The Hebron Standard TFA and NIETOC Qualifier
2020 — Online, TX/US
Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideI did high school policy debate for three years debating as a performance and kritik debater. I have 4 years experience judging a range of debate styles and arguments. I prefer performance and kritik but i am open to judging anything.
I prefer you that you spend time on framing the arguments in the debate at the top of your speech. I'm not a line by line heavy judge and judge based on Big issues. First, I evaluate the framework for the debate to determine which impacts I should prioritize. Second, I evaluate Impacts and determine which are more important based on the Framework. Third, I evaluate the Status Quo, Plan, Counter-plan, Kritik Alternative, based on which best solves for in round impacts.
If you want my ballot, check all those boxes and I will most likely vote for you over your opponent if they are missing those parts.
For email chains, please use: Judgebechler@gmail.com
A little about me. I have done 3 years of CX, a year of LD, 4 years of Extemp, 3 years of Impromptu, and 1 year of HI. I have made it to UIL State in CX, UIL regionals in LD and Extemp where I have held my own against nationally ranked debaters, and TFA State in Congress. I have judged now for 5 years in a variety of settings and events, from Novice only tournaments to UIL Regions.
Now onto paradigms:
ALL LD/PF: IF YOU TRY TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT THE AFF MUST DEFEND A PLAN TEXT, I WILL VOTE YOU DOWN!!!
Overall: For Novice events, keep speed to a minimum. I do not tolerate sexism, racism, transphobia, etc. (I really shouldn't have to say that) and those will cause me to vote you down.
I will NOT even consider disclosure theory in any event under any circumstance as an argument you can use to win.
For PF: Generally prefer clash and clear and present voters, speed is fine but keep in mind that I may lose arguments if you go too fast or don't effectively read tag-lines. Go heavy on the Framework, net benefit, and impact calculus debate, keep note I'm primarily a CX/LD judge.
Novice CX: At the beginning of the year I am more lenient on mistakes. That being said, don't be afraid to try arguments out in round, if you make mistakes, I will make sure to put the fixes in your comments. I also will not punish speaker points as hard in the beginning of the year unless you are clearly trying to go above what you can do. Spreading is discouraged for me right now as it is so early, but if you can clearly spread, that's ok. I am mostly a stock issues judge, but give me the cleanest, clearest, and easiest way to vote for you (usually with a good impact calculus), and I will vote off that. I do not flow cross-x normally, if it's important in the round, tell me in a speech!
Varsity CX: Speed is fine, just make sure to slow down on tag lines and authors so that I can guarantee that I catch them. I am tab in varsity, and love impact calculus and other voters. I defer to reasonability as my standard for T. In addition, if you do decide to run T, make sure that I understand why T is a necessity in this specific round! Make my job easier and I will be more in your favor. I do not flow cross-x normally, if it's important in the round, tell me in a speech!
Novice LD: I am a traditional judge, and I value FW debate highly, but if you make the case for impact calculus debate, I will vote on that. Again, make my job the easiest. I do not flow cross-x normally, if it's important in the round, tell me in a speech!
Varsity LD: I prefer traditional, but am okay with progressive if done properly. I prefer you not to spread as to increase the level and depth of debate, and not the breadth. I do defer to reasonability in regards to T violations, so if you run one, keep that in mind. I really need voters or else everyone is subject to judge interpretation of the round, and I don't think anyone wants that. I do not flow cross-x normally, if it's important in the round, tell me in a speech!
Always feel free to ask clarifying questions about my paradigms or for more explanation!
About Me
I attended and debated for Rutgers University-Newark (c/o 2021). I’ve ran both policy and K affs.
Coach @ Ridge HS in Basking Ridge, NJ.
Influences In Debate
David Asafu – Adjaye (he actually got me interested in college policy, but don’t tell him this), and of course, the debate coaching staff @ RU-N: Willie Johnson, Carlos Astacio, Devane Murphy, Christopher Kozak and Elijah Smith.
The Basics
Yes, I wish to be on the email chain!
COLLEGE POLICY: I skimmed through the topic paper and ADA/ Wake will be my first time judging this season. Do with this information what you wish.
GENERAL: If you are spreading and it’s not clear, I will yell clear. If I have to do that too many times in a round, it sucks to be you buddy because I will just stop flowing and evaluate the debate based on what I can remember. Zoom through your cards, but when doing analytics and line by line, take it back a bit. After all, I can only evaluate what I catch on my flow. UPDATE FOR ONLINE DEBATES: GO ABOUT 70% OF YOUR NORMAL SPEED. IF YOU ARE NOT CLEAR EVEN AT 70%, DON'T SPREAD.
