TL;DR

I'm currently a senior at Rhodes College and I was a policy debater at Airline High School for four years. I have been largely removed from the debate community for a while so pardon any lapse in more nuanced concepts.  Ultimately Run whatever you are most comfortable with running, that'll make debates so much more worthwhile for everyone involved. Although spreading traditionally wouldn't be an issue I would make clarity a top priority, if not the top priority, when debating virtually.

Contact Information (put me in the email chain)

cabrams461@gmail.com

K Affs / Kritiks:

K debates are interesting to watch and I feel that the literature base behind critiques is something that everyone (including myself) should be more well-versed in. That being said, it is imperative that you have enough of a grasp on the literature underpinning your K to effectively convey your argument. It's pretty much a guarantee that you are more familiar with your kritik than I am as a judge so just be sure that you communicate to me what my role is as the judge.

Framework:

Two important things about framework that I have learned from trial and error 1.) Make sure that all of your framework arguments are contextualized to the debate that you are currently having. 2.) Although framework is extremely important, don't think that spending all of your time on framework will warrant a W. Granted, a team dropping FW or mishandling it will drastically decrease their chances of winning, don't under-cover their arguments to focus on your framework. Say what needs to be said and move on. Make sure to stress what my role as the judge should be during the round or I will default to the role of a policymaker.

Speaker Points:

A 27 or a 28 is pretty standard. Speed, if done well, is fine but never emphasize speed over clarity. Remain aware of the people that occupy the debate space including your judge(s) and opponents. Particularly aggressive and or offensive behavior will lower your speaks drastically if it becomes a recurrent issue. (as a sidenote don't drown out your partner's cx. Open cross is fine so long as the person that is asking/answering the question is being given time to ask/answer their questions)

Public Forum paradigm

I now coach speech, but I have also coached Congress and have judged PF and LD for the past 15 years in Ohio, Louisiana, and the national circuit. I never competed, but you know what they say about those who can’t (or don't).

I like to hear a well organized case—I value clarity and consistency. I prefer depth of analysis of one or two contentions rather than superficial treatment of a long list. Supporting evidence is important, but not as important as logical argumentation. Be sure that evidence actually supports or refutes and is not just thrown in to provide a source. I tend to vote on the arguments that involve impact and scope.

Clash is essential—nothing more deadly than listening to dueling evidence with no actual interaction. Do as much damage as you can to your opponent’s case and defend you own—sounds really basic, but that’s what I like to hear.

Crossfire is a time to ask questions—please do not use it to advance or restate your case (unless, of course, it pertains to a question you’ve been asked). I like to see teamwork in grand cross—please do not monopolize and let your partner get a word in edgewise.

I enjoy a nice extemporaneous delivery that demonstrates some real (or feigned) enthusiasm for your argument. Please do not spread—it is not impressive, and if I can’t follow you, the quality of your argument suffers.

And finally I value civility, courtesy, and respect—please don’t disappoint.

Lincoln Douglas paradigm

Similar to my PF standards, I am pretty traditional. I like a case that is well organized, clear, and consistent. Supporting evidence and depth of analysis are important, but logical arguments are essential. I really enjoy a good framework debate, and I appreciate hearing voting issues--tell me why I should vote for you. Why are your impacts more important?

I like an extemporaneous and conversational delivery. I am okay with some speed, but no spreading, please--if I can't follow you, I can't vote for you.

Civility, courtesy, and respect--always important.

Congress paradigm

Congress rankings are based on content (structure, evidence, clarity, analysis, clash) and delivery (articulation, fluency, vocal and physical expression, confidence/poise). Most importantly who advanced the debate and contributed the most through the quality (not necessarily the quantity) of his/her/their speeches and questions?

Civility, courtesy, and respect apply here as well.

Policy Debate Paradigm:

Overview:

The things you are probably looking for:

Speed: I’m fine with whatever you are comfortable with--no need to try to impress me.

Performance: I do not mind a performance but make sure the performance is tied directly to the case and purpose of the debate. I am NOT some old fart, but I am a bit old school with a blend of progressive ideology.

