I have been judging regularly for about 15 years; and I am in my seventh year coaching Harding Charter Prep HS in Oklahoma City. I love every single event offered for competition. They are all valid. Memes hating on particular events are lame. Follow @hcpspeechdebate on Instagram and Twitter.

LD/PFD: I prefer quality of information and sources as well as clarity and presence of speakers over speed and quantity of information and sources. The more you can tell me about the qualifications of a source, the better I can weigh them. If you give a simple (Last Name/Year) tag, you can assume I know nothing about the author. I like to see your personality as a debater and jokes/lighthearted moments are welcome as long as they are within the scope of the topic. I dislike plans and policy-style approaches to Lincoln-Douglas debate; if you want to do Policy, there's a debate for that. I believe that the heart of Public Forum debate is that it should assume any judge is a lay judge and is more informal and free of debate jargon. Limit pre-case observations and don't place impossible burdens on your opponent. Be civil and professional during cross-examination or your speaker points are toast. Use cross-examination time to ask questions, not make another speech. Use your speech time and prep time! Your constructive speeches should be as close to memorized as possible. I want to see you speaking/debating, not just reading. Cases on paper vs on a laptop gain an automatic advantage. Have fun!

Big Questions: Please, please, please read the Format Manual. Then read it again. Use the Format Manual as evidence in round if you need to. Please let this thing have a chance to become its own thing before we drown it in the other debate sauces.

Policy: If I am judging round round, I apologize in advance. Something has gone awry at this tournament and I am a kind-hearted person with a semi-functioning brain that has been put in to prevent the round starting hours late. We'll make it through this together. I'm probably not gonna disclose unless tab forces me to.

Congress: Don't read word-for-word pre-written speeches. You should have an outline. Pay attention to the whole of the round, not just sitting there prepping for when you are going to talk. Keep questions concise.

World Schools: Requests for POIs should rise/raise as often as needed but don't be a pest about it. You are at the discretion of the speaker. Avoid debate jargon. Rely on reason and logic. Appeal persuasively. Prop arguments should do their best to prove the resolution beyond a shadow of a doubt. Opposition arguments should be about broad rejection of the resolution, not just finding an outlier to say that one example is representative of all.

Final Thoughts: This activity is for education. Winning and excellence should always be celebrated, but not the only goal. Remember that Words Matter and Words have Power. Respect the purpose of the Pronouns and name pronunciation options in Tabroom. The NSDA has worked hard to be inclusive. Don't abuse that. #NotGarbagePeople

1. Please stand and look out during cross fire.

2. Please don't spread during speeches if it is not policy.

3. Don't keep track of your opponents' prep time

NO SPREADING

PF debater for 2 years with a some experience in LD.

What I am okay with:

- Progressive debate (K’s, Theory, Tech, etc)

- Spreading (IF you flash me your files)

- Yes you can time yourself

- Off-case arguments

Framework is obviously always important, but I do heavily focus on the contention level debate. Tell me how to weigh the round or I'm going to go off of straight impact calculus. Keep things organized and easy to follow on the flow because I am a flow orientated judge. Also, MAKE SURE TO EXTEND.

I don't have a lot of experience with progressive LD, not as much as much as most circuit judges that you will run into, but as long as you articulate and explain your argument well enough, I should be able to understand it. I am somewhat conflicted with spreading in LD, so I am a bit susceptible to arguments against it in general but if both debaters are fine with it then feel free to go all out. I will say clear 2 times before i stop flowing you all together. I usually am pretty kind when it comes to speaker points, as long as a debater does not say something racist, homophobic, transphobic, or sexist. I do not want to see any attempts to exclude your opponent from the debate space. Develop clear, concise arguments, provide evidence for those arguments, signpost and apply your arguments and have fun.

General:

• Be respectful, but don't waste your time asking your opponents for permission for things like the first question.
• This means treading the fine line of being aggressive and respectful.
• I like to see crystal clear clash on the flow. Please when framing rebuttals go in order down the flow. Do not bounce around.

Value/Criterion

• Provide clear links between your value and criterion and the rest of your case.
• At the end of the day your value and criterion are most important to me in LD. I want to see clear links and evidence upholding those.

ABSOLUTLEY NO SPREADING.

Hello! My name is Ian Stone, and I did a mix of traditional Lincoln Douglas and Public Forum throughout my 4 years in high school. I am currently a debater on the OU Parli team. I am down for pretty much all types of argumentation. I think Oklahoma LD is often far too restrictive on the types of arguments debaters are supposed to run. Definitely feel free to spread, run a k, run theory, run weird link chains or do whatever you want in front of me. I will attempt to be as tab as possible. I enjoy funky arguments that either make me laugh or learn about something new. I will give you better speaker points if you run something I haven't heard before or if you do something unique and interesting in round. If I can't understand you I will clear you, but I am usually cool with most speed. I am pretty kind when it comes to speaker points most rounds, as long as a debater does not say something racist, homophobic, transphobic, or sexist. If you do, I'll dock your speaks and talk to your coach. Also, just be comfortable in the round. You don't have to ask me to use your phone as a timer or anything like that, just you do you. Also, I think it's dumb/prohibitory to dress up for debate, but that's a different subject. Don't worry if you don't have a tie in front of me or anything like that lol. Also, I definitely do not want to shake your hand after the round. I've touched enough clammy debate hands from my time as a competitor.

