The Princeton Classic
2020 — NSDA Campus, NJ/US
LD JV Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideTraditional judge that likes to see contentions well developed or negated through strong, sound, and logical arguments.
Please enunciate clearly. While spreading can be advantageous in your rebuttals, please do not forsake the quality of your arguments for speed, especially during your construct.
I value respect so please be mannerly in your conduct toward judge and fellow opponent.
I have judged at local and national tournaments.
Past experience: Four years of traditional LD in Pennsylvania at Upper St. Clair High School
Preference:
As a traditional LDer, I prefer to tradtional LD as opposed to progressive LD. I am familiar with some progressive strategies, but if you use them you have to be very clear on exactly what you are doing so I understand (I also just prefer that you don't do them). Same idea for spreading, and I will probably dock you speaker points if you spread too much especially if I cannot understand you.
In terms of the debate, I like when debater put an emphasis on the value and value criterion since that is what makes LD unique. Also make sure to fully clash with you opponents arguments and show why they are either untrue or your arguments outweigh. Make sure to focus on clarity and warranting your points
If you have any other specific questions before the round, feel free to ask!
PF: Most of my debate background is in policy. High school and college. PF debate should adhere to evidence standards. Full source citations and quotes in context. Challenges for full PDFs should be limited to serious questions regarding the source or quotes without sufficient context.
I am open to all types of argumentation provided work is devoted to development in round.
CD: I expect the same quality of evidence as any debate event. Arguments should be adequately supported with quality topic literature. As debate progresses on individual bills/resolutions, I expect participants to adapt to the evolving content. Developing arguments in nuanced and novel ways or refuting the opposition with sound analysis is necessary late in the debate.
Four years of debate at the high school format, and intramural debate with the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Primarily competed in British Parliamentary, LD, and Policy.
---In General---
DO NOT SPREAD. If I can't flow, I will not consider it for the round.
I don't generally flow CX - you have to reference your CX points to have them considered in the round
I do consider theory arguments - that being said any theory brought up should be thoroughly explained in context to the resolution (in other words, keep it practical)
Please don't waste time trying to address insubstantial arguments. Instead focus on weighing arguments and addressing points of direct clash
Be kind to your opponent please
Grant Brown (He/Him/His)
Millard North '17, currently a PhD student in Philosophy at Villanova University^
Head of Debate at the Brearley School
^ [I am more than happy to discuss studying philosophy or pursuing graduate school with you!]
Email: grantbrowndebate@gmail.com
Conflicts: Brearley School, Lake Highland Preparatory
Last Updates: 9/26/2023
Scroll to the bottom for Public Forum
The Short Version
As a student when I considered a judge I usually looked for a few specific items, I will address those here:
1. What are their qualifications?
I learned debate in Omaha, Nebraska before moving to the East Coast where I have gained most of my coaching experience. I qualified to both NSDA Nationals and the TOC in my time as a student. I have taught numerous weeks at a number of debate summer camps and have been an assistant and head coach at Lake Highland and Brearley respectively.
2. What will they listen to?
Anything (besides practices which exclude other participants) - but I increasingly prefer substantive engagement over evasive tactics, tricks, and theory cheap shots.
3. What are they experienced in?
I coach a wide variety of arguments and styles and am comfortable adjudicating any approach to debate. However, I spend most of my time thinking about kritik and framework arguments, especially Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, and Deleuze.
4. What do they like?
I don’t have many preconceived notions of what debate should look, act, feel, or sound like and I greatly enjoy when debaters experiment within the space of the activity. In general, if you communicate clearly, are well researched, show depth of understanding in the literature you are reading, and bring passion to the debate I will enjoy whatever you have to present.
5. How do they adjudicate debates?
I try to evaluate debates systematically. I begin by working to discern the priority of the layers of arguments presented, such as impact weighing mechanisms, kritiks, theory arguments, etc. Once I have settled on a priority of layers, I evaluate the different arguments on each, looking for an offensive reason to vote, accounting for defense, bringing in other necessary layers, and try to find an adequate resolution to the debate.
The Longer Version
At bottom debate is an activity aimed at education. As a result, I understand myself as having in some sense an educational obligation in my role as a judge. While that doesn't mean I aim to impose my own ideological preferences, it does mean I will hold the line on actions and arguments which undermine these values.
I no longer spend time thinking about the minutia of circuit debate arguments, nor am I as proficient as I once was at flowing short and quickly delivered arguments. Take this into consideration when choosing your strategy.
Kritiks
I like them. I very much value clarity of explanation and stepping outside of the literature's jargon. The most common concern I find myself raising to debaters is a lack of through development of a worldview. Working through the way that your understanding of the world operates, be it through the alternative resolving the links, your theory of violence explaining a root-cause, or otherwise is crucial to convey what I should be voting for in the debate.
I am a receptive judge to critical approaches to the topic from the affirmative. I don't really care what your plan is; you should advocate for what you can justify and defend. It is usually shiftiness in conjunction with a lack of clear story from the affirmative that results in sympathy for procedurals such as topicality.
Theory
I really have no interest in judging ridiculous tricks and/or theory arguments which are presented in bad faith and/or with willfully ignorant or silly justifications and premises. Please just do not - I will lower your speaker points and am receptive to many of the intuitive responses. I do however enjoy legitimate abuse stories and/or topicality arguments based on topic research.
Policy Arguments
I really like these debates when debaters step outside of the jargon and explain their scenarios fully as they would happen in the real world. For similar reasons, good analytics can be more effective than bad evidence - I am a strong judge for spin and smart extrapolation. I tend to like more thorough extensions in the later speeches than most judges in these debates.
Ethical Frameworks
I greatly enjoy these debates and I spend pretty much all of my time thinking about, discussing, and applying philosophy. I would implore you to give overview explanations of your theory and the main points of clash between competing premises in later speeches.
If your version of an ethical framework involves arguments which you would describe as "tricks," or any claim which is demonstrably misrepresenting the conclusions of your author, I am not the judge for you.
Public Forum
I usually judge Lincoln Douglas but am fairly familiar with the community norms of Public Forum and how the event works. I will try to accommodate those norms and standards when I judge, but inevitably many of my opinions above and my background remain part of my perception.
Debaters must cite evidence in a way which is representative of its claims and be able to present that evidence in full when asked by their opponents. In addition, you should be timely and reasonable in your asking for, and receiving of, said evidence. I would prefer cases and arguments in the style of long form carded evidence with underlining and/or highlighting. I am fairly skeptical of paraphrasing as it is currently practiced in PF.
Speaks and Ethics Violations
If accusations of clipping/cross-reading are made I will a) stop the debate b) confirm the accuser wishes to stake the round on this question c) render a decision based on the guilt of the accused. If I notice an ethics violation I will skip A and B and proceed unilaterally to C. However, less serious accusations of misrepresentation, misciting, or miscutting, should be addressed in the round in whatever format you determine to be best.
Please add me to the email chain dciocca@columbushs.com
I am a debate coach with experience judging at national tournaments at the novice and varsity levels. I prefer arguments to be well structured, articulated clearly (please no spreading but I can understand a considerably faster than conversational pace) and supported by convincing evidence. Please slow down on the tags so I can accurately flow. I don't mind listening to a unique or interesting argument but somehow you MUST link it back to the resolution if you are going to get my ballot.
Plans: All good, just make it relatable to the topic
Counter-plans: All good.
Theory: If there is significant violation or abuse in a round that warrants running theory, I will vote on it but generally not a fan of debating about debate.
Ks: Willing to listen to a good K as long there is a really strong and convincing link back. Not a fan of generic links or links of omission as an excuse to run the K you want to run.
DA: I'm fine with them, we are all good here
T: I think aff has an obligation to be somewhat topical and neg has the right to question whether aff is in fact being topical. That being said, while I generally will not vote on a straight RVI, running T for the sole purpose of creating a time suck for aff and then kicking it in the NR is not a strat that is going to sit well with me.
Conditional Arguments: Anything more than 2 conditional arguments is abusive and puts aff in an impossible situation in the 1AR. I will vote off “Condo bad” in these situations.
Disclosure: Seems like it gets run a lot for no purpose other than trying to get a cheap win. However, If the affirmative is reading a case that is so unique, such as a specific plan text, that the negative would have difficulty engaging with then disclosure is the fair thing to do.
