Frequent judge of PF. 3rd year coach of HS Congress, HS BQ, and MS Congress. Studying finance @ ASU

VPF Paradigm

*If email chain is set up add: tomelibil@gmail.com - I won't read off of your speech doc though, so go slow enough for me to normally flow.

90% flow 10% lay. Progressive stuff is ok, but I have very little experience with it, so it needs to be crystal clear. Speech orders make my flow better. The stronger link chain, from claim all the way to impact, wins the round. If they're equal strength I go off weighing. Make extensions and weighing clear! I always give an RFD time permitting.

JV/Novice PF & BQ Paradigm

50% flow 50% lay. Sitting/standing doesn't matter. Preferably look at either me or your flow/computer when talking, not your opponent. If you give me a "brief off time road map" and it's longer than 15 seconds, you will lose speaks. A passionate debate is ok, but genuine anger/insults aren't. Time your own speeches and prep. Please don't state your name and the topic at the start of every speech. Generally I evaluate novices more Truth>Tech except for in late out rounds. If you notice anything that puts into question the fairness of the round, alert me at the soonest reasonable moment. If anything immediately threatens your safety, alert me immediately. I typically disclose.

Congress Paradigm

I judge congress equally as both a speech and debate event. Uniqueness is hugely important, and the time in the round you speak must match the speech you give. All the things on presentation are important - volume, stature, passion, speed and pausing, and enunciation. Generally prefer late round speeches to early round.

PO's: Don't make errors, be fast, and be clear. Follow standard proceedings and control the chamber whilst being respectful. Cut off people effectively and on time. I've never dropped a PO but never given a 1 either.

General note for both speech and debate: how you behave in a round matters. I expect you to be cordial and collegial to your opponents. If you are not, your speaker points and/or ranking will reflect it.

Racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic, etc. comments and/or arguments and/or behavior are not tolerated. You WILL lose the round and/or receive 0 speaker points. Don't do it. And that includes coded language. If you use stereotypes of identities (particularly race, gender, disabilities, and/or ethnicities) that aren’t yours, especially for comedic effect, you will be ranked last.

A little about me: I was a policy debater in high school (20+ years ago). I currently run Lakeside Debate and Public Speaking School, where I am the head coach. For four years, I was the Congressional debate coach for Lakeville North and Lakeville South High Schools. For two years, I also taught Congress and PF for Potomac Debate Academy. I was the Head Coach at Wayzata High School for two years where I coached policy. I also coach speech (all categories), most recently at Edina High School. I've literally coached and judged it all. I also have a PhD in social ethics.

Here’s the TL;DR version:
Clash is the minimum expectation in debate rounds. Make sure that the speech you give fits where you give it (i.e., extemping a rebuttal on the third cycle vs. reading a prepared speech in the third cycle for Congress). I love Ks and critical argumentation (but know your theory!). Give me the ballot in every speech after the constructive! And don’t conflate ethics and morals! See below for more detailed information for events.


CONGRESS

Each speech should have proper argumentation (claim, warrant, impact(s)). IMPACT OUT YOUR EVIDENCE!!! You should know why the evidence you’re reading or the statistic you’re citing matters and you should communicate that! Road map your speeches. Signpost during them. If you are not the first speaker on either side of a bill, make it clear that you're following what's come before you. Acknowledge your fellow representatives when you're building on their point or when you're refuting it. CLASH IS EVERYTHING!

I expect crystallizations and rebuttals to include weighing/impact calc. I rank POs unless the round is chaotic/incredibly poorly run. Precedency and recency matter. I track the number of questions you ask in addition to scoring your speeches. The person who gets my top rank is the person who performed best in the round, factoring in questions, speeches, and in-round behavior. I'm looking for cordiality and collegiality, strength and uniqueness of arguments, fully impacted out arguments, and excellent in-round engagement with the thoughts and arguments of others. Generally, I care more about the content of your speech than your delivery, unless the delivery makes it impossible for your arguments to land.

LD/POLICY/PF DEBATE
In a round, I'm paying close attention to whether arguments are complete and if they're well supported by the cards used. It's not just about cramming as much as will fit into an X-minute speech; it's about making sure that your evidence says what you're saying it does and using information to make your argument stronger. I'm looking for claims, warrants, and impacts. I will vote on impacts, so make sure you extend them. ***Trigger warnings are not enough; you need to have a non-explicit case that you can run.***

I'm not a strict flow judge, but I am tracking all the arguments. If questions are raised in rounds that are a priori(need to be addressed prior to addressing the resolution), I'm paying special attention to how they're run and responded to; T and K are voters that, for me, always take precedence over case. RFDs will not be tech heavy.

Clash is important! Rounds where the sides talk past each other and don’t engage with the arguments of the other side are not good rounds

Tell me why you should get the ballot in all post-constructive speeches. Make your case for why you win the round. But please do not tell me that I have an ethical obligation to vote a certain way, unless you're giving me the ethical paradigm from which you want me to vote. Otherwise, the phrase "you have an ethical obligation to vote for us" means nothing. Ethics and morals are not the same thing, so please don't conflate them. Morals are an appeal to shared values, while an ethic is simply a way of being in the world. Knowing how to make these arguments successfully will make you better debaters.

While I am an old school policy debater, my doctoral studies were continental philosophy, critical theory, cultural theory, and social ethics. Bring on your critical arguments! I love critical argumentation in both LD and Policy when it's done well. I welcome it in PF, too. I expect students to understand the theory that underlies their critical arguments, as that is the only way to successfully defend arguments of that kind. My decisions in many rounds come down to a priori questions to the resolution, especially Ks.

Speed, in and of itself, is not a problem; speed without clarity is. If I can't understand you, I will say “Clear” once. Slow down and enunciate. If I still cannot understand you, it's an issue that will impact speaker points. Please slow on your tags and citations.

This is the single best advice I can give you if I am your judge: do not conflate ethics and morals. An ethic is a way of being in the world; it does not require morals. Morals, conversely, are principles by which one lives one’s life. While many ethics include morals as part of their structure, ethics and morals aren’t the same thing. If you’re making a moral appeal argument, you need to tell me what the morals to which you’re appealing are and why they’re important. If you’re making an ethical argument, you need to tell me what the ethical framework is that I should use. Otherwise, telling me that I have an ethical or moral obligation to vote in a particular way means nothing; you need to give me the framework or the values you want me to use to evaluate the round. When you don’t, it means that I am using my own ethical or moral framework to evaluate rounds and, because no two people have the exact same ethic (way of being in the world), it lowers the persuasiveness of your argument.

