its validity on whether it comes from a card or not.

I am a former high school debate and IE performer from 2008-2012. My debate format of choice was PF! I also performed in Dramatic Interp primarily and in other acting events.

Currently I'm an assistant coach on the Speech and Debate team, I am familiar with all forms of debate, but I have the least experience in policy.

I value facts and data to support arguments!

I've been judging for three years and am a lay judge. In debate, I prefer arguments that are evidence and fact based over blanket statements or assumptions. I really enjoy a healthy competitive environment where everyone is respectful of all competitors. 

Civility always. Ethical frameworks > than economic ones (i.e. people over profit).

Harmful, racist, profane or inflammatory language is intolerable.

I respect sound reasoning and articulate rationale, passionate argumentation in pursuit of the highest good.

Calm and professional behavior is appreciated.

I am a tenth year English and theatre teacher. I was a journalist for two years before that. I did speech (DI, DUO, OO, PR) and mock trial for four years in high school.

I've coached speech in Oklahoma before moving to Oregon in 2019. This is my 5th year coaching speech and debate in Oregon.

I prefer speaking clearly at a good pace, but not overly fast so that I can understand what you are saying.

What I am looking for:

1. Well-Structured Argument/Speech: how your case is “built”. This includes contentions, definitions, etc, but also your logic and how you tie it all together. This also includes that ability to clearly refute the other side's arguments. CITED EVIDENCE is always a plus when applicable. I understand this doesn't apply in Parliamentary or Impromptu.

2. Introduction/Set Up: the start of your case that clearly states the resolution and structure of your case

3. Flow/Pacing: how your case fits and flows together

4. Composure and delivery: respect and decorum toward your opponent. Ability to respond well to questions and refutations.

Most of all HAVE FUN! :)

Hello!

To keep things short, I am a parent judge but I have judged PF.

Because I am pretty new to judging, I dislike spreading. Speaking pretty fast is the norm for debate, but if it becomes incomprehensible, I will start docking speaker points. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same: be a good debater and make sure nothing is racist, sexist, etc. Attack the arguments, not the people running it.

For PF, I am a tech over truth judge, but PLEASE HAVE WARRANTS. I hate excessive jargon use as well, so while you can say that something is non-unique or has been delinked, talk about the actual argument and not just a "Judge, they conceded our first response to their link on the first affirmation constructive, which is why you vote for us."

Speaking of evidence, I am a huge stickler for this since PF is evidence based: don't misrepresent evidence.

Overall: have congratulations and have fun! That's what this is all about :)

Hi Everyone, I am a parent judge with extremely limited experience. I'm unfamiliar with how different forms of debate and speech work, so I hope competitors will be patient with me and explain to me.

For speech, I respect a speaker who can enunciate and articulate, with vocal variety, without loads of filler words. I will not be able to provide time signals, so if you need them, I recommend asking another competitor. That said, you are allowed to self time as long as the rules permit it. Please be supportive of one another during a round by staying quiet and offering support and encouragement between speeches/rounds.

For debate, I have limited debate experience. I am not sure how long each speech is supposed to go or the order of speeches and crossfires, so if competitors could guide me, that would be great. I would like your contention to be clear and supported well by your points. Please, no spreading, I would like your speeches to have a good pace and enunciation. I would like competitors to be respectful to one another and to the judge during a round.

Thanks so much, and I look forward to a fun round.

schmittkyla@gmail.com

Hey y'all—I'm Kyla. A little background on me: I did speech and debate all four years of high school. Over the years, my main events were first PF and later parli, but I also have limited competing experience with CX and BQD. I coach most events, including LD. In college debate, I do CARD, which is most similar to CX.

I mostly strive to be tabula rasa, unless whatever you’re saying exceeds my reasonable doubt. In other words, I'll do my best not to let anything not said in the round influence my decision—however, I will also not vote on arguments that I know to be blatant misinformation/bigotry (that the average American adult would know to be untrue). Still, it's your job as debaters to oppose these arguments when you encounter them and call them out for what they are, even if the misinformation/bigotry is not outward but more insidious, and I will make a note of it on your ballot if you don't.

Throughout the round, please signpost and be organized in your responses and extensions. I love a good, orderly line-by-line analysis, and I strongly dislike not knowing where to flow your arguments (I’m coaching/judging a debate tournament—there’s a 99% chance I’m going to be tired, so make your arguments easy to follow). In your last speech, be clear about why you've won. Voting becomes harder (and more biased) when you don't give me explicit, technical reasons why I should vote a certain way. Substantive voters, impact calc, or comparing worlds are a few good ways to do this. My personal preference is for impact calc.