Feel free to ask me if clarification is needed
Updated 12.04.2021
TLDR
Background: Been judging for a long time, I'm currently a science teacher who judges sporadically during this time.
How I determine the winner: I will pick the strongest argument a round for that to determine the winner. It could come from any theory, k, or traditional style. If you are going to run a k or theory, do it well and be confident in that because I am not the most familiar in them. I strongly prefer traditional debate (like if you run traditional debate, I will appreciate 10 times more), but do what you feel will help you win the round. (More in this in the long version).
Weighing and voting issues: give me them so I know what you believe are the things I should value highly in the round. It will help you win.
Speed: speak clearly and if you speak too fast after me telling you to slow down 3 times, I will likely stop flowing. I judge what I flow, so that could cost you the round.
Respect: Be respectful of everyone.
GOOD LUCK!
LONG VERSION
Basic Information About Me:
I am a teacher and I have been judging in the circuit since I was a junior in high school for Novices, and then during my time in college I have judged here and there (so about 7 years). Most of my judging experience does come from 6 years ago, so I am not an expert in the nuances of debate.
Debate Style/Technique/Arguments
I know and understand the fundamentals of debate. Like don't go new in the 2, I know what is a turns is, what are extensions are, etc. I am aware of theory and k-shells, but don't fully understand the nuances in them. If you are going to run these things on me, I would expect that you know what you're doing and that you could "guide" me through the round as to why you're running them and why you believe that using them would help you win. I won't know if you're doing them correctly, so I am assuming that you are. If I suspect that it was not done well, then I probs won't pick you. With that being said, I do like when there is some type of traditional debate, but run what you feel most confident in or what your strongest arguments are.
I feel most comfortable and confident judging traditional style debate. It's fun for me, and if you want the best decision where I can fully defend my reasoning for decision forever, you should have a traditional style round. One thing that I do love is solvency. Please explain to me how your side solves best.
That brings me to my main point, I am not going to nitpick your "technique" in the round. However, I will nitpick the strength and delivery of your argument. I vote for whatever argument(s) hold(s) the most ground in the round. If your main argument is not the strongest argument in the round or you just weren't good at expressing why it should be, don't expect to win. Were you convincing enough? Was there a lot of evidence to support that argument? That is what I mean by strength and delivery.
Weighing and Voting Issues
Weighing and voting issues are IMPERATIVE to me. Since I do base my vote on what is the strongest argument in the round, weighing and voting issues tell me that from your perspective. We all have different experiences and backgrounds because of that, we are going to value things differently. I might value an environmental or education argument highly because of my interests and passions, but you may value a criminal justice or economic argument highly because of whatever reason. Weighing and voting issues tell me as a judge what to value and sort of how to think. When you weigh and give me voting issues, I will then look at the rest of my flow and figure out how that compares to your competitor's arguments. If you don't weigh or give me voting issues, then I will do that for you and it might not be in your best interest because it might cost you the round due to the strength of your arguments. You and I could think that your strongest arguments were 2 separate arguments and that's what could cost you the round.
Speed
We are in a pandemic and we are doing all of this virtually. With that we have to deal with potential complications of technology and wifi, and those barriers that prevent us from seeing each other in person. For that reason, I care a lot if you enunciate your words and speak clearly. I am comfortable with most speeds, but would prefer if you build up to it and don't go super sonic speed. I judge what I flow. If you are speaking too fast and/or you aren't clear, then that will be a problem. If you are speaking too fast for my comfort, I will say "Clear" or "Slow down". I expect you to slow down and stay at that speed for a little while. If I do say "clear" or "slow down" 3 times in the round, and you don't fix/adjust your speed, after the third time, I will likely stop flowing for you for the rest of the round. You will most definitely lose speaks as well, and since I judge what I flow, it might cost you the round. Don't let this happen to you.
Respect
I get that debate is competitive. I get that everyone wants to be the best and win the tournament. That in no way gives you an excuse to be disrespectful to your opponent or me. If you curse or say something transphobic, racist, sexist, homophobic, or anything offensive at any point in the round, you will lose. I will drop you with whatever is the lowest score I could give you. This comes from the moment we are all in the "room" together to the moment I submitted my decision. At no circumstances is any form of offensive language acceptable, even if it's under your breath. There are like a billion different words and phrases you can use in the English Language, you can avoid saying something offensive. I have no tolerance for this.
Facial Reactions/Expressions
One thing I've found out about myself is that I am a person who shows a lot of my emotions through my face. If I am making a face and you're wondering, "oh that doesn't look good". You're probably right. It either means I am miserable, bored, or like I am confused out of my mind. If you see those faces, I'd change your argument so you don't have to see those not so good faces.
One Final Note
Good luck to everyone! I know we are living in a crazy time right now, but you got this! Be confident in who you are as a debater and you will do well. I typically like to give a "reading test" in my paradigm, but there isn't one this time, so be happy about that. :)
Hi! I debated LD for Lexington High School for 4 years and am now a Junior at Northeastern. I have been coaching young students who are entering the debate world since then so it's been a while since I've judged. That being said, run whatever you like (and have fun). I'll vote for most things as long as they're explained clearly, I can understand them, and you are kind and respectful.
In general, I'll vote for the debater that writes my ballot for me. I only vote off of what's on MY flow, so make sure you're articulating your arguments clearly. This means you should weigh, provide voters, and as always, extend.
As a debater, I was Kritik heavy however, I ran a range of arguments when I competed. The most important thing for me is respect and kindness, I won't hesitate to dock points or vote based on inappropriate/rude behavior. I am probably most familiar with K's and least familiar with theory (never really ran it so I probably hardly understand it). I would air on the side of caution and explain everything as clearly as possible (assume I know nothing).
WHY, WHAT, and HOW: tell me WHY an argument matters, WHAT it's impact is in the round, and HOW it links to the framework/it acts as a voter.
Feel free to spread but please include me on the email chain: savidesilva@gmail.com
If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)
I am a lay judge with a Bachelors in Philosophy. I do not have formal training in debate, but debate held a significant role in my degree. Therefore, my paradigm is simple.
1) I appreciate traditional debate style. I am looking for a good argument backed with relevant evidence and leading to a solid conclusion, with little to no unnecessary detours throughout.
2) I do not understand spreading. Do not pack so much content into your time that it is hard to comprehend or take note of your points.
3) I expect both sides to stay focused on the arguments at hand rather than attacking one another’s debate style (no Kritiks).
4) I am fine with value-centered arguments so long as they are backed by sound evidence and do not seek to be emotionally manipulative.
5) Recapping your argument and weighing the round in your own words is helpful for me. I want to know why you think your side should win.
Overall, be sure your time is full of substantive content. Unnecessary fluff is not convincing.
I know debates take a lot of preparation and I look forward to evaluating the effort and arguments of both sides. Good luck to everyone!
I am a lay judge with an interest and education (B.A.) in philosophy and a deep love for solid argumentation. I was not formally trained in debate, so my paradigm is pretty straight forward.
1) I prefer a more traditional style where sound arguments are presented and supported by valid and relevant evidence (articles, journals, etc.).
2) Keep it respectful and stay issue focused. Kritiks will not really be effective in persuading me.
3) If you go off topic then you must be prepared to tie your excursion back into your argument or else it will hurt you in the end.
4) If you are going to make a philosophical/abstract argument then be sure to show its relevance to public policy as it relates to the topic. If you never tie your philosophical framework into specific real world implications related to the issue being debated then this will hurt your points.
5) I do not understand or appreciate spreading, so convey your arguments, evidence, etc. as clearly and concisely as possible without speeding through them.
In other words, the quality and clarity of your arguments and your ability to stay on topic is more powerful to me than the sheer number of arguments you make. Spreading or speeding through your case as quickly as possible could cost you speaks if I cannot understand what you are saying.
To me, debate is one of the best (and most enjoyable) ways to narrow down the key elements of an issue in order to make a truly persuasive argument that is built upon valid evidence and is aimed at public policy. However, this is only done well when you stay focused on the confines of the actual issue at hand. I am very excited to have the honor and the privilege to judge your rounds. Good luck!
Prefer debaters to speak not too fast. Standard news reader speed <= 150 wpm preferred.
I have been judging for 3 years now. I judged 2 years for PF and 1 year LD.
