Please email (or if you'd rather, ask your coach to)pattridg@asu.eduif you have any questions.

GENERAL PHILOSOPHY:

I am a college & high school speech coach with eight years' competition experience and thirteen years' coaching/judging experience. In that time, I have witnessed (both from a distance and firsthand) that debate historically upholds patriarchy, white supremacy, xenophobia, transphobia, and many, many more negative systemic forces that Executive Orders would rather we didn't talk about. Making sure that rounds do not reify those forces requires active effort. Please put in that effort.

I am not a tabula rasa judge. To be so at this point, per the above, would be tantamount to complicity. If you say something that is factually wrong, and I know that it is factually wrong, I am much less likely to pick up that argument, regardless of what happens on the flow. In fact, nobody is 100% able to discard their positionality and socialization at the door. This is a learning space, and part of the way that we unlearn toxic patterns of behavior is through ballot commentary and RFDs. Repeated invocation of racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, or transphobic discourse will impact your speaker points, ballot comments, and, if egregious enough, win/loss record.

Regarding cards: if you aren't going to flash cases, please slow down when you read author names. I need to be able to get these down accurately to follow the debate, as do your opponents. I've seen some really unethical card cutting this season, and I don't think it's been intentional. Please be careful that the way that you cut does not change the meaning of the card. Finally, any card from the Heritage Foundation is not an unbiased source--they are the architects behind Project 2025--so use at your own risk. And if you launder a Heritage Foundation source by citing it differently, I will drop you--what does it say about your belief in the source if you had to convince me it wasn't produced by the architects behind Project 2025?

Please feel free to ask for any accommodations you need or like. Stand, sit, whatever lets you debate with maximum proficiency. Regarding speed, I reserve the right to say "clear" if I'm having trouble following, and will extend that right to both teams as well. Do not abuse that right. Keep in mind that flashing cases solves a lot of these issues.

LD/PARLI/POLICY:

Speed is fine, love Ks, cool with Theory but actually tell me if you want me to vote on it. See above for "clear". I highly recommend explicitly stating how arguments link back to framework.

IPDA:

I'm fine with any kind of argumentation in this event, but make sure your opponent is too. This is the kind of question to ask before prep starts, not after.

PF:

Don't flow through ink. Don't strawman your opponent's evidence or flow coverage (saying "they didn't address Contention 2 subpoint A" when they in fact did. You can tell me why they didn't address it in ways that mattered, and go in depth here, but don't conflate that with "they didn't address it"). The first time it happens, I will give you some leeway. The second time it happens, it will impact your speaker points. The third time it happens, you will be dropped. Clarity and clear links are valued. Theory here should be try-or-die if you're running it, and if you're running it against a K that has specific implications for how the debate space reifies the substance of the K, you need to argue for your shell in a way that doesn't buy into the K unless you're also going to tell me why the K itself is wrong/doesn't apply to the debate space.

CONGRESS:

It's never too early for clash. Please start addressing the opposition's arguments as early as speech two. It really helps ensure that clash continues throughout debate.

If you spew, it is a automatic loss.

I judge off of the best combination presentation, logic, and argumentation

I competed in LD and PFD for Brophy College Prep ('13). I've been judging high school debate since '13, and have experience competing in collegiate Parliamentary and IPDA debate.

As someone who believes this activity is all about YOU (the debaters), I try not to set standards that would adversely affect your ability to debate the way you prefer. This means I am open-minded and accepting when it comes to alternative case styles, performance methods, K's, theory, etc. 

For the sake of my flow, please signpost at all times. Speed and spreading are fine with me, as long as I can get your tags/sources/authors.

As far as voting, I base my decision on whatever happens in the round aka I'm a flow judge. I look for clash, I look for impact calc, and I look for solid link chains.

This is what I ask for of my debaters:

1. Be kind. You're debating other human persons, and should treat yourself, your partner, and your opponents as such.
2. Be respectful. Being on time is a demonstration of respect. Allowing equal time distribution in cross-ex is a show of respect. Shake the hands of your opponents, but not mine.
3. Be smart. Don't waste time, don't make up evidence, don't make bad allegories.

