Florida Blue Key Round Robin
2023 — Gainesville, FL/US
Public Forum Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show Hidecypress bay '22 uf '26
add me to the email chain: maristizabal2003@gmail.com
I compiled this paradigm with Sharan Sawlani's and Matthew Norman's with a couple personal tweaks
///Please have preflows ready before the round so we don't start later than we should.///
tech>truth
This isn't necessary but I would seriously prefer you to number your responses in rebuttal (e.g first, second, third) so that its easier for me to know what response you're talking about.
Im not doing any work for you so extend offense please
3 minute summaries mean you have sooooooo much more time in extending defense so nothing is sticky whatsoever so extend pls
weighing is the easiest path to the ballot. Make my life easier and tell me why you outweigh dont make me intervene
Don't read responses you don't understand. Overreliance on big blockfiles is slowly eroding any educational value this activity has. (CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH)
You can ask to look at ev during your partner or opponent's speech/cross. Idk why or when people started considering this as "stealing prep time".
Not a fan of super squirrelly arguments or theory (the next 2 bullets might answer your next questions). Im not well versed on K's nor am I at evaluating them,but if that's what you wanna read just make sure you explain it well. If I'm confused at the end of the debate I promise you won't be happy with my decision.
https://youtu.be/DGb6ubDUESM?si=ARYESmiKAHmJKWHN
Your final focus should be telling me what to write on my ballot. If i don’t have to spend time thinking about how im voting after the round, you and i will both be happy (half of you at least).
dont have to shake my hand
if you call out your opponents on a piece of evidence I expect you to mention it in a speech and I look at it before rfd.
Im fine with going fast I'll keep up, but if you plan on spreading at least send me a speech doc.
please collapse on your arguments, dont extend a bunch of blippy args hoping it sticks
quality>quantity
I presume neg
****** i think that this is very serious: if you are planning on reading arguments that are about ism's, inequality, etc., i truly believe that you should not kick the argument. if u kick out of it, it shows that you are reading it just for the ballot and that's really shitty and kinda fucked up. i won't not vote for you but i will have a rough time being super comfortable with voting for you if you won the debate. just my opinion.
speaks are arbitrary so i wont go lower than a 29 unless you say or do something fucked
reference jude bellingham or feid well and youll get 0.3 bump
If you have any other questions feel free to email me at maristizabal2003@gmail.comor ask me before the round. Hated my decision? send all complaints to colinmorrill@gmail.com
TLDR
W: Collapse, weigh, signpost,
L: being mean, friv theory, extending thru ink,
//shree
I am a social studies & math teacher who is no longer involved in full-time argument coaching. I am judging this tournament because my wife, a mentor, or a former student asked me to.
I previously served as a DOD at the high school level and as a hired gun for college debate programs. During this time, I had the privilege of working with Baker Award recipients, TOC champions in CX, a NFA champion in LD, and multiple NDT First-Round teams; I was very much ‘in the cards.’ Debate used to be everything to me, and I fancied myself as a ‘lifer.’ I held the naïve view that this activity was the pinnacle of critical thinking and unequivocally produced the best and brightest scholars compared to any other curricular or extracurricular pursuit.
My perspective has shifted since I’ve reduced my competitive involvement with the community. Debate has provided me with some incredible mentors, colleagues, and friends that I would trade for nothing. However, several of the practices prevalent in modern debate risk making the activity an academically unserious echo chamber. Many in the community have traded in flowing for rehearsing scripts, critical thinking for virtue signaling, adjudication for idol worship, and research for empty posturing. I can’t pretend that I wasn’t guilty of adopting or teaching some of the trendy practices that are rapidly devolving the activity, but I am no longer willing to keep up the charade that what we do here is pedagogically sound.
This ‘get off my lawn’ ethos colors some of my idiosyncrasies if you have me in the back of the room. Here are guidelines to maximize your speaker points and win percentage:
1 – Flow. Number arguments. Answer arguments in the order that they were presented. Minimize overviews.