PF-Specific Preferences:
Evidence ethics matter!!! DO NOT PARAPHRASE IN FRONT OF ME. Read the actual card. It doesn't take any longer to read the card than it does to paraphrase it. There are no excuses for not reading the actual card. If you take longer than a minute to provide a card that's called, I will strike it from the flow. If the card is called and you were paraphrasing it, I reserve the right to drop you, especially if there are any discrepancies between what you said and what the source says. Critical arguments are always welcome, but make sure you can prove a violation if you’re running T or a norms violation (disclosure, trigger warning, spreading, etc).

SPEECH
I’ve coached every NSDA category and regularly judge them. There are a couple big things that I’m looking for when I judge a speech round.

1) Performance: Can I hear you? Do your movements make sense? Are you comfortable with the material? Do you wait for the judge before beginning? Does entire performance fit with the material? How well do you perform or present your piece? Are you off book? Do you speak with confidence and authority?

2) Category specific things: For interp generally, I pay close attention to transitions, pops, and character work. Are they clean? Are they distinct physically and vocally? Getting those to a point where they’re clean is a huge hurdle, but one that matters.

In humor, do the jokes land? Are they told well? Does the performance include pauses after jokes that elicit a laugh? Do you know what your laugh lines are? Is the piece funny? Are you relying on racial/ethnic, gender, or other stereotypes for comedic effect? (If you do, you'll rank last!)

TRAUMA FOR THE SAKE OF DRAMA IS NOT OKAY! There is no reason for the details of an assault to be included in a piece or portrayed during a performance. Trigger warnings must be delivered properly; if I am your judge and your piece needs a trigger warning, please communicate that to me prior to the start of the round. I will take care of alerting the room and allowing time and space for people to take care of themselves. Do NOT turn the trigger warning into a performative action that does not allow time and space for people to take care of themselves.

In POI, I’m looking for a cohesive piece that has a clear narrative arc throughout it. Do the piece selections fit with each other? Is each piece identifiable? In other words, can I tell when you’re popping between pieces? Does the theme carry through? Have the cuttings been done well?

In Info, OO, and other student-written categories, does the text make sense? How well written is the piece? Does it succeed in being interesting and engaging? In an OO round, is the speech persuasive or is it dramatic? Does the solutions fit the problem? And in an Info round, is it an informative speech or is it persuasive? I want persuasion in OO and informative in Info.

For extemp, I want to see both an understanding of the prompt and an understanding of the arguments advanced. Are arguments complete (claim, warrant, impact) or are they missing a piece? Does the argument have ground? Is the question closely tied to the arguments made by the student? Impact out your evidence!

3) Category requirements: do the piece and its performance adhere to the NSDA rules or the operative rules for a tournament? If you’re not sure what they are, you can find that information on the NSDA website or the tournament website (NSDA rules are used widely, so start there).

4) Respect and collegiality: do you treat everyone with respect? Are you on your phone or engaged in watching your peers? Put simply: don’t be a jerk. No one likes a jerk. If you’re disrespectful in a round, it will impact your ranking.

Make my ranking decisions hard for me! The best rounds are the ones where I have a hard time figuring out how to rank you.

I competed in LD four years and qualified to the CHSSA state in Policy. Therefore I will always be flowing the rounds I Judge!

In LD I look for these things:

-cross examination- I like a good cross examination because I find it clarifies what both the AFF and NEG really are arguing. I take note of the questions being asked and if theres any contradictions they tend to come out in cross examination 95% of the time.

-Definitions:if you define something, do not have 4 definitions for 1 word. Select one that is strong. Having multiple definitions is confusing.

- Theory:if you run theory, argue it well. I have judged rounds with theory in them and do not have an issue with it.

- Make your voter issues known in the last speech

-K affs--> I am okay with, however if you are argue with a K aff, use evidence that STRONGLY supports your case and the resolution.

-Make sure what you are arguing is topical to the resolution.

If you spread make it known prior to speaking.

Hi! My name is Sarayu Cheemalapati (she/her). I graduated high school in PA in 2023 and am currently a student at Pitt studying Political Science. I debated all through middle school and high school, having topped the TOC bid scoreboard and the NSDA National Rankings in Congressional Debate during my senior year, as well as semifinaled TOC and NSDA Nats and placed 4th at NCFL. I also have experience coaching, judging and competing in World Schools, Big Questions, Informative, Impromptu, and Extemp.

I absolutely do not accept any form of racism, sexism, anti-semitism, ableism, islamophobia or any type of hate. If I hear any type of this in any way, you will be dropped on my ballot and I will report you to the tournament immediately.

Congress:

TLDR: I am 55% presentation and 45% argumentation, ultimate ranking comes down to doing your job as a speaker based on when you speak, refuting is important. If a bill has one-sided debate, flip or move on.

Presentation: Make it sound like you are persuading me to pass or fail. At the end of the day, anyone can have good arguments, but presenting them well is what is mainly going to help me as a judge differentiate you from other competitors in the round. Add personality into your speaking! Don't be monotone and make it look like you're just reciting. Be funny, tell jokes, do whatever makes you a unique speaker!

Argumentation: Try to provide a card for arguments where you NEED it. Today, there are arguments that many can run with logic, but be careful. Don't rehash other people's arguments unless you are using it to weigh or to crystal. It shows how much you are actually paying attention to the round. I will pay attention to well-crafted and structured arguments with good rhetoric. Also, structure your arguments depending on when you are speaking! I rank based on if you fulfill your role as a speaker/debater given the time at which you are speaking (ex. strong constructive for authorship, crystals for late round, etc.)

Flipping: I will always give those flipping a higher rank than an okay speech on the same side in a row. There are exceptions to this, but it's simple. I do not think anyone wants to hear to same aff argument for an hour.

Refutation: One of the most important things to me in getting my rank is refutation. Anything after the first aff should refute, recognizing their opponents and telling me why they are wrong. Strong constructives without any reference to any of your competitors, in my opinion, only hold some sort of value until the second neg, otherwise, it does not contribute anything to the round.

Presiding Officers: In order to rank high, POs should run the chamber in a fast, efficient and unbiased way. I trust you to be able to follow the procedure you set, follow the standard/tournament rules, and make minimal mistakes, especially when you make it known for the start that you want to preside/run in a PO election in order to preside. POs tend to rank generally high from me if you do your job. It is simple: the less I think about you during the round (in a bad way), the better ballot you will get from me. I will probably let some of these rules slide if you are the only one willing to preside in a round/being forced to preside.

