put me in the chain pretty please: jbalanovsky@gmail.com

tldr: read whatever just explain why you win and don't be offensive. don’t make me cry :(

Background:

- upenn '26, atech '22 (policy in hs)

General things:

- tech > truth

- idc what you read

- don't be rude, none of the offensive -isms. i will vote you down for that type of rhetoric

- speed is cool just be clear, i am willing to clear you a few times (especially if the tourney is online) but I'll have to dock speaks if it becomes excessive. slow down a bit on tags/ things not on the doc ESPECIALLY ONLINE. 

- i don't want to give super low speaks so please don't make me do that

- write the ballot for me or I will cry

- partner cross is fine with me as long as everyone in the round is also okay with it. please don't have one partner ask/answer most everything because i will dock both your speaks for that.

- i'm fine with flex prep if everyone is okay with it too, but please still do significant cross examination.

- you don't have to take prep to send the doc (i feel you computer issues gang). stealing prep makes me cry, however.

Mildly Specific stuff:

Policy affs: irdc what you read just have good impact framing and calculus. your aff exists for a reason, use its strategic advantages to your advantage. i enjoy the use of 1ac cards to answer neg args when applicable.

DAs: please do impact calc or i will cry. i think turns case arguments are fun and compelling.

CPs: id prefer you to tell me to judge kick. explain perms. pics are something that exist in debate i guess.

Theory: i can vote for any theory arg if you win it, but your speaks will reflect if you go for a silly shell/go for a silly shell when you had so many other ways to win the debate. If you are extending a blippy or friv theory shell, do more work than you had done when you read the shell or I will cry. tell me why your arg matters.

Topicality v Policy: im a sucker for good t debates honestly. i default to competing interps unless instructed otherwise. i like hearing caselists for the good things you include/bad things you exclude. please please impact everything out and compare impacts. why does your interp being good for ground outweigh their definition being more predictable, etc etc.

General K things: i don't know some of the more obscure lit bases so please do extra explaining if you're reading something like that. i have primarily read setcol, cap, and security args in my career. please tell me what my ballot does.

Policy v K: specific links are good. impact out those links. if the framework debate exists, it probably matters. i am willing to vote on the link/impact level alone.

K v K: really fun debates. do that clash thing and you will be golden.

K v T/FW/whatever you wanna call it: just as cool with these debates as with k v k. prove why your model of debate is preferable or I will once again cry.

have fun! fr y'all you should be enjoying your debates.

here is my email: raymondbehnke4@gmail.com

I’m open to all types of arguments but I did got to RDI and Michigan Seven Week. I was never that great of a circuit debater but I know circuit arguments very throughly. I do also understand K's and I am not against them.

I will say that evidence comparison, warrant analysis, and framing of the ballot makes any kind of debate easier to understand.

Update for UNLV 24: I don't know anything about the topic.

Novices, please extend arguments and use evidence to your advantage - don't forget impact calc and always weigh case/da/internal net benefit.

Affiliations: St. Mark's 2022 -> Northwestern 2026

Email Chain: mlcpolicydebate[at]gmail[dot]com and smdebatedocs[at]gmail[dot]com. Please include the tournament, round, and teams debating in the email's subject line.

I assess debates based on my deep admiration for the time, energy, and commitment that goes into preparing for debate tournaments. I will strictly rely on evidence and the arguments made during the round, refraining from adding my own opinions to my decision.

I am a policy debater and do not have the most experience judging PF or LD.

Northwood '22, UCLA '26, she/her

Email chain: alufang88@gmail.com

General

Competed for 4 years in high school and went to the TOC senior year (omg) if that matters. Tech over truth. I honestly don't have many opinions about debate because I don't think about debate that much anymore, so everything below is very subject to change. I think spin is more important than evidence quality (to a reasonable degree), but I will most likely default to reading important evidence after the round if both sides have no evidence comparison or haven't structured the debate so that x piece of evidence doesn't matter. Similarly, I will (obviously) intervene if forced to due to lack of argument resolution by the 2NR/2AR but I will pick the path of least intervention. Make my decision easy for me :)

Disclaimer: I'm a first-year out and clearly still working out my judging preferences/ideologies/etc., and probably unsure of how to determine debates sometimes. If that makes you upset...sorry..........I will work hard to make the debate still educational for you and a reward of the work you've put in!

JH 2022: I haven't judged any rounds on this topic, have no clue what the popular (or niche) arguments are, and don't know any topic-specific terms/acronyms.

Novices: Don't worry about anything on this page; just remember to have fun and be nice to each other :)

DA

I will probably never assign 0% risk to a DA unless it is blatantly wrong (ie. running the 2020 elections da). I think these will be easier to win in front of me if you have a CP paired with it that solves the aff (but obviously not impossible without). I don't LOVE generic links that don't say anything or barely mention the aff and bad ev, but I kind of get it. Still, my threshold for this kind of DA getting ended in cross is pretty low.

CP

I lean neg on condo and will judge kick for you. International fiat, private actor fiat, object fiat counterplans seem illegitimate. All other counterplan theory stuff I feel like I can be easily convinced either way.

K/K affs

I do not understand and do not like pomo!! Same for death good arguments. Please strike me if any of those are your main arguments. Mostly everything else is all equally fine (as in I wasn't a K debater and won't know your lit base that well but can probably at least still grasp it in a 2-hr debate). The way I judge K affs vs. anything else debates is more up in the air than anything else in this paradigm, so I would appreciate clear judge instruction in the 2NR/2AR the most here. I don't like generic "state good/state bad" links/arguments and links of omission.

T

Making this debate feel like a DA debate (with impact work, link work, etc.) is what will make it easiest for me to judge. I don't know how receptive I will be to arguments about what was read at camp, what the topic looks like so far, etc. but seriously go ahead and try anyways.

Case

I really like good case debating, knowing your aff, all of that stuff. You can skip the case overview and go straight to line-by-line in the 2AC :)

Misc.

You can stop prep before sending out the email chain but just keep everything reasonable. Clipping is bad :( Clarity on analytics is super important, please please please slow down so that I can understand all your smart strategic arguments and explain it back in my RFD :)

I won't vote on any arguments about out-of-round actions or that the general framework that allows us to debate is bad (ie. time limits, speech order).

Policy @ Northwood -> UCLA '26 (Environmental Science/Conservation Biology)

Email Chain - alexfu004@gmail.com

LD and PF paradigm at bottom

TL;DR

Debate is a game, do impact calc, I'm more familiar with Policy strats, clipping is bad, and clarity on analytics is important. Tech determines Truth.

F'23 Update: I'm only vaguely familiar with the topic (~15 rounds judged) so if you start using fancy econ jargon I might get lost, please slow down on analytics, especially in the T debate.

General

Don't be a bad person, you've seen it on other paradigms, no racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia, etc.

