I am a parent judge and have not judged very many rounds. Please speak slowly and clearly if you want me to understand your arguments. I do not flow speeches or crossfires extensively but I will pay attention to everything that is said during the round.

Be nice to your fellow debaters.

I would prefer the debaters to talk at an appropriate speed.

Another thing I would appreciate asking for cards only when actually its needed, unnecessary demands about cards consume time and also breaks the debate rhythm.

I have judged PF for more than 2 years and 4-5 times per year. I value clear speaking. Please be polite and respectful to each other during rounds.

Please weigh your arguments and spell out my ballot.

I'm a parent judge, so please go slow. Be sure to weigh arguments to make the decision clear.

I am a lay judge, so I am a parent. Don't speak too fast! Speech skill counts for 50% of my judging, and the other 50% is the content and accuracy of the arguments.

Speak at a normal speed- do not spread or go fast.

Make logical arguments.

Weighing- make sure to tell me why your impact is actually more important

Be polite during cross! I will tank speaks if you are rude or obnoxious to your opponents during the round.

As a parent judge for over a year, I am easy going and focus on your debating skills rather than the content of your debate.

I ratings and decision are influenced by:

1. How you communicate your contentions - Clarity comes when you are not trying to pack in a lot of words in the time allotted but presenting your high points in clear and understandable tone

2. How well you present yourself as well-reasoned - Arguments in the debate must be logical, relevant, competent and well-explained.

3. Passion through persuasiveness - Show that you genuinely believe your case and that you are interested in hearing the other side.

4. How orderly you are - Keep track of your time. Be respectful of opinions. Please make sure to be courteous during cross otherwise your speaker points will reflect that.

5. Dynamics - Debate is a team effort and I would like to see communication and interaction and not a solo performance.

Just keep it simple. Be yourself, have fun listening and reacting!

Speech (Original Oratory):

1. Please speak slowly (not too slow obviously), so I can understand you. After all, you are talking for 10 whole minutes on something that I didn't know you were talking about.

2. I should be able to see that you are passionate about your topic. You get to craft your own, 10 minute speech on whatever speaks to you. Take advantage of that, and make it reflect in your performance!

3. If you forget some words, just use some of those impromptu skills to come up with something that flows (and is on topic, obviously). Nothing's worse than a long pause. . .

4. Normal speech aspects apply: vary your voice (please do not sound like a robot), use hand gestures, inflection, etc.

Debate (Public Form):

I have been judging debate for a couple years now, so below is what I've constructed based on my judging experience:

1. I never accept "What is your evidence" or "My opponents have not provided any evidence" as an only rebuttal to your opponents' case. Please continue to refute it even if they don't provide evidence. Explain how even if they do provide valid evidence, you win on the argument.

2. I am not an opinionated judge. I look for thoroughness in explanation and supporting your side. Explain impacts and tie them to framework! If at times an argument is clashing, such as both sides have opposite evidence, the impacts are where you should focus, if you want to win that argument.

3. Please explain your points too and provide links. Simply reading evidence and saying "I have evidence that negates my opponents' claim" does not make me buy the argument. Aka, provide analysis.

4. Do not speak too fast just to get in more information. Remember, I am the one who is judging. If I can't understand what you're saying, this puts you at a lower chance of winning the round. Also, enunciate and stress important points if you want me to write them down.

5. I do not flow cross-fire unless you want me to. Please do not speak over your opponents during cross-fire. Respect. It is pretty common to get heated in this type of debate, given the restricted time and "unlimited" prep. Ultimately, if your rude, it will be reflected in your speaks for sure.

6. It is OKAY to drop arguments, but with REASON. If you do drop something in the round, you must explain, or else, it will harm you.

I am a former high school policy/LD debater. I also competed in many individual events. Now, I am a trial lawyer. I seek to reward the speaking that connects most directly with the professional and personal activities that high school debaters will be performing in just a few short years.

For policy debaters: Debate is a game. And, in my opinion, policy is a place where (almost) anything goes. You can spread, you can run K, you can read a poem. If you've signed up for policy, you know the world you have signed up for. But, note the following: If I can't understand you or write/type/think fast enough, I might miss your brilliant argument. The stranger or more counterintuitive your argument is, the more proof I will need for it. Style and persuasion still mean something to me in policy debate, so if you can spread while being persuasive (yelling is not persuasive), you will have an advantage. Those who abandon speed altogether AND who make a good argument for why they should win even if they can't cover everything -- those people might very well win. As I say, debate is a game.

Public forum: If (almost) anything goes in policy debate, then public forum is its more constrained, conversational, and accessible cousin. My understanding is that it was created as an alternative to what policy has become, and therefore I am less receptive to spreading and absurdist styles in PF. As a result, I will not necessarily vote on dropped arguments. Two minutes is simply not enough time to cover everything in a debate, so it is entirely possible to pick an argument to the exclusion of others and win -- just tell me if that is what you're doing, and tell me why that argument is the winner. Please consider whether your tone, your speed, and your use of jargon are at all applicable to: a class presentation, a conversation with a professor, an informal discussion with friends or colleagues, a courtroom, a pitch to a boss, etc. These are the places in which your debate skills will be applicable.

For all debaters: If you are rude in any way (prematurely cutting opponents off in crossfire, ad homs in speeches, gesturing from your chair while others speak), you will lose speaker points, and possibly the round. Aggressiveness is fine, but I can't abide jerks.

From the origin of my debate career, I have been a parent judge. Therefore, I really like it when you stand up straight, look me in the eye, and pay attention to the other speakers and your partner. If you think those things don't matter, you may be surprised in the future. I absolutely believe that debate, and especially Parliamentary Debate, is a fantastic endeavor. I will honor that and I will expect you to as well.

My experience spans about 13 years as I squired my two youths to as many tournaments as we all could attend and judged many rounds. Those two are coaches now and I have remained active because I believe in what the community is doing. So show me what you, and they, have gotten from this activity, such as:

· Critical thinking about the arguments you propose from great use of prep time

· The ability to cogently rebut your opponents case

· Eloquent communication of those arguments

· Tactical elements of argumentation

Speed: It’s fine if you can continue to enunciate appropriately so your opponents and I can hear your arguments. If a case is made but we don't hear it, then it doesn’t exist. If this judge doesn’t hear it it's a sure bet the case does not exist.

Pet peeve: Most plans cost money. It will be beneficial if you have a relatively good idea of how much is needed and where you intend to get it.

Tactics: K’s, Perms and Theory arguments are clever when done well and lose when done badly. Plan Inclusive Counterplans almost always work against you. If an opponent makes an argument that is unfair, you still have to call them out for it. Otherwise, like unchallenged contentions, it will flow through.

There has been quite a bit of change in the debate community and improvement in tournament activity. You should be proud of your participation. Everyone is in the room because they respect the activity of debate. We can demonstrate that and show our respect for each other. I will listen intently and try to deliver a lucid decision. Sometimes RFD’s delivered quickly can sound abrupt. Please don’t be offended. You are great competitors and often significant academic achievers. Getting better requires understanding why votes go against you, not how wonderful you are. I want to walk away better for hearing your arguments. Good luck and thanks for the opportunity.

I am a lay judge. I would appreciate slow and clear speaking and the explanation of any debate jargon you would like to use. Thouroughly explain your arguments, and repeat any key points. I want to see clear voting issues, good vocal inflection in all speeches.

I believe persuasive communication is important. I don't make my decisions based solely on speaking style, however it is important. Please make a few clear concise points.

Samuel Nelson stated "-make a claim, explain that claim, and back it up with evidence."

I don't mind a heated crossfire, but please be polite.

I am a parent judge and this is my 3rd year judging PF.