In general, I like K’s (particularly those surrounding Afro-Pess and Queer Theory). However, I like to see them executed in at least a decent manner. Therefore, if you know these are not your forte, do not read them just because I am judging. One recent pet peeve of mine is people just asserting links without having them contextualized to the aff and well explained. Please don't be that person. You will see me looking at both you and my flow with a confused face trying to figure out what's happening. Additionally, do not tell me that perms cannot happen in a method v. method debate without a warrant.
I live for performance debates.
I like to be entertained, and I like to laugh. Hence, if you can do either, it will be reflected in your speaker points. However, if you can’t do this, fear not. You obviously will get the running average provided you do the work for the running average. While I am a flow centric judge, be it known that debate is just as much about delivery as it is about content.
The bare minimum for a link chain for a DA is insufficient 99% of the time for me. I need a story with a good scenario for how the link causes the impact. Describe to me how everything happens. Please extrapolate! Give your arguments depth! It would behoove you to employ some impact calculus and comparison here.
Save the friv theory, bring on those spicy framework and T debates. Please be well structured on the flow if you are going this route. Additionally, be warned, fairness is not a voter 98% of the times in my book. It is an internal link to something. Note however, though I am all for T and framework debates, I also like to see aff engagement. Obviously these are all on a case by case basis. T USFG is not spicy. I will vote on it, but it is not spicy.
For CPs, if they're abusive, they are. As long as they are competitive and have net benefits, we're good.
On theory, at a certain point in the debate, I get tired of hearing you read your coach's coach's block extensions. Could we please replace that with some impact weighing?
Do not assume I know anything when judging you. I am literally in the room to take notes and tell who I think is the winner based on who gives the better articulation as to why their option is better. Therefore, if you assume I know something, and I don’t … kinda sucks to be you buddy.
I’m all for new things! Debating is all about contesting competing ideas and strategies.
I feel as though it should be needless to say, but: do not run any bigoted arguments. However, I’m well aware that I can’t stop you. Just please be prepared to pick up a zero in your speaking points, and depending on how egregious your bigotry is, I just might drop you. Literally!
Another thing: please do not run anthropocentrism in front of me. It’s something I hated as a debater, and it is definitely something I hate as a judge. Should you choose to be risky, please be prepared for the consequences. (Update: voted on it once - purely a flow decision)
For My LD'ers
It is often times difficult to evaluate between esoteric philosophies. I often find that people don't do enough work to establish any metric of evaluation for these kinds of debates. Consequently, I am weary for pulling the trigger for one side as opposed to the other. If you think you can, then by all means, read it!
Yale Update: Tricks are for kids.You might be one, but I am not.
I'm gonna have to pass on the RVIs too. I've never seen a more annoying line of argumentation.
In general, give me judge instructions.
On average, tech > truth --- however, I throw this principle out when people start doing or saying bigoted things.
TL;DR-
I’m tab but prefer to act as a policymaker. Run anything you feel comfortable with as long as you can explain it well and it connects well to the debate. Also, I evaluate clarity in arguments: i.e. if you want to run a very obscure kritikal argument that only 10 people in the world know well, give me a clear image of the kritik.
I prefer quality>quantity when it comes to offcase, just do with that what you will.
In regards to speed; if your fastest is a 10, give me an 8 (on your evidence only). Don’t spread your analytics, I only wanna hear your great speed when you're card reading.
It has been a few years since I debated so I might be slightly rusty on niche terminology, so just be mindful of that.
Please, if you have any other question that I haven't answered here or you'd like some more clarity, feel free to ask.
Speaks-
I'll start you at 28 and go from there.
L o n g
Framework-
I love a good framework debate. There isn’t much for me to say on this matter but ultimately if there are competing frameworks show me which one solves best/ which one is most important. I believe most good rounds are decided on framework.
T-
I value a good topicality debate. I weigh T as apriori but I’m not so inclined to vote on it unless it is one of the main issues debated in the 2nr.
You should always tell me why your interp is better than your opponents. Most importantly though, YOU should tell me how I should evaluate T and why I should vote on T.
Ultimately, if your go-to strategy is T + whatever else, then go for it. Don't let my paradigms set you off on how you usually debate.
