I'm a former LD debater and current coach. While I prefer and am more comfortable with traditional debate, I am fine with more progressive debate.

 

I don't have any strong preferences for any particular kinds of arguments or presentation style. That being said, please slow down for taglines and card names so I can write them down. Further, please tell me when you want to cross apply an argument across multiple cards or subpoints. 

 

I'm a tabula rasa judge. If you tell me grass is blue and the sky is green, I'll believe it unless and until it is contested.

 

 

Overall, be kind, be brilliant, and have fun!

Contact info: avejacksond@gmail.com

Background: I competed for Okoboji (IA) and was at the TOC '13 in LD. I also debated policy in college the following year. I coached from 2014-2019 for Poly Prep (NY). I rejoined the activity again in 2023 as the current assistant debate coach at Johnston (IA) and previously an adjunct LD coach for Lake Highland Prep (FL). I also was an instructor at NSD Philadelphia 2024.

LD

General: Debate rounds are about students so intervention should be minimized. I believe that my role in rounds is to be an educator, however, students should contextualize what that my obligation as a judge is. I default comparative worlds unless told otherwise. Slow down for interps and plan texts. I will say clear as many times as needed. Signpost and add me to your email chain, please. Don't spread if your opponent isn't okay with it.

Pref Shortcut

K: 1

T/Theory: 2

LARP/Policy: 1/2

Tricks: 2/3

K: I really like K debate. I have trouble pulling the trigger on links of omission. Performative offensive should be linked to a method that you can defend. The alt is an advocacy and the neg should defend it as such. Knowing lit beyond tags = higher speaks. Please challenge my view of debate. I like learning in rounds.

Framework: 2013 LD was tricks, theory, and framework debate. I dislike blippy, unwarranted 'offense'. However, I really believe that good, deep phil debate is persuasive and underutilized on most topics. Most framework/phil heavy affs don't dig into literature deep enough to substantively respond to general K links and turns.

LARP: Big fan but don't assume I've read all hyper-specific topic knowledge.

Theory/T: Great, please warrant extensions and signpost. "Converse of their interp" is not a counter-interp.

Speaks: Make some jokes and be chill with your opponent. In-round strategy dictates range. I average 28.3-28.8.

Other thoughts: Plans/CPs should have solvency advocates. Talking over your opponent will harm speaks. Write down interps before extemping theory. When you extend offense, you need to weigh. Card clipping is an auto L25.

PF

I am a flow judge. Offense should be extended in summary. Weighing in back half is key. I'll steal this line from my favorite judge, Thomas Mayes, "My ballot is like a piece of electricity, it takes the path of least resistance." Disclosure theory in PF isn't my favorite at all. Don't read a K if it's underdeveloped and/or as a way to exclude opp who isn't prepped on it. I will not evaluate paraphrased evidence. Have fun and be nice.

Topic knowledge:

I typically read a lot of news, and you can expect me to be on top of major current events. I also have a fairly broad knowledge base, and will usually know at the very least some background about a debate topic. That being said, I am not a debate coach, I do not prepare or help prepare cases on the debate topics, and I do not do any specialised research or read any briefs to acquaint myself with a topic I am going to judge. Do not expect me to know specific details, acronyms, jargon, or sources related to a topic unless you tell me about them/what they are. This is especially true in the earlier rounds at a tournament. If you're using names or acronyms you had never heard of before researching the topic, and would probably never learn otherwise, tell me what they mean the first time you use them.

The same thing goes for the background literature behind any K or other non-traditional arguments you make. I know very little abstract philosophy beyond the basics of deontological ethics vs utilitarianism. I tend to dislike Ks, but I'll keep an open mind to any argument and try to judge it on its merits. To do that, I'll probably need you to really explain the theory behind your K, rather than just name dropping a famous philosopher or one of their theories. If you don't, there's a good chance I'll have no idea what you're talking about. That won't end well for you.

Experience:

Competitive Experience: Two years of high school public forum. Two years of collegiate experience in various types of debate and speech events.

Judging Experience: Since 2016 for Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas, plus various types of speech

General:

I try to be Tabula Rasa, within reason. If you want me to know a specific piece of information, tell me. If you want me to weigh the round a certain way, tell me. If your opponent tells me what they think I need to know, and how to weigh the round, and you don't, they're going to have a distinct advantage.

Organize your speeches well, and please signpost and give clear tags as you go. It makes it easier for me to give you the credit you deserve for your arguments. If I don't know where to put something on my flow, it might get left out, or I might miss part of it while deciding where to flow it. Even if I do end up writing it down, it will probably be in the wrong place. I can't emphasize this enough: if I can't find something on my flow, then it didn't happen.

Every argument needs a link and an impact, and I prefer for these to be as clear as possible. Occasionally I see contentions without impacts, but more often than not, I see missing links. If your opponent shows me that you don't have a link, that point falls, period. If your opponent doesn't have a link, make this abundantly clear.

Clash with your opponent's case. The more you clash, the easier it is for me to see the strengths of your case and the flaws of your opponent's. If you just end up repeating your case, you're not giving me any new reasons to vote for your side or against your opponent's.

