Background:

My background is in public forum. I competed all throughout high school on the national circuit and local circuit in Georgia. Currently, I am the President of the New Haven Urban Debate League and coach parliamentary debate at Yale.

PF Paradigm:

WEIGHING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL EVER DO IN DEBATE! IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWING YOUR OWN NAME!! PLS WEIGH.

If you don’t weigh, I’ll have to resort to my own weighing mechanism, which may be different every round depending on my mood. You don’t want that, so pls for the love of god, make my life and yours easier by weighing. It’s the easiest way to my ballot.

Other stuff:

-I can handle 250 words/minute. Go over, well...your arguments might not make it on my flow.

-I don't expect the first speaking team to extend defense in summary. However, you need to respond to turns. Second speaking teams need to extend defense and respond to turns.

-Second speaking team should TRY to respond to turns in rebuttal.

-Voters in final focus should be mentioned in summary.

-If your links don’t logically make sense, I’m probably not going to buy it, so warrant everything.

-I don't weigh anything in cross in terms of the ballot, so bring it up in speeches if there's something important.

Parli Paradigm:

I'm familiar with East Coast parli. I don't do well with theory, so I might not understand it. You can try it, but you still must interact with your opponents' arguments. The way to my ballot is by weighing. You don't need to go for everything at the end of the debate, but you should still respond to opponents' arguments and not extend through ink! Break the last speech into voters and weigh!

Other points (very similar to my paradigm for PF, so take that for what you will):

-Because you're not using evidence, please maintain a 200 word/minute maximum.

-Rebuttals should not be in the final speech. I believe that your rebuttals, at the very minimum, should begin in the member speeches. This allows for final interactions in the final speech between the two sides, and this avoids the idea of "no new arguments in the last speech."

-No tag teaming.

-If your links don’t logically make sense, I’m probably not going to buy it, so warrant everything. If I don't buy it, I will most likely not vote for it...

-Do not extend through ink! Conceded arguments are arguments that were poorly responded to or not at all; to which, you can extend, but if your opponents provide multiple warrants/responses to the argument, you must also respond to the rebuttals.

If you have any questions, please ask in rounds or after by emailing me at mary.chen@yale.edu

Hi! I'm Grace (she/her). gjoh00@gmail.com

I am a sophomore at Trinity University studying political science and economics. I debated at Liberty High School in Missouri (LD for my senior year, PF for the other 3 years, and USX for all 4). In LD, I won NSDA in 2019 and was state runner up in Missouri. I also coach at the Classic Debate Camp in Ohio.

For LD, I debated one season (2018-2019), and most of this was traditional/local or NSDA. I did dabble in progressive debate, but it certainly wasn't my forte. I do love a good traditional round, but do what you like and are best at, I'm willing to vote on any type of argument as long as you explain it. Speed doesn't bother me, just don't skip out on solid argumentation just to overwhelm your opponent- a lot of weak arguments is not as convincing as one or two really strong ones. If you are doing something more progressive, that's totally fine with me, just make sure you take the time to guide my ballot in the last couple speeches and why I should vote for your arguments.

I will vote off flow but only if you justify why you win on the flow- I don't pick up your dropped arguments for you. I do my best not to intervene, if you don't say it, it doesn't exist and I won't vote on it.

For PF, my experience was widely traditional and isolated to the local circuit. Make a good argument and I'll vote on it. I don't care what you do though- I'm fine with speed and will keep up with whatever you try. I will vote on pretty much anything as long as you warrant and weigh it.

Honestly, I don't care what you do. Just do what you are good at and I'll respect it (if its ethical lol). Email or feel free to ask if you have any questions or want more advice after round!

I did Public Forum debate at Lakeville South High School. I am a flow judge - I will flow the round intently and vote on what I flow. I'm going to qualify this statement in a couple of ways.

First, the fact that I flow does not mean that I would recommend you go fast. I can handle a little speed, but would prefer you slow down and focus on the real debate and content versus outspreading your opponent.

Second, I am more likely to vote for a logical argument that makes sense, so the easier and more likely shorter your link chain, the better off you are. Make sure you warrents and arguments are well articulated and coherent all throughout the round.

Third, make sure you summary and final focus sound and look similar on the flow. If you don't mention offense in your summary, then I consider it dropped in the round and can't be extended to FF.

I like when you link in to your oponets case and/or have clash, although this isn't always possible. Additionally, make sure if you are second rebuttal that you go back and defend you case, preferably what you want to go for in summary.

I'm to lazy to write more so ask me.

If you flow in crayon and announce it to everyone in the room, I'll give you higher speaks than your opponents. Feel free to ask me questions before round.

I recently graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, AL. I debated at Vestavia in public forum for 4 years. I went to camp and competed locally and nationally. I’m flow. I did probably 5 Congress rounds in my entire career but I feel pretty confident in my abilities to judge it.

Here's my actual paradigm:

1. Weigh weigh weigh weigh

2. If you have claim then impact without warrants and link in between you do not in fact have an impact

3. If your evidence is miscut/power tagged/wrong the highest speaks I’ll give you is 25.

4. Time yourselves

5. I don’t require defense extension in first summary, only offense is required

6. If both teams agree to skip grand before the round, I’ll give everyone 2 extra speaks.

7. Collapse!!!! If you find yourself going for every argument in summary, you're doing this wrong. Everything in FF must also be in summary. This is true for both first and second FF.

8. Don't keep prep time for your opponents. I'll doc speaks it's a pet peeve I think it's rude

9. Roadmaps are always welcome

10. I’m good with speed but don’t spread PF is not the place for that lol

11. Framework debate is so boring plz don’t

12. If you're flight two, go ahead and flip for sides and order before the round, that way I have more time to give you feedback at the end

13. I don't require disclosure but I do appreciate it so you can add me to the e-mail chain if you feel so inclined/are not on the wiki

14. If your evidence is shady I will probably call for it. If I do call for evidence, cut card/website are both fine, but a paraphrased version of said evidence is not fine. Refer to #3

15. A 3 minute summary does not give you permission to go for all 800 arguments in the round. Spend more time weighing if you need to fill the time. Please continue to condense the round.

16. Honestly a ~saucy~ crossfire really doesn't bother me just don't be rude or degrading in cross and I won't doc your speaks

17. random but I don't shake hands I think it's gross lol

LD/IE:

uhhhh nothing in particular just time yourselves lol

Please e-mail me or find me if you have questions!! aronson0524@gmail.com or apr0023@auburn.edu

If the tournament doesn’t allow disclosure or if we’re running late and I don’t get to disclose/give feedback, feel free to post round me via e-mail or in person. Have fun y’all I love his activity don’t make me hate it after your round !

I am a first year out from Columbus High School, currently at Agnes Scott College. I debated four years on the local and national circuit.

Speed

• Speed is good with me, as long as it is still clear. If I can't understand it, it only hurts you.
• If something is very important you should slow down and emphasize it just to make sure I get it on my flow. I get a lot but I can't guarantee everything.

My Ballot

• I do not flow crossfire. That means if something happened in crossfire that you think is important to this round then bring it up in a speech.
• If your opponent responds to your arguments, you have to respond to that in order for me to consider it in the round. You can't just keep reiterating your arguments, saying it multiple times doesn't mean I'll ignore their responses.
• No offensive overviews with new material in second rebuttal (basically don't try to put a new contention in second rebuttal).
• Everything important in final focus should also be in summary.
• I will vote off of what is properly extended into final focus.
• Weighing is crucial. If you don't want me to decide what arguments are more important then you need to tell me. Don't get mad at me if you don't weigh and then I decide what arguments are more important.

Framework

• Honestly, most of the time I think framework in PF is dumb. However, if you want to run it, I won’t hold it against you.

Speaker Points (a general guide)

• 25: You were either completely incoherent, extremely offensive, or both.
• 26: Your speeches were disorganized, pretty under time, and/or quite unclear.
• 27: Average.
• 28: Generally organized, clear, use up all time.
• 29: Well organized, spoke well, use up all time.
• 30: Amazing organzation, very clear and coherent speaking, use up all time, overall spectacular performance.
• Disclaimer: this is a very rough guide, the reasons the points I give will definitely vary throughout rounds and if I have specific reasons I will try to include in either written or oral critiques.

Evidence

• I expect all evidence to be properly represented. If you believe your opponents are misrepresenting a piece of evidence, tell me to call it and I will at the end of the round.

Demeanor

• I am fine with aggression just don't be a terrible person.
• If you make any racist, sexist, or otherwise derogatory or disrespectful comments, I will give you extremely low speaks and notify your coach.

I did High School Debate Speaking at Eagan High School in Minnesota. I competed mostly on the national circuit during my time in highschool. I specialize in lay appeal.

TLDR: I am a youtuber who is just trying to have a good time.

Things to Remember…

1. Framework: If you don’t provide any, I assume there to be a cost/benefit analysis.

2. Extensions: No extensions through ink. I don't require 1st summary to extend defense, but link/impact extensions have to be in summary to evaluate them for final focus.

3. Evidence: prefer if you DO NOT paraphrase. Tell me what your evidence says and then explain its role in the round. I also prefer authors AND dates. I will not call for evidence unless suggested to in round.

4. Cross: If it's not in a speech it's not on my flow.

5. Narrative: Narrow the 2nd half of the round down with how your case presents a cohesive story and 1-2 key answers on your opponents’ case.

6. Theory: I have a pretty low threshold for theory. I also think my role as an educator is to listen to the arguments as presented and make an evaluation based on what is argued. Disclosure is good for debate.

7. Critical positions: I pretty strongly agree with the standards for critical positions, and more specifically, identity based argumentation, that have become established in Policy/LD. Meaning, absent personal connection, there better be an EXTREMELY compelling reason for you to be the voice for the position.

8. Tech >< Truth: Make the arguments you want to make. If they aren't supported with SOME evidence my threshold for evaluating answers to them is, however, low.