This is how I assign speaker points:
(a great way to guess what your sp might be is watching my facial expressions when you speak)

30 - You were fluent, a great speaker, arguments had solid reasoning and link stories, provided impact calc, signposted, etc.
29 - Maybe you had one or two verbal hiccups or not-so-strong arguments
28 - Maybe you had more than one or two verbal hiccups or not-so-strong arguments
27 - This is what I call "average"
26 - This is what I call "below average"
25 - This is what I call "a mess"
24 and below - You probably said something offensive or hateful 

Miscellaneous things about me as a judge:

- I keep track of all prep time. I will ask "are you taking prep" at the end of each speech to the next speaker. I will NOT time prep during evidence sharing, but you should have your case/evidence ready for your opponents to review, because - guess what! - I may also want to review that evidence.
- If my timer starts beeping I stop flowing!
- Please don't address me in your speeches, it is not good word economy and it also makes me uncomfortable. Also please do not shake my hand unless you are going to lowkey slip me chocolate/ca$h.
- I am open to giving more in-depth advice/critiques after the round, as long as you don't interrupt me when I'm eating
- Don't interrupt my RFD, because that is ME time, I just had to listen to YOU speak for ~20-25 minutes total.  
- I am a human being with flaws so I apologize in advance for any and all facial expressions/vocal reactions I may have in a round I judge

I am a lay judge. I do not have debate experience, although I have been judging debate for about three years.

I will try my best to flow your debate and judge based on the flow, but:

-Speed: If you talk too fast, I probably won't be able to understand you, and if I can't understand something, I can't flow it.

-If you want me to vote for you on an argument, it should be in summary and final focus, and not just in a blippy extension. I want you to actually extend the warrants for your arguments.

-I would prefer final focus to be big-picture. I want you to tell me why I should vote for you.

-While I try to understand technical debate terms, I might not immediately know what debate jargon means. If you are going to use it, explain it.

-Please give me a roadmap and signpost.

-Please don't be rude/swear/use offensive language.

-It would be nice if you read dates for your evidence.

Overview: I have been the Head Coach at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy since founding the team in 2013. I have been fortunate to coach dozens of students both at the AZ-local level and on the national circuit, but believe this activity (regardless of event) is first and foremost about "seeking the truth" through deep reading, active listening, clear thinking, and finally honest speaking. Your goal should not be to only be able to convince people with insular prior experience and expertise in S&D; good communication is good communication and should be about being able to reach anyone. As a coach, I also have the privilege/challenge of training lots of new parent/community judges who are scared to judge for the first time. My honest belief is that if you've "read a book before, watched a movie before, listened intently to a lecture before, and had a conversation with someone who disagreed with you" then you have sufficient life experience to become a good speech and debate judge (assuming they also learn the event rules/format, give feedback, and keep asking questions to keep improving).

Congressional Debate: Congressional Debate will forever be one of my favorite events. Your job is to be the whole package: convincing speaker, solid researcher, active questioner, and get into the collegial role play (without wandering too far into excessive, unnecessary motions).

- Speeches: There is no specific speaking position that is prone to do better or worse than others for me. I've seen and coached dozens of students who were primarily constructive speakers who liked speaking in early cycles on each bill. Thoroughly researched and original constructive speeches are vital for inviting good debate to follow. Others preferred (and were successful) at being a mix of late-constructive-speaker with some refutation (I welcome direct refutation as long as it is deeper than "Rep XX says YY and I disagree", offer an analysis of their claims/warrants/impacts). Others preferred to be a late cycle ("crystalization") speaker with greater emphasis on "weighing" and clarifying the overall issues brought up in the debate (please know that just giving a laundry list of previous speaker names, what they said, and whether you agree/disagree is not a crystalization; I was already here to hear their speeches, you still need to offer unique research and original analysis, even if it is analysis of their analysis). Any of those three speaker positions can do well or can do poorly depending on the speaker/speech. All three of them have an important role to play in Congressional Debate. In all 3 speaking positions, evidence is necessary.

