I am a parent judge and I have done judging for PF debate for three years now. I would appreciate if the speakers go between normal pace and fast pace (not too fast) while speaking so I could follow the content and take notes. Also please remember to remain respectful (super important) during CX. I like to follow the guidelines for PF and also expect the participants to do so. I will not take notes / count the arguments that are done past the time limit.

As far the arguments go, I would like to see a convincing argument that justifies the impacts put forth. I weigh evidence and analytics equally. In rebuttal try to explain which of your opponent's contention you are going against instead of just making an argument. Final focus should not have new arguments. At the end, I make my decision based on what came through the flow and what arguments stand.

Good luck to all the contestants.

JUDGING PARADIGM

Franklin Billerbeck

Public Forum

Public Forum is exactly that: a public forum. As a forum conducted in front of the public, the judge’s role is to be that public. The public consists of people of all walks of life, all ages, and all political and religious beliefs. The judge should suspend his or her preconceived notions on the issue and listen to what is presented – while retaining knowledge common to the general public and the knowledge a judge needs to have e.g., the rules governing the debate tournament. The debater ought to assume the public has limited knowledge of the debate topic and little to no knowledge of debate terminology or rules. Speed MUST be that which would be clearly understood by the general public – which would include those who may be slightly hard of hearing. Signposting must be clear (the general public would likely not be taking notes, leave it to be a flow). A clear introduction and conclusion is needed for each speech (and they are timed). Roadmaps (otherwise known as preview statements) are part of a speech introduction and are timed. Overall presentation (both oral and non-verbal) is part of judging just as it is part of public debate – it impacts the speaker’s credibility (ethos). Sources need to be qualified e.g., Smith 2019 gives me no reason to believe the evidence because as far as I know Smith could be your garbage collector who has no technical subject matter expertise. All rounds need to be conducted in a “gentlepersonally” (to be non-sexist) manner. I want to know what the assumptions are, and I listen carefully for clear reasoning devoid of fallacies. Evidence should meet the tag (should does not mean will), and I must consider the likelihood of something happening – yes, the ceiling in the room may fall down and kill us but how likely is that to happen.

Lincoln-Douglas

Delivery should be understood by the average person e.g., the voters (remember the context of the original debates). Your audience is the average voter in the United States. Non-verbal elements of delivery count. Evidence should be qualified and tags must match the evidence. I need to know your assumptions and why I should favor your position over that of your opponent. Rounds should be “gentlepersonally.”

Educator who prefers a clear thesis aligned with supporting evidence and clearly defined terminology. Bonus for a healthy mix of logos, pathos, and ethos delivered at a pace that does not resemble a tongue twister... Stickler for the times. Relatively new to the world of debate.

Speed and Delivery

1. It is the debater's responsibility to get arguments, facts, and warrants into my brain through their speeches. I do not want to be on any email chains for evidence or speeches. I do not want to review evidence after the round unless I have to because there are serious accusations or something.

2. While I think high school performance debates are often executed poorly (though when they're great they're great), I have become convinced by the logic of performance debate: that how we perform is at least as important as the content of our performances, possibly more. A good performance is subversive and persuasive, and even when you are focusing on argumentation, you should know that everything you do is performative and you should try to maximize the potential of your performance in debate.

3. Taglines and citations and the internal warrants of cards must be clear as a freaking bell if you want them on my flow. Usually that means you need to slow down your entire speech significantly. And it means that not only should these elements be spoken slower, but they should be spoken with more force.

4. Jargon (debate jargon, political jargon, topic-specific jargon, undefined philosophical terms, acronyms of any kind) is difficult to follow and rhetorically bad for political and philosophical arguments. I'm a big fan of George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language."

5. Probably just stop trying to spread. You can speak fast when you're intentionally trying to persuade the judge rather than outpace your opponent.

Overall

I try to be unbiased, but I realize that inevitably personal biases affect how we hear arguments. So I'll try to disclose some of mine. I debated Policy through high school and competed in nearly every forensics event (though there are several new ones since then). I studied English and Political Science in college. I love debate as a program and speech an art form and skill.

I don't like it when debaters pander to my preferences, especially when they venture into arguments they are unfamiliar with to do so.

Argument Preferences

Policy:

I enjoy kritiks more than traditional policy making analysis. I don't think topicality is an instant win for the negative (or the affirmative, for that matter), nor do I think it should be used as a time-suck. If you go for topicality, prove to me that it's a voter. Just after high school, I would have said that impact calculation is extremely important to my ballot, but I've become skeptical of the scale high school debates sometimes get to. Make a persuasive case for how I should evaluate the round.