Any questions about in round issues, feedback, paradigm, etc, email me: cheemalapatis@gmail.com. Be confident and have fun!

Hey everyone!

My name is Aditya Chordiya. I competed in Congressional Debate for 4 years and I graduated from James Logan High School in 2023. I currently am the CEO of Champions Debate and an Assistant Coach at James Logan High School.

As a judge, I very much value strong argumentation and round interaction. Any speech after the first cycle should be referencing other speakers in the round and you should be utilizing refutation. While I judge primarily off of argumentation, please make sure that your speaking is both understandable and engaging. Take risks and make sure that your personality stands out. In cross ex, please make sure that you remain respectful and don't yell. I look forward to a great round!

Hi, I'm Ying.

I would like to ensure fun and fair tournament, so therefore, I would like to request everyone to speak at a reasonable pace to allow comments and ranking decisions to be easier to be made, and I would also like for everyone to be respectful of their opponents. One thing that I will mark points off for will be rehash, as it is preferable for later speakers to add new ideas to the debate, rather than just rephrase what previous speakers have already said. Please be reasonable with your speeches and keep in mind of other parts of practical debate.

Thank you, and good luck!

As a lawyer, I am mindful of how convincing, straightforward and organized your arguments are. Just as I try to convince judges to agree with me in the courtroom, you should be credibly convincing me to agree with you, vote for your side, and give you a good rank and score. Clear diction is very important. I also judge based upon how well debaters deliver their speeches and get their points across. Be composed with your hand gestures and movements when speaking. Try to modulate the tone of your voice and don't yell or talk too fast. Don't be afraid to ask questions and be active in the debate!

Disclaimer: I am a long time former competitor In Congressional Debate and now I coach the event on both a private and Team affiliated basis. I am also the director of the Instinct Debate Institute a Speech & Debate camp focusing on Congress & Interp which can be found at InstinctDebate.org.

Intros:

Intros that are directly about the topic always beat canned intros. Congress can get boring and very rarely will I not reward someone for being creative or otherwise having an intro that is narratively captivating.

Congress Philosophy:

Congressional debate is sometimes called "Student congress" is a performative art. It is the only event that is truly Speech AND Debate. Judges are instructed to rank based upon who was the best "legislator". This is precise nomenclature, It is a holistic term that includes both performative rhetoric as well as flow-heavy argumentation. A good rule of thumb is If a politician wouldn't say it neither should you. However, this should not stop you from giving dynamic off-the-cuff responses. I have great respect for debaters who turn the event into a spectacle I should be engaged and entertained while watching you. The most important thing to ask yourself is "Will my judge remember me tomorrow?"

Argumentation:

If you run National Debt adjacent arguments in front of me expect to receive a 9. If I'm the parli expect to DFL, especially in an Outround. I will not flow the speech.

All speeches after the first cycle should refute other speakers.

In 70-85% of cases running a counterplan as someone on the neg is an inadvisable strategic decision and a terribly inexpedient usage of speaking time.

Authors,Sponsors, First affirmatives: My generic advice is use a PSI (Problem,Solution,Impact) format but even if your using CWDI or some other alternative structure, you need to do three things that are the same irrespective of the structructure of the speech. Frame the problem. Explain how your advocacy solves mechanically by using the legislation and its sections, and then explain the ultimate impact of your advocacy do those three things well and you will rank well.

Counter-intuitive arguments are a massive plus, especially when they manage to hijack the round. Please do not shy away from legislation-based argumentation or constitution/Supreme Court response arguments. "Let the courts decide that/ Neither you nor I are lawyers" is NOT valid refutation of these arguments. But if you are going to make a constitution-adjacent argument do not argue some version of "The bill is unconstitutional, we should fail because constitution = good ."

Arguments need warenting to be valid. Frankly this should go without saying but I see way too many people ludicrous assertions and then fail to articulate how exactly the argument comes to that assertion or even its end point impact wise. As a follow up; Regarding structure, I'm open to experimentation. Don't feel bound by CWDI or any other traditional methods of structuring arguments. Just make it clear enough that I can understand your tags and subsequent link-chain. Trust me to follow if its intelligible.

Late Round:In the last few cycles of debate but especially if you're attempting to crystalize, you should be weighing the arguments of the round and proving to me why your side wins the debate it is not enough to just give a line by line broadside of the other side and call it a crystal. I need you to convince me. In regards to this, make the case to me that your side gives the best responses to the "Voting Issues" of the round.

Presiding officers:

POs start at a "3" on my ballot and will lose ranks from errors. They can also be supplanted by phenomenal legislators. The PO starts at a "3" ("4" if I'm your parli) because the PO is the only indispensable contestant in the round. In an ideal world this would mean that PO should start as a "1" seeing as a round is impossible without the PO however, I cannot justify giving the PO a student who by definition does not engage in the debate the best rank in the round.

The more people who run for PO, the faster the winning PO will lose ranks from mistakes because you've claimed that you're better than every other person who wanted it.I appreciate PO commentary but only to an extent.

IMHO, 3 types of POs exist fast POs charismatic POs, and bad POs. you should aim to be one or both of the first two, please do not make me feel that you are asleep at the switch.

Follow parliamentary procedure, but don't get anal-retentive over it(this applies to everyone, not just PO's). While a motion to open the floor for debate is technically dilatory don't point of order a presiding officer over accepting it. Some local circuits are very lax about that kind of thing. however, please, please never say "point of personal privilege to go use the potty"

E-mail me at Makai.Henryxma@gmail.com if you have any questions

For Extemp, Congress and Debate, I weigh both style and content. I will be judging the logic, clarity, and organization of your arguments; the quality and credibility of the evidence you cite; and your persuasiveness, fluency and clarity as a speaker.

Equally important to me is decorum (and this is equally important for you in life as well as in debate). Be polite and respectful to your fellow competitors and judges. No matter how good you think your arguments are, I will downgrade you if you're rude and interrupt others, if you waste time and fail to cooperate, or if you are arrogant and disrespectful.

I'm a former national and state champion Extemp. In college, I coached at the National Speech and Debate Institute at American University in summers and judged national high school tournaments. Now I'm a parent judge.

Debaters and Congress people, don't spread or use debate jargon and acryonyms. If you reply on complex philosophy, you must explain.

Be prepared, be respectful and do your best. Have fun and good luck.

Hi I'm Hau Lam Lung (you might know me as Helios) and I'm a HS competitor who does mostly congress, sometimes extemp, used to do HI.