Backgroud/"qualifications:"
I debated for 4 years for Charlotte Latin School. I did congress for 3 years and switched to PF my senior year. I qualified to TOC and NSDA Nationals in both events, finaled at Emory and Harvard in Congress, won Durham Academy in PF, and made semis at Bluekey in PF.
PF Paradigm:
I'm a flow judge and can handle reasonably fast PF teams, but if you want to spread, switch events.
A few important things for me:
Signposting: Please tell me where on the flow I should be putting responses. This does not mean an off time roadmap before rebuttal where you tell me "I'm going to start on my opponent's case and then go back to mine." Rather, just say, "as an overview" or "starting on my opponent's first contention" before you make your overview or first response. This will help me actually consider your responses at the end of the debate rather than spending half your rebuttal trying to figure out where to flow things.
Responses: Please make sure your responses actually engage with your opponent's arguments and aren't just the same three cards you read against every Aff case. I would much rather you analytically attack an argument which you are unprepared to answer than attempt to misapply evidence you've already cut.
On that note... Evidence: I have no problem with paraphrasing evidence as long as you stay true to the author's original intent. Conversely, just because you directly quote or line down a card does not mean you are fairly representing the author's point of view.
Evidence indites: If you indict a card, that's great, but explain why that indict matters. Ex. Don't just say "the thinktank our opponent cites is funded by big pharma" explain how that conflict of interest led to poor scholarship or data manipulation on the part of the author.
If you have any other questions about my preferences feel free to ask before the round.
Congress Paradigm:
Here's how my rankings usually turn out at the end of the round:
Last. The kid that actually says nothing
6. The kid that speaks, but says nothing of value
5. The kid that says nothing of value, but confidently
4. The kid that says something of marginal value to the round but poorly delivered
3. The kid that does the same in a more compelling manner
2. The kid that borderline spreads to cover the flow, but does so well
First. The kid that does the same as #2 but with better word economy
As you can see by these rankings, I value argumentation above delivery but consider delivery a tiebreak between equally skilled debaters. I think later round speeches should do more refutation/weighing, but if you have an actually unique constructive point late-round, I understand that you don't always get to speak as early as you might want. I also pay attention to when you start standing and I'll be impressed if you switch sides/rewrite your speech because you aren't called on early. On that note, please don't give the *insert number greater than one* aff/neg in a row. You'll always be better off switching sides and giving a slightly worse speech than speaking on the same side as everyone else in the round.
As far as writing bills is concerned, if you submit a bill I will take into account the quality of the debate and the saliency of the issue. Since congressional debate requires lots of people to speak, a bill with a very limited scope of argumentation is not a good bill. Since congressional debate is meant to model the US congress, it should be conceivable that what you submit could be brought before congress. And most importantly, since congressional debate is meant to be a debate, your bill should have arguments for and against it, not just enough ground to give an authorship speech and then shame everyone who goes neg because it's an impossible position to defend. I know that by the time you read this, it's too late to change what bill you have submitted, but these are the things you should consider before you ever begin writing legislation in the first place.
Lastly, if you use rhetoric that either A) I came up with, B) one of my teammates came up with, or C) I've heard used verbatim before, I won't be impressed and might count it against you. I'd much rather you give a brief intro based on some historical fact than steal catchy rhetoric (trust me, I've heard it all and you won't be able to reuse rhetoric without me noticing).
I am a parent judge and usually judge PF. I do “flow” the rounds to track the speaks. If you have convincing and logical arguments (with or without evidence), and are able to effectively counter and prove your stand, it will help me vote for you. I would stop you for the type of discussion that is totally irrelevant to the debate topic. Speed is no problem, yet it’s not a contest to cram words in seconds.
EMail: chianlih196@gmail.com
What I look for:
I've never competed in this format in school, but after judging for more than a dozen weekends I believe I've familiarized myself with the format and definitely have a gist of what I'm looking for:
I find that debate is inherently performative, and a good debater is self-aware. While content should always be the main focus of an argument, even the best points can easily be refuted if they are delivered poorly. The job of a debater is to not only know how you are right, but ensure that your audience knows you're right. This cannot be done with research alone -- delivery is just as important.
On disclosures, I find the disclosure useful for me only so I can check your sources. I believe that I should never need to read your disclosure to understand your argument because since this is a verbal debate, I am judging based on the argument you express verbally. Therefore, with the exception of technical issues, if I cannot decipher what you are saying, I equate it to you saying nothing at all.
I want to avoid doing a deep dive on every little criterion since I still want to see you perform with as little interference from me as possible. I already think I'm saying too much and I want to influence your style as little as possible. One of the best things about debate is seeing different styles and approaches combat each each other. (There are however bad styles which I think/hope are obvious.) So, lean into what you're good at and just do your best!
Oh yeah, and let me know if you want oral feedback at the end of the round. Otherwise I usually just leave it in the ballot.
Kind of Relevant Debate Experience?
Judged for a bunch of LD Tournaments (As of 2/14/21), JV and Varsity
Previous debate experience in Model UN/Congress:
- 4 Conference Awards
- eMUNC 2020 Director of Crisis Simulation Services
- CJMUNC 2019 Advanced Committee Director
- HPMUNC Mentor
What Points Mean (copied from memo):
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29.5-30: I wish I could frame your speeches – hard to imagine a better speaker
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29.1-29.4: you were consistently excellent
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28.8-29.0: you were effective and strategic, and made only minor mistakes
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28.3-28.7: you hit all the right notes, but could improve (e.g. depth or efficiency)
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27.8-28.2: you mainly did the right thing, but left something to be desired
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27.3-27.7: you missed major things and were hard to follow
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27.0-27.2: you advanced little in the debate
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26.0-26.9: you are not ready for this division/tournament
Below 26: you were offensive, ignorant, rude, or tried to cheat (MUST come to tab)
Four years of local LD in HS. Princeton '24.
––––
Talking speed - Fast is fine (I speak fast), but clear is better. Don't sacrifice intelligibility for the extra card.
Arguments - If you can argue it, argue it. But do make sure it's convincing, topical, and relevant to your opponent's claims. Arguing the topic is always more important than arguing about the debate—don't look like you're hiding behind your fancy debate knowledge without actually addressing what your opponent has said!
For general intelligibility, try to limit abbreviated references. Instead of just saying "Smith '95 refutes neg case so I win muahaha," take two seconds to say "Smith '95 about politics on college campuses" (or something like that) and maybe even the specific contentions it refutes on the neg—even though it's on my flow, debate is not just about the flow, but also about how well someone can follow your case.
Please do say something about each of your opponent's arguments in your rebuttals (unless you're intentionally dropping arguments?). Also, don't bring up new arguments in your last speech (as much as you may wish you could, you can't fool me lol).
Remember to respect your opponent (and your judge?)—we're all trying to do our best :)
I am a traditional judge from a traditional area of the country. I competed in LD, PF, Congress, Extemp, and other events when I was in high school in 2003-2006. I went to American University for undergrad and obtained a BA in Political Science (with a concentration in political theory) and Philosophy. I then went to law school and I am presently a practicing public defender in Pittsburgh. I have judged debate events sporadically since I graduated from high school.
I focus on the clarity and consistency of the argument, with technique trumping the truth of the argument. I am not a strict flow judge and expect that extensions of arguments will be supported by more than a conclusory statement that the debater has prevailed on that particular argument. I prefer to have clear voting issues at the end of the round in order to prevail.
I am very familiar with theory and will most likely be aware of any theoretical arguments you make. I am less familiar with kritick arguments, but I will entertain them.
I have no tolerance for rude and insulting behavior toward your opponent and will deduct speaking points accordingly. I do not consider it rude or insulting for the cross examining party to cut off someone who is filibustering rather than answering a question.
Update for Harvard 2024
If you are going fast enough that I need case docs - add me to the chain - Josh.Herring@thalescollege.org
Updated for Princeton Invitation 2022
I am a traditional debate coach who likes to see debaters exercise their creativityINSIDE the conventions of the style. For Congressional Debate, that means strong clash and adherence to the conceit of being a congressional representation. For LD, that means traditional>progressive, and if a traditional debater calls topicality on a progressive debater for not upholding "ought" on Aff, I will look favorably on such an approach. That being said, if someone runs a K coherently, and the a priori claim of the K is not refuted, I will vote for the prior claim. I try to be as tabula rasa as possible, and I like to think I'm tech>truth, but don't ruin the the game with progressive garbage. If you love progressive argumentation, please strike me. I hate tricks, don't like K's, think performative debate is dumb, and really don't like want to see the resolution replaced by this month's social concern. For PF, I want to see strong evidence, good extension, crystallization, and framing. In essence, I want good debate with clear burdens. Write my ballot for me - give your opponent burdens to meet, meet your own, and explain why you win. I think debate is a beautiful game, and I want to see it played well.
