I have coached debate since 1971, beginning at Manchester (now Manchester Essex) from 1971-2005, and now at Waring School since 2005. I have coached national champions in both policy debate and public forum debate, so I can flow a debate. I am a "tabula rasa" judge, meaning that I believe that the debaters (and not my personal opinions or delivery preferences) will determine what issues and arguments should win the debate. I grew up in Kansas and debated for Topeka West High School (1962-65), where all judges were citizens of the host community. All of our debate was conducted in front of "citizen judges." That's what I believe is most important in PFD. The event was designed so that it would be persuasive to an intelligent and attentive member of the "public." For that reason, I feel that the delivery, argumentation, and ethos of the debaters should be directly accessible to such an audience. I do agree that dropped arguments are conceded in the debate and that NEW arguments in the final speeches should be ignored. I love it when debaters are directly responsive to the arguments of the other side, letting me know on a point by point basis where they are on the flow. I also honor those debaters who show courtesy to their opponents, who have a sense of humor, and who tell the truth about what they have said. I expect that all evidence will be ethically researched and presented in the debate. I will penalize (with points) any debaters who are sarcastic, demeaning of opponents, or biased in terms of race, religion, sexual orientation, or social class. I will always be happy to talk with you about any decision I make as well as to show you my flow and explain how I assessed the debate. I will do this AFTER I have submitted my ballot. In recent years, I have been spending more of my time in tab rooms than judging, but I truly enjoy the time I can spend in the back of the room. In these trying times, you debaters are our hope for the future, naming FACT-BASED arguments about important issues.

Tim Averill (timaverill@comcast.net) 978-578-0540

I am a senior at Harvard, so I only judge PF during this tournament each year. In high school, I competed in Congressional debate and speech. I do my best to follow the standard tournament PF rules.

I keep a flow during debate, and I like to see strong rebuttal when I'm considering who won on a certain topic. I balance strength, logic, and evidence of your constructive arguments with thoughtful, empirical, and/or logical responses to the other team's arguments. I like to see evidence used to back up your points; however, usually both sides are going to have evidence for their case, so I also like to see you use logical reasoning to tell me why I should favor your claims and supporting evidence over your opponent!

Overall, I like to see the balance of presenting your own arguments in an organized, efficient way, while also attacking the points of the other team. Weighing your arguments in summary and final focus is helpful for me when making my decision about what to consider; since I have a limited judging background, I'm not extremely familiar with the rules about what speeches you can/can't make new arguments in, but it's helpful for me to organize my thoughts if the last speeches are truly a focus of what points you won on and why you won, and why I should believe that you won those points.

I also like to see a productive cross examination with clash on the main points of contention. I don't like to see a lot of arguing back-and-forth about the minutiae of a point, especially if it's taking up a lot of time. I also like to see respect! I don't like to see condescending or disrespectful attitudes toward the other team. Let your arguments speak for themselves. No spreading. If you can speak quickly and I can still understand you and flow, that's fine. If you're speaking so quickly that I can't understand you, then I can't use any of the information you're giving me.

Judging PF is fun for me, because I remember being in your shoes. I love seeing the talent that you guys bring to this meet! Have fun, and good luck!

I am a lay judge with a couple years experience. I appreciate structure (rebuttal should be used to rebut your opponent’s case; focus should be used to tell me why your argument wins), and I will try to follow your flow. If you get me early in the tournament, you should explain acronyms and detailed points before assuming that I know what you’re taking about. You’re the expert, you need to make sure I understand your points. Please refrain from jargon and technical debate terms. I know what a block is, but I get lost when a team refers to terms they may have heard a coach use. I understand better when you use plain english to explain your structure and the effectiveness and meaning of your arguments. Unless you are amazingly talented, speaking ridiculously fast will be lost on me. You will be polite and respectful to your opponents.

I have been a member of the National Speech and Debate Association for 18 years. I grew up doing speech, and as a teacher, moved more into the direction of coaching debate. I love this activity, and I am genuinely rooting for every team that I judge.

I currently coach a large, successful middle school debate team in Harlem, where we do mostly Parli.

1. I appreciate cases that convey a sense of originality of analysis, clarity, and authenticity.

2. When it comes to any data-based evidence, I am going to be more swayed by the narrative you create around the numbers than the numbers themselves.

3. I appreciate thoughtful research, but when it comes down to it -- perhaps it is all the time I spend coaching Parli -- I am easily pulled into the world of ideas and logic. I will have a longer leash for more philosophical reasoning than many PF judges.

4. Whenever I experience PF debate, I am so impressed by the way the best teams are able to manage their time-- because you have so little to work with. Do not be afraid to let things fade from the round in order to focus the round into the real voting issues.

5. In crossfires, get underneath the premise of your opponent's argument rather than the splitting hairs or (in most cases) getting into the nuances of the validity of the evidences. Force concessions from your opponent.

6. Create legitimate clash. Show me the contrast between the worlds of yours and your opponents. Make the contrast obvious to me.

5. As you speak, engage me naturally on a human-to-human level, and read my reactions. (I'm told I am fairly easy to read)

Maria Biggs- My judging paradigm for Lincoln Douglas, LD, Debate is a clash of values. The value represents a means to an idealistic, just world. The criterion is the standard by which to measure the opposing values and to ultimately define the value that should be upheld. The contentions are used to uphold the value. Value, criterion and contentions must be clearly stated by both sides.Therefore, the debater that upholds their value and criteria with the strongest contentions and strongest cross x will receive the higher points, thus (generally) the win.Points that are imperative for me in order to judge an LD debate :

• Speak clearly and a reasonably appropriate rate- no spreading
• Must be clear with your value and criteria
• Contention and it's value MUST BE crystal clear
• I do not allow flex time
• Time yourself
• Argue on logic not emotions
• Quotations have no meanings without explanations
• Make logical and sensible arguments AND explain your arguments.
• There is a difference between a passionate and an abrasive or condescending debater-check yourselves
• The debater that most clearly present a logical argument AND effectively refute the opponent will be the victor **Cross X is very important to me and at times defines the winner
• MOST OF ALL ENJOY YOURSELVES WHILE PERFECTING YOUR CRAFT

About me: I'm Mr. Bravim (pronounced brah-veem). 25 yrs. in speech & debate. Competed, judged, and coached all over (e.g. FL, D.C., Korea, China, Uganda).

Email: bravim@cghsfl.org

* Big Questions

No preference between real-world and philosophical evidence, but a combination is powerful! I like framing. I like big picture analysis. I like extended warrants. Pointed questioning and strong topic knowledge impress me a lot and should help you win a ballot in a close round.

Most of my experience judging BQ was in 2020 when Nationals was online. I approach BQ like a less flow-centric traditional LD round and the person who most clearly frames and resolves the "big question" will win the round, regardless of the flow. Each debater should aim to do that. I like this event and love the current topic. I wish BQ Debate were more mainstream outside of NSDA Nationals. FYI: I have above average knowledge on world religion and the history of science, but I will only use what you tell me in round.

* LD Prefs

I'm best at adjudicating traditional LD rounds. However, I will consider any warranted argument presented in round. Please weigh clearly and effectively and lay out the big issues in the round/voters. Tell me the clearest path to the ballot! I do not want to intervene. I find a quality framework debate/clash VERY interesting. If it's getting debate on fw is circular and/or the differentiation is minimal, go for something else.

Slow down on card tags, warrants, weighing, and voters. If the framework clash is a wash, I'll default to evaluating contention-level offense via the weighing analysis given to me at the end of the round. If I don't understand what you're talking about (speed, lack of clarity, lack of explanation, or warrants), there is NO CHANCE I'll vote off it. Thus, explain the argument/warrants not only in case, but throughout the round if you want me to vote off of it.

Spend time contextualizing your card/s if you're relying on it to win the round. Even if it was already done in your constructive, it's a good habit to cover it thoroughly a 2nd time in case I missed something.

Don't drop warrants in your extensions. I may not have gotten it in case and even if I did, I like to be reminded. Will not evaluate any argument in which the warrant is missing or unclear.

--<< Logos / Ethos / Pathos >>-- (please don't forget that all three are part of good debate)

Above all else, I favor clash and the resolution of clash by debaters with good overviews, weighing, and depth of topic knowledge.

In order of preference:

1.) Trad/lay 2.) Plan/CPs 3.) Ks 4.) Theory

I find most theory debates dull, but will listen to them if that's what you want to do. I've voted off theory maybe 4 times and I've judged a lot of LD rounds. I prefer you try to win anywhere else unless there is a flagrant, obvious, and clear violation of the tournament rules or NSDA rules. Above all, the quality of argument matters more to me than the style of debate. I don't mind some speed used strategically, but please don't spread throughout the round. I'd much rather you win one good argument on the flow and weigh than 10 smaller ones that I struggle to follow because of speed/clarity issues.

* PF Prefs

Overview: I remember the reasons PF was introduced as an event in 2002. I believe the spirit of PF necessitates a less technical, but ultimately more persuasive debate activity than policy or circuit LD. The idea that hyper-technical arguments would be advanced knowing the opponents will have problems even understanding what the argument is about is abhorrent to me. This ultimately lacks both in educational value and fairness. That said, I understand any event will evolve over 22 years and there are going to be different ways to gain in round advantage. I think running Ks, theory, and spreading should not be the norm in Public Forum. I think topical arguments with really good warrants and evidence are the best path for PF debaters. I think the round should be educational and accessible for teams, judges, and any observer who wishes to spectate the round. The notion that the only "good" debate is nat circuit-oriented is not only arrogant, but also wrong. I've witnessed 1,000+ debate rounds and seen poor argumentation all over the place.

I favor a lot of clash, well-developed links analysis, and an aggressive style of debate. Indicting evidence with quality arguments on why it matters in the context of the round impresses me. I enjoy pointed crossfire and will flow concessions and hold teams to them. Warrant everything. DO NOT DROP WARRANTS in your extensions. In PF, remind me of the big picture from summary onward.

Keep a consistent link story on your offense. If you have a particular lens (framework, observation, etc.) in which I should view the resolution, make sure it is well-warranted and extend throughout the round. I like clear framing mechanisms. I prefer a smaller # of voters (1 - 3) to many poorly-explained voters in FF. Weigh or risk judge intervention (I don't want to do it). You can't win on the flow if you don't tell me why the arguments matter by the end of the round.

On Speed: Moderate, occasional, and strategic use of speed in PF is OK if the other team + allthe judges can follow you. Never sacrifice clarity for speed. Don't bully your opponent with speed. That is not why PF was created. The vast majority of your speech should be understood by an ordinary person with no background in debate if you're doing it right. I much rather teams win 1 significant argument over a bunch of smaller, less-developed arguments on the flow. I dislike spreading in any debate event, but most especially in PF.

Evidence comparison is critical and a good way to impress. Please make warranted arguments why I should prefer your card over your opponent's card. There are many ways to accomplish this, I'll consider any of them so long as they make sense. FYI: One relevant, high-quality card is often better than 2 - 3 generic cards that are not contextualized. Extend card tags on every speech. Knowing your evidence really well and explaining it really well in round all but guarantees high speaks.

On theory: I've heard my share of theory arguments and find the majority of those rounds dull and the arguments thin. I much rather you win on something else, but will listen if this is your thing. : (

You can go line-by-line or be more analytical. Anything that is unclear will not get extended or weighed on the flow. Never forget that debate is foremost a PERSUASIVE activity. If you cannot persuade the average person with your case, you aren’t debating effectively. Ways to impress me as a judge: 1. Depth of Analysis, 2. Topic Knowledge, 3. Effective Advocacy, and 4. Clear Narrative. I value meaningful cross much more than most judges.

A pet peeve of mine in PF is summary treated as a 2nd rebuttal speech. That is not the point of summary! Show me the most important issues and why they favor your side, we already had 2 rebuttal speeches and summary is more than a shortened rebuttal.

--<< Logos / Ethos / Pathos >>-- (please don't forget that all 3 are part of effective argumentation)

* Congress Prefs

I despise 1-sided debate. If there's no one left on the other side, call the previous question, table the bill, or deliver an impromptu/extemp speech on the other side. If I hear the same exact points made without specific references to the arguments presented by the other side, points will be low.

I love clash in congress. I like pointed, direct questioning. I'm impressed by tactical use of parliamentary procedure. I value the role of the P.O. more than most. Don't be shy about running for P.O. If you're good at it, do it and I'll rank you fairly!

Critical evidence comparison & strong topic knowledge impress me a lot. Creative and/or funny intros make me happy.

PET PEEVES

1. Taking too long to set up for debate. (Be prepared, be punctual, be professional)

2. Taking too long to pull a called card from case (after 1 min. if the card doesn’t exist, drop the arg.)

3. Doc bots.

4. Boring me. Some have forgotten that there is a performance aspect to ALL debate events and that if you seem apathetic, I will care less about your argument if you don't appear to care about it. If you want me to vote for your argument, make the attempt to seem like you care about whatever you're running. You chose to run that. It's your baby.

Note: I don't disclose speaker points. Don't ask. I will disclose my decision if the tournament is single-flighted. If rounds are double-flighted, I will not disclose for the sake of time, but will publish my ballot.

