Experience

I am a current high school speaker/debater. I have done PuFo, LD, Big Questions, World Schools Debate, Congress, and Impromptu, so I am specific with what I like to see and what I don't.

Public Forum

No speed, I will knock you down if you speed through your case for the sake of an extra argument/evidence. Please weigh throughout the round, I want to hear your side constantly going back to why your arguments matter more. I only take blocks into account when there is analysis added, simply reading cards in rebuttal and summary will not win you the ballot. Evidence is important, but your analysis and impacts are more important. I want to hear how you argue the round, not an article. I will try to flow CX, but if you said something good bring it up in the next speech. Most importantly, please be nice to each other, you can have a good back-and-forth without cruelty.

Lincoln-Douglas

I have only competed in LD for a short time, and honestly hate many things adopted by the format from Policy, so if you have cases that are more traditional to LD format, use them. I will vote in favor of the person who argues the best value and criterion for the round, based on philosophical ideas. If you spread to get an absurd amount of points as AFF, I will not accept it when you say, "my opponent did not respond to all of my points". Spreading generally is not my favorite, performance and skill>speed. I will generally vote against Plans and Kritiks, but if you can prove your case with the additional burden, go for it. This isn't Policy, so if you have the option do not run K's or Plans with me. I don't want to hear any theory arguments based on nothing, so please do not pull anything outlandish, or not relevant to the round.

Big Questions

I love BQ! The event is a pretty mixed bag so I don't have many specifics for judging. I will account for weighing and logical refutation in my ballot. I prefer a slower, more casual speed for this event, this isn't LD or Policy, so please do not spread when it truly isn't necessary. A lot of BQ arguments tend to be generic, so if you have something unique, use it. I like how loose the event and range of cases are, so don't make it blocky and boring.

Impromptu

I will be judging on fluency and topicality. I don't want to hear rants or debaters just being there to be double-entered.

Hi my name is Audrey Gibson and my pronouns are she/her, I have debated for the past two years in Public Forum and am pretty new to judging, but with that said I know the rules as well as most lingo used in public forum.

A couple of things to know about how I judge are that I really want to see the impacts of your case in relation to the overall topic as well as weighing those impacts. I also don't want to see evidence/definition wars unless you can clearly prove that your evidence supplements your opponents. I don't like it when a team uses the argument of another team not having a card making their point unusable even though it's pure logic. If the logic and the link work I am good with it.

I prefer it when you can explain your arguments in some context. If you just read cards and don't tell how they tie together, that's likely to be uncompelling. Reading me a random set of arguments that aren't really anchored in your case or your opponent's case or reading them in a random order so I don't know what you're arguing against may leave you in a spot where I can't put them in context and, thus, you don't get much value out of them.

Please do not bring up new evidence in FF. I will not count it and you're only going to make the other team mad.

I am totally ok with off-time road maps. It honestly makes my job so much easier, just tell me the order on the flow you're going through OR signpost really well.

I also ask that everyone is respectful to their opponents and I will weigh that as part of my decision if your case is disrespectful to any community as a whole.

I am ok with a medium pace for speaking but if I cannot flow anything because you are speaking so fast that it's incomprehensible, I will ask you to slow down.

Overall remember that your opponents are humans too and make it a good round!

Hi my name is Miranda, I'm a junior in my 3rd year of debate, I've competed in LD, Original Oratory, Impromptu, and Congress.

In your round speak clearly and precisely, try not to use fillers such as "um" or "like".

Be respectful of other competitors, don't be on your phone during the round.

Have fun, keep calm, do your best!

Hi! I'm Luke.

I have experience doing Congress and I've performed in Oratory, Humorous Interp, Impromptu, Extemp, and Duo.

In IEs and Debate I really enjoy seeing performances where you (whether in actuality or not) appear to be genuinely interested in the topic at hand; you won't be able to convince anyone else about your points if you yourself don't believe them.

I believe that speech should always come first. Project your voice, enunciate, make sure that your point is coming across clear as crystal. Yes, it's difficult, especially for people with less experience as a debater, but it's really important.

I really enjoy wordplay! Have fun with your speech and make jokes, puns, etc. The English language is as clay and it is your job to sculpt it into a penis a beautiful speech.

But most importantly, have fun! Speech and Debate teaches amazing skills, and you'll likely meet amazing people doing it, but it's just as likely that you'll hate it, and I can't make that decision for you. Follow where your heart leads.