Couple of last minute DON'Ts - I don't buy disclosure theory; I think it has harmed smaller schools by pretending to legitimize approaches big teams can deploy, and it has made spreading much more common. I cannot spread, and I cannot hear a case at speed. If your opponent spreads, and you call them out on it in the sense that their speed disadvantages you in the round, I will look very favorably on that as a prior condition of sportsmanship in the game. Don't spread, and don't fuss at your opponent for not putting a case on the Wiki. It's a voluntary system, and does not constitute systemic harm if you actually have to refute in round rather than prep on arguments read 30 minutes before the round.
Original paradigm from several years ago:
I learned debate at Hillsdale College from Jeremy Christensen and Matthew Doggett and James Brandon; I competed in IPDA and NPDA. I've been a coach since 2014. I have coached PF, Coolidge, LD, and Congressional. I judge on the flow. I'm looking for sound argumentation tied to the resolution; if you go off topic (K, etc) or want to run a theory argument, be prepared to explain why your strategy is justified. I am not a fan of speed in debate - convey your arguments, evidence, and impacts without spreading.
Debate is a wonderful game, and I enjoy judging rounds where both teams play it well. Accept your burdens, and fight for your position. Evidence goes a long way with me, so long as you explain the validity of your evidence and the impact that it links to. In LD, Im a big fan of traditional values-driven argumentation. In PF, I want to see the purposes of public forum respected - no plan, no spreading, and publicly accessible debate on a policy-esque resolution.
I am thrilled to be the head Speech & Debate coach for Olympia High School. I also teach Debate intro, intermediate and advanced classes every day.
In a speech or debate, I look for clear, crisp diction and organized thought. I also work closely with my local Toastmasters club and value good speech mechanics. Also in the spirit of Toastmasters, I strive to point out strengths that the competitor should make sure to continue as well as areas for development in my evaluations.
I have judged both Speech & Debate events on the national and local circuit for several years. I am not a fan of spreading, progressive debate or K cases. I prefer a traditional debate style. I value solid links and impacts and debaters that can take a complicated subjects and distill them down to solid clear points. Off-time road maps are preferred.
I am a volunteer judge for Wilcox HS (Santa Clara, CA) and this is my third year of judging. I have judged multiple formats (LD, PF, Parli) at both the novice and varsity levels.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Speak slowly and clearly. Spreading won't help if I cannot understand what you are saying.
- Keep your own time.
- Off time road maps are preferred. Deliver organized speeches, based on your off time roadmap. It's easier for me to keep track that way.
- I do take notes throughout the round so make sure you emphasize your important contentions/points. Clearly state voting issues in your final speech to tell me what to base my decision on.
- Overall, remember to remain respectful during the round (to your opponents, and to the judge). It is important to be assertive in your arguments but no yelling, interrupting, etc. I will take away speaker points if I have to.
- Please try to stay away from overly technical, high-leveled debate jargon. If you are going to use a technical term, it is imperative that you explain it to me (as the judge) as well as in the debate space.
- Lastly, remember that the goal of debate is education and productive discourse. I prioritize inclusiveness over overtechnical strategies. This means that if your opponent is a relatively new varsity debater, and cannot engage with theory, K, etc, do NOT run them. If you do run those strategies, simply to gain an easy win rather that engaging and arguing the topic with your opponent, I will NOT vote for you because you are making the debate space exclusive. I would much rather see a strict case debate (value, framework, counter plan) rather than judge high level arguments (theory, K), because at the end of the day, we want to become more educated and better informed in our society.
Otherwise, good luck and have fun!
I am parent/lay judge. So, please do not rush through your speech. Spreading is NOT ok with me - I cannot offer my opinion if I do not understand you. I don't like when debaters are rude to one another and I will take speaker points off so please keep the round civil.
I also will pay special attention to cross ex as that provides a good insight into your knowledge and confidence regarding the topic. However, just remember to stay respectful during cross examination too.
Explain all abbreviations/jargon so that I know what you are talking about.
Voting issues: Not entirely necessary but its helpful.
Sheryl Kaczmarek Lexington High School -- SherylKaz@gmail.com
General Thoughts
I expect debaters to treat one another, their judges and any observers, with respect. If you plan to accuse your opponent(s) of being intellectually dishonest or of cheating, please be prepared to stake the round on that claim. Accusations of that sort are round ending claims for me, one way or the other. I believe debate is an oral and aural experience, which means that while I want to be included on the email chain, I will NOT be reading along with you, and I will not give you credit for arguments I cannot hear/understand, especially if you do not change your speaking after I shout clearer or louder, even in the virtual world. I take the flow very seriously and prior to the pandemic judged a lot, across the disciplines, but I still need ALL debaters to explain their arguments because I don't "know" the tiniest details for every topic in every event. I am pretty open-minded about arguments, but I will NOT vote for arguments that are racist, sexist or in any other way biased against a group based on gender identity, religion or any other characteristic. Additionally, I will NOT vote for suicide/self harm alternatives. None of those are things I can endorse as a long time high school teacher and decent human.
Policy Paradigm
The Resolution -- I would prefer that debaters actually address the resolution, but I do vote for non-resolutional, non-topical or critical affirmatives fairly often. That is because it is up to the debaters in the round to resolve the issue of whether the affirmative ought to be endorsing the resolution, or not, and I will vote based on which side makes the better arguments on that question, in the context of the rest of the round.
Framework -- I often find that these debates get messy fast. Debaters make too many arguments and fail to answer the arguments of the opposition directly. I would prefer more clash, and fewer arguments overall. While I don't think framework arguments are as interesting as some other arguments in debate, I will vote for the team that best promotes their vision of debate, or look at the rest of the arguments in the round through that lens.
Links -- I would really like to know what the affirmative has done to cause the impacts referenced in a Disad, and I think there has to be something the affirmative does (or thinks) which triggers a Kritik. I don't care how big the impact/implication is if the affirmative does not cause it in the first place.
Solvency -- I expect actual solvency advocates for both plans and counterplans. If you are going to have multi-plank plans or counterplans, make sure you have solvency advocates for those combinations of actions, and even if you are advocating a single action, I still expect some source that suggests this action as a solution for the problems you have identified with the Status Quo, or with the Affirmative.
Evidence -- I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Highlighting random words which would be incoherent if read slowly annoys me and pretending your cards include warrants for the claims you make (when they do not) is more than annoying. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part of the card you read needs to say extinction will be the result. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards after a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.
New Arguments/Very Complicated Arguments -- Please do not expect me to do any work for you on arguments I do not understand. I judge based on the flow and if I do not understand what I have written down, or cannot make enough sense of it to write it down, I will not be able to vote for it. If you don't have the time to explain a complicated argument to me, and to link it to the opposition, you might want to try a different strategy.
Old/Traditional Arguments -- I have been judging long enough that I have a full range of experiences with inherency, case specific disads, theoretical arguments against politics disads and many other arguments from policy debate's past, and I also understand the stock issues and traditional policy-making. If you really want to confuse your opponents, and amuse me, you'll kick it old school as opposed to going post-modern.
LD Paradigm
The Resolution -- The thing that originally attracted me to LD was that debaters actually addressed the whole resolution. These days, that happens far less often in LD than it used to. I like hearing the resolution debated, but I also vote for non-resolutional, non-topical or critical affirmatives fairly often in LD. That is because I believe it is up to the debaters in the round to resolve the issue of whether the affirmative ought to be endorsing the resolution, or not, and I will vote based on which side makes the better arguments on that question.
Framework -- I think LDers are better at framework debates than policy debaters, as a general rule, but I have noticed a trend to lazy framework debates in LD in recent years. How often should debaters recycle Winter and Leighton, for example, before looking for something new? If you want to stake the round on the framework you can, or you can allow it to be the lens through which I will look at the rest of the arguments.