It should go without saying, but Lincoln Douglas is NOT one on one Policy debate, and Public Forum is NOT Policy-lite. If you want to debate policy style, I won't hold that against you. Policy is a valuable style of debate that stands on its own merits. Just don't do it when you're signed up to compete in LD or PF and I'm your judge.

Specifics:

Decorum - Be polite, be courteous, and be a decent human being. Poor decorum typically won't affect my decision on the ballot, but it will affect your speaker points. As long as you attack your opponent's arguments, and not them as people, we should be fine.

Evidence - Evidence is a powerful tool. We are not all experts on every topic, but evidence allows the experts to weigh in to separate truth from fiction. It can strengthen your arguments, and every case should have at least some. But evidence does not replace basic logic. It does not replace the need to provide links. The better you understand your evidence, and that of your opponents, the stronger your position. I also prefer quality over quantity: don't try to overwhelm me or your opponent with evidence, use it to further develop your position.

Speed - I'm not a fan of spreading. If you do end up going too fast for me to flow, I'll put my pen down, cross my arms, and look unhappy. It should be pretty obvious. Once you slow down, I'll start flowing again. If this happens, and you fix it, then no harm, no foul. If you don't slow down, then I won't flow a word you say, and you'll get terrible speaker points. My body language will be clear. Listen to it.

TL;DR Version

Be clear, be logical, be polite, give a well-structured case, don't spread, tell me what I need to know, and clash with your opponents.

Hey my name is Aaron and I coach debate and speech at Evanston Township High School. I have been coaching the Lincoln Douglas debate team for three years now, but I've worked extensively with our policy, congress, and public forum teams. I am about to graduate from college in June 2018, so that is very cool. I am majoring in African-American studies, History, and Secondary Education. Next year I am going to teach high school history. I debated in high school and even for a second in college.

You can debate how you want to. I want to help you get better so please ask me questions and tell me what you want feedback on. You could let me know specific things you would like me to watch for before round, and I can be paying attention to that as I think about feedback. Please argue with me and talk with me and ask me any any and all questions you have. Please let me know anything and everything you need from me so that you can feel comfortable and excited during the round. I am here for you.

I think kindness is very important. I think everyone having access at every point in the round is really important. I want debates to be fun and educational. I will do my best to facilitate this sort of space.

I don't know. There's a lot of other stuff to talk about like how I think about theory and kritiks and plans and counter plans and DA's and performance debate. That's a lot and I don't have the time to write all that out right now. I will say that I really love critical and performance debate. However, I also want you to do what you do and do what you want, so that should always be your top concern with me

My debating experience is national circuit LD, but before it went to spreading. I have a basic understanding of PF, but may not follow you if you're going fast and using a lot of jargon. I like to hear clearly reasoned and articulated arguments from respectful opponents. This will be especially important in the online format. Slow down and make your best case rather than going fast and ticking through every argument / card. Obviously, I'm not saying drop contentions on purpose. But distill your reasoning into a coherent, persuasive speech rather than a laundry list of points.

I am affiliated with duPont Manual High School as the head speech and debate coach. I used to debate college LD, so I am familiar with the general format of most all debate. I always say that CX>LD>PF>CON...if that's not agreeable with you, then that's unfortunate, but that's just how my hierarchy Debate chain/list works. I respect all debate divisions, so please do not misunderstand

1. I enjoy K Debate, especially if it gives insightful

Anthro K’s are not as convincing to me.

2. Do not use abbreviated jargon yet because I am still learning how to apply jargon to my RFD. For example, use CONDITIONAL instead of CONDO, or Topical(ity) instead of T, or PLAN INCLUSIVE COUNTER PLANS BAD instead of PICS… Sorry, but it will make the ultimate difference because I will be able to follow my flow/your narrative.

3. I am a flow judge.

4. I will call clear if I cannot understand you, and I won’t take off of speaker points after the first time.

5. Please stand to MY RIGHT side because I am deaf in my left ear. SO, if you are facing me, please spread or speak standing to the left side of the room. I will always try to sit in the center of the debate.

6. I have had experience judging CX at UPenn, PF at several national tournaments as well as in Chengdu, China, and I used to debate in LD in high school and at IU for a year. I have been coaching at duPont Manual HS in Louisville, KY for 4 years.

7. Theory Debate…I will deal with it, however, it makes me feel inferior or confused or . It just might take me a bit longer to articulate an RFD, so don’t ty and an endearing candidness - it's so adorable and

8. I love progressive LD, and spreading is fine with me.

9. LOUD, CLEAR, and SIGN POST along the way. Also, give me an off time road map before each speech, please. Traditional debate is wonderful too; however, I DO look for SOLVENCY AND COUNTER PLANS are also valued by me.