DA/CP

I love them! Your disads should be specific to the aff, but generic links are ok too if you can spin it well enough. Condo is probably good, int'l/private/object fiat is probably bad. I mainly read process counterplans and states in high school so make of that what you will.

K

I'm pretty familiar with a few Ks but don't go for that many of them, barring things like Cap and Security. Case specific links would be great! The Aff should explain the perms instead of just throwing them out there, at least by the 1ar but preferably in the 2ac. I'll treat framework like an impact debate, but I tend to lean weighing the aff.

Ks I'm more familiar with: Cap, Berlant/Suffering, Yellow Peril/Orientalism, Security, Militarism

Ks I'm less familiar with: Deleuze, Bataille, "pomo"-esque Ks (with reason)

T

I'll vote on it, but I'm persuaded by reasonability more than other judges. The neg needs to win a clear instance of abuse beyond just "it's what they justify," and the Aff ideally should have specific reasons why the counterinterpretation resolves or turns neg offense.

Nontraditional Affs

I have very limited experience with reading K affs (maybe 2 or 3 times), but I'm receptive to them. I think that having a stasis is necessary for debate, and I think that fairness is good, whatever fairness means. That said, I do think that K Affs can provide unique educational value, and if the Aff can prove their aff is important to talk about certain issues I can still buy it. Framework is probably your best 2NR against K Affs, I went for education and movements mainly in my junior and senior year in high school but I can be persuaded to vote on fairness as well.

Theory

Reject the arg, not the team is persuasive in almost every case, condo aside. I lean neg on condo; I can be persuaded otherwise, but it's an uphill battle for the aff to win on it. International and Object fiat are probably illegitimate, and require more work to be done on theory if you want to win on them as the neg.

Speaks

• being creative, strategic
• clarity, especially when spreading through analytics
• efficiency between speeches, sending out docs, etc
• if you're funny
• clear signposting!
• i was inspired by another judge but please get me food (+0.1? speaks) (but dont bankrupt yourself it's not worth it) (better to just speak better probably)

LD

I'll judge it like I judge a policy round, and I'm not familiar with a lot of LD theory. I'll try to adapt but please exercise discretion.

Public Forum

I used to do PF, don't worry about having to adapt too hard

Everything above applies, don't spread if your opponent is not okay with it though. Don't read policy-esque arguments just because you can, PF probably should be a bit more accessible. I'm more receptive to Ks than most PF judges, but don't read incomplete arguments i.e. a K without an alt just because PF doesn't have advocacies.

PF/LD in HS, former UT policy debater (2A/1N).

PSHS '20, UT '24

Conflicts: Plano Senior HS (Plano, TX), Jasper HS (Plano, TX), Clark HS (Plano, TX)

plano.speechdocs@gmail.com (Email for email chain)

Judges who I largely agree with:

Aryan Jasani

Vandan Patel

Pref Sheet for all Events (1 is highest, 5 is lowest)

1 - LARP/theory

2 - K

3 - phil

4 - tricks

5 - K aff, performance

Defaults

Theory - DtA, Reasonability, RVIs*

Presumption/Permissibility flows neg

Policymaking in the absence of a RotB and Utilitarianism in absence of an alternative framework

Note that these are just what I default to in the absence of arguments made for any of these issues, if any arguments are made on these I will obviously evaluate them.

*Check theory section if you do CX Debate

As a general note, my favorite rounds to judge are really solid LARP/theory/K rounds, but don't worry if that's not your strat because I'm fine with anything as long as you do a really good job of it. Good flow-oriented debate will always beat grandstanding and not flow-oriented debate.

TLDR if you are pressed for time: Debated LARP style and a little bit of K. Do your strat and I will do my best to evaluate it.

PF

- +0.5 speaks for disclosure on the NDCA wiki before round with proof

- just because you have a piece of evidence doesn't mean it has a warrant - make sure each card you provide in any speech has sufficient warranting

- second rebuttal should frontline offense in the first rebuttal

- defense isn't sticky in summary

- summary and final should ideally mirror each other

- weigh, weigh, weigh! good weighing will reward you in round

LD/CX

LARP - favorite style of debate. I really like smaller affs and specific case debate. Good weighing in the 2NR/2AR is a good way to get my ballot in a LARP round. Finally, please extend case in the 2AR if you want me to evaluate it at the end of the round. If case was conceded in the 2NR, a small 2AR extension at the top of the 2AR will suffice.

Theory - I prefer more fleshed out arguments rather than blips. I would also like you to go a little slower through analytics and on the interp text/counterinterp text. I will vote on disclosure theory but I think there is a difference between someone not disclosing at all and someone not adhering to every single little interp you have. I also probably won't evaluate disclosure on people who can prove in a verifiable way that their school policy prevents it. Other than that, I don't have any strong preferences on theory but I will say the bar to responding to friv theory is much lower. Good standard weighing and clear abuse stories are easy ways to get my ballot in a theory round. *CX Specific - theory/T are not RVIs, so don't try it.*

T - I only really ask that you have a TVA/caselist with any topicality argument or I will err more on the aff side of topicality. Other than that, anything is fine.

Tricks - I mean, I guess you can but I won't be too thrilled about it. Just delineate them, err on the side of overexplaining the arguments (like don't be blippy) and be up front in CX. I will not vote off condo logic - its a terrible argument (tbf all tricks are terrible but this one just is worse than the rest).

Phil - I'm familiar with Kant, Rawls, Hobbes and virtue ethics at a basic level but assume I don't know your lit and err on the side of overexplaining what the framework is and how the offense links under it.

K - I've only really read cap and security as a debater so assume I don't know your lit so err on the side of overexplaining the theory of power in the 2NR. I really like well done K debates, so please don't forgo the line-by-line for overarching overview answers and shallow explanations of the arguments that regurgitate buzzwords, that will make me sad. Including examples to explain the theory of power and/or alternative are also good. I also like specific links to the 1AC, generic links are fine but specificity will always better your chances of winning and/or getting good speaks.

K affs/performance - I don't really know the ins-and-outs of this style of debate too well because I never really debated in this style, but I will say I tend to lean on the neg side of T-framework just because I ended up on that side in a lot of debates.

Updated 1/20/24

Georgetown '24

I did policy debate for 4 years in high school to moderate success, and debated at Georgetown for a couple years.

Add me to the email chain - medeirosb2002@gmail.com

Do what you do and do it well and you will be fine.

DISCLAIMER FOR LD DEBATERS:

- You can read whatever you want and I will adjudicate the debate to the best of my abilities, but I don't have that much experience judging LD, and I have practically no experience judging phil debates and LD theory debates.

Things that are non-negotiable:

- Blatant racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia is an auto loss, and I will give you the lowest speaks possible.

Some things to keep in mind:

- I typically ascribe to the belief that speech times and the structure of the debate are not flexible, but I guess I'm open to being persuaded otherwise here.