2 – Actually research. Most of you don’t, and it shows. Know what you are talking about and be able to use the vocabulary of your opponents. Weave theory with examples. Read a book. Being confidently clueless or dodgy in CX is annoying, not compelling.
3 – Please try. Read cards from this year when possible; be on the cutting edge. Say new and interesting things, even if they’re about old or core concepts. Adapt your arguments to make them more ‘you.’ Reading cards from before 2020 or regurgitating my old blocks will bore me.
4 – Emphasize clarity. This applies to both your thoughts and speaking. When I return, my topic knowledge will be superficial, and I will be out of practice with listening to the fastest speakers. Easy-to-transcribe soundbytes, emphasis in sentences, and pen time is a must. I cannot transcribe bots who shotgun 3-word arguments at 400wpm nor wannabe philosopher-activists who speak in delirious, winding paragraphs.
5 – Beautify your speech docs. Inconsistent, poor formatting is an eyesore. So is word salad highlighting without the semblance of sentence structure.
6 – No dumpster fires. Ad hominem is a logical fallacy. I find unnecessarily escalating CX, heckling opponents, zoom insults, authenticity tests, and screenshot insertions uncompelling. I neither have the resources nor interest in launching an investigation about outside behavior, coach indiscretions, or pref sheets.
7 – Don’t proliferate trivial voting issues. I will evaluate a well-evidenced topicality violation; conditionality can be a VI; in-round harassment and slurs are not trivial. However, I have a higher threshold than most with regards to voting issues surrounding an author’s twitter beef, poorly warranted specification arguments, trigger warnings, and abominations I classify as ‘LD tricks.’ If you are on the fence about whether your procedural or gateway issue is trivial, it probably is; unless it’s been dropped in multiple speeches, my preferred remedy is to reject the argument, not the team. Depending on how deranged it is, I may just ignore it completely. I strongly prefer substantive debates.
8 – Be well rounded. The divide between ‘policy,’ ‘critical,’ and ‘performance’ debate is artificial. Pick options that are strategic and specific to the arguments your opponents are reading.
9 – Not everything is a ‘DA.’ Topicality standards are not ‘DAs.’ Critique links are not ‘DAs’ and the alternative is not a ‘CP.’ A disadvantage requires, at a minimum, uniqueness, a link, and an impact. Describing your arguments as ‘DAs’ when they are not will do you a disservice, both in terms of your strategy and your speaker points.
10 – I’m old. I won’t know who you are, and frankly, I don’t care. Good debaters can give bad speeches, and the reverse can also be true. Rep has no correlation to the speaker points you will receive. 28.5 is average. 29 is solid. 29.5 is exceptional. 30 means you’ve restored my belief in the pedagogical value of policy debate.
I am excited to be judging, I competed here all 4 years of high school so I have ample experience with this tournament. I was a varsity debater and completed in numerous tournaments such as Bronx and Harvard. I am a current student at UF studying psychology and PR.
For the round please speak clearly and at a rate at which everything you said can be fully understood. In the case of spreading, I will automatically reward the opposing team because I do not appreciate it when the argument can not be successfully understood by all parties. I do not like rudeness or yelling in any way towards your opponent and expect a civil round. I vote based on my flow so please extend all arguments throughout the round. I expect all competitors at this level to time themselves.
For evidence exchange, questions, etc., use: ishan.debate@gmail.com
Add (for PF email chains): strakejesuitpf@mail.strakejesuit.org
I competed in PF at Strake Jesuit from 2019-2023 and now coach there. Most of my competitive results are viewable here.
I view debate as a uniquely valuable intellectual game that centers communication, research, and critical thinking. Winning requires you to persuade me. The following should give you enough information to do so:
General
I am persuaded first and foremost by the arguments articulated by the debaters. I dislike dogma and judge more from a "tech" perspective than "truth", although the two often go hand-in-hand.