Lincoln Douglas:

I want the debate to be about moral philosophy--not policy making. The last time I judged LD, I had a strong sense that it needs to figure out what it is. Is it solo Policy or does it have a unique identity? If you have a strong case that it should be something specific, I want you to demonstrate it winningly.

Public Forum:

More than other debates, public forum should be an exercise in communication. It should be an accessible, expressive forum to sort out political ideas. Other than that, just persuade me. Please make the final focus a 1-2 argument articulation of the most important reasons you should win the debate--not a line-by-line of the flow. If you need to clean something up on the flow, do it in the summary. I recognize that there's just not time to debate PF like Policy or LD, so I will not be as reliant on what arguments were covered/extended in my decisions.

Some Logistics

I expect you to know the rules, not me. Please time yourselves if possible, though it's no big deal if I need to time.

Personal Notes

Here are some random facts about me: I'm a Mormon, a Democrat, a father, a feminist, a teacher, a healthcare IT professional, and a poetry nerd. I don't expect any of these identities to affect me greatly in the round, but they exist, and you should be aware of how they affect my perception of politics.

I was a PF debater in high school, have been judging for years and have recently started coaching.

PF: I am a flow judge and like to see a clean line-by-line in rebuttal. Be sure you are not only responding to the argument your opponents' present but also the impact. Tell me why they can't access their impact in rebuttal. In summary, you should begin tying up any loose ends and begin to weigh. Tell me why your opponents can't access their impacts or why your impacts are bigger and better. Lives are a good default impact that is easy to compare. Final focus should be almost entirely voters. Give me 2 or 3 good reasons why I should vote for you. Don't make final focus a mini rebuttal. A good final focus does go over the entire round or every argument. Only focus on what you think you're winning. In terms of framework, unless one is proposed by either team I will default to util. In summary and final focus, tell me how your arguments/impacts align with the framework and why your opponents aren't meeting the framework.

LD: I have less experience in LD but will be able to follow more complex arguments. Be sure to talk about impacts explicitly and how they align to your value and criterion. Focus on the topic at hand, not the nature of debate or how your opponent is debating, except if they are being discriminatory. I am a flow judge through and through. Spend time developing clear answers to values and impacts that your opponent brings up and counter any arguments brough up against your case. A lot of LD arguments can become convoluted so take time to be clear so I have a clear understanding of what you are trying to say.

Speed: I can understand speed, but the faster you talk the less I will write down. As a flow judge, talking incomprehensibly or too fast could be detrimental to your success in the round.

Roadmaps: I won't time your roadmaps as long as you identify them as roadmaps before you start talking. Keep them brief. Don't waste time by saying that the order will be con then pro during first rebuttal. If you are going to talk about specific arguments identify those in your roadmap.

Also if it sounds like you can't breath, you're talking too fast.

Overall: Be civil. Don't yell at your opponents, partner or me.

Background:I did 4 years of high school PF debate, but I haven't judged in a few years. I judge on the flow.

He/him/his

LD:

I have no experience with LD, and little knowledge of the rules or conventional arguments. I'm receptive to progressive arguments, but just be sure you explain it so I can understand it, and don't assume I know too much.

Policy:

Hi! If you're in policy and you have been informed that I am your judge there has been a grave mistake, which, if not corrected, we will regret.

THE ROUND:

Your Performance:

I'm okay with speed. I like speed. I love speed. It's not a requirement by any means, but it makes judging a round much more interesting and can allow for better debate.

First and foremost your opponent is a human being. If you can't beat them while treating them with respect, you don't deserve to win.

Signpost.

Arguments:

If you don't flow an argument through summary, I cannot weigh it in final focus.

You don't need to flow all defense through summary, but you might want to flow through defense on significant turns and arguments. Ultimately your choice.

I'm fine with theory in some cases. If an argument is abusive or people are making the debate space unwelcome feel free to call that out and tell me it's a reason to drop an argument or team.

Outside of that ^ it'll be difficult to persuade me theory is appropriate.

If you have a non-default framework (ie, if you're not running a simple util cost-benefit analysis) say it at the top of your constructive.

Plans and counterplans are against the rules in PF. Don't run them. And don't disguise a counterplan as an "alternative" or your "advocacy". You must show probability in order to access an argument.

Link chains are paramount. Demonstrate their robust probability and you'll do well. Strong link chains are far better and more impressive than finding a link into nuclear war or some other catastrophic impact.

For gods sake weigh the round well. It's more stressful for me and more frustrating for you if I have to figure it out on my own.

In summary and final focus Line-by-line and grouping into voters are both acceptable options.

Recency doesn't matter unless you explain why it matters.

Meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews > 1 or 2 studies.

