Since debate – in all of its forms – is an educational, communication event the following hold true:

Delivery is the means by which the debater presents the arguments and evidence for decision.

The presentation should be as clear and understandable as possible – rate and articulation are important elements because the judge must hear and understand the case in order to vote on it.

IT IS THE DEBATER’S OBLIGATION TO ADAPT TO THE JUDGE – NOT VICE VERSA.

Debaters should present their material and conduct themselves in a professional manner with room for passionate arguments and a little snarkiness. Avoid blatant rude, callous and crass exchange and facial expressions.

I follow my Flow sheets- if it's critical, don't lose it during the debate. If you are refuting an argument make sure you point out it out, if someone misses it, be sure to address it and highlight it for me.

I also can't stand abusive cases, so if your case builds no room for the judge to measure the round, you will likely lose!

I debated in high school and college (graduated 1968) and have been coaching since. I have lived through the transition from Debate to Policy Debate and the birth and development of both Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum

Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Lincoln-Douglas (value debate) was created because many people did not like the direction that Policy Debate had gone. As such, LD debate centers around a conflict between two values. Debaters argue that one of the values in the round is of higher importance than the other. This value priority determines the affirmation or negation of the resolution. Thus, the debater argues Justice(ex) is the higher value, and since Justice is the higher value the resolution is affirmed. A plan can be used to demonstrate how the resolution could be applied in a practical sense. Since LD is designed not to have a plan, if the opponent raises that argument, I will vote on that. Otherwise, the plan can be debated in terms of workability, practicality, etc. Regardless of the strategies used – in order to win the round, the debater must win the value conflict.

Public Forum was introduced to correct the flaws that had emerged in LD (excessive speed, strategies and tactics rather than sound argument, etc) and is designed to be judged by a non-debate person. Thus – a good Public Forum Round is clear and persuasive. Arguments and evidence relates directly back to the topic. There are no plans in PF – I will vote on that. A test that I use in judging PF is whether or not a “regular person” would understand the arguments and be able to decide the outcome of the round.

Since debate – in all of its forms – is an educational, communication event the following hold true:

Delivery is the means by which the debater presents the arguments and evidence for decision.

The presentation should be as clear and understandable as possible – rate and articulation are important elements because the judge must hear and understand the case in order to vote on it.

IT IS THE DEBATER’S OBLIGATION TO ADAPT TO THE JUDGE – NOT VICE VERSA.

Debaters should present their material and conduct themselves in a professional manner. They should avoid attitudes (reflected in both tone and facial expression) that are unprofessional. Word choice should be appropriate to an educational event (cussing, swearing, vocabulary choice etc) have NO PLACE in an educational activity.

I'm no longer involved in the debate community. If you're reading this, you're probably in the wrong place.

I used to have a very long, detailed paradigm about how I would allow anything under xyz circumstances. However, after watching a few rounds at a recent tournament, I've changed my paradigm on debate.

I would now like debate to do what debate is meant to do:

Democratically and critically engage with pressing issues.

I will no longer listen to nontopical affirmatives. (Although you're welcome to run questionably topical affirmatives and try to convince me). I will start docking speaker points for incomprehensible speeds and yelling at me or your opponent. I will begin evaluating debates how they are meant to be evaluated, as a question of the resolution.

Experience
I debated 2 years of Public Forum in High School.
I’ve judged mostly high school Lincoln Douglas for the last 6 years.
I debated Policy for the University of Nebraska Lincoln for 3 years.

Bio

I have been judging Lincoln-Douglas debate consistently since 2007, and have limited experience judging Student Congress. I earned a Bachelors Degree in Political Science with a minor in English in 2011. Over my adult life, I have worked as a debate coach, Mentor for the Highly Gifted, filing clerk, copywriter, Communications Director/Archivist, and currently serve as a Website and Communications Technician for Lincoln Public Schools. I point all this out to say that I have spent my life in the field of spoken and written communication, using skills that I have developed in debate.

General Notes

I continue to judge debate because I truly believe that the skills and habits that students can develop in debate have an application in the real world and that they can learn and experience new ways of thinking and fairly evaluate all sides of an argument. That being said, I am typically regarded as a fairly traditional judge, and I emphasize clarity, organization, and topic knowledge in the students that I judge. My work in web design and communications has taught me that a simple, clear structure will help your audience understand you and limit misunderstandings, so doing that is always a pretty big plus for me. I tend to be on the harsher end of speaker point distributions, with 26 (out of 30) being average in my eyes.

I strive to be open to all forms of argument, but both I and your opponent need to understand them to in order to have effective debate.

I will not tolerate the use of profanity in round. If you wouldn't use it in the classroom, don't do it in front of me.

I will disclose my thoughts on the round after I submit my ballot. I request that you refrain from talking about the round until I make my decision, and that you at least make a show of pretending to take notes during the oral critique. I do not disclose speaker points.