Quality evidence matters. Arguments require a warrant. Impacts are not assumed. Sounds analytics can be convincing, usually not blips.
I will not vote for arguments I cannot make sense of.
Speak clearly. Slow down on taglines and for emphasis. I flow by ear.
Cross-ex is binding otherwise it's useless. Bring up relevant concessions in a speech.
By default, I presume for the side that defends the status quo.
Evidence practices
Send speech docs before you speak. This should include all the cards you plan on introducing. Marking afterwards does not require prep.
Stop the round and conduct an evidence challenge if you believe someone is violating the rules.
Avoid paraphrasing.
PF
Defense is not sticky.
Second rebuttal should frontline.
Extensions are relevant not for the purpose of ticking a box but for clarity and parsing clash.
Cards should have descriptive taglines.
My threshold for non-utilitarian framing is higher than most.
1FF weighing is fine, but earlier is better.
I dislike the pre-fiat and IVI trend.
The Pro and Con should probably both be topical. Alts involving fiat are probably counter-plan adjacent.
I like to reward creativity and hard work.
Theory
These debates may have more intervention than you'd like.
I dislike heavily semantical and frivolous theory debates. I believe that paraphrasing is bad and disclosure (OS in particular) is good. That said, I am not a hack.
Defaults are no RVIs (a turn is not an RVI), reasonability > CI, spirit > text, DTA, and respond in next speech.
Ks
Err on the side of over explanation. Impact stuff out, like fully impact stuff out.
Very hesitant to vote on discourse-based arguments or links not specific to your opponents actions and/or reps in the debate.
Any response strategy is fine. Good for Fwk and T.
Non-starters
Ad-homs/call-outs/any unverifiable mudslinging.
Tricks.
Soliciting speaker points.
Misc
Avoid dawdling. Questions, pre-flowing, etc. should all happen before start time.
Post-rounding is educational and holds judges accountable. Just don't make it personal.
Have fun but treat the activity and your opponents seriously and with respect.
I did PF for a few years in high school at University School, and I am sure a lot has changed since I last competed.
- I am a pretty chill judge
- I will buy your arguments as long as you provide good warrants and extend them through summary and ff
- However, I don’t like when debaters randomly talk about arguments in ff that were not mentioned in the summary
- I usually flow on paper so I’d prefer if you do not spread or talk too fast
- You can ask me any questions before the round
- I don’t flow cross unless it is mentioned during rebuttal, ff, or summary
- Since I haven’t debated since high school I would say im pretty lay but I do flow and would appreciate organized arguments, links, and warrants
- Warrants > rhetoric!!
- Honestly, I just prefer clear and concise arguments weighed properly with the right warrants and would rather quality over quantity
- Honestly debate and do your thing be nice to each other and have fun, that's what debate is all about
PF/LD:
E-mail:Hrenj@trinityprep.org
If you are looking for my paradigm in a few words:
I will start by looking at theimpactsas articulated in your final speech.I will thencompare them the way I was told to in your final speech(ex. Prefer on Timeframe. Prioritize probability). If there are competing comparisons, I will choose the one that is best articulated. I will then checkthe link to the impact and see if, in the final speech and previous speech, the other team told me a reason not to give the you access to your impact.If they did, I will make sure that this reason was articulated, at least from the second speech of that team.
My flow can be best described as chaotic, so make sure that you have been really clear and not blippy- if you are blippy, I am liable to miss it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have experience judging LD at the College and High School level (but it has been a little bit since I have consistently judged LD) and Public Forum at the High School level (fairly consistently). I would by no means say I am an expert. These are some things to keep in mind with me.
Assume that I know nothing. This includes shorthand, theory, or K literature. Even if I do know something, I will pretend I don't to avoid intervening in the round.
Speed Kills (your ability to win the round).I want to be able to flow everything.To this end, I will say “clear” two times and then I am able to flow what I can flow: if I miss something because you’re speeding then it won’t be considered.I do not want to look at cards unless you or your opponent have a tiff about what they actually say.