Theory-
I’d rather not have a two-hour theory debate, nevertheless if that’s what you feel the strat should be, then go for it. I default to whether or not the opponent reasonably violates whatever your theory suggests. Prove in-round abuse and I might just vote on it.
Disads-
Every part of the disad is extremely important for the neg, if the aff can prove to me how any of the part of the disad doesn’t work, there is no disad (i.e. all parts of the disad are treated equally).
With that being said, I’m not going to do your job for you, you have to explain to me why non-uniqueness debunks the entire disadvantage.
I’m cool with generic links, but specific links strengthen the argument exponentially.
There is always a probability. Every part of the disadvantage is important but if you only go for like the link, then explain to me why no link dismantles the disadvantage, I will not do your work for you.
CP-
I like a good counterplan debate. However, do not run more than one counterplan-- that’s just abusive and a time skew, . Make sure that the CP text is clear/ clarified and explain to me the net benefits
K-
Explain it thoroughly and go in depth. Don’t run a 1 minute kritik and expect the ballot. Don’t assume I know the author and the literature because although I know some, I wasn’t a heavy kritikal debater.
I still enjoy a good kritik and will vote on it for sure.
The link is the most important part for the neg, I want a clear connection of what the aff/resolution perpetuates and how so.
The Alt is possibly the biggest voter in Kritikal Debate, explain the alternative well and what it looks like.
DON’Ts-
Be rude, belittling, or offensive.
Play music during a round
Excessive prompting (if it starts getting obsessive I will stop flowing)
Spread your analytics.
Misc.-
This is some advice not only for me as a judge but for most judges: Though we may be oddly specific on the stuff we want to see in argument, those are mere preferences if the arguments clash in round (i.e. if you give me a 20 second disad with a really bad link and sketchy impact, and your opponent drops it, I lean towards you). It’s okay not to follow every little preference in paradigms, the most important thing is for you to debate the best way you know how.
I want to be on the email chain kasiadrewniak@gmail.com
I am cool with everything, I am in my 4th year of debate I run krtical arguments on a daily but that doesn't mean just pull random k for your teams back files I might know what it means but unless you do i wont vote for you. The biggest thing have fun don't be racist or homophobic or sexist and exct.
I will give you extra speaks if you show me your flows by 0.1 FLOWING IS IMPORTANT
If you have any questions just ask trust me I am not scary I am a tiny little polish girl
Background:
2019, CX Debate State Runner-Up Conf. 2A
4-year CX Debater, Slocum High School
I was a Theory-debater in high school and am very well versed in the world of debate. I have debated at both the high school and college level. I have coached four CX teams and sent all four to State. I hated (and still do hate) Open-Evidence with a passion. I frequently ran kritiks and theory in high school so I will understand them fully if you decide to run either.
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Gmail: kasendebate@gmail.com
Please include me on any and all email chains.
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Overview:
- I am a Games Player.
- I view the debate as a game and I believe in the rules and points that come along with the game.
- I heavily value MPX Calc and rebuttal crystallizations.
- I don't listen to Performance Affs.
- I default new in the 2 unless the Neg provides theory on why it shouldn't be permitted.
- If you argue in CX, I will stop you. If it becomes excessive, I'll stop CX.
My background in debate is pretty intense and up-to-date. In my experience, there is nothing that you can argue that I haven't seen/heard/debated against/debated with. If you manage to confuse me, that's probably a sign that something's gone wrong.
For old-schoolers and debaters from State pre-Tabroom:
K: 5
T: 1
CP: 4
DA: 5
On-Case: 4
Conditional: 4
Quantity of Args: 5
New in 2: 4
Communication = Resolution
Quantity > Quality
Theory & Framework:
- I love Theory: most theory arguments go over well with me, so long as you know how to use them.
- Back-and-forth Framework bores me — I appreciate good framing but the framework debate itself is repetitive and tiresome.
Topicality:
- I am not a fan of Topicality. (T) arguments often are filler arguments and I would rather not listen to them.
- If you have strong (T)s that aren't fillers, then go for it.
- (T)s MUST include standards and voters, otherwise, I wash the (T) on my flow.
- I have never, and probably will never, vote on Funding/Agent/etc. You can still run it, but I doubt it'll be enough to win.
- I don't care for F-Spec in the slightest -- I will (basically) never vote on a funding argument.
