My judging paradigm is a policymaker. I take the theoretical viewpoint with the best policy option picking up the ballot.

Tips for the neg team: I will vote heavily on disadvantages and counter plans. I find that the chance for students to build their neg case in relation to those items makes for a debate round that is both entertaining and educational therefore easier to judge. However, something that I do not value in a debate is arguments used to fill time rather than which appears to be the overall use of Topicality. Specifically, unless someone is clearly not topical I think it just fills time in debate and removes any educational value so don't run it just to run it. Additionally, my paradigm solves so there should be no need to have a topicality. K's are okay but again unless there is a blatant obvious or necessary it removes the educational value from the debate. To clarify K's are awesome if you want to sip on some coffee and talk about all sorts of theories, please send me an invitation. However, in a debate round, I think they fall short.

Tips for aff: you should make sure that you are calling the neg for these items. It is your job to shape the round fairly and to hold a lasting impact. Do not remove education by making the round too restrictive and please include advantages as well as impacts that are unique. The simplest way to view the debate and remove bias is by weighing the affirmative's advantages and the negative's disadvantages because it allows for impacts to decide the ballot. Impacts win my ballot 9/10 times but this does not mean claiming the biggest impact wins rather the most logical impact carries the most amount of weight.

General tips: I like clear speed but you have to create the most inclusive atmosphere for those in the round. If you are competing against someone who cannot handle your speed it is your responsibility to become inclusive. I flow on a laptop so that means that I need labels to be explicit regardless if you spread or not. 

TLDR; All I really care about are impacts, however, the other items make the round more enjoyable! 

I do my best to let the arguments unfold in the round and not let my bias intervene. I don't mind any theoretical positions. All theoretical positions need to be won and fleshed out in round. In terms of speed, if you fly, I may need to ask you to slow a bit, and if your opponent needs you to slow and asks, I expect you too.

My name is Bria Jones, I am from Sacramento State University. I have debated for four years for Sacramento State, one of which i debated in Policy debate and the last couple years I debated in Lincoln Douglas debate. I have been judging for 2 semesters now and I love a clean and clear debate.

Topicalities: if your going to run this argument make sure that you have a clear interp. This means your standards are backing up what your interp is, not simple just reading generic standards that don't mean anything.

Counter Plans/ K: if you run this go slow, if you read at top speed and make argument I don't understand I will not vote for you. Make sure you explain your argument clear and have a alt that has clear solvency.

I try and keep as much of a blank view as possible.  Being human that is an impossibility.  But if a claim is made and it isn't refuted at all by the opposition then it will stand with me.  I am a flow judge.  I like orderly plans and orderly responses to those plans.  I like road markers.

I am okay with technical arguments if they are worth running.  You will have to work hard to show and prove abuse if you are running them.  

Voters are a big issue with me.  Flush them out completely, I want their probability, magnitude, and why it should win you the round.

Experience Debating:

• High School Parli Debate in NorCal (2010-2014)
• NPTE/NPDA (2014-2017)

Experience Judging & Coaching:

• 5 years of judging and coaching high school Parli Debate
• 2 years of judging NPTE/NPDA/NFA-LD

Critical AFF

• I have voted on Critical AFFs before but it's pretty rare
• If you do not clearly link into the case to show you are being topical, it becomes very difficult for me to vote for you

K

• If you just state your role of the ballot and do not give me a reason to prefer, there is high probability I will not use your role of the ballot
• If your ALT is very abstract, please tell me what it means in the real world or how it functions

Perms

· I don’t like to vote for the AFF because on perms. I feel like I am weaseling out of a real decision by voting on the perm when the debate is very competitive

· It comes down to who really owns it. If you are a good NEG and preemptively make your plan is mutually exclusive, you should be fine

· If you’re going to run “perm, do the plan and CP excluding for the mutually exclusive parts”, please tell me what the mutually exclusive parts are

Spreading

• I will not guarantee I will get everything on the flow. Depending on how fast and how well you enunciate I will miss 10%-20% of what you say on my flow

Misc.

• I appreciate strong link stories that are probable. If you give me vague link story with strong magnitude that’s cool but I have an internal bias that values probability over magnitude. Not saying you can't persuade me in round to value magnitude over probability, but if no one says anything my internal bias will be the default setting

I'm a game debater and what that means for you is I'll judge any argument, any speed, run whatever, go nuts. I'll judge a round with spread debate, I'll also listen to a speed procedural.