FOR FUN

I <3 multivolume narrative nonfiction, dystopian & post-apocalyptic fiction, retro video games (mostly fighters), boxing, soccer, and cats. If you're bored at a tournament and have an interest in any of that stuff, come say hi! : )

Academic Interests:

I teach AP World History, AP European History, and AP Microeconomics on the high school level. I teach various business courses at the university level.

Topics in which I have some specialized knowledge include: world religion, modern history, organizational culture, business management, and law.

Good luck to all!

I am a former high school debater that has dabbled in everything. I’ve been judging for the past six years and have judged everything, but policy. I recently graduated with a degree in Anthropology, with a focus on cultural anthropology. I’m a pretty typical PF judge and will vote for the team with the most compelling argument, however, I do like a solid framework. As far as cross goes, I don’t care if you sit or stand—whatever is most comfortable for you works for me. I don’t like when you address me during cross because I feel like you should be focused on your opponents instead. My BIGGIE is DO NOT SPREAD. If you are going too fast, I will not flow the round and drop you. This is PF, not policy. I have an extensive speech background and will be pretty merciless when it comes to speaker points. Other than that, remember to be respectful during the debate. Things can get pretty heated sometimes, but that is no excuse for rudeness. If you say things during the round that that are sexist, racist, homophobic, etc., I will drop you immediately. Let’s be kind to one another and remember to have fun! I look forward to hearing some good debates!

Tab judge. I have coached, or actively coach events, on local UIL, TFA and national circuit for over a decade. For Debate, please ask specific preference/style questions before round and in the presence of your opponent(s).

Interpretation: Very open to community standards and performer specific interpretations of literature. I try not to bring any preconceived understanding of literature into the round. I do prefer a teaser of some length before the introduction. Blocking and vocal characterization should be as distinct and clearly separate throughout performance.

INFO: I do prefer the use of a visual aid throughout the speech. Topics that are creative and challenging, or inspiring, are most intriguing and tend to separate themselves in a section. Sources are not as important in quantity, but the information should be presented in a fresh and relevant manner.

Extemporaneous: I prefer a balance of information and speech fluidity and personality. Clearly answer the question with a unified answer and give enough background/context in the introduction. Sources should be used significantly throughout the speech, but do not sacrifice a personable delivery simply to provide facts/analysis.

I believe that I come into each debate as a first time observer. Convince me. I believe in professional, respectful decorum. I do not adhere to bullying behaviors. I look at support for contentions and I don’t disclose.

PUBLIC FORUM

To me, one of the key aspects to Public Forum debate is that it should be accessible to the PUBLIC, with a (hopefully) wide scope. As such, here's a few suggestions if you find yourself in one of my rounds:

If you put a blatantly and unabashadly unfair burden on your opponents (my opponents can only win if they do "X"), the odds will not be in your favour.

If you obviously deliberately misinterpret your opponent's contentions in a cheap attempt to turn them to your side, the odds will not be in your favour. Trust me, as judges we see through this.

Off time roadmaps waste my time and yours. We already know you're going to start on your opponent's side of the flow and move to your own if time exists. You don't need to say it. If you're doing something else, THEN please let me know.

HOWEVER: In speech road-mapping is very important during Rebuttal and Summary. Don't tell me "extend my _______ card across the flow" without telling me which contention it is a part of. I don't write quickly or clearly enough to be able to locate it on my flow before you move on to your next thing. Trust me, this is for your benefit. Just tell me which contention it is a part of and the assertion that it makes.

Weighing: It's great if we can weigh tangible impacts on both sides, but that's not always going to be the case. Let's use the example of lives (tangible) vs. quality of life (intangible). The side with "Lives" usually just says "you can't have quality of life without a life" and leave it at that. The groups impacted by the "lives" evidence probably have at least a bit of overlap with the groups impacted by the "Quality of life" evidence, and in that overlap the above statement makes sense, but what about the groups that don't overlap? How do you want me to weigh those? I want to see thought put into your rebuttals, summaries, and final foci about the reasoning behind how and why things are weighed in the round against your opponents, not just standby statements. Because most of what we deal with in Public Forum has to do with real people, if you can link your arguments to effects on said real people, that can only be a good thing on my flow.

If you talk so fast or so unclearly that I cannot understand you *cough* policy *cough*, your contentions will not go on my flow. This is not to say that speed is a bad thing; if you are talking quickly AND clearly to expand and clarify your arguments, FANTASTIC. I love it. If you are talking fast purely to add more cards to your side of the flow, the odds will not be in your favour. Public Forum is not Policy Lite. I will say "Volume" or "Clear" once. If you see me outright stop flowing and drop my pen, then your arguments are not ending up flowed for the above reasons.

Conduct: We all get excited and a bit heated during rounds, but if you are shouty and rude to your opponents, then your chances of winning a speaking award will tank. I am judging the debate on the substance, so if you are shouty and rude but still present the best arguments, you will win, but your speaks will suffer. Terribly. HOWEVER: If your in-round ethos is atrocious and deplorable enough, I will award you the loss, a double 20, AND I will talk to your coach. You are humans first and debaters second. So are your opponents. If you can't treat them like equals then you have failed basic human decency and will not win my round.

ALSO! Cx is for questioning, not making grandstanding statements. I also frown on steamrolling your opponents during crossfire, not allowing them to finish answering your questions or not allowing them questions of their own. Again, not cool man. (See above paragraph for potential consequences)

Fun Stuff: If you end up with 3 or fewer seconds of prep time before your Final Focus, and you use it, I will award you an extra .5 speaker points. I have no reasoning behind this other than that I find it entertaining. Similarly, if both teams call Aff's contentions PROTENTIONS then I will award all speakers an extra .5 speaker points

Lincoln Douglas

Spreading: For the love of all that is sane, DO NOT SPREAD. I have tried many times, but I cannot understand you when you do it, and I guarantee that you will lose the round if I cannot understand you. Spreading is for butter, not high school debate.

Impacts: I'm generally fine with anything you want to impact to, as long as you can show me some very strong links. For example, I've never seen a strong enough link to give anyone access to Thermonuclear Holocaust or global mass extinction. You should also always impact your impacts back to your value/criterion. Something as simple as “... and that isn’t moral” would suffice (assuming your value is morality). Remind us what we’re here for and what lenses we’re looking through

Ts: Probably not a great idea in my rounds, tbh. I don’t think we have time for shell arguments in this category, I’d rather see the actual resolution debated rather than some weird philosophical diatribe that we have to discard literally everything your opponent said because __________

If you start off your NC (or AC for some reason) with reasons why we can’t (or shouldn’t) debate the round at all, I will do everything in my power to find a way to vote you down. Debate the resolution.

If you have evidence that specifically mentions methods in HS debate (usually these are written by former high school debaters who now coach from college), I will call for that card and if it is not in a peer-reviewed journal from an unaffiliated author, I will vote you down.

This activity is about researching, analyzing evidence, and creating arguments. I really don't like it when you're running framework and contentions that it is very apparent you didn't write and maybe don't even understand.

Conduct: Don't tell me your opponent is racist, or sexist, or ableist, or any other -ist because of an argument they're running. You may say that their case advocates against equity in any of those areas, or you may call their specific arguments names; but never the human you are participating in this activity with.

So to conclude.... If you actually debate the resolution you'll probably be fine.

Policy

I don’t/won’t judge policy. Take that statement as you will.

I have been a parent judge for PF for six years. Though I take a lot of notes, please do not be fooled into thinking I am a flow judge. I am most definitely a lay judge and appreciate debaters who do not speak too quickly or use a lot of jargon. For example, if you must use a term like "non unique," please specify what part of the argument you are referring to, or better yet, don't use the short-cut term "non unique" at all, as it is more informative if you are more explicit in your reasoning. If you speak so quickly that I do not catch the details of your arguments, you may lose the round, even if your arguments are superior, since I will not have heard them in full. Lastly, if you are dismissive or rude toward your opponents, your speaker points will suffer, and it will impact my decision for the round. Rounds that are conducted in a respectful and collegial manner are much more pleasant for judge and competitors alike, and they tend to result in much higher quality debating all around.

I am a debate coach for 3 years and have judged before public forum debates.

I flow and I pay attention to a well written framework that can provide specifics for your case.

Your case must be supported by multiple claims all substantiated by solid evidence and explained by clear warrants.

I put a lot of weight on impacts since the result of a debate can be decided on that.

You need to rebut every claim made by your opponents and convince me that your impact is greater.

Being rude is an indication that your evidence is weak and you are loosing the debate.

I'm a parent judge without real debating experience myself :-)

I don't mind your speaking speed but please be clear. My flow skill is not there yet but I do try.

I pay a lot of attention to good arguments (plus for your side) and effective rebuttals (minus for your opponent). Your summary and final focus just need to bring up those plus and minus points.

Your insightful and innovative arguments, if you can back them up well with clear logic and/or credible sources, will be appreciated. I consider judging a learning experience and enjoy it very much.

Please be respectful to your opponents as I don't favor aggressive behavior.

Good luck to both teams!

Updated January, 2018

TL;DR Former PFer, flow judge. Consistency through summary and FF, don't misconstrue evidence, time yourselves, and weigh please.

Background

Four years of PF at Nueva (graduated 2017). As with any human being, I have ideological biases, but in round I will try my best to be tabula rasa and to evaluate the round fairly.

Evidence/Cards

I’m fine if you ask for some cards, flash cards, or whatever. However, there are four things I really don’t like when people do. First, do not prep when people are finding cards. This is rude. Second, find cards in a timely manner. You should be able to provide cards with proper citations and bolded/highlighted parts in a manner that does not hold up the debate. This makes the round run smoother and is a debater's responsibility. Third, use proper citations with author and date at least (I tag cards by the author's last name; not a rule in any way, just something you might find helpful). These first three things will not influence my decision but will have an effect on speaks (although I'm open to theory on improper citations). Fourth, DO NOT MISCONSTRUE EVIDENCE. In prelims I will not ask for cards after the round unless you ask me to call for cards, in which case I will call for all card you ask me to call for, or unless I strongly suspect a card is misconstrued. In outrounds, I will call for cards that are heavily contested or any cards that you ask me to call for or any cards I strongly suspect are misconstrued. If your evidence is misconstrued, it disappears from my flow. If it is misconstrued such that a reasonable person would believe it was intentionally manipulated to give a strategic advantage, I will drop you (although I've never had to do this before and hope I never will).

The implication of my prelim evidence policy is that when two teams throw contradictory stats at each other with no way to resolve the conflict, I don't know what to do (since I'm not going to call for prelim cards); this means that I won't feel comfortable enough to vote on the argument with unresolved evidence conflicts (unless the round is so messy that there is nowhere else to vote). Thus, if you want me to vote on such an argument, tell me to call for the cards.

I think paraphrasing is fine (I paraphrased when I debated), as long as you are not changing the meaning of the card.

Topicality and Framework

These are fine but most of the time in PF just winning that an argument is not topical does not mean that you win the round, it just takes out one (or multiple pieces) of their offense. Don't forget to extend offense too. Also, if you are going to run a framework, you have to tell me why your opponents arguments don't fit under that framework and why you do (in addition to why I should pref the framework over util, which is what I will default to).

Definitions

Honestly most definitions read in PF are unnecessary. I would advise only reading definitions if they're actually important. Also, I hate adjudicating definitional debates (you'll lose speaks if you make me do this).

Theory and Ks

I am open to these and will vote on them (if you use a shell, make sure you extend properly). However, I do think that PFers often read theory when the interp is invalid/the violation didn't really happen because they want to run "cool progressive" arguments. Also, running theory just because you know your opponents won't understand it technically and you can get an easy win is a really terrible thing to do (if you really think there's something unfair going on in the round, but your opponents don't understand how a shell works--just ask them in crossfire--then you can just run paragraph theory). If it is clear you are just running the theory for an easy win, you will get 0 speaks (but still the win as long as you actually win the round). That said, I love interesting rounds and progressive argumentation so as long as your not forcing it to pick up an easy ballot, go ahead!

Weighing

Please do this. The only way you can guarantee a win in round is to write my ballot for me in late speeches; tell me why you are winning the most important argument and argue why that argument is the most important and you will win. Weigh your impacts. If you don’t, I will just have to pick one and one team will probably disagree with my decision.

I think there's a tendency in the debate community to say things like "weigh lives over everything else"--this is unjustified and is not sufficient weighing. If there's no weighing in the round, I default to the weirdest impact in the round--you won't be happy with this so just weigh.

Speed

I’ve never heard a PF debate that I can’t follow, but I definitely cannot follow fast policy speed. Just do what you normally do and I’ll drop my pen if you’re going too fast. Do be clear on tags and signpost though.

Offtime Roadmap

Do this if you want, but is your rebuttal really so extraordinarily difficult to follow that it desperately needs a roadmap? Unless you're doing something really crazy, it's probably not necessary in PF, but I won't dock you points for doing it unnecessarily.

Cross

I pay very little attention to crossfire--if you find this to be a big issue, please let me know before the round, and we can discuss. Otherwise, this means that anything that you want in the round has to be in speech. Be polite, and do not yell. Also, if you're confused about something please just ask in crossfire.

Also, time your own cross.

Extensions

Extending through ink is bad. If you try to extend through ink, I will consider the defense cold dropped. The other team only need bring up in later speeches that the response was dropped. Extending through ink in the 2nd FF is not cool at all. It will come out of your speaks and will NOT be evaluated.