Cross:

I'm paying attention in cross, but not that much. It doesn't go on my flow. If your opponent makes a concession you want me to make note of please mention it in the following speech.

Evidence:

If you cite a card, you should be able to produce the card with context within 15-20 seconds. I don't run prep while people find evidence, but it just looks bad.

I only call cards if I'm asked by either team, and only if the card actually matters

Cite the author, year, and their qualifications if you can. It's much more compelling than citing an outlet (ie "according to CNN")

Speaker Points:

My mind is a mystery machine. It is a black box which even I do not pretend to understand. Your performance goes in, your speaker points come out. Is it consistent? No. Is it fair? I dunno. Speaker points are iffy to begin with.

if you have any questions come find me or email me at kannen32@uwm.edu

do it, you won't

I'm relatively new to judging, so speed is an issue to keep in mind. I prefer hearing an argument that reflects your clear understanding of the issue, rather than a dashed-off attempt at box-ticking. Of course, if your opponents raise a point, I expect you to address it. Within the bounds of civility, I prefer you be direct and assertive in confronting an opposing argument before going on to provide new reasons to support your position.

My limited experience also means that I am not as familiar with some of the technical terms and slang in competitive debate. A brief discussion of my background is therefore probably of greater value to you than me trying to ferret out what it means to be a "Kritik".

I'm a 2nd-year law student at UW, where I'm particularly enjoying courses in tax, contracts, and administrative law. I also hold an MA in economics. Thus, I suspect I am more sympathetic to consequentialist/policy arguments than some, though this does not negate the need for them to be based on true premises. Relatedly, I prefer data over speculation.

Despite my status as a law student, appeals to authority bore me. I'd rather you try and fall a bit short with something creative than rely on a trite argument. Obviously, you must still demonstrate an understanding of this issue.

I look forward to providing a fair experience as I develop my experience as a judge. If at any point I make a mistake or am not familiar with one of the more technical details, don't be afraid to raise it--it won't count against you!

I did four years of extemp, congress, and public forum in Wisconsin and nationally for James Madison Memorial High School. I like to see reasonable speaking speed, argument clash, argument weighing, evidence weighing, and concise summary/final focus speeches. Use crossfire wisely to ask questions rather than make statements.

Please include me in the email chain: pareek2@wisc.edu

Background:

I debated policy for one year, LD for around two years, and PF for one year. I have debated mostly in the Wisconsin circuit but I have competed in the national circuit a few times.

LD Paradigm:

-Framework is crucial in LD because it allows the judge to assess the debate from a particular perspective. Also, if the frameworks are the same on both sides, that does not mean the framework debate is over! It is still your job to evaluate it and argue why you are upholding your framework better.

- Speed is totally OK, as long as you enunciate. If I cannot understand what you are saying, I will stop flowing. It is not up to me nor the opponent to try to make out what you are arguing. Please slow down when reading tags.

- Signposting and roadmapping is very important

- Don't be rude in round. It isn't cool, and your speaker points will be docked. Any kind of racist, sexist, and other -ists will not be tolerated.

- I'm a big fan of impacts and voters

-I will listen to any argument as long as it is debated thoroughly and is articulated properly

Speaker Points:

I'll give you high speaks if you spoke clearly, were organized, and remained respectful in round.

Timing:

- I will keep track of time, but it is also up to you to time yourself.

I did PF for all 4 years of high school, so I'm okay with some speed, just make sure to enunciate. Don't spread. Signposting specific contention numbers is a plus. If you can't disprove someone else's impacts, outweigh them.

I don't flow crossfires, but I do listen to them. If you think something important happened in CX, bring it up in the next speech.

Don't talk/whisper to your partner during their CX or speech. It sounds like a no-brainer, but I've seen it happen enough that I need to say something.

Peter Rehani

UPDATED 11/15/19: Clarified evidence policy and paradigm comprehension reward.

UPDATED 5/25/19 for NCFL NATIONALS SPECIFICALLY: Regarding prep time, I will allow 10 seconds for teams to find cards under the requester’s prep time; after that, I will consider it an abuse of prep time and therefore it will not count.

PF TLDR: Heavily flow based judge. My biggest voters rely on extensions and clash in the round. Weigh and define the voters in the final focus. If you have a framework, I expect you to explain why you win under that framework (similarly, if your opponent's provide a framework, weigh under that too). Signpost. Signpost. Signpost.

Congress TLDR: I try to weigh speaking style equally for debate--for debate, I look for clash, extension, and clear reference back to previous speakers. Avoid rehash at all costs, else you will end up on the bottom of my ballot. Speak clearly and ensure that your speeches are clear and well structured.