9. Sign Post/Road Maps: Please.

**Do NOT give me blippy/underdeveloped extensions/arguments. I don’t know authors of evidence so go beyond that when talking about your evidence/arguments in round. I am not a calculator. Your win is still determined by your ability to persuade me on the importance of the arguments you are winning not just the sheer number of arguments you are winning. This is a communication event so do that with some humor and panache.**

Tech ---X------------------------------------- Truth

To understand my scale of Truth look to the following:

Vaccines -------X--------------------------------------------------------- Climate Change

Lay --------------------------------X- Flow

PF Coaches ----------------------------------------------------X--------- Extemp Coaches

AT -----------------------------------------------------x--- A2

AFF (acronym) --------------------------X----------------------------- aff (truncated word)

Mariah Cady -----------------------------------------------------x--- NCFL's

Style - Be nice!!! Don't address me as "Judge". Please engage in good faith. This means: avoid misinformation or exaggeration, don't put words in others' mouths, etc. In LD, spreading is okay but give me a heads up and be clear, especially during tags. In PF, don't talk too fast or I'll put my pen down and stop flowing. Please signpost!!

Content - I'm open to any kind of argument (unless it's problematic or offensive), but it must have a clear explanation with strong links and impacts. Tell me beforehand if you're running a K or theory. I'm not the biggest fan of framework debate but I'll listen and flow; just make sure you explain your philosophy well!

***If no one mentions impacts or does any impact weighing, I will flip a coin to decide the winner.

If you have any questions, don't be scared to ask before the round!

aquarius

did 4 years of PF (2 years out)

can handle speed up to but not including spreading

will make decision off the flow but if you don't weigh your arguments/responses, i will defer to my own judgement (so please weigh)

i'll only call a card if you ask me to

have fun!

feel free to ask any questions after the round

I debated Public Forum and Congress on the Wisconsin Circuit for 4 years (2015-2019).

I evaluate rounds strictly by the flow whenever possible. Speed is fine but it should not compromise the clarity of your arguments: I prefer teams that slow down to make coherent claims as opposed to teams that dump masses of cards at lightning speed. Similarly, I am much more likely to vote for teams that signpost and weigh effectively in their speeches. If you "extend" your arguments without telling me why they are a) relevant and b) more impactful than your opponent's, I find it much harder to vote in your favor. In addition, I prefer a team that has a consistent narrative/advocacy through the round. Also, evidence matters a lot to me, please do not misconstrue it.

Though I've been a PF middle school coach for four years, I consider myself a novice/lay-type judge. I do flow so I appreciate clear signposts, warrants and unique and impactful evidence. I am very much interested to see speakers attempt or execute innovation in form and style using humor, pathos and engaging impacts. I believe speakers who believe what they're arguing. I frown upon speaker dispositions that are communicated in a seemingly unfriendly, impatient or unkind manner.

anthonyrbrown85@gmail.com for the chain

*Please show up to the round pre-flowed and ready to go. If you get to the room before me or are second flight, flip and get the email chain started so we don't delay the rounds.*

Background

Currently the head coach at Southlake Carroll. The majority of my experience is in Public Forum but I’ve spent time either competing or judging every event.

General

You would probably classify me as a flay judge. The easiest way to win my ballot is through comparative weighing. Explain why your links are clearer and stronger and how your impacts are more important than those of your opponents.

Speed is fine but if I miss something that is crucial to your case because you can’t speak fast and clearly at the same time then that’ll be your fault. If you really want to avoid this issue then I would send a speech doc if you plan on going more than 225 wpm.

I do not flow cross so if anything important was said mention it in a speech.

I would classify myself as tech over truth but let’s not get too crazy.

Speaking

Typical speaks are between 27-30. I don’t give many 30s but it’s not impossible to get a 30 from me.

I would much rather you sacrifice your speed for clarity. If you can’t get to everything that you need to say then it would probably be best to prioritize your impacts and do a great job weighing.

Any comments that are intended (or unintended in certain circumstances) to be discriminatory in any form will immediately result in the lowest possible speaker points.

PF Specific

I’m probably not evaluating your K or theory argument at a non-bid tournament. If you’re feeling brave then you can go for it but unless the literature is solid and it is very well run, I’m going to feel like you’re trying to strat out of the debate by utilizing a style that is not yet a norm and your opponents likely did not plan for. If we're at a bid tournament or state, go for it.

Don’t just extend card names and dates without at least briefly reminding me what that card said. Occasionally I write down the content of the card but not the author so if you just extend an author it won’t do you any good.

I have a super high threshold for IVIs. If there's some sort of debate based abuse run a proper shell.

LD Specific (This is not my primary event so I would make sure I check this)

Cheatsheet (1 is most comfortable, 5 is lowest)

Policy: 1

Theory: 2

Topical Ks: 2

Phil: 4

Non-Topical Ks: 4

Tricks: 5

I’ll understand your LARP arguments. I’ll be able to follow your spreading. I can evaluate most K’s but am most comfortable with topical K’s. I will understand your theory arguments but typically don't go for RVIs. I would over-explain if you don’t fall into those categories and adjust if possible.

I'm a parent judge, my preferences are standard across the board.

Speak clearly and persuasively, NO spreading. You can speak fast or slow, but I prefer Quality over Quantity.

I'll weigh everything throughout the round. Public Forum should encourage well-rounded, persuasive debating.

I judge on your preparation, ideas, evidences, logics, impacts, arguments and summary. My final decision comes down to all of them on both sides.

Be respectful throughout the round. If not, I'll deduct your speaking point or even lose the round.

Have fun!

Add me on the email chain: nilu6060@gmail.com. Please send constructives at a minimum

Short Version

American Heritage School ‘19

Georgia Tech ‘22

Any offense in final focus needs to be in summary. First summary only needs to extend defense on arguments that were frontlined in second rebuttal. Second rebuttal should answer all offense on the flow.

Tech > truth

Long Version

Presumption:

- If you want me to vote on presumption, please tell me, or else I'll probably try to find some very minimal offense on the flow that you may consider nonexistent.

- I will default neg on presumption, but you can make an argument suggesting otherwise.

Extensions:

- The warrant and impact of an offensive argument must be extended in summary and final focus in order for me to evaluate it.

- Your extensions can be very quick for parts of the debate that are clearly conceded.

Weighing:

- Good weighing will usually win you my ballot and give you a speaker point boost, but please avoid:

1. Weighing that is not comparative

2. Weighing instead of adequately answering the defense on your arguments

3. Strength of link weighing - this is just another word for probability and sometimes probability weighing is just defense that should've been read in rebuttal

4. New weighing in second final focus that isn't responding to new weighing analysis from the first ff.

Evidence:

- I will read any evidence that is contested or key to my decision at the end of the round.

- I won't drop a team on miscut evidence unless theory is read. I will drop speaks and probably drop the argument unless there's a very good reason not to.

Speed:

- Go as fast as you want but I'd prefer it if you didn't spread.

- Don't sacrifice clarity for speed. If I can't understand it, it isn't on the flow.

Progressive Argumentation:

- I have a good understanding of theory and have voted on less conventional shells albeit my threshold for a response and your speaks could go down. Please read theory as soon as the violation occurs.

- I wouldn't trust myself to correctly evaluate a K. Most of the time I find myself thinking they don't really do anything. Read at your own risk and I will try my best to properly evaluate.

- If there are multiple layers of prog. (ie theory vs K vs random IVI) do some sort of weighing between them.

- I don't evaluate 30 speaks theory. I tend to believe disclosure is good, but won't intervene.

Other things:

- I think speaks are arbitrary, but humor helps, especially sarcasm.

- Paradigm issues not mentioned here are up for debate within the round

- Reading cards > paraphrasing, but paraphrasing is fine

- Postrounding is fine

- Preflow before the round start time

- I will not vote on explicitly oppressive arguments.

Occupation: I work full time as Product Manager in Technology

School Affiliations: Dougherty Valley High School

Years of Judging/Event Types: 4 Years Judging Experience mainly with Policy, Public Forum

How will you award speaker points to the debaters? I am not a strong believer in spreading. Better contentions, better evidence goes well with me. I have no issues describing theories but slow down for me to make a note of it.

What sorts of things help you to make a decision at the end of the debate? Confidence, clarity of arguments, good contentions and arguments, posture and the respect for the opposing team

Do you take a lot of notes or flow the debate? I take lots of notes during the debate which I use later to make a decision.

Rank each using the following rubric: 1 - not at all 5-somewhat 10- weighed heavily

Clothing/Appearance: 5

Use of Evidence: 10

Real World Impacts: 7

Cross Examination: 9

Debate skill over truthful arguments: 10

Detail Paradigm::

About me: I have a sophomore who debates in "Policy/Public Forum". I am no stranger to arguments of all kinds within competition and outside of it. I mostly end up judging Policy as that is my daughter main paradigm. I've been judging middle school and high school speech and debate for four years now.

Judging style (Team): I like civility in the room. Be respectful and gain respect.

There is nothing I love more than well-structured debate. Don't use too much technical stuff, if you do - explain it in short. If you lose a judge because I can't understand you, that's on you. Do not bring in a controversial topic in the debate unless it is absolutely necessary (eg: terrorism, 9/11, etc.)

Judging style (Individual Speaker): You don't need to change your style of speaking for me, I can follow fast speech to a level and if I miss something I will ask. Tell me why exactly your impacts are the most important thing in the round, make me understand why I care more about your arguments than your opponents.

I award points based on how you speak, and how you conduct yourself in cross. Let your opponent complete their thought in cross before interrupting.

I have zero tolerance for any level of disrespect towards opponents. If you are blatantly rude, offensive, racist, sexist, etc. you will be marked down to the lowest. There is a distinct difference between being passionate and confident in your arguments or questioning their logic, and being downright disrespectful.

👋 My name is Sudhan Chitgopkar and I'm a judge for Ivy Bridge Academy, River Trail Middle School, and South Forsyth High School. I've also coached and led the South Forsyth High School Debate Team (2017-2019) as well as coached for Ivy Bridge Academy (2018-2019). I'm currently a student at the University of Georgia.

As a PF Debater for the last 6 years, here's my ideology for judging rounds as well as some general preferences:

[1] Stock/run-of-the-mill arguments are boring. While I won't penalize stock args, I prefer to see unique ones.