I like structured debate. Be careful of the line between aggressive debate and being rude to your opponents because at the least it will lose you speaker points fast. When it comes to the win I'll be tab so go for whatever position you want. When it comes to speaker points I look for structure, good line by line, and people not being jerks. I'm not looking for you to be overly formal and courteous, I'm just not gonna award high speaks to people that are condescending.

I update this google doc way more than I do my tabroom account (the last update was from 2015 - yikes!):

https://tinyurl.com/yd7ndhyh

Evidence: Speechdrop.net is preferred. If you are the first person to a room, please set up a Speechdrop and put the code on the board or in the chat. If we have to use email include me on the chain: alexandernmaier@gmail.com

Prep: Prep stops when you have uploaded the doc to SpeechDrop or sent the email. Asking me to stop prep when you still have to save and upload the doc may your impact speaker points.

If you "cut the card there" or amend your evidence in round, I will almost certainly ask for a corrected doc. This will impact your prep time. If you include what you plan to read in the order you plan to read it, everything should be okay. If you skip a couple of cards and make it clear, that should be okay. However, if anyone in the round --your competitor(s) or judge(s)-- asks for a document of what you just read vs what you posted be ready to provide that.

Evidence sharing should not be complicated. Please agree to something before the round starts and do not argue over it.

It is my philosophy that it is the burden of the debaters to compare their arguments and tell me why they are winning. Please provide clear roadmaps and citations. I try my hardest not to be an "interventionist judge". Essentially that means that I won't do your work as a debater for you. If you extend a card, explain why it applies. I understand lots of arguments. There are other arguments that I have trouble understanding. The best thing that you can do is be as clear as possible. Super specific topic related jargon isn't appreciated. I understand most debate related jargon. If you want to perm something tell me why and how. If you are running a K, make what you are saying clear. I prefer strong arguments over aggressive debaters and can distinguish between the two.

The rules are the rules. I read the rules for every competition that I am a part of. I follow the rules. However, if the rules are violated it is your job as a debater to argue the violation. If, for example in LD, the affirmative is not topical and the negative does not address it, neither will I.

"I believe that debate is about making COMPARATIVE ARGUMENTS! It is YOUR job to do comparisons, not mine. You can make a bunch of arguments, all the arguments you want, if YOU do not apply them and make the comparisons to the other team, I will almost certainly not do this for you. If neither team does this work and you leave me to figure it out, that’s on you." Jared Anderson wrote this in his judging paradigm. I have tried to write it differently, but I always circle the rim of plagiarism. So I thought it would be appropriate to leave it as it is.

I like T arguments and procedural arguments in general (don't go crazy, but go for it). If you leave it up to me, I will nearly always default to net benefits. If you tell me why I should judge differently, I will. Weighing does a lot for me, it will help my ballot.

Thoughts on decorum, speaking, and a bit about me:

1) Be polite in round. I don't care if you are aggressive on cross-ex or towards your opponent's argument. However, I will not tolerate ad homonem attacks. Address the arguments, not the person. At the least be prepared to lose speaker points. If you cross a line, I will stop the round and inform you that you have earned a loss. Then I will speak to your coach. I have only ever had this happen once. The debater honestly did not know the difference between the two. After a verbal warning from me, it stopped. I spoke with the coach about it and I will talk to your coach if it happens. Basically, don't be a jerk.

2) I am comfortable with most degrees of speed on read evidence. Take a breath to emphasize your tags and citations. When you get to your analytics, slow it down a bit. If you are charging through and I cannot understand, I cannot flow it. If I say "clear" please slow down. If I have to clear you more than once, it may effect your speaker points. Open level speed is fine, as long as your speech is understandable. For carded evidence go full speed. For analytics go at 70% of your speed. Emphasize your tags and cites so it doesn't sound like the rest of your spread. I like clear pre-round road maps and in-round road mapping.

3) My experience with debate has been mostly as a coach. I did a brief stint in policy during my undergrad. Additionally, I have taught (and currently teach) speech and argumentation courses. My BA is in Journalism with a minor in Philosophy. My MA is in Communication Studies where I focused on Political and Religious Rhetoric as well as Mass & Electronic Media. That being said, I have read A LOT of the philosophy and the scholars that pop up in rounf. While I might not be familiar with a particular author, I nearly always recognize the philosophical and rhetorical underpinnings in round.