I strongly encourage you to read this thoroughly. PLEASE ASK ME BEFORE THE ROUND IF SOMETHING IS UNCLEAR TO YOU. I will gladly answer any questions before the round (or after the round). I will try my absolute best to justify my decisions to you (debaters!) during PF disclosure, and if I'm not communicating in a way that you understand, it is YOUR responsibility speak up and let me know.

PF Paradigm:

• If the tournament doesn't explicitly disallow plans and both teams agree before the round to allow plans, feel free to run a plan-based debate if the topic calls for it. I find it more educational.
• In the case of an evidence question being called, I default to tournament rules; barring specific guidelines from the tournament (if tournaments require prep to be run), my policy is to begin prep as soon as the opposing team provides the exact location of the reference. All citations should include dates. Paraphrasing is a realistic way to get more evidence on the flow, but you shouldn't be using evidence as your argument -- they are there to supplement and support your arguments. Otherwise I default to not running prep for evidence exchange.
• If it's not in the final focus, it's not a voter.
• I appreciate effective crossfire, however I don't flow it unless you explicitly tell me to write something down, like a specific concession (hint: you should do this, explicitly say "write that down").
• I am inclined to reward good communication with speaker points and a mind more receptive to your arguments.
• Outside of the fact that the 2nd overall speech is allowed to just read case, I expect FULL case/off-case coverage in EVERY speech starting with the 2nd rebuttal (4th overall speech) -- i.e. extend everything that you want weighed. The 1st rebuttal (3rd overall speech) doesn't need to extend case -- they just need to refute the opposing case.
• Exception to the above: Framework. If you're speaking second, don't wait until 15 minutes into the round to tell me your framework. You're obligated to make those arguments in case. I vastly prefer to see framework at the top of all speeches, as it provides structure and a lens to understand your arguments--if you wait 1:30 into summary to discuss framework, it's likely that I'll lose it on the flow.
• For rebuttal, my general preference for the sake of sanity in organization is concise, top down, line by line responses. I feel that this is often the best way to ensure that you get through everything in the case. Rebuttal does not have to repeat everything, but should provide organized responses. Please signpost.
• I am very likely not the judge you want if you're running a non-canonical strategy, like a "kritik". I am an engineer and I have a fairly rigid policymaker paradigm.
• I don't flow anything called an "overview". Overviews are heuristic explanations to help me make sense of the round. Please don't expect to generate offense off of an overview.
• I'm fine if you'd like to time yourselves with an alarm; however, for the sake of common courtesy, please turn this off if you plan to time your opponents.
• I am inclined to give bonus speaker points if I see an effort to "read me" as a judge, even if you read me wrong. Cite my paradigm if you need to. Learning to figure out your audience is a crucial life skill. On a related note: if you use the secret word 'lobster' in your speech, I will give you and your partner a metaphorical 0.5 extra speaker points, since it means you read my philosophy thoroughly. This applies to LD too.
• I generally prefer debates I'd be able to show to a school administrator and have them be impressed by the activity rather than offended or scared.
• Please give me voter issues in the final focus. Weigh if at all possible. When I weigh for you, hell breaks loose. I cannot stress this enough.

Congress Paradigm:

• I try to judge congressional debate through as balanced a lens as possible--this means I tend to value speaking quality equally to the quality of your debate abilities.
• Typically, the biggest reason that I knock speakers down comes from non-original arguments/causing rehash in the debate. I feel that this decreases the quality of the debate and fundamentally mitigates the educational benefits of congressional debate.
• Regarding roleplay of a true Congress, I think it adds a bit of humor to the debate and leads to more engaged speakers.
• On the note of questioning, I prefer when students keep questions as concise as possible to avoid burying the speaker in a mountain of jargon.
• Clash and extension (similar to my PF paradigm) are my biggest factors on the debate side--please please please introduce clash and cite the speaker that you are extending or clashing. It helps to follow the flow of the argument as you speak, and it demonstrates you're actually paying attention.
• The later you speak in cycle, the more clash I expect to see and I judge on that metric. Similarly, I strongly dislike having 2 speeches on the same side, as it often leads to rehash. If you are speaking for the second time on the same bill, I look more closely for unique arguments and extended clash, and tend to judge these speeches slightly more harshly.
• Extension of questioning time often leads to less speeches getting in, and ultimately means that less people get a chance to speak. For this reason, I'm typically opposed to having students extend their questioning periods.
• For later cycle, I don't mind crystallization speeches but I do expect to see weighing and clear reference back to previous speakers.
• As stated above, your evidence is not your argument--It serves to support your argument.
• Speaking: gestures and clear movements add to structure and to the quality of your speech. Gesturing for the sake of gesturing, and non directed movements do not. I tend to prefer when speakers keep it simple with the style instead of over-complicating everything.
• For authorships, sponsorships, and first negs, I tend to look at fluency breaks and time more critically, as these are speeches that should be well rehearsed ahead of time.
• I view a logical argument that flows well to be on par with literal evidence from a perspective of supporting your arguments. This means that 1-you shouldn't be afraid to use logic in your speeches and 2-evidence debates will not hold up for me.