Kritiks:
- I love K debates and interesting Kritikality.
- If you don't know how to run a K, then don't.
- I expect the Neg to understand their lit base and author.
- If the Aff doesn't know how to respond to a K, I either expect K Theory to follow or the Neg to explain the significance of the K and why it should remain on the flow. If neither happens, it gets washed.
- Props to the Aff if they can K the Neg...
CPs:
- CPs cannot, under any circumstance, be topical.
- PICs are fine with me as long as you know what you're doing.
- CPs should assume Aff solvency in its entirety and contain net-better MPXs in the Calc.
- CPs should be net-better.
- Mutual exclusivity is a novice argument. Mutually Inclusive CPs are legendary.
DAs:
- Must be warranted
- As for MPXs, ANYTHING >>>> Nuke War.
- I don't bother with Race War MPXs.
Evidence:
- I am not a Democrat nor am I a Republican -- I will not vote for you just because you read a card on racism or something.
- I consider debaters that play to a judge's political affiliation to be among the lowest of the low.
Speaks:
- I consider myself hard to impress but that's just me.
- I reserve my 30s for the best of the best; I average 27-28
Disclosure:
I will offer oral critiques to anyone who wishes. I will disclose my RFD so long as 1) the tournament permits, 2) there's time, and 3) all debaters consent to my immediate disclosure.
If any debaters object to the immediate disclosure, then I will accept that and not disclose. If any debaters have any questions, my email is free to those who wish.
Online Tournaments:
I expect all debaters to have your cameras on throughout the entire debate. This ensures clarity as well as fairness. Do NOT communicate with your partner during your speeches/CX.
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If proper debate decorum is consistently violated, I'll stop speeches/CX/etc. Debaters, especially at district/state should be able to properly adhere to debate decorum.
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I wish the best of luck to all teams present and expect great things from you all.
~ Kasen Hobson '23
Texas A&M University - Classics
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In my judgment, the team that I award my ballot to is chosen based upon their skills and arguments presented in the round. I do not judge individuals based upon their race/ethnicity/sexuality/gender/political stance/etc. I believe in an open discussion in the debate space and place resolution and communication above all.
What you say matters more than who you are.
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Harvard update (2/12/2024)
Not great for the K, except for maybe K's of language/rhetoric. In Policy v K rounds, I vote aff for the perm quite a bit. Not sure I have ever evaluated a K v K debate. In K aff v T-framework debates, I usually vote neg. Fairness and clash are pretty persuasive to me. I have voted for a non-topical aff a few times, but it's probably an uphill battle.
You should probably go slower than you would like in front of me, but I can usually keep up. If you really want me to keep up, I'd recommend leaving analytics in the doc.
I expect everyone to be nice and respectful to each other. Please be mindful of pronouns. Ask your opponents if you don't know.
I err neg on most counterplan theory questions, but I can definitely be persuaded that conditionality is a reason to reject a team, especially if there are more than 2 conditional worlds. Process CPs are kind of a gray area for me. I like them, but I could be convinced that they are bad.
Yes, I want to be on the email chain (davy.holmes@dsisdtx.us).
Some info about me:
Policy Debater from 1996-1998 for Gregory-Portland HS (Texas)
Assistant Policy Debate Coach from 1998-2002 for Gregory-Portland HS (Texas)
Debate Coach/Teacher at Sinton HS (Texas) from 2002-2003
Debate Coach/Teacher at Hebron HS (Texas) from 2003-2007
Debate Coach/Teacher at San Marcos HS (Texas) from 2014-2017
Debate Coach/Teacher at Dripping Springs HS (Texas) from 2017-present
Updated 1/3/2024
Top level observations for all debate events:
-You should not assume what your opponents' pronouns are. Ask if you don't know, and then make every effort to use them. When in doubt, referring to your opponents as "the aff" or "the neg" is probably a good idea.
-Slowing down and explaining things clearly is usually a good idea, especially in rebuttals.
-Perms that aren't explained aren't arguments.
-If a timer isn't running you shouldn't be prepping.
-I can't vote for something that I didn't flow or understand. I won't feel bad or embarrassed about saying I just didn't understand your argument.