Also, an extension consists of link, warrant, and impact. When you extend, tag and summarize your cards.

FF and Summary

Anything that is in the FF has to be in summary (the only exception to this is that 1st summary does not have to extend defense). Do not try to sneak in arguments during grand cross and extend them in FF; I will not evaluate them. This is especially true if you are the second speaking FF. If you are 2nd speaking FF teams that makes up new arguments or misconstrues evidence in the FF I will disregard everything new and trash your speaker points.

Note: If you are the first speaking team, you may extend a turn from rebuttal to FF as long as you phrase it as a competitive link that exactly cancels out your opponent's link. It will be evaluated accordingly as defense.

Collapse

Please please pick arguments to go for. Unless you are so far ahead that you have time to go for everything, going for everything in a half-decent way is far worse than collapsing on a couple of key arguments.

Prep

Don't steal prep. It will come out of your speaks. I really don't think it should take more than 15 seconds to get your stuff together and speak--if this seems unfair or there is a reason you can't do this, then let me know before the round, and we can discuss.

Speaker Points

I'm pretty generous with speaks. For me speaking ability is completely separate from the arguments in the debate. You can make good points and be a terrible speaker and I’ll pick you up but probably give you terrible speaks. If you want good speaks be polite, don't misconstrue evidence, and speak pretty. Speaker points are also where I will penalize you for things like going new in the 2.

Kicking Out

Kicking out of an argument requires that you read a piece of defense on it. This must be in summary and final focus (even if it is first summary).

Clarity

I will nod my head when something makes sense to me, and I'll also make a weird face if I don't understand what you are talking about. Hopefully this is helpful for making sure I understand your arguments.

Miscellaneous/Semantics

I don't appreciate it when 1st speaking teams don't flow their opponent's FF. I think one of the main reasons we debate is because it helps us learn, and having a full flow of the round is certainly more conducive to learning. I realize this part of my paradigm may not actually achieve its end (b/c you may just flow the speech so I don't deck your speaks and then throw it away afterwards), but it's probably better than you not flowing at all. I will doc half a speaker point if you don't do this.

I think it makes the round interesting when people ask weird crossfire questions like "what are you going for in summary?" (more like LD).

Yes you can time yourselves--I would prefer that.

Please come with your cases preflowed--that saves everyone time.

Know what your impact cards mean. If your card says "a one standard deviation in x increases the gini coefficient by 0.02," you better be able to explain what that means. Also, I don't understand what that means so you should explain that to me and compare it to other impacts.

I love humor. If I laugh you can have a 30.

I'm certainly open to discussing the reasons for my paradigm and even changing them if the discussion convinces me.

I default to util. I will buy any framework, but give me a reason to prefer.

I really enjoy discussion of methodology/study flaws. Bonus speaks for cool, mathematically insightful evidence indicts.

Questions

Ask any questions you have. If something is unclear I would rather you ask a question than do something that I said not to do in my paradigm. This policy on questions also holds after the round. If you disagree or don't understand my decision, please ask me questions. I'm happy to explain or discuss!

*assume I don't know the topic or the literature/arguments surrounding the resolution*

Email: achoi07650@gmail.com

1. Tech v. Truth

- varies on a case-by-case basis but will mainly default to tech

- always assume I don't know anything

- generally not an interventionist judge

2. Positions

Disads - cool

Counterplans - cool except in PF

Kritiks - cool

Theory - cool, but run it for a legitimate reason and not as a time-suck or abusing someone who doesn't know how to respond (@ novices/middle schoolers)

Topicality - will rarely vote on it

3. Speed + Evidence

- any speeds fine but plz it's public forum shouldn't be spreading

- I probably won't call cards but you never know

- plz don't plagiarize + know the rules of evidence

4. Speaks

- will give high speaks for nice round :)

- if y'all chill expect 28+

- if y'all rude/disrespectful/purposely making someone feel uncomfortable expect nothing higher than a 25

5. Basic stuff

- please weigh

- I ain't tolerating problematic behavior in my rounds. You know what this means. Please be respectful, this event ain't life or death depending on a win.

- I beg, please don't excessively call for cards. I take the whole round into perspective and a card probably will not change my decision and if it will, I'll call for it myself. However, do what is in your best interest.

6. Digital stuff

- Usually tournaments say camera on (I believe) but if not I don't care whether or not your camera is on or off. I will keep my camera on unless something wild occurs.

- If you experience lag I may interrupt your speech for you to repeat something. Don't be flustered if I ask you to repeat something it is important for me to hear it :).

- Say if you need me to accommodate something. I'm fairly flexible as long as it is agreeable with everyone and the tournament staff/guidelines.

I've debated policy for two years and PuFo for two years. I flow debates (am okay with spreading) and will decide the winner based on which team debated better. If you are racist/sexist in the round, you will get very low speaker points and might lose the round because of this - please stay respectful.

Policy

I am fine with any kind of argument (thought I don't really like Politics). Just do line-by-line and stay organized. Impact-Calc is important. For Kritiks, actually explain the argument, otherwise I'll asume you don't know what you're saying.

PuFo

As I understand it, the point of Public Forum is to be persuasive. So, please make eye contact and make sure to tell me why you win. Otherwise, I am open to any kind of argument as long as it is fair! Ask me more specific questions before the round begins.

But here's my standard philosophy for the round (borrowed a lot of this from John Hines)

1. Make Arguments. I will keep a careful flow of the debate and will do my best to vote based upon warranted arguments extended throughout the debate. Your job is to speak clearly and coherently and to dispute the warrants within your opponents’ arguments with analysis and evidence.

2. Make Choices. Most debates come down to a couple of key issues which need to be resolved by me; Your ability to accurately frame the nexus issues of the debate for me will reduce the need for me to resolve these questions for you and make me a much happier judge.

3. Don’t be a Jerk. As Ed Lee of Emory says in his most recent Judge Philosophy--"Respect is non-negotiable for me". I work VERY HARD as a judge. I spend time constructing my post-round discussion to be clear, concise and educational. I promise to give you plenty of time to ask productive follow-up questions. Rudeness and snide remarks during cross-ex, insulting the intelligence and good will of the other team and other derisive and insulting behavior towards opponents will not be tolerated. I love seeing passionate engagement with argument, but quickly become physically uncomfortable when passion turns into hostility. If you are confused as to where this line resides watch my non-verbals...it will be very obvious.

Noah DiAntonio

Update as of February 2023

I would take everything below as useful but not perfect information, because as I get further from my time as a debater I can tell that my preferences are changing and my ability to judge super technically is decreasing (I am not a "lay" judge but I am also not actively thinking about debate as often as I used to.) I have also been judging at the rookie/novice/JV level lately, so these comments are especially tailored to debaters at those levels.

The feedback that I always give debaters is that no matter what argument you are running, what matters is that you tell a compelling story about your advocacy and what voting for you means. That entails characterizing what the world looks like now, and how it will change with the passage of the plan (or CP or alt). The key to doing this is 1) having overviews in all speeches starting with the 2AC which tell me your story, 2) extending your arguments in every speech, even the ones your opponents don't address (that isn't to say you can't kick arguments, you can, but arguments you are not kicking need to be explicitly extended), and 3) contextualizing your evidence in relation to this story you are telling me. Evidence is the content that fills out the story, but it isn't the story itself. It is how you bring all the evidence together and explain it in your own words that makes the story. It is also important that as you do this, you tell me, preferably very directly, to which arguments should lead me to vote for you and why.

I also strongly advise debaters to focus on direct clash with opposing arguments. The best debaters are able to respond to opposing arguments while also telling their own story (see above), but if you need to spend two minutes telling me your story and then three minutes just refuting your opponents arguments on a line-by-line basis, that's great too. But don't drop your opponents' arguments!

So, in short: Tell me why you should win and directly tell me that what your opponent said is wrong, and you are already most of the way there!

One other thing I have noticed and want to comment on. When doing impact calculus, it isn't just a time to say that your impact matters. It is really an opportunity for direct comparison between two impacts. Let's take the classic example of nuclear war vs. climate change. Both teams say they will lead to extinction. Here is what I, on the nuclear war side, might say:

• Probability and Magnitude: Climate change is slow and humanity has time to adapt. Nuclear war is immediate, and there's no adapting to a rapid-onset nuclear winter. Furthermore, nuclear winter makes the entire earth uninhabitable, while climate change will make some areas worse but others more habitable, and in those areas people will certainly survive. That means that the probability of nuclear war leading to a full human extinction is higher, and thus it is the higher magnitude impact as well.
• Timeframe and Reversibility: The impacts of climate change are potentially reversible due to scientific advances in the coming decades. Once a nuke is launched, there is no going back. Our impact happens first and makes solving climate change impossible. Vote to prevent a nuclear war now to allow humanity the chance to fix climate change.

Now, that is far from perfect, but I write that to demonstrate that real comparison between impacts is what impact calculus is all about. Do this well, and it will be very advantageous for you.

Update for NSDA Nats 2021

Haven't judged on this topic yet.

Open to all types of arguments. Strong warrants are key.

I prefer realistic link chains. The more ridiculous, the higher your threshold of explanation will be.

Also, on Kritiks, I didn't read them and am not as experienced with them, but I like them and I have a strong background in social theory (I studied it in college) especially Marxism, Feminism, and Foucualt. However, that means that I am going to want you to explain even MORE clearly because I will probably be better able to tell if you don't actually know what you're talking about.

And for answering a Kritik (on either side) I appreciate engagement with the substance of the K.

Paradigm as of Harvard 2020

tl;dr:

1) Don't go too fast.

2) Run anything, but explain it well.

3) I don't debate anymore or keep up with what is going on in debate. Do with that what you will.

Experience:

I did policy and extemp for four years on a local Missouri circuit. I competed at NSDA and NCFL nationals in policy. Now I debate Parli for Harvard. I have judged all types of debate as well as multiple events, but only on the local level.

Here are my preferences:

LD:

I debated LD for the first two years of high school, (once again, local level), but I am not up on the current trends in circuit LD. However, I do know the basics (speech times and order, the resolution, etc.).

However, I am essentially a policy debater.

Speed:

I (generally) did not spread when I debated in high school. I'm fine with you spreading in front of me, just realize that I am not as trained as some of your judges may be when it comes to flowing spreading. For my comprehension, I would recommend that you slow down and emphasize your most important warrants. Basically, if you want me to REALLY understand something, slow down a bit.

I also would prefer if you slow down for blippy arguments if you want me to be able to flow them.

I really don’t want to have to tell you to slow down, but I will yell “clear” or “slow” if I must.

Value/Value Criterion:

I believe that V/VC debates aren't really a thing anymore in circuit LD, but when I did LD I debated that way. I won't care if you have a value construct or not, but I do like those debates.

Philosophy:

I'm not knowledgeable about much philosophy, so make sure to just explain your warrants well if you are trying to get me to adopt a certain ethical framework. I won't need deep explanation for more basic things like util or rejecting oppression, but if you think the philosophy in your case wouldn't make sense to a lay-person, explain it well to me.

Update as of 2019: I’ve read a bit more philosophy now. I have a light understanding of the social contract theorists and a decent understanding of Marx.

Plans:

Plans are fine in LD. I even think PF should have plans to be honest.

Advantages/Disads:

I like them. I was mostly a ADV/DA debater when I did policy, so I will probably intuitively understand your ADV/DA. I will be happier voting for a DA if you do a lot of weighing against the aff impacts (and vice versa). I'm also partial to uniqueness take-outs and I love turns.

Also, I love movements disads. If you run one, you aren't guaranteed to win but you will make me smile.

Counterplans:

I didn't run too many, but I really like them. I will default to a counterplan being theoretically legit unless the aff says otherwise. I like when the 1NC counterplan shell includes a sentence or two about why they are competitive, but that isn't required, I will assume competition until the aff perms.

Speaking of perms, I am fairly liberal when it comes to what I allow. Simply telling me a perm is intrinsic/severance won't matter unless you develop that into a well-impacted theory argument. I also want the aff, when making a perm, to actually say what they mean by the perm. I can guess what "perm do both" means in the context of this aff and CP, but just spelling it out leaves no room for confusion.

Kritiks:

I was not a K debater. I am happy to see and vote for Ks, but just recognize that if you are running something more complex than cap, I'm going to need you to explain things in more detail. What I most want to see out of the neg if they are running a K is 1) strong anti-perm arguments and 2) really well-developed alt solvency. Those are the areas where I am usually most skeptical of Ks, and thus you're going to want to be strong on those fronts.

Also, the old “kick the alt and go for a non-uq DA” line is fine by me, but make sure the impact is worse than the status quo in this case.

Condo:

I think it is fine, though if you win the condo bad debate I will think condo is not fine for the purposes of the round. If you are really spreading out the aff, I will give them some leeway in the 2AR. I'm not going to vote for completely new 2AR arguments, but I'll probably accept some new explanation.

Aff condo is not okay (Kicking advantages is obviously fine, but kicking out of your advocacy is not, unless you have some REALLY compelling reason otherwise).

Topicality:

I like T a lot. I will be happiest if you don't just throw blippy arguments at me and instead invest some time into the standards debate. I also want you to impact your voters for me. Fairness and education (and your other voters) matter for a reason, I want to hear those reasons.