First and foremost, be MEMORABLE. Take some risks, think about your arguments strategically, and be authentic with your speaking. Be a good, likable person in the round. Even if you have amazing content, you might be punished ranks wise if you come off as rude or condescending during CX.

Secondly, fit your role in the round. Properly establish the issues as a sponsor, do a good job of reffing as a mid round speaker, and make sure to weigh if you're going late round. Of course, even if you're slightly outside your role (e.g. maybe not the most weighing as a late round speaker), but you're incredibly memorable I will still reward you. I won't force you to crystal or go with any traditional structure at any point in the round, speak to what's relevant – every round will have a different speech structure that works best.

Content-wise, just make good, logical, intuitive arguments and don't forget to clash with people. It'll be a good argument if it's persuasive and I believe it even without evidence, I will try to judge everything as unbiased as possible but if something just sounds really wrong or confusing I'm probably not gonna buy it.

Make sure to let me know who you're clashing with – "Sen. Lung says [their claim] because [their warrant.] This is wrong because [my claim] because [my warrant]" – even though I do flow rounds, I'm not going to look back towards my flow consistently, if you can make my job easy and signpost very clearly I will reward you for your clarity.

Speaking wise, I think a lot of debaters fall into the trap of having a "congress voice" when they deliver speeches. Calmer, more conversational delivery is usually the way to go with me but anything that sounds natural and works for you works for me. Use unique rhetoric that catches my attention and brings some level of emotional appeal to me; hearing overused rhetoric does the opposite of positive emotional appeal so be original.

POs: You can make a couple of mistakes but just don't make me think you don't know what you're doing. Even if you are making some mistakes just don't make it super noticeable and still sound assertive. If a tournament has really tight breaks, I'll put you in my top 3. I'll put you in the top 6 if we're in a final round tho, since I tend to prefer speakers. Of course there are always exceptions and you can just be an insanely good PO, which I'll reward you for.

For TOC where POs in finals are ranked independent of speakers, I'll rank off whoever comes off the most authoritative and runs the round quickest. Some of this is subjective so unfortunately I don't have a ton of advice for you.

Have fun, email me at helioslung@gmail.com or DM me @helioslung if you have any questions on your ballots.

If I'm judging you at a MS tournament and you want to work with me this summer, I'll be working at NCI middle school. Lots of financial aid, really great program, and I'd be very happy to answer any questions you have about the program.

CONGRESS PARADIGM

I am a parent judge who has been judging congress at a local, state, and national level for over 5 years. I hope this paradigm tells you a bit more about what I'm looking for.

If you deliver a speech I already heard a different competitor give before, I will give you a lower rank. There is no good reason to copy your teammate's speeches, especially at prestigious bid tournaments. This goes for authorships/sponsorships, too.

PRESENTATION Congress is partially a speech event. Your presentation and delivery will factor into my judging. I love when people take more interesting, performative approaches that break up the monotony of a congress round. Please don't speak too quickly. I will hold it against you if you are reading too much from your pad and have poor eye contact. You should be familiar enough with the content of your speech to not be completely dependent on your pad. I have nothing against electronics. An iPad instead of a legal pad is perfectly fine as long as you don't let it hamper your performance.

CONTENT If you are making claims, make sure they are substantiated with evidence, especially if they are provocative or important new claims in the round. Round adaptation is extremely important. If you're just saying the same things as the previous five speakers before you, I have no reason to give you a good rank. Debaters have an obligation to engage with, build on, and refute what has been said by others in the round.

Always 1. link to the bill and 2. terminalize your impacts. Every speech needs to explain how passing this bill specifically causes a distinct harm or benefit. I don't have strict requirements for how you structure your speeches because I think that stifles innovation in this event, as long as it's a clear, understandable, effective speech.

RHETORIC I love an interesting rhetorical narrative. I think cookie cutter intros are boring. In the best case, each speech has an introduction relevant to the bill or even what has been previously said in the round. Rhetoric is not a substitute for substance. I've heard many brilliant rhetorical performances with very little content, and as much as I enjoy them, I can't rank them very high in the context of a congress round.

PRESIDING OFFICERS
I always rank competent POs well. A congress round can't run without a PO, and I will never punish someone who knows what they're doing for stepping up to perform this vital function. Please don't PO if you don't know what you're doing. Yes, everyone has to PO for the first time at some point, but you should still be coming prepared and as someone who is already familiar with how congress works. POing should not be a cop-out for being underprepared.

Some notes for novices/people who are new to congress:

• Memorize parts of your speech
• If you're speaking later in the round, don't just deliver the speech you came prepared with - adapt!
• Be prepared to switch sides on a one-sided bill: you're doing the chamber and your judges a favor
• Be courteous: don't use parliamentary procedure as a tool to exclude or disadvantage others
• Enjoy yourself! Winning 1st place doesn't mean much if you didn't have fun

Hi! I'm a junior at FAU HS and this is my 6th year competing in congressional debate.

Debate is not a game
You're usually discussing matters of life and death -- this entire activity is a dialectic about how to improve the nation and the world. Your rounds are about more than just getting the 1 or a W. Similarly, debate affects the lives of people who participate in it. Success can mean scholarships or admittance to great colleges. Please don't trivialize how important that can be for people.

"Principally!!!" is a trendy new filler word in congress
I WILL mark you down for saying this. It adds nothing to your content and does not make you sound smarter. Also a nice little litmus test to see if you actually read my paradigm lol.

Speeches & style -- I'm judging you based on the result, not the process.
"Constructive," "rebuttal," and "crystallization" speeches are a social construct! They are a lens to understand your role as a speaker, not a strict blueprint for a speech. I don't care if you use CWDI, block structure, or just freestyle. I don't care if you use a legal pad or an iPad or nothing. These are just your tools -- I'm judging you based on the result, not the process.

If I've heard your exact speech before I will literally drop you even if it's the best speech in the round. Do not pawn other people's prep off as your own.

No one knows how to weigh in congress so please weigh.

Empirical citations =/= Causal analysis. Telling me why your arguments are true and why they matter are different things entirely. Don't mix em up!

In terms of congressional debate, most rounds have two issues: the debate is surface-level yet pretty damn confusing. I love speakers who can cut through to the heart of a topic and implicate that back to the debate as a whole.

I appreciate original, novel, and funny rhetoric. Try to distinguish yourself!

Delivery & presentation
Presentation is necessary to help you get your point across. If you neglect presentation that will reflect on your overall performance.