Additionally, I think that spreading should be a tool to allow for deeper and more specific arguments as opposed to allowing for more short, blippy responses.If you're speeding through a response and that response was only a sentence or two to begin with, it probably doesn't register as that important to me.
Tech over truth except in extreme cases.Tell me what to vote on, tell me what to care about. Clearly weigh your impacts against your opponents do not assume I prefer one over the other without you giving me a reason to prefer.
I care about dropped arguments- you need to extend and that means more than just saying “extend.”Functionally reiterate your arguments or at least summaries of them.
CX- I often will flow this, but it will not factor into my decisions unless you bring it up in your speech. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot, DO use this time to clarify, NOT make new arguments.
I hate hate hate people being hyperbolic or lying about what their opponent said or did: Ex. “they dropped this point” when they clearly did not. Just know if you do it I will be inclined toward your opponent. If YOU misheard or misunderstood your opponent’s argument, I get that, but pretending they didn’t respond to something they did is as good as dropping the arg. Also- don't tell me what my paradigm said- I was there when it was written.
Congress:
-The most important things to me are delivery and content.
-If two people are very close on both these aspects content will be more important than delivery.
-I pay attention to questioning, but it is more of a tie breaker for me. If you ask a particularly good question I will note it and you will be ranked higher than someone with the same scores on speeches and no notes about questioning.
-Very important to my ranking of speeches is whether you are moving the round forward or introducing new ideas.
-I prefer evidence usage, though in some analytic cases it is not strictly needed.
-I very much like interaction with the other speeches that have gone (rebutting directly or adding more to a previous argument).
-Taking risks with content or delivery in ways which push the boundaries of the norms will certainly earn some bonus points in my head.
-I think that decorum is important- pay attention to what others are saying, don't engage in personal attacks or generally be rude.
Pine View KP; NSD Instructor; Lake Highland Prep Coach
Tabula Rasa
The funnier you make the round, the better it will go for you
TLDR
Tech>truth. Weigh, give me good warranting, and DO NOT SPREAD(honestly i prefer if you heir on the side of slower; if your opponents can’t understand you I probably cannot either). Defense is sticky but I only grant you marginal defense(if the ; first FF may read some type of new weighing (NOT elaborate weighing… no overviews, prereq analysis, etc.). Extend your arguments with card names, warrants, links, and impacts in the back half. Weigh links and turns, defense, and pretty much everything else. Please read the evidence section of my paradigm and abide by those rules, they will be enforced.
DEBATE IS A GAME, PLAY TO WIN.
I will vote for pretty much any argument as long as it's warranted well.
Signposting:
This is essential; do it.
Cross:
I might listen but I won't vote off or remember anything said here unless it's in a speech.
Rebuttal:
Read as much offense/DAs as you want, just please implicate them on the line-by-line and weigh them. Second rebuttal MUST frontline terminal defense and turns, probably some defense too
Summary:
First summary only needs to extend turns but should also extend terminal defense if you have time. Defense is sticky, however, I’d prefer for the second summary to extend as much defense as possible. The only new turns or defense I’ll evaluate in summary are as responsive to new implications made by the other team.
Final Focus:
First final can make new implications on weighing but not brand new weighing or new implications of turns, or anything else UNLESS responding to new implications or turns from the second summary. Second final cannot do new weighing or new implications. Final focus is a really good time to slow down, treat me like a flay judge in these speeches and my decision becomes a lot easier.
Voting:
I default to util. If there's no offense, I presume to the first speaking team. I will always disclose after the round. I can also disclose speaks if you ask.
Evidence:
Add me to email chain Rafehk21@gmail.com; I prefer if you send a speech doc beforehand with all evidence unless it's analytics
Speed:
Speed is good in the first half and bad in the second half, collapse strategically; don't go for everything. If you spread (250+ wpm) there is no way you get above 27 speaks. If I miss something in summary or final focus because you're going too fast or not clear and I drop you it's your fault; slow down, don't go for everything, and be efficient.