I'm not really into T being an RVI, but if you win that it is I'll vote on it.

Slow down for T.

Theory:

Apart from T, I liked Inherency and Solvency Advocate theory when I was a debater. I will pretty much listen to any theory if you warrant it well. See what I said on Topicality.

I'm not familiar with what theory is being run on the circuit, but I think theory debates are fun so if you just explain it well you should be fine.

Slow down for theory.

Other:

Being told how you want me to vote in your rebuttal will make it more likely that I will vote that way.

If you are rude, I will dock your speaker points.

If you are racist/sexist/ableist/homophobic/transphobic or anything else of that nature in round, I will dock your speaker points and you will lose the round. If it is incredibly egregious I may end the round, but please, how about no one makes this relevant.

Contact:

If you have questions, you can email me at noahdiantonio@college.harvard.edu.

I am a parent of a high school debater and have been judging PF for 2 years. I grew up in SIngapore debating, parliamentary style debates. My judging ethos is fairly straightforward:

- i suspend my opinions and what i know about a topic outside the room and come in as a blank canvas. My role is NOT to be an expert, but to be an objective and neutral civilian, being exposed to arguments, fresh, in each round.

- i strongly prefer civilized, thoughtful and persuasive debate. I will credit professionalism, civility and a good sense of humor.

- i will discredit rudeness of all kinds. I do not enjoy theatrics (such as actively eye rolling toward me when your opponent is speaking - it will work against you, not for you), nor do i value those who simply railroad and speak loudly and fast over others in cross. Debate requires active listening to one another which is not possible if you won’t listen to your opponent or let them finish what they are saying. Please avoid all theatrics and distraction techniques.

- i will consider unanswered arguments as defeated; and will not credit (may even take point away) for new arguments introduced late in the game. And please stick to the truth and actual facts, not fake facts.

- volume and speed are not what i value. So yelling loudly or jamming numerous arguments extremely quickly and tripping over your words do not impress me. I value a debater who is confident enough to stay focused and rely on the strength of their research their ability to nuance and react thoughtfully and speak at a reasonable volume and pace. And be civil to their peers across the table.

(1) Please don't spread.

(2) While I will not categorically ignore theory arguments, I think they generally are a waste of time that would be better spent on-topic. I have a hard time conceiving of a scenario in which I would vote based on a theory argument. I also will just not at all enjoy listening to theory.

(3) If the impact of your argument involves a nuclear winter or billions of people dying, I am going to be extremely skeptical (unless the motion is literally about nuclear disarmament). Please warrant out more modest impacts to help yourself in the likely event that I am unconvinced that, e.g. ending the capital gains tax will result in Russia launching nuclear weapons.

(4) I'm generally accepting of any argument that's well warranted; it's up to you as a debater to convince me why your opponent is wrong. I'll try to be a blank slate.

(5) Levity is encouraged and can coexist with good debating. Don't be rude or uncharitable to your opponents.

(6) Just please don't spread.

Three years as a PF judge, I look at the attire the debaters/team are wearing. Looking like a professional is part of first impressions. Aggressive speakers is critical of argument delivery. Clear and concise speakers are easy to understand and represent being prepared for the debate.

Having evidence to substantiate an argument is great but not always an end of a win. One annoying issue is reading your arguments line by line, word for word off a piece of paper or laptop. Referring to your notes is one thing but reading as if telling a story is not acceptable and demonstrates the lack of readiness/preparation.

Bottom line; presentation of the argument a must...!

Updated for Harvard Tournament 2020:

Background:

I am currently a senior in college. I spent four years debating for Mountain Brook High School and competed on the local and national circuits in LD and PF. Since graduating, I've worked with CX teams in the Boston Urban Debate League but have done zero work on the current LD/PF topics. Please explain any of the more common topic-specific terms/acronyms because I am not familiar with the literature.

LD preferences:

• Write my ballot for me. Give me voters in your last speech. Weigh your arguments and actually engage with your opponent's arguments. I don't want to vote off a technicality.
• I like plans, CPs, and DAs. I ran a lot of these when I was on the circuit. I also did a fair amount of traditional debate so am always happy to judge a classic V/VC case.
• I don't like tricks or frivolous theory. Please don't run theory unless there's actual abuse in the round.
• You can run Ks and analytic philosophy but I'm not very familiar with the literature.
• Other types arguments: Feel free to ask me for my thoughts before the round. In general, I'll vote for just about anything as long as you can explain your argument well and how it functions within the debate.
• Extensions must include a claim, warrant, and impact. This includes extensions for dropped arguments.
• It's been nearly four years since I left LD, so speak a bit more slowly than you normally would. Definitely slow down for tags and authors.
• Don't be rude to your opponent and don't run offensive arguments.

PF preferences:

• My decisions are largely based off of the final focuses. However, in order for me to consider a point brought up in final focus, it also needs to be extended in the summary speech.
• Have all of your evidence readily available for your opponents to read. If you take too long to pull up evidence that your opponents are requesting, I'll dock speaker points. However, ideally you're asking to look at evidence during crossfire so that we're not wasting time waiting for people to search for evidence.
• Evidence comparison is a must if you have evidence that contradicts your opponents' evidence. Without it, I have to intervene and decide for myself which evidence I think is more valid.
• Explain how your arguments link back to the overall framework for the round. This is especially true in the final focus. Make sure you're weighing impacts and thoroughly explaining how they interact with the overall framework.
• Ask questions doing crossfire. Don't use it as more speech time.
• I don't think the second speaker has to address the opponent's arguments against their case during the rebuttal. Feel free to just refute your opponent's case.
• Extensions should generally include a claim/warrant/impact, even if your opponent dropped your argument.
• Speed is fine.

Feel free to ask me questions before the round!

A lay judge who's been judging for a few years now, I'm not a big fan of frameworks and I absolutely do not do Theory.

I am a parent judge who has never debated in a competition. My "judge career" started in 2017-2018 school year.

I try to stay neutral for any resolution at the beginning of each debate and let the speakers persuade me. Often it is the team who presents one or two powerful arguments that wins my vote. Some other points to consider to convince me. (1) English is not my first language, so speaking at slow to moderate speed would help me understand the arguments better. (2) I am a scientist by training and for my day job. Intelligent arguments carry a lot of weight for me. (3) Facts/numbers as evidence are useful in my opinion, but they persuade me only if they are presented in the context of logic/rationale.

I expect the speakers to be civil and be respectful of each other.

I am used to speakers timing themselves even though sometimes I remember to time the speakers.

My knowledge about the resolution: basic level.

Background

- 3 years national circuit PF at American Heritage-Plantation in Florida (2013-2016)

- 2 years policy debate at FSU (2016-2018)

- 2 years coaching PF for Capitol Debate (2017-current)

Paradigm

- Do anything you want to do in terms of argumentation. It is not my job as a judge in a debate community to exclude certain forms of argumentation. There are certain arguments I will heavily discourage: Ks read just to confuse your opponent and get an easy win, theory read to confuse your opponent, anything that is racist, classist, transphobic, xenophobic, sexist, ableist, etc. I will not immediately drop you for trying to confuse your opponent, I might for the latter half. The threshold for trying to confuse your opponents will be if you refuse to answer crossfire questions or give answers that everyone knows aren't legit.

- The most frequently asked questions I get are "can you handle speed?" and "how do you feel about defense in first summary/does the second speaking team need to cover responses in rebuttal?" To the first, if you are spreading to make this event in accessible to your opponents, I will give you no higher than a 20 in speaks. I am fine with spreading, but if either your opponents or I clear you, I expect you to slow down. If your opponents need to clear you 3 or more times, I expect you send them a speech doc (if you had not already done that). To the second, I do not care. It is probably strategic to have defense in first summary/ respond to first rebuttal in second rebuttal, but if you do not do that, I'm not going to say it has magically become a dropped argument.

- K's are cool, theory is cool. You need to know what you are talking about if you read these. You should be able to explain it to your opponents. If you are doing performance stuff give me a reason why. You should be prepared for the "we are doing PF, if you want to do performance why not go back to policy" debate.

- I default to whatever debaters tell me to default to. If you are in a util v structural violence framing debate, you better have reasons to defend your side. I do not default "util is trutil" unless it is won as an argument.

- Sound logic is better than crappy cards.

- The TKO is in play. If you know, you know.

- Speaker points will be reflection of your skill and my scale will remain consistent to reflect that. The average is between a 28.2-28.5. If you are an average debater, or your performance is average in round, that is what you should expect. Do not expect a 30 from me unless the tournament does not do halves.

Any questions:

email- ryleyhartwig@gmail.com

Or you can ask me before the round.

I'm a parent judge that has been judging over the last 2 years. I will flow but speed and extreme amounts of jargon will make it harder for me to follow you.

I am more likely to vote for a few well articulated arguments than a ton of individual, unwarranted arguments. When referencing things from earlier speeches, don't just tell me the author's name. Reference the claim/thesis of the argument itself because more likely than not, I won't have the author's name on my flow. Also, I tend to pay a lot of attention to crossfire. Please be respectful to each other.

I generally place more value on impacts with higher probability that impacts with a high magnitude. The more implausible an argument, the less likely I am to be persuaded by it. Given a close round, I will often side with the clearer and more logical team. Also, weigh arguments. Don't just tell me your arguments are important, tell me how they COMPARE to your opponents' arguments.

I really admire the effort that all of you put in to partake in this activity. That being said, enjoy the tournament!

Newer Judge, but have some experience. Speak clearly and be civil

UPDATE FOR HARVARD 2023.

For email chains: clj9264@nyu.edu

I have been both the head coach and assistant coach for Timothy Christian School for 5 years. Currently, I am not coaching because I am in grad school, but still keep up with PF resolutions. I was a local/regional/national circuit debater in both LD and PF for 3 years for Timothy Christian School. I then spent five years coaching and judging on all these levels. For the past two years, I have judged LD more than anything else but have mostly done case work in PF.

As one my old debate friends/partners has said (thnx Michael):

If you paraphrase a piece of evidence and your opponent calls the card and all you have is a link to an article and you have to control F your way through the page to find what you are referencing I WILL NOT EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE. CUT YOUR CARDS

Now back to my paradigm,

LD SPECIFIC:

A fair warning that I spent the majority of my high school debate career debating PF, but I have 50/50 judged VLD and VPF since 2017.

I have always been a judge that viewed spreading as okay, but I’ll be realistic with you saying that I haven’t judged LD in a year so I’m a little rusty. Run anything you want and run what will best help you win, but make sure to add me to any email chains and slow down for taglines. If you run a K, make sure that it is CLEARLY explained because I am not well-read on most K lit. Although, run whatever is best for you, and I should be able to adapt. I will truly flow anything you run and evaluate them in the round. However, this is also a warning that if you run anything offensive to either me or your opponent, I will not hesitate to drop you, or at the very least significantly drop your speaker points.

I will say clear a few times, but then it is up to you to remember.

While I will read anything presented to me in email chains, I still find it your responsibility to effectively communicate your speeches to both your opponent and me.

PF SPECIFIC:

Keep in mind, however, that PF has changed drastically since I graduated in 2017, although I did also debate VLD for a period of time so I have that experience to draw upon, and I have been coaching/judging PF since I graduated.

Run whatever you want but be sure to be able to engage with those who may not debate the same way as you (i.e., if you have adapted to be more of a tech debater but your opponents are not, be sure that you can still engage in traditional debate.)

As for basic debate preferences, continue reading:

Some things that are necessary for you to win any PF round, whether it be tech or traditional:

1. Extensions. If you want me to look at an argument in your final focus, it is essential that you extend it during your summary.

2. Outweigh. Give me a reason as to why your 25% is more important than your opponent's $200,000. Tell me how the people you are affecting are more important than your opponent's. Essentially, do not make me assume anything and do not make me pick which is more important. *This does not mean I automatically vote util. I love a good framework debate (it’s the LDer in me), just let me knowwhy I ought to look to your evidence as opposed to your opponents.

3. Write the ballot for me. Give me clear voters during the round. Literally, tell me what to write on my ballot. Again, do not make me pick which is more important. Forcing me to make a decision will only result in a messy RFD and critiques. Tell me why your side is more important.

I will vote off of the flow, so make sure to signpost. Don't bother with an in-depth off-time roadmap, instead, just tell me where you are starting. I will only intervene on the account that there are no voting issues during the round, no weighing mechanisms, and no real arguments standing, that being said be clear and very selective. Do not feel the need to argue every single point. I understand that not everything can be covered in a three-minute summary speech. Instead, make smart decisions about what is necessary to win the round.

FINALLY, FOR EVERYONE:

Regarding speaks, make sure you are respectful, or I will not hesitate to lower your speaker points. Low speaks never equates a loss in my book, but speaks are important as I am sure you all know (esp during bubble rounds). As a debater who got into one to many heated discussions, I saw how that could affect my speaks. I love when debaters show that they are passionate, but that does not have to translate as being disrespectful.

Essentially, debate is about having fun and gaining knowledge. It is meant to be a space where we are able to respectfully argue positions and learn from others, so make sure that every round is focused on this. Also, if you took the time to read this all and incorporate a musical theater reference into the round, this may benefit your speaks :)

María Jimenez

I studied and practice law. I'm familiar and like the economic/social/historical arguments. I've been coaching PF since 2017 for New Horizons Bilingual School in the Dominican Republic.