Please ask questions! If you have questions for me prior to the round or after I have disclosed, please ask. I will give you as detailed an answer to your question as I can. I would also ask that you please do not record rounds without the EXPRESS permission of your competitor(s) and judge(s).

Having judged a lot of rounds from my home. I have all of my flow paper sitting in a pile. The pile of flow is from all levels of competition, NFA-LD's National Final Round, Middle School PF, and almost everything in between (including IE's but that doesn't get flowed. More of a note taking situation). Reviewing my flow sheets was an effort to see how my ballots develop, I wanted to look at how I evaluate the discussion created in round. My ballots go with my flow. It sounds cheesy, but it's true. I write A LOT on my flow and as the round goes on I note clash and which arguments I think won over another argument and why (usually it's just the cite bc I'm keeping up with Open debaters who spread in a fast and articulate manner so I have to keep up! Anyway, looking at my flow: I see that as the round goes on and then after round, before my ballot is in and I give a verbal RFD, when I'm considering the round there are some very simple but difficult to master things that will "get my ballot". Clear articulation and development of a debater (or debaters) arguments along with good extensions seem to be the determining factor a lot of the time. A read cite followed by and explanation or further development of the point is helpful. In any debate event, not just the carded ones, my ballots most often go to the side who can best direct my flow to their arguments and their opponent's arguments. I hope that is a helpful insight into what I like to see in round and how my ballots are decided. I wrote this after judging a really good middle school Policy round, started to flip back through the rounds on the floor of my office and noticed a pattern.

Arguments that I prefer include T, evidence attacks, and really solid Ks.

I am a likely best described as a mixture of stock issues and policy maker. I look at the traditional stock issue to determine if a justification has been made to make a policy change away from the status quo. Harms and inherency are important in this area. Next I see if the affirmative has advanced a policy that will solve the problems, provide advantages with minimal risk. Topicality is a voting issue as are counterplans. And yes, I actually believe counterplans must be non-topical. Disadvantages must outweigh advantages. I am not big on political disadvantages. I am not moved by charges that “Republicans” will take over/stay in power (or any other group) and they will then do “X” bad things. I want to see disadvantages linked to the affirmative case. In other words, if I went to bed and woke up with the affirmative’s policy in place, how is the status quo worse from that policy now operating. Use the vacuum test. In a vacuum, why is a world with the affirmative’s plan in place worse than the status quo. I am not big on Critiques and tend not to vote for them very often.

Please do not “spread”, I can no longer flow quickly and I have no interest in killing my wrist trying to do so. Be organized and signpost where you are on the flow. Weight the magnitude of impacts and the propensity of impacts in the summaries. Have fun, be polite to one another and respect the activity.

I debated for Chabot College, coached for Long Beach State and am now ADOF at Chabot College. Most of my experience is in NFA-LD, but I have also participated in/judged/coached some parli. Although I do have debate experience, I have been living in the world of IEs, so it's wise to treat me more like an IE critic than a debate one. I definitely prefer to hear discussion about the topic at hand over a critical case, but will vote on any argument (T’s, CP’s, K’s, etc.) that is reasoned out, impacted, and persuasive. Especially if you run a critical argument, as this was not my forte, make sure you clearly explain everything about it and why it is more important for us to accept your kritik and reject discussion of the resolution. It is up to you as the debater to impact everything out for me and tell me why I should be voting for you over the other team.

I’m not a huge fan of speed in either LD or parli. While you don’t have to speak at a “conversational” pace, if I can’t keep up with you, your arguments won’t end up on my flow. I want to be able to hear and process your arguments so that I can determine a winner. Tags and impact calculus are going to be the most important things to hit, and you can speed up a bit during evidence.

I don’t mind if you communicate with your partner during a round, but the current speaker must say the argument in order for it to end up on my flow. The current speaker should be the one doing most of the speaking during their turn. No ventriloquism.

Any transferring of files in LD (via Speechdrop, email, flash drive, etc.) should happen during prep time.

Above all, keep things civil and have fun!

The short of it is I am a policymaker who evaluates impacts first and foremost, but I still expect the debate to have good warrants/evidence for justification of arguments. If you compare impacts through a nuanced calculus your odds are much higher for picking up my ballot. I tend to vote for the team who makes me do less work.

TOPICALITY/PROCEDURAL

Theory is fine, but only under certain circumstances (mainly when it is egregious abuse). Topicality should have a DEFINITION otherwise its a glorified specification argument. I don't typically enjoy an 8 minute MO on T. Though, I have a much lower threshold when it comes to questions of conditionality.