-I value each debater's preparation, commitment and passion in debate. In order for the judge to be fair and objecive to evaluate your arguments and performance, please talk with reasonable speed, fully explain your arguments with logic and clarity. Explain your jargons or acronyms and don't assume the judge is a professional debater.

-I give extra speaker points to the debater who is respectful and thoughtful to his/her opponents, especially during the crossfire. At the end the competition is a game. Winning is great, but being kind with each other will have better long-term impacts.

Be yourself and enjoy the game!

I am a lay judge. Please speak at a normal pace.

I am a parent judge and this is my 5th year judging for PF. I am comfortable with medium pace of talking. Please state clearly whether you speaking for Aff or Neg, introduce yourself and debate! I do like a civilized and respectful debate no matter how cut throat your competition is.

Good luck and enjoy!

I am a volunteer judge for Wilcox HS (Santa Clara, CA) and this is my third year of judging. I have judged multiple formats (LD, PF, Parli) at both the novice and varsity levels.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

- Speak slowly and clearly. Spreading won't help if I cannot understand what you are saying.

- Keep your own time.

- Off time road maps are preferred. Deliver organized speeches, based on your off time roadmap. It's easier for me to keep track that way.

- I do take notes throughout the round so make sure you emphasize your important contentions/points. Clearly state voting issues in your final speech to tell me what to base my decision on.

- Overall, remember to remain respectful during the round (to your opponents, and to the judge). It is important to be assertive in your arguments but no yelling, interrupting, etc. I will take away speaker points if I have to.

- Please try to stay away from overly technical, high-leveled debate jargon. If you are going to use a technical term, it is imperative that you explain it to me (as the judge) as well as in the debate space.

- Lastly, remember that the goal of debate is education and productive discourse. I prioritize inclusiveness over overtechnical strategies. This means that if your opponent is a relatively new varsity debater, and cannot engage with theory, K, etc, do NOT run them. If you do run those strategies, simply to gain an easy win rather that engaging and arguing the topic with your opponent, I will NOT vote for you because you are making the debate space exclusive. I would much rather see a strict case debate (value, framework, counter plan) rather than judge high level arguments (theory, K), because at the end of the day, we want to become more educated and better informed in our society.

Otherwise, good luck and have fun!

I am a lay parent judge - this is my first year judging debates. I do not flow. Please do not spread, speak clearly and slowly and do not use too much jargon - you will lose me. I prefer civil and respectful debates - be courteous and respectful to your opponents and partners. I like to see clearly articulated arguments with well documented evidence. Have your cards ready in case I ask for them.

I do not disclose unless required by tournament rules.

Good luck and have fun!

I have been judging since 2018 in tournaments from the rookie to varsity levels. I have been a lawyer in the past and like to view both viewpoints with good supporting evidence. Support for your contentions have to hold solid ground.

I also love clarity over ambiguity. I do not prefer spreading/speaking fast.

Hi,

I am a parent judge for Saratoga High School. I don't have much experience judging.Make sure you speak clearly and slowly enough so that I can actually evaluate your argument. I will try my best to keep up with the flow. There could be some arguments that I may not catch the first time. Please make sure you explain in such a way so that someone who does not do debate can understand the arguments.

Thank you

Have fun Debating!

I ultimately like to vote for the TEAM THAT "MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE" at the end of the debate.

I have judged LD and PF in the past 2 years and like both formats.

1. Talking fast is fine. I'm also good with spread if I have your speech doc.

2. I am okay with you running kritiks as long as you warrant, link, and impact it very well. I prefer you stick to case debate because I understand that better and think it's more educational, but if you're really passionate about your "alternative" argument then by all means run it. You'll just really need to explain to me what's going on or you'll lose me. Exception: I think some form of arguing for ending the world as a K is pretty OP. Interpret that as you will. No K AFFs, these are not topical.

3. I'm 100% tabula rasa. Act as if I'm a blank slate on the topic.

4. Tech > truth. I will accept anything you run without intervention. Two exceptions:

a. if your opponent rightfully calls out a bigoted argument (i.e., something racist, homophobic, sexist, transphobic, islamaphobic, anti semitic, etc), I will view it as such and may drop you depending on the severity and definitely tank your speaker points.

b. if there are conflicting pieces of evidence (LD or PF), and no one explains why their card should be preferred, I will call both and make my decision on which one to weigh more based on the merits of each (recency, methodology, scope, etc). Even if cards are weighed, I still might call both if I have doubts.

I appreciate well constructed arguments. I consider cross-X sessions also in my evaluation, so be clear when you answer and respectful when you question.

Please respond to all of your opponents arguments with proper justifications. Have proper evidences in support. Be truthful. If I find any indication of falsifying any evidence, that's a disqualification.

I am open to (and love) hearing GOOD COUNTER-PLANS, run'em if ya got'em.

I AM NOT TABULA RASA. Trust me, I don't want to be that judge that intervenes, but if you say something really untrue, like the sky is red, and I look outside and it is clearly blue, then I will catch it

I prefer quality of argumentation over quantity. GIVE ME GOOD VOTERS at the end of the debate. I WANT TO VOTE FOR THE BEST ARGUMENT not a bunch of minor points that didn't get discussed much.

Off-time roadmaps are OK. Please stay within the time limits for your speeches.

Be well behaved and respectful to your opponent(s) and enjoy the debate rounds, good luck!

Email: Surbhi.kochhar@gmail.com

About Me

I have 10 years of experience judging for various schools. I have mostly judged for Mission San Jose High School and periodically for independent entries like Stonewall Academy. The majority of my judging has been in Public Forum and I am familiar in the fundamental concepts of the format.

Preferences

I always come in with an open mind and vote based off of each side's arguments rather than personal bias. In order to win the round it is important that each side weighs each of their impacts. If impacts aren't weighed I won't flow them. If you want higher speaker points and want me to be able to flow your arguments, it is important that you speak clearly and at a good pace. I also appreciate it if you give me a little background into the topic and clear up a few things. Each side should provide a standard for me to weigh on so I can vote for a side based on the impacts. Both sides can also argue which standard is more relevant to the debate and which I should be judging on. If neither side proposes a standard for the debate I will just be judging on which side makes the world a better place. As for links, make sure that your links are logical and aren't huge jumps. If you suddenly jump from the EU joining the BRI to a nuclear war, I won't buy it. Please don't run theory. I will only take it into account if it is actually justified and reasonable (which it almost never is). Lastly, if a side brings up a new argument or point in Final Focus, I will ignore it. You're just going to be wasting your time.

Speaking Points

I will reward a debater with more speaker points if they remain clear and speak at an understandable pace. I dislike spreading as I feel its unnecessary. It is also important that each speaker is respectful in crossfire and other speeches. If any debater starts yelling and is overly aggressive I will lower their total speaker points for the round.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask me during the round. I hope you provide me with an interesting debate!

I am a parent judge. I value truth over tech. Please go slow and be engaging. Never judged ld before.

I have been a parent judge since 2016. I flow but consider me a flay judge and I try to be completely unbiased going into the round. I cannot flow spreading make sure to speak as fast as you would with a novice judge.

I do not evaluate crossfire for the result of the round other than your speaker points. Any concessions made in cross must be brought up in a speech otherwise I will not evaluate it. Please make sure to be courteous during cross otherwise your speaker points will reflect that.

The way I evaluate the round is based on extended impacts in summary and final focus. Make sure that you impacts are warranted otherwise I will not consider the impacts. Everything you reference in final focus must be extended through summary otherwise I will not evaluate it in the round. Most importantly WEIGH otherwise I will have to do my own weighing analysis and you might not like the results.