- Decorum/Speech Length: The NSDA rule is that speeches have a time limit of 3 minutes, but does not specify a penalty for those who abuse the speech length. My belief is that exceeding the time limit is un-collegial (privileging one's own speech over those of others), shows a lack of decorum, and disrespects the rules. Many tournaments/leagues have begun offering a 10 second grace period (with the idea of letting a speaker finish their sentence/thought). If you are competing at a tournament that allows such a grace period, know that your goal should still be to give a 3:00 speech and not 3:10 speeches. Exceeding 3:10 is frankly rude (I've been horror-struck to see speeches go to 3:17, 3:26, 3:42, etc.), particularly when your PO is giving you several warnings. Stealing time from Congress’ ability to get to other speeches is unfair and poor form.

- Presiding: I have trained many students to preside (and even been fortunate to coach a student who Presided in the Finals at Nationals), and know how incredibly difficult it is to lead your peers. I have judged many POs who have been ranked in my Top 1-3 or Top 6, and also judged POs who have been in the bottom 25% of my Parli ballot. I know how difficult POing is and wish to reward a truly great PO, but the bar for leadership is still quite high and getting elected is not a guarantee that you're going to earn a good rank. POing takes practice both inside and outside of tournaments.

- Mentorship/Civility: In some ways I am grateful that there isn't a novice division of Congressional Debate because it means that new students or competitors from teams who are new to Congress will hopefully get to see some good models from experienced students in the room which they can learn from and emulate. If you are an experienced Congressional Debater, you already have a sizable competitive advantage over these students learning the ropes; they are not a threat to you. Build them up, invite them to discuss the docket with you before the round, encourage them to come to the next Congress (its in your best interest for Congress to grow across the State and Nation). Bludging a new congressional debater to death or being condescending just makes them never want to do the activity again, and makes judges less inclined to vote for you (even if you give solid speeches). This activity is about more than winning rounds; "speaking with good purpose" should be about more than giving quality speeches.

Public Forum Debate: Despite having a background in debate, I wish teams would emphasize the "Public" nature of Public Forum Debate. I competed in Public Forum Debate shortly after it was founded, and remember that part of the rationale for creating it was that debate was getting too far removed from the public and becoming increasingly insular If this community exists to only persuade those who have been specially trained to think in a specific way, then this activity fails at its goal of being relevant in the real world.

Speak clearly, medium slowly, persuasively, and be grounded in thorough research (in all speeches, not just the constructives). Unsubstantiated claims, or rebuttal/summary/final focus speeches that keep re-hashing your side while ignoring the opposition's side, are not rewarded. Even though I am coach, you are inevitably far more broadly and deeply read on this specific topic. Your job is to teach me just like it would be to teach any judge. I should leave feeling like I've learned something about the world, or think about the topic in a slightly new way.

Lincoln Douglas Debate: Please allow me to give you the respect of speaking honestly. I have coached lots of Novice LD through the basics of traditional LD, and past that I admit my limitations. I am essentially non-responsive to kritikal arguments and spreading. I acknowledge that you are significantly more thoroughly read on the topic than I am and likely will ever be. Use that knowledge responsibly and teach me. I should leave the round feeling like I as the judge learned something new about the world (or I should think about something in a new way), because you slowly taught it to the audience. Make it obvious your side is winning.

Policy Debate: If a tournament is in dire straits and desperate enough that I am judging a round of policy debate, then God rest all of our souls. Firstly, consider what I've said above about Congress, PF, and LD. If judging policy debate, I will basically adopt a "policy maker" paradigm, and your job is to (slowly, like a real policymaker would) convince me that the policy plan put forward is or isn't the better option. If I can't understand you, then I don't write it down and it didn't happen. You will have more success with stock arguments: topicality, advantages/disadvantages, maybe counterplans. If you're willing to meet me where I'm at, I'll give you a fair listening. I understand the need for progressive/kritikal arguments to exist in this form of academic debate, but they will most likely not help you win my vote.