Please figure out how to share your cases/cards quickly and efficiently over email, flash drive, paper or whatever. I've had far too many rounds recently where this has become a major timesink and nothing makes me grouchier then watching you fumble with technology for five minutes in the middle of a round.

Speed

I have been less accepting of speed the more I have spent time in the workforce and have found that speaking quickly is a habit that practically everyone around me does not appreciate. I will try to follow your arguments the best I can, but I will not yell clear, but will likely stop flowing if I feel that I cannot effectively follow your argument. I do not want the speech doc, unless I need to address an evidence or ethical concern. Your role as a debater is to communicate cleanly and clearly, and you should not rely on me reading a document to understand what you are saying.

Standards

I believe that a strong standards debate is an effective way to center cases around a focal point and build up writing and speaking skills that can be used in the future. That said, I am open to most forms of standards/framework, as long as they are explained and I am told how they interact with whatever your opponent is providing as well. If things are left vague, I will likely make a decision that neither of us will like.

Theory

To be blunt, I have very little experience with theory arguments, and like most arguments, I will strive to be open to them, but they need to be explained.

Kritiks/Performance

Once again, I have little experience with these kinds of cases, but have enjoyed them in the past when they are run well. Like any other argument, however, I expect you to clash with your opponent, and explain to me how you interact with your opponent's arguments in the round. Role of the ballot is a vital part of these cases for me, and it had better be well warranted, explained, and extended or else I am likely to drop your entire case.

As a judge, my job is to evaluate how the debaters did, not to tell them that an argument is dumb. I consider it the responsibility of the other debater to do that. If a debater makes a bad argument, is it up to the opposing debater to point it out and explain why - I will vote for bad arguments if they are not responded to.

I am highly oriented towards a clear connection from evidence to the impacts. Debaters have less to prove to me if someone makes ridiculous claims unsupported by evidence - in fact I would be happy to vote down an argument if it has no evidence if the opponent simply points that out.

I also look closely towards value/framework arguments. I’m looking to answer the question of what should we do to answer the resolution, and I consider the value/framework a crucial part of answering that question.

I also don't particularly like speed because I think that it takes away from a person's ability to argue and think on the spot during rebuttals when giving a speech - you can't speed without something being written beforehand. However, I will not vote anyone down because of it.

I don't find arguments based in the semantics of a resolution to be very convincing. I won't vote a debater down because of it, but the arguer will have the burden of proof. They must explain why the argument matters before I will vote for it. In general this goes for all arguments, but it remains especially true for these.

Name

Jacob Moore

Where I'm from

Papillion, Nebraska

What I judge

LD

Paradigm

Your standards debate is the first thing I view as it is my lens within the round. I am a traditional judge. Be able to clearly explain your standards and don't make me connect the dots on what you are trying to say.

I don't care how fast you read, but realize if you spread so fast it hurts your pace, I will take off from your speaking points

25-26 Poor

26-27 Below Average

27-28 Average

29-30 Above Average

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-Impacts are a must in Varsity. Probability and magnitude are major weights for this.

-I allow Flex Prep, but I don't expect the opponent to answer the questions.

-Any argument you run, I roll with it. As long as you can defend your argument.

-As always, Signpost/Roadmap! Too many debaters forget this!

-Don't expect me to be an expert, even on the topic! Your job is to easily explain your philosophy to anyone, especially a judge. I cannot become an expert in Kantian Ethics from one speech after all!

-Don't be afraid to ask questions before or after the round!

Public Forum

In Public Forum I expect well-explained links into arguments and detailed analysis. It isn't enough to slap down a card and tell me that the evidence is newer/weighted more--explain why your evidence is better or better applied. Quality of contentions is better than quantity; I'd rather have you do a few things well than have many points with shallow reasoning and analysis. Speed is not a problem as long as you are very clear, but if it even gets close to spreading or if you have poor enunciation you will be in trouble. Maintain round decorum at all times; this includes giving trigger warnings where appropriate and providing alternative arguments if someone asks you not to use a triggering argument. Also, some judges like snappy or passive-aggressive CX, but I am not one of those judges. You don't get points for being a jerk. Be genuinely kind while remaining firm and you will get better speaker points from me.

Public Forum in not Lincoln-Douglas. Framework is possible, but do not make it the centerpiece of your case. I judge on evidence and impacts, not abstract theories and possibilities. Also, observations that are on the cusp of abuse do not sit well with me; Debate must be debatable.

While identity politics are important and can inform a round, do not rely on them exclusively. Belonging to a particular group does not absolve the burden of your side in the round, nor does it give you an automatic advantage. Rely on your case and evidence; if an argument is offensive it is fine to point that out, but you must explain to me why that matters in the larger scheme of the round. 