Policy Arguments in LD -- I understand all of the policy arguments that have migrated to LD quite well, and I remember when many of them were first developed in Policy. The biggest mistake LDers make with policy arguments -- Counterplans, Perm Theory, Topicality, Disads, Solvency, etc. -- is making the assumption that your particular interpretation of any of those arguments is the same as mine. Don't do that! If you don't explain something, I have no choice but to default to my understanding of that thing. For example, if you say, "Perm do Both," with no other words, I will interpret that to mean, "let's see if it is possible to do the Aff Plan and the Neg Counterplan at the same time, and if it is, the Counterplan goes away." If you mean something different, you need to tell me. That is true for all judges, but especially true for someone with over 40 years of policy experience. I try to keep what I think out of the round, but absent your thoughts, I have no choice but to use my own.
Evidence -- I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Highlighting random words which would be incoherent if read slowly annoys me and pretending your cards include warrants for the claims you make (when they do not) is more than annoying. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part if the card you read really needs to say extinction will be the result. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards in a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.
New Arguments/Very Complicated Arguments -- Please do not expect me to do any work for you on arguments I do not understand. I judge based on the flow and if I do not understand what I have written down, or cannot understand enough to write it down, I won't vote for it. If you don't think you have the time to explain some complicated philosophical position to me, and to link it to the opposition, you should try a different strategy.
Traditional Arguments -- I would still be pleased to listen to cases with a Value Premise and a Criterion. I probably prefer traditional arguments to new arguments that are not explained.
Theory -- Theory arguments are not magical, and theory arguments which are not fully explained, as they are being presented, are unlikely to be persuasive, particularly if presented in a paragraph, or three word blips, since there is no way of knowing which ones I won't hear or write down, and no one can write down all of the arguments when each only merits a tiny handful of words. I also don't like theory arguments that are crafted for one particular debate, or theory arguments that lack even a tangential link to debate or the current topic. If it is not an argument that can be used in multiple debates (like topicality, conditionality, etc) then it probably ought not be run in front of me. New 1AR theory is risky, because the NR typically has more than enough time to answer it. I dislike disclosure theory arguments because I can't know what was done or said before a round, and because I don't think I ought to be voting on things that happened before the AC begins. All of that being said, I will vote on theory, even new 1AR theory, or disclosure theory, if a debater WINS that argument, but it does not make me smile.
PF Paradigm
The Resolution -- PFers should debate the resolution. It would be best if the Final Focus on each side attempted to guide me to either endorse or reject the resolution.
Framework -- Frameworks are OK in PF, although not required, but given the time limits, please keep your framework simple and focused, should you use one.
Policy or LD Behaviors/Arguments in PF -- I personally believe each form of debate ought to be its own thing. I DO NOT want you to talk quickly in PF, just because I also judge LD and Policy, and I really don't want to see theory arguments, plans, counterplans or kritiks in PF. I will definitely flow, and will judge the debate based on the flow, but I want PF to be PF. That being said, I will not automatically vote against a team that brings Policy/LD arguments/stylistic approaches into PF. It is still a debate and the opposition needs to answer the arguments that are presented in order to win my ballot, even if they are arguments I don't want to see in PF.
Paraphrasing -- I have a HUGE problem with inaccurate paraphrasing. I expect debaters to be able to IMMEDIATELY access the text of the cards they have paraphrased -- there should be NO NEED for an off time search for the article, or for the exact place in the article where an argument was made. Making a claim based on a 150 page article is NOT paraphrasing -- that is summarizing (and is not allowed). If you can't instantly point to the place your evidence came from, I am virtually certain NOT to consider that evidence in my decision.
Evidence -- If you are using evidence, I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Pretending your cards include warrants (when they do not) is unacceptable. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part you card you read MUST say extinction will happen. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards in a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.
Theory -- This has begun to be a thing in PF in some places, especially with respect to disclosure theory, and I am not a fan. As previously noted, I want PF to be PF. While I do think that PFers can be too secretive (Policy and LD both started that way), I don't think PFers ought to be expending their very limited time in rounds talking about whether they ought to have disclosed their case to their opponents before the round. Like everything else I would prefer were not true, I can see myself voting on theory in PF because I do vote based on the flow, but I'd prefer you debate the case in front of you, instead of inventing new arguments you don't really have time to discuss.
tl;dr - tech and speed good, but I'm not doing work for you. The resolution must be in the debate. Though I think like a debater, I do an "educator check" before I vote - if you advocate for something like death good, or read purely frivolous theory because you know your opponent cannot answer it and hope for an easy win, you are taking a hard L.
Email chain: havenforensics (at) gmail - but I'm not reading along. I tab more than I judge, but I'm involved in research. Last substance update: 9/18/22
Experience:
Head Coach of Strath Haven HS since 2012. We do all events.
Previously coach at Park View HS 2009-11, assistant coach at Pennsbury HS 2002-06 (and beyond)
Competitor at Pennsbury HS 1998-2002, primarily Policy
Public Forum
1st Rebuttal should be line-by-line on their case; 2nd Rebuttal should frontline at least major offense, but 2nd Summary is too late for dumps of new arguments.
With 3 minutes, the Summary is probably also line-by-line, but perhaps not on every issue. Summary needs to ditch some issues so you can add depth, not just tag lines. If it isn't in Summary, it probably isn't getting flowed in Final Focus, unless it is a direct response to a new argument in 2nd Summary.
Final Focus should continue to narrow down the debate to tell me a story about why you win. Refer to specific spots on the flow, though LBL isn't strictly necessary (you just don't have time). I'll weigh what you say makes you win vs what they say makes them win - good idea to play some defense, but see above about drops.
With a Policy background, I will listen to framework, theory, and T arguments - though I will frown at all of those because I really want a solid case debate. I also have no problem intervening and rejecting arguments that are designed to exclude your opponents from the debate. I do not believe counterplans or kritiks have a place in PF.
You win a lot of points with me calling out shady evidence, and conversely by using good evidence. You lose a lot of points by being unable to produce the evidence you read quickly. If I call for a card, I expect it to be cut.
I don't care which side you sit on or when you stand, and I find the post-round judge handshake to be silly and unnecessary.
LD
tl;dr: Look at me if you are traditional or policy. Strike me if you don't talk about the topic or only read abstract French philosophers or rely on going for blippy trash arguments that mostly work due to being undercovered.
My LD experience is mostly local or regional, though I coach circuit debaters. Thus, I'm comfortable with traditional, value-centered LD and util/policy/solvency LD. If you are going traditional, value clash obviously determines the round, but don't assume I know more than a shallow bit of philosophy.
I probably prefer policy debates, but not if you are trying to fit an entire college policy round into LD times - there just isn't time to develop 4 off in your 7 minute constructive, and I have to give the aff some leeway in rebuttals since there is no constructive to answer neg advocacies.
All things considered, I would rather you defend the whole resolution (even if you want to specify a particular method) rather than a tiny piece of it, but that's what T debates are for I guess (I like T debates). If we're doing plans, then we're also doing CPs, and I'm familiar with all your theory arguments as long as I can flow them.
If somehow you are a deep phil debater and I end up as the judge, you probably did prefs wrong, but I'll do my best to understand - know that I hate it when debaters take a philosophers work and chop it up into tiny bits that somehow mean I have to vote aff. If you are a tricks debater, um, don't. Arguments have warrants and a genuine basis in the resolution or choices made by your opponent.
In case it isn't clear from all the rest of the paradigm, I'm a hack for framework if one debater decides not to engage the resolution.
Policy
Update for TOC '19: it has been awhile since I've judged truly competitive, circuit Policy. I have let my young alumni judge an event dominated by young alumni. I will still enjoy a quality policy round, but my knowledge of contemporary tech is lacking. Note that I'm not going to backflow from your speech doc, and I'm flowing on paper, so you probably don't want to go your top speed.
1. The role of the ballot must be stable and predictable and lead to research-based clash. The aff must endorse a topical action by the government. You cannot create a role of the ballot based on the thing you want to talk about if that thing is not part of the topic; you cannot create a role of the ballot where your opponent is forced to defend that racism is good or that racism does not exist; you cannot create a role of the ballot where the winner is determined by performance, not argumentation. And, to be fair to the aff, the neg cannot create a role of the ballot where aff loses because they talked about the topic and not about something else.