Background: Coached high school debate for four years, middle school debate for two years and I'm currently in my first year of college coaching.High School Competitive Experience:  Mainly in congress, impromptu, parli and duo.  Qualified to states in cong, duo, opp and TOC bid in congress.  College Competitive Experience: Parli, IPDA, Extemp, Impromptu, ADS/STE.  NPTE Qualifier, Parli 2nd seed and Semifinalist at state , 8th best Parli spkr and semifinalist at Nationals, awarded best college parli team in the country as voted on by competitors. State champ in imp/ext, finalist ads. National Finalist imp, semifinalist ads and ext.

Delvery: A. Speed       I have a fine motor skill issue that prevents me from flowing super fast. I will listen to some speed, but not full spreading. I can handle more speed than lay, but less than avg flow judge. If I call speed 3x and you don't slow down you lose the round.       B. Speaker Points. Rounds should be fun. If you make me laugh, I'll give you 30 spks no questions asked. I like puns, messed up jokes, Childish Gambino, Hamiltion and silly analogies. You won't win just for being funny, but you'll up your spks for sure.

Types of Arguments I will and won't listen to. Debate is a game so run what you want, but here is a tip sheet if you have me.

Counterplans: Make sure they aren't permable, that they are non topical and that they don't bite into your own disadvantage

Conditionality: Kick whatever you want as long as their isn't offense on them. I'll listen to condo theory

Kritik's: Will listen to them if the structure is very organized. I want to be told the role of the ballot, the framework, the link,, the impact, the alt etc... I've only voted on one k ever.

Topicality: If you're being  abused by the aff run it. I'm also okay with seeing it as time strategy. Show the articulated abuse. 

Reverse Voting Issues: They usually arent very persuasive but I will buy them more than the average flow judge.

Spreading Theory: If you're calling speed, clear and the team refuses to slow down I will probably vote for this if you do an okay job running it.

No New Points in Rebuttal Theory: I'm a fan, but you have to earn it.

Trichotomy: Bleh, you better make some really compelling arguments.

Perm: Show why both plan and cp can be done. I won't allow everything to  be permed just because it's a "test of competition"

No Neg Fiat: I'll laugh, but hey, if you can do it, good for you.

Overall: Be organized, use subpoints, number your responses, explain your impacts. I will listen to complex arguments but please explain them clearly.  Hard for me to vote for you if you don't give me voters. HAVE FUN.

LD - I am a traditional judge, I do not favor progressive LD. I look for clash and a good morality debate. I also favor good communication. If I can't understand you, I can't flow.

PF - I am a traditional judge, do not favor progressive PF. See above.

My philosophy is very straightforward - show me that you love debating, know your topic and don't pile on when your opponents are going down in flames. Assume I know nothing of the topic and educate me to your side of the argument. If you are going to spread, make sure I can understand you - I dislike spreading and will think less of your argument if you stumble on words while speeding through your canned speech.

If you are confident the other side has missed a point or not refuted yours, please point it out. But if you're not sure and/or they clarify their position, don't stake your argument on a tenous position. If my flow shows you are wrong, you'll lose credibility with me.

This is debate which means you have to listen to the other side and respond/refute. Show me that you are paying attention to the other side's arguments and are trying to undermine their position. That will impress me far more than reiterating your prepared case.

On the IE side, for HI, it's not stand-up comedy, so don't worry if you're not the funniest. Pathos is essential for humor, so if your piece has as much heart as humor, you'll do fine. Most other IE categories I judge on delivery and passion - not on acting ability. Get into your speech 100% and you'll impress me. With IMP, if you go literal, you'll lose me. Take your word/quote and give it some meaning/depth. OO/OA - I love learning about new things, and if you're passionate about your topic, let it show.