Lincoln-Douglas

In Lincoln-Douglas I look for contentions that link well with the framework and a detailed analysis and explanation of the framework. I am more familiar with traditional value and criterion-based frameworks, but as long as you do a good job of explaining your case to me I can usually keep up. I do enjoy high theory or off-the-wall cases and kritiks, but only if you explain the reasoning clearly to me. If I can't understand the framework due to a lack of explanation, I will have to default to my own reasoning in the world of the round in order to judge. Also, while I believe Debate is an intellectual game, I can also believe that my ballot can have a role if you lay out a good reason for that clearly for me. 

Please be very respectful of your opponent in round. Some people love to get snippy in CX or throw out little jabs, but I hate that. For better speaker points from me, be polite but firm. You don't get points for being a jerk.

Spreading is risky, as you must be very clear to make sure I can follow you; for reference, what would be considered "fast" for PF would be a comfortable pace for me. Anything faster I will still probably be able to catch most of it, but if you want to do well without risk, you will speak at a pace I can easily understand.

I spent my high school career debating Lincoln-Douglas. After graduating in 2012, I have consistently judged LD in Nebraska. I am more familiar with traditional debate but am open to accept more progressive positions as long as there is a clear claim, warrant, and impact. I strive to be "tabula rasa" when evaluating debate. Just make sure to do your job and convince me why I should vote in your favor.

Speed: I am not a fan of speed. I can keep up most of the time. However, attempting to speed can certainly negatively impact the debater if I'm not able to efficiently flow. I will clearly express if you're going too fast by not flowing and giving you a confused look.

Arguments: I am open to almost every type of argument as long as it is warranted and clear.

Theory: I will vote if very clear abuse is present. However, unless its absolutely necessary I will be upset with you if you turn the debate into a theory round because you lack substantial responses to your opponents case. I am a big fan of discussing the actual resolution.

Overall, I am a fairly traditional judge. Yet I have experience debating and judging more progressive debate. Demeanor and decorum are important to me. Presentation is important. However, I will ultimately vote for the winner of the best arguments.

When adjudicating debate rounds I want a strong framework set up at the value/criteria level. As the judge, I evaluate arguments through this standard and expect to see arguments warranted and impacted back to the standard throughout the round, especially in crystallization. I have no preference as to whether voting issues are presented during the line-by-line versus having them as a summary. I'm a crystallization judge. Also, if you have voters which preclude the standards, explain and warrant why this is the case, why your argument mitigates your opponent’s and how it impacts the round. Don’t expect intuitive connections from me.

When it comes to speed I tend to think that I can keep up with most LD rounds, however, if you go as fast as policy debaters you run the risk that I may miss something. Speed is aided by clear sign-posting and organization in rebuttals. Debaters who are merely brisk in their delivery will typically have higher speaking points than the typical speed-reader, but not always.

When flowing I make every attempt to flow author's names on evidence used, however, I flow the argument first at the risk of not writing down the author on my flow. I pay attention to those supporting your arguments, however, as a judge I look to arguments being developed first and foremost. Therefore, I prefer sign-posting by the argument being made, not the author's name.

Speaker points are usually based on ability to cover arguments, argument selection, and very much so, time allocation. I am somewhat critical on how well debaters perform on all of these areas and will award points based on how close to perfect you are for every category. Additionally, debaters who don't take the activity seriously will see very dramatic cuts in their speaker points.

It is important to note that I do not give a lot of credibility to arguments that are just plain non-factual, regardless of your opponents volume of response. If you argue that the Holocaust didn't happen, I will not give credibility to the argument. This is a serious, educational activity and making things up or making ridiculous claims is not productive in my mind. However, don't interpret this as my reason for intervention - arguing that a secret corporation is in charge of the government as part of a vast conspiracy doesn't get a lot of credibility, but well warranted evidence supporting a corrupt relationship between corporate leaders and various political leaders is obviously acceptable. Furthermore, when making an argument, provide all applicable warrants to support the issue. Otherwise, I feel you are inappropriately asking for my intervention for an intuitive connection of the argument(s).

Do not read theory arguments as part of a shell strategy. Listening to theory arguments without warrant and which do not apply where you then ask for this to be a voting issue means I will likely vote on the theory argument (not something I prefer), but the vote will likely go against you when your opponent points out how baseless the theory argument was.

If you make an argument stemming from identity politics for the sole purpose of winning the round, I will be very upset. Lying about your identity and using that lie as an argument to win a round is not intelligent, its simply ugly. Expect my decision in the round to reflect my displeasure with you.

I also expect respect for all participants in the round. Don't be antagonistic to your opponent and I would appreciate your respect. If I'm giving an oral critique, don't argue with me - I'm giving you my perception of what I heard in the round. If I got it wrong, it is your fault. Persuasion is about making sure I have the correct perception. I competed in the mid-80's and have judged/coached ever since – while somewhat traditional, I have accepted many progressive components of contemporary debate. If you have further questions, please ask – but be specific about what you want to know.

If you have questions or wish to discuss my perception on debate, please let me know. My desire is to be entirely transparent as a judge because I expect you to adapt in order to earn my ballot.