As a judge, I will look for the following in the debate

a) Don't spread too much. If you want to spread, please share the case with me in advance. I may hear your speech/argument, but if you do not give me enough time to process it, I may not vote on it.

b) Don't bring any evidence if the probability of the issue happening is very low.

c) Don't bring any new arguments/evidence in the final speech.

d) I prefer Quality over Quantity.

I will try to be as neutral as possible. Having said that It is your job to make sure I know your argument without having studied it myself.

I am a parent judge with approximately 3 years of judging experience in PF and LD. I maintain a light flow but I am closer to a LAY judge than to a flow judge. Please NO SPREADING - please speak at a slow to medium pace so we can follow you along.

Also, I ask that you be respectful to opponents and not interrupt them during their time to talk. Please allow them to finish their point before you ask questions. Please do not shout or be too aggressive because that will lower you speaker points.

I am not a fan of Kritik or theory arguments, but will allow it if you take extra time to walk through your points slowly.

If there is a clear winner in the round, I will disclose. But more often I will take necessary time after the round to decide and then submit RFD and feedback through Tabroom.

I'm pretty easy going when it comes to arguments. Just nothing offensive. Keep in mind, that I never debated in highschool (I'm here judging as a favor)... In other words, treat me much like you would a parent judge. Also, make sure that I don't have a difficult decison. Your speeches need to tell me exactly how I should be voting, why I should be voting that way, and why your side is important period.

Just keep it civil and have fun!

I am relatively new to judging parliamentary debate. Please speak at a reasonable rate, define your terms, and make clear links from policy to impacts. Avoid complicated debate jargon and Kritiks. Use theory only if you believe that there has been an abusive definition, or that your opposition has gone off topic. Don’t abuse POIs or POOs. Neg. Counterplans are acceptable. The team that educates me on the topic and makes their case clearly and respectfully will get my ballot.

I am a fairly new judge and have started judging since 2018. I have only judged PF so far.

Be careful with your speech speed. If your speech is reading off your laptop as fast as you can, I probably won't understand all of your arguments, unless your arguments have extraordinary clarity.

I try to set my opinion aside and evaluate only what's presented in the debate. I expect you to back up your claims with evidence.

Speaker points: I like speakers who pace themselves and make their words enjoyable and easy to follow. Other elements of good speeches such as usage of body languages are also pluses.

I prefer debaters presenting, reinforcing their arguments and rebutting their opponents’ arguments with solid logic and reasoning as well as authorized evidences.

I value respectful and strong discourse in crossfire, but not rude or overpowering.

Thanks and good luck,

Lanyun Liu

Little bit of background, I debated PF for 4 years with MVLA, but haven't competed since Sept 2019 or judged since Mar 2020, so don't expect me to be the most tech/flow judge out there. I haven't done any research on this topic beforehand.

If there are any accommodations that you may need during round, please let me or your opponents know so we can try to work something out. Debate should be educational, not a place for you to bully other students.

tl;dr

Please extend your links and impacts through summary and final focus. Anything that's crucial must be there if you want me to vote on it. Otherwise, speak clearly, signpost, and don't be rude.

Trigger Warnings:

- you NEED to read a trigger warning and provide time for response if you're addressing a sensitive topic. saying trigger warning and moving on isn't enough

Argumentation:

- prefer a strong analytical arg over a bunch of cards (of course please have cards to back up your arguments though). I won't vote off of something that I don't understand

- anything important must be in summary and FF if you want me to vote on it. make all necessary links for your impact clear to me!!!

- weigh, weigh, WEIGH!

- not familiar with theory, but if you explain it clearly enough, I'm willing to evaluate it

Cross:

- anything important that comes up during cross needs to be brought up in speech. I generally don't flow it or pay attention

Speaking:

- I can keep up with some speed, but you shouldn't need to in order to articulate your argument

- with that being said, wifi may be against you so I'd advise you don't speak too quickly or I can't guarantee I understood what you said

- I won't hesitate to tank your speaks if you're rude or disrespectful

- use jargon if you'd like, but that doesn't mean you don't need to explain your args

- signpost, number args, etc. to make it easier for me to refer to on my flow since I can't guarantee I've flowed every word out of your mouth

Evidence:

- DO NOT LIE. that's all.

- I'll call cards if you tell me to/if you're accused of misconstruing or miscutting a card

I am a new judge. My background is corporate finance so I prefer debates that are logical and supported by evidence and facts. I am a business executive for large global companies so I have seen many debates in the business environment.

Be confident and try to find common ground. Try to isolate and advocate about true disagreement. Define precisely where you differ and explain your assumptions.

I prefer students to be polite, courteous, and respectful. Please take your time to explain your position, listen proactively, and allow others to speak when it's their turn.

My email is irene.madejski@gmail.com for email chains.

I debated PF for four years at Nueva with Anjali Ramanathan and graduated in 2020. I'm now a senior at UChicago.

My view of debate is very similar to Anjali's and she does a good job explaining her paradigm here: https://www.tabroom.com/index/tourn/postings/judge.mhtml?judge_id=1287777&tourn_id=16664

TL;DR : I'll hear basically anything unless its problematic, I like clear narratives/link stories with weighing, I don't mind a little speed but I'm also usually pretty tired so know that it doesn't always work in your favor. I don't have a lot of experience with K's and theory, so I can't say I'll evaluate them perfectly, but I'm willing to listen to them. Also, more generally, have fun with your round :))

Do let me know if you have any questions and I'd be happy to answer them!!

I am a parent judge who has judged one for one year in parliamentary.

Overview:

- I do take notes, so articulate your arguments to make it easier for me to flow.

- Most important thing to do is organize your arguments, signpost, and, in final speeches, emphasize why you should win. You are convincing me, not your opponents.

- I dislike spreading. I need to keep up with my flowing - if you go too fast I won't hear your arguments and be able to write them down.

- Don't ask POI's in protected time unless the tournament rules say that protected time isn't allowed.

- I've judged Theory but don't run unless you can properly explain why the other team has made a violation.

- No K's.

Please speak clearly and not ultra-fast.

Please outline your planned discussion before jumping in, when possible.

Thanks!

I prefer speak clearly with a clear logic frame, state your opinion with evidence and data.

I prefer very well structured argument and convincing argument.

I am a lay, parent judge.

Please talk clearly and slowly (no spreading). Please debate a PF round (no kritiks or theory or counter plan). Please be polite, especially in crossfire. I like signposting and please make each response clear.

Looking forward to the debate.

I am a parent judge. You can do the coin flip before the round to save time. For speaking, I don't have any preferences, just don't go too fast. Think lay speed.

I don't necessarily flow, but I take notes throughout the round. Make sure you are clear and logical.

All in all, have fun and don't stress out too much :)

Hello,

* I'm an experienced parent judge with 2 years of experience with public forum events.

* Make sure that you present cases, contentions, impact(s) clearly.

* Often I read topic analysis before judging the topic. Definitions are optional for me unless you want to make them clear to the opposite team.

* Evidence-based argumentation, logic, and reasoning are key elements to determine the winner in PF debate.

* Quality is more important than quantity. It's important to have a few quality cases than a high number of cases.

* I'm not a big supporter of "spreading" aka speed reading in PF. For speakers: I look for a speed of fewer than 220 words per minute. This speed enables me to take notes and weigh your arguments against the other team.

* A good framework is important for the public forum event.

* Be respectful with other teams.

* Do not bring in new arguments/cases or new data points at the final focus or summary.

* Crossfire sections are for Q & A. Do not use this time to reinforce your cases again and again. In other words, do not take away 2.5 minutes out of 3 min grand-crossfire section - just to re-emphasize your points

* Wish you the best! Enjoy your journey!

Did PF for 6 years. Competed for Evergreen Valley

email: ppalleti@wharton.upenn.edu

General Preferences:

Tech>Truth

Read any argument you like.