- I do not typically feel comfortable making decisions based on issues that occurred outside of the debate round (with exceptions for things like disclosure theory).

- Presumption flips negative by default.

- Beyond the above, my only strong disposition is the negative team gets to do pretty much whatever. I can probably be convinced otherwise. That said, I've included a list of miscellaneous dispositions loosely organized by argument.

Risk Calculus:

- Tech > Truth.

- Frame the debate however you want, but do it well and explain why it matters.

- Author qualifications matter. Debate is a research activity, and debaters should do good research.

- Spark is a terrible argument. This isn't really "risk calculus," but I felt the need to say this and wasn't sure where else I could.

Theory:

- Conditionality is good (usually).

- All theory arguments other than conditionality are (usually) a reason to reject the argument.

- Another disclaimer for LD debaters: I don't really end up judging a lot of friv theory debates, and I'm not sure I know how to judge these debates, but I recognize that LD and policy are pretty different so I'll do my best to put my own biases aside in these kinds of debates.

Topicality v Plans:

- Limits are awesome, but only if they are precise.

- I default to competing interpretations. Reasonability is not an argument if it is not coupled with a reasonable counter-interpretation.

Disadvantages:

- Topic disadvantages are great.

- The disadvantage should probably turn the case.

Counterplans:

- Counterplans should be functionally and textually competitive.

- Process counterplans and consult counterplans probably do not compete.

- Word PICs probably do not compete.

- I will judge kick the counterplan unless I am told not to.

Kritiks/Planless Affs:

- Fairness is an impact.

- I am fine with any and all genres of kritikal literature. That said, I don't have an extensive background with every field of critical literature that debaters like to talk about, so I may not understand what you're saying unless you go out of your way to explain it.

- In K v K debates, make the interactions between different theories of power very clear. I will happily adjudicate these debates, but am likely to end up a little confused.

adammimou82@gmail.com

Assistant LD coach for Peninsula HS

tech over truth - i will flow all arguments and vote on what you extend into your final speeches.

"like many before me I have decided that I am not a fan of cop-out or cheap shot strategies designed to avoid clash and pick up an easy ballot. This means my threshold for an argument that is warranted and implicated is much higher and I feel more comfortable giving an RFD on 'I don't know why x is true per the 2ar/2nr.' If you would like to thoroughly explain why creating objective moral truths is impossible or why disclosing round reports is a good norm then please feel free to do so, but 10 seconds of 'they dropped hidden AFC now vote aff' isn't going to cut it" - lizzie su

i do not feel confident in my ability to evaluate the following debates:

-phil ac vs phil nc

-k aff vs non cap kritik

-phil ac vs kritik

non-condo theory shells are dta unless otherwise justified

convinced by reasonability - affs need a c/i

i tend to read a lot of evidence - spending more time reading quality evidence will serve you well

better for framework 2nrs that go for fairness

i try not to be expressive in round if i make any facial expressions it is probably unrelated

lunakansasdebate@gmail.com

email chains please i do not know what a "tabroom share" is and i will only learn against my will.

You should aim to be clear in front of me. Now double what you think is clear enough and that's about the range you need to be in.

KU '26

"judge" or "Luna"

Do whatever. I'm an educator first. Maximize your chances of winning by arguing with my ballot not your opponent.

Final rebuttals are most likely to win if they start with: "Our argument is X. Their best argument is Y. Even if they win Y, we have still won the debate on X for Z reason."

Feel free to email or ask any questions.

Huge fan of wearing masks in in-person debates (+0.5). Our mild inconvenience can help save lives!

Average speaks are 28.5

Ev ethics (L25) is skipping more than 5 words in a card, misciting author or article title, cards cut missing atleast 1 sentence, or cards cut that don't start and end with the start and end of paragraphs in the article.

I have no strong argument pre-dispositions as long as they are combined with judge instruction (see above) and attempt to be smart arguments (my favorite troll arguments are the ones where you debate well and beat all the other good teams).

E-mail: bipulrajsoti@gmail.com | bipul.soti@yale.edu

ABOUT ME: I have four years of experience in policy and judged a few tournaments. I'm also a big fan of BP style debate. I'm an undergraduate student at Yale University and attended high school at So. Tx. Sci Acad in Texas, where I was the debate team captain.

TECHNICAL STUFF: Don't spread too hard, I want to understand what you're saying. It makes it easier for me to flow and give you meaningful feedback. I'll keep time, but I'd appreciate it if you kept time as well. Also, don't spend too much time sending files.

GENERAL: Try to be truthful? Generally, I'm truth > tech. A bit of bending is allowed but don't say stuff that's objectively false, regardless of how many cards you have to back it up. A big part of that is having rock-solid defense for any nuclear extinction style impacts.

THEORY: Love this stuff, refrain from just using it as filler though.

AFF: Give me a clear story, K affs are ok but I'd really prefer it if you actually defend the topic. Hit all the stock issues, it'll definitely strengthen your case in my eyes. Dropping is a big no for me, it usually results in an aff loss.

NEG: Use varied arguments! Love hearing on and off, education is defo improved if you hit as many points the aff made as possible.

K: I'm going to be honest, I'm not the best versed person on K lit, you're going to have to explain stuff to me, but I'm definitely down to hear what you have to say :)

T: Poorly constructed Ts on the neg side are lowkey lazy, please make it a good argument and not just something you're arguing for the sake of it. As for aff, you need to win T to win the debate.

IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW

Call me "jsp" or "Josh"

joshuasp.debate@gmail.com - yes put me on the chain, i want an email chain set up before each rounds start time

Recent Coaching/Debating Affiliations: Ivy Bridge Academy, Georgia State University, Thomas Kelly College Prep

Bottom line: I am a 3rd year out debater doing policy, I did 4 years of LD in high school and I have been coaching PF at Ivy Bridge Academy. I can follow technical debating and jargon from across those 3 events so just you do you - I have coached/debated/judged/voted on tricks, theory, kritiks, plan, phil, trad and lay (insert whatever non-descriptive 1 word shorthand you like). Whatever you are doing will likely not be new to me in all honesty. Some people call me a tabula rasa judge even though I think the phrase tabula rasa is a conservative debate dogwhistle (I spend a lot of my time thinking about why we do what we do in debate, I think this makes me decent at judging method debates).

---

Quick Prefs:

1 - K, Plans, Case Debate, Lay, T/T-FW

2 - DA's/CP's, Theory, Narratives

3 - Phil

4 - Tricks

Strike - Out of round violations, frivolous arguments

---

Translation for PF Debaters: this means I am a "tech judge". Speed is fine and prog is cool. Just don't be a jerk, be a sensible person.