I love debate, and the strategy game. I love to see a good clash of ideas and interesting/novel analysis. I'll buy any argument as long as you link, warrant, and support it with relevant evidence. Still, I think some arguments are just in bad taste.

I believe communication is key. If I can't understand it due to speed, I won't flow it. I won't ask you to slow down. I almost never intervene. Debate should not be about brute force your opponents into submission, but about a clash of ideas.

I really enjoy a civil CX. Ask for evidence if you must, but don't make the round an evidence match. If you call for evidence I hope you're planning to do something with it. I hear CX but won't flow it. I'll note cool stuff in the hopes it makes it into your speech.

Explain, analyze, and warrant your case, don’t just read it. Weigh, impact, link, extend, boil down, crystallize. Feel free to sign-post/roadmap. Absent a framework and weighing I'll go with what stands in the end.

I'm not in love with Ks or Theory. Run them at your own risk. I like to think that we should debate under the agreed upon rules. I will buy arguments on technical aspects of PF, as a matter of order and fairness. I think too many debaters are running disclosure in a dishonest way. All that said, I will buy anything that makes sense, including abusive behavior, bad faith misgendering, and anti-violence.

Pettiness will not win me over, but you gotta stand your ground. Sassiness is awesome, but the line between the two is just so thin.

You want to win your round? Be smart, creative, fun, thoughtful, and strategic. Outweigh, outsmart, outperform, outclass your opponent.

email: mariaalexandrajimenezcano@gmail.com

I am a parent judge.

I have judged at local tournaments several times at the PF category.

I will focus more on the "how?" rather than the "what?" of the debate.

Things I vote off of:

1. Presentation/Poise and Articulation

2. Speed and Jargon - Moderate pace which allows me to properly understand your arguments. Do not focus on technical jargon.

3. Explanation - Explain me why I should listen and care about your arguments.

At first glance, I’m a parent judge with two years of PF experience. But in reality, in a long-forgotten past, I debated in high school — national semi-finalist in LD, finalist in extemp — and college and I paid my way through college judging LD, policy and speech on weekends.

Since I’m mainly judging PF these days, a few helpful hints on how I judge PF:

1. Obviously, I try to be unbiased. Generally, I don’t believe there a “harder” side of a resolution, so don’t pick sides expecting to win based on that. I always vote the most compelling argument.

2. PF was invented to avoid the jargon that has crept into LD and the tired old cliches of policy. I don’t expect to see either here — no spreading, no shouting, no “counterplans”, etc. If you can’t imagine someone doing it in an actual public forum (e.g. a presidential debate) don’t do it here. Instead, try persuasion.

3. I still remember how to flow (with actual pen and paper), so don’t drop important arguments. At the same time, don’t expect me to vote based on the fact that your opponent dropped one of your contentions; it may not have been very good, and this isn’t ping pong.

4. It generally doesn’t help for you to get into meta-arguments about the rules of PF. Focus on substance and trust that most of the things that your opponent might try that seem unfair/against the rules also make for pretty uncompelling arguments.

5. As a former business school dean, I’m a little sensitive to bad economic logic and analysis, especially on economic topics, so don’t waste time trying to connect capital gains taxes to nuclear war. That’s just stupid.

6 I see the structure of PF generally as the gradual crystallization of key issues and themes over the course of the round. If you find yourself using your summary (or worse, final focus) to spread point by point through a million attempts to refute minor points, you’re going the wrong way. Step back, take a deep breath and give me the 2-3 key issues and why your argument is more persuasive. (Oh, and don’t conclude with “vote for us”; that’s a terrible way to end a speech.)

Other than that, enjoy, do your best, don’t overadapt based on this paradigm, make a joke (a funny one), don’t stare at your iPad while you’re talking (did I mention I did speech?) and have fun.

Hi! I’m writing this for my dad (who doesn’t believe in paradigms). A couple things you should know:

He’s a parent. Treat him as such; you know what to do.

He’s a professor who gets paid to evaluate students. You’re debating in front of someone who definitely can tell a good and bad link chain apart.

He says he understands speaking quickly. However, he doesn’t think that fast speech is persuasive. I wouldn’t go fast, and definitely not spread.

He doesn’t know any debate jargon. Use at your own risk.

He is a historian, and knows a lot of history. Same for public health -- be careful that what you run would be accepted by an academic in the field.

Be polite & fairly formal. He just spent 15 minutes complaining to me about informal paradigms.

He wants debate to be fun. I'd recommend smiling.

He doesn't believe in off-time road maps. He says that he has never seen them in the rulebooks, and that debaters simply say "first I will rebut the opponent's case, then I will make our case" -- which isn't either surprising or helpful.

Overall, debate like you would in front of a teacher ready to edit your case. Good luck and good debating!

I am a parent of a high school debater and I have been judging PF at the National and Regional levels for the last five years.

I love the guidance "To what degree will an argument improve the world as holistically as possible given the resolution––humans, environments, economies, etc.?" Using numbers, and sizes of numbers, to make these cases is critically important to my decision-making processes.

I love ethically-collected, fact-based contentions from reputable sources, such as from the gray circle at the top of this curve: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/interactive-media-bias-chart/?v=402f03a963ba Think tanks on both ends of the spectrum, particularly those funded by right-wing/Koch money can get a bit sketchy in this context.

And above all else, I expect measured cadence during statements (if I can't understand you, it does you no good!), and a spirit of graciousness during crosses. Points will be taken away for the above misses (particularly if I can't understand what you are saying) as well as any demeaning, sarcastic, or derogatory comments, facial expressions, tone, or evidence. I dislike using debate tribal language in excess and particularly in lieu of content. The "frothing at the mouth preacher style" does not work well with me; I merely ask you to be authentic. Your content should convey the weight of your arguments, not your actions. You will be docked speaking notes for discussions, nodding, or other facial/body expressions while the other team is presenting.

I also delight when humor can be interjected. And smiles are always appreciated.

I will happily share my thought process with teams once the ballots have been entered, while respecting the rules of the specific debate.

If the round's not lit... I'm not there.

My Background:

- Am a practicing lawyer with 33 years of litigation experience

- That said, am a parent judge who started judging when our younger son began debating as a freshman in high school

- Have judged Public Forum and Speech many, many times for the past 6 years

- Have judged Lincoln Douglas a few times over the years

What I expect from debaters:

- Speak clearly and slowly. I cannot stress this enough. If you speak too quickly and I can't follow you, you will not be helping your team.

- Persuade me with arguments that are supported by evidence. Evidence should be presented with full citations and explained clearly. Citations without explanations or explanations without citations are not persuasive.

- Tell me why I should vote for your side by explaining with particularity why the other side's arguments fail and why yours don't. Focus me on the important issues in your favor.

- Be respectful of everyone who is participating in your debate - your opponents, your partner, the judge. Consider your tone, your conduct, and your words.

- Do not assume that I understand acronyms or phrases that are peculiar to the topic but not necessarily in common use in the English language. Take the time to define them.

MICHAEL KEANE PARADIGM

Background:

- A litigator in trial and appellate courts in New York since 1988, I have also taught legal writing and argumentation, and designed and judged moot court competitions.

- I have judged Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and Policy Debate (and Speech) since 2014 in New York City, New York State, out-of-State Invitational and National Tournaments.

Debaters:

1. Speak clearly: debaters cannot be credited points for arguments that are not clear.

- To enhance clarity, avoid talking so fast that you cannot be understood, and thus present an incomprehensible argument that fails to score points for your team.

- To enhance clarity, avoid jargon that judges may not understand and that you may misapply, and thus present a confused argument that fails to score points for your team.

- To enhance clarity, avoid "spreading," which usually sacrifices quality for quantity, and thus present a disjointed argument that fails to score points for your team.

2. Provide support for arguments: try to provide identifiable authority for assertions made, with citation to both author and publication (and show appreciation for the relative reliability of different sources).

3. Demonstrate that you have listened to the arguments of you opponents by responding to and pointing out the flaws in those arguments, in addition to promoting your own arguments.

4. Show respect for your opponents and teammates.

5. Have fun.

I am a lay judge with experience judging PF. No experience judging LD. If you speak too quickly, I won't understand you. I look for strong critical thinking skills rather than a barrage of loosely related arguments.

This is my fifth year judging PFD. I did not debate in high school or college, so I try to approach PFD as a "citizen judge." When I listen to a debate, I track a lot of factors. The three most important factors are: 1) citing information sources and demonstrating that you performed solid research and know your topic, 2) expressing a clear set of contentions and subpoints, 3) and how well you listen to your opponents and attack their argument.

In terms of delivery, I favor slow or medium pace and clear, well developed arguments.

Finally, it is important that each team respects its opponents. I understand that debates can get exciting, but I do not like to see opponents interrupting or talking over each other too much in crossfire. Good luck today.

I am a lay judge. Please do not spread and make arguments as simple and understandable as possible. I do not disclose ballots or speaks.

Background

I am a debate coach and familiar with all formats of debate.

Judging Paradigm

I'm a policy-maker at heart. Decisions will be flow-based focusing on impact calculus stemming from the question of the resolution.

If I'm not flowing, I'm either not buying your current argument or not appreciating your speaking style.

Play offense and defense; I should have a reason to vote FOR you, not just a reason to vote AGAINST your opponents.

Style:

Manners

Good debate is not rude or snarky. Do not let your primal need to savagely destroy your opponent cost you the round. Win with style and grace or find yourself on the wrong side of the ballot. You've been warned.

Speed

Speed is not a problem with me, it's probably more of a problem with inefficiency in delivery. Public Forum is not "Policy-lite" and should not be treated as such as far as speaking style goes. The beauty of PF should not get lost in trying to cram in arguments. Many times spreading in PF just tells me you need work in word economy and style. Feel free to speak at an elevated conversational rate displaying a rapid clarity that enhances the argument.

Organization

Speeches should follow the predetermined road map and should be signposted along the way. If you want an argument on the flow, you should tell me exactly where to flow it. If I have to make that decision for you, I may not flow it at all. I prefer your arguments and your refutation clearly enumerated; "We have 3 answers to this..."

Framework and Definitions

The framework (and definitions debate) should be an umbrella of fairness to both sides. The framework debate is important but should not be over-limiting to your opponents. I will not say "impossible" here, but winning the round without winning your framework is highly improbable. I am open to interpretation of the resolution, but if that interpretation is overtly abusive by design, I will not vote for your framework. That said, I caution your use of abuse stories. Most abuse arguments come off like whining, and nobody likes that. If a framework and accompanying definition is harmful to the debate, clearly spell out the impacts in those terms. Otherwise, provide the necessary (and much welcomed) clash. Most definition debates are extremely boring and a waste of time.

Final Focus

Your FF should effectively write the RFD for me. Anything less is leaving it up to my interpretation.

Good luck, and thank you for being a debater.

I am a lay judge (sorry), so here are my preferences. I apology that most of these are going to be very irritating to have to adapt to:

speech content

• reexplain your link chain in two minute speeches

• explain how your responses affect your opponents’ arguments (especially if you’re completely delinking or non-uniquing them) not only in rebuttal, but also in two minute speeches

• in rebuttal, I would prefer for you to read fewer responses and really flesh out what they mean instead of dumping as many responses as possible

speaking

• speak at an understandable pace (but don’t be condescendingly slow)

• SIGNPOST! tell me which side’s argument you’re talking about and what contention it is. I don’t totally know what links and impacts are so please briefly explain the part of the argument you’re talking about

• avoid debate jargon (even stuff that you’re probably used to saying like “non-unique” and “turn”) and replace those words with what they actually mean (replace “non-unique” with “this happens whether you vote pro or con” and “turn” with “this actually helps our side,” etc.)

Note: My son helped me write this based on my experiences with past tournaments.

Heyo! I (a debater) am writing this for my mom (very much not a debater) based on some preferences she’s mentioned over the years. Here’s what you need to know:

In short, she is the public that public forum was made for. She writes “notes” but consider her a very traditional lay parent judge.

The easiest way to win her ballot is to make the round as clear as possible for her. Don’t get caught up in the nitty-gritty of the round; rather, collapse on a clear narrative and give her big picture ideas (pro tip: try a two-world analysis in your weighing!).

Assume she has no topic knowledge, so warrant(!!) very clearly— she won’t make the logic jumps for you. Also, her threshold for BS arguments is pretty low (she’s more truth > tech) so if you are running something squirrelly, warranting is especially important.

This is super specific but she’s a big fan of numbered responses in rebuttal lol. She probably won’t be flowing but she still likes signposting and labelling ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lastly, try to keep jargon to a minimum. Speed = no.

Good luck and have fun!

I'm a coach with experience in public forum debate, parliamentary debate, and extemporaneous debates. Some general notes:

ALL STYLES

- Arguments only matter if they extend across the flow. If you raise a contention in the first speech, then drop it for the bulk of the round, I won't count it.

- I'm generally quite literal with frameworks. You tell me something is important, it will show up on your ballot as part of your reason for decision. An extra speaker point to both debaters on any team who successfully uses frameworks OTHER than utilitarianism or net benefits.