[2] Extend arguments you want me to vote on. If I vote on it, it has to be in final focus. If it's in final focus, it has to be in summary. I want to see extension of both defense and offense in the summary speech by both teams.

[3] Framework drives the debate. I like seeing framework debate and I use a well-extended framework as the most important thing to weigh the arguments in a given round. Failure to give me a framework means I revert back to Util CBA.

[4] Having cut cards ready is important to me. If I hear a piece of evidence that's either too good to be true or is heavily debated through the round I will call for it. If it can't be provided, the team that claimed to have the evidence will be docked significant speaker points and I will disregard all arguments that are dependent on the card. I also believe that card-organization speaks to team preparedness. Being able to present a called-for card quickly will increase your speaks. Taking too long will drop your speaks.

[5] Be independent/responsible through the debate. Keep your own speech and prep time, let me know when you start/stop prep, don't go over the time limit, etc.

[6] Be polite but passionate. Don't get into a shouting match with your opponents but show that you care about the debate and what you're arguing for. Without this, the debate gets very boring very quickly.

[7] Read my paradigm. Proactively reading paradigms is important and shows that you are responsible and care about the debate. If you let me know before the round that you read my paradigm I'll probably bump your speaker points a bit.

[8] I don't like seeing K's in PF Debate. I will vote on them if I have to, but I really don't want to.

[9] I never evaluate terminal defense when it comes from spreading on the neg during second constructive. I view this act as abusive and will drop your speaks accordingly.

[10] Edit starting Dec 2019: I am no longer keeping up with resolutions in the PF community and their corresponding arguments. Please do not assume that I will automatically know any abbreviations and technical, resolution-related terminology for any topics hereafter.

[11] Edit for Zoom rounds: Speech docs make my life significantly easier and will help you make sure all your most important cards are on the flow. Ask me about my contact details for this in round

Social

Follow me anywhere :)

[Instagram] not.sudhan

[LinkedIn] sudhan.chitgopkar

[Spotify] sudhan.chitgopkar

[Website] sudhanchitgopkar.com

I coach beginners (elementary/ MS) debate, so I'm very familiar with PF, but I work on a very novice level, i.e. 3rd- 8th graders and we typically do more simple topics.

I have a basic understanding of jargon, but you're better off putting things in lay terms. I'm not good with speed, I'll zone out and not process anything you're saying, so I'd suggest speaking a smidge above conversational pace if you want me to truly take in your case. I get it if you want to speak fast to get a lot in, just be sure to repeat the main things you want me to take away to ensure I've got it. If you want to take the risk, that's up to you! :) I really don't recommend it.

I'm usually swayed by more compassionate, emotional arguments and will typically vote for the side that helps more people in a more tangible way. I like when you tell me specifically what to vote based off of.

I don't judge very often, so I definitely am not a perfect judge, but I'll do my best! PLEASE don't expect me to be a tech judge. I am not! I flow, but I miss things at times. I don't have rules about what needs to be in what speech, but obviously you can't bring up something new at the end.

I'm easily charmed by a good public speaker, and have noticed that if someone is a good speaker I'm more receptive to their arguments. I try to keep it to the content when picking a winner, but I've noticed this about myself and am not always conscious of it, so I figured it's beneficial for you to know if I'm your judge.

I always figure it's best to be polite and professional. I think it reflects better on you if you stand for your speeches and keep your own time. It's not a make or break, but you'll come off a lot better in my eyes if you do these things.

If you have a specific question, feel free to ask! :)

General Philosophy

I have competed in debate for two years in Parliamentary and IPDA debate, and coached LD/PF debate for 4 years. I am very much a flow judge - don't make me do work for you. Be sure to explain what your points are, show me how you got to your point, and tell me the impacts clearly. If I do not get the relation to real-world, big picture events, I will not weigh it out for you if the other team does. I do my best to be tab, but if I don't get what I need from either team, I'll intervene to make my decision. I can follow speed, but if it's abusive to the other team and it's brought up and not addressed I will drop you - this is an educational event, treat it as such. Impact hard in final speeches, and try to not bring up new arguments (this is the only place I'll protect flow).

Do's:

Show me your critical thinking skills. Use the game of debate to your advantage if need be: kritiks, framework, whatever. I can follow it if you do it well. Cite warrants. Give roadmaps, structure.

Don't's:

Don't be offensive. If it happens once and it's called out, I'll heavily dock it in speaks. If it happens twice or more, even if it isn't called, I will weigh it heavily on team and probably have a chat with you afterwards. Don't be abusive - if a team is unable to keep up with whatever is happening and you play an advantage off of that even if asked to cool it, I'll dock speaks. Don't run debate heavy stuff if it isn't understood - know your theory, framework, arguments. If you do it wrong and are called on it that'll be an easy decision for me.

Disclaimer that these are just guidelines, not requirements - do what you want to do, it is your round. I encourage fun, learning, and active discourse. If you have questions in round or afterwards I'll always be glad to help out.

The team that is able to support their contentions with strong logic and good evidence while effectively refuting their opponents' case will win the round. I am okay with some speed. You will see me flowing during most of the round, so I am less concerned with eye contact/hand gestures/facial expressions than some lay judges may favor. Although I won't decide a round based on a single dropped argument, I will consider that as part of my decision. The best rebuttals are those who can systematically go down the flow and address most arguments. I don't require frontlines in the 2nd Rebuttal, although it is probably a good idea to do so. I am okay with frontline arguments in 2nd Summary if there were no frontlines in 2nd rebuttal. Strong contentions will include well-linked impacts. A good final focus will include impact weighing and voters.

Yes, include me on an email chain when sharing evidence. When requesting evidence, I will consider prep time to begin once the evidence is received. Please announce when that happens and that you are taking prep.

Ask me in round.

I am a parent judge with 3 years of judging experience.

I prefer traditional debate, where the debater speaks at a conversational speed.

I look for quality of arguments, evidence, solid logic, and strong advocacy of the position.

I am fair-minded as a debate judge, and will do my best to select the best team.

Conflicts: Desert Vista, Chandler Prep

Yes email chain: rsferdowsian@gmail.com

I debated at Chandler Prep for 3 years and currently debate for ASU

LD-specific section at the bottom

General:

- I don't care what types of arguments you read, as long as they're (a) well-explained and warranted and (b) well-impacted out (by which I broadly mean implication-work as to why winning your args wins you my ballot, not just straight impact-calc)

- Framing is key, especially in the last 2 rebuttals - you're not going to win everything, so tell me what's most important for my decision and deal with what the other team is saying is most important

- I default to an offense-defense paradigm unless told otherwise

- I won't judge kick unless 2nr says so. For both sides: don't let the 'judge kick good/bad' debate start in the 2nr/2ar, esp. if the status of the CP is clarified earlier. The neg should say 'status quo is always a logical option' or even something more explicit in the 2nc for 'judge kick good' not to be new in the 2nr; similarly, aff should say judge kick bad before the 2ar, even when not extending condo bad as such in the 1ar. If the first times I hear the words judge kick are in last two rebuttals, I'll be forced to actually evaluate all the new 2ar args, so don't let that happen neg

- I might not know as much as you about the intricate, technical aspects of the topic, so be clear and slow on topic-specific phrases/acronyms, especially with T

Case:

- 2acs are generally terrible on case, the block should point this out, exploit it, and protect itself from new 1ar stuff

- Good case debating by the neg (and aff) = good speaks

Topicality v policy affs:

- I default competing interps. I've personally never understood intuitively or theoretically how one would decide whether an aff is "reasonably" T or not, so if you're going for reasonability on the aff, make sure you are very clear on what that means/how judges would determine reasonability under that frame or I'll be persuaded by the neg saying reasonability is arbitrary

- I usually view the relative interpretations as 'advocacies' the provide uniqueness for/solve each side's offense and the standards on both sides as net benefits/advantages to that standard/disads to the other, like a CP+DA debate. (If you don't want me to view it that way you should tell me). This means that impact calc is super important, eg "aff ground outweighs limits", "precision outweighs", etc.

Theory:

- I'd love to hear a super in-depth "condo bad" debate, if the aff goes for this and does it well I'll probably give pretty good speaks

(Personal opinion: condo is good; being neg is hard; but I can be easily persuaded otherwise.)

- Everything else: I default to rejecting the argument, not the team; if you want me to reject the team, explain why it's justified/what the (preferably in-round, not just potential) abuse is

- The CP+DA thing from the Topicality section above applies here too, which means interpretations matter a lot (a good example of this is that the aff going for "states CPs with uniformity are not allowed, non-uniform states CPs are allowed" would solve a lot of neg offense while also allowing you to go for unique offense to uniformity being uneducational, cheating, etc.)

Disads:

- "DA turns case" is important and should be answered in the 1ar

- "DA solves case" is underutilized

-*Impact calc* - not just magnitude/probability/TF but also filtering arguments (e.g. 'heg solves everything'), filters for evidence-quality ('prefer our empirics over speculation'), etc.

- Again, I default offense-defense but I am ok with concluding that there is 0% risk of a DA. It's really important for the aff to be explicit when doing this (e.g. say something like "offense defense is bad for policymaking and decision-making")

Counterplans:

- I'm probably much more open to theoretically cheating CPs than most judges, just win the theory debate (for this, confer above on Topicality).

- Really techy CPs should be explained in the 2nc/1nr to a certain dumbed-down level

Ks v Policy Affs:

- FW matters a lot; the negative needs to set up a framing for the debate that shifts the question the ballot is answering away from whether the plan is better than the status quo/some competitive option, or at least provides a very specific set of criteria about how that question should be answered (e.g. ontological come first, reps first, etc.). Make sure to be clear about *what winning framework means for how I write my ballot*; i.e. does it mean I refuse to evaluate the consequences of the plan altogether? or just that the way in which I evaluate it changes? or something else?

- If you don't make FW args in the 2nc (at least implicitly), 2ac args like "Perm: double bind", "alt fails/is utopian", "state inevitable", or "extinction outweighs" become serious threats if extended well by the aff.