Read metaweighing when both sides give me different weighing mechanisms

Speed is fine.

Please share speech docs as a standard.

I will default negative for policy rounds, and the first speaking team for fact rounds

I think paraphrasing is bad and disclosure is good.

Crossfire should be about asking questions, DO NOT try to assert yourself over your opponent to try and impress me

Please ask me questions at the end of the round, I sometimes do not give enough detail in my oral RFDs

General Values (Please Read):

“Tech debate” shouldn't be about dumping responses to overwhelm an opponent. Substantiate a quality arguement with a strong line of reasoning than a 7 second claim from some author. On that note, I really hate it when debaters make new analysis or warranting for such arguments in later speeches.

I value the use of statistics and research.

I agree with the notion that debate should be played like a game. I enjoy judging rounds where debaters use "unique paths" to the ballot, but not all of them are educational nor executed well.

I did 2 years of circuit debate pretty competitively.

I try to be flow, only two things kinda different about me:

1. Terminal defense exists to infinity. If you never frontline an argument your opponents defensive ink still exists on my flow. Them not extending responses is not an excuse. Extensions of terminal defense are never necessary, just appreciated. You will never win an argument if defense against it is dropped.

2. I care more about warrants than impacts. Weighing an impact is irrelevant at the point that you do not win the links into the impact. If there is clash at the warrant level make sure to weigh links and actually explain to me why your warrant should be preferred to that of your opponents.

I'll evaluate any claim backed up in evidence or logic, run crazy shit, it's fun

I have judged before. Please speak clearly and elaborate your main points.

I am a lay judge with 3 yrs of judging experience. I would like participants to speak loud and clear. Also, would be great if they can keep the camera on their face while talking. Sometimes I see their heads only and hard to figure out what they are saying.

I debated PF for 4 years on the national circuit. While I am a "flow judge" and can handle speed, I would discourage you from spreading if it sacrifices your clarity.

Couple things to consider when having me as a judge:

1. All arguments that you want me to evaluate in the round should be in summary and final focus, although I'm okay with first speaking teams extending defense from rebuttal to FF.

2. Collapsing is crucial. Pick and choose which arguments you want to go for; PLEASE do not go for everything in your case. The ability to collapse on 1 or 2 arguments will automatically boost your speaks for me.

3. This goes hand in hand with collapsing: please weigh your arguments. If you don't, I'll unfortunately be forced to do it myself which may or may not work out the way you would like.

Overall the key to winning my ballot is making the round as EASY AS POSSIBLE for me to evaluate. As the judge I want to do as little thinking as possible, so if you want to explain your arguments to me like I'm 5 years old, I'm game. The best way you can do this for me is with a clear and consistent narrative presented throughout the round. I will always weigh a long, well warranted, analytical response more heavily than a card dump. More often than not, if you just logically make more sense than your opponents, you will win my ballot.

Other thoughts:

-I hate wasted time in rounds where teams take 10+ minutes outside of their prep time trading evidence.

-If both teams are chill with it we can skip grand crossfire.

-I will never call for cards. If you have an issue with a card, bring it up in your speech.

-I don't vote for anything said in crossfire, if its important, bring it up in your speech.

Background

I've done debate for five years, with just over four years of that in Public Forum. I've also had limited exposure to Policy debate. However, I may not have had time to research the resolution, so do not assume I have extensive knowledge on the topic.

Public Forum Paradigm

I am a firm believer in evidence ethics. I strongly dislike paraphrased evidence. It's very easy to misconstrue evidence in round, especially under standard time constraints. From past experience both as a debater and a judge, I've encountered numerous cases of paraphrased evidence being used as a cover for faulty logic or distorting the source material. The best way to present your evidence is reading the cut card verbatim.

If I ever suspect that evidence is being misconstrued, I will call for it after the round. Even if your opponent didn't call it out in round, I will drop any card that I believe clearly violates evidence ethics.

To maintain evidence ethics, I'm open to allowing card calling off-time, if both sides are fine with it.

Speak at a reasonable speed. Speaking fast is fine, as long as you are speaking clearly. I don't like full-on spreading in public forum, but I will flow your speech either way.

No theory, Ks, plans, or any of that - I will not flow them. Public Forum is designed to be accessible, and even as a flow judge familiar with these concepts, I will not tolerate them in PF. I would discourage framework debates as well; if you think that you can only win your case based off of some random weighing mechanism or definition that you cherry picked to fit your arguments, you should probably rethink your case. Focus on the arguments, not on technicalities.

Generally I will pay close attention to, but will not flow cross examinations. The only exception is that any concessions made in cross will be upheld for the rest of the round. Cross will mainly be used to show me which arguments to focus on, as well as speaks.

Summary speech should primarily be used for collapsing. Final focus should primarily be used for weighing. If you want access to an impact, extend it through summary, or I will assume that you kicked out of it.

Clash your arguments. Don't just explain to me why you're right, explain to me why your opponents are wrong and especially why your opponents' refutations are wrong. I want to hear real responses, not just canned arguments you had in your block file or extensions through ink.

Logical responses are fine, but carded responses are better. I have a short tolerance for logical leaps, so if you want to use logic use it wisely. Between a carded argument and a logical argument, I will almost always prefer the card unless there is an adequate enough explanation to convince me otherwise.

I'm very open to unique arguments even if they're extreme, so long as you can back it with a solid link chain. Poorly devised unique arguments should be avoided for any judge. I don't necessarily weigh probability over magnitude, so you have some leeway for unique arguments.

First speakers, try to make yourself useful during grand cross! I've seen a lot of rounds where the first speaker just sits mute after summary and the second speaker has to take over instead of using the time to prep for final focus.

Keep composure during crossfire. Be polite and professional all around for a good round and good speaks.

This is my third year judging Public Forum Debate. I understand spreading and progressive arguments.

The winner will be decided based on who best communicates the most logical arguments. When judging communication, I take into account your pace and organization of the speech. Being aggressive is fine, just make sure you are clear, keeping in mind the time.

I do not like students who read off of their laptops. I prefer eye-to-eye contact which exhibits confidence while speaking/ debating. I am very keen on Cross-Examination and you will score higher speaker points if you are effective in cross -ex and give proper rebuttals.

Additionally, good evidence comparison is key but also focus on extending your case as well.

Overall, have fun, and try to do your best! Good luck with your debate!!!

If you want a circuit judge, you should probably strike me. I'm a very traditional LD judge.

Talking Speed:

- I do not like spreading; please keep speeches at a traditional pace.

- If you spread, I probably won't flow your arguments.

Arguments and Cards:

- I will call for evidence if I am asked to.

- All arguments should have a clear claim, warrant, and impact.

- All cards should be tagged.

Theory/T:

- I do not like theory debates.

- I will absolutely not vote on theory/T.

Plans:

- I generally do not like to weigh offense from plans, but I will if I have to...

- Try and keep the resolution as broad as possible.

Framework:

- I am not well-versed in philosophy so keep it simple for me.

- Tell me why you win framework, and how your arguments link into it.

