I debated throughout high school, with a main focus on public forum. I am now an assistant debate coach in Utah. My decision will come off the flow, and I will vote for pretty much anything that is well warranted, as long as it falls within the confines of your event.

Things I’d Like to See:

1. Thoughtful responses. Please do not read off a novel of evidence, expecting me to automatically buy your claims. Use evidence as a supplement to actual argumentation.

2. Clear links. This relates to 1. If you have obscure evidence claiming a link, with no logic to back it up, I likely won’t buy or weigh it.

3. Impacts. Please weigh the impacts of each argument, and how your impacts are preferred. If you have frivolous arguments with no impacts, I likely won’t buy them.

4. Tell me who won. Use clear voters and give me a strong summary. Additionally, my decision is easier when you give line-by-line.

5. Smile every once in a while!

Things Not to Do:

1. Waste time. If you have sufficiently countered a point, or if a point holds little weight, please do not spend an entire rebuttal on it.

2. Spend entire speeches staring at a computer screen. While I weigh substance of the debate first, speaking ability/confidence/knowledge of the topic can give an advantage in determining close rounds.

3. Be disrespectful/patronizing towards opponents.

If you see me outside the round, I will be happy to provide feedback. Feel free to ask me more questions before the round, and any you might have after as well. Good luck, and have fun!

TABULA RASA - From the Latin for "blank slate". As a judge I attempt to come into the round with no predispositions. Basically, I expect the debaters to 'Debate it out'!

i.e. Don't rely on the status quo . . . Offer and support your contentions while attacking your opponent's.

2 years in Public Forum

2.5 years as an assistant debate coach for 2 different schools

Traditional mentality but understands progressive

I know policy very well and is my favorite event to judge, Speed is fine up to a point. I believe you can win without speed but the choice is yours. Do not feel limited in your range of strategies, I will understand what your talking about.

It's your round.

Big if true

I prioritize speaking clearly and slowly enough that it's understandable. I will vote based on persuasion and convincing evidence, and mostly consider realistic outcomes and impacts.

Graduated high school five years ago. Only did debate my senior year but I won most of the tournaments I attended and received two bids for nationals, thus don't change your case to appease a lay judge--I definitely know what's up.

I like passionate rounds; tell me why you (and consequently I) should care.

Please follow the flow. DONT DROP ARGUMENTS. On that note, no judge kick: tell me what you’re going for.

No card clipping.

I’ll vote on both tech and truth so tell me why I should value one over the other in the round.

I love intonation in voice. Also make sure you slow down and emphasize tags.

Best things you could do to win the round: be respectful to your partner and your opponents, clear impact calc, and (if you haven’t picked up on it yet) tell me WHY you win the round.

PSA: incorporate Beyonce into your case and there's a better chance you'll win the round. Let's have fun with it.

Good luck snitches.

BG:

Currently, I'm a radio news producer and have been for the last two years. Prior to kick-starting my career, I debated in college for 3 years, coached high school debate for 4 years, and competed in high school debate for 4 years.

I'm really up on current events, considering current events are my 9-5 and hobby. However, I love to learn new things and hear compelling and unique arguments.

In college, I competed in parliamentary debate. The best way to describe the event is like policy debate and extemporaneous speaking combined. I coached all forms of debate. And in high school, I did Oregon parliamentary debate and Public Forum.

What I like to see:

I'm a big fan of clash and having a clear flow. If I don't have it down on my paper, I'm less likely to vote for the argument. I'm a bit of a scatterbrain (thank you ADHD) so while I can keep up with a hoppy flow, I would prefer it keep it as clean as possible, for yours and my sake.

I enjoy strong impact and link debate and believe that's usually where the debate comes down to. When judging K debate, I believe framework and the impact debate are most important.

Additionally, I LOVE hearing arguments you wouldn't normally hear or go for. So, that wacky K or questionable disadvantage... free game. Debate isn't just about winning--I believe the fundamental point is learning and getting better at the craft. Try new things out when I'm your judge. I'll give you feedback and let you know how to make the case stronger for your next round.

I'm fine with speed, but will clear you if I have zero idea what you're saying. If I clear you or your opponent does more than twice, I would recommend just slowing down.

Disclaimer: I'm a fan of trigger warnings when talking about sensitive subjects such as sexual assault and suicide. I won't automatically dock you if you don't inform me that you'll be talking about this before the start of the debate, but I probably will have a sour look on my face.

