Background: In high school, I debated in both Public Forum and LD. I founded a team in Madison while also helping to captain the same team for two years. I advised in the following years for the said team before becoming the Head Coach for the Marquette High School Team. In this case, I also judge and coach some novice policy as well as our LD and PF teams.

POLICY:

Quick Philosophy: I strongly favor traditional formats of structure. You can spin the information however you want but I flow the rounds and if your contentions don't hold or flow through they don't hold. I also time to keep track for myself but let you stop yourself with time unless you're WAY over but please do finish your sentence. You can run anything you'd like but it still has to stand and hold in the round.

Run what you'd like with whatever speed but it still needs to be clear, to the point and correct. Topicalty, Ks, etc, etc are all fine with me.

* T debates are all fine with me but do make sure it is worth your time to mention this. Also again, do this well and do this properly.

*Try not to cede to your opponent's definitions, interpretations or cases. I get some of this is accidental but this is commonly where issues with policy rounds fall. (I note this often as a slip) this means that you essentially accidentally contradicted your case.

In Rounds;

*I do not like when debaters talk audibly during an opponent's speech.

*Make sure there is clash...without clash there is no round...IE make sure yo are debating in your round.

I'm 100% fine with frameworks. Use them or don't that's up to you.

Quick Tips: (LD/PF)

1. Speak clearly. If I can't understand you, I can't flow you. Speed is no problem but don't mix up your words.
2. DO NOT FORGET YOUR VOTERS and speech structures.
3. Maintain clash. Don't forget to flow the opponent's case AND YOUR OWN.
4. Identify voting issues. (YES AGAIN)
5. Take advantage of the cross-examination to ask valid questions to prove a point or find a flaw in the opponent's case.
6. Do not be rude. Do not give an off time roadmap (your time starts with the roadmap). Do not tell me what to do.
7. Have fun. You're all great!

Yes, put me in the chain: ashillinglaw@muhs.edu

I am an old school policy debater. I prefer to hear arguments on the stock issues with the AFF having to prove Inherency, Significance, Harms, Solvency, and Topicality (if the NEG attacks on it). Disadvantages if run well can seriously aid the NEG by demonstrating serious harms created by the AFF. AFF should present significant harms and prove their plan can solve for them.

I will listen to any argument as long as it is run well and comes with solid analysis. While I am open to K arguments I find that most policy debaters do not run them well and thus are a waste of the NEG time.

I dislike speed reading as I believe it debate is a competition of ideas, not a competition to read quickly. Slow down to a reasonable pace, sign post, and make a clear argument for why you win each of the stock issues.

If stock issues are not brought up in a round by name, I revert to a policymaker paradigm.

Easiest way to pick up the round is to explain in your rebuttal how you won each of the stock issues.

Speed- I highly suggest that you do not speed read if I cannot understand you. If I cannot understand what you are saying, then I will not be able to flow.

Kritic-Please make sure that your Kritic makes sense. Do not run an unrelated K if you cannot find a reasonable link.

DA's-Please make sure that you have a strong link. If you run a generic link then that will much more challenging to win on. Explain to me how this DA is triggered, and prove that there is a direct link between the plan and this DA.

T's-If you want to run a T then you must prove in round abuse. Personally, I don't find "potential abuse" as an effective argument. There must be a clear violation by the Affirmative that prohibits you from exercising an argument.

Affirmative-If you want to win the round you should win solvency. Prove to me that implementing your plan will solve for important problems.

I’ve been debating for four years at Ronald Reagan high school. I’ve seen a multitude of arguments. I’m sure anything you run I’m able to handle, but the information below is more specific for each argument.

Speed- I’m not a fan, I’ll give three “clears” before I stop flowing. If I don’t flow, then your arguments won’t count. Hopefully this isn’t too much of an issue at the novice level.

Cross ex- Open cross ex is fine, but don’t dominate cross ex, I’ll dock speaker points. I don’t want to know if “it’s your cross ex” or not, so please be nice to both your opponents and partner.

DAs- These are fine, please provide a link, uniquessness and impact. The impacts should be explained thoroughly.

Ts- Explain the voters well, or else this won’t matter. I need to know the violation and it should be obvious in order to vote on this.

Ks- I have an affinity towards these

email: sierra0926@gmail.com

Debate Experience:

Four years of high school policy debate at Rufus King High School.

I was a K debater.

Paradigm:

Tabs Judge

Preferences:

Email Chain - Please add me : winegarden9897@gmail.com

Speed - I am okay with speed, but be clear. If I can't understand you, it won't be flowed.

Clash - Every round must hav clash otherwise it would not be much of a round.