A few notes especially for CX debaters but also for everyone: please don't assume that I have memorized every convention of your format. Instead, explain to me what arguments you're making and why they matter; don't just throw out a bunch of jargon and expect me to ascertain its full significance. I can handle speed, but if you’re going to go fast, I want clarity. Please be accommodating of the needs of others in the room.

Finally, be polite and gracious to your opponents and judges! People are taking a lot of time out of their days to make these tournaments happen. Let’s keep debate a positive and educational space.

I did Policy debate in highschool, College parli, and college LD. So I have some experience and can judge any type of debate.

I am open to any style of debate, whether more kritik focused or policy.

I will vote on theroy that as long as youre winning the flo0w and have standards and voters

Make sure you extend your arguments and have competitve and impacts with magnitude, probability, timeframe.

Use framework if possible, to frame yourself ahead in the round.

Overall I like debates that are respectful, have good clash, and are creative in their case and/or argumentation.

I'll try to let the debaters drive the debate, be a friendly soundboard for you all to do some learning and growing. If you want me to do something, say so and I'll try to do it.

Personally I'm an early/mid 1990s CEDA guy, debated at Oregon & Alaska, and grew up in Spokane around the Zaga program. I've worked as an environmental attorney and activist most of my grownup life. So the craft of debate (rhetoric, communication, logic) is near and dear to my heart. I've been loving CARD debate, and am excited to see this new format taking shape. You all are building something here that is unique and valuable.

My favorite rounds see two teams meet one another with a strong clash of good ideas-- where people seem to care in some way about what they are saying, and everyone goes away at least a tiny bit smarter and closer to truth than we were before. I love it when someone has something they passionately want to communicate. And also when teams are authentically struggling to discover the truth about things, or the pure learning of how to stand up and deliver a persuasive argument.

Curiosity and openness tend to be more impressive to me than zealous advocacy.

I tend to appreciate arguments with connections with real lived life, versus those that are merely clever, or some kind of performative righteousness. Reality over ideas. In that vein, USE EVIDENCE. Engage with the research. I haven't read your packet at all. Educate me and I'll be impressed.

Clarity goes a long way. Good communication. I value all that old-school rhetoric stuff-- things like eye contact, primacy and recency, repetition, numbered organization, clear taglines, following the agreed formal rules (like time limits, speaking order, the topic), standing up, body language, that sort of thing. I don't want roadmaps or files sent. But I do like for speakers to organize things for me.

I'm new please don't assume I know debate lingo :)

UO undergrad, History Major

I am a volunteer parent judge for three years. Please be respectful to your opponents and don't overuse jargon. Also, please speak clearly and at a pace at which your opponents and I can understand what you're saying. Please be concise with your speeches and don't try and make them longer than they need to be. Off-time road maps are also helpful, and I would appreciate you using them. It is easiest for me to vote for a team/debater when they have a clear speech and good rebuttals to attacks on their case.

1. About me

I did LD, extemp, congress, and a few other events in high school, so I'm familiar with this setting. I'm a student at UO studying political science, and if you have any questions about scholarships, college applications, etc. feel free to ask me after the round! I'm here to help and you asking questions won't impact my ballot.

2. General preferences

Debate is a competition in logic and public speaking, an educational exercise. Don't spread. This isn't a test on my listening speed.

Judges will probably vote for you if you make their job easy! Signposting, road mapping, explicit links and impacts, clear voters, etc. -- walk us through your reasoning. If your opponent drops an argument, uses a fallacy, misinterprets evidence, says something during CX you want to capitalize on, TELL US. I will mark down logical mistakes I notice, but won't use them in my decision if you don't point them out. Again, clarity is everything.

Clash is more than repeating your arguments and just saying they're better. Claims need warrants.

Off-time roadmaps are fine, but keep it quick. If someone tries to begin their arguments off the clock we all get annoyed.

If you use a kritik, you need to show it's unique to this topic or round, instead of this being your way to avoid writing a new case.

Quick note on etiquette: it's in informal rule to not speak directly to your opponent except in CX. Address your judge and say "my opponent said..." or use their preferred pronouns.

I'm tabula rasa in the sense that I work to not allow my own political beliefs, philosophical frameworks, and policy opinions to cloud my decision. I'm not tabula rasa in the sense of ignoring reality. Some things are inherently bad and not everything leads to nuclear war.

3. Event-specific preferences

LD: Got to love a framework debate. Even if you agree on value, VC, and definitions, then clash on who upholds the framework better! Don't be lazy and forget to mention your value after the first speech.