10. For PF, I value both long term and short impacts, but I need the debaters to weigh the round and tell me what i prefer in the end. Make it very clear to me what your voters are. For LD, I need you to uphold your framework and give me the Roll of the Ballot. Make it very clear, and repeat it for me so I am sure to catch it/them.11. I love topicality; an overview

I can take speed, but please be clear. I encourage progressive debate, so I will not dock speaks for calling clear. Therefore, I will call clear until I can understand you. Please take the time to adapt if I call clear.
I base speaker points on several different factors. This includes clarity of speaking, presentation, projection, and the ability to debate strategically. Impact your arguments and tell me why they matter. Pick the most important arguments and tell me the reasons I should vote for it. Also, signposting is a must.

If you have any questions please contact me at 502-572-4635 or erica.cooper@jefferson.kyschools.us.

update: Jan 2025

Email chain: chris@alterethosdebate.com

TLDR

Debaters ought to determine the procedural limits and educational value of each topic by defending their interpretations in the round. I ought to vote for the team that does the best job of that in the debate.

I mostly care about warranting arguments and engaging with opponent's through analysis and impact comparison. The team that does the better job justifying my vote at the end of the debate will win.

Debaters should not do any of the following:

Clip cards

Steal prep

Ignore reasonable things like showing up on time and maintaining speech times and speaking order.

Disregard reasonable personal request of their opponents. If you don’t wish to comply with opponent requests, you ought to have a good reason why.

Misgender folks

Say or do racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or ableist things.

Read pessimism args from identities they don't identify as.

Argumentative Preferences

WARRANTS & EXPLANATIONS over blippiness.

Education > Fairness

Breadth = Depth ---> both are important please make warrants here.

K’s don’t need to win an alt to win.

Reasonable disclosure practices should be followed.

Analytic > Low quality evidence

Specific Stuff

Theory

Disclosing before the round is a reasonable thing to do. That being said, I come in with a slight bias against theory arguments in LD. Lots of frivolity in this space right now.

To adapt for this bias teams can read theory that actually has the potential to improve debates or read shells that will have clear and significant violations. Running theory as an exploit of tech judges makes debates less enjoyable for me and I am inclined to vote against them at the smallest of responses. Affirmative teams should feel comfortable reading fewer spikes and more substance.

t/framework

Neg teams ought to engage with plan free or non-topical affirmatives. Affirmative teams should advocate for some departure from the status quo within the context of the topic. The more an aff is steeped in topic literature, the less likely I am to vote against it as a procedural issues, so strong topic links are crucial. I generally think education is a more important element of debate than fairness and that an inability to prepare against an argument doesn't inherently mean that argument is unfair.

Topicality

I default to reasonability because I think it incentivizes innovative research by the aff and expands the limits of the topic in a good way.

Perf Con.

I'm good with multiple worlds but think perf cons make for less enjoyable debates and I am inclined to vote against 1NC's that read cap and the econ da in the same speech.

Counter Plans

If you have a solvency advocate, its legit.

PIC’s are generally good because they force the affirmative to more deeply examine their advocacy, I want them to be excluding something substantial and to have a solvency advocate of some kind.

Conditionality

Neg definitely gets to be conditional. Limited conditionality is the most reasonable interp.

DA's

I like topic DA's, and find most politics and econ based internal links implausible. But, I won't vote against them on face, I let your opponent make those arguments.

Presumption

Neg walks in with presumption. Neg teams should still make presumption analysis in the round though.

*If I haven't mentioned it here, ask me. It has been a minute since I've judged.

• Speak at a reasonable pace. I understand that you have a time limit and that you can't be idle, but there is a difference between speaking quickly and creating a rap album. You will not win if I can't understand you.

• Be aware of your persona and style. Your case's content will primarily decide who wins the round, but content composes just one part of an argument. Be as rhetorically effective as possible: have a strong, clear, concise speaking style; pose a defendable thesis-centered argument; maintain eye contact; and act professionally. You could have the most well prepared case, but if you present it poorly, you will quite possibly lose.

• Don't be disrespectful. This point coincides with the second point, but I cannot stress enough that disrespect will make me want to vote against you. This does not mean that I don't appreciate sass - I do, and I think that sass can make a debate more interesting - but you need to be able to differentiate between harmless sass and a hateful tone. If you can't present a case without being hateful, then your rhetorical skills are disturbingly underdeveloped.

I am a parent judge for Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky. I mostly have experience with judging public forum at local tournaments at both novice and varsity levels. My judging philosophy is simple. I like solid arguments and slow speaking (No spreading). I prefer the use of both logical reasoning and convincing evidence in arguments and contentions, so I don't mind the use of cards in cases and rebuttals. I believe that the argument should be easy to follow and concise (no policy style cases). Arguments that are racist, sexist, xenophobic, or homophobic will result in an automatic loss. Essentially, debate is an educational activity that I believe that an ordinary person should be able to listen to and come to conclusion on who's argument is more persuasive. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       

 

Policy Debate- I am a very flexible judge. I am willing to listen to anything as long as it is impacted well. I am open to K affs, but if it is not explained well enough I will vote you down. I would rather not call for cards, but I will if I have to. Another thing, I really want to hear impacts. I do not like debates that are like two ships passing by in the night. It turns into who I think did better, but as debaters you should write the ballot out for me. Please try to keep email chains and or flashing time to a decent time. If it takes too long I will start taking prep away unless, there are tech issues. Clipping cards is not okay with me, if I catch you clipping card I will vote you down. If you steal prep I will take away a lot of speaker points. Please be clear if you are spreading!