Hello, my name is Griffin Schauer. I have been involved with debate since I was in high school here in Wisconsin, where I competed all four years in Public Forum (2008-2012). Currently, I am the debate coach for Menomonee Falls High School, and I have judged PF about 3-4 times a year since starting in that role last season. I am also a high school social studies teacher, teaching US History and Economics at the 10th and 12th grade levels, respectively.

In regards to speaking pace, I would label my preference as a “moderate” speed. The biggest concern I have is that speaking too quickly will result in missed information/evidence, which is crucial in determining rounds. You need to get through your speeches at an appropriate pace (which as a PFer myself, I greatly understand the need/desire to cram as much information in as possible), however if I can’t understand what was said, I can’t flow it through the round. I will not give any cues about pace/speed, however I always give a 5 second grace period after the time for a speech has expired. (Additionally, if crossfire ends time on a question, I will allow the asked person to either answer within a reasonable length, or defer to their team’s next speech).

The predominant factor in my evaluation of a round is the quality of arguments presented, as well as the quality of evidence used to support them. I don’t watch a debate to have a show put on as entertainment, but rather to see true engagement in the topic and its argumentation, as well as the learning that comes along with that.

The final focus of a round should be a summative crystallization of the round itself and why your team has won it. Talk about your flows, review your arguments, and show me why I will be balloting your team as the winner. This is not the time to start anything new, add in new insight, or change up ideas from before.

Any argument that is designed to win the round should be flowed all the way through to summary speeches (it is also great to rehash them in final focus, but not expand upon/change them during that time). If your opponents truly drop an argument/contention, you may reference that in later speeches, but opponents still have a chance to bring that up again in their response/rebuttal. In other words, unless your opponent completely drops a point and never references it again, do not make arguments out of “my opponents didn’t bring this up…” if they still respond in a later speech with the necessary argument/contention. Just like in sports, sometimes pointing at a penalty and screaming that it is one over and over doesn’t always make it so.

I would weigh analytics and evidence equally. You need good evidence, but you also need to explain/analyze/connect that evidence to your arguments as a whole. Evidence quotes without sufficient analysis/explanation are just soundbites.

Overall, my perfect round shows respect, sportsmanship, and engagement above all else. Respectful conduct and sportsmanship means controlling tone of voice (I know the difference between being passionate and being aggressive), allowing for ALL voices to be heard, and ending every round with a handshake. Even though you may disagree with this, your learning and engagement in this activity is far more important than who wins and loses, and that all starts with your preparation and composure. The round should go back and forth and focus on the substance of arguments and evidence, not playing games of meta-debate. The winner of that round will, ideally, be the team that convinced me more by the way they connect arguments and evidence to the resolution as a whole. Framework plays a key part in all of this, so make sure to establish one early and connect your arguments and evidence to it. The framework should be your case’s skeleton, not just a cherry on top.

For all categories of debate I follow the clean slate paradigm. Everyone starts on equal ground, with nothing against them/their side. As a former policy debater, I do put more weight on evidence and statistics, but am still very accepting of logical statements/arguments. For example, if a speaker does not have a physical piece of paper with a statement from a source telling me that experiencing a drought is going to have a negative effect on a farmer's crops, I have no intention on penalizing that speaker in any way, or not believing the clearly logical statement that was just made.

I also do not believe, in any way, that any resolution in any category can lead to nuclear war or extinction. If any speaker/team runs either of these arguments with me, there is a very good chance of that speaker/team losing the round.

I can be ok with speed as long as I can understand your words. If you go too fast and are too garbled, I cannot flow you.

Lastly, I am a judge who WILL dock speaker points for poor decorum. Watch your language and check your attitude and/or sarcasm at the door!

Anton Shircel

Coaching:
Assistant coach/judge for Sheboygan South from 2004-2006
Assistant/Head coach Neenah from 2006-2010
Assistant coach Waukesha South 2012-2014
Head Coach Sheboygan North High School 2014-Present

High School Experience:
Policy debater at Sheboygan South for four years (1998-2002)
Debated Novice, JV, Varsity 4, and VSS
Participated in Forensics, Mock Trial, and Student Congress

Public Forum Philosophy: Traditional
Speed: This format is geared towards having citizen judges. Speed should reflect a quick-paced conversation. Clarity and enunciation is paramount in understanding the arguments. I shouldn't need to follow a transcript of your speech to understand what you are saying.

