Judging Details and Information

Judging Information

Contact Info on Day of Tournament:

General Information

• Ballots will be issued via tabroom.com so please make sure that you have logged in to that website and created an account. Having a device with you that day will help with electronic ballots.

• No account? No worries! We can use paper ballots and enter them that day by hand.

• Dress is Business Casual

• Judges are not expected to attend our Kick-off event at Maymont on May 5 but you are more than welcome to come by if you are so inclined.

• Judges should arrive on campus to check in between 7:30-8:00AM. Check in is at Pitt Hall located at 103 N. Mooreland Rd, Richmond, Va. 23229

• Opening Assembly is at 8AM and is required for all judges. We will run through the day and the judging procedures at that time.

• Rounds are released at 8:50AM. We will send this information out via tabroom but we will also post it outside of the judge’s lounge in the Academic Commons. (Maps to all of these locations will be provided at check in.

Parking

Parking is open on campus so you may park where convenient. We will have students and signs strategically located to direct you to your locations. If you are ever lost you can always text or call Shannon Castelo at the number listed above.

A map can be found here https://www.collegiate-va.org/our-school/our-campus/directions

Lunch

Lunch is generously provided by the Powell Center for Responsible Citizenship located on our Collegiate Campus. We will have a buffet style taco bar from Chicken Fiesta ( plus there incredible Tres Leches cake!), a local familiy-owned restaurant here in Richmond. You can learn more about Chicken Fiesta and its origin here https://chickenfiesta.com/about/

Please let Shannon know if you have any dietary restrictions that we should prepare for.

Schedule: Friday, May 5, 2023

Schedule: Saturday, May 6, 2023

Location: Collegiate School 103 N. Mooreland Rd. Richmond, Va. 23229

Judges- Please read before Friday night. Let me know if you have any questions.

Judging the GCD is unlike any competitive debate circuit. No prior competitive debate experience. GREAT! We love that. We will go over the basics during the opening assembly on Saturday. For preliminary rounds you may be the only judge in the room. The out-rounds ( quarters, semis, finals) will all be panels.

The flow will be as follows:

1. Rounds will be posted via email and text through tabroom AND posted on paper outside of the judges lounge located in the Craigie Boardroom in the Academic Commons.

2. Double check you are in the correct room by verifying student names. If you have tabroom and are familiar you can start the ballot on there, otherwise fill in the paper ballot provided in the judge’s lounge.

3. Listen to the speeches, checking any pre-conceived notions or bias at the door. Try to listen as a neutral observer- take notes as needed but it is not required. Here is a video of what to expect.The bottomline is that you are voting for the student you felt made the most persuasive argument. Trust your gut instinct. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4nlGuYILQ4&t=1s

4. Moderator questions are the most intimidating but again, trust yourself here. Ask each debater at least ONE question. Questions can be, for example, case specific questions, what if scenarios, the classic “What would Reagan believe”, or clarifications. Some examples might be something along the line of the following ( these are just examples):

• You discussed in your case the Constitution, what do you think the Founding Fathers would have believed in regard to the resolution?

• Do you think we can entrust the important work you discussed in your case to unskilled 18-26 year olds?

• Reagan was a lifelong public servant. He also once said “As government expands, liberty contracts”, considering that do you think he would have believed about Mandatory National Service?

• Do you believe the 13th Amendment was intended to include programs like Mandatory Service? Is such service “coerced labor”? (Maybe just ask if the program is constitutional if that was not an argument brought up in the round)

• Both cases mention crisis in the US- What do you believe is the greatest crisis we are facing as a nation today?

• Do you think Mandatory National Service might impact the economic future of our nation? How so?

• If this program was instituted next year, how would you personally feel about mandatory service?

• Will this program bring parties together or just cause more division and sabotage bi-partisan relationships and program?

• Would Mandatory National Service bolster or weaken national security?

1. When you are done, fill out the ballot and make comments. You do NOT give oral feedback to the kids in the round and please do not share who won the round. Immediately deliver the ballot sealed in the provided envelope to tabroom located near the judges lounge. You can give this to any student runners in the judge’s lounge if you can’t find the tabroom.

2. Return to the judge’s lounge for the next round.
   
   

We are so excited to host you on our campus. Please reach out if you need ANYTHING between now and Saturday!