I am a parent judge, and I have primarily judged the Lincoln Douglas Debate and a few Speech events- but my real expertise is in the Congressional Debate. Don't be fooled that I'm a parent- that doesn't mean I'm easily persuaded. I have experience working in public policy, government, and political fields, so I like hearing the community impacts of a specific piece of legislation.

This isn't required, but in Congressional Debate, if the P.O. can fully state the name of a bill in the legislation docket before we move on to debating legislation, I would greatly appreciate it :)

I appreciate being passionate in debate, but please don't be rude to your opponents and maintain a fair and equitable game in debate.

Make sure you have evenly paced speaking and can offer good warrants and impacts for your claims, otherwise, I will likely prefer you less. I also prefer consistency with your arguments, so keep up with that- additionally, please make sure you actually know the context of the data you bring up in the debate and that you can explain your evidence well to other Senators in the chamber. Not everything that happens in the world and is analyzed is simply a point to further your argument- these are real-life events and implications that actually affect people. Bigotry is a big turn-away for me- please don't base your arguments on racist or misogynistic ideas.

Good luck to all! I trust that you are all well-versed competitors acting in good faith, and I have enjoyed seeing various Speech & Debaters grow over the years :)

Currently serving in the United States Navy in California. Honored to participate as a judge and watch young Americans practice one of the fundamental skills of Democracy. He/Him/His are my preferred pronouns. Unless preference clarified by participants, I will use initials and gender neutral pronouns when referring to specific participants.

Judging is based on participants' ability to clearly state their position, lay out supporting claims in an organized manner, provide insightful questions that diminish strength of opponents' claims, and defend their own position when questioned by opponent. I will do my best to provide comments that help explain reasoning and give feedback for improvement.

Key points:

I will always look negatively at responses that rely on straw person attacks, cherry picking data, unsupported slippery slope, and the greatest offender of all being whataboutism- derailing debate with unrelated issues.

Most importantly, be respectful to each other.

I prefer if speakers wait for all judges to respond that they are ready before speaking. A balance between presentation and substance is a must. Say your sources clearly and explain with specifics.

What I'm looking for is a clear, concise argument. Humor is appreciated, but all jokes should be in good taste. I want to see good preparation from competitors as well asadaptability- if you don't have something written, and the splits are bad, switching sides shows dedication. Questioning is an essential part of debate, so you should do that. Zoning out and only speaking when necessary will not do you any favors. Decorum is also an essential part of debate. You should be not just courteous but kind to your competitors. PO's should not just be charismatic but quick as well. The most consistent issue I see across tournaments is PO's taking too long to find the next speaker, whether it be during questioning or actual speeches. Other than that, do your best and pay attention.

I have judges multiple events, however I spend most sessions in Debate, Congress, L-D and PF.

The opportunity for me to judge at Nationals several times has been exciting and very rewarding!

I want to be able to understand you, please speak clearly. My expectations for this

event are:

Disrespect is never ok, be fair to each other and treat people as you would like to be treated.

Be kind, to others as well as yourself.

Logical, clear arguments are appreciated!

"Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument." Desmond Tutu