Time:
You are not a baby, time yourself
Postrounding:
Postround as hard as you want, I think it's educational.
––––––PROGRESSIVE DEBATE———
Theory:
I enjoy theory debate (ONLY IF NOT ABUSIVE). Yes, I think paraphrasing is bad and disclosure is good. No, I will not hack for either of these shells. I think abuse in rounds is bad but if you read other shells it may not go well for you. I EVALUATE THEORY MUCH DIFFERENT THAN OTHER TECH JUDGES (model of debate > than a small random squirrlley turn)
Kritiks: I read a couple K's in my time but I am extremely bad at evaluating them SO if you run one, please WIN the argument sufficiently. TREAT ME LIKE A LAY WITH A MEGAMIND BRAIN.
Tricks: These genuinely create a stupid model of debate but go for them if you want to.
TKO:If your opponent has no path to the ballot (conceded theory shell or them reading a counterinterp that they do not meet themselves) invoke a TKO and you win with 30 speaks, if they did have a path to the ballot you lose with 21s.
I am a parent judge with little judging experience for youth tournaments. I vote based on the strength of both your argument and speech delivery. It is important that you speak clearly and slowly and present a persuasive, coherent argument. Please devote your time in the round explaining ideas clearly and responding directly to your opponents' arguments.
Please say your name, topic and pro or con. Please send your evidence and speech doc to ajaynigam@gmail.com
I did pf in high school a few years ago but the event has changed a lot since I last debated.
I can understand and would really appreciate if you spoke at a regular debate pace; i hate reading speech docs and flowing people as they spread
weigh and extend
have fun, don't be a bad person, any mention of drake or a drake bar would be a +0.1 speaker point boost
if you wanna ask me something specific about my paradigm or add me to the email chain, use rohanmahtani27@gmail.com
Debated all four years of high school but way back in the day.
Email chain: michellemally@ufl.edu
Bluekey edit: I’m not familiar with the topic. If you’re one of the first rounds, please explain the topic and don’t use jargon.
**All preferences are negotiable. I’ll use my best judgment, and you should too.
Particular preferences:
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PF is not Policy. Don’t treat it like Policy. I want warrants, thorough arguments, and solid impacts. Don’t throw out taglines or big numbers, I see right through it.
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No spreading. I can follow speed easily, but if you’re gasping for air in between your sentences, run another case.
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DO NOT FALSIFY EVIDENCE. I will call for the big ticket cards at the end of the round. I will intervene if your evidence is dodgy. However, I expect you to be hyper-vigilant and cautious about what your opponents are running. Call for evidence you don’t trust. I have high respect for indicts; I have little respect for false evidence.
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I’m not a fan of theory or Ks. I think it disadvantages teams who prepared for this topic. I am not the judge to run it on, unless it’s funny in which case go for it.
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I like a good crossfire. Definitely will help speaks, and use it to your advantage.
Other than that, I’m pretty straight forward. Please weigh. If it’s not in summary don’t bother adding it in FF. Don’t extend through ink, I won’t flow it. Explain the arguments you extend. Use summary to collapse and don’t go for everything. Communicate with your partners on strategy and use your prep wisely. If there’s defense on your evidence and you don’t respond, I’m dropping it. Don’t be rude to your opponents. Don’t say anything offensive or flagrant. Signpost because I'm not perfect and I will get confused. Straightforward stuff.
Speaker points:
I’ll give 30 speaks all around for a good ole Emory Shift.
+1 speaker points for adding in a UF/miami reference. If it’s bad, I’m docking 1. Proceed with caution.
I’m pretty generous with speaks, but a perfect 30 is going to have to be flawless.
Im a lay judge speak slow and give good argumentation.
I need docs to understand and articulate arguments send them to shail21_21@yahoo.com
Thanks and I hope for a good debate!