- I try to be tabula rasa with framework, but I do generally vote util.

i did public forum at nueva with irene madejski for four years & graduated in 2020. i'm studying law at oxford this fall

tl;dr: i'll hear anything unless it’s problematic. speed probably won’t be an issue. if you weigh early and collapse, i will be happy. if you go for everything, i will probably not be happy. wear whatever sparks joy!!!

i will hear anything that is not racist, sexist, queerphobic, classist, etc. i expect that debaters exercise caution so as not to affirm injustice in round. this means i expect debaters ARE CAREFUL about avoiding othering language, such as referring to marginalized communities as "those people" in the debate.

tech > truth

defense is sticky, but more on that in the "summary" section below

i won't TRY to listen to crosses, but i'm not really allowed to leave...please try not to do anything heinous...don't shout, interrupt repeatedly, don't read evidence like it's a monologue. bring up key stuff in speeches. make me laugh without being mean

i think more pf debaters should bring progressive thinking into their rounds. i will be happy if you question util & use debate to elevate issues and communities that are marginalized by traditional impact calculus.

i am happy to hear kritiks. theory is fine as well. but please do slow down a bit on these arguments.

if you’re obviously using progressive arguments to win and don’t even pretend to care about them (running disclosure against a team from a small school) i will be unhappy and my threshold for buying your argument will be higher.

my threshold for presumption is high. i think overzealous presumption doesn't promote good debates. that said, if i have to presume i'll default neg unless told otherwise

speed:

- go as fast as you want, but BE CLEAR & ENUNCIATE. i’d appreciate speech docs emailed if you're going more than like 220 wpm anjali.s.ramanathan@gmail.com

- your roadmap should tell me WHERE TO FLOW your speech, for example: "aff, neg, then weighing, flow the weighing on the aff"

- please don't say "i will start on my case and then move onto reasons why we are winning the round"

rebuttal:

- it’s your round, debate how you want to. remember that defense from first rebuttal is sticky and can be extended to first final focus.

- i love to see warrant-level engagement. also, the earlier in the round you weigh, the more likely you are to get my ballot. rebuttal is an excellent place to start. weighing should be comparative and nuanced. "we outweigh on magnitude because our impact is big" is NOT WEIGHING. more of my thoughts on weighing here

summary:

- do not "throw spaghetti at a wall and see what sticks"

- issue selection is crucial. three minute summary does not mean you should go for everything. it means you should go for 1-3 things, and weigh them well

- consider extending some defense in first summary for weighing purposes, but i certainly won’t punish you for extending defense from rebuttal to final focus

- please EXTEND your argument WITH CARDS and ALSO FRONTLINE it!!!!!!

final focus:

- weigh!! please don't just review the line-by-line extensions your partner did in summary. if you don't weigh, i'm forced to intervene and that is not fun for anyone

- first final focus can do new weighing against an offensive argument even if first summary drops it, unless your opponents did a bunch of weighing on it in which case mb not

speaks:

- wear whatever sparks joy!!!!!

- i am not really a fan of speaker points in general — i think they’re problematically subjective. i'll hear a warranted 30-speaks underview if it'll check back against marginalization, but i reserve the right to ignore the underview if i think it's going to end up promoting inequity

- if you’re actively rude in the round, i might dock your speaks. crosses, for example, should be educational. if you're interrupting repeatedly and without regard for your opponent, i will likely get annoyed with that

debate is first and foremost about education, and i want you to get the most out of every round. please feel free to ask me any questions you have!

I am a former debate coach and debate tab staffer at many regional and circuit-level tournaments in California. I competed in student congress and have actively coached congress, speech (e.g., oratory or platform events), LD, and public forum debate. I competed from 2006 to 2008, coached from 2008 to 2013, and tabbed from 2011 to 2022. My specialty is in tabbing and evaluating TOC-level congressional debate rounds.

Outside of speech and debate, I have my PhD in Social Psychology. I focus on group identities and how it affects our thoughts and behaviors. Between that and my other professional experiences, my view of speech and debate has now become focused on the communication of information and logical arguments for an audience.

Here is how this has affected my perspectives of debate rounds:

1. Do not actively harm anyone else in the debate round. Personal attacks, ad hominem arguments, or similar actions detract from the speech and debate experience. If you engage in any behavior that actively harms yourself or a competitor, I will give the win to your opponent and immediately let tab staff know of your behavior.
   
   Think about what you plan to say or do before you say and do it. This can often lead to a better round and less potential for unintentional outcomes from a round. This can also help identify biases within ourselves and each other that affect what we do and do not perceive or how our words and actions can affect others. I am trying to learn how my biases influence how I see the world, and I hope you take time to do so as well.
2. Any argument that you want to run that does not actively harm yourself or your opponent works for me. This includes traditional and progressive arguments. Importantly, any argument that you want to run is fine with me if you can explain the argument in simple English. Tell me why your argument is relevant and matters in the round, and I will evaluate it. Arguments filled with excessive jargon without an attempt to explain it in simple English will likely be ignored.
3. Debate is inherently an activity based on value judgements. Arguments that focus on an empiric as the take-home point (e.g., we save x more lives than our opponents or save x more money than our opponents) do not inherently have value by itself. You need to tell me why your evidence and analysis matters (e.g., overall, our side allows us to achieve something we value or avoid something that we do not value). Tell me what matters, and tell me why I should weigh it above your opponents' case. On average, I will value plausible evidence more than implausible examples. As an aside, extinction arguments will usually be ignored and excluded from my flow if it is irrelevant to the topic.
4. It is up to you to convince me as a judge that your evidence is (1) valid and (2) relevant to the round. Sensationalist or inflammatory arguments or evidence that do not add to the overall logic or arguments of the round will be ignored completely (e.g., they will not make my flow sheet). It is your responsibility to ensure that your argument is (a) not sensationalist, (b) not inflammatory, and (c) relevant to the round
5. I do not support the game theory of spreading. Communication matters. Information processing speed in working memory capacity matters. Short-term memory matters. Physical or mental obstacles to hearing or encoding information matters.
   
   I will defer to Cowan's (2001) analysis of short-term memory, which states that a person can remember about 4 chunks of information in short-term memory. In practice, this means that I--as well as every other judge you encounter--will remember somewhere around 4 chunks of information within each speech. You are better off developing four well-developed chunks than spreading across multiple points in a constructive speech and then collapsing from many arguments into few arguments.
   
   What this means in practice is this: If you propose three to four general advantages/disadvantages, contentions, or reasons why I should support your side and realize that two of those points should be promoted by you and your team, then collapsing to those two chunks makes sense and is a good strategy to do. If you propose more than one chunk per minute (or more) so that there is no way for your opponent to respond, and then collapse after your opponent had a chance to address your case overall? That is not equitable and I will likely call out that strategy.
   
   Do not spread. Speed is okay, but spreading will receive low speaker points. Furthermore, I will be very open to hearing and voting for a critique that says the opponent is spreading too fast, which inherently makes the activity more exclusionary and harmful to competitors and observers within speech and debate.
6. Most debates focus on a specific topic or point. Although it is a tactic to focus on a specific aspect of the debate, concede that point after much of the round has passed, and then state “I concede the point that we spent much of the round that we discussed while still winning on the rest of my case that my opponent has overlooked,” I find that to be a very cheap debate tactic that does not have much real world applicability. If you and your opponent explicitly or implicitly focus on a specific point or area of contention within a round, I will decide my ballot based on that point or contention.
7. Specific to LD: I need a value. Morality is not a value, as groups define what it means to be moral (Ellemers et al., 2013). I need to know a specific value that you think I should promote or prefer in the round.
   
   Utilitarianism is a value, but you need to tell me why this value should be preferred over other values in the round. Stating that your value is utilitarianism and that your value criterion/plan/whatever is a cost-benefit analysis may or may not win you the round, but I will likely not give more than 27 speaker points in the round to a competitor who proposes this CV/VC or defaults to this CV/VC.
8. Specific to Congressional Debate: You may have noticed that I said I competed in student congress but evaluate congressional debate rounds in my introduction. That is intentional. Congressional debate has grown into a multifaceted event with nuanced arguments regarding policy and societal proposals and implications. Assume that my rankings is based on diversity of skills (e.g., can you give multiple types of speeches), essentialism within the round (e.g., what was your holistic effect within the round, or how would the round be different if you were not in the round), and quality of novel arguments and argument advancement during debate on a topic.
   
