I like to see the interest and preparation of any and all competitors. It takes a lot of motivation to do this for high school students. Please do understand the rules and try your best. You can do it!

Pronouns: He/Him

If I've been subjected to debate please send me your case: CameronHardy123@gmail.com

Willing to judge all speech/interp, congress, and PF. LD is also fine if we're in a pinch. Congress is my preferred event and I am a qualified and experienced parliamentarian.

I am a political science major currently in my fourth year at Penn State. During my time in forensics I mainly competed in Congress and Extemp. That being said I'm passably knowledgeable about most events. I'm a pretty chill judge so as long as your respectful and you communicate your arguments in a clear and effective manner, we'll get along great and we'll have a good round.

GENERAL NOTES:

SPREADING- Generally I won't tell you that youcan'tdo something. But if you want me to understand your argument (which should be your goal) then don't spread. I'll be too busy trying to decipher whatever it is you just said to consider the argument that you presumably laid out.

THINGS YOU CAN'T DO- Look, I said generally above so this isn't contradictory. I will not tolerate racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, or hate of any kind. Period. These things are antithetical to the spirit of forensics and I will not allow a competitor to make another feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

DISCLOSURE- I do no disclose or provide verbal feedback.

CONGRESS SPECIFIC:

Do not attempt to coerce or strong arm your fellow competitors. Regardless of how badly you want to PO or speak first, if I hear coercion I will rank you towards the bottom of the chamber. Maintain decorum as well as basic respect for others. If you got bad recency or don't have the votes to be PO, make the best of it.

In general I will prefer to hear a rushed speech on an under-debated side over a perfect prepared speech that rehashes the last several speeches we just listened to. 4 people in a row all supporting the same thing for the same reasons isn't a debate, its an echo chamber. Throwing together a decent impromptu speech during a one sided debate is one of the fastest ways to the top of the rankings.

I do not require or expect a PO to keep a digital recency chart. That wasn't even a thing when I competed. But if you do, first of all that's very cool and it makes me feel old, and second I ask that you make it available to myself and everyone else in the chamber for accountability purposes.

I consider myself a fairly traditional judge. If you are able to refute your opponent's case effectively while also developing your own organized and logical case that you can defend against attacks, you will win. If you are unable to do this or your opponent does this better than you, you will lose. I understand that there is a lot that needs to be said in a round, but I do not believe that spreading is the way to win a round; in my opinion it is a very cheap thing to do. I will not consider any argument that I am unable to understand because it is not explained well or because you were talking too fast, even if your opponent drops it. Above all, I do not tolerate acts of disrespect against teammates, opponents, judges, individuals or groups mentioned in cases, or the integrity of the activity itself. If you are disrespectful, you will lose. The main takeaway from this activity is that words matter, and I expect that competitors will act accordingly. Good luck and have fun!

Certified PA Social Studies teacher for 8 years now. 4 of which I have taught Government and Economics. 2020 is my first year participating in Speech and Debate and I'm eager to continue to learn more. I do prefer a moderate pace when speaking rather than a speedy rate since I would rather hear your argument than judge based on how many words you can get in within the timeframe. Follow the three guides below for a sense of what I look for!

1. Engage arguments with discernment. Disagreement is always welcome, however, engage with the specific argument and not your prewritten counters.

2. Be consistent in your debate. Beginning, End, and throughout your counters/rebuttals. Build your story/argument and do not deviate, Instead, defend a cohesive worldview throughout the round – and pull that story through extending both warrants and impacts.

3. Be respectful: Exercise good judgment. If you do something that a majority of reasonable people would find unkind, offensive or rude I will stop to give a violation.