Vignesh Alla

-Member of the Glenbrook South Debate Society from 2012-2016 (Policy)

-Qualified for the TOC my Senior Year (Surveillance Topic)

-Was 2N, 2A, and Double 2s at various points during high school

Topic: To be upfront, I do not have an extensive amount of knowledge about this Topic. What this should mean to you (assuming you want to win) is that the team that does a better job of appealing to my lack of topic knowledge will be served well. This means using acronyms and abbreviations that I would only know if I was doing topic research will probably just confuse me. I am willing to answer questions about this before the round if you are concerned and I place this section in my philosophy to be fair to the debaters that I am judging. Nothing would have annoyed me more than to have lost a round if a judge didn't know what "NSA" stood for, but the onus is on you to convey important pieces of information like that to me. I am letting you know in advance so that the round is judged based on who debated better and not based on what I did and did not know.

Topicality: Explain your interpretation and what would and would not be allowed under that model of the topic. T debates are good when both teams have a nuanced and thought out reason for why each aff should and should not be allowed in the topic and are horrible when both teams assert "limits" and "ground" without explaining what that means in the context of the topic. Tell me what arguments you lose links to or competition for or why your "limit" on the topic is good. I don't know what affs are considered to be "core of the topic" so don't just assume I'll believe you when you say "X aff is core of the topic". It is probably best to explain what the topic should be and why rather than relying on what the topic has become. Reasonability only makes sense if you have a counter-interpretation, Aff's are not "reasonably topical", but interpretations of the topic can be "good enough".

Disadvantages: Never liked the politics DA, and probably hold the record for least 2NRs on the Politics DA as a GBS debater. Other than that, most are fine. It is possible to win zero risk of a link and I won't buy "any risk" arguments unless there is a CP that solves the aff. Impact calculus is important but I am much more persuaded by the validity of internal links. I will not make this argument for you, but if you argue that the probability of a set of internal link chains is low, then the impact is a function of the risk of those internal link chains. All of this applies for 1AC advantages as well.

Counterplans: My favorite arguments. Well written and thought out Counterplans are the bane of any 2As existence and for good reason. I am looking for good solves case, avoids net-benefit, and sufficiency framing. I ran advantage CPs, Agent CPs, Process CPs, Consult CPs, and more. I am probably neg leaning on theory unless you can prove the CP is a probable way the aff can be implemented. The stronger your reasons for a CP being theoretically illegitimate are probably reasons why Perm: Do the CP is a good argument. Even if in my mind they are pretty similar, I'd rather vote on Perm: Do the CP than on "this Counterplan is cheating". 2NC CPs are fair game if they amend a 1NC text, but a wholly new 2NC CP will probably need some 1NR theory justification or I'd buy that making the 1AR answer a new advocacy is not fair/a good model for debate.

Kritik: I liked reading and going for Ks against K affs or affs I didn't have a great case neg to. If you have another solid viable option, it is probably best to go for that than a K in the 2NR. I probably know what K you are reading, but you should still act as if I don't. Bad Kritik debates happen when using big words takes precedence over making arguments. The Best K debaters explain how the assumptions that the K highlights turn the aff and should be a reason to question or throw out an affirmative method/ontology/epistemology etc. I never went for Framework on a K as a reason to ignore the aff but it can easily be won that I should look at other things besides just the results of 1AC implementation. Likewise, I will most likely not buy the "FW means Ks unfair/shouldn't be allowed" argument. Alts are usually explained pretty poorly and a solid line of C-X can highlight some pretty big flaws in them. Perms of a K are a function of how much and how strong of a link you are winning. Strong Link=Weak Perm and I think the Perm is a pretty large threat against the K so winning a solid link is your #1 priority when extending a K. A link of omission will lose 100 out of 100 times to perm do both. The less and less a K argument seemingly interacts with an affirmative the more and more likely it will lose on no link or perm.

Framework: I really didn't think Framework was much different than topicality. I went for it most of the times I was deabating a Kritikal or planless Affs. FW isn't genocide etc. Regardless of if you are aff or neg explain to me why your model of the topic is better. For planless K affs, explain how the aff is predictable or how your interp is reasonable. Winning that planless affs are ok for debate is an uphill battle if I am judging. I've voted for K affs before, but I find the reasons for why they should not be allowed to be more persuasive. "Do it on the Neg" and "Wrong Forum/Round not Key" are underrated.

Theory: Competition and FW were covered above, so this is section is about conditionality. 2 Condo is fine. 3 is pushing it. You probably won't win 1 condo bad unless they drop it. Ask what dispo is cause after 4 years of debate I still don't know and I won't even default to it being anything. Each plank of a CP you can kick is another conditional world.

Speaker Points: I reward CLARITY. I repeat, I reward CLARITY. I don't care if you are the best debater in a generation, if I cannot understand what words come out of your mouth I will think you are bad. Speed is not an issue if you are clear when reading and I never believed that "going 80% as fast as your max" does anything because you can be CLEAR at any speed as long as you are focusing on it. I reward good arguments with a Win but I reward how you sound with points. Debate is both a research and communication activity and debate does not exist without both. I will not follow along with a speech doc so you have to be clear enough so that I get down arguments you want me to. My points range is pretty large and I usually give points from anywhere from 26 to a 29.5. If you get lower than 26, then something besides your argumentation and clarity is the issue. Above a 29.5 and you did exceptionally well.

General Thoughts: C-X=Speech, Tech over Truth, there is not an argument that I will throw out because of "stupidity" if an argument is that stupid it should be easy enough to defeat.

People who have influenced how I view debate: Tara Tate, Jon Voss, Neil Patel, Chris Callahan, Chris Coleman, Ben Wolch, Bill Batterman, Dylan Quigley, Tyler Thur

If you have any questions feel free to ask them before the round.

sohan.bellam@emory.edu

I won't adjudicate issues that happened outside of the debate. I do not like planless affirmatives. Do what you like.

she/her

please add kaitlyndebate@gmail.com to the email chain

water topic:

I have judged very few rounds on the water topic. please be thorough in your explanations of arguments/concepts, especially more technical ones like topicality

top level

I debated at gbn for four years as a 2a/1n

don't call me "judge," kaitlyn is just fine

please be respectful to your opponents - racism/sexism/homophobia/ableism/etc will obviously not be tolerated

the most enjoyable debates to watch are ones in which both teams have a good grasp of the bigger picture, especially in the final rebuttals. tell me what is most important to my decision and win that, otherwise I will have to make decisions on my own that might not always go in your favor. impact calc is essential to any good 2nr/2ar

I will try to have my camera on during online debates, and I prefer that all debaters do as well. if there are outstanding tech issues, exceptions can be made

all of my notes below are lists of my general biases, but I think everything is up for debate in a round. I will attempt to be as open as possible when deciding

disads

I love them, there's not much that can go wrong here. case-specific disads are the best, obviously. turns case, when carded and used well, is very strategic

politics debates can be very fun when done well, and the most important part is often the overall "story" of the disad. make sure your story is present throughout the debate

aff teams should have a "counter-story" of the disad - how does your aff interact with the disad? also, straight turning politics is really fun

counterplans

I have gone for my fair share of "cheaty" counterplans, and thus will probably understand your consult cp. however, the more complex/cheaty your cp gets, the easier it is for an aff team to come up with a good perm that resolves all of the internal links

solvency deficits must have an impact that outweighs the impact to the disad - the more impact calculus, the better

theory

most theory arguments are reasons to reject the argument, not the team - condo is the one exception. Don't be afraid to go for condo, but if there's a way you can win on substance I will be much happier as theory debates are often difficult to resolve

judge kick is an extension of conditionality that is not always justified. debate it

re: theory that's in the 1nc but isn't in the doc/is hidden in some way - it's probably stupid, and the aff probably gets new answers

topicality

I read what most people consider to be untopical policy affs, so I appreciate an aff that is able to stretch the topic in an interesting way. that said, you need to have a good defense of legal precision/predictability to hedge back on the neg's (most likely very persuasive) limits impacts. these debates, if well-researched, can be very fun

legal precision > contextual precision > limits > ground > education

impact turns

they're a fun time. go wild

kritiks

ks I am familiar with - security, set col, neolib (all the basic policy ks). anything else and I will need much more explanation. however, if a neg team is thorough in their explanation of their theory and how it impacts the round, I could see myself voting for them

on the aff - affs that either have an extinction outweighs and framework push or can interact with the k in an interesting way are the most persuasive to me

I generally feel that the aff should be able to weigh the impacts of the plan

perfcon is a viable argument that the aff gets to sever their reps

framing contentions

Not the biggest fan. if you do read one, you need to debate down the disad or I will be very hesitant to do that work for you just because you mentioned the conjunctive fallacy. counterplans are a very good way to obviate the framing contention

k affs

I'm probably not the judge for you. I tend to think t-usfg is true and there is usually a topical version of the aff. however, if you have an impact turn or disad you can read on the neg, that's a much more fun debate

aff teams probably need a good (read: predictable and limiting) counter-interp and a persuasive disad to the neg's model to win

clipping

L & 25 if caught clipping, but the other team should have recorded evidence (as I will not be listening for it) and be willing to stake the round on it. if you get caught clipping, you get an L and 25s. if you stake the round on it and no clipping took place/you have no evidence, you get an L and 25s

Background:

• I debated for Niles West in high school and West Georgia in college.
• BA in Philosophy.
• Currently coaching at Niles West.