KRITIKS/CRITICAL AFFS:

I will listen to your kritik, but only if it has specific application (IE specific links) to the topic. Same goes for the affirmative. YOU MUST HAVE A TOPICAL PLAN TEXT! If you decide to reject the resolution in front of me odds are you will not win. I also believe that the negative is entitled to ONE alternative advocacy.

PERFORMANCE

I believe that all debate is a performance via speak act, but if you want further clarification refer to CRITICAL AFFS section.

A2 K AFF

Framework, framework, framework.

DISADS

I am a big fan of the uniqueness debate. That being said, you should be controlling the UQ to the DA, case turn, impact claim etc. if you want to win my ballot. Same goes for the affirmative in terms of their advantages. Negative DAs should have a clear link to the plan. Each portion of the DA should have clear tags, claim warrant and evidence.

COUNTER PLANS

I believe counter plans should be unconditional. They should also be competitive (functionally and textually). Besides that, I am willing to listen to CP theory, and am down for whatever in terms of this debate. I do think that CPs are a great strategy.

RATE OF DELIVERY

I flow on a laptop, so I can keep up pretty well. Though, diction/articulation are more important to me than rate of delivery.

If you have any specific questions just ask before the debate.

Updated: September 2023

In debate, the most important thing to me by far is fairness. Fairness gets a lot of lip service in debate and is frequently treated like any other piece on the game board, which is to say that it is wielded as a tool to win rounds, but that isn’t what I mean. I don’t think fairness is an impact in the same way nuclear war or even education are. Fairness is a legitimate, ethical consideration that exists on the gameboard and above it, and as such, weighs heavily in how I make decisions.

In the context of the game itself, all arguments and strategies exist upon a continuum from a mythical “completely fair” to an equally mythical “completely unfair”. I am willing to vote on the vast majority of arguments regardless of where they fall on this continuum, but it is certainly an uphill battle to win those that I perceive as falling closer to “completely unfair.” Arguments that I would say are meaningfully unfair include:

- Conditional Strategies (Especially multiple conditional advocacies)

- Untopical Affirmatives

- Vacuous Theory (think Sand paradox or anything a high school LD student would find funny)

- Arguing Fairness is bad (obvi)

- Obfuscating

In the context of things that occur above the board, I similarly observe this fairness continuum but am even less likely to vote for these unfair tactics because I view them as a conscious decision to exclude people from this space. I view the following as falling closer to the unfair part of the continuum:

- Refusing to slow down when spreading

- Using highly technical debate strategies against new debaters

- Being bigoted in any way

I tend to find myself most frequently voting for arguments that I perceive as more fair and that I understand and feel comfortable explaining in my RFD. With all of this said, I have voted on Aff Ks, theory I didn’t especially like, and conditional strategies, I just want to be upfront that those ballots are certainly more the exception than the norm.

Background: I am the director of debate at Diablo Valley College, I competed in LD and NPDA at the University of the Pacific for 3 years and then was an assistant coach for the team during grad school. I can hang, I just hate sophistry and vacuous debate.

I have been coaching Parli, NFALD, and IPDA for several years, before that I competed in all three, so I've seen a lot. Mostly a flow judge.

Historical references make me happy because history provides a framework from which discussions can grow. Misuse of historical warrants makes me sad because bad faith arguments are the death of civilized society.

I definitely prefer case debate. Those who are careful about choosing their ground will find it fairly easy to win my ballot.

I sometimes vote on theory if I think that the AFF has questionable topicality, but it's always important to consider the time tradeoffs, because everyone will get confused if the whole debate is just theoretical.

I occasionally vote on a K, but only if you make it CLEAR and explain the theories plainly, for the judges AND your opponents. Respect is the key word here. I’m not a fan of abusive frameworks that are designed to box the other team out of the debate, so I'll probably look for a way to weigh case directly against the K because I believe that's the most functional way to view debate.

Evidence blocks are good because some facts work well together and this increases the efficiency of listing warrants... But canned arguments in Parli make me sad because there's an event for that and it's called LD. Having a favorite argument is not the same as having a canned argument, it's all about when and how you use it.

I basically never vote on RVIs, they're infinitely regressive and boring to hear.

This is a sport for talking; part of my job as a judge is to provide a theoretically level playing field which adheres to the rules of the event.

So... Tabula Rasa, but I'm still a debate coach doing the writing on that blank slate.