Framework: This is a key point that needs to be made in the first speeches. The pro/con need to show the framework of how they achieve a win for the round. This needs to be clearly stated and then proven in their contentions. A lack of framework shows a lack of focus. If for some reason that there isn't a framework, my default one would be a basic Utilitarian framework.

Off Case Arguments: I am not a fan of kritiks, theory, and other off-case arguments in a public forum round. Look, I am not going to write it off on my own. The opposition still needs to address it. However, it will not take much beyond a basic abuse argument for me to cross it off the flow.

Role of Summary & Final Focus: At this point, the arguments have been stated. Each side should be weighing the different positions and showing why they are ahead on the flow. The summary is also the point where there should be strategic choices made on collapsing or kicking contentions/arguments.

Policy Debate Philosophy: Policy Maker
Speed: My preferred rate of speed is about medium to medium-high. I don't mind a faster round, however I ask that tags be slowed down to indicate a change in cards/arguments. Related to that, I tend to prefer fewer/well-constructed arguments to a melee of short/under-developed arguments. As far as open-cross examination, I am not against it. However, both sides must be okay with the situation.

Topicality: I am not the biggest fan of topicality. There must be a clear violation of the affirmative for me to consider voting. I like a structured t debate with clear standards, etc. and competing definitions. I see topicality as an a priori issue that I vote on first in the round.

Counterplans: I think counterplans are a great negative strategy. There needs to be a clear Counterplan Text and some sort of competitiveness. I am not the biggest fan of topical counterplans. Perms need to be explicit as well so that there is no vagueness.

Kritiks: I am a fan of kritks, but the negs need to make sure they understand them. It looks bad if the neg stumbles/contradicts themselves in the cross-examinations. Also, I need a clear alternative/world view from the negatives if they hope to have me vote on it at the end of the round. Again, perms need to be clear and explicit and show that competitiveness does not exist.

Theory: Theory is not the end-all of the rounds for me. I tend to look at rounds as real-world. Some theory would be needed at times such as perms/topicality but should only be used as support to an argument and not as an argument itself.

Lincoln Douglas Philosophy: Traditional
Speed: My preferred rate of speed is about medium to medium-high. I don't mind a faster round, however I ask that tags be slowed down to indicate a change in cards/arguments. Related to that, I tend to prefer fewer/well-constructed arguments to a melee of short/under-developed arguments.

Whole Res Vs. Plan Specific Cases: I prefer whole resolution debates. If I wanted a plan-specific case, I would be judging policy.

Counterplans: See my thoughts on plan-specific cases above. The same holds true for negative positions that go plan-specific.

Theory: It should be an essential aspect of your position. However, I do not enjoy when it falls into the theory of debate itself.

Background: I have a bachelor's degree in English education and have been teaching language arts at Sheboygan North High School for 20 years. I have coached debaters in policy, Lincoln-Douglass and public forum for 17 years, including multiple state champions. My school's emphasis is on public forum.

It is best if you think about me as a fairly well-informed member of the public to get my ballot.

As far as public forum, I appreciate being given a clear framework to weigh the impacts and other voters in the round.

Debate is an activity of communication, and speed is not effective communication. Public forum is about persuading the average American voter that your stance on the resolution is the best one.

All judges, coaches and debaters who promote speed/spread should reflect on the damage it is doing to the accessibility of the activity to prospective debaters and schools wishing to start a debate program. More skill is demonstrated by honing your arguments down to the point that they can be effectively presented in the allotted speech time rather than racing through myriad of contentions that are under-developed. Speed is not progressive; it is destroying this valuable activity.

That stated, I will listen to any arguments debaters wish to run and the speed at which they choose to speak them, even if that is not how anyone anywhere else ever speaks.

Clash is good.

Adjusting to the judge is good.

Extending your arguments with evidence and not just analytical arguments is good...but analytical arguments are also good.

I believe the rebuttals are often pivotal speeches in the entire round. I reward good ones and blame bad ones for losses, often.

Finally, despite what some public forum judges may tell you, it is not possible, in my mind, to drop arguments in pf. If it was stated, it's on my flow. You don't have to go over every single argument in every single speech for me to continue to consider it. But if an opponent fails to address a key idea, certainly point that out.

traasatae@yahoo.com

I am a retired debate coach (also coached speech and theatre), who for over 25 years coached Policy Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate, and once it became a debate event Public Forum debate. It can be assumed that simply due to my longevity that I am just a dinosaur judge… but I do not think that completely articulates the type of judge that you will have in the back of this round.