Parli: The structure of the round depends on the type of resolution. Don't bring a plan to a value debate! Tackling a policy resolution with just a one-sentence plan is a tragedy! You get the idea. Also, if your opponent wants to ask a question while you're speaking and you ask them to wait to the end of your speech, remember to follow through with that.

PF: This debate style was created to be judge-able by anyone regardless of debate experience, so do keep that in mind.

.

Good luck, be kind, and props to you for doing this! :D

General

Please signpost everything and impact out. Argumentation needs to be accessible. Please be civil to one another, I will vote you down if you're racist, homophobic, etc.

Oregon Parli

I judge parli from a policy perspective. I like formal structure (plantext, CPs, DAs, solvency press, etc), and for a value resolution, it means that I want to know what are the real-world consequences of voting in a certain way. For example, if you want me to vote that "liberty should be valued above safety," tell me what natural policy consequences will follow and the impacts of those consequences.

If it's a policy resolution please have a plan on aff or at the least a specific approach to affirm. If you perm a CP as a test of competition I will not let you drop the CP. If you need to test completion, just run the theory and fully extend the argument as to why the CP isn't competitive. If we're in Oregon doing Oregon parli, I expect you to operate under Oregon parli norms. If we're in Califonia doing California parli, I expect you to operate under Cali parli norms.

NPDL Parli

I'll vote on just about anything but conditional counterplans. If you take up everyone's time to read and have your opponents start argumentation, I expect you to follow through. If you run an Aff K you need to run aff theory as a compliment and justify your choice to run an Aff K. I'm fine with speed, K's, theory etc. I vote on the set WM and Value of the round so if you don't set either I'll go point by point on the flow. So whoever has the most standing after clash will likely win. Finally, please don't refuse all questions in the round.

Policy

I'll listen to and vote on everything but conditional counterplans. If you take up everyone's time to read and have your opponents start argumentation, I expect you to follow through. I flow cross only in policy.

LD

I won't mark you down for spreading but I will mark you down if your judge or opponents can't understand/follow your argumentation. If someone is yelling clear you have to slow down! In general, I have a preference in favor of traditional LD over progressive LD. I don't flow cx. If you find something significant, please bring it up in a speech and tell me where to put it on my flow.

PF

I know part of PF is the culture of respect, but you don't need to waste time with thank-yous before every speech. I don't flow cross or questions if you find something significant please bring it up in a speech and tell me where to put it on my flow. Other than that have a good time.

Please ask me if you have specific questions or would like clarification.

Thank you for reading my paradigms! And thank you for being part of speech and debate. I have a few priorities. In debate...

1. Number your contentions, advantages, disadvantages, etc.. Make it clear to me what part of your argument we are listening to, and likewise, which part of your opponent's argument you are addressing. Good road maps and sign posting help me be a better judge.
2. Rules are important, but don't hide behind them. In some events, Neg doesn't have the burden of a counterplan. That said... I expect you at least mention what kinds of plans could exist as an alternative. Saying "Aff's plan is bad" can work...but at least describe a couple alternatives that are feasible. You need to demonstrate that there is an alternative, even if you don't flesh it out. It's totally possible your opponent's plan is terrible; what I'm asking is that you demonstrate that your opponent's plan isn't simply the least terrible option out of really, really terrible options.
3. Tone matters. Spirited, enthusiastic, even emotion-filled debate is great. But always treat your opponents and partners with enthusiastic respect. This includes non-verbals: looking at your opponent like they're crazy doesn't make me happy :)
4. I start timing when you're talking. Off-time road maps don't fly with me because everyone has a different vision of what exactly can and can't go into an off-time road map.

Last, some background about me that may help, especially for people doing Individual events or interps:

I am the West Linn Coach. That said, I am a newer coach, so particularly with LD and PF I may need greater levels of context to grasp what you're discussing. For something like POI or Poetry, don't assume I can grasp poetic abstractions immediately. Speak at a pace that gives me time to process.

I teach history. I'll be honest: an argument or speech that effectively draws on history can really catch my attention; likewise, one that messes up historical analysis can undermine a case significantly.

I also have a theater degree, and have spent a lot of time with our pal Shakespeare. I have spent a good deal of time on stage, and directing plays. Know that I appreciate a good performance, and good speaking craft.

In contrast, sports and music are weaknesses of mine. I don't know them well. While I think Taylor Swift is cool, as I write this...I can't actually give you the name of a song she has written. Though I might recognize one. Maybe. That doesn't mean you should avoid mentioning Taylor Swift or talking about music or sports -- you just have to give me context. What does that lyric you recited refer to? How does it apply? What does that sports metaphor mean? Why do these things matter to what we're discussing?