2024 Note:::: I broke my wrist and im not 100% yet so i CANNOT type consistently for 4 minutes straight. GO SLOWER for me so i can get everything
I did 4 years of PF at Cypress Bay in Weston, Florida (2016-2020). I'm currently a senior at duke.
My paradigm is just random notes and bullets because I'm a pretty boring and receptive judge. Generally flow, emphasis on weighing, implicating, offense. I'll evaluate anything, just explain it. Feel free to ask me anything before the round.
-Extend offense pls, I wont do it for you
-Weigh like the W depends on it, because it does. Respond to your opps weighing if you're cool.
-Cross is for you, does not impact I evaluate a round (unless it comes up in speech ofc)
-Don't read responses you won't implicate/explain/understand, makes the whole debate better
-please don’t shake my hand. I'm sick rn
-3 min summary is cool and all but collapse
-Weigh, weigh, weigh, weigh, weigh. Which weigh? Dat weigh.
-Please have fun. Like actual fun and not like fun in pursuit of a W.
-I normally vote for the best singular piece of offense in the round. (collapse please)
-not paradigmatically/morally against them at all, but reading a K (or theory) in front of me is probably not the best idea unless you REALLY take the time to explain everything. I’m out of practice and never totally learned it all to begin with
- If you have any other questions feel free to email me matthewnorman2002@gmail.com or ask me before the round. Hated my decision? send all complaints to sepul.fabiola@gmail.com
At the end of the day, debate is up to the debaters. Do what you enjoy/are best at and I'll do my best to be receptive and evaluate it all fairly.
TLDR:
Wired: Collapse, weigh, signpost, tom brady slander, being nice, talking slow
Tired: being mean, friv theory, partial quads (i dont know what partial quads are), tom brady, being mean.
******If both sides agree to settle the debate with a mutually agreed upon test/competition of strategy or skill, I will not intervene. Only valid if both teams are definitely breaking or definitely not.
Put me on the email chain: drewpeterson2002@gmail.com
For some background, I have previously competed for 3 years on the national circuit, been coaching / judging for 4 years nationally and also served as the the Tournament Chair for the Florida Blue Key Speech & Debate Tournament.
I strongly prefer hearing smart arguments over a large quantity of them.
My threshold for warranting and explanation is likely much higher than you think. Warrant is severely lacking in PF. In order for me to vote on argument, all parts must be clearly extended and explained in the later speeches.
Do not just do impact calc just for the sake of doing it. Impact calc is not nearly as relevant / important to most of the decisions I make as it can be. Make your analysis truly comparative.
However, all of my rules and preferences are negotiable. Debate is up to the debaters. Go for whatever type of argument you want, but stick to what you do best. That includes theory and kritiks.
I debated for West Broward High School for 4 years and was mostly active in the Public Forum national circuit my Sophomore and Junior years.
I have included my preferences below. If you have any additional questions, ask me before the round begins.
updated as of 1/28/23
-If you'd like, send cases to robhommy@gmail.combefore the round starts. If I call for a card, you can send it to that email as well.
- I will vote on almost any argument that is topical, properly warranted, and impacted. If an argument makes no sense to me, it's usually your fault and not mine. In the absence of an explicit framework, I default to util.
-Tech > Truth always. If the argument is ridiculous, I expect you to tell me why. Don't assume I know that an argument is BS, explain it.
- I am fine with moderate speed. Although I personally spoke pretty quick when I competed, I will misflow tag-lines and citations if they are rushed, and I prefer a more understandable debate. You also may run the risk of too much speed hurting your speaker points.
-If both teams fail to generate legitimate offense by the end of the round, I will vote on a risk of offense.
-My attention levels during crossfire are much lower than they are during your speeches. If something important comes up, mention it in your next speech.
- I will typically only vote on something if it is in both summary and final focus. If you read an impact card in your case and it is not in summary, I will not extend it for you, even if the other team does not address it. Of course, there are inevitably exceptions, e.g. defense in the first FF.