   I rank presiding officers and know how to evaluate them based on 2 years of being a presiding officer and 14 years of evaluating student congress and congressional debate rounds.
   
   All things being equal, I rank students lowly who only give crystallization speeches within the round. The goal of congressional debate is to advance discussion on a topic. There are many ways to do so (e.g., sponsorship, early-cycle extension speeches, summary and late-cycle extension speeches, and crystallization speeches). All speeches have value, but I prefer students who show diversity in their speech types when possible. When diversity is not possible, I need to know how your speech extends an argument above and beyond summarizing what was previously discussed. Often, crystallization speeches summarize events without extending discussions. In rounds where it is possible for all speakers to give two speeches, I rate students who choose to only give crystallization speeches lower.

Overall, I hope you have fun, communicate clearly, use valid and relevant evidence effectively, and be respectful of yourselves, your opponents, and the community. We all showed up because this is something that we enjoy. Treat others with the respect you hope to be treated with, and I will do my best to treat everyone with respect throughout the round.

I prefer that you speak loudly and clearly to get your points across effectively. Please debate civilized.

I am an old policy debater from high school and college. A very successful one at that, although that was a long time ago (yes, I too went to TOC and yes, they had it back then). I do flow and will do my best to render my decision solely on the arguments presented in the round. I have no preconceived biases for or against any position on the topic. It should be your job as debaters to tell my why your evidence is superior or why your position outweighs at the end of the round. If you have a framework, you should use it in rebuttals and/or final focus to frame why it means you should win. If both teams offer frameworks, there should be some clash to explain why I should choose one framework over the other.

I have a strong opinion about evidence: I have been told that the minimum standard for citing evidence in rounds is author's last name and date; if you don't have that much, it isn't treated as evidence, it is just you speaking your mind. If you want something considered as evidence in a round, you have to *read it in the round.* You can't just say "we have a card which says..." and somehow assume that now counts as evidence.

A note on jargon: there are a few terms of art that I have heard a few times in Public Forum and they are not very clear. Frontlining, for example, is used by some people to basically mean what we used to call "preempts" meaning an argument made before the opponent in the expectation that the opponent will make that argument. Like "they will get up here and say sunlight is good but here are 3 reasons why that is wrong." Coaches have told me this is the correct usage. Other teams have used it synonymously with "response" as in "I am going to frontline their case then go to my case." That is apparently the incorrect usage, but if you are going to use the word, explain what you mean by it. Offense and defense are also super overused since your offense is their defense and vice versa so asserting that I "shouldn't give them any offense on this" ends up being confusing. Just tell me why they are losing an argument - if they have lost the argument it is irrelevant whether it is an offensive argument or a defensive argument and for which team; they have lost it. Unless you are punting (granting) something, in which case just tell me why that argument doesn't matter (e.g. outweighed, de-linked elsewhere, irrelevant according to the framework I should be using, etc.). Saying I shouldn't give them any "offense" on that argument is just extra words - you have already explained why it doesn't matter so I can figure out for myself that that means...well, it doesn't matter. Terminal defense - I have heard this a couple of times and nobody has/can explain what it is supposed to mean, including the head of the judges room at Stanford. If you say this, tell me what you think it means!

I employ a simple rubric when judging: (a) logical reasoning (b) strong evidence (c) effective rebuttal/refuting of opponent's claims (d) strong clash (e) clear articulation of argument and (e) respect. I'm a relatively inexperienced judge, so I'll ask debaters to inform me if I'm missing something regarding technicalities/protocol or could be doing something to enable a better debate.

UPDATED 6/1/2022 NSDA Nationals Congress Update

I have been competing and judging in speech and debate for the past 16 years now. I did Parli and Public Forum in High School, and Parli, LD and Speech in College. I have judged all forms of High School Debate. Feel free to ask me more in depth questions in round if you don't understand a part of my philosophy.

Congress

Given that my background is in debate I tend to bring my debate biases into Congress. While I understand that this event is a mix of argumentation and stylistic speaking I don't think pretty speeches are enough to get you a high rank in the round. Overall I tend to judge Congress rounds based off of argument construction, style of delivery, clash with opponents, quality of evidence, and overall participation in the round. I tend to prefer arguments backed by cited sources and that are well reasoned. I do not prefer arguments that are mainly based in emotional appeals, purely rhetoric speeches usually get ranked low and typically earn you a 9. Be mindful of the speech you are giving. I think that sponsorship speeches should help lay the foundation for the round, I should hear your speech and have a full grasp of the bill, what it does, why it's important, and how it will fix the problems that exist in the squo. For clash speeches they should actually clash, show me that you paid attention to the round, and have good responses to your opponents. Crystallizations should be well organized and should be where you draw my conclusions for the round, I shouldn't be left with any doubts or questions.

POs will be ranked in the round based off of their efficiency in running and controlling the round. I expect to POs to be firm and well organized. Don't be afraid of cutting off speakers or being firm on time limits for questioning.

Public Forum

• I know how to flow and will flow.
  • This means I require a road map.
  • I need you to sign post and tell me which contention you are on. Use author/source names.
• I will vote on Ks. But this means that your K needs to have framework and an alt and solvency. If you run a K my threshold for voting on it is going to be high. I don't feel like there is enough time in PF to read a good K but I am more than willing to be open to it and be proven wrong. For anyone who hits a K in front of me 'Ks are cheating' is basically an auto loss in front of me.
• I will vote on theory. But this doesn't mean that I will vote for all theory. Theory in debate is supposed to move this activity forwards. Which means that theory about evidence will need to prove that there is actual abuse occurring in order for me to evaluate it. I think there should be theory in Public Forum because this event is still trying to figure itself out but I do not believe that all theory is good theory. And theory that is playing 'gotcha' is not good theory. Having good faith is arbitrary but I think that the arguments made in round will determine it. Feel free to ask questions.
• Be strategic and make good life choices.
• Impact calc is the best way to my ballot.
• I will vote on case turns.
• I will call for cards if it comes down to it.

Policy Debate

I tend to vote more for truth over tech. That being said, nothing makes me happier than being able to vote on T. I love hearing a good K. Spread fast if you want but at a certain point I will miss something if you are going top speed because I flow on paper, I do know how to flow I'm just not as fast as those on a laptop. Feel free to ask me any questions before round.


LD Debate

Fair warning it has been a few years since I have judged high level LD. Ask me questions if I'm judging you.

Framework
You do not win rounds if you win framework. You win that I judge the round via your framework. When it comes to framework I'm a bit odd and a bit old school. I function under the idea that Aff has the right to define the round. And if Neg wants to me to evaluate the round via their framework then they need to prove some sort of abuse.

Background

- Parli for 4 years (Evergreen Valley '17)

Case

- I will default to evaluating a debate on net benefits and through a comparative worlds paradigm

- Please tagline your arguments, and it would be even better if you signposted between each part of ULI

- Weigh your arguments. I don't have a clear preference between probability and magnitude, so just warrant out why I should prefer one over the other

Theory

- I will default to Competing Interps over Reasonability, but I'm open to hearing arguments why reasonability is better

- Frivolous theory will win you a round, but will cost you in speaks

- Please repeat your interp twice

- I prefer to vote on proven abuse, but I'm open to hearing arguments about potential abuse (ie: potential abuse of conditionality)

- I am open to hearing RVIs, especially if you feel theory was read as a time suck. However, please justify why theory should be an RVI and tagline your RVI as one

Kritiks

- You can read them on either side, just clearly explain your advocacy if you're reading a kritikal affirmative

- Pretty much only comfortable with capitalism kritiks so if you are going to read something else please explain your thesis clearly

- Please read specific links.