2. I am a policymaker at heart. I want to evaluate the cost/benefit of plan passage vs. status quo/CP/alt. Discourse certainly matters, but a) I'm biased on a framework question to using fiat or at least weighing the 1AC as an advocacy of a policy, and b) a discursive link had better be a real significant choice of the affirmative with real implications if that's all you are going for. "Using the word exploration is imperialist" isn't going to get very far with me. Links of omission are not links.
I understand how critical arguments work and enjoy them when grounded in the topic/aff, and when the alternative would do something. Just as the plan must defend a change in the status quo, so must the alt.
3. Fairness matters. I believe that the policymaking paradigm only makes sense in a world where each side has a fair chance at winning the debate, so I will happily look to procedural/T/theory arguments before resolving the substantive debate. I will not evaluate an RVI or that some moral/kritikal impact "outweighs" the T debate. I will listen to any other aff reason not to vote on T.
I like T and theory debates. The team that muddles those flows will incur my wrath in speaker points. Don't just read a block in response to a block, do some actual debating, OK? I definitely have a lower-than-average threshold to voting on a well-explained T argument since no one seems to like it anymore.
Notes for any event
1. Clash, then resolve it. The last rebuttals should provide all interpretation for me and write my ballot, with me left simply to choose which side is more persuasive or carries the key point. I want to make fair, predictable, and non-interventionist decisions, which requires you to do all my thinking for me. I don't want to read your evidence (unless you ask me to), I don't want to think about how to apply it, I don't want to interpret your warrants - I want you to do all of those things! The debate should be over when the debate ends.
2. Warrants are good. "I have a card" is not a persuasive argument; nor is a tag-line extension. The more warrants you provide, the fewer guesses I have to make, and the fewer arguments I have to connect for you, the more predictable my decision will be. I want to know what your evidence says and why it matters in the round. You do not get a risk of a link simply by saying it is a link. Defensive arguments are good, especially when connected to impact calculus.
3. Speed. Speed for argument depth is good, speed for speed's sake is bad. My threshold is that you should slow down on tags and theory so I can write it down, and so long as I can hear English words in the body of the card, you should be fine. I will yell if I can't understand you. If you don't get clearer, the arguments I can't hear will get less weight at the end of the round, if they make it on the flow at all. I'm not reading the speech doc, I'm just flowing on paper.
4. Finally, I think debate is supposed to be both fun and educational. I am an educator and a coach; I'm happy to be at the tournament. But I also value sleep and my family, so make sure what you do in round is worth all the time we are putting into being there. Imagine that I brought some new novice debaters and my superintendent to watch the round with me. If you are bashing debate or advocating for suicide or other things I wouldn't want 9th graders new to my program to hear, you aren't going to have a happy judge.
I am more than happy to elaborate on this paradigm or answer any questions in round.
I have been a coach for about 12 years, working with students in all forms of speech and debate. As an educator, I see my role as a judge in helping you grow.
I usually inform competitors that I can handle just about anything that they wish to try in a round. I have an open mind and have seen just about everything as a coach and a judge. I don't have strong opinions on what debate should be, other than the guidelines provided by the rules for each event. I want you to explain why you should win the round based on the approach to arguing your position that you have chosen.
That being said, I do prefer certain stylistic techniques. Maintain a moderate speed when speaking. If I can't process your argument, it likely won't have much of an impact in my decision. This is especially important in this virtual world, when certain computer microphones struggle to keep up with you. Demonstrate camaraderie with your partner in PF and Parli and politeness toward your opponents, especially during cross. Emphasize the connections within your argument and show how your framework links to your contentions. Provide abundant examples and evidence. As you are wrapping up the round, show clear reasons to vote for your side. Please focus more on the arguments than on why your opponent violated some fundamental rule of debate.
I will not punish you through speaker points. Extremely low scores are only reserved for rude or inappropriate behavior.
Good luck in your round!
- Slow down
- Quality of information is more important than quantity of information
Hey!
I'm a recent graduate from William & Mary. I graduated from Chaminade in 2019 after competing in LD for four years. I competed on both the national and local level. I haven't really touched debate since then, but I still feel pretty confident in my ability to judge.
Tl;Dr:
Do whatever you want as long as: you're not disrespectful, you explain your arguments well, and I can understand you.
General:
-Go as fast as you want, but speak clearly. I'll say clear twice before I start deducting points. If you're not clear and I miss something (especially if it's not on the speech doc), I won't vote for it. bc of the online format please be extra careful about going super fast when talking off the doc.
-Assume I know nothing about the topic (I might actually not know anything lol).
-I'm not familiar/able to remember most K lit but if you explain it well and make it make sense you're good with me. Please please please make sure your links, impacts, and alts are clear and well explained!
-When it comes to disclosure: I don't care if you do it BUT I will not vote for disclosure theory, I think it's very frivolous. Honestly I don’t enjoy theory debates at all and would have a hard time voting for someone who initiated one.
-Please please please weigh a lot and tell me why concessions/extensions matter.
-A decent chunk of your 2NR/2AR should be reasons why I vote for you.
-Don't waste CX for clarification! Use Flex Prep! (assuming both debaters are okay with it)
-Include me on the email chain seanloch01@gmail.com. Feel free to email me any questions as well!
- I am a volunteer judge for Wilcox HS and this is my fourth year of judging. I have judged multiple formats at both the novice and JV levels.
- Please keep track of your time. I prefer organized speeches with emphasis on continuity.
- Please make sure to provide evidence and/or references where necessary.
- I do take notes throughout the round so emphasize your important contentions/points.
- Clearly state voting issues in your final speech.
I am a lay judge.
Please be patient and do not speak fast.
If I can't understand you, you will not win.
Hello, I am Ashish.
Please do not spread.
I have been judging for the past 3 years in speech and LD.
In order to win:
- make sure you weigh at the end of your speeches
- don't dump arguments: quality over quantity
- SIGNPOST!!!
- do not be rude
- give voters!
- be articulate
- if you extend an argument, make sure you explain it or weigh it
I'm a parent judge who prefers traditional debates. Winner will be chosen based off who presents their case clearly and negates all their opponents arguments with thorough evidence.
Please be respectful towards your opponent.
If you spread I may have a problem following and it could cost you the round.
I am a parent judge with moderate experience judging LD. Here are some guidelines for winning my ballot:
1. A moderately fast pace is fine but no spreading.
2. If you extend a contention, explain why it is important that your opponent dropped. Do not just say "I extend" and move on.
3. Rudeness to opponents will not be tolerated in any form and will result in deductions from your speaker points.
4. I appreciate signposting.
5. Running CP's and complex frameworks are fine, as long as explained.
6. Only non-frivolous theory if extreme abuse.
I prefer to have cases put in file share before round starts.
This is my first time judging Lincoln-Douglas Debate. I am looking for quality of argument and how you explain your arguments. Even if your argument is great, if you only spend 5 seconds on it I may not consider it as strongly as if your opponent spends 2 minutes and clearly explains an important argument. Please do not speak fast as I will not be able to understand you and I will not be able to vote for you. Do not run arguments like critics or theory because I do not understand them. Please keep it traditional.
I am a parent judge with little experience in judging.
Would be focusing on the argument data-points and how each of this are presented, argued and counter-argued. Also, would focus on presentation and interaction styles. I will not vote for anything I do not understand.
Looking forward to meet you all.
cheers!!
Hey everyone! I did Arizona PF for four years, Congress for two, and sprinkles of other events (so yes, I know what a kritik is). I've also judged "full-time" in North Carolina for four years now, mostly PF and LD. I expect a respectful debate from both sides.
For PF, I'm pretty standard. Make sure to spend as much time as possible in your rebuttal speech attacking the opponent's case with specific attacks relating to points they brought up in constructive.
For LD, I'm ok with progressive stuff, but since all my experience is with PF and traditional LD, know that you're taking a risk there. If you do end up going progressive, please be clear as to why I must vote for you! Spreading is fine, but if you're going to talk super fast, please flash drive over your speech so I can follow along.
I vote off the flow, but make sure to weigh impacts in your final speeches - a little bit of narrative (just a little bit!) can go a long way into helping me understanding your side/arguments and voting for you. By narrative, I mean high level analysis of the round, talking about the big picture and not getting too bogged down in the contention level debate (this especially applies to the last few speeches for each side).