As always, feel free to ask me any specific questions before the round and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

I prefer "conservative" cases (straightforward, followable arguments) and I am looking for a clear link-chain that is supported by quality evidence. Please state your arguments and conclusions very clearly.

I am a relatively new parent judge but am in a profession where I evaluate the quality of arguments every day. I am comfortable with both traditional and progressive arguments as long as they are clearly connected to evidence.

I insist upon professional and courteous decorum toward one's opponent(s) and all judges present.

I would like to be added to email chains, but I do not want to have to rely on written evidence or arguments to keep up your argument. If you speak too fast, I will say "clear."

Please include me on the email chain: jdutdebate@gmail.com

Do what you do best. I’m comfortable with all arguments. Practice what you preach and debate how you would teach. Strive to make it the best debate possible. I reward self-awareness, clash, good research, humor, and bold decisions. I will not tolerate language or behaviors that create a hostile environment. Please include trigger warnings for sexual violence. Feel free to ask me any questions you have before the round.

Specific things:

Speed - I'm comfortable with speed but please recognize that if you're reading typed blocks that are not in the speech doc at the same speed you are reading cards, there's a chance I will miss something because I can't flow every word you're saying as fast as you can say them. Slow down just a bit for what you want me to write down or include your blocks in the doc. I will say "clear" if you are not clear.

Topicality- I enjoy good topicality debates. To me good topicality debates are going to compare impacts and discuss what interp of the topic is going to be better for the debate community and the goals that are pursued by debaters.The goals and purpose of debate is of course debatable and can help establish which impacts are more important than others so make sure you're doing that work for me.

Counterplans- I enjoy creative counterplans best but even your standard ones will be persuasive to me if there is a solid solvency advocate and net-benny.

Theory - In-round abuse will always be far more persuasive to me than merely potential abuse and tricksy interps. I expect more than just reading blocks.

K- I really enjoy a good critical debate. Please establish how your kritik interacts with the affirmative and/or the topic and what that means for evaluating the round in some sort of framework. Authors and buzzwords alone will not get you very far even if I am familiar with the literature. I expect contextual link work with a fully articulated impact and alternative. If your K does not have an alternative, I will weigh it as a DA (that's probably non-unique).

Performance - All debate is a performance and relies on effective communication. If you are communicating to me a warranted argument, I do not care how you are presenting it.

I do college policy at Weber State University

email: jordanstephens2@mail.weber.edu

1. I will hear any argument you have. Just make sure it has a claim, warrant, and impact.

2. I do more performative arguments so I am not the best tech wise. I should be able to hear and understand your arguments no matter the debate.

3. Cross ex is important and I will consider the things you've said.

4. Do not be rude, racists, homophobic, ect. You can be mad, loud, soft, funny. Just do not be rude.

5. Last just have fun and learn something! Be passionate. Extra speaker points for the level of spiciness you bring to a debate.

I did LD predominantly in high school, also dabbled in policy. Did parli at the U of Utah for 2 years, and 3 years of policy at Weber State University. I predominantly made arguments about disability, but I have went for heg bad and Marx

Do whatever you're best at, I am not here to dictate content nor form.

I dont judge much anymore, so I am not super up on current changes in debate norms. That being said, i do still have predilections:

Explanation over extension, I am willing to vote off 1 major arg that frames the entirety of a debate over 10 super quick extensions of a card.

I'll believe terminal defense of "they have no internal link between securtizing rhetoric of the internet and thermonuclear war" if you are unable to explain the link between those two things. Just becasue I know a lot of K lit doesn't mean I will do the work for you.

Slowing down helps everyone. I'll tell you when I cant understand, and you will have to adapt. Giving me typing or pen time (espescially on theory) is super important.

I'd prefer to watch a more substantial debate than just theory, but do you. That being said, I dont judge too much theory so you might not always like my deciscion. I default reasonability, but its not that hard to win competeing interps. The more fleshed out warrants you give me the more likely I am to vote for you

Go for less, going for a CP, DA, K and a FW is a lot for an NR and gives the aff a lot of leeway to poke holes in stuff. Going for just a DA allows me to evaluate that much easier versus the aff. The same can be said for the aff, go for less.

I will compare the NR to the 2AR as to the story told and compare arguments. If there is something neither debater can answer, I'll start thinking back to earlier rebuttals and constructive, possibly call for cards, and then try to make a deciscion.