- Impacting your contentions matter, but your links (i.e. how you connect steps of your contention together) matter more. Don't foresake one for the other.

- I'm not impressed by use of hyper-specific debate jargon. Use of jargon that I don't understand OR replacing actual refutation with jargon will result in deduction of speaker points. Assuming I'm a lay judge will serve you well.

- I do not find roadmaps useful. If you need to do it to keep yourself organized, that's fine, but I will probably disregard them.

- Definitional debaters are normally not useful or compelling unless they have a high impact outside of the debate itself. I have almost never awarded a round on the argument that a definition is "tight" or unfair to one side, but have rewarded rounds based on substantial definition debates that have practical or philosophical impacts. (E.g. debates over the nature of justice.)

- I rarely vote in favor of kritiks. I find it's rare that the issues raised in kritiks are impactful enough that they justify derailing the debate as traditionally presented. Their impacts often require judge intervention into the round that is independent of actual arguments being made, which I do not feel comfortable with. If you wish to make a kritik, you should make it with the assumption that you're likely to lose the round and that that is worth it for you.

- There are no silver bullets in debate. These are general guidelines, but following these will not guarantee you a win and should not be treated as such.

FOR PUBLIC FORUM

- Quoting cards will not win you debates; how you explain your cards matters.

- I'm more impressed by speakers who speak using their own words and paraphrasing of evidence rather than quoting from pre-written cases.

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

- POIs strongly encouraged. Debaters who refuse to take any POIs (especially if multiple are offered) will find their speaker points severely docked.

- It's hard to win on the OPP block. GOV teams who start weighing arguments in the MG and lay out a clear framework for why they're winning the round are more likely to win. In addition, GOV teams who call dropped args by their opponents will go far.

EXTEMPORANEOUS DEBATE

- BEWARE THE HALF AFF! A lot of CDA teams spend their round encouraging me that they are actually just like their opponents only without the bad stuff. This won't win you rounds with me. The debate has given you a side; stick to it!

I am a parent judge from Newton South High School, MA. I have been constantly learning to improve my judging skill since I started judging Public Forum Debate in February 2018. Prior to being a Public Forum Debate parent judge, I served as a parent speech judge for 4 years in various speech categories.

My goal: is to be a fair judge, to do my best to provide helpful feedback so the debaters can improve their own skills.

Based on what I have learned as of now, I currently follow below principles when judging:

1. I value overall truth of the resolution, overall speaking and debating skills.

2. Walk in a session like a baby knowing nothing and take in anything as true without judgement or personal opinion.

3. Winner would be the team who convinced me the most, not the team who had better presentation/speaking skills.

4. I ask you to be respectful to the other team and speak clearly at a speed that I can follow. Please refrain from using jargon or speaking too quickly.

I have judged several tournaments and have kids that debate so I understand the general flow and structure of a debate.

I value logic over quantity. I would prefer to see 3-4 well articulated, constructed and supported arguments then 7-8 rapid fire contentions.

I consider the entire debate in my decision. The quality of contentions during the constructives, the strength of the rebuttals, where you choose to target during crossfire and the ability to clearly wrap everything up during the final focus are all part of my judging consideration.

I enjoy a lively and engaging debate while ensuring that a mutual respect between the teams is maintained at all times.

I am open to questions before the debate begins and, at the end of the debate, I will verbally declare a winner and provide a reason why if allowed by the tournament. I will provide more team specific feedback in Tabroom after the debate is completed.

Parent judge.

Prefer debaters to speak clearly at a normal speed.

I am a parent judge with four years of experience in judging Public Forum. Never competed Public Forum or any other Forensic activities, but as a parent judge I always read some review articles about the topics, therefore I do have some background knowledge in things that you are talking about and enjoy watching the debate.

I prefer clear and not too fast speech, so I can catch up the words and meaning of your talk.

I use following criteria when I judge a round:

Were the arguments intelligent? Your response to the arguments

The discrediting to the opposition’s response

The debaters back up their assertions with logical thinking and evidence when needed

Fair in interpretation of the resolution and one another’s statements?

Who is advancing the most significant arguments in the round?

I don’t weight much on the speed of speech, believe less words with sound arguments are much better than too much words which have to be delivered with fast speech.

Don’t have preference on the format of Summary Speeches, and evaluate argument over style.

If a team plans to win the debate on an argument, their arguments have to be extended in the rebuttal or summary speeches. If a team is second speaking, I prefer that the team cover the opponents’ case as well as answers to its opponents’ rebuttal in the rebuttal speech.

Don’t vote for arguments that are first raised in the grand crossfire or final focus.

I have no background in debate, but I've been judging since 2013 and I do flow.

State the resolution (amazing how many forget to). I like frameworks but they're not musts. Introduce important acronyms.

When it comes to evidence, I look for quality over quantity. Be clear about sources ("Smith of Harvard" doesn't tell me much) and how the evidence supports your claim. I will ask to see evidence if I sense it's been misused.

Please weigh in summary and especially final focus.

Speak clearly. I'm not a fan of spreading.

I am a lawyer and Executive Director of the NYCUDL.

I have judged PF for the last 6+ years, over 100 rounds and run many judge trianings.

I will judge based on a combination of the flow, general logic and common sense.

Speed-don't do it. If I can't understand you, I can't give you credit for it.

If you want me to vote on an issue please include it in both summary and final focus.

Write my RFD for me in final focus.

Only call for evidence if there is a real need (context, integrity).

In general, be nice. I believe in debate access for all so I will cut your speaks if you create an environment where other people don't want to participate in the activity.

Good luck and have fun!

I debated two years of Varsity LD and Varsity PF in high school. I’m a year post college now and it’s been a few years since I’ve been around or judged any kind of debate. I'll probably stop flowing if you start spreading. At the same time, I'll evaluate any kind of argument. Feel free to make it interesting or unconventional. No need to be overly formal. Be clear, respectful, and make good args and you'll get good speaks. Also time yourselves and each other.

If you paraphrase a piece of evidence and your opponent calls the card and all you have is a link to an article and you have to control F your way through the page to find what you are referencing I WILL NOT EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE. CUT YOUR CARDS.

Flow judge who appreciates civility, especially in cross, which should be used for asking and answering questions, not speech making. Generally, a question may be followed by a follow-up, after which it is the turn of the other side. Starting the first constructives with key definitional and framework arguments is a good idea, as is providing, in FF, your view on how the impacts should be weighed. Try to terminalize your impacts in terms of values, including human life, equity, the environment, etc. Debaters should keep their own time only, and provide their account of how much prep time remains after each instance in which they take some and reconcile it with me if I have a discrepancy. Evidence should be represented with scrupulous accuracy, and the source should be fully identified, including the credentials of the writer, the date, and the publication. If I call for a card and observe that the evidence is old and you didn't give a date, I'll be concerned. Likewise, if you use evidence in a way that's misleading, I won't be pleased, e.g. if you use it to make a general claim when it's talking about a specific instance that bears little relation to the contention it's being used to support. Evidentiary challenges should be presented to me immediately after the final speech. Stylistically, debaters should speak clearly and audibly, while avoiding shouting. Speed will always be an issue, and debaters are urged to pace themselves mindfully of their opponents and judge(s).

Policy Update

Please see the above, as applicable, especially as regards civility. I prefer that issues of framework, topicality, definition, and interpretation be dealt with up front. Creativity is fine, but it must be firmly grounded in the reasonable. New arguments should not be presented in the rebuttal speeches, although there's always a judgment call when they're coming in as blocks. Clash is good; clash nullification is problematic. Plans should be substantive and intended to further policy objectives, not trivial and intended simply to confound the opposition.

World Schools Debate Update

I suggest clarifying what is at stake in the debate early on, i.e. if the motion carries, what would be the implications beyond the specific impacts. For example, in a debate on restrictions on hate speech, there might be a lively debate about whether or not the Prop model would, say, have the impact of reducing bias-motivated violence, but I'd also be interested in a framework and definitional analysis of whether hate speech is an instance of free speech, and, more broadly what we'd be both gaining and giving up philosophically if the motion were to carry. Similarly, I'd be interested in hearing about what the standards would be to make a determination that speech was in a prohibited category and who would make these judgments. In other words, this discipline affords an opportunity both to consider PF-style impacts and also the broader, philosophical dimensions of the topic. I'm also interested in each team's thoughts on burdens, both the other side's and its own. What do you think you have to prove in order to win the round? What should your opponents be required to prove? Of course, examples are important, but often I need to know the context, what you're trying to prove, and how the example proves your point. In the example above, perhaps there's a country that has criminalized a certain category of speech. Is there a particular historical or cultural context that we need to know if we are to understand why they did so? Is the example generally applicable, i.e. would its example be desirable in many countries with different histories and cultures? I'm fine with your collapsing a round to your view of the fundamental clashes that should determine the outcome, but I suggest you not ignore an opponent's argument, even if you elect not to extend your analysis of it, i.e. point out why you're dropping it; otherwise, I might think you've overlooked it or are conceding it without showing why doing so is strategic. In terms of style, with eight minutes, there's no reason to talk rapidly or, heaven forfend, begin shouting, or go overtime. You can show your passion through the clarity and cogency of your argumentation, but try to remain calm. Ultimately, you win the debate by persuading me that your side of the motion's world is more desirable than your opponent's--for the reasons you have successfully argued. On POIs, my preference is that a debater signals a POI with their hand, whereupon the speaker, when they notice the signal, either takes the point or gently waves it down. Since the speaker now knows that the opponent has a point, it is not necessary for the opponent to resignal the original point or a different one; however, it's courteous for the speaker to pause before waiting too long to take the POIs they wish to recognize. I do tend to think that each speaker should take two per constructive. Having taken two, if the opponents wish to pose one or more additional points, the speaker may say that they will be taking no further points during that speech. Just a suggestion.

I am a lay judge and I am a teacher. I understand the flow to some extent. Please make sure you present well constructed arguments and explain your evidence and refutations clearly. If you use data, explain its significance. Thank you.

Although I “flow” arguments on a flow pad, please note that I am not a technical judge which provides points here and there and tries to determine which arguments were “carried” to the end of the round or which ones were “dropped”. Instead, I flow to help me keep track of the arguments that are made by both sides and the critical analysis that is conveyed to me to support or refute arguments. Please use the crossfires to ask each other questions and speak to each other, rather than addressing me and asking me to take note of certain statements (which can and should be done during summary and final focus). Consider the final focus as the points I should consider in my reason for judgement write up.

Please weigh, as I find this to be critical to my analysis.

Use "cards" only to support your analysis, not to say "my card is better than your card". A round that heavily relies on "card" after "card" has missed the mark of what debate is about.

I've judged since 2014.

Logic is as important as evidence.

Evidence is essential. I will ask for cards if I'm unsure about the evidence supporting a claim or whether the evidence has been used properly. I look for quality over quantity. Be clear about sources: What's the source? Who is the author? Don't say that a newspaper (e.g., Washington Post) is the author. That's where the article was published. Don't just say an institution (e.g., Harvard) is the author. That's where the author works. The author is a person. Say who she/he is. If you think her background is important (e.g., former Secretary of State), you can say so.

Announce a weighing mechanism, especially in summary and final focus. Which arguments are most important? If you don't give me a weighing mechanism, I will be forced to give the win to the side whose arguments flow through. I'd much rather give the win to the side with the best arguments on the most important issues. Tell me what's most important and why

Avoid spreading. Focus on your most important arguments. Engage the other side on those arguments. If the other side raises less important issues, explain why and then return to the most important arguments.

I am a Parent Judge. I have been judging PF for roughly 2 years.

Here are some important points to consider about my judging preferences:

- Be organized and clear. Speak loudly and clearly. Clarity is much more important to me than speed. If I cannot follow your arguments and miss them in my notes, I will not be able to evaluate those arguments and, possibly, will not be able to vote for you.

- Signposting is a must. Tell me what you are talking about before making your argument, so I know where to flow it and where it fits in the round. If you do not, there is a high chance I will not be able to follow your argument and, thus, cannot evaluate it in the round. Also, try to avoid technical jargon and tons of abbreviations—at the least, explain them to me and simplify the round.

- I will vote for the team that makes clear, logical, and realistic claims and does effective weighing of impacts. Have comparative reasoning behind your arguments that is persuasive. Also, explain to me why I should care more about your arguments and how they are more important than your opponents’.

- Be Confident, but DO NOT BE RUDE. Always treat your opponents with respect and courtesy in crossfire and rebuttal.

- Summary: I will start deciding my ballot during this speech, so extend important arguments that you want me to evaluate, explain the reasoning behind them, show their importance/relevance, and thoroughly develop them. Grab attention by confidently answering opposing refutations.

- Final Focus: Wrap up, weigh, and extend/emphasize key points and show me why ultimately that one ballot is for your team.

- Your framework, if you have a meaningful one, should be stated at the beginning of your first constructive speech. In your framework, tell me how I should evaluate certain impacts and why they should matter the most. In absence of a meaningful framework, I will evaluate on a cost-benefit analysis.

- Evidence – I will try not to look at evidence unless either side explicitly states that they want me to or if I have a serious doubt as to the legitimacy and truth of the evidence.