Pre-dispositions: Please do not make arguments that you do not understand/cannot explain in order to fill the time or to confuse the opponent—I will definitely take notice and probably will not vote for you. Keep things well researched and logical and everything should be fine.

Sportsmanship: Please always be respectful of your opponents. Mean-spiritedness is not a way to show me you’re winning. Even though I will always vote for the better arguments, if you display signs of cruelty towards your opponent, your speaker points will suffer.

****Make sure you have great links…nothing worse than sitting through a round where no one understands how any of the arguments relate to the topic*********

Specifics:

Disadvantages: Unless if your strategy is extremely sophisticated/well thought out/well-rehearsed (I have encountered quite a few when I competed), I think you should always run at least 1 DA.

· The Counterplan: If done well, and the strategy around them is logical and thought-out, these are generally winners. If done poorly and you just inserted one to fill the time, I will be sad and bored.

· Procedurals/Topicality: I love a good meta-debate, and I am open to these if you guys have a solid strategy around these arguments (for example: if your opponents are illogical/made mistakes, point that out to me). However, I usually see T’s used as generic fillers, and I will not vote for a generic filler.

· The Kritik: Love Ks if done well and showcases your knowledge of the topic and argument. However, if I can sense that you don’t know what you’re talking about, running a K might hurt you.

Overall, have fun ( I understand how stressful this event can be), show me you're prepared, and always try to learn something.

Lincoln-Douglas, Big Questions Debate, and Public Forum Debate Paradigm:

My job as a judge is to be a blank slate; your job as a debater is to tell me how and why to vote and decide what the resolution/debate means to you. This includes not just topic analysis but also types of arguments and the rules of debate if you would like. If you do not provide me with voters and impacts I will use my own reasoning. I'm open all arguments but they need to be well explained.

My preference is for debates with a warranted, clearly explained analysis. I do not think tagline extensions or simply reading a card is an argument that will win you the debate. In the last speech, make it easy for me to vote for you by giving and clearly weighing voting issues- these are summaries of the debate, not simply repeating your contentions! You will have the most impact with me if you discuss magnitude, scope, etc. and also tell me why I look to your voting issues before your opponents. In terms of case debate, please consider how your two cases interact with each other to create more class; I find turns especially effective. I do listen closely during cross (even if I don't flow), so that is a place to make attacks, but if you want them to be fully considered please include them during your speeches.

Email: dhbroussard1763@gmail.com

Please add me to the email chain: chloegbrown31@gmail.com :-)

**Feel free to ask more specific questions before rounds, but know that your style/ research is more important than my feelings about specific args/ strategies.**

CX:

I did policy all through high school, mostly critical/ soft-left stuff. I l still like K stuff, not necessarily more than anything else though. Honestly, I don't tend to vote for T but will if the voting issues are made very clear and important.

Southside is my first tournament judging the 2023-24 topic, if there are specific acronyms, please clarify them. Don't expect me to have super intimate knowledge of NATA/ AI- related legislation. I keep up with the news, but I am an English major.

I pay close attention to role-of-the-ballot and role-of-the-judge args but want to knowwhythose roles are valid/ important/ good.

If you are going to run a K, please demonstrate a good understanding of your methodologies, authors, and foundational philosophies. Running something critical just for the sake of it is not going to win you any points.

Generally, I want to know why things matter and believe in truth over tech. I am not going to catch every minute technical concession. By the end of the round, wrap things up nicely and tell me exactly what matters the most (and why).

L/D

I never competed in LD but enjoy judging it and have quite a lot.

Although I don't have super specific preferences, please do flesh out any framing-- do not assume that just because yousay the value criterion is "____" that means I assume it's true. Tell me why!Let me know what matters in/ out of the round.

I pay close attention to the line-by-line and love to see direct clash.

Experience in CX, LD and PF with preference for LD.  Regarding LD, prefer a more traditional style of debate focusing on value and philosophy.  Policy arguments are usually a nonstarter and unlikely to sway.