My first premise is to always attempt be a tabula rasa adjudicator, given the constraints of sound debate theory. That being said, I will not be drawn into some absurd games-playing paradigm by debaters attempting to belittle the educational expectations of this academic activity. Bottom line – I believe this is still the best activity any student can be involved in to best prepare themselves to be a better citizen.

Public Forum – I still feel that this style of debate should be accessible to anyone and everyone. Thus, I would expect it to be understandable, organized and cordial. Also, I feel it should be free of what I call blip arguments. (ex. I despise one-word framework blips like “Framework – Util”) I am sorry, but if you want me to specifically exercise my decision process through a specific framework – you certainly need to define and develop that concept. I also believe Public Forum debaters and the debate itself benefit from good ethos. So, what am I looking for in a good round of PF? Sound argument(s), clash, good refutation and solid summation. In the end, if there are good standing impacts on both sides of the debate – I expect the final focuses do a thorough impact calculus. (Don’t make me do the work, that is your responsibility as a debater, not mine as the judge.) Do not be afraid to ask me questions before you start, I am willing to clarify anything that you may have questions about.

Lincoln Douglas – I have always loved value-based debates! That being said, I am not sure that LD is still this type of debate. So, understand that when I become grumpy when an LD round turns into a policy debate – I am not grumpy with you the debaters, but more so the direction that this high-speed vehicle is headed. (Believe it or not, back when this style of debate was introduced, it also was meant to be an accessible style of academic debate for the public.) More than anything else, I dislike the incorporation of policy debate language, but not necessarily defined the same in LD. I am often still shocked with plantext in LD, specifically when the resolution does not specifically demand or require action. I do understand that over these decades LD resolutions have moved to more policy-oriented proposals but bear with this old man and understand that I still appreciate weighing an LD round through value-premise based arguments. Additionally, I have always felt that most legitimate arguments in LD are critical at their fundamental level, thus I am often unsure how a “K” is to be weighed in the round but do expect to be informed by the debaters. (once more, I expect the debaters to do the work, not to leave it to me) Again, do not be afraid to ask me questions before you start, I am willing to clarify anything that you may have questions about.

- At this point, let me explain… I think the greatest sin that a judge can commit is to intervene. As a judge, I will keep a thorough flowchart, and will make my decision based on what is on my flow. If it is not on my flow, that is not my fault. I will not do the work for you. I NEVER flow CX or crossfire. If you want it on my flow, it better be in a speech proper. As far as rate of delivery, I believe that as long as you are understandable, I will be able to follow you. If I find you incomprehensible, I will tell you so (oftentimes in the form of vocally shouting “clearer”), but if I have to do that, you can bet that you are losing ethos points on my flow. My non-verbal language is pretty loud and clear, thus making sure that I am following your logic or argumentation is still your part of this communication process. Therefore, keep an eye on me, and you should be able to tell that I am following you. I find it silly when debaters tell me before they begin to speak – “I will now give you a non-timed roadmap” in Public Forum or LD. My PF and LD flows are on a single piece of paper… I have always equated “roadmap” in debate with Policy debate and placing the 5 to 8 pages of the full flow in the correct order for the speech that I am about to hear. And then I still expected to be told when to move from one page of a flow to another. Thus – a roadmap in PF or LD, I would expect to take less than a couple of seconds and find it just silly that I need to be told that the roadmap is to be non-timed. (all 3 to 5 seconds of it.) I feel awkward and uncomfortable about the “additional tech time”. (Until organizations identify specific “tech time” to include into the round, I often feel it is still using someone’s prep time, and am uncomfortable just adding additional time to the round and making sure it is fully applicable to everyone involved.)

Policy - It has been a while since I have judged policy debate, and that time makes me feel inadequate to judge a good VCX round. But if the situation arises, I will do my best to be a quality judge. In policy world, I am much more a policymaker than stock judge. I appreciate theory and believe it can still be the mechanism to weigh all issues in a policy round. I am a bit of a purist, in the fact that I still expect anyone running a critical argument or a performative position, to be fully committed to that argument or position. (I WILL vote for a performative contradiction). Otherwise, making sure it is on my flow and that I understand the argument will go a long way to winning my ballot. I do not like reading evidence, that is not my job, if you require me to read the ev, you are not fully doing your job. Everything else… just ask me before you start, I am willing to clarify anything that you may have questions about.

Email for fileshare:

umstotd@elmbrookschools.org

Don't postround me. I judge on what I heard in the round and nothing you say after the round will change my ballot. If you do choose to postround me I will walk out of the room and give you the lowest speaks possible for the tournament. You may email me with questions after the round provided your adult coach is CCed on the email.