Email:

• gershom000@gmail.com

Top level things:

• If you engage in offensive acts (think racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.), you will lose automatically and will be awarded whatever the minimum speaker points offered at that particular tournament is.
• If you make it so that the tags in your document maps are not navigable by taking the "tag" format off of them, I will actively dock your speaker points.
• Quality of argument means a lot to me. I am willing to hold my nose and vote for bad arguments if they're better debated but my threshold for answering those bad arguments is pretty low.
• I’m extremely hesitant to vote on arguments about things that have happened outside of a debate or in previous debates. I can only be sure of what has happened in this particular debate and anything else is non-falsifiable.
• Absolutely no ties and the first team that asks for one will lose my ballot.
• Soliciting any outside assistance during a round will lose my ballot.

Pet peeves:

• Lack of clarity. Clarity > speed 100% of the time.
• The 1AC not being sent out by the time the debate is supposed to start.
• Email-sending related failures.
• Dead time.
• Stealing prep.
• Answering arguments in an order other than the one presented by the other team.
• Asserting things are dropped when they aren't.
• Asking the other team to send you a marked doc when they marked 1-3 cards.
• Marking almost every card in the doc.
• Disappearing after the round.
• Quoting my paradigm in your speeches.
• Sending PDFs instead of Word Docs.

Ethics:

• If you are caught clipping you will receive a loss and the lowest possible points.
• If you make an ethics challenge in a debate in front of me, you must stake the debate on it. If you make that challenge and are incorrect or cannot prove your claim, you will lose and be granted the lowest possible points. If you are proven to have committed an ethics violation, you will lose and be granted the lowest possible points.
• If you use sexually explicit language or engage in sexually explicit performances in high school debates, you should strike me.

Cross-x:

• Yes, I’m fine with tag-team cx. But dominating your partner’s cx will result in lower points for both of you.
• Questions like "what cards did you read?" are cross-x questions, and I will run the timer accordingly.
• If you fail to ask the status of the off, I will be less inclined to vote for condo.
• If the 1NC responds that "every DA is a NB to every CP" when asked about net benefits in the 1NC even if it makes no sense, I think the 1AR gets a lot of leeway to explain a 2AC "links to the net benefit argument" on any CP as it relates to the DAs.

Inserting evidence or rehighlightings into the debate:

• I won't evaluate it unless you actually read the parts that you are inserting into the debate. If it's like a chart or a map or something like that, that's fine, I don't expect you to literally read that, but if you're rehighlighting some of the other team's evidence, you need to actually read the rehighlighting.

Affirmatives:

• I’m fine with plan or planless affirmatives. However, I believe all affirmatives should advocate for/defend something. What that something entails is up for debate, but I’m hesitant to vote for affirmatives that defend absolutely nothing.

Topicality:

• I default to competing interpretations unless told otherwise.
• The most important thing for me in T debates is an in-depth explanation of the types of affs your interp would include/exclude and the impact that the inclusion/exclusion would have on debate.
• 5 second ASPEC shells/the like have become nonstarters for me. If I reasonably think the other team could have missed the argument because I didn't think it was a clear argument, I think they probably get new answers. If you drop it twice, that's on you.

Counterplans:

• For me counterplans are more about competition than theory. While I tend to lean more neg on questions of CP theory, I lean aff on a lot of questions of competition, especially in the cases of CPs that compete on the certainty of the plan, normal means cps, and agent cps.

Disads:

• If you're reading a DA that isn't just a case turn, it should go on its own sheet. Failure to do so is super annoying because people end up extending/answering arguments on flows in different orders.

Kritiks:

• The more specific the link the better. Even if your cards aren’t that specific, applying your evidence to the specifics of the affirmative through nuanced analysis is always preferable to a generic link extension.
• ‘You link you lose’ strategies are not my favorite. I’m willing to vote on them if the other team fails to respond properly, but I’m very sympathetic to aff arguments about it being a bad model for debate.
• I find many framework debates end up being two ships passing in the night. Line by line answers to the other team's framework standards goes a long way in helping win framework in front of me.

Theory:

• Almost all theory arguments are reasons to reject the argument, condo is usually the only exception.
• Conditionality is often good. It can be not. I have found myself to be increasingly aff leaning on extreme conditionality (think many plank cps where all of the planks are conditional + 4-5 more conditional options).
• Tell me what my role is on the theory debate - am I determining in-round abuse or am I setting a precedent for the community?

Framework/T-USfg:

• I find impacts about debatability, clash, and iterative testing to be very persuasive.
• I am not really persuaded by fairness impacts, but will vote on it if mishandled.
• I am not really persuaded by impacts about skills/the ability for debate to change the world if we read plans - I think these are not very strategic and easily impact turned by the aff.
• I am pretty sympathetic to negative presumption arguments because I often think the aff has not forwarded an explanation for what the aff does to resolve the impacts they've described.
• I don't think debate is role-playing.

• If the aff drops SSD or the TVA and the 2NR extends it, I will most likely vote neg.

Email:

traviswaynecochran@gmail.com

Affiliations - Present:

Currently coaching for Troy and Oxford at the TOC.

2023-2024 Updates:

1. Everyone should slow down. Debate would be better. Does this mean you might have to read less in the 1NC? YES!Does this mean that 2As might have to make less/better answers? YES!Does this mean you need to slow down on prewritten extensions and analytics? YES!I want to fully grasp EVERYTHING in the debate and not just get the gist of things.If you do not want to adapt to this, then you have prefs and strikes. I suggest you use them accordingly ...
2. Debaters that flow and give speeches from their flows, as opposed to their prewritten speech docs, are the gold standard.
3. Great debaters use the full spectrum of human emotion to persuade judges. Anger, sadness, humor, fear, hope, love, and all the other things we feel, connect us to the arguments we're making. If your debates only have one emotion (or none), then it will probably be pretty boring.

Top Level Stuffs:

1. Speech docs: I want to be included on any email chains; however, I will be flowing based on what I hear from year speech and not following along with the speech doc. I will use my flow to determine the decision, which can be different from speech docs, especially if you aren't clear and give me enough pen time. Also, I never was the best flow as a debater and I still am not as a judge!

2. All of you are smarter than me. I'll work hard to be a good judge, but I won't promise I will get everything that is happening in the round. Your job will be to explain very complex concepts to a very simple mind.

3. I'm an only-parent of two young children. Always a chance that something happens where I have to take a few minutes of judge prep. I'll work hard to minimize these instances, but cannot promise they will not happen.

4. The "ideal" number of off-case positions in a round for me when I am in the back of the room is anywhere from 0-5. You can absolutely read more, but I get angrier as the number of counterplans in the 1NC rises. I think 1-2 counterplans in a 1NC is reasonable. I prefer 1NCs without throwaway positions but still have a lot of block/2NR optionality. Basically, I am a fan of clash and vertical spread.

If you still think it's good to have me in the back of the room after you know this, then continue reading and see if you still feel that way when you're done.

Argument Feelings:

Topicality: It is up to the debaters to determine how I evaluate topicality. I tend to default to reasonability. Slow down a tick on T or you will make me sad. I cannot keep up with you reading your 2NC/1NR blocks at full speed.

Counterplans: The more specific the better, but I’m game for whatever. Consult CPs are fine. Delay is fine. Conditioning is cool tooI. PICs are the bees knees. However, I am open to theory arguments that any of these should not be allowed. I do not like counterplans with a lot of planks that the negative can jettison at will. Such counterplans will leave me sympathetic to affirmative theory arguments.