- No new evidence is permitted in second summary (it's fine in first summary). This is to encourage front-lining and to discourage reading new offense in second rebuttal. Additionally, new carded analysis in the second summary forces the final focus to make new responses and deviate away from its initial strategy. The only exception I will make is if you need to respond to evidence introduced in the first summary. New analytical responses are fine.
- First summary doesn't have to extend defense for it to be in final focus, but it is responsible for extending turns/any offense. This obviously does not apply if your defense is frontlined in second rebuttal. Second summary and both final focuses need to extend defense.
- I try to be visibly/audibly responsive, e.g. I will stop flowing and look up when I don't understand your argument and I'll probably nod if I like what you're saying.
- I will only ask to see evidence after the round in one of three scenarios. (1) I was told to call for a card in a speech (2) Both teams disagree over what the card says and it's never fully resolved (3) I'm curious and want to read it
- I usually won't keep track of your speech and prep time. It is your job to keep your opponents accountable. If there is any particular reason you cannot keep time, please let me know and I will try to accommodate.
- I will evaluate theory arguments and Kritiks if they are well warranted enough. I didn't compete in LD or Policy in high school, however I read theory and kritiks at the 2019 TOC (in PF lol). I mildly understand structuring but if you decide to make it a voter, please make sure the warrant is well explained in summary and final focus. As a disclaimer, if something doesn't make sense to me, I may not feel comfortable voting on it. This means you will probably have to over-explain advanced and complex arguments.
- I evaluate the debate on an offense/defense paradigm. This does not mean you can wave away your opponent's defensive responses by saying "a risk of offense always outweighs defense," because terminal and mitigatory defense are not the same thing. Terminal defense points out flaws in the logic of an argument while mitigatory defense accepts an argument as a logical possibility and attacks its probability or magnitude. I personally dislike 'risk of offense' type arguments because I think they encourage lazy debating, but I will happily vote on them if they are well executed. You must answer responses that indict the validity of your link chain if you want to access offense from an argument.
- I reserve the right to drop you for offensive/insensitive language and/or arguments, depending on its severity.
- If you plan to make arguments about sensitive issues such as su*cide, PTSD, or sexual assault, I would strongly advise issuing a trigger warning beforehand. If you don't know how to properly issue a content warning, ask me before the round. I believe debate should be a safe space, and the least we can all do is make sure everybody is prepared for the conversation.
- I expect all exchanges of evidence to take no longer than 2 minutes. If you delay the debate significantly while looking for a specific card, I may dock your speaker points for being disorganized and wasting time. If someone requests to see your evidence, you should hand it to them as soon as possible; don't say "I need my computer to prep."
- Wear whatever you want, I don't care.
- Be nice to each other.
If you have concerns, email me.
Shoutout to Max Wu, I finessed most of his paradigm in making this.
**ALL TOURNAMENTS: I learned of the topic the morning of the tournament. PLEASE assume I know nothing. Except Sunvite 2024, half my masters degree was section 230 so I know a decent bit.***
Background:
Competed in Public Forum @ Cypress Bay HS (2013-2017)
BA in Political Science @ University of Central Florida (2017-2021)
MA in Bioethics, Tech Ethics and Science Policy @ Duke University (2021-2022)
PF (If you have me for another event go lay) Paradigm
- Look, I know NSU is a tech school and all, but they hire me to coach lay debate i havent cut a card in maybe 6 years (but like ive been around the circuit so i sometimes know what's going on) . if you're spreading or speaking too fast i probably wont catch a lot of it and will probably look confused
- if possible, number your responses so i know if I missed anything
- Set up email chains/preflow during tech check. I am a big believer in sending case docs to make it easier for everyone but I won't force yall to do so. You'll get a bump in speaks if you do. sharansawlani@gmail.com and uschoolpf@gmail.com
- Please don’t shake my hand.