Here are some of my preferences for the following events! If you have any other questions, be sure to ask before the round begins.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate:

I will base my decision based off the framework provided. If no framework is provided, I will look at the biggest impacts in the round. If you want me to take an impact into consideration when casting a ballot, make sure you extend it across the flow! In addition, EXPLAIN why your impact matters. Please don't allow the round to become a definition debate. Of course, there will be some exceptions to that rule, but generally, agree on a definition and carry on with the debate. Don't drop your impacts halfway through and bring them up in the final speech. I'm not particularly fond of K's, but if you are running one, please be sure to stay in topic. Make sure you defend your case but don't forget to attack your opponent's case. As per evidence, it MUST come from reliable sources, otherwise, they will not be considered. Speaker points will be heavily influenced by your ability to both argue your points and your ability to communicate them to your opponent and me in an efficient way.

Public Forum Debate:

If you are winning on the flow, then you are winning the round. Extend your arguments and impacts, don't expect me to do so. Be sure to explain why your impacts matter! If you have a framework, I will use that to pick the winner of the round, as long as both teams agree on the framework. Your rebuttals should consist of both defense AND offense. If you drop your opponent's arguments, I will consider them as conceded on your side. Do not make arguments during CX, and do not bring up new evidence/arguments in the final focus - these will NOT be considered. All you will gain from it is lower speaker points for being abusive. Do some impact-weighing in the final focus, and make it clear that you are winning! Please be concise and clear. If I can't understand you, I can't vote for you. Make sure your evidence comes from a reliable source: the more recent the evidence, the better. As per speaker points, they will be based on your performance in all your speeches, AND your performance during CX.

GENERAL RULES

- BE RESPECTFUL. After all, it is simply a debate round. Do not let your emotions get the best of you, stay professional.

- DO NOT SPREAD.

- Do NOT go over the time limit. I understand if you're trying to finish up your sentence, but anything more than that is unfair to your opponent.

And lastly, have fun and good luck!

OVERALL info about me as a judge: in high school I competed both LD as well as PF. I am well versed in the rules and games of both worlds. I demand a respectful environment, any type of personal attacks will be noticed. Please be respectful of all debaters, this is a safe space for everyone, I understand getting frustrated and upset but that does not mean you can attack them personally.

SPEED: I can handle most speeds, but with this year being online and of course in theory internet always work, but in all actuality there can be delays if you are speeding through it can be hard to get all the info.

FLOW: I do flow rounds, I also listen to cross, if good questions arise I will write them down. If something is to be extended on the flow please tell me as to why it should and how it goes to your arguments.

ARGUMENTATION: arguments should be well thought out, nothing half put together. Make sure your audience can understand what you are getting at.

PUBLIC FORUM: in final focus don’t bring up any new arguments rather tell me what gives your side the greatest advantage in the round. Weighing clearly as to why I should vote for you is going to be key in the round.

LINCOLN-DOUGLAS: this is the moral/philosophy realm of debate I want to know how each argument you make is morally upholding your value and value criterion.

I’m a traditional flow judge looking for stock issues, effective argumentation, and solid speaking.

I graduated from Lafayette (Louisiana) High School in 1972. I was on the high school forensic team for three years and participated in debate for the most part, but also extemp and impromptu speaking. “Back in the day” it was only two-person teams, regular debate or CX. I am a clinical social worker and the administrator of a psychiatric hospital. I thought my judging “career” ended in the early 1980s. However, I came out of “retirement” in 2017 when my daughter joined her school’s speech/debate team as a freshman. She is currently a senior and her events are mostly extemp, debate and Congress. I have judged everything but my preference is forensic events.

The best way to get your argument through would be to approach me as what I would term an advanced lay judge. I am “old school”. I flow and pay close attention to CX. Spreading/speed … I don’t really like it, but can handle speed up to a certain point. If your words fuse together and become incomprehensible, you will lose me. By extension, if I am not able to get it down on the flow, it didn’t happen. I cannot judge what I cannot understand.J I pay attention to cards, especially the source. Dropped contentions/arguments are noted and graded accordingly. I appreciate clear logic and well explained analysis, smooth and organized speaking, and courteous behavior and respect for your opponent. Extend your arguments across the flow. My preference in LD is traditional style. I am OK with CPs, not so much with Ks. Unless required, I don’t disclose. You will have difficulty picking up body/facial language from me during a debate. I am pretty much expression-less and will have only intermittent eye contact. Please don’t mistake this as me not listening. My focus is on the words and the flow.