OK so people have started using iPads a lot more since I first wrote this paradigm. For context, I don't know anyone who has been using an iPad for longer than I. If you use an iPad, you need to look and sound like a fluent speaker with a legal pad. Bulky cases will weaken your performance. Having to hold the iPad in front of your face the whole time will weaken your performance. Pad dependency, as always, will seriously count against you. The iPad is a tool, not a crutch.

Laptops are a flat out no. You won't get a rank from me speaking off a laptop.

Love padless performances, they're impressive af.

Presiding officers
POs are the worst part of congress. There is no way to fairly rank a room of speakers against someone whose entire job is to update a spreadsheet and bang a gavel. If I had it my way, every round would have a tournament-provided PO. But don't worry. I have a fair way to evaluate POs regardless of anything else: Bad POs will be dropped, good POs will at least get a rank good enough to advance to the next round.

A good PO is fast, fair, aware of parliamentary procedure & tournament-specific rules, and serves as a leader and problem-solver in the round.

I rank POs in final rounds differently. I don't think POs deserve to champ unless they do something brilliant or demonstrate exceptional leadership. I've never seen a final round where I thought the PO deserved to champ, even though they often do. I will never give a PO the 1 in a final round. Think that's unfair? Not really. POs often champ without getting a single 1. If I'm judging a debate tournament, I'd rather give the 1 to a debater.

If you're a PO and get no feedback from me, that means you did a good job. Fret not.

Other stuff
"Automatic previous question after 3 speeches on the same side" is not a rule unless we're at TOC or tournaments that specifically use TOC rules.

Speech equity is great and important, but there is no such thing as a formal base system. I have nothing against someone getting the chance to speak more than everyone else if it keeps debate going and fresh.

Don't yell or be mean in cross-ex. Avoid talking over eachother. If someone starts yelling or talking over you in cross-ex, let them. I promise it's more strategic to let them look bad and perhaps call them out for it, compared to fighting fire with fire. That being said, questioners AND answers should keep questions AND answers concise.

I see all the politicking for what it really is

I value debaters who bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table as original arguments and creative approaches enhance the quality of a debate. I appreciate well-organized speeches with clear introductions, body, and conclusions.

Clear articulation and concise expression are crucial for effective communication, debaters who convey complex ideas in a straightforward manner receive higher scores. I value well-researched arguments supported by credible evidence. Debaters who engage the audience through expressive gestures and vocal variety perform well.

Important Stuff is Bolded

My name is Andrew Shea (he/him). You can call me Judge Shea, Andrew, Fire Lord O’Shea, whatever floats your boat.

I am pursuing a major in history and a minor in international relations at the University of Iowa. I am working towards a phd in transnational labor history and relations.

I have a cat named Haywood after Harry Haywood. He is amazing and cool. Ask and I am happy to show pictures.

My email for contact is: ajhamilton112601@gmail.com

I competed at John F Kennedy High School in CR IA. I was coached by Jesse Meyer who remains a large influence on me today.

I judge mainly LD and PF. I was mostly a K debater and did okay throughout my career. I generally understand most arguments. My paradigm breaks down into prefs/speech paradigm, in-round debate behavior, and in-depth LD/PF prefs. Please ask questions if you have any. I am always looking to improve.

LD Cheat Sheet

1 K

2 Phil

3 Trad* or Policy/LARP

4 Theory/Strike**

5 Tricks/Strike (don’t know enough to competently judge)

*I think trad is a good debate format and can be competitive/clash with circuit debate. I put it higher up to tell trad debaters they can pref me without concern.

**I won’t vote you down because you run theory. I just have a lower threshold for response to theory. For example I don’t think you need to run a counter interp or RVIs to respond but if you do, you should do it well.

Two things of note:

1. I am ok with spreading but ask your opponent beforehand preferably in front of me. If you did not ask (or ignore attempts to find accommodation) and your opponent runs theory/disability arg on why spreading is bad I am more liable (not guaranteed) to drop you. However I'll note I have no "bad" WPM. I think if you have an issue saying "clear" or "speed" is the responsibility of the debater. If you have a problem with their overall speed mention something to your opponent after the speech. TLDR If you both agree to spread great, if you have an issue with spreading: advocate for yourself and work with each other under the best of intentions. All that said I am also less liable to vote for a 2ar spreading theory shell if no objections were raised prior.
2. I am pro Flex Prep but you have to ask before round. I prefer this to avoid someone being denied the opportunity to use it in round. In elims I go with the majority judge view on flex prep.

PF Cheat Sheet

1 Trad PF

2 Critical Args

3Theory/Strike

I am basically fine with anything in PF but theory annoys me. I really prefer normal PF but I won’t mentally check out if you don’t.

See above LD prefs for spreading/flex prep

Speech Judging

I am by no means an experienced speech judge but I have coached the very basics and I did exempt and spontaneous in high school. I like to see confidence, good use of the space in a room, rehearsed body movements (don’t just keep your hands in one position unless that is your character's thing for something such as a HI), and just do your best.

Unless explicitly prohibited by tournament rules let me know if you want to give hand signals for time. I would be happy to do them.

Debater Behavior

Ask and Advocate: Debate should be a friendly and welcoming space. To that end, ask and advocate for yourself. If you have an issue or a question please ask. If you feel harmed in some way or see something that bothers you, advocate for yourself. I am happy to facilitate in any way I can to make debate a better space for all. In no way should gender, disability, or class make you feel unsafe in this space.

Assertive and Polite: It is ok to be determined and assertive in a debate round but never belittle your opponent or be snarky to them. Everyone here is a person first and foremost along with being a student. Debate is a pedagogical game and I find it vastly more useful to educate rather than to belittle someone for not understanding or for making a "bad argument" that said, you should absolutely seek to control a round and narrative. Raised and passionate voices are ok but avoid yelling or taking a dismissive, arrogant tone. Be very cognizant of that difference when debating women/non men debaters, sexism is all too prevalent and unacceptable in the debate space and such dynamics do influence my judging particularly in the way I give speaks.

On Spreading: I am not anti-spreading. While I don't think it is a good norm for debate I do understand that it is the default and if everyone is ok with it I will be too. I prefer that people ask before round because I have met several debaters who have had disabilities that prevented them from spreading. I would like debate to realize spreading should be moved away from but because I don't run a camp or have money I at least want to make the space more accessible to different debaters in lieu of some larger change.

Judge Behavior

As a judge I will: provide you with in-depth feedback and always explain to you why I interpreted something the way I did. I will not always be right and make mistakes but I will do my best to explain my reasoning.