- You can ask to look at ev during your partner or opponent's speech/cross. Idk why or when people started considering this as "stealing prep time".
- Quality of voters> Quantity of voters.
- Weigh, weigh, weigh, weigh, weigh. Which weigh? Dat weigh.
- Keep the round lighthearted. I think debaters are way too angry now and some humor would be appreciated. Jokes and puns are highly encouraged.
- Not a fan of super squirrelly arguments or theory (the next 2 bullets might answer your next questions). Idk too much about K's and im not the best at evaluating them, but if that's what you wanna read just make sure you explain it well. If I'm confused at the end of the debate I promise you won't be happy with my decision.
- READ and SEND cut cards. paraphrasing is whack. i wont penalize you for it but if the other team reads theory or tells me to evaluate paraphrased evidence as analytics and not real evidence, and you dont respond, it's going to be a really uphill battle.
- Disclosure in PF is a good thing. Same thing as paraphrasing; If someone discloses and either a) you do not and they read disclosure theory OR b) you LIE about what you've disclosed, I consider this a TKO. This means if disclosure theory is read in the round (reasonably) and it is conceded then it is basically over.
- Your final focus should be telling me what to write on my ballot. If i don’t have to spend time thinking about how im voting after the round, you and i will both be happy (half of you at least).
- Apparently this needs to be clarified now but regardless of speaking order, in the rare situation where there is no offense on either side at the end of the round I will presume neg.
If you have any other questions feel free to email me sharansawlani@gmail.com or ask me before the round provided your opponents are present as well. Hated my decision? send all complaints to sophialam@uchicago.edu and hold nothing back.
TLDR:
Bold: Collapse, weigh, signpost, don’t make me think, galaxy hoodie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai3UfW-dFi8&ab_channel=HeXyaCe
Fold: being mean, friv theory, no email chain/disclosure, partial quads lmao.
I have experience in PF, Parli, Extempt, and Duo/ longtime judge (mainly PF)
Things to consider at the start of the round:
- Make sure to clearly state your contentions
- Speaking fast is okay but do not spread
- Remember I am flowing please make it easy to follow along throughout the round
- Make sure your flow is ready before the round
- Delivery matters!!
Things to consider during the round:
- Keep up with your own prep time
- Make sure you utilize your time wisely. Make sure you use all of your time and are refuting as well as rebuilding your case.
- Please do not spend multiple speeches arguing over one source.
- Make sure you are extending arguments.
- My ballot will go to the team that does the best weighing and impacting in the round. You have to be clear as to why you are winning the round. If you do not call something out or respond, I cannot make the argument for you. Remember to actually debate the resolution don't get lost in the round.
- Be mindful of what you say in the round. The words you use and the arguments you make have implications. Please consider that throughout the round.
- Do not wait to FF to say that the other team dropped all of your contentions.
- Do not ask for a source in question for something that is common knowledge. I do count logical arguments and responses.
If doing an email chain please add me - gabri3ll30422@gmail.com
If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
My judging paradigm revolves around several critical elements. Firstly, I place a high emphasis on clarity and argumentation. I expect debaters to present well-structured contentions, supported by solid evidence and logical reasoning. The ability to effectively communicate these arguments is essential. Furthermore, debaters should actively engage with their opponents' arguments, offering well-reasoned rebuttals and displaying a nuanced understanding of the topic. While assessing these components, I also consider the ethical conduct of debaters, rewarding respectful and constructive discourse. Cross-examination plays a crucial role in this format, and I value the strategic and effective use of this period.
Crossfire periods should be used to extract valuable information and expose weaknesses in the opposing team's case. In summary, my approach combines the evaluation of argumentation quality, communication skills, engagement with the opposition, ethical conduct, and cross-examination tactics. I believe in upholding the principles of fairness and excellence in Public Forum Debate, and I will provide a balanced assessment based on these criteria to determine the round's outcome.
I am a three year varsity debater and will flow the round myself. Please do not spread, emphasize key points you want noted.