Update on virtual competition: Please be advised that LIVE online competition has its quirks. Before virtual debate, both competitors would often talk at the same time in CX. This was not a problem as both speaker's voices could be heard at the same time. This may NOT be the case in live online debate. Sometimes both speakers can be heard, but often the software allows only one speaker's voice to come through. In addition, with spreading or very fast speech, the software may not be as clear as in traditional live and in-your-face debate. In many instances judging virtual debates, spreading becomes garbled with static and skips ... as difficult as it is for a human in real-life debating to comprehend 500 words per minute, it seems that the software is even more confused. Just something to keep in mind and I'll try and remember to remind debaters of this before the round begins.

I am a traditional judge. I place a high value on the framework debate, specifically on values and value criterion. All contentions should link back to the framework, and voters should as well. Weigh your arguments as well. At the end of your final speeches, I expect to hear clear voters. If possible, do not spread. If you are, send me the doc. I do not judge many circuit rounds.

For all debate

-> Speaker points reflect the argumentation and presentation of the debate, and awarded speaker points will reflect the overall round winner, the comparative performance of the debaters, and the overall presentation.

LD

-> I attach greater weight to values arguments than case arguments, and a well-argued value/value criterion will put a competitor in a much better position to claim the round.

-> Aff and neg both bear responsibility for advancing their own values and contentions in the face of clash. However, aff must always affirm and neg negate the resolution. Higher levels of clash will garner more speaker points.

-> Please present road signs and clearly state the tag lines of cards.

C/X

-> The aff has the burden of proof to advance the resolution. Neg can maintain status quo and successfully claim the round through negation.

-> Impact calculus is always appreciated, and clear taglines are essential in C/X. If the tag line is not clearly listed and I miss the argument being advanced, that is a serious problem that affects voters.

-> I weight dropped arguments more heavily in C/X than in LD.

Offer a good story, and provide a framework for evaluating competing stories.

Be topical, or don't.

Be persuasive.

Debate how you'd like, and I will be an active listener in the conversation.

Aside -- I have a personal conviction to praxis that is grounded in theory that makes the concept of "theoretical praxis" far less attractive to me.

Sasha Kreinik Paradigm

Always include me in the email chain susanna.torrey@gmail.com

I am a pretty straightforward judge and was in forensics way back in the Stone Age when I was in high school. I am a teacher and speech and debate coach first, so I value education, good and creative cases, and expect professionalism and respectful behavior.

I am open to any arguments as long as burdens are being met and I value strong evidence ably applied. Over the past few years I have found myself needing to highlight the items I have listed below most often in rounds.

LD/CX:

Mad spreading skills need to come with mad pronunciation skills. I’m okay with speed, but am even more impressed by the debater who can do more with less. You are less likely to have an issue with my rulings if I have been able to easily flow your round. I am noticing a trend lately (fall 2022) of debaters that goes far beyond spreading to actually mumbling quietly and incoherently through most of the case, only enunciating specific phrases, tags, etc. If you are this type of debater, strike me. Yes, I can read your case, but that's not what debate is about. Your speaks will be the lowest possible. One more caveat about spreading--if you are using it in an open round merely to disadvantage a less experienced or novice opponent, it will annoy me. Have that conversation with your opponent at the start of the round.

LD:

Enough with the disclo theory. Run it and I will probably drop you.

All:

One of my pet peeves is a debater who is obviously seeing his/her evidence for the first time or, worse, sounds like it. Be sure to master the material you are using. If there is a piece of evidence or a theory you are presenting that you don’t understand, we won’t either, and it will show.

I abhor racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and any other language of hate or any language that enables it. They have no place in the debate space and will cost you the round.

In the end, I want you to have fun, learn something, and bring forth truly creative and interesting cases. If all else in your round is perfectly equal, I am going to give the round to the debater who told a better story.

Feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

General

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

- I debated 4 years at Airline in policy, and I am a freshman at the University of Oklahoma. My coach was Martha Claire Lepore. I am not debating in college so be sure to explain any topic-specific acronyms or nuances of your arguments and slow down on short analytics.