All four years of highschool I competed in speech and debate competitions. For those four years I was at Green Valley Highschool. I've done all four debates, but spent the most time in Lincoln-Douglas debate. I will follow the flow of the round and will likely ask to see your cases after the round has ended (if copies are not shared before the round begins). Disrespect and live communication (i.e. texting and using the internet) will not be tolerated. Keep debates on definitions to a minimum. If the topic warrants this being a debate on morals, only use data if your making a point on something moral. Leave metadebate behind if it doesn't belong here. If you can turn your opponent's arguments and data to fit your own case, do it; a turned argument is better than a defeated one. Cross examination will not be flowed, and do not bring up points or make arguments during it. Cross examination should be used to, for lack of a better term, "corner your opponents." If something important is said during cross examination, being it up in the next speech or lose it forever. I also believe that if you destroy your opponent's V and VC (or other debate equivalent) then they have no case, even if their argumentation and data is better. Low point wins exist, but nobody wants that. Spread and you may find trouble, for while I want this to be a full and exciting debate, I also want to be able to understand it properly. Finally, time limits will be strictly enforced. Get your points out quickly and efficiently. As they say in my homerift, GL;HF.

When it comes to speech events, I like the speeches that keep me engaged at all times and manage to effectively make me think. I have the most experience in Domestic Extemporaneous speaking and some time working with Duo Interpretation and Original Oratory. Speeches barely more than a minute and 30 seconds will most likely be ranked toward the bottom of the round, and make sure not to go more than 30 seconds over. All scripts should be memorized and using cheat sheets (or props for this matter) will earn you a place at the bottom of the round. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy yourself. The more comfortable you are delivering your speech, the more comfortable I will be listening/watching you perform it. While this does not mean that you should be informal, it does mean that you should not be as strict in your presentation as a general would be to the masses about an insurgency plan gone wrong. And, as they say in my homerift, GL;HF.

Email: jpmorri7@asu.edu Yes, please put me on the e-mail chain

I am policy debater at Arizona State University and basically, if you are reading this, you are already more competent than I am at debating. Imagine if I was a toddler and you had to debate in front of a toddler. I am a toddler who does understand what debate is even though I have done this for 3 years. Just imagine it. That's how you have to win.

I have judged both LD and Policy before for Chandler High and DV.

-High School Policy: I will ask if you want me to disclose. If anyone says no, I won't

-I am fine with speed as long as you are clear on the important bits

-Make sure to clearly state reasons why you ought to win

-The Neg Block and the 2AR I believe are the two most vital parts of the debate. Make sure these parts are A1 (good)

I am not picky nor do I have that deep of preferences. I am not hard and I will typically give you the benefit of the doubt

Do good!

Congress:

Please speak loudly enough to be heard by the judges. Refrain from repeating the same information as previous competitors in the round, give a crystallization speech and move to previous question instead. Please be prepared to give speeches on both the aff and neg of a bill you wish to speak on so that the session can proceed without delays.

Debate:

I prefer to hear a few well developed arguments, delivered with clarity, rather than a mass of contentions delivered at an unintelligible rate, (no spreading). Debate the topic and refrain from Plans as they often tend to skirt the issue. Please avoid speaking over your opponent during Cross. I tend to weigh impacts rather heavily and I will consider the flow, however it will not be the sole factor in determining the round.

Above all, I appreciate civility. Respect your opponents and maintain a positive attitude. I don't mind a little aggression, but if you start to get snarky or roll eyes, I will start deducting speaker points. I'm not a fan of spreading or spewing. I will flow as best as I can, but if I can't follow, don't expect to win. Please keep your case appropriate for today's practical application. Clash well, speak clearly and persuasively, and have fun and you should do well.

I am the coach for Mission San Jose. I believe that speech & debate is first and foremost an educational activity, and much of my paradigm is framed through that lens. I have a few simple rules regarding conduct and content of the debate.