As far as traditional LD goes, I think that framework by itself is unimportant. The only time framework matters is if it is coupled with impacts. It is just a weighing mechanism, but people in traditional LD sometimes do not grasp that. It is not a voter in and of itself. Tell me how evaluating the round through your lens (the criterion) affects the big picture of the round. Also, values are usually pretty dumb, I definitely will not vote off of a value. Like, don't even read one in front of me probably? Kind of a waste of time to talk about IMO. Also, I do not want to intervene in the debate, so weighing is pretty critical. If there are any more questions feel free to ask me before the round! I disclose every round so stick around if you want me to tell you how I voted. More people in Oklahoma need to disclose because it makes tournaments way less stressful and better for competitors! Please be nice in round. In high school, I absolutely hated it when people were just obnoxious in round. I still hate it in college. Lets all just hang out, have a good discussion, and have fun. If you're mean to your opponent or talk over them a bunch in CX your speaks will definitely be affected. Also, if you're being mansplain-y or weird I'm going to dock your speaks.

For email chains, questions, or extended criticism: ianestone99@gmail.com

Northwestern University 

Norman '18

3rd Place LD NSDA Nationals. A Bid here or there. 6 Years Debating LD.

Email (Include me in Chains): matthewylie@gmail.com

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Bullet Point Version:

- I am an experienced debater who dealt primarily in more “traditional” styles personally, but is well versed in virtually all forms of LD

- Tech > Truth. However do not construe this to mean that you are immune from your opponent pointing out falsehoods.

- I will hear all forms of arguments, but vastly prefer topic based debate to a K that could be run on any topic (see bolded sections below)

(Generally I like Phil > “Traditional” > Policy/LARP > K > Theory, but that doesn’t mean Theory couldn't beat Phil in front of me by any stretch of the imagination)

- Impacts are important, framing even more so. Write the ballot for me at all times possible. I default comparative worlds, but can be easily convinced to become a truth-tester with the proper framing mechanism. Other rolls of the ballot aren't off the table, but are less likely to be included in my RFD. 19 times out of 20 I will evaluate the round through the perspective of the winning framework, if you lose the framework debate make sure you access your opponent's framing or the ballot will be over.

- Speed is fine, will yell clear twice before I stop flowing, and would like a doc to follow along if possible (see below for details). If the only reason you are spreading is to read multiple versions of the same card/warrant/link, expect me to nag you about it after round.

- Theory ideally should only be deployed in cases of real abuse rather than in every round. In general I default drop the arg, RVIs are acceptable but require justification.

- If you have questions please ask, more than happy to answer

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Long Form:

I come from a more traditional HS debate background in Oklahoma, however I also engaged with progressive debate at the national level and dabbled heavily with the arguments -if not the style- of circuit debate.

I believe debate is an academic game that requires you to adapt to the judges in front of you, but that judges must also adapt to their surroundings. If I'm at a circuit tournament I will be much more sympathetic to progressive argumentation then if I'm at a small traditional tournament and vice versa.

Like most judges, I still have some opinions:

The Aff generally has the burden to uphold the desirability of the resolution whereas the Neg generally must disprove the resolution through presenting reasons as to why that desirability does not withstand scrutiny or some other procedural objection. Hence I am disinclined to listen to non-topical cases though I will not vote you down for it at face value. Non-topical (or loosely topical) offs urging me to "change the debate space" which have been being read for years if not decades with little to no affect on the debate space or society writ-large are rarely convincing to me and I only tend to vote off them if they are very weakly or not contested; the resolution asks a morality question within itself, there is more or less always plenty of ground to attack systemic issues through the lens of the resolution itself instead of trying to force the debate space beyond the general obligations of your opponent (e.g. links of omission).

I really really want to evaluate the round through someone's FW/Framing, otherwise will default to comparative worlds. Impacting is one of the most important parts of debate, and I believe that impacting is done best when it is done with a framing mechanism that truly highlights your impacts and position as correct and desirable. Framing usually defines the roll of the ballot for me, and I will evaluate the round through the winning FW unless it is essentially ignored as an issue by both debaters in which case I will default comparative worlds.

I'm inclined to go for arguments rooted in logic. This is not the same thing as an argument being carded and I have heard some of the best arguments in round made purely analytically and plenty of terrible carded ones. This is also not the same as an argument being realistic, as realistically pretty much nothing is going to end in extinction impacts, but I would prefer to not have to stretch my imagination when it comes to your Links.

I guess this makes me mostly Tech > Truth, but don't make claims that straight-up defy logic (a real example: Our mothers are actually hippopotamuses and the government is lying to us about it).

If you have any specific arguments you aren’t sure about running in front of me, ask. I tried writing about each individual type of arguments and couldn’t figure out a way to do it that didn’t involve creating a full manifesto.

Go nuts. Have fun.

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On Speaker Points and Speed:

Speaker points have always seemed to me to be incredibly subjective so I will probably be relatively subjective with them as well. I give points more often to debaters who show that they actually understand the arguments they are making through: on-the-fly analysis, cutting cross-examination, and adaptation of their own case to generate offense against their opponent. I also, shockingly, give points for being a good orator: clear tags, changes in speaking pace and intonation, emphasizing the big picture without succumbing to the tendency to think that louder = more important.

Spreading is, in my opinion, kind of dumb, and antithetical to the things I tend to award speaker-points for. It removes the need for the debaters to stand up and speak in the first place when I could (and indeed will probably have to) just read your doc instead.

Spreading is not a reason to vote anyone down on face certainly, but I didn’t particularly see a need for going past the speed an average person could comprehend while I was debating even if my opponent was going at top speed. I will be more impressed with you if you go efficiently down the flow rather than quickly (though of course a quick 1AR is implicit to the event at this point). Basically 99% of the time you can spread in front of me with no impact on my decision, but don't be surprised if it's a low point win if your opponent is keeping up with you in spite of not spreading, or if your opponent compellingly argues theory as to why spreading is a voting issue make sure you respond or you could end up in that 1% of times.

Be nice, roadmap clearly, have good presence, breathe. You’ll be on the way to high speaks for sure :)