- Explain why voting for the alternative is specifically key in this instance

Speaks

- Speaks will reflect efficient use of time, clarity of argumentation, and strategic decision making. If you're explaining the same argument 4 times or not making good use of the block by simply repeating the 2NC, I will dock speaks

- If anyone in the room needs to tell you to clear (enunciate arguments) or slow (slow down your arguments) multiple times, I will dock your speaks

- Don't say racist/sexist/generally problematic things unless you want me to tank your speaks

- Please do not call any human being 'illegal' (part of above)

Miscellaneous

- No hand shakes are necessary, if you really feel the need to thank me a fistbump will suffice

- Off time roadmaps are encouraged for getting arguments in order, but please do not include content in them

- I think teams should take 1-2 POIs per constructive speech. If you say, "I'll get to you at the end if I have more time" and haven't taken a question yet, I am fine with allowing that question to be taken after the speech is up.

Fact Checks

- I don’t fact check evidence unless there’s a heavily contested piece of evidence or argument that a whole contention (or maybe the entire round) boils down to.

- I will also fact check upon request.

I am a former high school debater- I did Policy debate for 4 years and I loved it. I have been judging at debate tournaments since 2012. I have judged Policy rounds, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Parli and Congress.

I flow my rounds, and therefore, I appreciate offtime roadmaps. I am comfortable with spreading. However, I do not like the trend where Public Forum and LD are morphing into Policy debate in terms of speed. That being said, if you wish to speak fast, it's up to you to be understandable and to speak clearly. If I didn't hear your argument, then I can't count it in my evaluation/RFD.

I look for good clash in a round, but this is not to be confused with overly aggressive behavior, as explained below. There is a difference between aggression and hostility. I hope debaters can tell the difference.

I come into every debate with an open mind, as if I know nothing about the topic and have not judged this topic before. However, I do know HOW to debate, so I am looking for the technical aspects of debate. This is to your advantage because if you can make an argument (however outlandish) and support it, and your opponents cannot refute it effectively, then you win that argument. I look for dropped arguments, but I also need the debaters to recognize when an argument has been dropped by the opposing team and to acknowledge it. For Varsity debaters, I expect that your arguments will consolidate down to whatever you think are your most important, win-able arguments.

I look at frameworks and impacts, so I include a comparison of the "affirmative world" vs the "negative world" in my consideration of how to vote. I also need you to weigh your impacts for me- tell me why your arguments are more important than the other team's.

I believe in the value and significance of debate, and therefore, I expect debaters to conduct themselves in a mature and respectful manner. Please be respectful of each other. If you ask a question, let your opponent answer- do not cut them off. No name-calling or shaming (yes, I have seen this in rounds, and it is very disappointing). Do not try to intimidate your opponent or the judge. This hostile behavior is very obvious and it will show up in your lackluster speaker points.

I understand that debaters may be nervous, and I am very sensitive to that. I don't generally dock speaker points for nervousness, but I will dock points for hostile behavior and attitude.

Make logical arguments that are clear and easy to understand. Please speak slowly - I can't handle speed. Be respectful to your opponents and do your best!

I am a parent/lay judge.

I will take notes and try my best to follow the debate and all arguments, but please do not speak too fast or use too much debate jargon.

I prefer well-warranted and logical arguments over card/evidence dumping. Please make arguments easy to follow.

BE RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS IN CROSS.

Hello Debaters,

I am a parent judge. I am fairly new to judging; I enjoy it every time I judge.

I learn along the way, so I ask you to please keep these few things in mind:

Please be courteous, Talk swiftly but clearly, do not be in a rush to put your point forward. Keep in mind that I come with a blank slate and I will listen to everything you throw at me. Do not Spread!

Help me understand you. I love to hear your point of view and I will let you go a few seconds or even a minute over if I feel your argument is valid.

Please be respectful of your opponents, especially during cross. I will judge you during cross for sure, about how respectful you have been towards your opponent and what is it that you are arguing about. Please let them finish. Keep a healthy debate going.

Happy Debating!! Good luck and Have fun

Hello! I am a parent judge. I love to see a good, polite debate. Please do not be rude to your opponents. I’d prefer that you do not speak super fast and utilize complicated language. Simplicity is key. Enunciate your words and speak clearly. A moderate speech with vivid language is definitely better than going rocket speed and spewing as many facts as you can. I will not know acronyms you use (such as THAAD). I’d prefer you say the entire thing or rather summarize it for me in layman’s terms. I like debaters that are able to think on their feet. I hope to judge a great round!

I don't pay attention during cross fire. Anything brought up in cross fire has to be brought up in the next speech for it to be weighed. All impacts need to be clearly stated.

Just speak clearly. Anything over 150 wpm will not be flowed.

I am a lay parent judge and have judged very few PF rounds before.

I prefer a normal speaking pace during speeches and crossfire.

I would also like speakers to provide an off-time roadmap before speeches and signpost during speeches.

I do not know much debate jargon.

Be courteous to each other throughout the round.

About Me: I am a new judge and new to debate in general. I know very little about the topics you are discussing so make sure to clearly state your arguments.

General Philosophy: Feel free to run any argument you want as long as you have evidence to support it. I will remain open-minded.

Rules: I am not very accustomed to the general rules of a debate round or the rules laid out by the tournament guidelines. If your opponent violates a rule, please bring it up respectfully and show the rule on the NSDA website.

Speaking: Please stand when you speak and speak with a loud clear voice. If I can’t understand what you are saying, I won’t accept it as an argument. Signposting would be preferred. Please do not spread. Be polite to your opponents or you will lose speaker points.

A parent judge with a few years of experience judging various tournaments and events. I care about presentation and the real-world impacts of your arguments.

Speaking skills/communications

New parent Judge. Arguments should be clear and easy to follow. Signposts are very helpful. Please remember that spreading is only effective if you are able to slow down for: key points of your position, taglines, and the switch between arguments/contentions. I prefer a claim/argument with a warrant over a mere random statistic with none. Please be respectful of your opponents in cross. I appreciate points and responses being backed with quantifiable impact statements where permissible. Please do not ask me to disclose results in preliminary rounds unless it is required by the tournament.

Online debate:

please paste the topic we are debating into the chat

please send a copy of your case/rebuttal (if using doc) to the email chain before your speech

TL;DR: I think I'm slowly becoming a flay judge :(

Taken directly from @Gabe Rusk for Emory 2022 (there are only two modifications, listed at the very bottom):

Drug Debate

FYI Emory's rules on prep and evidence exchange: 4 minutes of prep (RR is still 3) and"When requested, teams have one minute to produce evidence. If requests for multiple pieces of evidence are made, the exchange should occur in a comparable time frame. At the end of the minute, if the team cannot produce the evidence, preparation time for that team will then be used to locate that evidence. The team may choose to have the evidence dropped from the round if they choose."

First, the detailed implementation of the resolution isn't obvious. Whilst we can't offer plans in PF we can speculate on what is the most likely form of implementation. Legalization can take many forms and can be based on existing proposals in congress, based on state models, or even models abroad. If your argument is contingent upon a facet of legalization that is not reasonably inherent to the process please provide evidence and warranting to why this would be a likely feature. I.E. lobbying watering down regulations, substance abuse programs being mandated as a portion of tax revenue, therapeutic legalization for certain drugs only. These are all features that require additional support in my opinion and are not inherent to a generic legalization process. Just provide the evidence or warranting to why they would be likely. Also on the reverse please don't quip that legalization wouldn't look like that. Why? You need competing evidence or warranting to why that feature wouldn't be included.