Policy: My favorite event, but I am getting old. I am okay with speed, but clarity is important. I'm definitely more comfortable with plan-focused debate. If I was still a debater, I would probably be reading a small, soft-left aff, and my preferred 2NR would include a counterplan and the politics DA. For the most part, I think debate is a game. The negative should have access to predictable, topic-based ground. While fairness is likely an internal link to other impacts, it is also an impact in and of itself. Affirmatives that don't defend topical, hypothetical action by the resolutional actor will have a tough time getting me to vote for them. Neg kritiks require a lot of explanation and contextualization. I do not just assume that every K links. I have found that I am much more persuaded by links to a team's rhetoric or representations than other types of links. "They use the state and the state has always been bad in the past" won't usually beat a permutation. I am pretty bad for alts rooted in pessimism or alts that seemingly require an infinite amount of fiat. More than 2 conditional cps and/or alts dramatically increases the persuasiveness of condo theory.
Worlds: I tend to judge Worlds more than other debate events these days. I try to judge rounds holistically. My decision on who won the debate will be made before assigning points on my ballot. Line-by-line refutation is not an expectation. Debaters should focus on core topic arguments and major areas of clash. When appropriate, I enjoy detailed explanations and comparisons of models. Speakers 1-3 should take at least 1 POI.
LD: Even though I dislike this term as applied to debate, I am probably best for LARP and/or util frameworks. Not great for the K. Probably terrible for tricks or phil. Even though I think disclosure is good, there is less than a 1% chance that I'll vote on disclosure theory.
PF: I don't think PF judges should have paradigms. Unless your opponents are ignoring the resolution, I will not vote on theory in PF. #makepublicforumpublicagain
Congress: I pretty much never judge Congress. Students who expect to rank highly should make good arguments, clash with other representatives as much as possible, and participate fully throughout the session.
Hi, all!
I am in my third decade of this activity and love the outcomes it affords graduates. I do fear that some of the modern trophy-hunting tricks undercut the educational value / critical thinking / topic discovery aspects of debate. I admire speakers, debaters, and programs who explore a topic's possibilities, implications, unintended consequences, and force a consideration of new issues.
Debate Events
I am energized by creative interpretations of the topic, exploration of hidden causes / unforeseen (but provably viable) outcomes, and the realpolitik / pragmatic examination of the issues presented by the topics. I do not believe that anything other than CX requires a plan in order to be evaluated.
LD is asking the question "why" an action should / n't be done. Debaters are free to offer plans, but should be willing to engage in "why" debate on a philosophical / moral justification level. I prefer a problem-solving approach to rope-a-dope debate. I believe judges should have the right (perhaps obligation) to apply some semblance of critical thinking to the cases presented when considering how to evaluate them. There is a prima facie aspect to debate which requires arguments to be upheld as reasonable in order for the case to stand on "first face." Everyone's definition of "speed" is different, so I will simply say that I appreciate being given the opportunity to consider your argument. I should not have to rely on the e-mail chain to tell me what you said or interpret what you meant. The e-mail chain should probably be for reviewing cards at the end of the round as needed. In short, e-mail chains do not replace the communicative aspect of the event and relying on them to do such can limit the general outcomes of all participants in the round.
I do not resonate with pre-emptive theory ("they didn't put it on the wiki") arguments in lieu of substantive debate. You are free to run them in conjunction, but you need to do a lot of work to convince me the harm that's being done because what you say is "the way things are" is not being done. I'm all for challenging prevailing assumption, but just because you said it's so does not make it such.
WSD teams should ensure some semblance of balance and equity amongst team members. Having a first speaker essentially read case and then get out of the way so second speaker can do the heavy lifting for the next hour doesn't really reflect well on the team. In a points race, it is imperative that all parties on the team are pulling their share of the weight. I love teams who have multiple levels of conceptualizing the same point. Exploring the pragmatic level and/or the moral level and/of the economic level and/or... allows the judge to have multiple "outs" to agree with you and demonstrates a depth of topic mastery that compares favorably to teams who rely on one level throughout. WSD is a wonderful combination of presentation and argumentation / content and I follow the proportional consideration of each provided on the ballot.
Competed in LD and WS at Plano East for four years mainly in TFA but also at some NatCircuit tournaments.
harinamdhari1@gmail.com put me on chains
LD:
These are all just preferences, TL;DR debate how you want to I might give the wrong rfd if I'm in the back of a tricks or phil round.
I should be able to make a decision looking only at your 2nr/2ar flows.
Be CIVIL and strategic and you will get high speaks -- online debate especially makes it difficult to differentiate between being funny and rude so please be respectful.