---

I have given myself 5 things to say about how I evaluate debates, no more, no less:

1. I need pen time, i flow on paper and by ear

2. I will not vote for arguments that had no warrant/signaling. Such as ur fiat K's that ngl was not even in the block

3. It must have been in your final speech for me to vote for you on it (including extending case vs T)

4. I evaluate impact level first usually unless told otherwise (whether its education or nuke war, etc)

5. My ballot will likely be determined off who i have to do the least work for, i do not usually vote on presumption

---

Evidence shenanigans:

this is the only stuff that will change how I vote directly, everything else is flexible.

Put me on the email chain, i do like to read evidence because no one compares the evidence themselves. I prefer ev to be send before speeches and in cut cards. Your speaks are capped below 29.5 if there is no doc and below 28 if when you send evidence there is not evidence in cut card format. Paraphrasing is fine if you have cut cards to go along with it AND you send them out BEFORE. I make exceptions to this if you are part of a small program which has no way knowing how to cut cards and this is in novice.

If you send your case as a google doc, copying perms needs to be on. This is because I need to create a stable copy of your evidence, anything that you can edit without sending a new doc risks being problematic (ie changing highlighting mid round or adding ev and claiming to have read it). Strike me if how I deal with ev ethics is a problem.

---

How I vote

I will only vote on what was in the final speech and what is implicated to be in the final speech as the reason to vote for you. That is the only hard line I draw. (this includes you must extend case against a 2nr on T). Every form of debate is full of brain rot and I genuinely care about voting for people who are capable of thinking of why they do the norms they partake, not only does it make you a better debater but also a better person. Idc what it is or how it got there, just get to the finish line. Any arg is a voting issue if made to be that way. I only vote on complete arguments. Stock args are very strategic in front of me because I am not better for random arguments but for good arguments you can defend well. The frontlines and weighing wins you the round, not the constructive.

---

Speaker Points

Be clear, pen time gets speaker points.

Strategic collapses that make my life easier are appreciated

Clear signalling/signposting helps

+.2 speaker points for gender minorities

Boba Tea Fan | TOC 21 | Stanford 25 | He/Him | BA Candidate International Relations | BS Candidate Economics

bwthomas@stanford.edu

Questions about anything? Ask me before the round.

Parli Section for Berkeley:

Hi all! If you're a Parli debater, you can safely ignore everything other than this paragraph + the next paragraph, since all of that is meant for policy, and policy requires...detailed...paradigms. I really enjoy debate, so as long as you give it your all, I will too. I am pretty ideologically neutral, so just make good arguments and you will win. What you need to know about me is that I was a policy debater throughout high school, so while I am not expecting you to line by line like this is policy, I will view the debate in a fairly technical way. Another result of this is that I do not care if you make claims that are unintuitive on face, as long as you win them. Finally, I think correctly identifying what arguments you actually need to win the round and throwing the rest to the wayside is a a sign of skilled debating, not cowardice, and I appreciate this. I currently compete in British Parliamentary and APDA, which has moderated my policy influences to an extent, but just remember that I love the flow lol

If you run theory you need a clear interpretation and you need to clearly explain the relationship between the interpretation and the impacts.If you just say buzzwords, you will lose. Your job is to convince me to literally intervene in a debate. My bar for intervention scales with the intervention you request. It will be hard to make me drop a team even if you go all-in on theory. Asking me to interpret fiat a certain way, by contrast, is pretty easy.

Important Things:

--Most judges do impact calc backwards. Your claim has 0% probability even after you presented it and your warrants and evidence build this up. Bad evidence and arguments have marginal impacts on this even if the other team drops them. This means I will vote aff/neg on even analytic defense if it levels the argument. I very rarely will assign an argument as true or false, instead I will assign a probability range to it and evaluate accordingly. If you need more elaboration about this, I basically agree with everything my dude Vincent Xiao has in his top level section, except I am fine with death good.

--I will read all of your evidence, but only evaluate the highlighted words. I also care who your authors are and if you do not make qual comparisons, I will. This means if you cut a blog post or an op-ed, I will not evaluate it differently than an analytic and I will reward you for cutting peer reviewed journals in the relevant subject area. Numbers and data are good. "X" author is biased or a hack is a real argument I care about, but only if you have reasons why they are wrong.

--CX is binding and underutilized. I will flow it. Being unable to explain how something links to an impact, what the alt actually does, etc. are all things that will count against you.

--Reasonability means that I determine whether the just the aff interp is good or bad by looking at the offense it generates versus the offense against it. Competing Interps means I evaluate the world of the C/I versus the world of the Interp. This means whether you win reasonability is significant in front of me, since it is not a gut check and if you read T blocks assuming reasonability is a gut check your offense will fall flat.

--More good is better than less good. This is the only argument required in most framing debates. Don't be scared to just use Util for impact calc. Most rounds you won't really win extinction without a concerted effort, so I care about impacts deeper in the chain. Do more people die becoming climate refugees than would die in the US-China war?

--You can read your K Aff and I am probably at least familiar with the lit. I am highly familiar with cap, semiocap, and biopolitics. See K/FW section for more detailed thoughts.

--Buzzwords are almost always an excuse for not explaining your argument. If you tell me X obfuscates Y or that Z is a libidinal investment I do not care unless you explain and implicate the argument. These are claims absent further elaboration.

--I will not evaluate things that happened out of round. You can talk about your identity, but not that of anybody else. If you do, it will be reflected in your speaker points.

--If you try to avoid clash by being sneaky, I will intervene to punish you because this is anti-educational and you're wasting everyone's time. If you hide aspec under T, turn a case card into a separate K, etc. and blow it up in the block I will just give the other team new answers. If you aren't sure if something falls into the sneaky category, it does.

-Clash gets speaks.

-I like debate, so my decision will probably take a while. Most judges will be lazy and go with their gut feeling. I will not. I will play close attention as long as the debate is good.

K Affs:

--I have not seen a K Aff I do not believe loses to presumption. Most K Affs make broad impact claims without any--or at best, an ambiguous--solvency mechanism. I will reward 2NR presumption pushes.

--I will punish you for explaining your Aff in the 2AC. Anything I can't clearly trace back to a clear 1AC argument will be evaluated as new and as analytic.

--Most K Affs are use deliberately impenetrable language to make simple claims. Explain and implicate your argument or I will have to do it for you.

--Nontrad is fine, but only in your speech. Don't go overtime or interrupt the other team. That is against the rules and I will just give you an L.

--Please do not spread poetry. It's actually just disrespectful to the poets. Additionally, performance for the sake of performance has proliferated in K debate. Absent reasons why your performance matters, I will just evaluate it as analytics and maybe give you some speaks if it was cool.

--State good is a convincing case turn against every K Aff.

--You get perms in methods debates, but only if they make sense given your 1AC.

FW:

--Clash of Civ Debates are stale from groupthink and a lack of basic critical thinking on both sides. If this is you, I will be frustrated, give you bad speaks, and you will probably lose.