Counterplan Theory: Sketchy counterplans should lose to theory. However, theory violations should be well developed and it is up to the affirmative to prove why I should reject the team and not the argument. It's no secret that I am not the quickest flow, so slow down for me on theory debates.

Theory: I almost always think that education > fairness, but ... I think negatives are getting away with too much. People can run multiple contradictory counterplans/advocacies all they want in front of me and I will not automatically vote them down for it. However; I am sympathetic to well articulated theory arguments as to why it is a bad educational practice, as well as sympathetic to affirmatives that use negative shenanigans to justify affirmative shenanigans. Play dirty pool at your own risk in front of me…aff or neg. I do not like cheap shot theory. I try to not vote for cheap shot theory arguments, even if they are dropped. However, I will use cheap shot theory arguments as a way out of difficult rounds in which both teams were making my job painful. I try not to let cheap shots determine the outcome of rounds that are well debated on both sides. I reward good smart debate. No New AFFs is not a good arg in front of me. Pref Sheet Disclosure is not a good arg in front of me.

**** If you're reading this as an LD'er: I am a very bad judge for Tricks debate. Very bad ...

Disads: The more specific the better. I prefer 1 or 2 good uniqueness cards to 10 bad uniqueness cards. I prefer 1 or 2 good warrants to 10 bad uniqueness cards. Disads are great and are a fundamental part of policy or critical strategies. Yayy DAs!

Criticisms: The more specific the better. You probably know more about your specific criticism than I do. However, debate is not about who knows the most about a topic; it is about how much you can teach me within the time limits of the round. If I cannot explain your position back to you at the end of the debate, then I cannot vote for it. I believe that AFFs get perms, even critical AFFs. I believe that Ks can win based on winning 100% defense, so, yes ... you can kick the ALT and go for presumption in front of me.

Framework: Sure. You can go that route, but please slow down. I prefer substance to theory, meaning that I almost always believe education > fairness. I don't find the procedural fairness stuff that persuasive. Institutions good and training is a much better route with me in the back. TVAs are persuasive to me. So, will I vote on framework? If it is based on why you have a better educational model, then absolutely! If it is based on procedural fairness, then I might still vote on it, but it's an uphill battle. I almost always think the better approach is just to take them up on the case page or offer a counterplan ...

Performance/Nontraditional/Critical AFFs: I’m cool with it. I don't find your argument persuasive that these AFFs shouldn't get perms. If I can't explain your AFF back to you then it will be really hard for me to vote for you. I have no problem voting NEG on presumption if I don't know what you do or if the NEG has a compelling argument that you do nothing.

Case: I wish more people debated it more. I honestly think that a well developed case attack (offense and a heck of a lot of good defense) with a disad or a critique are much more effective than multiple disads/critiques/counterplans. Case debate is good and underrated.

I’m open to any kind of argument you have as long as it is intelligent, arguably true, and not problematic.

My Idiosyncrasies:

One thing that everyone should know is that I naturally give a lot of nonverbal (sometimes verbal) feedback, even in the middle of rounds. If I think your argument is really smart then you will probably see me smiling and nodding. If I think your argument is not smart or just wrong, my face will look contorted and I will be shaking it in a different direction. If this happens…do not freak out. Use it to your advantage that you know which arguments I like and do not like. Other times, I look unhappy because I am in pain or very hungry (my health ain't the best), so this might throw you off ... sorry! Debate tournaments are hard on all of us. I'm not going to pretend like I'm a machine for longer than two hours while I judge your round.

I will also intervene in cross x if I think that a team is being particularly evasive on a point that needs to be clarified to conduct a good clean debate. I do not believe that the gold standard for judging is to avoid intervention at all costs. I believe intervention is almost always inevitable ... I'm just one of the few people who are willing to say that out loud.

Additionally, I usually make fairly quick decisions. I don't scour through evidence and meticulously line up my flows all the way until the decision deadline. Sometimes I will do that if it is warranted to decide the round. However, for me, it doesn't usually require that. I believe that debate is a communication activity and I judge rounds based on what is communicated to me. I use my flows to confirm or deny my suspicions of why I think someone is winning/losing at the conclusion of the debate. Typically, I am making my mind up about who is winning the round and in which ways they might lose it after every speech. This usually creates a checklist of what each team would need to do to win/lose. While listening to 2NRs/2ARs, I go through my checklist & flows to see which ones get marked off. Sometimes this is an easy process. Sometimes it takes me a lot longer to check those boxes ...

I KNOW that you all work VERY HARD for each and every round. I take that very seriously. But, me deciding rounds quickly is not dismissive of you or your work. Instead, my "thoughtful snapshots" of rounds are meant to give some sort of fidelity to the round I witnessed instead of recreating it post hoc. Some people go to concerts and record songs to remember the experience later. I don't. That's not out of disrespect to the artists or their art, rather, it's my own version of honoring their efforts by trying to honor the moment. Some of y'all think that is some BS justification for me to do "less work" after a round, and that's fine, you're entitled to that opinion, as well as where you place me on your strike sheets.

Finally, I am unabashedly human. I am open to the whims of fatigue, hunger, emotions and an overwhelming desire to do what I think is right, no matter how inconsistent and possibly misguided at the time. I try desperately to live my life in a way where I can look in a mirror and be okay with myself (not always successfully). I do the same thing when I am a judge (again, not always successfully). This is just a fair warning to any of you that will be inevitably upset if my decision seems to vary from this judging philosophy. I'm not a robot and sometimes my opinions about my role and this activity changes while judging a round. The truth is that y'all are good at what y'all do, and sometimes you make me change my mind about things. These are the facts of having me in the back of the room, and these facts, no matter how fact-y they might be, are facts that y'all have to deal with :-)

Debate is fun…at least it should be. If it's not, you're doing it wrong!

gbn '21

she/her

add me to the email chain - 210338@glenbrook225.org

general:

-be nice!!

-yes, tag team cx is ok, but don't take over your partner's cx

-clarity > speed (also please signpost)

-tech > truth, but impact it out. a dropped argument doesn't matter unless you tell me why it matters.

-I will NOT tolerate any racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist, or otherwise harmful rhetoric. debate needs to be a safe environment for everyone.

kritiks:

love em (probably more than the average gbn debater). however, this doesn't mean you get to plow through some obscure postmodern literature with minimal explanation. specific links (more than just generic state links please) and contextualization to the aff will make me happy.

please be able to articulate your framework beyond prewritten blocks - this goes for aff v. k as well.

disads:

specific links, impact calc, and turns case analysis please!

counterplans:

yes, cheaty process cps are fine - I go to gbn, remember?

topicality:

I didn't go to camp, so I don't really have any preconceived notions of what is topical this year. as a result, I'll be paying close attention to how you impact out the t debate.

k affs:

if this is your thing, go for it. tbh, I'd prefer if novices read a plan text or at least some actionable statement, but I'm open to be challenged on that.

guno/sean/judge. do with that as you will

flow.

guno.debate@gmail.com

+0.5 speaks given if you add me without asking. do with that as you will

be nice. don't do with that as you will. be nice.

don't be racist/sexist/homophobic/etc. don't do with that as you will. don't be racist/sexist/homophobic/etc.

don't read death good. don't do with that as you will. don't read death good

i've been equally a 2A and 2N, but i prefer being a 2A. do with that as you will

Topicality: I've had two T debates in my life. do with that as you will

Kritiks: order of understandability

--security---queer theory -------setcol---------------------other identity-----------------------------------------------high theory

don't drop fw

do with that as you will

K Affs: k affs have value but i don't think u shud read it as a novice. do with that as you will

fw/t-usfg are my bread and butter. went for it in every 1nr. do with that as you will

Disads: bread and butter. went for it in every 1nr. do with that as you will

Counterplans: literally never took it in the 1nr. don't drop perms. do with that as you will

Theory: don't drop it. go for it if they do. do with that as you will

30 speaks if you have a methane impact. do with that as you will

jokes abt ppl at gbn, gbs, nt, oprf, minn south, or uc lab +0.5 speaks. do with that as you will

u can read anyone from gbn's paradigm and i'll agree for the most part. sohan bellam's paradigm details thoughts about k affs that i agree wtih

gbn '22 - msu '26 - 1n/2a for all 5 years - she/her

last updated: 4.21.2024

please put me on the chain:

gusisfiles@gmail.com

most importantly (in order):

1. be nice to each other, flow, have fun

2. don't be rude, sexist, racist, homophobic, etc.. i have no problem contacting tabroom or your coaches when if i feel my role as a judge needs to become subordinate to my role as an educator

3. i will not evaluate things that occurred outside of the debate. if something was truly problematic, the debate should be stopped and tab should be contacted. in a similar vein, i strongly believe you should reach out to an opponent if you find an ethics issue with their evidence. substituting a caseneg with an ethics violation that you found pre-round probably makes debate worse than the ethics issue itself.