- The 2nc/2nr should explain your theory of how the world works and explain why I should think it's true relative to their policymaking stuff - isolating a specific section of the flow where you explain your theory (especially with high-theory kritiks), or just weaving it into the Line by Line, can go a long way

- Examples are always good for K debate, in all its different components

- Aff args I find true/persuasive: extinction outweighs, institutions matter, debate is a game, perm (if alt is explained as a CP instead of as a framework argument).

- I honestly don't care if you're going to read a long 2nc overview, but please be honest about it before the speech so I can get a new sheet of paper (I'll probably flow on paper, not laptop); I try hard to maintain the Line by line would prefer you just be up-front about it.

FW versus K affs:

- I have read K affs against FW, but I have also read FW against K affs, so I'd like to think I'm not too ideological when it comes to these debates. My voting record in these debates is probably ~60/40 in favor of the neg on FW, usually due to a lack of well-warranted arguments as to why the neg's model is bad (instead of buzzwords) as well as a lack of answer to significant defensive claims like TVA/SSD.

- Impact framing is paramount in these debates: the impacts the two teams are going for are often radically different -- e.g., how should I weigh a slight risk of unfairness against a risk of the neg's model of debate being a bit neoliberal/racist/X-ist? I'll probably end up voting for whoever does a better job answering these types of questions

- For the neg: TVA is important but Switch side is really underutilized as a defensive argument imo.

- Fairness can be an impact in and of itself if you explain why, although, all else being even, it's probably not the best 2nr impact in front of me since it begs the question of the value of the game it supports.

- Better neg impacts to FW for me: clash, dogmatism, truth-testing, even institutions good offense

- Limits and ground are (probably) just internal links, not impacts

- For the aff: *explain a clear vision of what your model of debate looks like under your interp*.

- I'm down for the extremist K strats that just impact turn every standard the neg goes for, but I'm also down for running more to the middle and explaining why your model is still topical/debatable 'enough' but with some significant net benefits over theirs. If you're doing the latter, your interp should be super well-explained in the context of their limits/predictability offense

K v K:

- These can be some of the best or some of the worst debates - worst when neither side gets beyond tagline extensions, best when each side speaks as if they were an actual scholar in whatever field they're deploying, doing comparative analysis of the other team's theories in relation to their own

- Impact calc and framing is crucial, esp. in rounds where both sides are discussing some identity-related oppression impacts. This doesn't mean saying certain lives or groups matter more than others, it's precisely to avoid that: you all should discuss your theories of the world in ways that don't put me in the position of having to 'pit' certain lives against one another, otherwise I'll have a rough time and so will you

- I'm down for not giving the aff a perm in these debates, BUT it's got to be explained much further than "no perms in a methods debate" - that's not a warranted argument. To win this, the neg should explain why perms in debates where no one advocates gov. action are uneducational, unfair, incoherent, bad for radical pedagogy, etc. and, ideally, also provide an alternate model for what the burden of rejoinder looks like if the neg doesn't have to win that the K is an opportunity cost to the aff.

- Cf. "K v Policy Aff" section above on long 2nc Overviews

***LD-Specific***

1. Fair warning: I tend to vote neg... a lot, seemingly too much, usually on technical concessions in the 2ar (damn speech structures).

To deal with this if you're aff:

- make sure you win your case - I've noticed I have a tendency to vote neg on presumption when the NR makes some circumvention args that the 2AR just straight-up drops in the last speech.

- also, make sure you frame the debate for me such that, even if there are some tech-y drops, I'm more likely to vote for you

2. Full disclosure: I don't get LD theory, like, at all. I don't really get RVI's, I don't know how they function, and I'm convinced most LD'ers don't either, so generally, if theory is your thing, just be very clear on these three components of theory debates: (a) interps, (b) violations, and (c) standards. As long as that basic template is there in some form, I can do my best.

Random things:

- I probably won't read that many cards unless it's brought up in the debate or I'm stealing your cites

- Flashing isn't prep but be quick

- Clipping means you lose and will get bad speaks; I'll try to follow whatever the tournament procedure is for this

- Extra speaks to anyone who brings me some flavored iced coffee beverage/bothered to read this far down.

Good luck!

I have been a PF judge for 3 years and judged nationals last year in Alabama.

Talking too fast: If you talk so fast that I cannot understand you then that is a problem for me. Be engaged, dynamic but do not act like a robot.

Crossfire: I dot no like overly aggressive or disrespectful demeanor during crossfires. Be strong, be confident but let the others speak and answer your question.

Evidence: You must have credible and sufficient evidence to support your points and counter your opponents. Please leave opinion and conjecture to a minimum.

Reading: Know your material. Do not just read from your script. Make eye contact and persuade me that you have full command of the subject matter and know where you are going with it.

Be clear about why your argument is the winning one. Compare and contrast with your opponents and provide the key point or argument that makes your case.

Lastly...Have fun, be excited and let your talents shine through.

I have been in the debate world for 7 years as a head coach, a public forum debate and forensics speech student, a judge, and a state board member.

In a round I prefer road mapping (organized speech pattern), evidence, and follow-through. DO NOT road map outside of speaker time. You are in public forum, not policy, don't steal extra time. If you do a road map outside of the speaking time, I will take speaker points. Don't scream in the crossfire, be nice to each other. Please keep track of your own prep time- I will only give you an indication as to when you have used all of it. Framework is for policy, you shouldn't need it in pf unless it's paramount to your case (hot tip: it's not).

During crossfire be civil. Per NSDA rules, judges are not supposed to be voting based on crossfire, so I will only take comments in crossfire into consideration if it is brought up during a timed speech before the final focus. (Exception to this would be statements from grand crossfire.)

I hate writing down my RFD's so I will likely just do it verbally. I am a scientific and statistical judge- that being said you have to follow through with impacts to win. Laying down 5 warrants and pieces of evidence and not following through on why it should matter to the judge will NOT win you the debate, be sure to ALWAYS bring through your impacts and weigh them against your opponents.

I come from 5 years of experience in Public Forum.

How to win me over...

1. Extend arguments and weigh impacts.

2. As long as your speaking is clear I am alright with speed, if I can't understand you then you are going too fast.

3. SIGNPOST

4. Clearly state impacts and warrants.

5. Be calm and polite. I am far less likely to vote for you if you are rude.

6. Be productive in crossfire (ask questions). It is not a time for you to allow your opponents to reread their case, to bully your opponent, be a savage, or roast people.

7. Provide credible evidence. I am more willing to take the card with the more reliable author when they conflict.

8. Respect the timer. I will stop flowing when time has expired.

9. Call cards on your own prep time.

10. Grand cross is useless, change my mind.

10. Do summary speeches right, they are not a second rebuttal, they are there to narrow the debate and set up your partner for final focus.

11. I am a fan of new and unique arguments/twists. I don't want to hear the same points over and over again.

NOTE - I will not flow crossfire. If something is important enough to be on my flow, it should be in a speech. You may reference crossfire, but the point should be made in a speech.

I am a parent judge so please...

- DO NOT spread/speak really fast

-clearly make arguments. If the argument is really confusing or has a lot of links, you are already at a disadvantage.

-Do not run theory of Ks or anything of the sort because I really do not know how to evaluate them and I do not want to unfairly make a choice. I have nothing against them. I just do not want to judge a k or theory unfairly since I'm a parent judge with no experience in them.

-Do not assume I will make the connections fo you, try to make all the necessary connections or points that you will think win you the round (includes but not limited to extending links/warrants, impacts/impact calc, weighing)

I've been competing in Public Forum for 3 years now (since Freshmen year) so I know this event pretty well. I can handle speed but don't be that person who spreads (its PF not policy). My paradigm is basic:

Everything in final focus HAS to have been said in summary.

Please weigh (please) - it makes my job so much easier.

I don't take crossfire into consideration in my decision (unless I hear something that clarifies an argument that I might not have understood before).

If you're funny, it helps your speaker points (or just speak well, that helps too).

when you say "turn," if you spin around, smash your head on the desk, throw your computer against the wall and run out of the room, i will give you 28 speaks.

Hi!

My name is Dylan Lee, I have four years of Speech and Debate under my belt (Public Forum). I also had the chance to represent North Dakota for Public Forum at the national tournament (2018). I have a year and a half of judging experience.

PF- here are the things I like to see

Speed and Flowing- I can flow proficiently, while also able to understand fast pace, but please be understandable if you are going to speed

Framework- If you are going to use a framework, make sure you bring it up the whole round, not just the beginning and end, I hate it when people do that and may consider not using your framework as a voter

Summary and FF- they should be similar, you should narrow down the debate to 2-3 arguments and tell me why I should vote that way. for FF, make sure to give me voters and let my life easier

Clash- I like clash a lot, but dont just start a he said she said argument, I hate that so much. Tell me why your point is more important

CrossFire- I consider Crossfire more to help you guys out more instead of me. I rarely vote (99%) on crossfire and will not use things said in crossfire as much. If it is important what your opponent said during crossfire, bring it up as an argument in your speeches

Etiquette- Most important of all, always RESPECT your opponent, no cap.

LD- sorry, dont have much experience. But many would say I would be a traditional judge.

I vote mostly on Value and Criterion, but don't just drop your contentions. I LOVE VALUE CRITERION debate

also, I hate when you use a criterion as a value (ex. Ultil as a value)

Hope you have fun with me, jk

Dylan

I am a flow judge, but I am "truth over tech," as the phrase seems to be.

I did seven years of middle and high school debate, graduating HS in 2014. As such, I do flow but I dislike spreading and tactics that come from policy. So, if you make an extinction/nuclear war argument or something like it, you'll have to do a lot of convincing for me to buy it, even if your opponents don't spend a huge amount of time on it.

As I said, I do flow, but I also appreciate weighing and detailed explanations of why one argument or piece of evidence preempts our outweighs another. That style of argumentation matters much more to me than simply extending evidence or an argument.

I am a parent and lay judge.

Please don't speak too fast. I will try to listen to every arguments.

Please weigh your in summary and final focus.

I will vote for whoever is more persuasive.

Be nice and good luck!

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Past Experience: I debated Public Forum for 5 years.