LD- My experience is mainly in policy debate. I don't mind how fast that you read, but make sure that you are reading loud and clearly. I also evaluate things based on the flow pretty much. Make sure things are extended and analyzed well. Also, make sure there is clash in the round! I cannot stand under views -_- There is no reason to have one because you spend so much time in it and never go back to it in the round. That analysis can be done somewhere else like in one of your other contentions or adding a whole new contention. Impact analysis is something that is very important to me! You should be writing my ballot for me and much as possible!

 

 

I am a parent judge, have judged LD in local tournaments for about two years and a few national circuit tournaments. I prefer traditional debate and no spreading. Debate with logic, back up your contentions with solid evidences, and slow down when stating important arguments/points and evidences. I would appreciate a good summary in NR and 2AR. Please be respectful and civil.

**I am a tabula rasa judge**

Experience:

Competitive: 4 years HS LD, PF, and Congress

Judging: 3 year of judging in LD

Coaching: Instructor at Classic Debate Camp

Style and Speed - I highly prefer the traditional style of LD, but I can follow progressive most of the time. DO NOT SPREAD. I am able to follow speeds on the faster end of the spectrum, but I really would like to clearly hear and flow your arguments so a speed that is a little bit above conversational would be totally fine. It'll be clear when I cannot flow. Finally, signpost and road map throughout the round as it helps me with following your speech and flowing. THIS APPLIES TO PF TOO! If I can't flow, then it will not go well for you.

Evidence -

LD: I really appreciate and value the use of evidence to aid an argument. However, do not just throw a piece of evidence into the round for the sake of doing so - aka explain it and tell me how it links back to the main argument.

PF: Of course, evidence is a must. However, PLEASE also explain it and impact any card you use. If you just spew a card and don't take the time to explain its relevance to the argument or the round, I will not take the time to consider it.

Framework/Structure -

LD: I will ALWAYS consider the framework debate as I think it is the foundation of LD debate. Make sure your frameworks are clearly and logically explained so that I, and your opponent, can follow. If your case or arguments do not link back to the framework, it is harder for me to buy it.

PF: If you do not implement some sort of mechanism or framework for me to weigh the round off of, I will use a cost/benefit analysis based upon your arguments and rebuttals. Also, tell me why your framework is effective and why I ought to prefer it in the case your opponent brings up a different one.

Please be civil. I do not mind debaters being assertive for the most part unless it goes overboard. You will be safe as long as you are courteous, respectful, polite, etc. Although I will not based the round off of any factors relating to decorum, there may be a penalty in speaker points.

Overall, be nice. I love clean, productive debates filled with evidence, logic, and obvious clash. If you have any questions or clarifications, please ask me before your round.

In addition, to prove that you have actually read this paradigm and that it wasn't a waste of my time and effort, pro should use protentions instead of contentions (nvi, I just want to be entertained).

My experience is entirely in policy debate so I don't care how fast you talk and I will evaluate things according to the flow

Top Level

Add me to the email chain- vmartinez@chicagodebates.org

I strongly believe that you should do what you do best within a debate round whether that be a very far right, very far left or somewhere in between. Really do you. Card quality is pretty important to me.

The best debates have lots of case debating, lots of author indicts, lots of re-highlighting the other team’s evidence, and lots of evidence comparison.

Kritikal Affs

You really need to express 2 things along with winning the flow-
a. That your vision of debate is good- that means explain what your world looks like and why its better than the squo.
b. That is no possible T version of the aff. This is pretty easy when its just like do the plan with the USFG but if it actually probably solves the aff, then this needs a lot of work in front of me.

I do also believe that the aff should have some tie to the topic

Kritiks
Explanation is key. That applies to all Kritiks cause if you are just spitting jargon at me and the other team, you aren’t gonna have a good time. I don’t think that you need an alt but if you are going to extend it then it needs a very clear explanation in how it functions. On the other hand you NEED a clearly explained framework and links contextualized in terms of the aff.

CPs/DAs

Great.

Topicality
T is great when its well debated. That means that there is good impact analysis and explanation of the standards. I didn't do any topic research past camp so need to be more clear

Theory
Condo is good.

Impact Turns
I have a special place in my heart for impact turns and love to listen to those debates.

Other Stuff

• If you are mean, I will be mean to your speaks. It is not fun for anyone if you are mean so don’t be. The only time I will interfere in the debate is if you are being overly offensive and you will probably get an 18.
• Clipping cards is not okay. If the other team has evidence that you were clipping or that I know that you are clipping then you will automatically lose and receive 0s
• Please don’t call me judge. It's weird.

EMAIL: mcgin029@gmail.com

POLICY
Slow down; pause between flows; label everything clearly; be aware that I am less familiar with policy norms, so over-explain. Otherwise I try to be more-or-less tab.

LD

I am the head coach at Valley High School and have been coaching LD debate since 1996.

I coach students on both the local and national circuits.