- I am fine with speed but stay organized in speaking/signposting and organizing your speech doc, do not sacrifice clarity, do not waste speech time thanking me for judging, open CX is fine.

Framework/T-USFG

Framework can be a good strategy, just be sure to specify the role of the ballot, otherwise I will default to policymaker. I think fairness can be an impact if the team has specific arguments and bright lines as to what is or isn’t fair or educational.

Topicality

Topicality debates can be some of the most interesting debates, I default to competing interpretations so be ready to defend your aff. The fact that your aff is from camp files or is reasonably topical does not mean you automatically win this arg, debate the interpretations, violations, and standards at each level. I really enjoy impacts of fairness and education, why T is an a priori issue, and why it matters more than fiat args. T should be on top in the speech doc, do not drop it.

Case

Please debate case, even if you run a K interact with the case debate on some level. Turns on case are great and can give you offense on another flow, utilize them. Smart analytics also work well on case. If you do not have specific case evidence as neg, you can still use analytics, debate impacts with an impact file, or cross apply cards from other flows. Please interact with case in the debate, make arguments not excuses. I like existential and soft left impacts, but whatever you choose do impact calc and show me why you’re winning those impacts.

CP/ Theory

The only rules in debate are speech times and speech orders, everything else is theory. Give examples of spillover of your interpretation. I value tech over truth so if there is a theory arg be sure to address it. If you drop it, I will default to the other interpretation. Have a block ready for basics like condo so you don’t end up in trouble or scrambling to answer lots of theory voters. CPs are great, especially when there’s internal net benefits as well as external net benefits in DAs. Internal net benefits can get lost with the other team because it’s not its own flow, use this to your advantage.

Kritiks/K Affs

I am probably not the judge for you if you want to go for this. I will listen to it, but really slow down and explain the literature and overviews. I will have a hard time not allowing the other team to weigh/ access policy impacts, so you should explain why your impacts really matter more and what my role as the judge is.

Extra things I enjoy/ will get you more speaks

Being organized

Use a speech doc. If you send out a master file of a DA, another one for a CP, and another for case, I cannot find the individual cards you’re reading or compare evidence. Speech orders are also important, if you’re aff case at the beginning, if you’re neg at the end, and always T on top. Signposting between cards (say next or and), between parts of an arg, and between flows will help so much. Yes, it takes time, but when you don’t tell me you’re answering the DA instead of the CP all that ink will go on the CP flow. Messy debates are not fun, and I want to be able to evaluate all your awesome arguments, so tell me where to put them and what they answer. Line by line is also part of being organized, and when you are doing line by line and argument resolution it makes debates clean and easy to evaluate.

Listing voters

The last 2 speeches of the debate should have numbered reasons why you are winning, it makes it super clear what I should evaluate. If one of these reasons is “they dropped the DA” tell me why that matters in the big picture of the debate. Do argument resolution (their card is not specific to this scenario, we provide more relevant info) rather than they say no war, we say war.

Focusing on strategy

Yes, out spreading the other team is a strategy, and if 15 pieces of paper in a debate is your thing, I’m all for it, but if you can be more nuanced with fewer args I’d love to see that too. I will be more impressed if you pick a strategy and go for 1-2 things rather than juggle 7 DAs and 5 CPs (I will still vote you up if you win on the flow with 15 sheets of paper, so don’t worry).

Respecting others

Respect the other debaters and judges, and do not talk over each other in CX (especially if it’s your own partner that you’re talking over). If there is an ethics issue in the debate (like clipping, a problematic comment, etc) I will consider that and stop the debate.

Unless I am specifically told not to disclose my decision, I will give an RFD right after the round. Even if I am told not to disclose my decision, I will still give speaking/ organization critiques right after the round. If you have questions about a round, my paradigm, or debate questions in general, send me an email! I am excited to judge your debate!