4. tech > truth (but truth makes it easier to win tech)

5. these are my predispositions -- they can all be changed with good debating (see the line right above this)

6. arguments need a claim, warrant, and impact -- if you do not have all 3, i don't care if it's dropped. if it takes you less time to read your aspec 1nc shell than it takes me to type out "aspec = vi," it isn't an argument and i don't really care if the 2ac doesn't have an answer.

7. impact calc and framing really matter -- top of your 2nr/2ar should tell me what i'm voting on and why. my life is easier and happier if you write my ballot for me

8. tag team cx is fine but don't speak over your partner

9. you don't need a card to make an argument (see #6), but card probably beats no card

10. prep time ends whenyou say it does. if you prep after the timer ends, prep time ends when I say it has.
---things that can happen after prep ends: sending a speech, standing up, giving an order, setting a timer.
---things that cannot happen after prep ends: editing a doc (includes copy-pasting things), saving a doc, talking to your partner

11. marked doc is not removing the cards you skipped (this is flowing), its only adding "mark" for cards that you did not finish. if a team asks for a new card doc with the cards the other team skipped, you should take prep for them to put that together.

*topicality*

-i read questionably topical affs all 4 years of high school and 1 in college - do your worst but do it well

-precision > predictability > limits > ground

---specifically: grammatical precision > legal precision > contextual precision > overlimiting > neg ground > under-limiting > aff ground > topic education

-loooooove plan text in a vacuum, but affs tend to not debate it thoroughly enough

*framework / t-usfg*

-i love a good fairness debate but am not a die-hard fairness hack. probably think clash / testing and fairness are more convincing than something like movement lawyering, but it's debatable

-i think tvas and switch-side debate are pretty good ways to cut down the aff's offense

-i mostly tend to think affs should have a counter-interp because i need models of debate to compare. if your strategy is to impact-turn framework, i will assume that means your c/i is 'affs get to do what they want, how they want'

*disads*

-specific links are important, but not as important as a good story

-a thumper isn't a thumper until you tie it back to the link. for example, saying 'there are other bills on the agenda' is not a thumper until you win that those other bills will cost pc

-0 risk is a thing (maybe not aaaactually a thing, but probability can get so low that i should treat it as zero risk)

*counterplans & theory*

-anything is fair game as long as you can defend it BUT if the counterplan is cheating, the aff should be able to beat it on theory or a perm more easily

-i wont judge kick unless you tell me to (saying "the status quo is always an option" does count as telling me to)

-just saying "sufficiency framing" <<<<<<<<< explain why the counterplan solves / how i should evaluate it

-condo is probably bad (i know, hot take) but that won't matter if both sides just spread blocks at each other. you should NOT read this as 'she wants to only hear condo speeches'

-condo is probably the only theory violation worthy of rejecting the team unless there is an argument otherwise starting in the 2ac (but its a pretty high threshold)

-theory is (almost) always a question of models and (almost) never a question of in-round abuse

*kritiks*

-i've been around the block with the literature but that doesn't mean i want to hear baudrillard blocks spread directly into your computer at 400 wpm (nobody does)

-i tend to think ks need an alternative that solves the links and impacts, but high-quality framework debating can arguably substitute for this (i really do prefer k's that are more than 'you link, you lose')

-it's pretty hard to convince me that we should never do anything to meliorate a problem a team has isolated

-in a perfect world, links are causal, specific, and unique. this world is far from perfect

-i'm better for the k than you think (filter this through the fact that it came from me...obviously there's some bias there)

---

if you have any specific questions about my preferences, feel free to ask before and after the round :) im happy to help

good luck, have fun !!

My email for Email chain is: hoopdog424@gmail.com

(yes I want to be in on the email chain. Is this even a question?)

I have judged rounds. I don't follow the topic, not even 'night before tournament brush up'.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ME:

I CAN'T HEAR GOOD FOR THE LIFE OF ME. I have two hearing aids, and some days even that feels like not enough. Make it easy on all of us, read loud, slow down a bit (especially on analytic heavy sections of your speech), and actually indicate when you've moved to a new card/go off card so I have some clue as to what's going on. Other judges may call clear, I'll probably have to do that often, and I'll probably at some point have to tell one of the speakers to be louder (not your fault if I do).

I haven't been following the high school topic at all, so the onus is on YOU to explain to what you're saying. I can connect some dots, but the debate will go much smoother if you can explain. NOTE: If I can't rationalize your argument in my head, I won't vote on it. I have voted for teams that respond to nothing because their opponents had a stupid/difficult premise with their arguments.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ME JUDGING YOU

On CrossX: I consider it binding only if it's from the last CrossX (IE, a 1NC using answers from the CrossX to the 1AC would be ok, but a 2NC using the same answers from the same CrossX in their argument, i find that less ok and wouldn't weigh it as highly. Use it or lose it I guess) If I feel you're obfuscating I reserve the right to move the questioning forward AND/OR ask for an actual answer AND/OR dock points.

On sourcing: I care more if the warrants are bad, than if the source is bad. Obviously, better source is always preferred, and I don't want FOX/InfoWars. That being said, a mere argument of 'they use _______________ as a source' doesn't rate high on the issues in round. I will tolerate Onion and Babylon Bee because that is just good satire, and I will weigh them, for or against you.

On T: I find that I'm very nice to the aff if the case even tangentially relates to the topic, and if the aff can convince me why it does. I will say this: I find your 'Education'/'Limits' standard a lot less believable if you're running 3 DAs, and even less believable if you have relevant ON-case arguments. If this happens I will not weigh topicality if I think it's an oversight, but if I think it's in bad faith I will vote against you. Further, I assume everything is T until challenged.

On Conditionality (which somehow turns to condo...): I default that the neg can always refer back to the SQUO, with all the risks that may imply. Neg must say some form of 'kicking CP', simply dropping the CP and not mentioning it won't do. I also give the aff the ability to drop the perm for any reason, again with all the risks that implies, and with the same required mechanism. I don't view Condo as a huge voter. Time skews is a lame argument since we design arguments in line with a time constraint (Highlighting cards down to the letter to shave .1 seconds of time off). One of the most fundamental aspects of the game is time management. Git Gud.

On K: I'd like to think I know a little bit about K-stuff, but there are way more well read judges than me that you should go for instead. Do I know about the Anti-Blackness K? yes. Do I know about YOUR Anti-Blackness K? likely not.

On Specificity: The less specific your plan, the more Link 'leeway' I am willing to grant the Neg. I find this forces debaters to examine their plans more, and realize the inherent advantages and disadvantages of certain parts of policy making.

On tech: Try to make your doc send outs and roadmaps speedy. I won't dock points for this, but it helps things run smooth. Prep stealing is bad and each instance I will drop a whole point from the offending debater's speaker points.

On Timing: I will try my absolute best to time everything, but if you could also time speeches/CX/Prep, that would go a long way.

On disclosure: I prefer if novices disclose, even new affs. I prefer varsity to disclose, but new affs are up to the aff. I will not force you to disclose (I literally can't), but I would very much prefer it.

I will judge you by your arguments AND conduct. I have low-point-winned teams based solely on the fact that the other team came off as mean.

As a final note, I reserve the right to deduct speaker points if I think you're being a dick during the round/making other debaters uncomfortable. Not cool.

Really, just be nice, don't be a dick, and have fun.

Side note: Am I the only person who has to buy a new pack of pens for each tournament because I keep losing them? That's not just a me thing, right?

Email, add me to the chain: wajeehakamal2002@gmail.com

MSU’23 Political Theory Constitutional Democracy & History | MSU Master’s in Journalism’24

I don't allow my personal opinions on topics to get in the way of how I judge a debate. However, I will NOT tolerate racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist, or offensive, harmful rhetoric.

I flow online, but please make sure your argument is clear and concise. I have NOT been following the high school debate topic. It is on you to make it make sense. If I have to think through your argument a ton, I am less likely to vote on it. Your job is to explain the argument, so please don't make it difficult for me! Be creative with your arguments, think out of the box. I don't want a basic "no link/their evidence is outdated" retorts.