--FW is about Models of Debate. The K aff does not garner offense from the 1AC, but from the model of debate generated by their C/I. Likewise, FW is not about whether the 1AC was debatable. Absent a clearly defined C/I that makes sense I will probably conclude you do not access your offense. If your counterinterp is arbitrary and does not have a resolutional basis, you will lose absent a highly effective impact turn to a resolutional stasis point. I am significantly better for Baudrillard-esque arguments than most other K affs.

--Theory precedes content. In a FW debate, the aff is no longer relevant. I will hold this line even with affs that claim to have in-round solvency, even if this is conceded. This becomes messy if cards are crossapplied as offense on FW, but in this case I only care about clearly crossapplied and explained elements. I will never vote on external offense if FW is lost. I will also never let you go for offense against the neg reading FW in the first place. You do not get to pick an aff that forces the neg into one hypergeneric and then say they can't read it. I don't care what your reasoning is.

--Because of the way I evaluate impacts, fairness FW is viable in front of me, but I think Miles (Cal FG) style FW with larger external impacts like movements or conflict resolution is a stronger argument.

Ks on Neg:

--Framework debates usually feel like a prescripted formality. I have the same concerns as with K Affs: does your counterinterp make sense? Frameworks that are clearly arbitrary and self-serving are non-starters (e.g., ROB is to align with Blackness). I can be persuaded by any variation of the epistemology FW interps, but winning the aff is good is offense under these interps unless the neg also wins consequentialism is bad. Affs should read epistemology offense. If your epistemology is realist and realism is good and I vote based on epistemology, then I should vote aff.

--Alt debate is a lost art. A good alt generates offense against the aff via mutual exclusivity. If you can't generate uniqueness with either FW or an alt I vote neg unless you have a specific link turns case scenario. Affs should use the world of the alt as offense -- if the alt destroys the state or capitalism and these are good and outweigh the K, the aff wins.

--2NCs should have cards. If I can't trace your arguments to evidence, that's a problem especially when you make incredibly broad claims.

--Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. We should destroy everything about the status quo and replace it? Your alt card needs to be fire. Structural claims, ontology claims, etc., need to be explained with structural or ontological evidence--X thing happened one time does not prove structures or ontology.

--Most kritiks are incredibly Eurocentric and international examples invalidate their claims. I am probably going to be a history minor, so calling out ahistorical claims that abound in K debate also goes a long way, especially the genetic fallacy.

--Perms should be specific and have clear ways they work.

--Specific links, especially with quotes, are great.

T:

--Unless T is contrived, I am a good judge for it.

--Caselists and explanations are great.

--T is actually a impact debate most of the time.

--Most T evidence is really bad. Use this to your advantage

CP:

--I love a CP that actually clashes with the aff. CPs that do the opposite of the aff are really cool.

--Cheating CPs are cheating. Please don't read them in the first place. I am easily convinced by theory and will be very forgiving of 1AR timeskew.

--I won't judgekick. If you read an advocacy, defend it or don't.

--Unlimited or arbitrary condo is probably bad. Go ahead and go for condo. X number of condo limits are unconvincing because they are never not arbitrary.

--PICS are cool but why not just read it as a DA? You can probably change my mind.

DA:

--A complete DA has uniqueness, link, (internal links) and an impact. Multiple of these can be in a card, but if they're not all in the 1NC you don't have a real argument. It's going to be difficult to go for that in front of me, especially in the 1NR.

--If you want extinction from nuclear war or climate change you have to earn it with real evidence and a clear reason you access it (why is this aff key to climate change broadly?). Reading Ng 19 with 15 words highlighted is not earning an extinction impact. However, if you win it I will reward you. Extinction is really bad!

--Extinction is not infinitely bad -- there is still value in the universe (unless you really make a push there is not) -- it is just [insert very large number] bad.

--Less buzzwords, more tell me why your DA matters more than the aff.

--Turns case is a lost art. Please spend some time on DA turns case.

About Me:

Georgetown LW

Homestead MW

Put me on the chain: zidao.debate@gmail.com.

If you are interested in debating at Georgetown or attending Georgetown camp, feel free to reach out!

TOC Update: I have done a moderate amount of topic research and have judged 26 rounds on the fiscal redistribution topic. Explaining acronyms and highly niche things would still be incredibly helpful.

Conflicts: Westwood, Northside, GBS, Woodward.

Top Level:

Debate is a competitive activity that emphasizes research and persuasion. The best debaters possess skills regarding both.

Great debaters make strategic choices backed up with well warranted arguments and well researched evidence. I love seeing confident debaters demonstrating the culmination of a year's worth of research through the arguments they make, whether that's an innovative new counterplan or a topic specific K.

I don't think I have any major anomalies as a judge that should heavily impact the way you debate. I am open to judging and deciding any argument.

My biases will only come into play at the absolute margins. All can be overcome with technical debating.

I have three non-negotiables:

1 - Debate should not be about issues that occurred outside the round. If something has occurred outside the debate that threatens the well-being of any of the debaters, I will end the round and go to tab.

2 - Everyone must follow speech times, speech orders, prep time, there will be one winner and loser, etc.

3 - No asking for speaks or crowd participation.

Decision-making:

Tech over truth. However, truth significantly helps your ability to win the argument. Unwarranted or ridiculous arguments can be easily dismissed, but you must answer them.

Zero risk is possible, but my threshold is higher than some other judges. For example, if the 2NR drops "fiat solves the link to the politics DA" and it was well-warranted in the 1AR, I would likely assign the DA zero risk.

Try or die does exist. It is when either in the world of the DA or the case, there is no defense to the claim that extinction is inevitable (Ex: 2NR goes for only alt causes to climate change). However, I can be persuaded to discount that frame by either team.

Author quals matter. Cards written by undergrads, etc. should not be given much weight.

Clarity and ease of communication > extremely fast/unclear subpoints that are impossible to flow. Nine times out of ten you are better off slowing down and emphasizing strong moments of connection.

I am not a robot. Debate is a communicative activity. Sounding like you're winning will help.

You can insert re-highlightings if it's within the text of the card that was already read, but you must give it context and explain the implication. If you're inserting something 3 paragraphs after the original card, you have to read it.

If your evidence is extremely under-highlighted, you will have a tough time selling me in a close debate.

Theory:

On the Aff, everything seems to be a reason to reject the argument except condo (but you have to say it).

I will judge condo like any other debate. However, I am intuitively more persuaded by Neg flex than most Aff objections.

The less intuitive the CP is, the more likely I am to be skeptical of it absent evidence. I am a harder sell for solvency advocate theory.

T vs Plans:

Topicality says this debate should not have occurred because the Aff was not within the bounds of the agreed upon resolution. Therefore, it asks me to forego evaluating a debate about the topic in favor of punishing the Aff.