I can flow speed reasonably well, particularly if you speak clearly. If I can't flow you I will say "clear" or "slow" a couple of times before I give up and begin playing Pac Man.

You can debate however you like in front of me, as well as you explain your arguments clearly and do a good job of extending and weighing impacts back to whatever decision mechanism(s) have been presented.

I prefer that you not swear in round.

I'm a former high school LD-er who did extemporaneous speaking on the side. I now teach at a university and spend far too much time correcting work that is poorly thought out or communicated. I have been judging LD and PF for four years now and have prior judging experience in college.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE

Lincoln-Douglas debate is a public speaking event (per NSDA) in which a value proposition is debated. The focus in LD is on a deliberative style of argument that identifies and argues for or against the fundamental implications of the resolution in terms that are clearly germane to both the meaning and scope of that resolution. Debaters must distinguish between values that are clearly in conflict or at least contrast ("clash") with each other and persuade the judge that certain values take precedence over others. It is not a debate on empirical realities, outcomes, "impacts," plans, or policies. Arguments for the necessity or desirability of a particular position in order to achieve a desired outcome or advocacy for a particular, concrete stance on current events belong to other genres of debate. Evidence cited should be relevant to the value position taken. Citation of evidence does not make up for lack of development, context, argument, or persuasion. As a public performance, LD does not call for rapid-fire delivery (spreading). Arguments have to be articulate and intelligible as they are read (as implied in NSDA evidence rules). This implies the following:

--Do not spread. I'm not allergic, but this is a Policy habit that gets masked as progressive LD. The bottom line: I will not give you credit for parts of your case I cannot understand as it is read. You should be able to do the work in the time allotted.

--Do not offer your case to your opponent to read as you speak. (It happens.) This is a speaking event. As implied in NSDA rules, only what you say is part of your case.

--Do not attempt to overwhelm me or your opponent with a mountain of evidence. Your opponent's job is not to disprove your empirical evidence (impossible to do without specific research; this is not PF or policy debate) but to question the values you claim it supports. That should be the basis of the debate.

--Value debate does not require "impacts." Plans and counterplans are definitely not required, so getting into an argument about somebody's plan or lack of CP only wastes my time and yours and demonstrates that you don't have a grasp of LD fundamentals (or have at least temporarily lost sight of them). Time you spend on plans and impacts is time you are not spending answering your opponent's case based on a value proposition, criteria, and arguments.

PUBLIC FORUM

I do not have strong personal paradigms. If you follow the letter and the spirit of the NSDA rules (no plans or counterplans, no prescribed burdens, etc.), my personal preferences should be unimportant. High school debaters need to demonstrate that they have done some research and understand their own case as well as the broader situation and context of the resolution. Keep in mind that you are talking to an adult with decades of experience and judgment of current affairs. I will definitely not impose my own worldview, but you need to have some context and a rich supply of information for your case, not just some facts you downloaded and can't contextualize. Sources should be verifiable and reputable. I will give credence to an established or known source over an obscure, highly partisan, or less reputable or verifiable one (e.g., advocacy websites, blogs).

I teach at a university. If I make comments about the substance of your case (the topic itself) on your ballot beyond what is offered in the round, it is in a teaching mode. Of course, only what actually comes out in the debate between the two teams is a valid reason for decision.

As the name indicates, Public Forum debate is also a public speaking event. Say it in plain English. Don't spew alphabet soup. I can only judge what I can understand and follow, so be sure to control tone, volume, and velocity.

TRUTH > TECH

I judge PF based not on technical terms but on how comprehensible and sound your arguments about the resolution are. You must obviously follow and rebut your opponents' arguments, but, in my experience, a point-for-point approach can lead to a futile clash of card versus card, which I can't adjudicate. You need to make a claim, provide warrants, and be sure to contextualize it: Why is it relevant? What is the link to the impact? Having a card that contradicts your opponents' card is not the same as successfully rebutting your opponents' argument. You must explain why your argument should take precedence. The more of a grasp you have on the whole issue, the more convincing you'll be. Factoids won't win it. A good story about why your position makes more sense will.

Yes, I pay attention to flow and dropped arguments, but it's your job to listen to and talk to the other team. Don't introduce new material late in the game. Addressing the terms of the resolution is perfectly acceptable. Kritiks should be focused and reasonable. Talk about the resolution or the implied terms of the debate, but don't blow up the debate by going so meta that direct clash is no longer possible. Any debate is conventionally framed by the terms of the resolution and the context of the encounter and has to respect decision criteria on those terms.

I like good argumentation and a slow pace. I am a parent judge, and I've judged tournaments before. 

KAVITA PERSAUD
Judge Paradigm TRADITIONAL JUDGE

Background:
Current Debate Coach at Cape Fear Academy
Coaching High School Debate 2008-2013, 2015- current
Former High School Debater, Parliamentary Debate
Physician.

Philosophy:
Debate is an educational activity.
Debate is about communication.