- Speaker Points - I will not hesitate to deduct speaker points if I feel that you are being disrespectful, insensitive, and uncourteous. I award points based on effective rhetoric and vocal emphasis to important points.

In the end, remember this: public forum debate is all about PERSUADING the public audience.

Good Luck!

Public Forum

I have coached PF for about 8 years so I have a fair bit of knowledge about the style and most likely the topic that is being debated as well. This means that you should not worry too much about speed or giving arguments that are too complex. I'm a lay judge :)

My comments after the round will usually involve RFD and how to improve some arguments. The "improvements" part has no impact whatsoever on my decision in the round and is only meant as something to take into your next round. I do not complete arguments for teams or refute them based on my own knowledge. I will judge the round only based on what was said in the round.

Email-fredrickni97@gmail.com

Please don't refer to cards ONLY by author name because I don't note down author names for cards (e.g. "John 18 or Smith 20") I'm putting this at the top so y'all see it.

Content:

-No theory. I won't vote on it. See link for reasons

-Show me clear impacts and weigh them for me. This is super important in how I adjudicate rounds. Just proving a superior number of contention does not give you the round, proving why your contentions are more important wins you the round. Very rarely will there be a round where one side has no contentions standing at all, so I need some sort of metric to measure. This also means that I value a clear framework from both sides and potentially a debate about framework should that influence how I would adjudicate

-Crossfire is not super important to me unless either you go back to it in one of the speeches or something absolutely killer comes out of the exchange

Stylistic:

-Be courteous during cross-fire (ie. do not shout over each other) I will dock points if anyone is particularly rude

Misc:

-Have evidence ready; if the other team asks for it and you cannot give it to them in 1 min, it will be discounted from the round

-I will stop crossfire questions right at 3 minutes but I will allow for you to finish your sentence if the time is up during an answer

-I rarely write out RFD's on Tabroom ballots so my oral feedback after the round is where the majority of my RFD is explained

-I welcome questions or concerns about the round, and if you feel that I judged unfairly, please let me know after. While I cannot change the ballot, I will do my best to explain my RFD.

Parliamentary

I've done various parli-ish styles like BP and Worlds for about a decade now. I haven't judged much American Parli so there might be some rules I am not familiar with, but I'll catch on quickly.

I mostly judge based on content, with very little focus on style as long as I can understand you.

Please keep time for both yourself and your opponents. If you keep asking POIs during protected times I will deduct points. Obnoxious POOs will also lead me to dock you points.

I am currently a parli debater at Wellesley College. I did policy for 4 years, PF for three, and various other debate formats during my high school career. I coached in the BAUDL last year and still coach sometimes for my old high school team in Kansas.

Racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism, and any offensive language/behavior are reasons I will drop you. Be a good person. These things shouldn’t be happening in a round.

tldr;

Signpost more than you think you need to.

Go slower on the first few cards. You can speed up after I adjust.

Read analytics/plan texts/theory slower than carded args.

This is my second tournament on this topic [immigration].

Theory is fine. You just need to do the work to prove in-round/potential abuse.

I know some K lit. I don't know super specifc lit but I'll listen if it's what you're best at. You should explain your alt clearly.

Adv/Disads needs internal link and link extension for me to vote on extended impacts.

General:

I keep track of time/prep for myself. I will call out prep abuse but I won't be reminding you of your prep. I stop flowing when time is up. You can finish your sentence but anything else is probably abusive. I think its reasonable that both teams ought to keep track of themselves and the other team.

Flashing is off time. Road maps are off time.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ANYTHING HOLY SIGNPOST AND INSTRUCT ME WHERE YOU ARE ON THE FLOW. Even if you think you signpost enough, assume you don't and give me more. This is really important on theory, framework, and topicality.

Speed: Help me acclimate to your pace/voice by going slower on the first few cards and then speeding up. You should go slower during tags/overviews/analytics. Speech docs are for checking contested evidence and filling in missing authors/details but I should be able to flow your entire speech without scrolling through the doc the whole time.

I will clear you twice before I give up.

Theory: I'm probably a pretty good judge for theory (just go slower than you would on on-case/off-case proper). If you do the work for me to prove abuse, I think I am less likely to vote on "reject the arg, not the team". That being said I won't just give you the theory because you read it, there needs to be some serious analysis happening in the later speeches if you choose to go for it.

Condo is bad if you give the warrants for why condo is bad but be mindful of perf cons. If the neg team points out that the aff is reading a ridiculous number of advocacies/theories then I am probably more sympathetic to to condo good.

T: T is a little tricky. I loved topicality when I did policy and I am very familiar with techincal aspects of it. I haven't judged very many debates on this topic [immigration] which means you might have to do slightly more interp/counter interp work for me if you're reading a very, very specific violation for this topic.

You need do more than just tell me to pref reasonability or competing interps. I need to know why one is better than the other.

CP: Read your CP text slower than the rest of the CP. Thanks.

Process CPs: My general default is that process counterplans are probably abusive and I am probably sympathetic to an aff reading consult/delay/etc bad theory. I won't vote against you just because you read a process counterplan but you need to answer that theory (if read) well. I read LOTS of process counterplans but imo they are probably abusive bud.

PICs: PICs are fine. Just explain clearly what you're PIC'ing out of and why.

I don't have anything specific to say about advantage/agent/etc CPs. You should have a competitive net benefit that you weigh against the aff.

I'll kick the CP for you unless there's offense you haven't answered.

Permutations are a test of competition. Perm theory is fine. Just make sure that you're actually calling a severance perm a severance perm and an intrinsic perm an intrinsic perm.

K:

Framework debates need to be clearly distinguished from K proper. By the end of your speech I ought to know what the role of the ballot/my function as a judge is and why your framework is a better praxis for the round.

I am not super knowledgable about kritikal lit. I will listen to it but you need to clearly explaing your alt in CX or in the extension of the K in the next speech.

Topics/authors I've read:

Fem (fem IR, fem killjoy [Ahmed, not the racist white one])

Islamophobia (Said, Butler, Khaled)

Critical race theory

Anthro (I tend to think anthro is a bad answer to race args, don't do it)

Neolib/Cap (these aren't the same arg)

Security

Topics/Authors I know...some about (you should assume I know less rather than more):

Settler Colonialism

Baudillard

Foucault

Queer theory

D and G

I generally think alts need an end point or a good reason why they do not have an end point. If you're reading the K you should have put enough thought into it before this round to be able to answer questions about end point, solving the aff, what actions the alt calls for, etc.

K Affs: You should have an advocacy. I don't care whether that's an advocacy text or if looks like something else but I need something to vote for. I think I grant framework (have a plan text/t:USFG) the same weight I do the K aff. I am probably biased toward have a plan/t:USFG, even if I don't realize it, because I always read a plan and haven't coached anyone without a plan. You should read your aff if it's what you're best at but if you've got a good policy aff prepped you should read it instead.

Case: You need to extend more than just your impact(s) for me. If you're going for your advantages, I need to know how the plan resolves them before I can grant you your offense. I probably care more about internal links than most people but if neg is telling me they resolve disad I/L or a case turn more sufficiently then I am more likely to vote for them.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

I am looking for clear speeches with refutations. No REHASH. Eye contact and fluency is important. Strong argumentation and good use of evidence.

"Let us hold our discussion together in our own persons, making trial of the truth and of ourselves"

Protagoras of Abdera (Father of Debate)

Hello debaters!

I've been coaching and judging in PF debate for four years now. I flow main arguments, responses and monitor time. I like clash, that your cases include for each of the claims the warrants and you explain clearly the impacts (explain why your arguments are important and what could happen if this is not done, in an accurate and understandable way)

Please know the purpose of each of the interventions:

-Constructive Speech: Time to present your side/ your case to me. I like contentions that are unique, have quality, that are relevant, credible, and creative. Watch out with the pace...No problem if you are speaking fast, but too fast or too slow affects your delivery and how you'd be understood.

-Rebuttal: You are to respond by refuting, invalidating, blocking the opposing team's arguments most of the time. Give evidence, and you can include some defensive arguments as well.

-Summary: The word says it, you will make a recap of what has happened, highlighting the stronger points of your team's side.

-Final Focus: "Last shot" to convince me and explain all reasons why I should vote for your team. Go ahead, be persuasive!

-Crossfires and Grand Crossfire: CLASH! Back and forth questions and answers... Remember that in the Grand Crossfire EVERY SPEAKER participates.

General:

Do your protocol, be formal, don't be rude.

Use all your time. When you do perfect timing, it means you have practiced and prepared well enough, so I take it into account.

It is hard to make decisions if both teams have good performance and are competitive. If you win: you had a little extra something that I thought was important, so congratulations...if you do not win the round (YOU WON EXPERIENCE!!!): you may be disappointed, but please: learn and reflect from it, keep working hard, never quit or stop doing your best because in life sometimes you win or sometimes you don't.

Last but not least, remember to take this as a learning experience... SO HAVE FUN!

College debater on both the American Parliamentary and British Parliamentary Circuit. Arguments should have a claim, warrant, and impact and be accessible to all debaters in the round. Weighing and comparison is very important to me - this and other analytics should be slower if you want them on my flow. Spreading too much will result in me not flowing your entire speech.

I look at the flow, and anything I do not flow, I will not judge. I prefer clarity and how clear you are with your arguments will affect my overall decision.

Do not just throw out debate terms, explain what each one is in a short description the first time you use a term. (Like turn, uniqueness, etc.)

I am knowledgeable on Policy and PF so throw whatever you want at me. I'm a flow judge with a significant amount of experience and i judge solely off the flow. If I'm voting on it, it has to be in final focus. If its in final focus it should be in summary. I want to see both terminal offense and defense in summary. I generally prefer warrants backed by specific cards. I especially like to see new and unique arguments and will vote off them if they aren't answered adequately. Overall, ill vote off technicals and am a pretty standard flow judge.

Hi! I'm a parent Judge from Wayland High School,

I've only judged at three debate tournaments before and I'm not very familiar with debate terminology.

Please go Slow so I can better understand what you are saying.

PF: I am a lay judge but also a lawyer. Give me a ballot story in final focus. You can sit or stand while you present. Be respectful to me and your opponent.

http://judgephilosophies.wikispaces.com/Ronkin%2C+Jacob

I am a parent judge from Westborough, MA with three years of judging in local and natcircuit tournaments.

Talk slow and do not spread

Organize your speeches and explain your arguments well

Avoid debate jargons

Do not assume I know all the abbreviations

Relative numbers provide lot more information than absolute numbers. For example, if you tell me the impact is $50 million, Is that on a GDP of $20 trillion or on a country with a GDP of $500 million

If you are providing a statistic, check on what the other team is talking about too. For example, one team could say that imports increase of 15% and the other team could say exports decrease by 20%. Ideally both teams should talk about the same statistic and the impact. If not, you should tell me what matters the most (import or export) and the impact in terms of dollars, employment etc.

Try to build a narrative and a theme throughout the round

Overwhelming me with data and evidence tags is not good. I am looking for a combination of logical reasoning with data

Exclude Extinction arguments and theory

A few well defended high impact arguments are way better than going all over the place

Please weigh well and provide clear reasons to vote for you

I am a traditional judge. Please don't include LD jargon in your cases. I am a Public Forum purist. I value clear and concise arguments that include compelling evidence coupled with strong analytical reasoning. Since this is real world debate, at the end of the round I decide what kind of world I want to live in - pro or con. Paint the picture for me. Be persuasive. Be competent. Be kind.

Former circuit debater in the 2012-2015 school year. I have judged at several TOC bid tournaments like Harvard, Science Park, Yale and Berkeley for several events but mostly LD and speech. I expect to see some form of framework in LD rounds like traditional VL/value criterion or critical role of the judge/role of the ballot.

If I can't understand your spreading, I can't flow you, I will give you a warning and you should adjust.

If you read frivolous theory I will probably drop the argument. If you're losing substance and this is your strategy, I'm most likely dropping you too. It's boring and reduces the educational value of this activity.

I enjoy K arguments if they are well done.

Please do not use progressive arguments in PF rounds; speak at an average rate and be nice to each other.

I debated PF for four years at Delbarton in NJ. I broke at Nationals, TOC, and NCFLs. I'll tell you anything I want you to know, but ask me any questions you may have about the round.

One of the teams I judged thought it'd be nice for me to put this on my paradigm, so here's an article I wrote for a speech-and-debate non-profit.

I'm not really good at putting this into words so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

I competed in Public Forum nationally and locally (AZ) all four years of high school, and dabbled in Extemp and Congress.

Speeches: In rebuttal, it is really easy to try to talk fast and have 7-10 responses per argument, but most of the time that means that each response is barely covered and there is a high chance that one response has been reiterated a few times, just with different words/cards. Please don't do that, I would much prefer quality of your responses to quantity of your responses. I expect that you maintain consistency between summary and final focus. If they are not consistent I will not weigh something said in summary and not FF and vice versa. However, just telling me to 'flow through ____ card' is not sufficient, I must get the link chain, and explanation of why that card is important. Also, WEIGH, I am sure that if you don't, and I end up doing the work, neither of us will have a fun time with the decision. Make sure that you collapse in summary and final focus, this makes it easier to judge the round and it makes everything much clearer. Also, make sure that your narrative is strong. Remember, you should tell me a story, don't just read cards and expect me to understand your argument, make sure that I understand step by step why your argument functions and makes sense.