I don't want to have to follow the speech doc so closely either. So, I prefer roadmaps and I really like analytics. Be clear what evidence you are citing for your argument.

I really enjoy cross ex and I think they can be good opportunities to use in the 1AR and 1NC, especially in you're analytics, regardless of your're aff or neg. You can tag team, but I think limiting it as much as possible is better. I don't wanna hear everyone talking at once either, if it crosses a boundary, your speaker points will reflect that. I don't mind if you prompt but don't overdo it.

KRITIK

- They have to be well-executed, otherwise it's not really worth it. Make sure they aren't convoluted and make sense. If not, I will not vote on it. Your link is the most important part of this. You have to show me it's worth voting on and outweighs the aff's impact. Your job is to make me understand the alt, don't lose the argument on confusion.

TOPICALITY

I don't like topicality. I think it can be a waste of time because you have to do it incredibly well. The time is better spent on arguments that are typically much stronger. With T arguments, you should go beyond the bare minimum. If you do it, leave no room for reasonable doubt. T debates are confusing, if I am confused, I will not vote on it. Then again, it is your job to make your argument clear. Really cheating AFFs are not good either!

COUNTERPLANS

- I appreciate a good counterplan that covers the aff but does more. You should outweigh on impact... Why should I pick your plan over theirs? Make sure you have a good response to perms, if perm do both, you lose me. I think conditionality is important, but don't rely on it.

DAs

- DAs are always welcome. Internal link and link is essential. They cannot be basic, you have to be specific because otherwise, you're not really doing anything. UQ is pretty important as well, your plan should do something different than the status quo. If not, I am not sure what you're doing, why, or its effectiveness. I don't suggest relying on analytics to make your link specific, I would rather have it as an add-on to your link evidence.

I can't think hard about your arguments and read the speech at the same time, so when you are speaking and formulating your docs, make it clear and easy to navigate. I will refer back to it and skim it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I am very chill, but don't make arguments that are confusing. If you can't explain it when asked a question about it, then...

Balance your evidence and analytics. I have not been following the high school topic, please keep that in mind.

When you extend arguments, be creative and specific. When you are extending arguments, you should make the effort to mention both the author and the idea of the card. I prefer ideas.

I don't really care for the date/author of the card you are disproving unless you make me care. This is where your extensions come into play. Make me believe your evidence is better than the opposing side. Overall, I think the date/author is okay, but don't rely on it.

I am pretty easy on speaking points, use prep strategically. Don't be rude. Don't make blatant offensive arguments or statements. Don't steal prep. I will take of speaker points for that.

I will time everything, but it could be beneficial to time yourself too. It only helps you in the end!

Have fun :)!

Updated as of The 2022 IDCA Tournament

Email: rolandhkim@gmail.com

Summary:

Hi! I debated for New Trier, where I went to the TOC thrice and received many speaker awards/bids.

I am majoring in Political Science and minoring in Economics and Asian American Studies. This is meant to illustrate that I am down for any argument - from Politics to an Identity K - but greater explanation may be needed for more nuanced and/or topic-specific positions.

Tech>Truth, with an emphasis on implicit argument interaction (i.e., even if a team doesn't explicitly say it, knowing X is true means Y has to also be true). It is your job, in order to minimize "judge intervention," to make these implicit interactions EXPLICITLY stated.

I typically won't read evidence unless you a) tell me and b) give a sufficient explanation of it. However, murkier/closer debates will lead me to do more decision-making based on evidence quality/implicit argument interaction.

Explanation > Outspreading.

I am in no way a perfect adjudicator. Feel free to post-round!

Well-formatted speech docs will steal my heart.

Specific-Issues/HoT TaKeS:

The rest of the paradigm is my opinion on various debate issues. Technical debating, however, can always persuade me in the opposite direction.

Theory --

Presumption = least amount of change.

Yes judge kick.

Vagueness/"_"SPEC are legit arguments if abuse.

Definitions for topicality/perm competition is about what an interpretation ought to be, for competitive debate purposes, rather than a debate about what it literally means. This means that for PDCP, conceding "XYZ counterplan is good" will really hurt your chances of winning. If, for instance, process counterplans are good for neg ground, I'm going to have a tough time justifying why I should vote for an aff interp of "should" that would eliminate such ground. This doesn't mean that predictability/precision arguments aren't valuable, but rather that you need to impact them in a way that is not just "because this definition is true, vote for us" (anyways, this is pretty rare in T/Competition debates).

Impact your standards (e.g. clash and education matter b/c ____).

Compare (e.g. limits > ground, err neg > aff, etc.).

If you're AFF and debating T, please extend reasonability!

If you're NEG, don't be shy to read a ton of planks/fiat through deficits!

Counterplans --

Sufficiency arguments need to be contextualized to the aff's solvency mechanism/arguments.

I am not one of those judges that thinks it is a sin to read Process/"Cheating" counterplans.

Advantage counterplans are low-key OP.

Disadvantage --

Link turns case > internal link turns case > impact turns case

Specific link cards are great. But, having specific link explanation that uses the warrants of a generic link to apply it is also perfectly acceptable.

Kritiks --

Reps K's = <3, ditto for "you link back to your reps so you shouldn't win on FW."

Capitalize on soft-left teams making arguments like "Consequentialism Bad" and "We're a step in the right direction."

I'm more persuaded by FW arguments specific to debate (e.g. debate's justifications for extinction is dehumanizing). This is also true for K AFF v. FW debates, whether it be procedural fairness, debate-based identity arguments, or something else.

Miscellaneous --

Zero-risk is usually tough barring concessions.

More teams should frame their offense as linear if they're worried about losing on "zero-risk".

Smart analytics can destroy most pieces of evidence .

RECUT EVIDENCE!

Extreme impact framing (e.g. "X" FIRST) is sad, but it only matters if you point out why. It would benefit aff/neg teams to defend more "reasonable" framing arguments (e.g., magnitude x probability, contextualized securitization bad) in front of me.

I coached policy debate at Niles West High School for three years. Prior to that, I competed in Policy debate for four years at Niles West and have also competed in NPDA-Parliamentary and NFA-Lincoln/Douglass debate for four years at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. I served as the Debate Captain for UIUC during my junior year, teaching and coaching new members and running our team's practices. My background is in political science and public policy as well as studying some critical theory so I like to think I am generally well versed in issues usually being discussed during competitive debates.

I highly encourage flowing, clarity, in depth analysis, and argument comparison. (like impact calculus).

I'm very flexible as I have debated very policy as well as critical positions throughout my debate career. I am a flow judge above all else, so if the right arguments are made and extended, I will vote on that. While I have some minor argument preferences, I will generally remove my biases from the round and judge each debater's arguments on its merits.

If you still have questions, ask me before the round or email me.

You can contact me at: Walter.lindwall@gmail.com

I'm two years out of high school debate and do not have in-depth knowledge of the topic. I debated for Notre Dame for 4 years and went to the NDCA and TOC.

I do not have a bias between traditional policy arguments and newer critical ones

Tech determines truth but truer arguments are easier to win so the importance of technical skill doesn't mean all arguments are equally strategic

Feel free to ask any me any questions before the round

---

Bottom line I know debate but not the topic and you should just do what you do best instead of worrying about adapting

Claire Park (she/they)

Email: claireparkdebate@gmail.com

Short Version

- Read whatever you want

- tech = truth

- I like good evidence, I like spins more

- "status quo is always an option" means judge kick

- Judge direction is always good

I prefer to evaluate the debate on what is said in the debate, and I can vote for any argument. I think slight judge intervention is inevitable, but l do my very best to limit it as much as I can.

Online debating

- If I can't hear you or if my wifi is bad, I'll verbally let you know

- My camera will be on, if it is off I am not ready

Background Info

- Georgetown '25: not debating

- Major: Science, Technology, and International Affairs concentrating in Security, especially with AI.

- Notre Dame ‘21: 2N/1A

Case

Please use your 1AC

Disadvantages

Turns case is good

Impact calculus is close to essential

Topicality

Case lists and TVAs are really persuasive to me

Usually, competing interpretations > reasonability

Counterplans

As a 2N, I love a good cheaty and tricky counterplan, so I'll consider it more than the average judge.