Likes:
1. Debating the resolution
2. Advocacy of a position
3. Framework
4. Structure & Organization with clear sign-posting
5. Clash
6. Strategic Cross-Ex
7. Engaging Speaking Style
8. Courtesy
9. Crystallization and Weighing
10. Voting Issues

Dislikes:
1. Spreading
2. Non-topical Debates
3. Generic Kritiks
4. Theory unless clear abuse
5. Tricks
6. Rudeness
7. Extinction Impacts when not truly topical
8. Poorly selected evidence or improperly cited evidence
9. Jargon
10.

Please ask additional questions before the round.

Background: Debated at Woodward Academy for 4 years - currently debate at Kentucky. 

I am not familiar with the China topic, so any arguments that rely on super topic-knowledge contingent things should be argued parallel to a more informative tone. If you think that your affirmative or you argument in general relies on some topic knowledge, you should explicit say "This requires a bit of topic-knowledge so I'll make it clear..." and then inform me of the content. 

Meta-level things: I view debate more holistically than separated between "traditional" and critical styles. Tell me why you should win. Resolving arguments and answering key, framing questions that you have set up in the final rebuttal will get you far in close debates (and good speaks). Be nice to your opponents. OMFG BE NICE TO YOUR OPPONENTS. If you really love this activity, so long as they are nice to you and have good spirit, you should show the utmost respect to who you are debating no matter how good or bad you think they are. 

I love love love good argument structure. An argument, at bare minimum, is: a claim, a warrant, and evidence (and cards aren't the only form of evidence). 

A good debater provides all three of those. A great debater provides a claim, warrant(s), evidence, and an impact/implication of the argument. The moments where you implicate your argument and exlain why it matters/how it applies to another area of the debate are the moments that gets the judge's attention. An outstanding debater provies a claim, warrant(s), evidence, an impact, and argument resolution. That skill is what puts you ahead in really close debates against good teams. Oftentimes, the implication of the argument is what provides you a gateway to resolving arguments.

CP's - great when used strategically. PICs are great. Process CPs meh. 

DA's - love them. Be smart -- know when their advantage turns your DA more than your DA turns your advantage and vice-versa. Know when the link turn outweighs the link and vice-versa. Impact calculus should always take into account the other team's internal links -- it should be a holistic comparison of their overall position, not just the terminal impacts.  

Politics -- eh. Im a 2A that hates the politics DA (compared to the 2A's the love it bc they have to give a 1NR). Its probably not intrinsic and you know it. Fiat might solve the link? Even if it doesn't, most times the link isn't good because of thumpers and other structural things. The aff can gain a lot of ethos by showing that they have not only prepared a good strategy but prepared devasting CX questions to embarras the negative out of the gate on some of these things. That's really biased in favor of the aff, but fuck the neg honestly. Idgaf. 

Don't get me wrong, I'll vote on the politics DA, I just think in most cases its a silly argument. If the negative thinks that they, specifically, have good evidence, they should be aggressive about that. 

Kritiks - i like good kritik debating because its when debaters (who again, are good at it) show a lot of passion. If you are neg, it would help you in front of me to have some aspect of your link that is related to the effects of the plan. It isn't that other aspects of the 1AC aren't things we should talk about, its just that then the perm becomes really persusaive. 2NC overviews should not be more than half of the speech, its simply not necessary. I appreciate organized K debating and line by line. There is almost always somewhere more appropriate on the line by line to put your rants. I am prepared to seperate the debate (with individual sheets of flow paper) into FW, the link debate, and the perm, because I know those debates can get big, therefore it is really nice if the neg explicitly mentions where those debates are happening in the final rebuttal. Remember when I said line by line was appreciated? Just kidding, it's necessary. 

K-affs - it helps to have a plan. It provides a predictable stasis for clash and it eliminates the (perhaps) burden of having 1-off FW debates. If you don't have a plan, at least have a stable mechanism/advocacy that you will defend throughout the round. If you are high theory, make the basis of your argument clear - I'm not super well-versed on complicated political philosophies yet - it is something I am still incorporating into my growth as a debater. 

Topicality - I will try to do a little studying of the topic so I can know what's up, but generally my topic knowledge (at this moment) is not up to par for ticky-tacky T debates. But for the argument in and of itself, Limits has always been pretty persusaive to me. I think that the aff should be aggressive on made up interpretations of the topic - debaters that show expansive knowledge of the legal scholasrship and what these major articles are actually saying will be rewarded. A lot of the times we vote on what we want the topic to be not what is acutaly is -  if the topic is naturally big and the neg is trying to artificially make it smaller with their interp, in that instance, idgaf about your limits DA. 

Theory - i think that the negative should get at least 2 conditional advocacies. LISTEN - if they read more than two, the aff can go for condo bad in front of me, BUT, you have to show that you have thought through your standards and the 2AR should crystalize their offense. I think I lean affirmative on 50 state fiat? 

 

Parent volunteer judge with 3+ years. Primarily PF but have judged LD too. Speed is not an issue but if you spread, you are taking a risk.

Treating all debaters with respect is critical to me. Any demeaning behavior towards opponent will have a very negative impact on speaker points.

Stacking too many questions and not letting opponent respond will backfire you. What good is a cross-fire question if it does not expose opponent's weakness for the judge to observe ?

