Background: I debated policy, PF, and extemp at the Woodlands, TX on Houston local circuit. also picked up a few things following my best friend Abbey Chapman around on LD nat circuit for three years. Graduated from The Woodlands in 2015 and attended Loyola and University of Houston. I will be at Tulane in the spring. If you have any questions I didn't address below, please ask me before the round or at cchris3@tulane.edu

LD

Ks/skep/theory/fw/plans/cp/da etc-
theory, k's, fw, plans etc are fine as long as they aren't super dense, but please keep in mind that running super technical and convoluted positions in front of me would not be strategic. if you're going to read theory, i default to a question of competing interps.

PF/LD

speed

-speed is fine

-fine with speed in PF only if your opponents are ok with it

-try your best to be articulate; I will yell "clear" 2x before I dock speaks

-if you see me not flowing and just staring at you then I don't know what you're saying and you should probably slow down

-slow down on author names, tag lines, and technical positions. 

misc

-be very clear and tell me where to vote

-weigh your impacts well 

-please keep your own time

-debate however is most comfortable for you

- don't tell me extinction, oppression etc is good i wont vote on it 

-if you read a position that is potentially triggering please give trigger warnings. if you're not completely sure what you're reading necessitates a trigger warning just give one anyway. if someone in the room has an objection to your position the expectation is that the debater won't read that position and adjust accordingly. if you read a triggering position and don't give trigger warnings, I will dock speaker points and we both won't be happy 

-i will drop u immediately if you're racist/sexist/homophobic/ in round

-i will tank ur speaks if you're clearly a more experienced debater mercilessly destroying a novice in round. no one likes to watch that. do not be that person who is spreading and reading 5 theory shells against a novice debater. im also probably not the judge u should be reading a lot of theory in front of anyways. If your opponent seems utterly lost in cx please try to continue to engage as much as possible. The worst rounds for me to sit in front of are rounds with no clash

Name: Jay Stubbs

School Affiliation: Bellaire High School

Number of Years Judging Public Forum: Since the event was introduced

Number of Years Competing in Public Forum: PF did not exist when I competed

Number of Years Judging Other Forensic Activities: 38 years

Number of Years Competing in Other Forensic Activities: High School and College

If you are a coach, what events do you coach? Public Forum, Congress, Extemp

What is your current occupation? Debate Coach

Please share your opinions or beliefs about how the following play into a debate round:

Speed of Delivery Clarity for understanding is most important

Format of Summary Speeches (line by line? big picture?) Line by line on most important issues along with big picture to guide the way the debaters want me to vote.

Role of the Final Focus Final resolution of key issues along with framing the decision for the judge.

Extension of Arguments into later speeches Essential for key arguments in the round.

Topicality Can be run if there are blatant violations…anything can be found to be non-topical via definition…that is a waste of time.

Plans This is a function of the wording of the resolution. Acceptable when the resolution suggests a specific action.

Kritiks Are not going to persuade me.

Flowing/note-taking Is a function of the clarity of debaters in the round. Clarity makes it much easier to keep all issues organized on the flow.

Do you value argument over style? Style over argument? Argument and style equally? Clarity is most important to me. Just because a debater makes an argument doesn’t mean that I understand it or know how to weigh it in relation to other arguments without intervention. Clarity brings meaning to important arguments…clarity explains how to weigh arguments against other issues. Providing clarity early in the round is essential when it comes to evaluating arguments as the evolve throughout the round. Waiting until the end of the round to provide clarity can be too late.

If a team plans to win the debate on an argument, in your opinion does that argument have to be extended in the rebuttal or summary speeches? Yes

If a team is second speaking, do you require that the team cover the opponents’ case as well as answers to its opponents’ rebuttal in the rebuttal speech? Yes

Do you vote for arguments that are first raised in the grand crossfire or final focus? No…new arguments should have been introduced earlier in the round. An extension of a key argument is a part of argument evolution.

Congress

I evaluate your arguments in a Congress session in relation to your effectiveness in delivering them. An effective Congressional Debater is one who is committed to making sure that the judge understands the arguments and information they are presenting. When a debater's commitment is limited to getting information into the debate they are assuming that I will gain the same understanding of the information that they have.

Introductions should be creative when possible. Generic intros are frowned upon greatly.

Good arguments should contain both evidence from qualified sources AND analysis.

Devoting time to the summary/conclusion is very important.

Ending speeches at 3:00 is very important. Speeches ending at 3:10 show a lack of discipline and preparation.

Questioning should be focused on exposing weaknesses in opponent's arguments. Questions that cause little to no damage are of marginal value. There should never be a time when the questioner and respondent are both talking at the same time for more than a brief moment.

Respondents should view questioning as an opportunity not an adversarial activity. Attitude and unnecessary aggression will be scored lower. "I don't know" is perfectly acceptable if there is no reasonable reason why you should know the answer. I would like to NEVER hear the answer "I am sure you could tell me." I can not tell you how much I really don't appreciate that response in a questioning period.