Cross Ex - Open cross ex is fine, however if one partner takes initiative when it is your cross ex, you will be penalized. Cross ex is an undervalued tool and strategy that not too many teams take advantage of.

K - I love K's, absolutely run them if you feel comfortable running them. If you don't feel comfortable running them, don't think you have to. I'll vote on any K if you prove that the K is better than the Aff.

DA - Love/hate relationship with them. I hate nuclear war DA's, I find them redundant and unrealistic. This isn't saying I won't vote on it, obviously if it beats out the Aff it will get voted on. DA's with realistic impacts is a much better alternative to Nuke War.

T - Using as a time waster is a valid strategy, however it won't get you very far. If you run T, I prefer you run it in depth and actually go for it. If you actually spent time on creating T files it'll show.

CP - Should be mutually exclusive with the Aff, otherwise, it'll be a boring round.

Judge Name: Andrew M Yep

School: Waukesha South High School

Experience

Yep was never a member of debate in high school. He does appreciate judging and debate. He is usually a policy judge but on occasion does get absorbed into the LD and Public Forum realms. Yep is not up to date on Debate lingo. So be sure to explain things and go slow.

Philosophy

Yep has been called Policy, Stocks and Tabs. Thus he does not know exactly where he fits. Persuasion is important and is enhanced by clarity. He will take into consideration all things he understands in the round that are not dropped. Yep does not like it when a team kicks arguments unless there exists a contradiction a speaker cannot explain away. Personally Yep does not like speed and spread. He prefers quality over quantity. If a speaker feels it is necessary to do a line by line analysis give it the time and do not speed over it.

Topicality - Yep is not against topicality. Words are important in the world. But Yep needs definitions, standards and voters. Also provide analogies and examples of what plans work under the definition and what does not. This helps Yep figure out if there exist a Topicality violation.

Counterplans - Counterplans need to be clear. If the counterplan is not mutually exclusive then a net benefit must be clearly achieved.

Kritiks - Yep is not a philosophy major. Yep does not vote on these often. A speaker may use one but at the risk of Yep being very confused. Be sure to explain the link thoroughly and provide an alternative.

Disadvantages - If Yep misses the link he will be very confused. Clarity is a must. When a DA is introduced Yep firmly believes that minimally it should be linked and impacts discussed in the 1NC.

Structure of the Round and Speaking

Yep likes signposts and likes very clear and slow tags. Yep prefers cross examinations to be closed so that he can judge your organization and understanding of arguments which will reflect into speaker points. If a speaker turns into a parrot that will reflect poorly in speaker points.

Rebuttals

Speakers should summarize the round pull through their arguments. Weigh the round through magnitude, timeframe and probability. Yep likes probability he is a statistics teacher. Obviously certain percentages cannot always be given but we can use word like “certain” or “uncertain”. He enjoys it when speakers question the validity of studies and experiments. Analogies and examples are not only welcomed but encouraged.

Timing & Technology

Yep’s timer is final. He is a little slow in starting it. He tries to let a team know when he is starting it. He will on occasion tell you how much you have left. In regards to technology the prep time will only end when the portable storage device is physically removed from the port of entry and is one its way to the other team or if the the teams opt for an email chain then prep time will end when the opposing team confirms they received the message

I work for MPS - Rufus King High School

I did 4 years of policy debates in high school, what is now called "traditional debate".

I've judged mostly novice debate for a few years.

Speaking

How fast can students speak during speeches? Medium Speed

If a student is speaking too fast or unclear, will you give any cues to them? Usually I will say slow/slow down or clear

List stylistic items you like debaters to do.

1. Debaters should start with a roadmap and include signposts during their speech.

2. Debaters should do a line by line refuting the opponents arguments

3. Debaters should include an impact calc in the final speeches

List stylistic items you do not like debaters to do.

1. I do not like rudeness

2. I do not like partners to talk to the speaker during their partners speech excessively

Arguments

List types of arguments you prefer to listen to/evaluate.

1. Disadvantages are important to the negative attack

2. I’m open to inherency and solvency attacks

3. I’m open to counter plans

List types of arguments that you prefer not to listen to.

1. I do not understand kritiks very well, it will probably be hard to get me to vote on this for you. I come from the more traditional debate mindset.

2. I rarely vote neg on topicality, it would need to be the full shell with voters that make sense. And the neg must give this sufficient time in the round but I will be swayed aff by them being reasonably topical.

Other Notes

I love clash, I love line by line. I really want debaters to take apart each other’s arguments. This is best accomplished by listening to each other.

I want the last speeches to include an impact analysis that shows why their position leads to be a better world.