I like strong arguments - pro or con does not matter. I will never have an opinion about the topic - my judging record will speak for itself.... Good arguments will always get the win.

I prefer not to disclose results unless I have to. In ballots (both e-ballot and paper) my observations/thoughts/notes will have "**". When a sentence does not start with "**", that is the feedback.

Whitney Young ‘15

University of Kentucky ‘19

Cornell Law '23

Former WY and UK coach; Officially not coaching anymore. This means that I have less topic knowledge than normal and you should not assume I know what your aff is or will know what those acronyms you just threw out stand for. When in doubt, invest more time in explaining your argument.

Top Level

Add me to the email chain- Jacindarivas@gmail.com

My name is Jacinda (Juh-sin-duh) so call me that instead of judge.

I will reward smart teams that can effectively and efficiently communicate their arguments to me. Engaging with your opponent, having a well-thought out strategy, and demonstrating that you’re doing consistent, hard work is what this activity is about.

Please be nice. I am not very responsive to raising voices/yelling.

Clash debates

No one ENJOYS clash debates but I end up judging quite a few. I really do believe that affs should have a tie to the topic and should be in the direction of the topic. I am not the judge for an aff that has a couple cards that say a theory and then pretend to say something about the topic. I also believe that debate is an inherently good activity so indicting the entirety of the activity we participate in is not great for me. I think this matters a lot for the way some teams answer framework so be cognizant of this. The only thing that my ballot decides is the winner.

Ks

Links should be causal, specific and about the plan. They NEED to be contextualized to what the aff actually did. I have too often judged debates where a team presents a theory of the world but have not explained what the aff has done to implicate that. Explanation is key. That applies to all Ks cause if you are just spitting jargon at me and the other team, you aren’t gonna have a good time. I am not persuaded by arguments that the aff just doesn’t get fiat.

CPs/DAs

Love them. Obviously better the more specific to the aff they are. I default to judge kick unless expressly informed not to.

There can be zero risk of a DA

Theory

Conditionality is good.

Random Things

You can insert a re-highlighting of a card- you shouldn’t have to waste time re-reading a card if they suck at research

Ethics violations (ex. Clipping, a card being cut in the middle of the paragraph, etc.) should just have the debate staked on it. It is a bad form of education and should be rejected. No point in drawing it out.

Further questions- email me at jacindarivas@gmail.com

Northside College Prep '16 - University of Kentucky '20

Please add me to the email chain: mariaesan98@gmail.com

Top Level Judging Notes:

· Please keep track of your own prep

· Please be as quick with tech as possible as I want to be respectful of folks running the tournament

· No tag team CX - I really prefer to hear individual 1 v 1 CX clash and this helps me determine speaker points more easily

· Unless this is a reasonable ask, if you care about where a team marked their cards/what cards they did or did not read, then please be diligent about flowing that yourself - I have a very strong preference towards not sending out marked copies of speech docs when there were only one or two marked cards

When I was a debater at Kentucky I was entered as a "hired judge" for all the high school tournaments we hosted. Even though I never really ended up judging, I had to come up with a paradigm or else. I copy and pasted Ava Vargason's philosophy back then and never looked back. I might write a judge philosophy with my own thoughts at a later time when the world isn't collapsing, but for now, Ava is a brilliant person and her 2017 philosophy continues to encapsulate my thoughts about debate and strats:

"I will always reward smart teams that can effectively and efficiently communicate their arguments to me. Engaging with your opponent, having a well-thought out strategy, and demonstrating that you’re doing consistent, hard work is what this activity is about.

Disads:

I like them a lot. There is such a thing as zero risk of a disad and there can be no link. Do impact calculus, have a clear link to the affirmative. Quality evidence is appreciated, though it's not the only thing! Being able to communicate what your ev says and why your ev matters is key!

Theory:

Conditionality is good.

Critical Strategies:

I am okay for critical strategies. However, I didn’t debate these so make sure to explain your authors to me. Affirmatives that do little engagement with the critique alternative are likely to lose. Critiques that do little engagement with the affirmative itself are likely to lose. Explain your links in the context of the AFF and your AFF in the context of the alternative. The perm is not always the best strategy and that is okay.

I am willing to vote either way on framework. I should be able to tell that you know and understand what the affirmative is if you are reading it. Framework is best when it engages with the methodology of the AFF and questions the state’s role in activism. I like topic education arguments."

  I have been involved in this activity for over 20 years. I judged for 6 years prior to becoming a coach. I have been a coach at Parkersburg South for the past 9 years. I coach Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum and Student Congress. I have also judged college debate at many national tournaments. My Lincoln Douglas debate philosophy is traditional. I believe that speed is killing Lincoln Douglas Debate. I also do not like a lot of cards. Lincoln Douglas Debate should be philosophical. Some evidence to uphold your philosophy is fine but your case should not just be card after card. A value and value criterion is of vital importance. Constructive cases should be structured in a traditional manner. I need to hear your value and criterion and your contentions should prove your criterion, thus proving your value. If you do not do this, even if you are the superior debater, you will not receive as many speaker points. I do flow the debate and many debaters have won on the flow. I understand policy rhetoric but policy arguments are not a strong weighing mechanism when I judge Lincoln Douglas Debate.