My general rule is "quality over quantity." You've probably heard that a billion times, but I truly have trouble understanding quick, one sentence responses to arguments, especially in rebuttal. Take time to develop each response, giving me the context and all of the logic behind it, instead of saying a couple words and expecting me to do the analysis on my own. Also, the more counter-intuitive/non-obvious/unique the point you're trying to make is, the more you have to "gift-wrap" it - I'm willing to listen to almost everything but I need a little more help on arguments that aren't stock/easily understandable. Again, I want to hear the entire logical picture from the debaters, instead of having to fill in gaps on my own. I specifically like listening to how different responses and contentions interact with each other (i.e. grouping after rebuttal speeches). That being said, if an argument is mostly there and is missing just a frivolous part I tend to be pretty sympathetic, but you don't want to rely on this.
For PF - I don't require 2nd speaking rebuttal to defend against responses in 1st speaking rebuttal, but I highly encourage it. I don't require 1st speaking summary to repeat attacks on the opponents case, unless 2nd speaking rebuttal defended their own case against the attacks.
Kutztown University, BA Secondary Education Social Studies
I teach Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Ethics, and World History. Although I am a newer judge, some things I will discourage a lot are lists of facts. Facts are nothing without a justification behind them. With that being said, any factual information you choose to use, you must have a source to go with it. Credibility is important. Keep in mind that I am a history teacher and will know if information presented is inaccurate. Be sure that you know what you are saying is relevant, accurate, and not just a slew of data points.
Be sure to speak clearly. I understand speaking quickly is sometimes necessary, but if I cannot understand you at the speed you are talking that will not help you.
Be sure that your arguments are clear and concise. Do not try to confuse others, take advantage of others, or not debate unfairly in any way shape or form.
Hello competitors,
I am a lay judge and most of my debate background is in LD. Please do not spread and, Kritiks will not be effective in persuading me. I have some key points for debaters to keep in mind.
1. I believe in professionalism and civility. Please be kind to your opponent. This includes not speaking over each other during cross examinations.
2. Communication should emphasize clarity. Don't overcomplicate points or key arguments by filling your time with unnecessary information. Keep your volume up and your speed slow to moderate. If you are unclear due to too fast a pace I cannot award you points you may well deserve. If your opponent needs in their cross to have you reiterate something, chance are you weren't clear enough for me either.
3. Clearly state where you are in your roadmap. You know where you are going, but the rest of us do not. We need to stay with you for you to be successful. This includes clearly state values and contentions.
4. Be sure to challenge your opponents case. Clearly state your attack as such and remember to diminish your opponents attacks on your case. When on the attack: refuting your opponent's case is very persuasive and having a clash on these points creates a good debate. Be politely aggressive by making new arguments against an opponent's case instead of just referring to your case as this extends the flow of the debate. The same is true when you are on the defense. Present reasons (with proof if applicable) why your opponents attack is wrong instead of simply reiterating that your point is "more correct".
5. If your opponent fails to attack one of your arguments, or attacks it poorly, then your evidence holds. Debater with the most contentions, with the best flow, and the most clarity wins.
I vote the side with the most persuasive argument and who counters arguments most effectively while supporting their own side.
Good luck, and may the best debater win!
Krishna Shriram
PF Paradigm: I am an experienced PF judge and PF coach on the national circuit. I judge primarily on impacts. You need to give a clear link story backed up with logic and evidence. Framework is important. Weighing is very important. It is better to acknowledge that your opponent may be winning a certain argument and explain how the impacts you are winning outweigh than it is to ignore that argument made by your opponent. Don't extend through ink. If your opponent attacks your argument you need to respond to that attack and not just repeat your original argument. I don't mind rapid conversational speed - especially while reading evidence, but no spreading. I will keep a good flow and judge primarily off the flow, but let's keep PF as an event where persuasive speaking style, logic, evidence, and refutation are all important. Also let's keep PF distinct from national circuit LD and national circuit policy -although I will listen to any arguments that you present, in public forum, I find arguments that are directly related to the impacts of the resolution to be the most persuasive. Theory arguments as far as arguing about reasonable burdens for upholding or refuting the resolution are fine, but I don't see any reason for formal theory shells in public forum and the debate should be primarily centered around the resolution.
LD Paradigm: I am an experienced LD judge. I do prefer traditional style LD. I am, however, OK with plans and counter-plans and I am OK with theory arguments concerning analysis of burdens. I am not a fan of Kritiks. I will try to be open to evaluate arguments presented in the round, but I do prefer that the debate be largely about the resolution instead of largely centered on theory. I am OK with fast conversational speed and I am OK with evidence being read a little faster than fast conversational as long as tag lines and analysis are not faster than fast conversational. I do believe that V / VC are required, but I don't believe that the V / VC are voting issues in and of themselves. That is, even if you convince me that your V / VC is superior (more important, better linked to the resolution) than your opponent's V / VC that is not enough for me to vote for you. You still need to prove that your case better upholds your V / VC than your opponent's case does. To win, you may do one of three things: (1) Prove that your V / VC is superior to your opponent's AND that your case better upholds that V / VC than your opponent's case does, OR (2) Accept your opponent's V / VC and prove that your case better upholds their V/VC than their case does. OR (3) Win an "even-if" combination of (1) and (2).
CX Paradigm: I am an experienced LD and PF judge (nationally and locally). I have judged policy debate at a number of tournaments over the years - including the final round of the NSDA national tournament in 2015. However, I am more experienced in PF and LD than I am in policy. I can handle speed significantly faster than the final round of NSDA nationals, but not at super-fast speed. (Evidence can be read fast if you slow down for tag lines and for analysis.) Topicality arguments are fine. I am not a fan of kritiks or critical affs.
Please speak at a reasonable pace and be respectful towards your opponent. Have fun!
camera update: 9/3/2021- I live in an apartment complex with spotty internet. So I will be defaulting to keeping my camera off during the speeches. If the speeches sound clear after the first two constructive lsu I’ll try turning my camera on. Also no need to ask me if I’m ready, just default that I’m ready, and if I’m not I’ll unmute myself and let you know.
TLDR: Not super in touch with recent trends in debate, and very heavily prefer policy. Speed is no problem for me, just start slower and slowly work up to about 80% Max speed. Please note if you’re reading Non T or Phil, please do a good job explaining it to me. Oftentimes in these rounds I’m not getting enough info about why I should be voting one way or the other. I do not disclose unless the decision was extremely easy. Otherwise I prefer to give detailed info on my ballot and am open for questions using the email chain that you sent me your case in.
1: LARP/ Substance
2: Kritik
3-4: Theory
5-Strike: Performance, High Phil
Add me to the email chain: abbusp@gmail.com (REMEMBER send me cards before your speech that you'll be reading. If you're spreading analytics send me that as well. If analytics will not be spread I don't need them in the doc)
1. Speed: Here's my take. I've been debating for a while so I can keep up with speed. HOWEVER, with everything being online clarity has become a HUGE issue. Please go much much slower than you normally would. You don't have to go at a lay pace, but just remember I only say clear twice, before I put my pen down. What I miss will be held against you.
2. Theory: Remember fairness and education come first. Debate is an activity about fairness, and theory is meant to address that. IT IS NOT meant to let you opt out of substantive arguments. For this reason, I don't really enjoy theory and RVI debates. Keep everything on the resolution. Theory just serves the purpose that the debater running the shell, lets me know the violation and why it should warrant dropping the other debater. The debater going against the shell, just defend yourself and move on, don't drop everything and go for winning off the RVI because it won't hold any weight for me.
3. Stylistic: I'm very lenient with speaker points and usually give extremely high speaks. Please give me concise voters in your final speeches. They will have the most magnitude for me because it allows me to determine what the main issues you are going for are. Please impact everything, don't just read random cards and move on. Also don't just card dump, I want to see you construct meaningful arguments.
4. VERY IMPORTANT: Please Read. Before your speeches I want the cards you will be reading. Too many competitors send the cards after their speech, at which point there is not enough time to evaluate the cards because the next speech has started. I want to be able to follow along as you read your cards. Please note that this means sign posting will be VERY important. If you're going 600 WPM, and not sign posting anything you've already lost me. SLOW DOWN On tags and authors. Let me hear those clearly before you ratchet up your speed. Any analytics or non cards not in the case doc need to be at a reasonable speed. You can spread what's on the doc.