DA/CP/T:
Read them.
Shouldn't have to explain much here. Just do good weighing explaining how the DA turns case or case turns DA.
CP Theory is cool.
Give me some pen time between flows -- 1-2 seconds is enough if I have sheets in order.
Nebel is a meme but sure.
Theory:
I'm good for this. I tended to go for 1ar theory a lot when I debated and I tend to think it's a good thing but that doesn't mean you don't have to answer the hedge if the 1nc has one.
Theory is not just a tool for norm-setting and can be used strategically
Friv theory doesn't exist b/c it forces intervention -- if you win an abuse story it obviously isn't 'frivolous'
No defaults
Paragraph Theory:
Hate it and love it. Almost every 1ar I gave had a few of these arguments in it and I understand why it's needed especially considering how skewed the 1ar is. If you plan on going for it, it should still have a warrant and impact (i.e: condo is a voting issue vs it splits the 1ar destroying engagement key to fairness.)
Policy AFF vs K:
1. AFFs should make arguments as to why they get to weigh the case.
2. Alt solvency needs to be explained in the 2nr unless you are going for the K as a disad to the 1ac. Explain very clearly why they don't get the perm.
3. Assume I don't know the K lit, this is most likely a safe assumption as I've never gone further than reading Harney, and a little bit of Wilderson. I probably will be able to understand debates over more common arguments like afropess, setcol, cap, Puar, etc. But you need to err towards over-explaining anything complicated. (edit: sorta hate pomo)
K AFF vs T-FW:
I've been on both sides of this debate, very rarely read big-stick extinction AFFs alternated between egregiously non-t affs and soft-left affs. However, I went for framework a lot and think it is correct on a truth level, often find myself voting for it because very few teams have a good defense against framework.
AFF:
1. Explain why voting AFF is a good idea non-contextual to FW. Having a nuanced defense against presumption can also be leveraged against
2. Impact Turns don't need a CI but it's strategic to have a competing model of debate that sets some limit or new stasis point for debate that is able to resolve some (if not all) of the offense coming off of T.
FW:
1. Don't spend much time on individual standards (Limits, prep, clash, etc) because let's be honest most K teams will just impact turn.
2. Spend more on explaining the terminal impact of your model. You should approach the round as a question "Why does fairness matter in a world of the affirmative? How do more fair debates solve the AFF?"
3. I don't think the TVA is a CP but it can be good to frame the TVA as advocacy that solves all their offense with the net benefit of clash/testing/engagement/fairness, etc. Think of it as a CP+DA 2NR, makes the offense you have to win so much less when you win the TVA.
4. Turning framework into a state good/bad debate on the case and leveraging that state good offense on T is a very good strategy and will be rewarded with higher speaker points.
Phil:
I read almost exclusively Util and a Kant NC once or twice every topic. I find Phil debate very fun and engaging but I hate how they have died. Kant in the 1nc too often ends up as condo logic or skep in the 2nr which makes me sad but I end up having to vote on it.
Having a strong defense for your framing mechanism is much more useful than extending 6-7 blips to their method, just use the blip storm as a time suck so that you can spend more time on your own flow.
Tricks:
Welp. I will vote for these but I am kinda awful at flowing through them.
PF Specific:
This covers exclusively substance or LARP debates, anything else will be in the LD section of my paradigm. Here is a short version if you don't have much time to read through everything before the round: (all the LD paradigm applies here too)
ill evaluate anything and evaluate arguments however you tell me to in round. These are just my preferences/defaults as to what I believe is good for debate.
Defense has to be extended through speeches
2nd rebuttal needs to frontline everything you want to go for, this doesn't mean you can't kick out of arguments, you just need to
Weighing is never new
New offense past rebuttal is kinda sus.