--PF--

I am pretty strictly a flow judge. If you expect to win an argument on the flow it must be cleanly extended throughout the round. If its not said in a speech didn't write it down. Rounds for me are won through offense. You have to give me a reason to vote for you rather than giving reasons to not vote for your opponent. I want you to literally spell it out for me why you won by the end. I absolutely HATE having to rely on my own defaults to decide a round.

I really don't care a whole lot what kinds of arguments you wanna run as long as they are not a plan or counterplan. Theory, Kritiks, etc. are cool, fun, and educational. They shouldn't be excluded from this event but they also need to be better tailored to the format. That means if your running an obscure kritik you need to be able and ready to spend 4 minutes clearly explaining your argument. You may not have time for other offense in the constructive. That's the tradeoff and strategy discussion that will happen with your partner and coach. I don't care what you go for so long as I can understand, and flow it.

If you have me as your judge, please understand that you likely will not change my opinions on things. That is ok. Do not worry about my personal opinions. Your job in the round, if I am your judge, is not necessarily to convince me that your position is correct but rather it is to convince me why you have won the debate. I will vote against my own personal beliefs if I believe that that side won the debate based off of my flow unless it is particularly egregious (e.g. racism, transphobia, bigotry, etc.).

That being said do not be racist, transphobic, etc. You will lose. If you are intentionally and consistently being problematic I will stop the round and report the incident to the tournament organizer. Also, do not frivolously claim your opponents are being bigoted. I take these things seriously and do not appreciate such disingenuous rhetorical jabs. If you believe that your opponent's argument or your opponents themselves are genuinely bigoted, then call that out appropriately. If you are unsure how to do so, talk to your coach.

--LD--

*working on it dawg just ask me, but most of the PF stuff is applicable

--CX--

*working on it dawg just ask me, but most of the PF stuff is applicable

Overview:

Yes, I want to be on the email chain: prima1014@gmail.com

I will not be following along on the speech doc, but I will be checking periodically to make sure extensions of cards are consistent with the actual evidence.

I debated for Fresno State for three years. I started off in traditional policy debate, but then made my way into K debate. I do not have a preference; I am just as likely to vote for T as I am to vote for a performance K. It all comes down to how persuasive your arguments are, and I evaluate that based on three criteria:

1) Your ability to explain the thesis of your argument. Even if I am familiar with the literature, it is still your responsibility to thoroughly explain your methodology. Relying on buzz words is bad for education and hurts your growth as a debater. I will never make extrapolations of arguments for you. If I’m left wondering what your policy/advocacy/alternative does by the end of the round, then you are at a severe disadvantage.

2) Your explanation of why the argument you are making matters, and why it should be presented in this space. Having a good idea/theory is awesome, but why do it here? Why should I care about the discussion of policies, identity, power structures etc. that you decided to forefront?

3) Your overall ethos and presentation. This last point is supplemental to the two more substantive points listed above, but it is still extremely important. Whether you speak quickly or at a conversational pace, you should make sure that your speeches are engaging.

Respect:

1. Respect is mutual. I expect you to respect each other by not engaging in unnecessarily rude behavior. I understand that cross ex can get heated, but make sure you do not let this interfere with the fact that debate is an educational activity.

2. I will respect you by listening to you and devoting my attention to making a carefully thought out decision. When I am giving my RFD, it is your turn to reciprocate that respect by actively listening. I will not tolerate excessive post rounding and being rudely interrupted. Questions are highly encouraged but arguing with me will not change the outcome of the debate. If you are angry with my RFD, I recommend that you write down your concerns with the decision, talk with your coach, and if there is still an issue, take time to cool down before approaching me again to talk about the round.

Technicalities:

1. Prep ends when you send the doc. If you send the wrong doc or it is missing cards, you are responsible for taking prep to send it to the other team.

2. Stealing prep will lead to a deduction in speaker points.

3. Clipping cards and misrepresenting evidence are very serious issues and threaten the integrity of the activity. I take these two issues very seriously.

Specifics:

Framing:

1. I expect both teams to provide me with a way to frame the round. You do not get access to your arguments unless you win the framing question, or you prove that you are still ahead through the other team’s method of framing the round.

Topicality:

1. I think topicality arguments are very interesting. Make sure you give specific contextual examples of what ground was lost, as well as why that ground is uniquely valuable.

2. That being said, I think there are very valid justifications for not being topical. Do not assume that my preference for Ks as a debater will mean that you have a low threshold for proving that you do not need to be topical.

Framework:

1. I enjoy current and relevant example of why engaging in the state is essential or unproductive.

2. If you are arguing policy making/political engagement good, you must prove that it is net better for everyone, regardless of their identity.

3. Saying, “The USFG is racist” or “policy making is rooted in patriarchy” is not a sufficient response to framework. It is not that I don’t agree with you, but you need to elaborate more on these phrases that get tossed around. Your arguments will be much more persuasive if you go beyond reading cards and pre-made answers and contextualize and elaborate on these claims.

Performance:

1. Performance debate is great and very creative. However, you still need to explain what your method is and what you have accomplished at some point in the debate. It needs to be purposeful.

Theory:

1. You need to clearly highlight the abuse in the round and make a convincing argument about why this creates a bad model for debate beyond this round.

I am a parent judge and consider myself a FLAY judge.

1. Please do no spread. if you speak too fast and try to cram in points, it is likely I will not be able to catch them.

2. Weigh your contentions and impacts.

3. Be competitive but polite.

4. Close well - Try to collapse. I put weight on strong summary and final focus.

I will ask you to keep your own time.

Ryan Nam - Los Osos High School

Background: I've competed in Speech & Debate for four years at Los Osos High School, primarily in Parli and Extemp. I've also competed in Congress, Public Forum, Extemp Debate, Worlds, etc. I have judged at a few tournaments, primarily for Parli and Public Forum, and I'm currently on the Boston College Mock Trial team ('22). If you have any questions or concerns about my history or background, you are more than welcome to ask before the round.

Parli Paradigm:

With most of my experience being in Parli, there is not much on material that would surprise me during a round. Do not ask if I am familiar with material before a round because I will most likely not answer. The following breaks down categories of Parli that you may have specific concerns about to help you find your answer. If your question is not answered here (and it is NOT about material), you are welcome to ask me about it before a round starts.

Types of Debate: It is my belief that there are three fundamental resolution styles in Parli: policy, value, and fact. Make sure you are aware of which resolution you are working towards in a round. If there is a dispute on this during the round, please make sure to address it during the round and not ignore it.

Policy: Policy should be fun, engaging, and the most creative format of Parli that we can debate on. I value strong fundamental set-ups for plans (i.e. AFF should have a clear and engaging inherency/problem). I also find it important to express creativity in this style. Being able to execute creative plans (even if they seem realistically ridiculous) is always interesting to watch from my perspective and will engage me more with your speeches. Of course, strong fundamentals and a clear understanding of the style/resolution is crucial. If "creativity" means you have weaker overall debating, then avoid it and stick to what works for you. I will always prioritize strong fundamentals. All tactics (i.e. CPs, perms, PICs, Ks, topicalities, etc.) are welcome for both sides. If you feel like you are being excluded via speed or that their plan is especially niche in its application, then express that during your speeches properly and I will flow it. I will probably be familiar with most of the literature (if you are using any) during these tactics, but that does not mean you should neglect it or skim by it. I am a firm believer in flowing only what I hear during the round and if I do not hear you properly explain something to me, then I will not flesh it out for you.

Value: Make sure to have your own value or I will assume you are working under AFF framework. If AFF does not have a value, then I will work under NEG framework. If no one gives me a value, then I will go with whatever framework has been presented during the round at all. The idea here is that we do not need to come to a consensus for a framework as you would normally in a policy round. Simply achieve your value best and (bonus points) try to show why you are ALSO achieving your opponents' value better than them. This is your time to really hone in on niche arguments and incorporate some aspects of philosophy that touch on moral or philosophical issues. For instance, human lives may/may not be the best impact here, so be creative with how your arguments work UNDER YOUR FRAMEWORK.

Fact: This is a simple fact-oriented debate. I do NOT weigh rounds based on quantity of factual material, but will weight based on quality. Of course, just having one good statistic is not going to win the round for you, but do not expect to just pour out a bunch of facts on me without proper explanation of what they mean and why they matter and expect to win. Treat this round as classic debate without bells or whistles and just try to win the round via strong warranting and impacting.

Public Forum Paradigm:

In Public Forum, you obviously are limited on time and must focus on what you feel are the important ideas. The hardest part of this event is proper time management as a team. It is fine to address important small details, but do not linger on them and attempt to look at the bigger picture. Framework issues should hopefully be addressed in the 1AC/1NC as best as possible. Cross is generally used as a speaking score indicator for me. If you claw out an important statement or argument from your opponent, you should reiterate that in your following speech for me to properly flow.

I really enjoy how fast this event goes and if you can keep up the tempo and be aggressive in your argumentation, it will yield more offensive flow for you. Frankly, there is not much on material that I can address, but do explain your arguments thoroughly, yet efficiently as if it is my first time hearing the resolution to begin with. As I mentioned in my Parli paradigm, I also tend to value creativity. I understand that it may be harder in this event as by the end of the month, the tier list of arguments is generally pretty much fixed, but maybe developing your case with new and intriguing twists can be helpful for you throughout a round. Do not be careless, but use your strong fundamentals to incorporate some fresh ideas into the round, if possible.

General Paradigm:

Speed: I can "understand" up to 400wpm, but I would recommend sticking to no more than 300wpm. I am not confident in my own ability to flow all of your arguments above that as I have been out of debate for a few years. As I have stated earlier, if you are getting spread out of a round, then I welcome you to argue that appropriately. If not, I will assume you understand what is happening just fine. That being said, I am aware that most judges disapprove of spreading in Parli for good reason. I am not that judge. You are welcome to spread in this event AS LONG AS YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO IT. Do NOT spread if you are not clear and cannot enunciate properly. *If I say "clear" during a round, please actually either slow down or read more carefully. If I am saying "clear," I expect you to respond in some way and not doing anything about it, is likely to cause me to not flow your arguments correctly*

Tag-teaming: I am fine with it. I would appreciate a notice that you will be doing this just for me to make sure that the opponents are also aware of their ability to use it. Also, I will only flow what is said by the appropriate speaker at that time. Therefore, if you are speaking and your partner says something, make sure to repeat it to me or else it will not go on the flow. This is very important if you are tag-teaming.