Evidence: If you read something in any speech, it should be readily available and so if the opposing team asks for it, I will give you 30 seconds to look for it before I start cutting into your prep time. Also, please abide by evidence rules. I will ask for evidence if hotly contested or if its validity is questioned.

How to win my ballot: Basically, do all the things you were taught to do: Link out and warrant each argument you are going for, make sure you have offense, and most importantly, tell me why you win and why I vote for you.

Notes:

- Please try to respond to every argument brought up in constructives, otherwise it allows for easy offense for your opponents.

- Don't flow through red ink, I will be flowing and I will know if the argument has been responded to.

- I won't listen to CX wholly, bring it up in a speech if its mentioned in CX

- Only use FW/Observations/Definitions if they really are beneficial to your case/the round. If it is just "cost-benefit analysis" or "Merriam-Webster defines ___" it just takes away from the substance of your case.

- Run whatever arguments you want but just make sure that the link chain is clear, and everything is properly warranted and linked.

- Don't be racist, sexist, ableist, etc. Just be a nice person, its easy.

- Signposting is nice, please do it.

I also have two huge pet peeves:

1) Please please please do NOT give me an off time roadmap if it is "down their case, then if time permits mine" or "the three voting issues". Only give me a roadmap if it is something completely out of the ordinary that I should know.

2) Do not count down the time to your speech "3, 2, starting... now". Just start talking, I trust you to take time for yourself.

I really am bad at saying what I look for in a round so if you have any specific questions don't hesitate to ask!

Former Policy Debater, 2.5 years with Brooklyn Tech as Nov and JV (Varsity on regional circuits), 1.5 years with the CUNY Policy Team. I ran stock issues for roughly 2-3 novice tournaments before converting over entirely to K debating.

I have been coaching Public Forum for roughly 4 years.

Speed is fine by me, just be clear. Flow judge for the most part.

To put it simply, win the framework, the impact calculus, and the solvency debate. Big fan of turns, make use of them and be sure to explain and impact them adequately.

Every argument should have claim, warrant, and impact.

Pro teams, take time to explain the inherent need for your plan and your solvency.

Feel free to run whatever con strategy you want, be it on-case, DA's, or a combo of both. I prefer if you had your own counter-interpretation and voters, but if your strategy entails ceding to the pro's F/W then you better win it.

I have been judging Debate for 7 years. Coaching for 4. So consider me new-ish/old-ish.

Flow

I consider myself a “semi-flow” judge. Watch your speed, if you are too fast I won’t bother to write. Makes the decision a lot more challenging, for you. Make contentions and sub contentions clear.

Evidence

Include at the minimum the year of the evidence in your case. Paraphrasing is okay, but please do not misrepresent the evidence. If your opponent calls for a card it should say what you say it does. Further, if they call for a card, you should be able to find it quickly. It is your evidence, isn’t it?

Summary and Final Focus

Be clear in why you “won”. Make the voting issues clear and concise. If something important isn't in the summary, I'm not voting on it in final focus. Also, weighing is probably a good idea as well.

Cross

I will not be judging cross so if it's important bring it up in your speech. Speak up for yourself in cross. Do NOT take over the questioning it should be a back and forth.

Aggressive Debate does NOT equal Obnoxious Debate

Be aggressive, but not obnoxious. Be firm in your contentions and the entire case have passion in your voice but don’t be mean or rude. Do not roll your eyes at, talk down to, be rude to, or personally attack your opponent.

Prep TIME

USE IT ALL!

LD Debate is values debate.

 Framing issues are often more important for my decision than minor drops. This does not mean I do not appreciate good technical debates- I think this is a very important part of any debate- but it is the debaters’ responsibility to provide me with a lens for how to evaluate technical details.

Spread responsibly

LD is still values debate

Mostly a flow judge who appreciates, in cross, civility, clear questions, and direct answers to said questions—experienced in Worlds, PF, LD and Congress. Speak clearly; don't play stupid evidence games. I'm not into K's or attempting to win a round on things not topical to the round. Sometimes in PF I won't flow all the way through focusing more on who wins the offense of the round.=

Congress specific: Advance arguments, challenge one another and know procedure. I will vote up great POs, great congressional-style speakers, and those who are functioning in debate mode (not just speech mode).

Email chain: andrew.ryan.stubbs@gmail.com

Policy:

I did policy debate in high school and coach policy debate in the Houston Urban Debate League.

Debate how and what you want to debate. With that being said, you have to defend your type of debate if it ends up competing with a different model of debate. It's easier for me to resolve those types of debate if there's nuance or deeper warranting than just "policy debate is entirely bad and turns us into elitist bots" or "K debate is useless... just go to the library and read the philosophy section".

Explicit judge direction is very helpful. I do my best to use what's told to me in the round as the lens to resolve the end of the round.

The better the evidence, the better for everyone. Good evidence comparison will help me resolve disputes easier. Extensions, comparisons, and evidence interaction are only as good as what they're drawing from-- what is highlighted and read. Good cards for counterplans, specific links on disads, solvency advocates... love them.

I like K debates, but my lit base for them is probably not nearly as wide as y'all. Reading great evidence that's explanatory helps and also a deeper overview or more time explaining while extending are good bets.

For theory debates and the standards on topicality, really anything that's heavy on analytics, slow down a bit, warrant out the arguments, and flag what's interacting with what. For theory, I'll default to competing interps, but reasonability with a clear brightline/threshold is something I'm willing to vote on.

The less fully realized an argument hits the flow originally, the more leeway I'm willing to give the later speeches.

PF:

I'm going to vote for the team with the least mitigated link chain into the best weighed impact.

Progressive arguments and speed are fine (differentiate tags and author). I need to know which offense is prioritized and that's not work I can do; it needs to be done by the debaters. I'm receptive to arguments about debate norms and how the way we debate shapes the activity in a positive or negative way.

My three major things are: 1. Warranting is very important. I'm not going to give much weight to an unwarranted claim, especially if there's defense on it. That goes for arguments, frameworks, etc. 2. If it's not on the flow, it can't go on the ballot. I won't do the work extending or impacting your arguments for you. 3. It's not enough to win your argument. I need to know why you winning that argument matters in the bigger context of the round.

Worlds:

Worlds rounds are clash-centered debates on the most reasonable interpretation of the motion.

Style: Clearly present your arguments in an easily understandable way; try not to read cases or arguments word for word from your paper

Content: The more fully realized the argument, the better. Things like giving analysis/incentives for why the actors in your argument behave like you say they do, providing lots of warranting explaining the "why" behind your claims, and providing a diverse, global set of examples will make it much easier for me to vote on your argument.

Strategy: Things that I look for in the strategy part of the round are: is the team consistent down the bench in terms of their path to winning the round, did the team put forward a reasonable interpretation of the motion, did the team correctly identify where the most clash was happening in the round.

Remember to do the comparative. It's not enough that your world is good; it needs to be better than the other team's world.

I was a Public Forum Debater for Ridge High School from 2015-2019, and am presently a medical student. For my paradigm, please cf. my brilliant friend and former PF partner's paradigm.

I have been a coach for over 10 years , but my team is student-led and you can consider me lay. (This was written by my students to prevent judge screws-you can thank them later.) I appreciate a more personal form of debate when it comes to judging.

Lots of eye contact with the judge (even during crossfire) and always address me as “judge” and your opponents as “my opponent (s)“ during speeches. Stand for all speeches and crosses, except grand. I will be highly inclined to vote for the other side if you do not address your opponents contentions and extend and show the impacts of your own.

Do not waste time looking for your cards. Have your cards ready and make sure that the evidence being cited is easy for your opponents to find.

During interactions with your opponents, I will dock your speaks and drop you if you act like a bully. Please, have an appropriate amount of physical desk space between you and your opponent.

When speaking, I appreciate a clear emphasis on what is important. I’ll be timing you, but please keep time for yourself.

I am a tab judge but I default policy-maker. I am okay with speed as long as it is comprehensible and not sloppy. I love line-by-lines, impact cals, and K's. I am okay with T's as long as the case is blatantly untopical. I am okay if you run unconventional cases, but if you choose to take the performance aff route- I will warn you, I am a NYC actor and will judge your performance.

Stay within the confines of the topic and have fun. I do not flow CX because those questions are meant for you, not me. I don't care if you stand, sit, or kneel during your speeches so don't ask me.

I am a coach at The Potomac School. Experience in coaching and competing in speech and debate at the High School and College levels - 12 years.

Basic round guidelines:

-General courtesy towards other debaters/speakers. Good sportsmanship before, during, and after rounds.

-Be careful about making large scale claims about minority/marginalized groups, arguments need to be more general (i.e. people in x situation generally do y. NOT this group does y in x situation.). In my mind this is the easiest way to create a friendly and educational environment that doesn't exclude people or make them uncomfortable.

Congress:

Delivery - At a minimum I must be able to hear and understand the words you are saying. I am not a fan of visual aids, I find they usually waste time and distract from the speech's purpose.

Evidence usage - Evidence should inform and bolster your argument. Looking for a good balance of evidence variety and volume.

Analysis - I need to know the context of the evidence that is being provided and see how it connects to your argument. I will not connect the dots myself.

Decorum - Maintain good sportsmanship and a professional atmosphere.

Voting - If there is an outstanding decorum issue, this will be my primary voting point and I will note it in your ballot. Other than that, I will always lean towards analysis.

Debate Rounds:

-Heavier on content than delivery, but delivery must be understandable, (i.e. slow enough to understand, If you do spread, I'll do my best to flow and follow the speech but if it's too fast, the arguments get dropped) have a sense of clarity, and some composure.

-Round clash is important - including directly answering questions from opponents.

-Warranting and impacting makes up a large part of my ballot.

Speech:

-Looking to see the full range of your speaking capabilities.

-Please make sure I can hear you in rounds, if I cannot hear you, I cannot rank you properly.

-Do NOT use your phones during rounds. Please show respect to your fellow speakers.

I've competed in and taught speech and debate for 25 years in a number of formats, so feel free to run whatever you'd like. I enjoy old school case arguments as much as Ks, performance, and theory, but expect strong link and impact work regardless of the argument. I am very high flow, so shouldn't have an issue with speed or tech, but will try and get your attention if I'm having trouble following you. Specificity through good research wins positions, generally. Comparative weighing is a must. Feel free to ask before the round if there's anything specific you'd like to know about and have fun.

LD: Make sure you keep to your value throughout your case. I like to see rounds that get into philosophy, not only empirical data. Ensure your arguments are logical and supported with evidence, but don't let the debate devolve into one statistic vs another.

PFD: Make sure your arguments are logical. Connect the dots. I want to hear why your evidence matters, and what the likely outcome of the resolution will be. I don't like debate that is definitions based or about a single source vs another. Look at the bigger picture.

General:

Do not be rude to your fellow competitors.

Make sure that whatever pace you are speaking at that you can be understood. I can keep up with a good amount, but obviously cannot judge something I can't hear.

I am not going to do the legwork for you, you need to convince me why you won the round.

Howdy, I am a former PF debater, current college student.

I'm experienced in PF, and very familiar with jargon and technique, but ultimately I tend to judge more on the lay side. That being said, I do flow, so I will follow your arguments throughout the round.

Things that are important:

- Don't spread.

Speaking fast is fine.

- Road mapping

Debate is confusing. Please make debate less confusing and tell me what you'll be saying before your rebuttals, summary, and final focus. Also please make sure to clearly state which contention you’re relying to.

- Framework

If you don't have a framework you have to argue your case in line with the opponents framework. In the case where both teams have frameworks, argue for which one I should vote on.

- Crossfires

I don’t flow crossfire, bring up anything relevant in your later speeches.

- Summary and Final Focus

These are some of the most important speeches to me so please take advantage and crystallize your arguments and weighing mechanisms to give me an easier time deciding the winner.

- Professionalism in rounds

Take a moment to compose yourself prior to the round beginning, shoelaces and ties will not win or lose you the round, but will distract me and possibly dock you speaker points.

- Respect to your opponents

I will not stand for teams who call out other team's time, this is rude and distracting to the other team.

Speaker Points Breakdown -- Shamelessly Stolen from Mollie Clark's Paradigm:

30: Excellent job, you demonstrate stand-out organizational skills and speaking abilities. Ability to use creative analytical skills and humor to simplify and clarify the round.

29: Very strong ability. Good eloquence, analysis, and organization. A couple minor stumbles or drops.

28: Above average. Good speaking ability. May have made a larger drop or flaw in argumentation but speaking skills compensate. Or, very strong analysis but weaker speaking skills.

27: About average. Ability to function well in the round, however analysis may be lacking. Some errors made.

26: Is struggling to function efficiently within the round. Either lacking speaking skills or analytical skills. May have made a more important error.

25: Having difficulties following the round. May have a hard time filling the time for speeches. Large error.

Below: Extreme difficulty functioning. Very large difficulty filling time or offensive or rude behavior.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

As a reward for putting out the effort to read my paradigm I will reward .5 speaker points to pro teams who use the term "protention" and con teams who refer to the pro's contentions as "protentions".

Parent of a 4-year PF participant. I've judged at 5 or 6 tournaments over the years, including most recently at Harvard in Feb 2018.