Debate

1) Proper debate cannot exist without clash. If you make a contention in constructive but never mention it again I'm dropping it from my decision. I don't judge strictly on the flow (more on that in point 4), but if none of you thought the point was important enough to bring up again, it must not be important enough for me to judge on.

1a) Spreadatyourownrisk. I will be flowing the debate and will do my best to follow you, but you run the risk that I might miss something important if you do.

2) Deeply engage the topic. I'd much rather see a few well-developed points with thoughtful analysis and solid foundational evidence than a "shotgun" approach where you throw out as many loosely-articulated arguments as possible and see what sticks.

2a) I enjoy creative arguments. As a coach I hear a lot of the stock arguments over and over, so if you run something a bit more unusual you'll get my attention. I'm not going to vote for a squirrely case that redefines the motion in a really weird way, but feel free to run off-the-wall arguments in your case (just make sure you can prove they're relevant to the topic).

2b) I don't generally respond well to theory arguments and meta-gamesmanship; I'd much rather judge an actual debate on the topic at hand. This is especially true of case disclosure theory -- Aff already has a burden of presumption weighing against them (see point 4a), so if you feel like you can't prepare a decent counter argument without knowing the opponent's exact arguments ahead of time, you either need more prep or more practice. That said, I will listen to your theory case, but I probably won't vote for it unless the opponent is doing some particularly egregious.

3) I'm not going to do your work for you. My job is to judge the arguments as presented, not do my own analysis to prove you right or wrong. I will assume evidence is truthful and will not call for cards unless the opponent gives me reason to believe otherwise.

3a) If you try to make a point that is obviously factually incorrect (e.g. "Dubai is the capital of Pakistan") or wildly outlandish (e.g. "veganism will lead to nuclear war"), you will loose credibility and will cause me to view the rest of your arguments with more skepticism. And yes, those are actual statements I've heard in rounds.\

3b) I probably will not flow anything said in cross examination. I may take some notes to clarify what I've already written down, but if you want me to factor something said in cross into my decision you need to point in out in your next speech. However, I do consider how well you handle cross ex when awarding speaker points.

4) My judgement will be based on what is presented in the debate. Don't expect me to bring in other information that wasn't presented to fill in the blanks for you. While my ballot comments may mention things that weren't presented in the debate, that information is intended to help you refine your arguments and did not factor into my decision.

4a) In final focus, tell me what to weigh and why I should vote for you. By default I will judge on whether I am led to believe that the Aff case as presented accomplishes more for the greater good than the status quo. If Neg runs a counter (non-negation) case or a counter-plan (assuming it's allowed), I'm going to judge it on balance with the Aff case/plan, meaning I will decide which case I believe leads to overall better outcomes for the greater good within whatever scope/scale we spent the most time discussing during the debate. If both sides agree on a framework for deciding the winner, than that's what I'll vote on instead.

5) This is a debate, not a sound bite contest. That said, if you want maximum speaker points, vary your vocal dynamics to help emphasize your speech, employ some clever rhetoric (alliteration, allegory, etc.), and/or incorporate some classic rock or science fiction references. I'll usually award speaker points in the 27-28.9 range, with 29-30 reserved for speakers that I found particularly engaging and those who make especially good use of cross ex.

6) Respect your opponent and your fellow humans. Academic debate is no place for sexism, racism, religism, or any other prejudicial and marginalizing -isms. Use your CX time wiseley to clarify the opponent's argument and find holes to exploit later in argumentation, or to perhaps plug up a hole you didn't realized you'd missed, not show off how much you can talk over the other person. And if you feel a need to resort to ad hominem attacks, you've lost me and we're done.

I coach Extemp and Congress at Bellarmine and also have experience with Policy and Original Advocacy.

If I am your judge in an Interp round: I'm sorry. I don't know much about the events and honestly, much of the way I judge simply has to do with whether I am interested in the story you are telling. I am not good at evaluating blocking and so forth. It does seem to me that having multiple characters adds a degree of difficulty, so that tends to go a long way with me.