Flow/Protecting the Flow: If it has not been clear by now, I am a flow judge and will flow arguments equally across the board. My eventual weighing does not impact the flow, but will be factored in at the end of the round. I protect the flow for novice/JV, but I will not protect the flow for Open/Var events. I would advise you to be attentive during your opponents' speeches to keep track of this.

Impacts: This is how you win rounds. If you do not impact out an argument, I will not do it for you. Flesh out your arguments and negative impact out your opponents' arguments. If you want to run an impact chain to death/human suffering every time, then go ahead. Just impact out everything that you feel should be impacted out.

Foul Language/Rudeness: I am OKAY with mild foul language. It will not hurt you during the round. However, do not start cursing every sentence or speech for the sake of it. If it slips, it slips. Don't sweat it. On the other hand, rudeness will not be tolerated. If you begin to attack your opponents directly and not their arguments, this is not only frowned upon, but will likely lose you the round. This is an educational activity that should be fun, enjoyable, and accessible to ALL people. Please advise.

I have not included speech paradigms, as I fall pretty much in the same realm as any other speech judge. If I am the only judge, you can ask me simple questions NOT related to the direct speech material and I would be happy to answer.

If there is anything that was not covered in this paradigm that is not related to direct material, please feel free to ask before a round starts. It will be more beneficial you to be knowledgeable and aware than to simply assume.

Good luck!

I have no background in high school or college debate, but I have been a practicing attorney for more than 35 years and have been judging PF debates for 8 years.

I am a great believer in the “citizen judge” roots of Public Forum. The debater’s job is to persuade the man on the street, with no background as to the resolution of the month, that pro or con should win. Thus, clarity and focus are paramount. Your job is to persuade, not confuse, me. Well-structured arguments and effectively utilized evidence are key, but so are articulation, modulation, and engagement. A glance up from your laptop from time to time can work wonders, as can staying in the Zoom frame in a well-lighted room.

I do flow arguments, but not in a very technical way. A dropped argument will only count against you if it is material to your overall presentation and not offset by more meritorious arguments that make it through Final Focus.

Spreading and the pointless acceleration of pacing it engenders are strongly discouraged. You should choose your arguments carefully and deliver them at a pace, and with an energy and focus, that are designed to persuade.

Use your evidence fairly and judiciously. Do not overstate its significance or twist its meaning beyond recognition. I will only ask to see your card if the outcome of a round turns on an evidentiary dispute, but, if it comes to this, you want to be confident that your card can be read as presented. Also, feel free to request your opponent's cards, but do so sparingly and only when necessary to dispute a material contention or buttress a key argument.

Unfortunately, only one team can win; that’s the way it is in real life and in every courtroom I have ever appeared, so try to roll with the punches.

Most importantly, have fun. Few things are as satisfying as a hard-fought win; or as motivating (for the next round) as a too-close-to-call loss.

Student at Butler University, graduated from Lakeville North Highschool, MN where I debated Varsity PF, LD, and Congress

TLDR; I was once where you are now, so I will judge your round the way I wanted my rounds judged. PLEASE ask me if you have questions about my paradigm :)

I debated at a lot of the national circuit tournaments around the Midwest in Public Forum and LD so I'm pretty technical and value whats on the flow a lot. You’re the debater so tell me what to vote on and why, dont leave it up to me to weigh your impacts against your opponent's. Also, it makes my job as a judge much easier if you show me that you understand your opponent's arguments beyond just their tags.

Be clear, be respectful, make the round fun and you’ll get high speaks (I’m kind of a points fairy so 27s and above unless you’re horribly disrespectful).

For Varsity/Open Debaters: As far as tech/speed/Offs go, that’s fine as long as it’s intelligible. Also, if your opponent is clearly not comfortable with your speed/dense phil/1NC K (within reason) etc then please don’t do it. If you chose to do so anyways, I’ll take that as being extremely rude to your opponent and that will tank your speaks.

—————————————————————————dededede ——————————————————————————

what's good, debaters!

what has four letters,

occasionally has twelve letter,

always has six letter,

and never has 5 letters?

—————————————————————————dededede ——————————————————————————

Hello! I competed in PF at Kennedy HS in Cedar Rapids for 4 years and am currently a student at the University of Iowa studying Public Health and Spanish. A few quick things about me as a judge :

Things I like seeing in round :

- clear arguments with relevant and credible evidence. no sketchy or uncited quotes.

- extremely organized rebuttals!

- weighing!!!! i will default towards teams that weigh their arguments

- keeping track of your own time

Things I don't like seeing in round:

- card dumping with no explanation

- holding up the round by pre flowing: do this before getting there.

- policy/LD type arguments like Ks - those do not belong in PF

- people who are very mean and condescending

- extremely fast speaking (fast is okay just not on the extreme side)

- new responses in FF

Email: tynews2001@gmail.com

I participated in four years of policy debate in high school and I debated four years at Western Kentucky University.

I am open to anything and I try to be as tab as possible. Just use warrants in your argumentation, even if it is theory. If an argument has absolutely no warrant and is just a claim, there is a chance I still won't vote on it even if it is 100% conceded. That is to say, if you just say conditionality is bad because of fairness and education, that is a series of claims without warrants, and thus is unpersuasive even if the other team doesn't address it. However, if a poorly warranted claim goes conceded, then I will not necessarily adjudicate the strength of the warrant as it is the other team's obligation to defeat this warrant, and as such I will take the warrant as true unless it is unintelligible or utterly absurd. I will default as a policymaker if you don't put me in a competing paradigm.

When adjudicating competing claims, it is my hope that debaters will engage in evidence comparison. However, if two contradictory claims are made, and no one weighs the strength of the internal warrants of the evidence, then I will likely call for the evidence to adjudicate which claim is more strongly warranted (assuming the argument may be part of my reason for decision). Same goes with topicality. I am 50/50 in voting for topicality, and I default competing interpretations.

If you are running critical/performance arguments, please be familiar with the argument and able to intellectually defend it. My personal preference when I debate is usually policy-oriented discussions and my personal bias is that switch-side policy debate is good, but I don't let this inform my decision in the round. At the same time, I think that non-traditional forms of debate are an important component of the community and have an important message to broadcast, and as such, I have voted for performance affs in the past.

The following is a preference and not a requirement. It is common for me to judge teams running non-traditional forms of arguments and personally be unfamiliar with the literature base. Thus, it is probably in your interest to ask if I'm familiar with a non-traditional argument prior to the round unless you plan to explain it extensively in the round. An argument is inherently less persuasive when the messenger also does not fully understand it, and the debate is probably less educational for everyone involved as a result. In general, I think you should be familiar with any argument you read before you deploy it in-round, but I've found this is more frequently an issue when high school debaters deploy the critical literature base. If I don't think you are familiar with your argument, I won't hold it against you in my RFD (although it will inform my speaker points), but it will probably influence whether you are able to effectively deploy the argument on the flow, where I will vote.

Finally, you should tell me explicitly how the RFD should be written if you win so I can understand your vision of the round. If you do not have ballot directing language, I will use my own judgment to write the RFD, so it is in your interest to write the RFD for me.

I debated public forum throughout high school and judge in local circuits. I just finished my freshman year at Vanderbilt University.

Preferences

My preferences are pretty standard across the board. I don't have any strict policies regarding what you must do inside the debate and I'll weigh everything throughout the round. I typically won't vote off technicalities; Public forum should encourage well-rounded, persuasive debating. My final decision comes down to the impacts of both cases.

Some Considerations:

Links should be clear/well-supported.

When a question is asked during cross-fire, I expect a direct, clear response.

Strong impacts are extremely important to me in order to weigh arguments as offense for each side.

Final speeches of any debate should emphasize voting issues. Tell me how I should weigh the round and explain which key arguments I should vote for.

Hey guys and galls,

I've done LD, PF, and Policy, so I am pretty open to your interpretation of debate. Kritiks, sure. Frameworks, please. I value creative arguments greatly and if you are running stock you better know the intricacies of the argument. Cross-fire is mainly for your clarification. If you want to make a point in CX make it obvious. Try to extend Offense and Defense in summary. I will value the team that does this over the team that only extends offence or defence. All things I vote on MUST be in FF, and all things in FF must be in summary. Speed is fine. If you make evidence an issue I will look at it at the end of the round. Pretty lenient on speaker points, one thing I don't like is blatant bullying and stuff, but confrontation is fine.

xoxo lol

For email chain: empireofme@gmail.com

currently teach and coach debate at Saint Mary's Hall in San Antonio.

experience:

high school 4 years cx/ld debate at laredo, tx united
college: 3 years policy at the university of texas at san antonio
coaching: 2 years coaching policy at the university of texas at san antonio, coached nine years as director of debate for reagan high school in san antonio, tx. 1.5 years as the director of speech and debate at San Marcos High School, 2.5 years as director of speech and debate at James Madison High School... currently the director of debate at Saint Mary's Hall.

former writer/ researcher for wisecrack: this does not help you.

***note: please don't call me Matt or Matthew, it is jarring and distracts me. If you must refer to me by name please call me reichle [rike-lee].

(updated sections are marked with a *)

*TOP SHELF COMMENT*

Please, please, please slow down a bit, stress clarity when speaking, and give me pen time during analytic/ theoretical arguments. I AM NOT FOLLOWING ALONG IN THE SPEECH DOCUMENT--I genuinely believe that debate is a communicative activity and I should not have to rely on the speech document to decipher the arguments you are making. If this sounds real grouchy and sounds like "get off my lawn" old man talk... fair enough.

What I mean is this: I like to think that I am working hard to listen and think during the debate and looking up from my flow makes me think about all sorts of things that are not helpful for the debate... (the posters in the room, fashion choices, the last few words of episode 12 of Andor, the amount of Hominy I should add to Pazole... etc.)... all sorts of things that are not helpful for your decision. So help me out a bit. Please.