POLICY
Three years policy debate experience, head coach at Brookfield Central High School.

I'm a tabula rasa judge, but if you don't tell me what to vote on, I'll fall back to which is the better policy based on impact calculus. Do the impact calculus for me, unless you want me to do it myself.

I'm not a fan of Topicality. I'll hear it, and I'll flow it, but you must convince me that it's a voter and your definition can't be absolutely ridiculous.

I love Counterplans, as I was a CP-heavy debater myself. Kritiks are fine, but give me a clear alternative and make sure that you explain your K well.

You can speed, but not through tags or analytic arguments. I need to be able to flow. I'll tell you if you're speaking too quickly for me.

Use roadmaps and signposting. It makes it easier for me to flow, and better for you if I can understand the debate.

Clash is by and large one of the most important things in a debate for me. You'll keep my attention and get much higher speaker points.

I like real-world impacts. You might have a hard time convincing me of global extinction. Be smart when it comes to impacts and make sure they realistically link.

Open C-X is fine, but don't go overboard. Keep in mind that it's your partner's C-X, and if you use all of it, I will dock you speaker points.

New in the 2 - I'm okay with this I suppose...but with this in mind, the Affirmative is definitely free to run theory on this if the 2N is just trying to spread the Aff out of the round by saving their entire offense for the 2NC.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS
First and foremost, I evaluate the framework. However, even if you lose the framework, that doesn't mean you've lost the round. Prove your case can fit under your opponent's framework. If I can still evaluate your case under your opponent's framework, I can still buy your case. As far as the contention debate goes, I don't necessarily buy that you have to win every contention to win the contention debate. You don't have to take out all of your opponent's contentions, either. Focus on impacts. Focus on weighing your case against your opponent's case, and how each contention provides the best example of the value. The team who provides the most evidence that shows affirming/negating will benefit society (through either value) more will win the debate.

I welcome CPs, Ks, and ROTBs, as long as you are running them because YOU understand them, not because you think your opponent WON'T. The point of debate is education, and running a tricky K in a convoluted way to confuse your opponent won't win you a ballot in front of me. Be clear and contribute to the education of debate. I prefer that you don't spread too much in LD. Although I do judge policy as well, and can flow most speed, it's not my preference.
I'll disclose but I'm not going to give you excessive oral critiques. That's what my ballot is for.

Background:

I debated PF for four years, went to NCFL three times in PF. I debated LD for a month and have primarily judged LD the previous years.

I've been judging pretty consistently since Fall 2017.

I'm currently a Political Science PhD candidate, so I have an extensive background in a lot of theories and the current events in the world. If you want to run some political theory- beautiful.

LD:

I am a mostly traditional judge. I am not a huge fan of Ks and Theory, but I will pick it up if it is run really, really well.

And by really, really well, I mean God-Tier. There is nothing worse than underdeveloped theory. Ks can be fun and interesting, but only if run right.

Honestly, I kinda hate T Shells. Debate about the topic at hand, don't debate about debate.

FOR NCFLS: LD is NOT ALLOWED to use a plan or counter-plan. I WILL be following this, as per NCFL rules.

PF:

I like weighing and cost-benefit analysis. Body count is something that I weigh heavily in rounds. Make sure you have evidence to back up your points!

Also, I'm rather strict on the rule of not being allowed to bring up new evidence or points in final focus.

Time:

I will keep track of time. Please use your time wisely. If you go over, you can finish your sentence/thought, but anything more than that I will stop flowing.

Speed:

I can handle speed, but not a fan of spreading. It doesn't belong in LD/PF. "How do you know you are spreading?" you ask. Are you hyperventilating or foaming at the mouth? Yes? That is spreading. Calm down, please. No need to die mid-debate.

How I calculate Speaks:

Organization in speeches (Line by lines or clear signposting are beautiful)

Good, thought-provoking questions in cross

Speed and annunciation are balanced (don't talk so fast that you cannot get words out properly)

Being civil (this is debate, you don't need to be your opponent's friend. But please do not yell, scream, insult, threaten, etc. Also don't be racist, homophobic, sexist, etc.)

I don't exactly care if you swear (some judges are sticklers on that), but don't drop f-bombs every other second.

Oral Critiques/Disclosing:

I will usually give oral critiques if both teams want me to. If you ask me to give you feedback, feel free to ask a question, but please don't yell at me if you disagree. Thanks.

I'll disclose if both teams want me to, unless I need more time to re-look over my flow and organize thoughts or if the tournament does not allow disclosing. If any person does not want me to disclose, I will not, unless required by the tournament directors.

FOR NCFLS: Oral critiques and disclosing are not permitted at NCFLS.