I have done PF as a middle schooler and occasionally at some locals. I didn't go for the K much when I did LD and almost exclusively LARPed so I feel pretty comfortable judging this event. However, there are definitely a lot of 'procedurals' that PF messes up pretty badly and you need to be mindful of if I'm in the back:
a. Sticky arguments are stupid. You can not make arguments in the last two speeches that weren't extended the speech prior. There is no logical justification for this except that it forces you to extend a bunch of different conceded arguments in which case you can just extend one of them quickly and since it's conceded and explained it is true.
b. Second Rebuttal should frontline everything. Obviously you can concede defense to answer turns on arguments you aren't going for but if you want me to vote on an argument later on, you need to answer everything.
c. Link turns aren't offense w/o UQS. Obviously, this isn't the case for Linear DA's without uniqueness but just keep in mind that if you don't straight turn an argument then your opponents can just say UQS overwhelms the link (insert explanation) and kick the argument which makes your link turn a glorified piece of defense. If you are going for an impact turn this isn't a problem.
d. Weigh. PF'ers spend too much time weighing in the wrong ways. "my impact is bigger" and "My impact has a fast timeframe" isn't weighing. Weighing should be comparative, and not just at the impact level because from what I have seen most PF rounds will end up with the same impact level and no external impact like extinction. Internal link arguments (i.e: CC = crop shortage = ag industry collapses = recession) and x turns y arguments are much better allocations of your time and will be rewarded with high speaks. Remember you only need one good weighing argument, not seven bad ones.
kedarpandya459@gmail.com
I debated for Elkins High School in Policy and LD. I primarily worked with the K and IR Policy, and that is what I most like to judge.
CX/LD:
TLDR: Tech>Truth. High threshold on T arguments against K affs. Fave debates are K aff v K, or Big Stick v Big Stick.
K and K aff: (top of the pref) -
Know your K. I'm not going to hold small semantic mistakes against you, but if they start adding up it'll make it much harder for me to vote. I'd like to think I know most kritiks and the arguments of their authors, but I'm always open to new ideas.
I need specific arguments about the assumptions/structures you critique, and how they relate to the affirmative. That goes for everything, but generalities tend to pop up in link, K solves case, and A2 Perm arguments.
I also like multi-layer interaction. I default to the idea that debate is kids learning things by arguing about them in a room, not a vacuum. That means real issues that you critique outside of debate exist in debate. K debaters rarely take the jump from critiquing a problem that exists in the world to finding its implications for the round. "What's the point of argumentation skills if they just end up being marketized to serve the constant expansion of global capital," is something I really like to hear an argument about.
More creative/out there the K, more speaks you get. Especially if I feel the need to google the author.
DA, CP, Policy Aff: (top of the pref for IR) (#2 or #3 for anything else)
I give some leniency towards the conclusiveness of a card vs. the purported conclusiveness of a tag. Well-researched is always better than randomly cobbled.
T/Theory: (near the bottom of the pref is this is usually your 2nr)
High threshold against K affs, Default to Reasonability and have to be convinced otherwise, I need actual explanations of terminal impacts beyond the 1nc shell.
Phil: (in the middle of the pref)
I didn't read much of this, but I don't have any predispositions about it.
Speaks: Dune and well-done Star Wars references will get you a 30. Being egregiously mean, or engaging in any phobic/rac/sex-ist behavior will get you a 25. Creative IR and K arguments, especially if I've never heard the scenario or author, will get you a 30.
PF - Be as fast and progressive as you want.
I would call myself a heavy tab judge. I will listen to any argument that you could possibly read in front of me, but only if you can do so, well. Ks, K affs, theory, framework, performances, wipeout, CPs, Ts, and anything else you could possibly run is okay with me. My only condition is that Voters must always be read. I don't care how long you spend on the argument, if you don't properly cover the voters on the individual argument, then I have no reason as a judge to vote for it.
Explicitly sexist, racist, xenophobic, and homophobic discourse does not belong in debate, so don't engage in it. People should be nice. If you are not, then you may be looking at a low point win. I do not vote based purely on speaking style but if you are rude or offensive, then don't hope for anywhere near that 30. Other than these caveats, I am comfortable voting for just about any winning argument within any framework you want to explicitly place me within. Absent debate to the contrary, I default to voting for the advocacy with the most net beneficial post fiat impacts. On all portions of the debate I tend to use the heuristics of offense/defense, timeframe/probability/magnitude, and uniqueness/link/impact to evaluate and compare arguments.
Speed:
Won't be able to spread me out of the round as long as you are clear. If you are not then I will say clear once and then after that anything that does not end up on the flow does not get carried over.
Email: jameshaydenporter@gmail.com
(Copy and paste Erick Berdugos paradigm ) but to summarize my general beliefs .....
Affirmative :
1) The affirmative probably should be topical. I prefer an affirmative that provides a problem and then a solution/alternative to the problem. Negatives must be able to engage. Being independently right isn't enough.