I default to offense/defense in lieu of a reasonability argument. However, an offensively framed reasonability argument can be persuasive to me in light of my above thoughts. This must be grounded in predictable and qualified counter-interp evidence. Additionally, the Aff must win a significant amount of defense to Neg standards.

I don’t view reasonability as a gut check or a decision based on “vibes.” A successful reasonability argument still requires the Aff to win offense for why viewing the difference between two interps through the lens of offense/defense is a bad frame. It is also grounded in the reasonable doubt burden of proof in criminal law.

I am most likely to vote Neg when they are winning a large link to limits, doing concrete impact calculus, and explaining why they have an inroads to predictability/why Neg ground outweighs.

DAs:

DA turns case/solves case can be high impact. The earlier this debate gets started the better. It's also far more persuasive if you can get it higher up the link chain (ie: link turns solvency > nuke war turns warming).

I care a lot about the story-telling component of DAs. In other words, don't debate the parts of the DAs like a bunch of disaggregated pieces without a clear vision. Focus on the core narrative of the DA and ensure that your line by line supports that narrative. Ultimately, I need to be able to articulate in a few sentences the thrust of the scenario the Neg is trying to sell me. Similarly, the Aff needs to explain why the Neg's story is inaccurate.

Impact turns can be great debates, but the closer they get to spark/wipeout the more they start feeling like bad debates.

CPs:

Explanation is crucial. I need to be able to understand how the CP operates and what internal links or impacts the Negative is claiming it solves. This necessity is magnified by vague 1NC planks without solvency advocates.

Compare what the counterplan does to the 1AC internal links/impacts. Explicit comparison of these warrants can be a great help when evaluating the "sufficiency" of counterplan planks.

Not the greatest for process stuff that is not about the plan. If you have a net benefit that is a reason the plan is bad or even genuinely mutually exclusive with the 1AC, then I will be extremely receptive on competition. However, most consult and process backfiles are not competitive given equal debating. Best route to an Aff ballot vs these CPs are perms. This preference, like all other preferences, will not come into play unless the debate is extremely close.

If two teams are advancing different visions of competition in the final rebuttals, I will strictly evaluate the offense and defense for each interpretation.

PICs are fine if they result in something different than the Aff. Not the best for word PICs that do the entire plan. If you have good evidence that the inclusion of a certain topic word affects the plan implementation, then I am much easier to sell on your word PIC. This needs to be grounded in an argument about what constitutes a function.

Ks:

The more your K is secretly a counterplan and a DA, the better I am for it. If your K does not exclude weighing the plan, I find it important for there to be an associated framework argument that checks back against an otherwise relatively persuasive 2AR on perm double bind.

I'm not willing to split the middle ground on framework arbitrarily. If the Aff is saying "No Ks" and the Neg is saying "Only Reps Matter" in the final rebuttals, I will decide on one or the other. However, either team can advocate for a middle ground during the debate and I will be receptive. If you are doing this, make sure to clearly explain what your interpretation looks like and how I should make decisions based on that framework.

I am worse than average for Ks that entirely moot the plan. If equally debated, I find fairness and clash objections to these relatively persuasive. I evaluate these type of Ks similarly to how I would evaluate competition for a Process CP. To win, Affs need to be technically sufficient and answer all tricks/checklist items.

The best 2NRs make clear strategic choices on the K. I find myself voting Aff most consistently when the 2NR fails to collapse the debate down to a core set of issues. (Ex: Going for too many links, trying to both win fiat Ks and links to the plan, not developing your core theory of power enough). Similarly, most 2ARs against the K have to win a few core issues, and the rest usually falls into place.

K Affs:

I will flow and listen to any 1AC. You do not have to read a plan. All you need to do is out tech the other team. If you can’t do this, I am likely to be persuaded by T.

Against T, I am equally fine for an Aff that defends a counter-interp and an Aff that just impact turns. If the Aff wins that topically itself is violent, then a lot of objections about "models" or "ballet solvency" seem to go away. However, I find most objections to the reading of topicality unpersuasive.

I have no experience adjudicating K v K debates. I don't find "no perms" persuasive, but am entirely open to other things besides the advocacy statement being a basis for philosophical competition.

I am also good for impact turns. Does the 1AC say "attempting to control other states" is bad? Sounds like NPT Good is offense. Did the 2AC say reject "all instances of American imperialism?" Sounds like you can say Heg Good. My biggest comment about going for these sort of impact turn 2NRs is that teams need to do explicit judge instruction about what should be a "win condition" for the Neg. This will help hedge back against a 2AR that says it's only a debate about debate. Similarly for the Aff, I think defending your epistemic commitments, either through substantive answers/cross-apps from case or Ks of the impacts, is more persuasive than no linking everything.

If the Aff reads a plan but says it's good for a deontological reason like Kant or Buddhism, I think T is basically unwinnable.

Ethics/Decorum:

Assertiveness and humor is great and will boost your speaks. Have fun! I love debate and love to see people enjoying the activity.

Minimizing dead time in debates will not only allow me to make better and more helpful decisions (by giving me more decision time), but will also help your speaks.

Clipping= L + 0. This needs to be multiple lines, not a couple words. Any team may initiate an ethics challenge about clipping or other procedural violations (there must be recorded evidence). If I conclude the team is incorrect, they will lose the round and receive a 25. I will also self police this.

Overt sexism, racism, homophobia, etc = L+0. I am an educator that is responsible for the well-being of minors during the duration of the round. Threats of physical or psychological violence will never be acceptable. I will decide where to draw the line, but it would behoove you to ensure that you are FAR away from that line as possible with your decorum. I will not hesitate to instantly end the round, give you an L+0, and escalate the situation to tab.

Speaker points:

If you opensource (every card you've read) and let me know before the RFD, you will get .2 extra speaks.

If you give the final rebuttal without the use of a laptop, you will get .2 extra speaks (inspired by DKP).

Public Forum Paradigm:

I occasionally judge middle school PF rounds for Holy Trinity, where I am an assistant coach. Although I am a college policy debater, I do not think public forum should be a speed contest or obscure critiques/counterplans should be the focus of the debate. I will not be receptive to teams running these arguments as "cheap shots," especially in middle school.

The three things I care about the most for public forum debates are:

1. Answering your opponents arguments in an organized fashion. I love when debaters specifically reference arguments by labels, (ie: "their biodiversity argument") and then respond to that argument where they reference it. It makes it easier for me to decide the debate. Jumping around different arguments or disorganized speeches make it harder for me to decide.

2. Making strategic choices and doing impact calculus. In final speeches, I think there are little to no circumstances where debaters should be extending multiple contentions/arguments. Public forum speech times are very limited, so it's best to focus on the strongest argument you are winning and play defense to your opponent's stuff. Explain why your impact or argument is more important and why it matters.