EMAIL CHAIN: jsydnor@altamontschool.org -- all rounds should set up email chains before scheduled start time. I would like to be included.
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Former policy debater in HS and College. I come into LD from that background, and I love seeing where LD and policy are in communication with one another. While I'm familiar with K's, CP's, PICs, plan-focus debates, planless K Affs, T, Theory... I'm less familiar with some of the other arguments like high phil, a prioris, NIBs, etc. that are more well known in LD.
I am am open to most arguments, but I am unwilling to vote on arguments I don't understand enough to give a coherent RFD. The burden remains with the debater to make a sufficiently clear argument I can grasp and understand as a path to the ballot. I don't feel bad saying "I didn't understand this, so I didn't vote on it."
I don't buy into the argument division between "circuit" and "local" debate and that I should inherently discount arguments or styles because it's Alabama not a "national" tournament. Any kind of exclusion needs to be theoretically justified.
Speed: 7.5/10. Speed is fine but debate is still a communication-based activity and I'm a poorly aging millennial. Sending speech docs is not a substitute for clarity.
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-CP: I default sufficiency framing and will judge kick unless told otherwise. Would rather hear args about solvency deficit, perm, and issues with NB than rely on theory to answer.
-K: I think all forms of debate are great, but K's and K Affs offer something unique to the activity that enhances its pedagogical value. However, that doesn't mean I know your specific literature or that I am going to immediately buy what you're selling. I like close readings of the 1AC to generate links as quality critical work.
-K Affs: Go for it. I believe the Aff has to advance some contestable methodology beyond "res is bad, reject the res." I usually believe offense on method is the most interesting site for clash. T-USFG/FW isn't off the table as a true guaranteed generic response and can be a really strong option given the way some K teams write their 1AC.
-Theory: Not my favorite debate but I know it can be important/strategic. Go a little slower on this if you want me to get follow the intricacies of the line-by-line. I have some hesitation with the direction disclosure and wiki theory arguments are going, but I still vote on it.
-T vs Plan Affs --I believe plans have the burden to be topical, and topicality is determined by interpreting words in the resolution. If you read a plan that is not whole res then you should always go into the round proving you definitionally are topical. I generally believe analytic counter-interps (like mainstream theory debates on norms) and reasonability alone are not winning options. Has the Neg read a definition that excludes your plan? If yes, you have a burden to counter-define in a way that is inclusive of your Aff. I am very persuaded that, absent a sufficient "we meet," if the Aff cannot counter-define a word in the resolution that is inclusive of the plan then I should A] not consider the plan reasonable, even if reasonability is good, and B] no sufficient competing interpretation of the topic, which is an auto-win for the Neg. (K Affs can be an exception to most of this because the offense to T and method of establishing limits is different.)
- T vs K Affs -- Willing to vote on it insofar as you win that you've presented a superior model for debate and that voting for you isn't violent/complicit. I generally believe fairness is not an impact. I like strong answers to meta-level questions, such as Aff descriptions of what debate and proceduralism vs debate as a game/site for unique type of education and iterative testing of advocacies.
-Phil: You should assume I know 0 of the things necessary for you to win this debate and that you have to do additional groundwork/translation to make this a viable option. I've only seen a few phil debates and my common issue as a judge is that I need a clear articulation of what the offensive reason for the ballot is or clear link to presumption and thus direction and meaning of presumption.
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I'm currently a freshman at Duke, but I did LD for 4 years at Ardrey Kell. I focused more on traditional LD due to the nature of the LD circuit in NC. I don't have too much exposure to more progressive styles of argumentation, but I should be good with basic LARP type stuff if you choose to go that route. However, I do prefer, at more traditional/lay tournaments, that you stick to the norms of the circuit unless both you and your opponent are fine with a little more speed/complexity. Basically, don't make it difficult for your opponent to participate in the round. Also, please be courteous and respectful to your opponent and generally don't make them feel like shit. Don't be racist/sexist/bigoted or you will be dropped. In general, please weigh, run cool cases, and don't lie.
Specifics:
1) I enjoy seeing unconventional approaches to the topic, but make sure you explain it clearly enough that I know what I'm voting for.
2) I've found that inexperienced debaters don't spend enough time on link-level debate, so please try and do that. BUT, experienced debaters often forget about impact level debate. Your arguments should be very clearly impacted out and weighed, and I think this sometimes doesn't happen because of how caught up debaters get in justifying/proving arguments. At the very least, give me voters that detail how exactly the resolution changes (positively or negatively) society.
3) V/VC-Not entirely sure how I feel about this. Basically, if you think winning your value or value criterion actually changes the way I evaluate arguments and gives you an edge in the round, please debate it. I enjoy well-done phil debate a LOT and I'd love for it to be more prevalent on the NC Circuit. But, make sure your phil debate actually has implications for the round. I'm not a big fan of random Morality vs. Justice debates where neither side clearly articulates why it actually matters whether the value is Morality or Justice.
4) Evidence-so, while I did debate I was a lot more pro-cards and empirics than most, but I've kind of moved away from that mindset. Evidence still matters to me though. Please run good, high quality evidence in limited amounts with good analytics to go with it. Try and understand exactly what the card is saying and don't misrepresent evidence. In terms of responding to evidence, I REALLY would appreciate more people on the circuit calling for cards and looking through methodological flaws and other inconsistencies in the evidence. A big power move is pulling up the PDF and just listing off all the ways that your opponent misrepresents the evidence. If you give me a competing piece of evidence, please make it CLEAR why exactly I should prefer your card instead of your opponent's. Anecdotes are good to exemplify a problem and add context, but don't rely exclusively on them.
5) Flowing-I can flow at basically the higher end of NC debate. Don't spread, but also don't feel the need to go super slow. I flow on my laptop so if I'm on my laptop during the round, that's why. I generally catch most of what you're saying, but you can help out by going slower on key points and emphasizing them throughout the round.
6) Speaker Points-I'll probably give out speaks based on strategy. If you run cool arguments, approach the topic in a nontraditional way, and execute the strategy well, expect higher points. I enjoy humor and sass, but make sure you respect your opponent while you're at it.
Standardized testing topic specifics: This seems like it'd turn into a card war REALLY fast, so keep in mind what I said about making clear why I should prefer your evidence over your opponent's. I don't know much about the topic, so explain acronyms, abbreviations, etc. Also, it's my first time judging so please make it easy on me by doing a ton of weighing and giving me clear voters' issues.
That's more or less my thoughts on debate. If you have any specific questions about debate or even college or something, feel free to ask before the round or email me. My email address is vineel.vanam@gmail
Compete in APDA for Princeton.
Debated British Parliamentary for 5 years in the UK at high school.
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Don't spread. If I can't flow something I won't credit it.
Don't find theory very persuasive.
Even if claims are commonplace and well-known, and I understand what you are trying to say, if you say the headline of the claim instead of explaining it fully I won't credit it very much.
I prefer clear and relatively slow speaking speed than spreading.
pronouns: she/her
email: jasminez@princeton.edu
I'm a college senior at princeton studying computer science and doing (american and british) parliamentary debate. I did traditional LD all four years of high school, but occasionally found myself against a circuit debater
most of these thoughts are for LD, but you can generalize it to the other formats
General Thoughts
speed: you can go fast, just don't spread to the point where you're gasping, and please enunciate.
if your opponent's argument is not well warranted, you don't need to say a lot to convince me. don't waste time on insubstantial arguments -- just don't drop them.
cx -- won't flow it unless you reference something that happened in one of your speeches.
evidence -- won't call for it unless you tell me to.
please sign post ! ! ! and extend your arguments with more than just a citation ! ! !
weighing/direct clash is very very good!! please please do this - makes my life a lot easier, and makes the round a lot less messy and a lot more substantive.
LD: framework!! please don't forget about framework, esp if you don't default to util. it is so very important and tells me how to view the round and evaluate your contentions. I think fw is what makes (traditional) ld so special, so linking your impacts back to your fw is all the more helpful.
progressive stuff: i'm not going to tell you not to run it, but bear in mind i was a traditional ld debater, so i don't prefer it. if you run it, you're going to have to explain things thoroughly.
please do not make racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, etc. arguments !!!! please use your judgement and content warn arguments as necessary
try to be nice to your opponent :)
+0.1 speaker points if you make a funny joke