Kritiks

Honestly, you can read any K in front of me

Specific links can only help you

K affs

The aff

- I'm fine with them - the closer you are to the topic the better

- I'm more inclined to say that you get a perm

the neg [overview]

Framework [neg]

- Same thing as topicality portion

- I've voted for framework and I've voted against framework - as long as you debate it well I'm all for it

K v K

- My favorite debates to judge when done well, and my least favorite when done messily

Theory

- Similar to the topicality paradigm

- I don't really have a strong opinion on condo

- I'm inclined to think that perf con isn't a voting issue

Miscellaneous

*I'm fine with tag-team cross-x, as long as you give the person who's supposed to question and/or answer the chance to do so

*Also if an argument is dropped, I won't give it weight unless you extend the argument. Don't just point out it's dropped

- I don't really have that many strong opinions on debate that'll affect the decision. I prefer to be convinced of your argument despite my opinion.

SPEECH PARADIGM

wsd & extemp

I've judged only some wsd & speech, BUT I have done some debates in wsd and know a bit about speech and understand the structure. Honestly, just debate, argue, and convince well and I will judge to the best of my abilities.

Niles West '14

UIUC '18

I coach for Niles West debate and have for the past 6 years. I have coached and judged in every level from novice to elimination rounds in varsity divisions. I have also coached and judged on local, regional, and national circuits.

Yes, I would like to be sent speech docs but I will not be flowing off of them --- elipre@d219.org

I debated for three years for Niles West and one year at Michigan State University on the legalization topic. My experience in debate is 50/50 policy and K.

I would like to emphasize that I am totally down for the K as much as I am totally down for a policy debate.

First and foremost: I do not allow my preconceived notions about certain types of arguments affect my decision-making. I view debate as an activity that develops critical thinking and advocacy skills, so do that in whatever way you think is best suited for your situation (granted that it is respectful and not offensive).

Certain arguments:

FYI: dropped arguments are not true arguments --- whoever makes the argument has the burden of proof.

T – love a good T debate. compare interpretations and evidence adequately. the impact level is the most important to me in T debates, and you should be comparing standards/impacts. don't forget the internal link debate. fairness is an impact in and of itself.

DAs – are essential to a good debate I think. impact calc and overviews are important. think we can all agree on that.

Ks and Framework – I love the K, I went for it a lot in high school. they are good for debate *if they answer the affirmative*. Please engage the affirmative. This entails making specific link arguments as well as thorough turns case analysis. I am probably familiar with your literature, however, I will not weigh your buzzwords more than logical aff arguments against your K. If you want my ballot, you need to first and foremost TALK ABOUT THE AFF. Read specific links to the aff’s representations and impacts, not just to the topic in general.

The link debate is crucial – and the aff should recognize if the neg is not doing an adequately specific job explaining their link story. Additionally, you need to make turns case arguments. I will not be compelled by a mere floating pik in the 2NR – that’s cheating. Give me analysis about why the aff reifies its own impacts. Absent this, I usually default to weighing the 1AC heavily against the K.

Relating to framework, I have a high threshold for interpretations that limit out critiques entirely. I would rather see debaters interact with the substance of the criticism than talk shallowly about fairness and predictability (especially if it is a common argument). A lot of the times, framework debates are lazy.

Planless affs: Totally down for them, especially on the criminal justice system reform topic. Perhaps they could be read on the neg, but that does not mean that they should not be read on the aff. This is good news if you are negative going for framework because switch side debate probably solves a lot of aff offense if there is a topical version of the aff. This is also good news for the aff because I can just as likely be persuaded that the reading of your aff in the debate space creates something unique (i.e., whatever you are solving for). A policy action, whether or not it's done by the federal government, should be a priority for the aff to defend. Please just do something that gives the negative a role in the debate. SLOW DOWN on taglines if they are paragraphs.

***

Meta things:

1. Clarity (important for online debate) - I've changed my stance on this since online debate became a thing. Still definitely say words. Sending analytics in speech doc and/or slowing down on analytics 1) helps me which is, in turn, good for you and 2) (at worst) facilitates clash because your opponents can also hear and know what you are saying, which is also good for everyone educationally!

Ideally I would not have to work too hard to hear what you are saying. I am bad at multitasking, so if I’m working too hard I’ll probably miss an argument or two. Please enunciate tag lines especially. If I can’t decipher your answer to an argument, I will consider it dropped.

2. Be respectful – yes, debate is a competitive activity, but it is also an academic thought exercise. I encourage assertiveness and confidence in round, but if you are rude, I will reduce your speaker points. Rudeness includes excessively cutting your opponent off or talking over them in cross-ex, excessively interrupting your partner's speech to prompt them, being unnecessarily snarky towards your opponents, etc. Please just be nice :)

3. Logic - a lot of times, debaters get wrapped up in the technicality of their debates. While tech is important, it shouldn’t come at the expense of doing things like explaining your arguments, pointing out logical flaws in your opponents’ arguments, and telling me how I should evaluate a particular flow in the context of the whole debate. I tend to reward teams that provide consistent, clear, and smart meta-level framing issues – it makes my job 100 times easier, and it minimizes the extent to which I have to intervene to decide the debate. I will not do work for you on an argument even if I am familiar with it – I judge off of my flow exclusively.

4. DO NOT assume that I am following along on the speech doc as you are giving a speech, because I am probably not.

5. Trolly arguments will probably get you low speaks and some eyerolls. Debate is an educational activity. By my standards, "trolly" includes timecube, xenos paradox, turing tests, etc. Y'all are smart people. I think you catch my drift here.

Add me to the chain--pedropmr.ribeiro@gmail.com

Things you should know about me--

Tech>=Truth, I give full weight to dropped arguments PROVIDED THAT you have a claim and a warrant (if you have a card, your card should say what you say it does). However, if both teams are technically equivalent I will default to what argument is most convincing and true.

Kritiks--

K-AFFS lose 8/10 times in front of me unless it makes perfect sense and I really feel you know what you are talking about. I prefer to judge policy debates that are fair so you should defend the resolution or don't pref me.

Kritiks-- I dont find myself voting for them very often. I find it hard to buy the thesis of obscurantist authors. I am familiar with policy Ks (security, militarism, Cap, etc...), but for every Kritik, you have to be very clear about WHY it matters. Keep in mind though I ran big stick affs so I have a lot of experience for case outweighs args.

I am also well-versed in Philosophy, so I'll know when you grossly mischaracterize your authors.

Theory/T-

Reject the arg not the team for most theory. Except Condo. I am a sucker for condo debates.

Fairness can be an impact.

default competing interps unless told otherwise

Misc-

There's no strong affirmative presumption on CP debate. A CP that solves as well as the plan is usually good enough, unless the 2AR really does wonders to convince me there is no risk of the NB.

You only have to send a marked copy of your file if you marked cards. If you skipped over full cards you don't need to resend it. If you have/agree to send a marked copy of your file, you will need to take prep for it--> mark cards as you read to avoid this issue.

I like turns. A lot. However, no brand new case turns in the block please.

Ill drop you for intentional clipping, but I will let the debate end. I will give you one warning to not steal prep, after which, I will drop you.

Speaks etc...

I can tell when you don't write your own blocks-- and it doesn't help your speaks. Meaning understand your arguments well if you wish me to vote on them and at least pretend you are not reading off a script. For novices, if I'm doubtful Ill CX you after the debate to be sure you understand them.

Disclose. Speaks will be harmed if you do not.

Speaking of speaks

>29.5- excellent-- best debater in the tournament

29.0-29.5-- deserve a high seed for elims

28.6- 29 -- I can see you in elims

28.2-28.6 -- meh

27-28.2 -- Needs improvements.

<27 -- lots of improvement is needed or you said slurs.

Well played comebacks help your speaks but an emphasis on well played. Come off as clever but not as disrespectful.

More stuff about me (credit: GRabbini)

Tech---------------------x-------------------------Truth

Policy-----x-----------------------------------Ks on the neg

Read no cards-----------------------------X------Read all the cards

Conditionality good------------x--------------------Conditionality bad

Judgekick----------------x----------------------You are stuck with it

Process CP good--x--------------------------------Process CP bad

Politics DA is a thing----x---------------------------Politics DA not a thing

1AR gets new args----------------------x--------------1AR doesn’t get new args

UQ matters most---------------------------X-----Link matters most

Limits----------x------------------------------------Aff ground

Reasonability-------------x--------------------------Competing interpretations

Longer ev------------------------------x-----------More ev

Fiat solves circumvention ------------------------x-----LOL (person) messes w/ ur aff

No neg fiat -------------------------X--- Yes Neg fiat

AT: --X------------------------------------------------------ A2:

Not our Baudrillard-------------------------------X Yes your Baudrillard

Baudrillard ----------------------------------x-- Reality doesn't exist and neither does your arg

Last edited 1/30/2021.