2) Personal Narratives - not a fan of these arguments. The main reason, is that there is no way real way to test the validity of the personal narrative as evidence. Thus, if you introduce a personal narrative, I think it completely legit that the personal narrative validity be questioned like any other piece of evidence. If you would be offended or bothered about questions about its truth, don't run them.
3) K -Aff : Great ,love them but be able to win why either talking about the topic is bad, your approach to talking about the topic is better,why your method or approach is good etc, and most importantly what happens when I vote aff on the ballot.
4) Performance : Ehh- I’m not the judge to run a good perf bu but I am willing to listen to the arguments if you can’t rightfully warrant them .
Perf cons ARE an issue and can cost you the ballot . Be consistent!
5) EXTEND ! EXTEND! EXTEND! “Extensions of the aff are overviews to the 1 ar” .... no they are not . I want to flow them separately not in some clump . It gets messy.
NEGATIVE :
1) Kritiks : I am not familiar with a large range of lit but I know plenty how to judge a good kritik and I enjoy it. Do not feel you need to run a K to win any sort of leverage in the debate ... you’re better off reading something you are comfortable defending than a crappy K you have no knowledge of . You need to be able to articulate and explain your position well don’t just assume I am familiar with your authors work. Alts need to tell me cause and impact aka what will the after look like ?? K MUST have a specific link. K arguments MUST link directly to what is happening in THIS round with THIS resolution. I am NOT a fan of a generic Kritik that questions if we exist or not and has nothing to do with the resolution or debate at hand. Kritiks must give an alternative other than "think about it." Have good blocks to perms !!! Especially if you have no links to the advocacy .
2) DA : Go for it ! I lean towards topical / substantive larpy rounds so I will definitely vote on a good DA . Make sure your impact calculus is outweighing and tell me how ! Internal links should be clear . If the impacts are linear that needs to be articulated as well . Pretty simple but feel free to ask me for clarifications !
3) CP/ PIC : Strategic if done correctly ! For the CP there needs to be net benefits and they should be extended throughout the round . Please don’t read generic cards you stole off a case file ( I can tell and it makes for a redundant debate ) I won’t vote against you for it but .. don’t plz . Theory against abusive CPs is completely legitimate. For the PIC - keep it clean ! *paradigm under construction *
Debate Experience
Law Magnet High School: 2012-2016
The University of Texas at Dallas: 2016-2019
Assistant debate coach at Coppell HS: 2018-now
sanchez.rafael998@gmail.com - I would like to be on the email chain :)
Specifics:
Case: You should read it. Lots of it. It's good, makes for good debates and is generally underutilized. Impact turns are best when they are debated correctly.
Topicality: I enjoy T debates. If you're looking for a judge willing to pull the trigger on T, I'm probably a good judge for you.
DAs: DAs are a core debate argument and I love judging DA(& CP) v. case debates. Specific DAs are always a plus, but obviously that's not always possible. I tend default to an offense/defense paradigm.
Counterplans: A well thought out specific counterplan are one of the strongest debate tools that you can use. I will vote on almost any cp if you can win that it is theoretically legitimate and that it has a net benefit.
Kritiks: I have a pretty good grasp of a lot of the more popular Kritiks, but that isn't an excuse for a lack of explanation when reading your argument. But be aware that if you are reading more PoMo/high-theory args, you might have to explain the arg a bit more.
K AFFs: I have no problem with teams running untopical affs but this doesn't mean that I wont pull the trigger on FW, you still have to win the affs model ow the negs model of debate.
Theory: I have no problem voting on theory if it is well warranted. I honestly believe affirmative teams let the negative get away with a ton of stuff, and shouldn't be afraid to not only run theory but to go for it and go for it hard.
*Note for online debates: I'm very forgetful and my keyboard is loud af, so if I forget to mute, remind me to mute myself if the keyboard noise is being bothersome.
I did high school debate at Lawrence Free State (2012-2015). I've been out of debate since then, judging one or two tournaments a year.
I'm happy to listen to anything you want to read with two caveats:
1. This is my first tournament this year, so please define/explain any acronyms you use when you use them so I can keep up with you.
2. When I was a debater I didn't do much in the way or K's or K Affs. Feel free to read one of those, but I will likely need a bit of help getting to understand it. Around 15-30 seconds before or after you introduce the argument to summarize it should be good for me.
Speed can be about an 8/10 or slower, whatever your preference, just don't go faster than you're capable of going.
Feel free to ask any specific questions you have.