National Speech and Debate Tournament

2023 — Phoenix/Mesa, AZ/US

Kathleen Uhnavy Paradigm

Lincoln Douglas
Lincoln Douglas Debate Judge Philosophy

Your experience with LD Debate (check all that apply)

Current LD coach
Current Public Forum coach or judge
Speech coach

How many years have you judged LD debate?

9

How many LD rounds have you judged this year?

0-10

What is your preferred rate of delivery?

4/91 = Slow conversational style
9 = Rapid conversation speed
 

Does the rate of delivery weigh heavily in your decision?

Y
 

Will you vote against a student solely for exceeding your preferred speed?

N

How important is the criterion in making your decision?

It is a major factor in my evaluation
 

Do you feel that a value and criterion are required elements of a case?

Y

Rebuttals and Crystallization

 

Voting issues should be given:

As one moves down the flow
 

The use of jargon or technical language ("extend", "cross-apply", "turn", etc.) during rebuttals:

Should be kept to a minimum
 

Final rebuttals should include:

Voting issues
 

Voting issues are:

Absolutely necessary

How do you decide the winner of the round?

I decide who is the person who persuaded me more of their position

How necessary do you feel the use of evidence (both analytical and empirical) is in the round?

8/91 = Not necessary
9 = Always necessary

Please describe your personal note-taking during the round

I write down the key arguments throughout the round
Additional remarks: I am BIG on ethics. Any violation of ethics on either side would sway my decisions. I expect debaters to have deep knowledge of their topics, but also to treat the activity and each other with respect and dignity. I absolutely want to be able to hear and understand you. This means if you are talking too fast in order to get in as many points as you can, you will not get my vote. If I cannot understand your arguments because of your pacing then you've lost the debate. Finally, some big things I look for are: organization (is it easy to follow your argument?), impact (have you clearly explained how/why your evidence is important and have you tied it back to your value and criterion clearly?), speaking ability (can you use your body and voice as tools for persuasion?)

Note: if you wish for your pronouns to appear the debaters you judge on text/email blasts, log into Tabroom, click Profile at top, and add them in the Pronouns field.