2020 Important Notice:

I graduated from Notre Dame High School in 2017 and have been 3 years entirely removed from debate. During my senior year at ND my partner Mikaela Appleby and I qualified to the TOC with 7 bids. Therefore, I while I know about debate structure and what constitutes a fully formed argument, I know little about this year's topic. So with that being said, make sure to extra-explain concepts or acronyms that are specific to this year's topic.

I've judged roughly about 25 rounds on this topic so far in the year.

My virtual debating policies:

You do not need to turn on your webcam! It is entirely up to you and I understand why some people my refrain for various reasons.

Technology never works when we need it to, I understand that. That being said, you should be taking active steps to ensure the speed and reliability of your computer when debating. That means:

-Completely shutting down and restarting your computer every now and then. If it's been a week since you last did this, that's why it's really slow.

-Having a lot of tabs open is a HUGE drain on your computer's speed. ESPECIALLY, if you're running google chrome. Close out of as many tabs as you can. If you have an older computer, I would recommend switching to a different browser like firefox (not sure if it's NSDA Campus compatible, you should check) as it is less demanding on the hardware of your computer.

-If you have a little extra money, invest in an ethernet cord if your computer has the ability to take one. A wired connection is infinitely more reliable than a wireless one.

IMPORTANT - due to the nature of virtual debate including lag spikes, or moments of being unable to hear the person speaking, I am far far less likely to vote on quick 5 second theory arguments that go completely dropped. I'm willing to blame the drop on poor video/audio quality. If you'd still like to run arguments like aspec or fiat bad yada yada, devote at least 10 seconds into it and have the analytics in the speech doc.

If you are a first year debater:

If you are a first year debater, read the arguments you are most comfortable with, regardless of what anything else in this paradigm says.

Above all else I want you to talk about what you know the most! I want to see good, clear arguments.

An argument is a claim, followed by an explanation of the claim, followed by some data to back it up.

You should try your best to stay organized, responding to your opponents' arguments in a "line-by-line" fashion.

Have fun! And if you have any questions before the round please don't be afraid to ask me.

Ethics things:

I love the activity and if you're in it I think you're doing something valuable with your time. Which, means that you should do your best to include everybody in the community and be a good person overall. If you start being a jerk during the debate, and it gets excessive, I will step in and I will drop your speaks. Be polite y'all, it isn't too difficult!

I will not vote on "death good", I urge you to consider the effects of the argument in a high school environment where you are blissfully unaware of the mental health of other students in the activity.

General:

You do you as long as you can explain it.

Tech > Truth

When it comes to topic areas I know the most about, those would be heg, climate, the security k, and Agamben. I have no idea how relevant those are this year, but if you're able to go for any of these arguments those are my favorite debates to judge!

Nontraditional affs:

I am sympathetic to framework generally speaking and believe that debate at it's core is a game with little out-of-round "real world" impact, but:

At the least aff's should defend some form of the resolution, and have an advocacy statement (not necessarily the usfg). Affs that make broad statements about bad stuff happening without a mechanism or explanation for resolving the bad stuff are generally bland debates and leave the neg with no non-offensive ground.

That being said don't be scared of reading your usual k aff, I will happily vote on it as long as you explain it to me. The most work you will need to do is explaining to me why my ballot actually means something.

Non-usfg k affs don't usually get to perm the k unless they explain to me why they do.

Case debate:

Love it. It's underused unfortunately, so if you do a great job at getting into the "nitty-gritty" details of what the aff actually does and how it does or does not solve, I will reward you with speaker points accordingly.

It is possible to win a zero risk of the aff and I will vote on presumption if the case debate is good enough.

Topicality/Theory:

Meh....I'm not a fan of it, I just don't find theoretical debates very interesting. I do however, understand the value of them. This means that if you have the ability to win on substance, you should probably just go for substance.

Slow down for the love of all that is holy when reading your theory blocks, because like most people, my hand can only write so fast.

Condo is good in moderation - the neg should probably get 1 k and one 1 cp, anything more than that leaves me open to condo bad being an acceptable argument...But it doesn't mean I'll vote on it unless the "abuse" seems clear.

The quality of process/consult/conditions cp's is determined by how good the ev is. If anything I lean more neg than aff on these due to being a 2n.

Framework:

I lean neg on this question.

Explain to me what abuse has occurred, and why it has become impossible or unfair to be neg.

The argument should not be focused on the "content" of the 1ac, but rather that the way in which that their mechanism for doing so isn't T, and thats what makes it impossible to debate them.

Fairness is an impact.

Debate is probably a game.

Disads:

I love me some evidence comparison. The less reading of your evidence I have to do after the round, the better. Tell me what your ev says and why it's better than what their ev says.

Counterplans:

These are great, I love them.

Solvency advocates are important, if the aff sufficiently points out that the neg doesn't really have one, the cp goes away easily.

Kritiks:

Kritiks I like are: Security, Agamben, Foucault, legalism, cap, consumption, and university. Which, isn't a very extensive or diverse list really. I have my niche of k's that I like, if you read one of those you can assume I have a bit of knowledge about it and can change how you argue about it accordingly. If its not on this list, I may have heard it, and if I have, my understanding of it will be on a very shallow level. So please be sure to give good explanations particularly in cx as to what the k actually means.

Links should be specific. You should explain why what the aff has done is uniquely bad and causes X impact to occur. I have a high threshold for the link debate.

The alt should mean something. Its the weakest part of the debate which I know from experience, so invest time into telling me what it means to vote neg, what the world of the alternative looks like, and how it resolves the impact to the 1ac and the k.

Good Luck and have fun!

(If you're stressing out: http://i.imgur.com/KZf5kWZ.gifv)

Note - this was probably a terrible paradigm and you might still have a question about the way I view debate. Please feel free to ask me before the round starts. Alternatively, if after the debate you have further questions give them to your coach and have your coach reach out to me.

J.D.C.

debated policy for glenbrook north high school

put me on the email chain: julia.s.debate@gmail.com

pronouns are she/her - for online debate, please change your name to include your school and preferred pronouns.

(last updated for the CJR topic)

tech > truth

I don't tolerate rudeness/racism/sexist/homophobia/transphobia etc.

don't read death good

clipping/false accusations of clipping will result in a loss

specific arguments:

theory: I will vote on most theory arguments - if impacted out well enough. However I will not vote on aspec or rvi's even if they're dropped. As a 2a, I love 2ars on theory, but I really encourage for them to be given off the flow for the most part. Prewritten blocks aren't always responsive to their arguments, and it's kind of weird to get up and give a big speech about education and argument development when you haven't thought out what your saying well enough to extrapolate it without reading a script.

counterplans/disads: I think that counterplans should compete off of non-artificial net benefits - but i'll still vote on them if you can win that they are theoretically legit (I tend to lean aff on this question, but that doesn't mean I'll kick the cp the second they read their 2ac theory block - articulate why your counterplan specifically is good for debate). Normally not a fan of agent cps, but given the only disads on cjr being politics I am sympathetic to them. disad debates are great, please do impact calc. I won't judge kick unless explicitely instructed to.

impact turns: for the most part i'm fine with them - although I will not vote for trump good, or impact turns to soft left impacts (racism, etc).

ks: k's on the neg are fine - I have some experience running ones like security, set col, cap/neolib, etc. i don't have a great understanding of higher theory ks, but if you can articulate them well enough to me then that's fine. Long overviews at the top are a no for me, please just have a quick explanation and then detailed line by line.

k-affs: novices should read a plan, and it should defend hypothetical government action. otherwise it’s fine.

other:
- fairness is an impact.
- if you are going to k the disad/cp do not put some egregious tag like "doesn't solve" and then get up in your rebuttal and saying "they dropped the k of the disad/cp..." that is ridiculous

Debated at GBS

PSA: I have not looked that deeply into CJR, so keep that in mind with your usage of lingo/abbreviations during round.

Top Level-I prefer DAs and CPs over any kind of K, but I am willing to vote on anything if it is explained properly. I will only vote for a dropped argument if it's pointed out by the opposite team, but it still has to be explained to me why they should lose on it. It is up to you to convince me why I should vote for you, and I should not have to do any work for any of your arguments after the last speech.

Affirmatives: I am a policy-oriented judge, and I prefer affs that are centered around USFG action and that is grounded in the topic. K Affs are not my thing, but I would still vote for them. I am more likely to vote for Policy Affs than K Affs.