***The Rest***

*Digital Debates:

Please consider the medium and slow down a bit/ be more purposeful or aware of clarity--the added noises of a house (animals, small children, sirens, etc.) make it a bit harder for me to hear sometimes.

Please try to not talk over one another in cross-examination: it hurts my head.

*proclamation:
I proclaim, that I am making a concerted effort to be "in the round" at all times from here on out (I suppose this is my jerry maguire manifesto/ mission statement moment) . I understand the amount of time that everyone puts in this activity and I am going to make a serious effort to concentrate as hard as possible on each debate round that I am lucky enough to judge. I am going to approach each round with the same enthusiasm, vigor, and responsibility that I afford members of a writing group--and as such I am going to treat the post round discussion with the same level of respect.

Ultimately debate is about the debaters, not about the ways in which I can inject my spirit back into the debate format. That being said there are a few things that you might want to know about me.

I debated for four years in the mid-to-late nineties in high school and three years at UTSA. I have debated ‘policy’ debates in several different formats. Because I ended my career on the ‘left’ of the debate spectrum is in no way an automatic endorsement for all out wackiness devoid of any content. That is not saying that I don’t enjoy the ‘critical’ turn in debate—quite the opposite, I like nothing better than a debate that effectively joins form in content.

*I prefer explanation and examples in debates, these make sense to me. The more depth and explanation the better.

*strategy is also something that I reward. I would like to know that you have either thought about your particular strategy in terms of winning the debate round--and I don't mind knowing that you accident-ed your way into a perfect 2nr/ar choice. Either way: the story of the round is important to me and I would like to know how the individual parts of a round fit together (how you understand them). I think this is part of effective communication and it's just helpful for me in case I am missing something. Illumination brought to me (by you) seems to be the crux of getting a decision that is favorable (to you) with me in the back of the room.


*I flow. I may not flow like you, but I keep a flow because my memory isn’t the best and because at some point I was trained to… it just kind of helps me. But I flow in a way that helps me arrange my thoughts and helps me to keep what is said in the debate limited to what is actually spoken by the debaters. I flow the entire round (including as much of the the text of the evidence as I can get) unless I know a piece of evidence that you are reading. That being said… If I can’t understand you (because of lack of clarity) I can’t flow you. also, some differentiation between tag, card, and the next piece of evidence would be great.

Topicality—I don't know why teams don't go for topicality more... it is a viable strategy (when done well in most rounds). In high school I went for T in the 2NR every round. In college I went for T (seriously) no times in the 2NR. While I give Aff’s lenience on reasonability—there is something hot about a block that just rolls with topicality.

*Counterplans/ disads. Sure. Why not. Win net benefits. Answer the perm. Make it competitive. Win your framework (if an alternate framework for evaluation is proposed by the aff). more and more i find the quality of the evidence read for most cp and da's to be shaky at best--not that there isn't great evidence on political capital and the role of popularity in certain aspects of the political economy as it pertains to pending legislation... i just find more and more that this evidence is either written by some rand-o with a blog or is great evidence that is under-hi-lighted. please read good evidence, not evidence that can be written by one of my children on the cartoon network forums section.

Performance/ The K/ the Crazy/Whatever you want to call it: Do what you have to do get your point across. If you need me to do something (see the way I flow) let me know—I will comply willingly. Just warrant your argument somehow. As before, this is in no way a full on endorsement of ridiculousness for the sake of ridiculousness. Win your framework/ impacts and you should have no problem. Please help me out with the role of the ballot. Please.

*theory: I need to flow. I can not flow a theory debate where the shell is read at the speed of a piece of evidence--tag line speed at the fastest for theory, please. Also if you have no differentiation between tag speed and card speed (good for you) but people are only pretending to flow what you are saying.


*paperless issues: prep time is up when the speaker's jump drive is out of their computer/ when you are ready to email your cards (not continue to write blocks as you 'send' your email). Completely understandable if you send the other team a few more cards than you are going to read but please do not jump the other team an entire file or seventy cards in random order. Learn to send evidence to a speech document.


It becomes harder every year for me to think of a way to encapsulate how I view debate in a way that somehow gives a useful suggestion to debaters. It seems that each philosophy follows a formula--assure everyone that you were a good debater up to and including past experience, make sure they know that you are either open or receptive to all types of argumentation while still harboring resentment to anything progressive and different from what is deemed acceptable by personal debate standards, which is then followed by a list of ways the judge hopes everyone debates.

While the formula will apply to some extent I would like to say that i am in every way honest when I say this: do what you do best and read the arguments that you prefer in the style that you prefer in front of me. Do this and I say unto you that it will do less harm than running around in circles in round for the sake of a paradigm. Be the debater that you are, not who you think I want you to be.

That being said; this is who I assume you should be: kind. Be kind to your opponent and avoid shadiness and we’ll have no problems. There is probably a list that defines shadiness but it follows the same rule as inappropriateness: if you have to ask if something is shady--it is.


have fun. have a nice year.

I debated Public Forum (mostly as a second speaker) for 4 years at West Broward High School, so I know the rules of Public Forum, and can flow pretty well. I'll judge rounds off the flow, and will give low point wins if a team wins the arguments even if they did not speak as well (if the tournament allows low point wins).

I like everything a basic flow judge likes, I like weighing (especially in Final Focus), line-by-line rebuttals, and consistent Summaries and Final Focuses. If a team gives me arguments that are completely different in Summary than they are in Final Focus, I will not vote for that team.

As far as speed goes, I'm okay with quick-paced speeches, but if it gets out of hand I will doc speaker points. I hate to judge rounds where a team will spread so that the other team doesn't understand what they're saying, because it makes debate rounds lack clash and leaves the team that did not spread at an unfair disadvantage.

I give fairly lenient speaker points, mostly based on fluency and charisma, but also based on the strength of argumentation. If a person has a really good argument even if they are not that great of a speaker, they will get higher speaks than someone who has a weak argument and equivalent speaking skills. I will not give any less than 25 speaker points.

I do not flow crossfire, but I do listen to what is said in them. If something important happens in crossfire, however, I do need it to be talked about in the next speech for it to factor into my decision at the end of the round.

I will never vote for a Kritik, Theory, or Plan/Counterplan in Public Forum. I believe that PF is a category that is supposed to actually debate the resolution. Burdens and frameworks, are fine however, and if they are employed well they can really help you win the round.

That's it for my paradigm, but if you have any other questions feel free to ask me before the round starts. Good luck!

I’m fine if you talk a little fast, but please enunciate. I need the final focus to match the summary. I want to see comparative analysis, impact calculus, and especially dates for all cited research. Signposting is great, but not required. Ask your opponents for cards. Be aggressive.

I'm most experienced in Public Forum, although I have done Policy, World Schools, and Big Questions. I have qualified for nationals in all events besides the latter. I am also moderately well versed with LD.

How to win me over (PF) :

1. Unique Cases. I love hearing new and unique arguments rather than recycled, generic points. So if you're going for the economy for example, it better be good if it isn't unique.

2. Adequate Use of Rebuttal. If you're first speaker, don't spend 4 minutes on your opponent's case. Extend your own arguments. If you're second speaker, try to cover the entire flow if you can. Respond to their case and their attacks on yours.

3. Do Summaries Right. Don't use the Summary speech as a second rebuttal. That's not what a Summary is supposed to do. Forward and narrow the debate. Signpost the main issues and advance them, while setting up your partner for the Final Focus. In my opinion, the debate is most often won in the Summary. Don't forget to impact.

4. Grand Cross. Grand Cross is rarely, if ever, used effectively. Change my mind. Ask questions that set up for the Final Focus. Don't ask questions that open up new ground for debate, there's only two speeches left and that's not what they're for.

5. Final Focuses. Give me clear voters. If you're coordinating well with your partner, your voters should be close to the same points that your partner talked about in Summary. Lastly, impact. I most often vote for who can most significantly benefit the most amount of people unless there's a framework that tells me otherwise.

Other Things :

1. I might call cards if there is debate over their validity.

2. Jokes are welcomed but not required. Don't make jokes in bad taste.

3. Handshakes are fine.

4. I don't flow crossfires but will remember them.

5. First speaker gets first question in crossfires. You don't need to ask for a question.

6. Be polite in crossfires. This is a time for you to set up for other speeches, not bully your opponent or be a savage.

7. Speed is fine.

I have been a PF debate coach at Ivy Bridge Academy for the past 7 years and I also did policy debate at Chattahoochee High School and UGA. Here are things that are important to me in debates and will influence my decision:

1. Debate is fundamentally about winning arguments, so make good arguments. I will do my best to evaluate your argument as objectively as possible but make sure contentions are well-developed with clear warrants, evidence, and impacts. The more unrealistic the argument, the less likely I’ll vote for it, but I do also believe it is the burden of your opponent to clearly articulate why the argument is wrong.

2. Frontlining - while not doing this isn’t technically against the rules, I highly encourage it and will reward teams that do it effectively with better speaker points. I don’t consider something dropped in the 2nd rebuttal, but I do expect teams to cover everything you plan on extending. I also like teams condensing to one contention in the second rebuttal if it makes strategic sense.

3. Summary - condensing down to a few key voting issues is important to me. If you don’t do weighing in rebuttal, then it should start here. Anything, including defense, must be in the summary if you want me to evaluate it. Don’t drop responses or contentions in these speeches. I will reward summary speakers who make good strategic decisions and manage their time well.

4. Final Focus - Clear voting issues and weighing are important to me. I will only evaluate arguments extended in the summary here. Having a clear narrative and focusing on the big picture is important, as well as answering extended responses. This is also your last chance to win key responses against your opponent's case. Make sure to not just extend them, but explain them, answer the summary, and what the implications are if you win x response.

5. Paraphrasing - I’m fine with it, but you need to be able to produce either a card or the website if asked. If you can’t produce it in time or deliberately misrepresent the evidence, then I will ignore the argument, and in extreme cases, vote the guilty team down.

6. Weighing - this is important to me, but I think debaters overvalue it a bit. The link debate is more important in my opinion and realistic impacts are as well. Try and start the weighing in the rebuttal or summary speeches. Comparison is key to good weighing in front of me.