Given the background described above, when it comes to speaker points: I am in this coaching job because I want students to develop public speaking skills that will serve them throughout their lives professionally, politically, theatrically, or in whichever setting you desire. As such, speaker points for me are about quality, not quantity, of arguments and respect for the process and others. An appropriately placed pinch of dramatic flair never hurts either.

My priorities for judging any debate are

1) the use of factual evidence that shows understanding of the topic.

2) clear and organized arguments.

3) each team's ability to support their value, weighing mechanism, or other framework throughout the entire debate.

4) professionalism and appropriateness.

Be kind and courteous

Try not to spread or speak too fast

I'm a flow judge but i also come from an LD background.

I'm a parent judge. Treat me like an average lay judge no matter how "flow" my paradigm sounds or how extensive my judging record is. Speak clearly and at a speed at which I can understand you. For debate events, I won't flow anything I can't understand and you may lose speaker points for speeding through speeches. Signpost and use simple vocabulary. I'm looking for passionate and compelling delivery in any event.

Be professional and respectful. Have fun.

Background
I was a high school and college policy debater in the 1980's. I have taught policy debate for 21 years both in California and Oregon. I have coached several policy teams to nationals. I love this form of debate.
Paradigm
I am a real world policy maker judge, who is somewhat traditional. I look to see who advocates for most viable and beneficial policy. I am a recovering stock issues judge.
What Makes Me Smile
I like to see an organized flow, with lots of analysis connecting evidence to claims. I also like to see a fun spirited debate, where debaters are polite to one another and are in this activity to learn, not just to win.
Speed
I can flow a fast debate, but prefer communication over speed. I find that most policy debaters who spew, can't really handle the speed they are attempting and therefore lose their judge and opponents, ultimately rendering this communication event moot. However, if you must race through your arguments, at least be slow and clear on the tags. 
K's
I do not like Kritiks. I will listen to them and weigh them against other arguments on the flow, but overall am not a big fan. If you run a K, make sure to fully explain your philosophical position and don't run positions that will bite your K. 
T
I will vote on T if not used as a time suck. "If you run it, go for it, don't kick out of 4 T's in your last rebuttal."
Tag Team CX
I don't mind tag team cx; however, I award speaker points based on your ability to ask and answer questions, so if one partner is "tooling" another, then one of you will suffer point wise. I like to see that both partners are knowledgable about the topic and debate theory and get disgruntled when one partner will not allow the other partner a chance to answer any questions.
Flex Prep
What? Really? No!
Flashtime
I don't count flash time as prep time, unless it becomes ridiculous.

Hello All,

Background: My name is Eli Wiles, I use he/him/his pronouns. I went to McMinnville High School where I debated for four years of Public Forum on the Oregon and National Circuit. I also did extemp and occasionally a satirical speech.

What I Like:

Strong links and applicable evidence are prerequisites to large impacts. If you cannot defend your links then you will not have access to your impacts when I weigh the round.

All judges enjoy clashes, so please try and make the debate competition. If there is no clash, the ballot is harder to fill out.

When judging it is easy to see when teams contradict themselves. If a debater is able to expose these flaws I will be very happy.

CP's must be mutually exclusive and topical, otherwise, I expect the affirmative team to perm the plan and eliminate negation ground.

K's and theory work, but you must have ample links to them. You can win on K's and Theory, but if you ignore the case, and theory drops you will take the L. If you want me to hear your theory and understand it, please slow down when reading it. I am not the most experienced with LD/CX terminology, but I don't think that will impact your round.

Speaker Points: I was never the best speaker on my team, which is probably why I believe you do not have to be a pretty speaker to win a debate. Usually, the team that has an in-depth understanding of the topic and is not debating for a speaker award are the ones that are winning. I will give everyone good speaker points. The better speakers will get 29/30, but everyone in the senior debate should be 26-28 range at least.

In general I judge a debate based on the flow. Therefore clash is essential. I am basically a tabula rasa judge with one basic exception that applies across all debate forms. That exception is that I will not accept arguments that are blatantly unethical or inhumane. A good example of this kind of argument is “Nuclear holocaust will aid in population control.” I am not a fan of spreading, though I can work with it. However, that being said, if I cannot hear it, understand it, or flow it, it will not figure in to my final decision. Specific paradigms for individual debate forms are as follows:

CX Policy: I rarely grant a debate on the basis of Topicality. If you argue topicality make sure that it is indeed topicality and not a sub-point of Solvency or Inherency. Both sides need to show me that they have followed and understand the arguments of their opponents and clash with their points.