For INFO/Expos: I really want to LEARN something from your speech. You might have kind of a run-of-the-mill topic with lovely VA's and dynamic delivery, but if the content is pretty bland and I am not learning anything, then I will rank you low. I tend not to get too snowed by nice VA's. Some kids come from more money than others and if a student has a really original idea with strong research behind it, I don't want to penalize them for not having the money or access to a program that can help them get great VA's. I will say, though, that you really should not have a speech of nothing but content. That is HARD to sit through for 10 minutes. Aim to inject some humor or levity where you can.

When it comes to things like Oratory and Advocacy, I like to see RESEARCH and EVIDENCE. Your OO or OA should not be like a DI or HI. I am interested in your reasoning and analysis. Please don't try to cover for lack of empirics and analytical rigor by resorting to excessive pathos.

The event with which I have the most experience is Extemp. I love Extemp. However, I deplore the manner in which final rounds of Extemp at Nats have devolved into stand-up comedy routines. I find that more and more students say very little, they just say it in a very entertaining way. Extemp is an event where you should have an argument, you should have evidence, you should rely upon a range of sources. Students should have a sophisticated argument based upon multiple sources (1 per point...um, no) that are accurately cited. Don't say that the Washington Post had an article on something. Tell me WHEN it had the article. In addition, I am quite pleased to see students stretch beyond standard sources like the NYT, WSJ, Economist, etc. When you show me that you are relying upon sources beyond those that everyone uses, I think that reflects well upon you. Bear in mind: the topics you are speaking about are by and large serious. So students who are smarmy and pleased with themselves and their puns really rub me the wrong way. Finally, I fundamentally reject the movement to enable competitors to bring a notecard or the outline into the room with them to rely upon when delivering. This a tough event. It has many moving parts. The best extempers can handle all of them, including memorization, well. I will in all likelihood not rank you in the top half of the room if you are using a notecard or your outline. I also am glad to check your cites and evidence. There are people who go really far in this event making things up. Extemp is not supposed to be fiction. I wish we had more routine cite checking. If tournaments don’t do it, I certainly will on my own.

If I am judging you in Policy debate, you should know that I rarely vote on T. I don't mind a good K, but you need to understand the author. If you are just reading cards that your coach cut for you, the round is not terribly interesting because you don't understand what you are talking about. I can handle medium speed, largely because I find spreading to be really unpleasant to listen to. Plus, if debate is an academic activity, then I am not sure what the value of talking crazy fast is. Please, please, please: do not make me listen to multiple speeches about whether or not the round is educational. That is my nightmare. You have a resolution, you have a topic. ENGAGE WITH IT. But when you dance around with T too much or go nuts about the round not being educational, I truly feel like my time is being wasted. Also, I get that there is often the incentive to go to extinction and nuclear holocaust, etc. But I encourage you to consider whether that always makes any sense. Sometimes debaters go from zero to extinction so quickly as to be farcical. I don't mind CP, framework or generic DA's, not a big fan of conditionality. If I think of anything else, I'll add to this. Basically, I want to see the students wrestle with ideas and do so in a mature, polite manner. Finally, if you and your partner are clearly crushing the other team, there is no need to be arrogant about it. I have no problem with low point wins if you are incapable of showing respect.

I'm a 50/50 for lay-flow. I write down what you have to say, but I also like to just listen to the arguments you will make. My daughter is a junior who has bidded for TOC in PF, so I know about the debate space a bit. Please do not spread and make it easy for me to understand what you have to say. I enjoy congress a lot so make the round fun but make arguments that make sense. Also, please don't get aggressive, especially when it comes to questions, so I will mark you off. Remember, debate is supposed to be fun and educational.

I am familiar with LD Debate and have judged it for a while now. I prefer lay debate, and may not understand kritiks, theory and other progressive debate tactics. I like clash, and I want each side to make clear why they believe they won. I am not comfortable with spreading.