3. Paying attention/flowing. Taking notes of what your opponent is saying and paying attention to what arguments they did or did not make are all important. I like it when debaters point out mistakes or what opponents said in prior speeches, because it shows me they're paying attention.

Have fun! Debate is a competition but it's also a fun activity that allows you to learn new things and make friends.

Logistics:

Please add me to the email chain: edmondywen@gmail.com

If you'd like to reach out to me for any other reason: edmond.yixiu.wen@gmail.com

Experience:

San Marino TW, Policy Debate 2017-2019 | San Marino EW, LD Debate 2019-2020

Coached by Joseph Barquin.

I have not been involved in debate for the past 3 years. Read mostly critical and performance arguments in high school.

Paradigm:

Misc

Be nice and do your best.

Please aim to have your speech docs sent out before ending your prep time.

Less is more. Slowing down to enunciate your tags/analytics/author names makes it much easier to follow your speech and piece together your argument. Spreading is fine, but my favorite speeches to listen to are the ones where debaters know when to slow down to emphasize key arguments in the debate.

Argument Preferences

Speed is fine, but accommodate for those who cannot understand spreading.

Nontraditional affs are fine, but be prepared to either defend their relevance to the topic or justify them in some other way.

I am not good for theory or tricks debates, but I will do my best to evaluate them.

I consider it a privilege to judge debate. I will return the favor and do my best to render a fair decision and provide educational feedback ^_^

https://www.tabroom.com/index/paradigm.mhtml

TLDR

Condo is probably bad. I don't like tricks and rude stuff. I don't like people beating their opponents down in a disrespectful manner. True champions find a way to win with style, finesse, and some measure of grace. Basically, "say what you mean, and mean what you say" in front of me. Kick outs and shifts are not received well. If you shift your position and the other team catches you, calls you on it, labels it a voter, impacts it, and you do not give that response serious consideration, you will have missed the opportunity to respond to something likely important in the decision. I prefer that debaters determine the issues in the round. My job is to evaluate how well, how clearly, how expertly, and how meaningfully the debaters present, refute, and summarize versus each other.

I like and am comfortable with crystal clear debaters and crystal-clear rebuttals. I am open to a lot of different types of discussions, and I'm excited to listen to what you bring to the debate space.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ARGUMENT, In a nutshell:

Tell Me What Your Argument Is

Tell Me Why I Should Prefer It

Tell Me Why If I Do Prefer Your Argument Why You Should Then Win The Debate---Some form of Impact Calculus/Weighting Magnitude, Probability and Time Frame-ish args are goods.

If you think you are really winning something, "sit on it" and explain why you win.

Updated 1/05/2024

Overview: I firmly believe that policy debate is first and foremost a communication activity. Consequently, oral presentation plays a large factor in my adjudication process. I focus on the “story” of the debate, but line-byline refutation can be a component of that. Know your order before you announce it. Don't change the order after you announce it. Clearly articulated arguments at any speed can be evaluated. Inarticulate utterings that cannot be understood cannot be evaluated. Especially in online debates. Slow down and be really clear on why you are winning. Be quick, but don't hurry. I will not tolerate rudeness. Cross X is binding. I don’t like “camp games” that steal time. I see you. Keep it to a minimum. If there is a mistake or misunderstanding just apologize. Saying you are sorry is often overlooked. You might clean it up well and still be in the debate. At the very least, you will save yourself low speaks if you make an honest effort to play it smart and on the level.

My paradigm biggies are as follows:

1. I agree that conditionality is "probably" bad. So, its "probably" not a bad idea to speak to this and support reasons why I might or might not vote on this---if it becomes an issue. Don’t just wait to see what I’ll do. In a vacuum of no direction on a debate argument, I am left to ignore the argument or evaluate by my own standards. I prefer to not do this. Its your debate. Clean it up. As far as just throwing out a bunch of stuff and then dropping it as a strategy---it does not usually go very well. I do not automatically judge kick. If you run 10 off, then win 10 off that do not contradict each other. Most importantly, be sure that you are clear as crystal even attempting it. When you time skew and then kick out, I am predisposed to vote for the other team if they argue time shew is a reason to reject the side that initiates such practices in the debate space. Absent compelling reasons why I should not do this--that's my predisposition. Again, its your debate so remember to tell me as the judge why I should prefer you style or point of view. Say what you mean and mean what you say is always best---as long as you are not being rude to your opponents. Practice civility always in debate rounds.

2. Topical Counterplans are probably not OK. If at the end of the round I have been effectively persuaded that there are two Affirmative teams, I'll probably vote Affirmative. Give me reasons to not do so, if this is part of your normal strategy. Explain why in a manner that includes what the AFF is doing and WHY even a topical CPLAN is preferred.

3. I prefer not to judge topicality debates. If you're ahead on it, explain to me why it’s important to care about this, or I might not understand why to vote on it. Again, compare your position to your opponents and why your side should win.

4. I enjoy case debates. Solidly clear, irrefutably presented and reasonably current inherency evidence could really win a debate. Really. Postdating sources is good. Supported evidence indicts are good. If you introduce an ethics challenge into a debate round, be prepared to win it. The penalty for challenging someone in such a manner seems to be leading toward the initiator losing the round if they lose their challenge.

5. Kritikal arguments on both AFF and NEG are fine, but pay close attention to the way you communicate your positions (clear and concise!).

6. The topic should be debated, but how you approach the resolution, and how you approach debate generally (content, style, etc.), is left up to the debaters.

7. If you're Negative, show me how your approach is specific to this Affirmative. Be thoughtful in explaining what a vote for your side means and why I should endorse it. Ask me to vote for your side. Don't completely on-face grant the 1AC in favor of pre-set tangentially related points and expect me to get why that means the Negative wins the debate. Be particularly clear on fairness and why ground is or isn't lost and warrants a decision. These are usually not presented clearly and powerfully. And without why they should matter, I tend to be persuaded by other issues

8. I appreciate when the AFF and NEG teams sit on the correct sides of the room with respect to the judge. Otherwise, I might want to vote for someone but accidentally vote for the wrong team. If you're not on the proper side of the room, at least say in your speech which side of the debate you represent and why you think your side should win the debate. That is taken for granted a lot. :)

Best,

Marna Weston

Caddo Magnet 22'

Tulane 26'

email chain: ryanw9700@gmail.com

I did policy debate in high school for all four years. I did Zoom debate for a while, if possible, please have cameras on.

Tech over truth

Speak as fast as you want

More clash = better debate

Please do impact calculus

Good Line by Line will win you the round

Evidence quality matter a lot. I do read evidence after the round, and I see too often debaters power tagging entire arguments and getting a way with it. If the argument is dumb call it out. If you want me to read certain pieces of evidence after the round say it in speeches.

I read a variety of K and Policy oriented arguments in high school. I'm familiar with most critical literature bases. I do not have a strong preference towards either argument style.