Disads- I love a good Disad/Case debate, but you have to properly impact out your DA for me to vote on it.

Counterplans- Love Counterplans, but you have to provide adequate solvency advocates, as solvency deficits can hurt your chances to win on the CP.

Kritiks- I understand the generics of Ks, but I am not that well versed in the specifics of a lot of Kritiks, so it is really up to you to explain that to me during the round.

Theory- It is a hit or miss for me, Limit on condo is kinda wonky and I'm pretty open to interpretation on that. Otherwise, it is really up to you to prove to me why I should reject the team.

Topicality- Topicality I think is a great negative strategy if done right. It is up to you to prove to me why your interpretation is the best for debate, and properly extend your impacts throughout the entire debate for me to vote for you.

Remember to flow, time your own prep, and DO NOT STEAL PREP

Yes, I want to be on the email chain, and my email is k.subadedebate@gmail.com, I will add some speaker points if you add me to the chain without asking.

she/her

don't be racist

Yes to email chain- maddie.vanzant@gmail.com

please use gmail and not yahoo email

updated november 2021

tldr: don't love kritiks, don't have much experience with the resolution, don't love T, love a story and impact calc and risk is important

I debate at Michigan State University. I debated at Rockford high school in Rockford MI at the local circuit there.

I have narcolepsy so if I seem disinterested or am yawning or my speech is a little weird that is why. I am listening, I am alert, and I am interested. I just yawn a lot and seem very tired or sometimes have problems with speech and remembering things but that doesn't affect my judging and if it did I wouldn't be judging.

I have been both the 2A and 2n in college and high school, and I will change the way I look at the debate if it is a policy or Kaff type debate. I won't just vote aff or just vote neg because that is what I am used to and what I do.

I am more of a policy/games judge, ask me about it if you are confused after my explanation please! I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS RESOLUTION OTHER THAN KIND OF KNOWING THE WORDS OF THE RESOLUTION.

I am always looking for a better world, a better policy, what will save more lives and be better for the resolution (so that means it better meet the resolution). I also like people playing the game of debate. I listen to cross ex and I want debaters to not only show evidence but also have good analytics of their knowledge on the topic. I want more than extensions, I want explanations as to why their evidence is not as good as yours. I want to not have to flow and still know what is going on and the reason for it (I still flow but don't make my job hard, please). I also want people to cross apply evidence that works and come up with plays that aren't expected. I want clash and more, I want you to have fun within limits. I want to see innovation with tradition that makes the debate more than just, "there's a link, there's no link, there's a link".

Roadmaps are cherished and I am an auditory learner and rely more on listening than looking so I get a lot of analytics that aren't put into the speech doc. I also show my feelings on my face so watch my face because you'll learn a lot but it's not the final indicator.

Prompting is ok but completely talking your partner through a speech is going to hurt speaker awards and if the person doing the speech doesn't say it, I don't add it.

Cross ex can be a controlled free for all, so both partners can speak and ask and answer questions. If it gets out of hand that hurts the args. I hate filibustering during cross ex.

Be respectful of when prep is going and when prep is paused as not to take an advantage that is unfair.

No clipping, I will say clear if I believe you are clipping and it continues it will end in a vote against you and speaker points will reflect

I do NOT accept any discrimination or harmful speech towards other debaters, and keep in mind other people's pronouns, please.

KRITIKS

I am not a fan of Kritiks unless they are done well, if I am still confused after reading through and hearing all arguments against it, I have a hard time voting for them (which means I won't vote on it). I need to understand the link and the alt to truly believe that it connects and is something worth voting on. KAffs, I am not great at Kritiks in the first place so don't leave me in the weeds... explain and don't let confusion cause me to vote against it.

if the alt is vague and confusing and the arguments go no link on evidence, I vote aff, if not I typically go neg

T

I don't particularly like topicality, I find it to be a time waster unless you do it exceptionally well. That does not mean just doing it and meeting all the requirements of a T debate. I mean the resolution is not met and you prove it without a doubt in my mind.

Counterplans

I have no problems with counterplans, condo is important but do not rely on that to win the counterplan.

DAs

Again, no problem with DAs, make sure that I know the link, UQ, internal link, and impact so that I don't get lost. Also, I do believe that a very generic DA is not linkable so make sure to have specific links. Also, don't do we can't prepare for everything and have specific links. I'll allow analytics to support your link evidence to make more of an argument for a specific link but if it is generic it is generic.

Please make sure that there is a clear indication of when you move from cards. If you spread or speed read this is even more important, especially for online debate.

Overall,

I am a pretty easy-going judge as long as I understand what is going on. I become a stickler when debaters try to get away with no evidence or no analytics or just saying something to try and do a moral imperative.

I vote if I think one side has a better chance than the other at causing the least amount of damage, also I have a hard time believing nuclear war and a better time at conventional wars. if the aff has a 1% chance of killing everyone and the neg has 0%, I'm going neg.

Judge kick needs to be brought up pretty early and needs to be brought up so I know to kick it

I am new to this resolution so I might not know much so keep that in mind.

If you drop major arguments it is hard for me to vote for you

for extensions, I'll accept distinct explanations of the cards or ideas as extensions but try to include the authors, but realize that I flow with ideas and get authors later, so ideas will hit my brain faster than just saying extend so and so.

be respectful and learn something from every debate. If you have any other questions please ask me before the round or even during your prep (but don't wait to ask every question until during the debate please). Also, feel free to email me at the email above if you have any questions after the debate.

If I don't understand an argument, I will not vote on it as that is unfair.

I am a psych and human development and family studies major with minors in human behavior and religious studies, if you go for arguments that are based on psychology or any of the above I probably will understand them, and if they aren't very applicable or aren't done very well then I will struggle with accepting the evidence or the analytics as votable.

I want you to have fun, and I want you to feel like you got everything explained that you were confused about. the less prep used the more impressed I will be if you do a good speech without much prep so that can be a booster to keep in mind for speaker points

whitakerdebates@gmail.com

Currently working with Alpharetta, previously worked with Chattahoochee. I debated throughout high school, then at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma, and am now a member of U of West Georgia debate.

I’m comfortable with all speeds and styles, especially those regarding the k – I’m most familiar with poststructural + positional criticisms, though you should do whatever it is you do best – you can just as easily win with a plan, theory, framework, etc. If you want to test a sneaky new framework strategy, I'll happily adjudicate your chess match; if you're all about the Death K, well, I've done my fair share of that stuff too. Give me your best args and write my ballot. I privilege tech over truth and frequently vote for arguments that contravene my personal beliefs. I judge k affs frequently but this only thickens my belief that they need some relation to the resolution, even if only neg-neg. I thus also believe that the neg, in turn, needs to prove why either A) the aff links to harder to the k than squo does, or B) why that distinction doesn't matter - i.e. how I can vote without presumption and/or L/UQ or why presumption still goes neg, does not exist, sucks, whatever. I am not, personally, keen on the notion that presumption can flip aff, but am willing to entertain the argument and have voted on it when used to exploit a neg weakness.

I flow on paper, if you care. I'll say clear twice and then stop flowing anything incomprehensible. If you begin a speech in unsettling fashion (e.g. giving an inaccurate roadmap or jumping the gun with 400+wpm), I'll act flustered and require a few effervescently dramatic seconds to get my affairs in order. If I'm otherwise not flowing or I'm on the wrong sheet, it's because either you've created a mental backlog of arguments that I'm flowing in retrospect or I'm repackaging your arguments to make them more palatable to my flow, or both.

Some things that frustrate me: excessive rudeness (toward opponents or judges), offensive strategies (racism inevitable/good, for instance), and clipping (zeroes + L = bad time for you). The advent of digital debate brings with it a new and widespread sense of suspicion, and though I will do my best to catch any and all forms of cheating, I ask that debaters remain vigilant for it as well. Also, and I can’t believe I need to write this, please don’t engage in acts of self-harm to win my ballot (you know who you are). Instead, please demonstrate mastery of persuasion, word economy, and 2nr/2ar prescience – teams that reverse-engineer strategies and execute them methodically speech-by-speech impress me the most – a searing cross-ex is, of course, welcome – entertaining and innovative teams will be rewarded with speaker points.

A few final notes: not a huge fan of process counterplans (but I’ll still vote for them), conditionality is pretty good (as is neg fiat), link uniqueness wins k rounds, and maybe, just maybe, go for presumption.