Andrew Thompson (Judge for University School)

Experience/About Me

I’m a junior at CWRU in Cleveland studying Political Science. I competed in Policy and Public Forum on the Ohio circuit in high school. I have judged a number of events, usually LD, for the past 3 years, always on the Ohio circuit. Although I consider myself a skilled judge, I run rounds in a very laid-back way. Although I am serious about rules and mutual respect, I am here for the same reason I hope you are: to have fun.

Preferences

- I am completely comfortable with spread debate. That said, tags and analytics must be delivered at a conversational speed. I cannot underscore the importance of this enough: I will not flow tags or analytics that are spread. If you spread your tags and then try to extend them later in the round you’re going to be really sad at the end of the round.

- I really, really like short conversational-speed overviews on messier parts of the flow.

- If you want time signals that’s cool but just know I”m probably going to forget to give half of them.

- Please don’t give me a roadmap if you’re just going to say “I’m gonna go aff then neg.” Please do give me a roadmap if there are multiple flows, and clearly signpost when you change flows. Also, when you give your first speech, go ahead and let myself and your partner know how you flow it (if you use multiple flows); this will make everyone’s life easier.

- If you flash evidence to your opponent, I will time prep until the flash drive leaves the computer. Also, if you flash it to your opponent, please flash it to me. If you’re uncomfortable with that, fine, but I promise will delete it at the end of the round; it just makes me feel better.

- I do not care about formalities and I am completely comfortable with snarky debate; that said, being rude, yelling, and talking over your partner are not okay. Sexism, cissexism, heterosexism, racism, and ableism of any kind will not be tolerated; expect in-round and out-of-round ramifications.

- Should a round include a detailed anecdote that is triggering to you (this is rare and if you’re thinking about taking advantage of this I will know and you will regret it), please feel free to leave the room; your health comes first and we will handle the round after you are well.

Paradigm

- I will vote on pretty much anything, including kritiks, theory (including topicality), counterplans (including plan-inclusive, for policy) and perms.

- I am infinitely more likely to vote for an argument if you are able to tell a brief story about your argument, particularly the links (and the alt for kritikal stuff).

- If you are going to run performative arguments, affs without a plan text (policy only), or just something wild in general, that’s totally cool, but a conversational-speed overview of what you’re trying to argue (preferably at the top of said flow) will go very far in your favor.

Educational Background:

Georgia State University (2004-2007) - English Major in Literary Studies; Speech Minor

Augusta University (2010-2011) - Masters in Arts in Teaching

Georgia State University (2015-2016) - Postbaccalaureate work in Philosophy

Relevant Career Experience:

English Teacher/Debate Coach (2011-2015) Grovetown High School

LD Debate Coach (2015-2018) Marist School

English Teacher/Debate Coach (2018-2022) Northview High School

English Teacher/Debate Coach (2022-present) Lassiter High School

Public Forum

Argue well. Don’t be rude. I’ll flow your debate, so make the arguments you need to make.

Policy

I haven't judged a lot of policy debates. I'm more comfortable with a little slower speed since I don't hear a lot of debates on the topic. I'm okay with almost any argumentation, but I'm less likely to vote on theory arguments than K or Case arguments. Add me to your email chains.

Lincoln Douglas

I appreciate well-warranted and strong arguments. Keep those fallacies out of my rounds.

If the negative fails to give me a warranted reason to weigh her value/value criterion above the one offered by the affirmative in the first negative speech, I will adopt the affirmative's FW. Likewise, if the negative offers a warranted reason that goes unaddressed in the AR1, I will adopt the negative FW.

I appreciate when debaters provide voters during the final speeches.

Debaters would probably describe me as leaning "traditional", but I am working to be more comfortable with progressive arguments. However, I'll vote and have voted, on many types of arguments (Plans, Counterplans, Ks, Aff Ks, and theory if there is legitimate abuse). However, the more progressive the argument and the further away from the topic, the more in-depth and slower your explanation needs to be. Don't make any assumptions about what I'm supposed to know.

Debates that don't do any weighing are hard to judge. Be clear about what you think should be on my ballot if you're winning the round.

Speed

If you feel it necessary to spread, I will do my best to keep up with the caveat that you are responsible for what I miss. I appreciate folks who value delivery. Take that as you will. If you're going to go fast, you can email me your case.

Disclosure

I try to disclose and answer questions if at all possible.

Cross-Examination/Crossfire

I'm not a fan of "gotcha" debate. The goal in the crossfire shouldn't get your opponent to agree to some tricky idea and then make that the reason that you are winning debates. Crossfire isn't binding. Debaters have the right to clean up a misstatement made in crossfire/cross-ex in their speeches.

Virtual Debate

The expectation is that your cameras remain on for the entirety of the time you are speaking in the debate round. My camera will be on as well. Please add me to the chain.

Axioms

“That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” — Christopher Hitchens

”There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way to be kind.” — Mr. Rogers

Contact: jonwaters7@gmail.com