You can call me Mrs. G.

I am a high school debate coach.

I base my judging on:

a. Argumentation: Are you attacking ALL of your opponents points and rebutting ALL of your points?

b. Delivery: Are your points and rebuttals clear? Are you professional and polite?

I prefer a conversational speed rather than a very quick delivery. I like to take notes and understand the speakers.

I also prefer debaters to remember that you are debating the TOPIC.

a. You are attacking a the case and not your opponent(s). Try not to get personal.

b. You are defending your case, and not yourself- attacks are part of the game, try not to take it personally.

Please remember that I am only judging OSSAA debate and not NSDA. I do not need rules explained to me.

Relax! Smile! I want you to do well and have fun. I love speech and debate. I love that coaching allows me to meet students from all over the state. Don't be afraid to talk to me if you see me outside of rounds, but let's keep it professional in the debate room.

I'm a coach and like more traditional LD. I'm not a fan of spreading in LD. This form of debate gives you a chance to shine as a good speaker. Being respectful is a must. There's no need to be derogatory to your opponent. Looking for strong framework and a full understanding of your case. Even if you didn't write your case you have to be able to express what it means in your own words. I love a good clash so bring it. Far fetched arguments with no backing just to mess up your opponent isn't impressive. I like strong substantiated arguments and your evidence better be legit.

Looking through other judge's paradigms. I do not understand 1/2 of what I have read from some of the more technical descriptions. So, with that in mind, I would advise you keep things simple for me. I do not appreciate the speed talking debating style where debaters try to squeeze in as many points as possible. I listened to a story on this phenomenon on a podcast called Radiolab, and I thought it sounded ridiculous. That style of debate will be lost on me.

I am a lay judge. I never participated in debate as a student. I am a parent of a debate student. I am a United Methodist preacher. What I value in a debate is what I strive for in my own profession: clarity, creativity, respect, rationality, and compelling argumentation.

As it looks like I'll be judging Public Forum, this is my understanding of a good debate:

Display solid logic, lucid reasoning, and depth of analysis. Utilize evidence without being driven by it. Present a clash of ideas by countering/refuting arguments of the opposing team (rebuttal). Communicate ideas with clarity, organization, eloquence, and professional decorum.