Do everything I can to answer questions or redirect you towards resources who can do it better

Provide a safe environment for debaters as someone in the community who cares and who will listen.

LD Prefs in-depth

Since I mainly judge LD here is more in depth thoughts for those who care to read them:

K debate: I love K debate. My political beliefs lead me to love hearing Parenti, Gramsci, Lenin, Mao, Marx, Losurdo, Fanon, and many others along the communist and decolonial based lines. As such I will be happy when I hear cap bad, china isn’t the devil, palestine will be free, etc. That said I familiar with many other authors and I am generally friendly towards hearing any new arguments and I am happy to learn about anything new.

Phil: I know some but not alot. I would love to learn more and therefore feel free to run anything just explain it well.

Trad: I think it can and should endeavor to be more competitive with circuit debate.

Policy/Larp: I don’t necessarily have a problem with it, sometimes I just find it boring. Honestly I have grown to like it more because I actually do enjoy hearing about the resolution.

Theory: I won’t vote someone down because they run theory but I firmly believe that theory is often used in a way that makes debate poor and ruins the quality of argumentation. I think it harms accessibility and as a result my threshold for response is lower. While I feel like I have a decent grasp on theory debate there is a greater risk of me not fully comprehending your argument as I haven't attempted to immerse myself in the mechanics due to my dislike.

What I look for in a good LD round

Overview: Like a real overview which represents the interactions that happened in the round with a narrative. Challenge yourself to have it be more than a summary of what your case is.

Weighing: Like actual weighing. Extending your impact is great but you need to explain why your impact should be valued more compared to your opponents

1nr Card Drop: I see people spread as fast as possible through their speech and then just extend whatever their opponent did not respond too and think they won the round. I need some weight and explanation of the warrant from arguments to vote on them. When there isn't, my threshold for responding or weighing them is lower than the arguments you developed. Developing arguments is good and makes me value them more than your 17th apriori which has “big” implications in the round because your opponent conceded it.

Truth vs Tech: I'm more tech. Basically that's it.

Tabula Rasa: I'm not. I will not tolerate racist, sexist, ableist, classist behavior. I also have strongly held beliefs of what debate should be to get better. That said if I think such behavior has occured I am more likely to stop the round and refer the issue to tab. What I won't do is vote someone down because your K says they are literally the devil for not being topical. I am more receptive to the argument that the argument is some "-ism" not the person. We are learners here and should educate and build people up.

Judge Intervention: This is a very tricky topic for me. So because in the debate space we generally agree that a judgeshould intervene if some racism, sexism, issue occurs yet however we don't think this when it comes to things like reproducing imperialist talking points. We don't typically weigh the reproduction of these dominant idealogical norms as bad whereas only over racism and sexism is despite the fact that systems like imperialism harm far more people than an indvidual sexist or racist comment. So I think when people say "no judge intervention" that doesn't make alot of sense because we have decided as a community that we won't tolerate some things. So therefore I think a good take to approach this (not the best) is that judge intervention should be approached when the debaters says it is necessary as a top shelf/layer argument and then for the oppenent to argue why it shouldn't be perhaps by arguing their idea of what they want the judge to do is not good. This for example should take place in the debate over the role of the ballot. In terms of judge intervention regarding "why did you weigh x argument y way" generally if I think its close it may simply come down to persuviness, the narrative, or may best guess.

Teach me something: Honestly this goes for debaters, coaches, and other judges. I want to learn and improve and be a positive force in the debate space. I love learning about new theories and concepts. As such it may be helpful to take the time to explain the mechanics of an argument without the internal jargon to maximize education.

PF in-depth prefs

Trad pf vs Circuit pf: It's weird that there is now a difference between trad and circuit/prog PF debate and I am not exactly a fan that its come to this. That said I prefer normal PF rounds over critical arguments as I don't think the format lends itself to progressive.

Theory: See LD prefs for opinions on theory.

Evidence: My evidence standards are a bit higher in PF due to frequent bad paraphrasing. I will likely review cards which are deemed critical in round during prep time. If I find that the card itself is misconstrued I will be annoyed and have a lower threshold for response to the arguments that rely on the card. That said I think there is a difference in making an argument which misconstrues the card rather than the card itself being misconstrued. That's just debate.

That's all folks.

Hi There!

I'm Subbu Sithamraju, first time Judging. I request all participants to maintain decorum, respect each other and be fully engaged. Pls talk at normal conversational speeds.

Have fun.

Best,

Subbu..

Hey,

My name is Jay and I have competed for 4 years in Congressional Debate, World Schools and Extemp in the national circuit.

For Congressional Debate:

The main thing I judge is checking to see if you are establishing a clear net benefit or net harm. You are getting dropped on my ballot if you are on the negation and don't clearly tell me how the bill harms the American public. Similarly for the affirmative, I expect a clear establishment of the net benefit. Additionally, I expect a proper framework of debate. This means early speeches should be constructive to the round, with later speeches becoming extensions and rebuttals that add to previous speeches. Weighing the impacts of the affirmation vs. the negation is also very important in late-round speeches.

I am not a big stickler for rhetoric, but I look for a clear link between arguments (rhetoric is always secondary to clean argumentation). That being said, better rhetoric does add to your speech and make your speech even better in a round with great competitors. However, I expect intros/conclusions to be memorized and the speaker to have tonal variety. I am also fine with anything on cross-examination- I just want a clear point to get across with every question.

I usually rank presiding officers in my top 5. However, I expect them to run a fast and efficient round and a round with little to no mistakes. I highly discourage one-sided debate, especially at tournaments that allow internet access and I urge the presiding officer to emphasize that in rounds and work with the chamber to find solutions.

For WS:

The main thing that I look for is a clear net benefit and harm. Good weighing will immediately get you my ballot. For the rest on rhetoric, check above.

Good luck today- I hope everyone has fun!

I am a debate parent. I always do my best to be fair. I appreciate a well-articulated speech with understandable speed, well organization, logic flow of framework, qualitive evidence supporting the arguments, and good delivery with adequate body gesture and audience communication. Crossfire plays a role too but being assertive not aggressive is very important. I look forward to a respectful, thoughtful and meaningful debate.

My primary coaching event is Congressional Debate. Don't freak out, I prefer the debate portion of the event as my high school background is in PF/LD.