From the beginning, I think debaters need to understand that I was never a policy debater myself. I took over a successful team at Caddo when they needed faculty support, and the debaters and alums taught me the activity. Over the next fifteen years I learned enough to teach it to novices and intermediates. I judged actively for about fifteen years, but since bringing a new coach to our school seven years ago, I have not been in many rounds. If you want someone who is going to understand clipped references to acronyms or core camp affs that you think everyone already knows on the NATO topic, I am not that guy. You are going to have to break things down and explain. I am a flow judge, but very rusty.

Now, Caddo has been known as a fairly critical team over the last decade, and I have learned to appreciate those arguments a good bit. As someone who teaches sociology, psychology, and philosophy at my high school, I am sympathetic to many identity arguments, critiques of epistemology, etc. However, I am not going to be down with a lot of jargon-filled blocks on framework—you must explain why I should weigh your project or method against fairness arguments of the policy world. I like the kind of literature discussed in critical rounds, but I have voted for policy affs outweighing a critique in different debates, especially where the aff won the framework and the neg did not.

That being said, I am very comfortable listening to case, disad, counterplan rounds. I think topicality sets important rules of the game & so if you plan to flout those rules, you better have a compelling reason. I certainly value the kind of knowledge and skills that policy debaters learn through the activity.

Ethos matters. We all know how important cross-ex is to establishing a confident position, but don’t be rude. If you can have a really competitive round and still treat your opponent—and your partner!—with respect, then that goes a long way with me on speaker points.

Email chain—yes. nnormand.cmhs@gmail.com

I am not a proficient enough typist to flow on the laptop, but if you signpost your arguments well enough, I should be able to flow a debate at speed. Being able to read the evidence during the speech certainly helps me though.

Do what you do best in front of me, give full explanations of why I should vote for you, and you will be ok. Make blippy arguments that claim you won because of something that was barely in the debate and dropped by the other team—then no matter how pissed you act when “post-rounding” me at the end, you will still have lost.

This is a great activity. Have fun with it & don’t take yourself too seriously, then we all win.

I am a traditional judge. I place a high value on the framework debate, specifically on values and value criterion. All contentions should link back to the framework. If possible, do not spread.

Updated: 10/3/23

I debated for the University of Oklahoma for a year, and I have been involved in the activity (to a lesser extent recently) for a total of 7 years now.

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One of my biggest things is being flexible ideologically, so I actively suppress any pre-existing bias toward or against K Affs or Affs with Plans. I like both formats and have used both formats. Do what you do, and do it well.

Add me to the email chain please: (drcaddodebate@gmail.com). Feel free to email me with questions after the round.

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TL:DR - I'll vote on any argument whether it's five minutes of heg bad (or good) in the 1NR or a well executed framing argument in the last ten seconds of the 2AR. Write the ballot for me and explain what you think the nexus question of the debate is, and why you best answer that question. My default role is tabula rosa, followed by adjudicator. If you believe I should also be an educator or policymaker, etc., explain why.

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My own reservations concerning specific arguments:

Framework:I think that every team should have some position on framework whether they have a plan or not. Fundamentally, it is a "debate about debate"; and since you're a part of the activity, you should have several ideas about what it means to affirm a resolution.

K's: I read the K in college, so I am familiar with a lot of the literature. Framework is very important.

CP's: Well-thought out counterplan strategies are awesome.

DA's: Well-structured, contextual disads are great. I find the link debate to be most important.

T: T is T. Don't drop it. I am new to the topic, so I probably won’t have any bias to follow the community consensus on topicality.

Theory: Once upon a time, I read A-Spec.

Condo: I like condo debates.

Info about me: I was a high school competitor and have done LD for about 2 years. I know the rules and I will not tolerate any harassment or abuse during a round. This is mainly for personal attacks, and if this happens, it will be an automatic loss and taken to the tab room. Keep the debate civilized.

For speed, I do not mind if you are talking fast, be careful do to the tournaments being online. I do not allow spreading in my rounds. If you are speaking to fast for me, I will signal you to slow down

I do flow my rounds, so if I am looking down, I am still paying attention. I also listen to cross and that may be included with my judgment, however please don't only use the cross for clarification, makes the debate lose speed and clash.