LD: Value and Criterion must work hand in hand. All contentions need to be made with the value and criterion in mind. I really appreciate the more philosophical approach, but it needs to also be grounded in the real world.

Public Forum: I am not a fan of K's. If you utilize them, they must be something more than a basic attack on the underlying assumptions, and please no slippery slope arguments. If you attack the underlying assumptions, create a very solid rationale and have in depth factual material to back up your argument.

Parli: I look more for the creativity of the cases, and how the sides develop their position within the narrow time frame. The debate will be judged on the flow, but I want to see creativity, clash, and excellent use of questioning.

I am here to be persuaded, and to that end I want to see you communicating with me. Respect for your opponents and ideas is a must. Good luck and I look forward to seeing you debate.

I am a former debater and IEer from 1999 to 2007 and then I coached collegiate speech and debate from 2007 to 2009. I am passionate about this activity and enjoy judging when I can. I have done almost any IE or debate event you can think of. I did 4 years of collegiate Parli debate with an additional 2 years of coaching the activity. In high school I did LD, Congress, and Ted Turner (now Public Forum) debate and a variety of different individual events.

Policy/Debate Paradigm - While I have never done Policy as a competitor, I can flow and follow almost any argument you want to make. I warn you of three things about me:

1) You need to explain the argument you are making or I am willing to ignore the argument. If you explain the argument and provide me with realistic impacts I am happy to vote on pretty much any argument you want to make. If your impacts are poorly developed or are overly dramatic (global destruction, millions dead, etc) I will probably give your position very little weight. I do not know what your cards say so take the time to explain your argument. I will usually make my decision by weighing the quality and likelihood of potential impacts. I was a plan/counter-plan/dis-ad/topicality debater myself, but I have voted plenty of times for well developed critical arguments as well.

2) If you flow me out of the round that is your problem, not mine. I have a lot of flowing experience, but am by no means the fastest. I have from time to time missed arguments because speakers have gone too fast. I will do my best to keep up, but you go too fast at your own risk. I am not saying you need to go slow, just be careful.

3) I really like to see people having fun in this activity. Be creative and be nice to one another. I know it is easy to get wrapped up in argumentation and become passionate about what you are arguing. Always remember that this is a game that is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. If you cross the line between being competitive and being a jerk, you will not find me to be very happy with your performance.

Have fun and good luck!!

Andrew Wilson

If you are a novice - please do not feel pressure to fill time just because you have run out of things to say. It is much better to end your speech early and leave time on the table than to fill time just for the sake of filling time by repeating arguments you or your partner has already read.

General debate: I judge primarily on the flow. If you're talking too fast that I can't write your arguments down, or if you are not properly sign posting to where I should write that argument, I might not be able to vote on it. I do not intervene. I sometimes write "consider this argument next time" on ballots, but I won't make links or impacts for you, you need to be explicitly clear.

I don't flow questioning periods - if you're trying to make a point, you need to so directly on the flow (with internal sign posting) and use your opponent's answer as the warrant for that argument.

I often do not vote in favor of Ks and would rather see those types of arguments structured as a DA if the K is on the resolution. The only exception to this general guideline is if one team is uniquely offensive in round and you're running the K against something specifically said or done by your opponent.

Parli: I judge parli from a policy perspective. This means that for a policy resolution ("given actor" should "given action) I like formal structure (plantext, CPs, DAs, solvency press, etc) and for a value resolution, it means that I want to know what are the real world consequences of voting in a certain way? For example, if you want me to vote that "liberty should be valued above safety" tell me what natural policies consequences will follow and the impacts of those.

LD: I rarely cast my ballot based on the framework debate alone. I put more weight on the contention level. In general, I have a strong preference in favor for traditional LD over progressive LD.

PF: I like to see your analysis in your evidence. Please do not just quote an author, but explain how what this author said relates to the argument in your specific case. I often ask to read evidence myself, so please have full articles available for context, with your specific source highlighted or indicated.

I have a background in policy debate, so that means that I like structure and specific impacts. Other than that, I am pretty tabula rasa. Please tell me how you win this debate with discussions of burdens and weighing mechanisms. In Oregon Parliamentary, I am not a huge fan of Ks because I do not think you have enough time to prepare one properly, but I will vote on one if the opp links into it hard, like you can show me how they are specifically being sexist, racist, trans/homophobic, etc.