For CD: I’ll always consider a balance of presentation, argumentation, and refutation. If you happen to drop the ball on one of those traits during a speech, it won’t ruin your rank on my ballot. I look for consistency across the board and most importantly: What is your speech doing for the debate? Speaking of which, pay attention to the round. If you're the third speaker in the row on the same side, your speech isn't doing anything for the debate. I definitely reward kids who will switch kids or speak before their ideal time for the sake of the debate, even if it's not the best speech in the world.

For both PF/LD: As long as you're clear/do the work for me, I have no preference for/against what you run/do in the round. I'll vote off of what you give me. With that, I really stress the latter portion of that paradigm, "I'll vote off of what you give me". I refuse to intervene on the flow, so if you're not doing the work for me, I'm gonna end up voting on the tiniest, ickiest place that I should not be voting off of. Please don't make me do that. Respect the flow and its links.

PF specific: I love theory. I don't prefer theory in PF, but again I'll vote off of where the round ends up...it'd be cool if it didn't head in that direction as a good majority of the time you can still engage in/ win the debate without it.

I don't time roadmaps, take a breather and get yourself together.

Speed isn't an issue for me in either event.

Avoid flex prep.

I prefer googledocs to email for evidence sharing (brittanystanchik@gmail.com).

hi guys!

i have a background in traditional LD, which i competed for 5 years at the local, state, and international level.

first thing: i have zero tolerance for any form of racism, sexism, islamaphobia, anti-semitism, ableism or any hate. i will drop your speaks and report you to the tournament shockingly fast. don't try me!

framework is really important to me, so you need to win the FW first and then prove why your impacts are better under that FW.

PLEASE PROVIDE VOTING ISSUES!

if you want me to extend something, you need tell me to do so but also extend/briefly reexplain your impacts, not just the cards. if your opponent dropped something, tell me. the general theme is that I can't do things for you, and there's no access to my ballot unless you make it clear why you won.

my threshold for circuit args in trad is pretty high, so run them at your own risk. i talk pretty fast and am comfortable judging fast speakers, but don't full on spread in locals please (please).

if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask me. my email is lamees.subeir@gmail.com

remember, each tournament is rly just one out of many. this is important, and i'll try my hardest to be the fairest judge possible, but one round is not your end all be all. have fun:)

p.s. if u drop an avatar reference (arrow guy, not the blue people), i'll bump ur speaks.

My name is Alan Wade, and I'm a first-time judge. I'm a retired PRofessor of Theatre (George Washington University. M career should NOT suggest that I will emphasize a speaker's "performance" over the substance of the speech. Indeed, WHAT is said and HOW it is said jointly communicate a speaker's intentions.

Speed of utterance is not a goal. Rather, intelligibility of speech is the goal. The speaker should craft a speech that can persuade the chamber to adopt his or her position in the allotted time. Of course, the speaker needs to be engaging. Appropriate use of the voice for emphasis is critical, as are gestures and movement.

As to the substance of the speech, the speaker's position must be supported by evidence, and this evidence must be substantiated by citing reputable sources. Evidence must sufficient to justify the speaker's position. Repetition of arguments an be persuasive if there is new evidence. Being "professional" is important as, for example, the way a speaker references/addresses other speakers, the presiding officer, and the parliamentarian. And, very importantly, congressional debate is competitive, but should not use ad hominem argument or otherwise derogate another speaker's remarks.

During the questioning period both the questioner and the respondent should be efficient in their colloquy.

Finally, the Presiding Officer should keep the debate moving without attempting to dominate the chamber.

Email for communication (feel free to say hello or ask about ballots) and email chains:edward.e.wilson.jr@gmail.com

Hello!

I have three great loves, Dolphins, Celine Dion, and Speech and Debate, and while a competitor I competed in in Lincoln-Douglas, Public-Forum, Congress, Policy, Informative Speaking, Extemporaneous Debate, Declamation, Poetry, Prose, Impromptu, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Program Oral Interpretation and Pro Con Challenge

I would say my abilities were most notable in Congress which If it interests you any I was a 2 time NCFL Finalist, A Tournament of Champions Semi-Finalist and a 2 Time NSDA Finalist culminating in being the 2nd Place National Winner in Congress-House at the 2023 NSDA Nationals.

I think debate, especially, is something exciting and thus I love to be excited by debates that I watch, not bored to death, or worse; made upset and angry.

General Debate Stuff:

1) Make sense! This is pretty simple just make sure you have an argument that can be LOGICALLY followed by me at the very least. You do not need to make it a case accessible to a ten year old, but do not talk about crazy out of this world stuff unless you can CLEARLY link it to something sensible.

2) Do not go over time. I stop flowing/listening when your time is done so it really does nothing for you-like at all.

3) This should be pretty basic. Don't be rude/racist/sexist/homophobic/elitist. That last one is there because while the others are ones most(but sadly not all) debaters have down pack, elitism seems to seep out of some debates. Don't treat your opponent or their arguments like they are beneath you. Even if an argument is not as well thought out, don't call it ridiculous or something similar. Say it is illogical or does not fall into the resolution or etc. I do not expect you to explain why 2+2 does not equal 3 but also do not expect nor want nor will I be pleased if you are rude about the audacity of the argument or worse if you relate said argument to ad hominem attacks on your opponent.

LD Specific:

1) Values above ALL! This is Lincoln Douglas debate and as much as you may want to make it single person policy IT IS NOT. I do not care if you outline an effective cure to cancer in your case, if it does appeal to the value debate I will place VERY LITTLE weight on it. A debater with a lacking case that upholds his value through the round will ALWAYS win over a debater with an excellent case that loses on the value front. I have to vote by value and value criterion first.

2) Value Criterions matter! For some reason it is the hot new thing to free style it with only a value and have your VC either non existent or irrelevant but VCs matter ALOT. Values mean different things to different people and a VC (a good and relevant one) is the only way to solve this. Jack the Ripper's value of morality did not include preserving human life. Value Criterions tell me how to evaluate your value and that is insanely important.

3) I do not care about drops that are irrelevant. What I mean by this is, if you say "My opponent drops my Contention 3 Subpoint D, therefore I win on X argument", My question will be, does it matter. If all your subpoints in your contention 3 are about the benefits to dolphins and your opponent explains why your world harms dolphins I don't care that they do not cite your specific benefit. If dolphins are going to be hurt in your world what does it matter if your Subpoint D is that Dolphins need better ocean water, it still falls without your opponent attacking it directly. That being said, at all cost do not make drops but know that I will evaluate the measure of a drop to see if flowing the drop is actually worth it or if it even matters to the overall question at hand. Speaking of that....