Second, for the classic debate about price, use, and abuse. Both sides are trying to access increasing or decreasing trends as a result of the resolution. Do not. I repeat do not just throw back and forth case studies of prices going up or down. Use going up or down. Abuse going up or down. Compare them! Is one case study better than another? Do you have a meta study? Do you have a study that is most recent or longitudinal? I am especially not sympathetic to the lazy argument that "your evidence is just from a state or country that decriminalized so it's irrelevant to this debate. Legalization and decriminalization is different." Of course it is but legalization is the erasure of all penalties including criminal and civil within the regulations the governments set up. Explain to me why the distinction matters in this evidence debate and do not just say they are different. What if the evidence debate is close? What warranting makes more sense? This also gets to net or gross weighing of impacts. Y'all.... it can be simultaneously true that abuse, use, and prices go up and down but at different times or have total net differences. Please be clear on when these trends happen, why that matters in the short and long term, and more importantly what the net effects are.

Third, uncarded or unwarranted claims. Due to the rhetoric around this topic in the real world I have found judging rounds to be plagued with more asserted claims than with other topics. You can't just say LSD is bad. You can't just say weed is good. Provide evidence and warranting for claims just like you would other topics. There are a bunch of built in biases we have on topics but I think you are assuming based on decades of bad media and policy exposure there are claims that need no support on this topic. Maybe but it's rare. "We turned their LSD good argument because it's bad!" Ok this debate can be fruitful. Compare the studies? Are there meaningful differences in who was studied? When? Is there decent evidence on both sides? Engage the warranting. For example, you could explain to me biochemically what is going on in a brain that does heroin and why that creates a neurological and biochemical dependency cycle etc. Give me something to compare.

Big Things

• What I want to see: I'm empathetic to major technical errors in my ballots. In a perfect world I vote for the team who does best on tech and secondarily on truth. I tend to resolve clash most easily when you give explicit reasons why either a) your evidence is comparatively better but more often when you tell me why b) your warranting is comparatively better. Obviously doing both compounds your chances at winning my ballot.
• Weighing Unlike Things: I need to know how to weigh two comparatively unlike things. If you are weighing some economic impact against a non-economic impact like democracy how do I defer to one over the other? Scope, magnitude, probability etc. I strongly prefer impact debates on the probability/reasonability of impacts over their magnitude and scope. Obviously try to frame impacts using all available tools but it's less likely I will defer to nuclear war, try or die, etc on the risk of magnitude. Probability over magnitude debates unless I'm given well warranted, carded, and convincing framework analysis to prefer the latter.
• Weighing Like Things: Please have warrants and engage comparatively between yourself and your opponent. Obviously methodological and evidentiary comparison is nice too as I mentioned earlier. I love crossfires or speech time where we discuss the warrants behind our cards and why that's another reason to prefer your arg over your opponent.

Little Things

• What needs to be frontlined in second rebuttal? Turns. Not defense unless you have time. If you want offense in the final focus then extend it through the summary.
• Defense is not sticky between rebuttal and final focus. Aka if defense is not in summary you can't extend it in final focus. I've flipped on this recently. I've found the debate is hurt by the removal of the defense debate in summary and second final focus can extend whatever random defense it wants or whatever random frontlines to defense. This gives the second speaking teams a disproportionate advantage and makes the debate needlessly more messy.
• DA's in general or second rebuttal? You mean the borderline new contentions you are trying to introduce in the round that are tentatively linked at BEST to the existing arguments in the round order to time skew/spread your opponents thin? Don't push it too much.
• I will pull cards on two conditions. First, if it becomes a key card in the round and the other team questions the validity of the cut, paraphrasing, or explanation of the card in the round. Second, if the other team never discusses the merits of their opponents card the only time I will ever intervene and call for that evidence is if a reasonable person would know it's facially a lie.
• Calling for your opponent's cards. It should not take more than 1 minute to find case cards. Do preflows before the round.
• My favorite question in cx is: Why? For example, "No I get that's what your evidence says but why?"
• My favorite phrase in debate is: "Prefer our warrant or evidence because" or "comparing our warrants you prefer ours because..."

ONLY MODIFICATIONS

• I'm NOT familiar with kritical, theoretical, and/or pre-fiat based roads. Really wish I was though.
• I'd prefer if you don't spread, but if you do be prepared for the chance that I may not process all of it. Even with clearing or speech docs I'm not that fast anymore. And yes, speech docs will probably be necessary for accessibility and accommodation.

I have been a judging PF from 2018 onwards. I have judged varied tournaments from Novice to Varsity levels.

Present your story clearly.  My preference will be clarity over ambiguity.

I don't mind if you speak fast.

I also weigh based on maturity of the thought, clear communication and metrics relating to your argument

Teams must respectful of eachother.

Facts and evidence are the most important in a round.

I am a parent judge. I prefer clear and logical speech. Make sure you explain your argument very clearly. Respect your opponents. Please do not interrupt your opponents during crossfire.

I am a parent judge. I have judged policy debate for a few times. Please speak slowly and clearly.

Preamble:

Recent name change: all my paperwork still says America. My name is Junpei (pronounced JOON-pay)

Are you an LGBTQ+ debater or speaker? If you struggling in this activity, in school, or anywhere, I work for the San Mateo County Pride Center. Email me and I'm happy to support. (junpei@acs-teens.org)

Also, I don't have any flow paper, or flow pens. Yeah. I'm that judge now. Providing me with proper flow paper (legal sized thx) won't win my ballot, but it will win my heart.

~actual paradigm~

1. Do not use slurs in front of me. I will tank your speaks and quite likely find a reason to vote you down, particularly if your opponent critically turns your language. Run bigoted arguments and take the L. :) I'm not going to reward racism, ableism, sexism, queer-antagonism, etc.

2. Other than that, I am a flow judge. I like line by line argumentation. Clear signposting is always a benefit. I don't claim tabula rasa, because that probably isn't real because bias and intervention is likely inevitable in human communication. I'll do my best not to do work for either team, and am open to talking it out with teams post round to help keep me honest for future rounds.

3. I dislike but am not opposed to speed. I am open to speed theory.

4. If you are going to run a K, make sure you understand your own framework and your own lit base. K affs are NOT cheating.

5. Speaker points are awarded not on how "pretty" you talk, but rather on the technical accuracy of your debate. I do not care if you sit or stand, how you are dressed, etc. and it will not impact the debate in any way. Just don't be a jerk.

6. Impact calculus is key! Tell me why your impacts matter more, tell me why I should care about timeframe over magnitude. Tell me why probability does or does not factor in. Why do proximal impacts matter more?

7. IN PARLI, DO NOT TRUST ME TO PROTECT IN REBUTTALS. I'll do my best to catch it, especially in evidence based debate wherein I have access to cards. But in parli, call those points of order if necessary.

8. I will only use my own outside world knowledge if asked to evaluate two competing facts in the round. If everyone in the debate agrees that Japan is a country in Africa, I'll go with it. But if one team says Japan is a Pacific island nation near Asia, I'll be inclined to go with that knowledge.

9. I am fine with partner communication. You don't need to secretively whisper what you're feeding your partner. I will only flow the speaker, and not partner comments.

10. Since I keep getting asked; I do not default to competing interps or reasonability. Literally everything requires some amount of judge intervention. Tell me WHY I should prefer one over the other.

I base my judging on arguments that are supported by logical reasoning and extrapolation. Clear speech and a reasonable pace is preferred.

I'm a non-interventional judge. Debaters should advocate or reject the resolution in a manner clear to the non-specialist citizen judge.

Debaters are evaluated based on the quality of the arguments, logic and reasoning, utilization of evidence, clear communication, and flow. Debaters should not blindly denied opponent's arguments. No new arguments may be introduced in the Final Focus, however, debaters may include new evidence to support prior arguments.