7. Crossfire - any argument established in crossfire must be brought up in the subsequent speech for me to evaluate it. I will reward creative and well thought out questions. Please don’t be rude or aggressive in the crossfire. That will definitely hurt your speaker points. Civility is very important to proper debate in my humble opinion. You can sit or stand for the grand cross.

8. Speaking - I will give higher speaks to passionate speakers who are good public speakers. I did policy, so I’m fine with speed, but I don’t like spreading unless you absolutely have to cover. Please clearly signpost which argument you are responding to and when you are moving to the other side of the flow or weighing.

9. Prep - I will do my best to keep track of it, but please, both teams should also be tracking the time.

10. References - any well-executed Biggy, Kendrick, J. Cole, Drake, or Childish Gambino reference will be rewarded. Don’t overdo it though and I reserve the right to decrease points if it’s way off point.

11. Speech docs - if you share your case with me, then it will help me flow, understand your arguments, and I won't have to call for ev, so I will give both speakers 2 extra points if they do so.

Matt Liu

University of Wyoming

Last updated: 9-12-22

Email chain: mattliu929@gmail.com

Feb 2022 update: If your highlighting is incoherent gibberish, you will earn the speaker points of someone who said incoherent gibberish. The more of your highlighting that is incoherent, the more of your speech will be incoherent, and the less points you will earn. To earn speaker points, you must communicate coherent ideas.

If you want to read far more than necessary on my judging process: https://wyodebateroundup.weebly.com/blog/reflections-on-the-judging-process-inside-the-mind-of-a-judge

I put a pretty high premium on effective communication. Too many debaters do not do their evidence justice. You should not expect me to read your evidence after the round and realize it’s awesome. You should make sure I know it’s awesome while you read it. I find many debaters over-estimate the amount of ideas they believe they communicate to the judge. Debaters who concentrate on persuading the judge, not just entering arguments into the record, will control the narrative of the round and win my ballot far more often than those who don’t. I have tended to draw a harder line on comprehensibility than the average judge. I won’t evaluate evidence I couldn’t understand. I also don’t call clear: if you’re unclear, or not loud enough, I won’t intervene and warn you, just like I wouldn't intervene and warn you that you are spending time on a bad argument. Am I flowing? You're clear.

Potential biases on theory: I will of course attempt to evaluate only the arguments in the round, however, I'll be up front about my otherwise hidden biases. Conditionality- I rarely find that debaters are able to articulate a credible and significant impact. International actor fiat seems suspect. Uniform 50 state fiat seems illogical. Various process counterplans are most often won as legitimate when the neg presents a depth of evidence that they are germane to the topic/plan. Reject the arg not the teams seems true of nearly all objections other than conditionality. I will default to evaluating the status quo even if there is a CP in the 2NR. Non-traditional affirmatives- I'll evaluate like any other argument. If you win it, you win it. I have yet to hear an explanation of procedural fairness as an impact that makes sense to me (as an internal link, yes). None of these biases are locked in; in-round debating will be the ultimate determinant of an argument’s legitimacy.

Clock management: In practice I have let teams end prep when they begin the emailing/jumping process. Your general goal should be to be completely ready to talk when you say ‘end prep.’ No off-case counting, no flow shuffling, etc.

Cross-x is a speech. You get to try to make arguments (which I will flow) and set traps (which I will flow). Once cross-x is over I will stop listening. If you continue to try to ask questions it will annoy me- your speech time is up.

Pet-peeves: leaving the room while the other team is prepping for a final rebuttal, talking over your opponents. I get really annoyed at teams that talk loudly (I have a low threshold for what counts as loudly) during other teams speeches- especially when it’s derisive or mocking comments about the other team’s speech.

Past debater for Lakeville South High School. I did 2 years of traditional LD then 2 years of circuit PF, I've also competed in Congress, Worlds, Big Questions, and Policy.

Speed: Don't talk faster than you can breathe. I flow what I hear and I have no issues keeping up in PF but common sense dictates the faster you go the higher chance something gets missed so you do you fam.

Evidence: evidence should not win you rounds. 95% of statistics read in debate are either wrong or out of context including this one. The way you win with evidence and stats is by explaining the warrants behind the them and understanding what they mean in context. BTW an opinion article written by some WSJ guy about how he thinks "X is going to happen" is barely evidence.

Respect: Respect and Education come before winning. You know the drill, attack the argument, not the person even if that person is not in the room.

I don't know what else to say, debate good, weigh your arguments, and don't do anything dumb.

If I'm judging you in Worlds, Congress, Policy, or Nat Circuit LD I'm just as confused as you.

Questions or comments: tulliscryan@gmail.com (952)-423-8905

Email is wwatson.debate@gmail.com

I hate paraphrasing and believe it is the cause of bad debate.

World schools peeps- speak with passion and give a clear delivery. Order/signposting is your friend.

No matter what event you are in I expect disclosure once you break a case... if you read disclosure theory I want your case on the wiki even if this is first time breaking

I vote on an offense defense paradigm for the most part- I am a past PF/CX debater from Colleyville Heritage. My first two years I did CX so I will most likely default to stock issues unless someone reads a framework. I enjoy weighing. The easiest way to get my ballot in any event is to pick one argument then weigh it against your opponent's arguments. If you pick one or two arguments to go for in final focus or the rebuttals in policy, I am likely to vote for you, especially if your opponent decides to go for everything.

Recent update- weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh.weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. weigh. Literally, start your rebuttal with "regardless of responses, our case outweighs their case because ______"

Also- please please please please please tell me the why. Explain why things happen.

Theory/topicality

I hate theory/topicality being read as a time-suck. I will default to reasonability so if you read T be sure to give me a reason not to. Unfair observations and burdens will most likely get you low speaks, especially if I feel that you are trying to win in a cheap way. Run these at your own risk...

Speaker Points

I will go on a scale between 27-30, with a 28 being average. High Speaks are given to people who keep track of time, speak well, show up early, and are relatively nice. I am cool with sarcasm when appropriate, just don't be rude. Being early to round will get you higher speaks. If I am on a panel with a parent and you have to adapt to them I will understand.

Event Specific

Policy Specific/LD: Flashing doesn't count as prep, I'm down for reasonable theory, and open CX is fine. If you give me a speech doc and then spread through it tell me where to mark the card and which ones to skip. Slow down on taglines and anything else you want me to flow...

PF Specific: I want the second speaking team to try to answer the first rebuttal. New in the 2 gets lower speaks instantly for both partners AND I won't vote on it. If you want high speaks be clear, weigh, and have the FF mirror the summary.

Remember this is a game and y'all want to do this. Act accordingly. BTW I will yell clear!!!

I am a high school public-forum and congress debater. I normally judge off of the flow. You can speak as slow or as fast as you would like, but no spreading, please. I will take note if you are disrespectful during cross, which will affect your speaker points. Other than that, I really like unique ideas and impacts, but they have to logically connect. Refute ideas well and please speak in order.

I am a parent volunteer judge. have a few years of PF judge experience.

Show sufficient evidence and clear logic.

Speak clearly and no spreading.

Short Paradigm:

-I flow

-Tech>Truth

-4 years of PF at American Heritage School, 3 TOC quals

Long Paradigm:

Arguments:

-I'll vote on literally anything that makes sense and isn't blatantly offensive. That includes progressive arguments (Theory/Ks) or counterintuitive substantive arguments (nuclear war good/economic development bad).

-I'll vote on presumption even if you don't tell me to as long as neither team has any offense. I default neg on presumption, but I'm open to arguments regarding defaulting alternatively.

Extensions:

-Defense isn't sticky; I'm not evaluating anything that's not in final.

-Second rebuttal has to respond to all offense; otherwise, it's conceded (I will let some things slide if you're in novice).

-No progressive off-case positions in the second rebuttal unless the other team violates in first rebuttal; DAs are fine.

-First summary doesn't need to extend defense that the second rebuttal concedes. It can go straight to the final.

Speed:

-I can comfortably flow anything ~300 WPM without a speech doc assuming you're clear

-You can spread against anyone even if they are not ok with it but

a. If they are novices, you have to warn them before the round. If they say "speed" and you don't slow down I'll stop flowing.

b. If you have factors preventing you from following speed outside of your control (i.e., a disability), then tell your opponents or me about it (I'll keep this anonymous) and make sure that no one spreads.

c. I'll be receptive to theoretical arguments assuming they are properly structured.

Weighing:

-If it's not comparative, don't bother making it

-If it's fake (i.e., we outweigh on probability because we have a link and they drop defense), don't bother making it

-If you aren't winning your argument, don't bother making it

-If the first final has new weighing, I allow new weighing in the second final; otherwise, don't bother making it

Evidence:

-I will never drop a team for misconstruing evidence, only the argument

-I will only evaluate an evidence dispute if you tell me to call for something AND explain what's wrong with the evidence

Progressive Argumentation:

-Slow down for these, and ideally, I want a speech doc regardless

-I can and will comfortably evaluate theory (T, Disclosure, Paraphrasing, Spec, Condo good/bad, etc.)

-I'm open to more nuanced (DAs on shells, comparing forms of disclosure, etc.) or silly (shoe theory/30 speaks theory) theoretical arguments

-If you read theory or Ks in paragraph form I will disregard your arguments.

-I will vote on tricks (spikes/NIBs/skep triggers/paradoxes)

-I will vote on a K but

a. I have no familiarity with your authors

b. I don't have enough experience to be comfortably evaluating K debates (as in I might screw you and you'll be sad)

Prefs:

-I like sarcastic debaters that make fun of their opponents and their opponents' args. Don't make them too upset though.

-Postrounding is good for debate. If my decision upsets you, feel free to question it and me as a judge. You (or your coach) can be as rude, condescending, and aggressive when post rounding if you're feeling like it, and I won't hold that against you.

- I encourage teams to pursue unconventional strategies like responding to the first constructive in the second constructive. Or reading arguments that take out all offense on both sides and then telling me to vote on presumption.

-Speaks are arbitrary so let me know if you're in a bubble and need high speaks to break

-If your offtime roadmap is too long, then I'll be upset.