For arguments, I am looking for a logical debate from both sides, I do not want a debate over definitions, or only framework, debate the cases as a whole. Evidence is encouraged for attacking and blocking, however do not rely on it entirely, too much information is just as bad as too little. If you are going to use hypothetical, please don't give the most extreme because that is unrealistic and brings down the debate.

Please include me on the email chain at jstewartdebate@gmail.com. Feel free to ask questions always.

I competed for Barbe High School, McNeese State University and Western Kentucky University. I competed in IEs in both high school and college. I debated L-D and policy in high school on the local, Louisiana circuit. I also competed nationally in college in IE’s, Parli, NFA L-D policy and some CEDA/NDT. I have judged in Louisiana and around the region for the last 15 years.

TLDR: I was a policymaking type debater. Weighing net-benefits is what I am most familiar with. I try to be as “tab” as possible and will evaluate any argument. It needs to be well warranted, well impacted and well weighed against the rest of arguments in the round. You might need to do slightly more work fleshing out newer forms of argumentation with me, but I will vote on them if I feel like you are winning them.

I am self-professed “lazy” judge. I want to feel like I am doing the least intervening possible at the end of the round. I would love for you to tell me which arguments are important enough for me to vote on, what their comparative impacts are and why you are winning those arguments. I appreciate you telling me how I should sign my ballot.

I am still somewhat old school around paperless debating- it just wasn’t a thing yet when I was competing or judging the first go around. I use e-mailed/flashed evidence mostly for reading internal warrants. I will use this to follow along the speech, however I’m not a fan of reading speech docs/blocks in a vacuum. Signposting and clear organizational structure are important for me and I tend to award higher speaker points for them.

POLICY-

K/Kritikal Aff- I have a pretty good familiarity with critical theory/thought. I am probably less familiar with the intricacies of Kritik debate theory. You would probably be helping yourself out with me to spend a bit more time on setting up your framework and giving really clear impact stories. Explicit arguments about “how we win” or “the role of the ballot” would help me better understand how/why to vote for you on these types of positions. This is especially true if there are situations like perms put on the alternative. I want to know why the alternative alone solves best on its face, in addition to any theoretical objections to the perm. I also appreciate clear pre-fiat/post-fiat analysis. If the impact is post-fiat (“turns case”) and the alternative is pre-fiat (“discourse/radical space/etc”) I want you to tell me how to navigate the multiple levels of your advocacy.

T/Procedurals- I tend to have a slightly lower threshold on procedurals. I do not need an iron clad in-round abuse story necessarily. I will evaluate these more often than many.

LD-

I tend to vote on framework first. That is just how I was taught. But with more progressive styles I will evaluate framework in light of case advantages/disadvantages. As with the Kritik info above, you may need to do a little more hand holding with me around the alternative and/or role of the ballot. I tend to prefer crystallization at the end of the round with clear impact analysis and tend to give higher speaks to those that show good round vision and can ‘boil down’ the round effectively.

PF-

I’m comfortable with the newer trend of giving an explicit framework at the top of case. If you don’t give me one then I’ll default to something like policymaking/comparative advantages. I tend to appreciate probability over magnitude in PF because of the lack of depth of evidence. Things that are intuitive and make sense on their face seem like a more natural fit to this style of debate. I will evaluate anything that is argued in front of me, though. It needs to be well warranted, well extended (including extending the warrants), well impacted and well leveraged against the other argumentation in the round for it to be most persuasive. I like final focus speeches that crystallize the round for me and give me good impact analysis. Feel free to take the ballot out my hands by telling me what arguments are most important, how they function in the round and why you are winning on them.

IE’s-

I tend to think about most IEs in terms of argumentation. This is more obvious for events like Extemp, Impromptu and Original Oratory. But even interp events use a text to craft a narrative with a unique point of view for each competitor. I usually evaluate IE’s on the clarity of your thesis (argument) and then how well you do at expressing/supporting it (advocacy). The more you can distill down an idea into its clearest form and then use multiple rhetorical tools to express it, the better chance you will have of getting higher ranks and higher speaks from me. FYI I’m a big fan of variety as a rhetorical tool (fast and slow rate, loud and soft volume, high and low intonation, etc). These tend to keep me more engaged in the speech/performance and tend to make me trust you more as a speaker/performer.