What I like to see:

1) collapsing down in the 2NR/ 2AR to the best points and explain warrants in details

2) Going away from blocks and engaging with the other teams arguments fully

3) Confidence, not arrogance, control the room/round

What I do not like:

1) Teams asking if X card was read or waiting absurd times for cut copies

2) Everyone knows you're stealing prep! So be slick about it

1) collapsing down in the 2NR/ 2AR to the best points and explain warrants in details

2) Going away from blocks and engaging with the other teams arguments fully

3) Confidence, not arrogance, control the room/round

What I do not like:

1) Teams asking if X card was read or waiting absurd times for cut copies

2) Everyone knows you're stealing prep! So be slick about it

Topicality - go for it. If you are 2n, it should be all 5 minutes of the 2nr.

After hearing a lot of T debates on the NATO topic, I do not wanna hear T in the 2NR. This is not my preferred negative argument on the topic. Please feel free to read it though

Kritks: I love a good K debate. Links to the affirmative are the most persuasive to me. Other links are fine if explained properly. If you are not going for the alternative, you should win framework. If the framework page gets too messy don't expect me to do the work for you. I have a base level understanding of most literature bases. I read a K aff my senior year of HS. If you know your K then there should be no problem winning.

Framework: Debate is a game, but that is up to interpretation. Fairness is an impact. Clash is more persuasive to me. I think affirmative teams should be creative when responding to FW. I am more open to different models of debate than most judges. The 2NR shouldn't be five minutes of fairness comes before their arguments. Answer what the other team is saying.

I like K v. K debates. I can't promise I will flow perfectly in these rounds, so rebuttal speeches that clearly clarify the role of judge and ballot are crucial.

CP: I love a good CP debate. I can be convinced by any theory here. Unless it's condo its most likely a reason to reject the arg not the team.

DA: The best of the debates are with good impact calculus and resolved with good impact cal. Yes on impact turns. Link debate work is nice.

Speaker Points:

I give higher speaks than average. 28.6 is what I expect out of most rounds. If you are unclear and give bad, uncreative arguments, your speaker points will reflect that.

LD

- I end up judging lots of LD rounds. I have never done LD only judged rounds on it. I am best suited for LARP and K args. Anything outside of that I am probably not the best judge for you. I can handle a theory debate, buture.

Read my policy paradigm

1) LARP

2) Kritiks

3) Phil

4) Theory

5) Trixs

RVIs are dumb. I don't like voting on them.

just do impact cal

PF

Based on my experience, this event is a pain to judge. Please do not paraphrase. Please engage with each others arguments. Please do not send out a card doc if its just a bunch of quotes from NYT and Vox.

Last Updated: March 11 2023

Spencer ("SkyCat") – never "judge" – he/him

Was the Assistant Coach at Edgemont

OES 2020 (3 years of HS Policy, 8 bids)

Yes email chain, please include an informational title – spencersunwilliams@gmail.com

Important: I am currently on chemotherapy. This means I am very tired and will likely give short RFDs. I debated on the treaties topic 3 years ago for Harvard Debate and I read a NATO aff. I have been out of college and debate and college since to pursue cancer treatments.

Short Version:

1) Do what you do best, be smart and passionate, and you'll be fine.

2) Tech determines truth unless your argument is offensive or an insult to obvious reality. The content of my paradigm only states my predisposed beliefs, but you can convince me of anything if you debate well.

3) As a debater, I am most frustrated with RFDs that are removed from the reality of the round. Whether that be allowing new rebuttal answers, voting based on predetermined personal beliefs, or not flowing, I will try to correct against those things as much as possible as a judge.

4) Clarity over speed. I will stop flowing if I have to "slow" or "clear" you more than 3 times.

5) I am increasingly frustrated by teams that ask for massive flow clarifications. This includes: "Before cross begins, did you read X card?" and "Can you send out a version of the speech doc that excludes the cards you didn't read?" If you do this, then it is clear you aren't flowing, and I will dock your speaks. :(

K Debates:

On K's in general:

I do not hack for any argument. This means "big if true" claims such as people of color already live in a state of extinction that outweighs biological extinction, Blackness is ontological, subjectivity is shaped by debate, the aff causes queer genocide, etc., require substantive proof just like any other argument.

In terms of running a K on the neg, if you do not extend an alt, you need to explain to me what that means for the rest of the K. No big overviews please, just do line by line. Also, links of omission are silly.

On K affs:

These are my favorite affs to judge! I love judging good K affs, but I believe that the affirmative needs to have a sustainable interpretation of what the topic looks like to win. What that looks like is up to you, but I am not persuaded by interpretations of the topic that do not leave a role for the negative to adequately engage with the affirmative.

Topicality arguments are not prescriptively violent. I am more persuaded by affirmatives that respond to framework by introducing a more effective model for political or institutional engagement than affirmatives that argue all politics or institutions are irredeemable. Affirmatives that prescribe homogeneity based on one identifying factor for an otherwise diverse group of people will have difficulty convincing me.

Most out of my element in K v K debates. Explain your position thoroughly and have clear reasons why your theories of power are incompatible.

T Debates:

The quality of evidence matters when it comes to T. A good T card should have intent to define, intent to exclude, and compelling author qualifications. It isn't impossible to win without those three qualities in front of me, but the T argument is significantly more convincing with them. If your opponent's card is lacking, point out specifically what the piece of evidence needs to be persuasive.

Impact and caselist comparisons are essential to winning my ballot; I probably value them more than the average judge does. In T debates, argument interaction and clash are especially critical to prevent running circles around arguments.

Unpack and compare, do not rely on buzzwords. Your T blocks should be specific to the argument you're running. "Vote neg because our interp sets a limit on the topic" or "vote neg for limits and ground" are neither warranted nor complete arguments unless you explain why and how the topic established by the negative's interpretation is net better than the affirmative's for reasons of better education, deeper clashing debates, etc.

Non-Negotiables:

Rehighlightings must be read and not inserted unless they were read in CX.

Speech times are not flexible. I will not flow your partner if they interrupt during your speech unless they are speaking as part of a rehearsed 1AC/1NC.

I will not explicitly intervene in any debate round unless a debater makes it clear that they do not want the round to continue. I believe in the educational value of allowing a debate to happen. If there is clipping in a round, however, I will dock your speaks and email your coach(es) with the evidence/recording.

I will drop you if you misgender anyone.

Speaker Points:

Stolen from Zidao. <3

If you opensource everything, let me know before the RFD and I'll add .3 to your speaks.

29.5+: One of the top speakers of the tournament. Should be in deep elims.

29-29.5: Good debater that I expect to break and get a speaker award.

28.5-28.9: Competent debater with good grasp of fundamentals. Not at the level of clearing yet.

Good luck at the tournament and take care!