4) Answer the ACTUAL resolution. The NSDA gives a topic for debate and that is what the debate should be centered around. Theory and any other thing you could think of to sidestep the debate DOES NOT MATTER. If you have a problem with the way debate works, whether it be disclosures or the structure of speaking times, take it up with the NSDA, the people who make the ACTUAL rules. And even if you do not run theory, if you make the ENTIRE debate about something frivolous I will be VERY unpleasant on your ballot. Debate about the topic, and as Miranda Priestly would say, that's all!

5) Truth>tech. I'll elaborate more in round if wanted. But basically I can’t reasonably be expected to evaluate an argument simply because you explained it better even if I blatantly know it’s false I am human after all- furthermore doing that gives great advantage to those who can L.A.R.P in a debate round over those who actually are using substantive evidence and points.

Congress Specific:

Ranking the Top 3 people in congress, then milling around trying to determine the order from 4th to 8th, is fairly Hard if you have a Good round.

POs- I don't want to think about you. If I go the full 2 hour+ session without thinking about your existence, that's a good thing. It means that you kept the session running efficiently without drawing attention to yourself and I will reward you greatly.

As a person who PO'd alot including at National Finals I have GREAT respect for PO's and I know how grueling it is being on constant go mode for hours on end. As such do not be afraid to PO for fear that you won't be noticed amongst the other "talented" speakers- For the VAST majority of rounds a PO is automatically in my top 3 from the start. But don't take that as your star call to run for PO. I expect ALOT from POs.

I would highly advise against running for PO if I'm your judge and you have any one of these qualities:

A) Look at me disease. I'm not impressed by fancy charts or speech or how firm and hostile you sound keeping "order". Your Job as PO is not to show off or make it clear "who's in charge", it's to facilitate the chamber. I don't need to be reminded you're there or to rank you or the hours that have passed, Congress is a lot of people fighting for tight time slots and every second wasted by your need to speak when you don't have to is time that could better spent.

B) Non superior understanding of the rules. If you have to ask the Parli about non tournament specific info/something already included in the NSDA Manual and Congress rules, don't expect very good rankings from me. For me that's like a speaking rep in student congress not understanding speeches or questioning--a main part of your job is knowing the rules better than anyone else in the chamber so it looks very embarassing when you do not.

C) A Weak stomach for conflict. I said in the A) point I don't like PO's being a show off at being tough-which is true. But appropiate toughness is not only warranted but a part of the job. Ideally we should never be at a point where a rulling is questioned but if it is, you better be right-and calmly but firmly explain why such as: (Rep X gave the 8th speech on the prev bill while Y gave the 6th therefore I was correct in calling on them based on Recency.) If you are correct KNOW why you are.

D) Value Speed over Accuarcy. Contrary to popular belief, efficency is not doing things the fastest way possible, it's doing things the fastest way possible CORRECTLY. If you are trying to move so fast that you have to stumble over yourself 4 times in questioning because you keep realizing that someone else is actually supposed to be called on--that's a problem. Even if you end up with the correct person in the end these moments damage your legitmacy and make me think and wonder about you (remember me thinking about you is a bad thing).

Even with these things know I am merciful, as I said, I have been in your shoes as PO and know how hard it is. I recognize these are HIGH expectations for a PO and that judging POs needs appropiate weighing. For example A PO in a 2 hour session is on the clock for 120 minutes, while a REP gets to show their talent for about maybe 8 minutes a piece plus some precudural and activity stuff. Therefore the percentage time of a PO doing what they need to be doing even with some errors will almost always be higher than most REPs. As such it's hard not to be in my top 6 as a PO(unless you're in a killer chamber like a break round at Nats which if that's the case you need to be on your A-game, those people are sharks and, I won't dock good speakers because of my fondness of POs).

Also- I track precedence and recency whether I'm the Parli or not, don't let me catch a slip you don't acknowledge because the chamber trusts you, I won't be happy.

Legislators should always---

1) Refer to your fellow legislators as Senator or Representative. I do not care which one, unless its a Congress Quals or the chamber type has been preset by the tournament, but you MUST use this title. And also, refer to the Presiding Officer as Mr./Madam Presiding Officer, or if neither of those Pronouns fit, Presiding Officer or the Chair is fine.

2) Question time is a time for questioning NOT AHA MOMENTS! Teeing up something for a later speech is fine SO LONG AS you are asking a legitimate question that either relates DIRECTLY to the speaker's speech or to a SPECIFIC part of the bill. For example "Why is Section 3's enforcement of the bill any different than HR.123 introduced in 2012" is an okay and quite frankly excellent question. But "How can you defend this bill when giving money to end cancer is more important" is a very bad question. Do not get me wrong, having a NEG speech about why giving money to end cancer would be a better use of funds is fine, but you are not utilizing questioning time to do it what its purpose is, to clarify issues posed SPECIFICALLY in either the bill/res or the speaker's speech. Also, being rude in Questioning is an automatic way to drop down to 8th (MAX) on my rankings. And while I prefer PO's who act like they are not even there, I expect some interference when questioning time becomes either too rowdy or ineffectual.

3) I, like most sane people, despise Rehash with a burning passion. Any speech after the first cycle of Aff and Neg that doesn't reference a previous question or speaker or at least attempt to answer questions of the debate at hand, will automatically get no higher than a 4. And a legislator who consistently makes these types of speeches in the round can look forward to a nice 8th place or lower depending on the rest of the chamber and how they debate. I don't care what stuck up, pretentious, policy/ld/pf kids say. Congress is a DEBATE EVENT. Actual debate should be taking place as such....

4) MOVE ON!! When debate is done, it is done. Congress is incredible to me because you have such an array of topics you are allowed to debate within the different legislation. If you're the 7th AFF speaker it better be for a VERY good reason. I don't mean the "i thought of something no one has said" good reason i mean the "everyone has been debating that this bill talks about giving Money to The Vatican when it very clearly talks about Togo" good reason.. RARELY do incredibly late speeches have anything new to say. I will be very impressed by Reps who choose to move to the previous questioning even over objections because they know as I do that there is NOTHING new to say. Your laundry list
"crystal" speech does not impress me in the slightest. And reps who fight the motion down for "equity" can expect not so great marks on their ballots for me. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. EVERYONE DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK ON EVERY BILL. If you choose to keep the "debate" on a bill going solely so everyone can speak on it I will not be kind in your rankings ESPECIALLY if you break cycle. Breaking cycle means you have not, like is expected of Policy,LD,PF and congress DEBATE competitors researched and prepared to speak on both sides.

Clarity of arguments, organization, evidence, logic, and balance.