Hi, I'm Ruby.

I debate for Millennium Brooklyn High School.

1. Contentions should be clearly laid out. (Ex. My first contention is...) This makes it easier for both me and your opponents to follow along with your case.

2. Please try not to spread. I need to be able to understand your contentions in order to take notes.

3. I need you to have strong evidence to back up all claims. I prefer statistics and numbers over anecdotes however I understand that there are topics where the evidence is mostly anecdotal.

4. Please be able to give your source when asked.

5. It is important that you have a strong impact and that you prove to me why your impact is more important than your opponents.

One last note: Please tell me and your opponents which side of the debate you will be speaking on, your speaker position, and your pronouns.

*Paradigm format stolen from Ayaan. Big shoutout to him btw!

About Me

Hi! My name is Justin and I’m a 2nd semester senior at BTHS. If you need to contact me before a round, email jchen5950@bths.edu

Some Wise Words from People

“Think of your last speech as my RFD." - Paul Glenn

“Why should I care?” - Brandon Lu

"My flow is sacred to me." - James Bathurst

“Don't be disrespectful please. Debate is about fun, so be mature and make sure to have lots of it :)” - Ayaan Ali

Judging Philosophy

When people hear “tabula rasa,” they underestimate the term alot. Treat me like a programmable robot. If you tell me affirming will stop Thanos from snapping away half the planet, I will vote aff.

This means you should spoon-feed me every part of the debate. Why should I prefer magnitude over probability? What should I do with these two conflicting cards? Why should I drop that neg contention about Ukraine? What should I do with that impact turn you extended? What should I do with that unrefuted contention? "Why should I care" about your 2nd contention?

Please don’t let me make decisions and weigh arguments after a round; this never ends well in debate. Ideally, I should be able to look at my flow and immediately tell you the RFD.

Also as a small side note, I don’t flow cross unless you bring it up in a speech. Crossfire is for you, not me. I’ve always dreaded when judges do this when I debate, so I won’t torture you like this.

Preferences

• Help me help you - The most important thing you can do for me is signpost

• I'll keep time, but you should keep time yourself as well

• Try not to go above 150 wpm - I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to flow everything if you go faster

• No preference towards theories and Ks as long as you don’t break the plan/counterplan rule

I’m a parent judge who has judged PF for four years. This paradigm was influenced by my son. I flow important points throughout the round.

Preferences:

1. Have both warrants and impacts backed up by evidence in your case. Carry them through the round if you want me to vote on them.

2. Do comparative weighing in summary AND final focus, this is important. Don’t use buzzwords.

3. If you want me to vote on an argument, it must be in summary AND final focus.

4. Don’t speak too quickly. If I can’t understand you, you won’t win my ballot.

5. Be respectful, especially in crossfire, or I will dock speaker points.

6. No new arguments in final focus, they will not be considered. Bring them up earlier in the round so your opponents can respond to them.

7. Have all evidence ready to show your opponents. Don’t take too long when evidence is asked for.

8. Signpost throughout your speeches. This also includes short offtime roadmaps. It makes it much easier to flow.

9. Clearly explain your arguments in each speech, do not just assume I have a prior understanding of every argument. I do some reading on the topic before the tournament, but I am by no means an expert.

10. Don’t run progressive arguments (Ks, theory), I don’t know how to evaluate them.

Speaker Points (adjusted based on division):

<26: Very poor OR offensive, rude, tried to cheat, etc.

26-26.9: Below Average

27-27.9: Average

28-28.9: Above Average

29-29.5: Great

29.6-30: Amazing

I am a senior at Bard Queens. I have been debating for the past seven years. I mainly do PF but I have parli experience as well (World Schools and AP).

I am good with speed but you should be coherent. No use making an argument if judge/opponents cannot understand what you're saying. This is not policy.

Aff needs to prove that their side is better than the status quo and they need to provide solvency. Neg has to prove that there are serious disadvantages to voting aff. Please please please extend your arguments through. Don't just repeat your arguments in final focus, that's a waste of time.

I won't flow cross but I will pay attention.

I am going into a round with a blank slate. Tell me why your impacts matter. Explain your links. I will follow an argument if it is explained well but you should do the heavy lifting for me.

I like progressive debate but I am unfamiliar with most kritik literature so you have to explain it to me. (I also wouldn't recommend running prog args at a local tournament but whatever floats your boat.)

Be kind. Debate is supposed to be a fun activity so enjoy yourselves! If you disclose or if there are any evidence email chains, loop me in: hope.dworkin@gmail.com

prefer no long "off time" roadmaps

please stick to your time

looking for clear weighing of your impacts vs your opponents' impacts

avoid reading very long passages/quotes

I debated Public Forum for 4 years.

Most important: Please collapse and comparatively weigh your argument as early as possible! The more arguments I have to evaluate, the less likely you get the decision you want

Some specifics:

- Frontline ALL offense you plan to go for in 2nd rebuttal (and don't go for too much!!!). You can expand on frontlines in 2nd summary, but they should all be in rebuttal.

- Extending = explaining/summarizing your argument, not just reading the tagline

- I will evaluate K's and theory arguments but don't assume I know common jargon

- Content warnings are mandatory for potentially triggering content

- Misconstrued evidence will significantly lower your speaks even if it isn't important for my decision

- Skip grand cross for 1 minute of prep if both teams agree

- Be nice to each other and have fun!! I don't flow crossfire and the nicer you are the happier your speaks will be :)

Ask any questions you have about the decision if you want - it helps me improve as a judge. As long as you aren't rude :)

A little bit about me:

I debated 400 years as a congressional “debater” back in the middle ages. I debated one hour of world schools in 1st grade. I attended orange juice drinking classes in middle school. I am very experienced, don't question my qualifications or i will drop you faster than newton dropped his physics calculations when he invented gravity.

REAL PARADIGM:

General: In all seriousness do whatever you want. I'm a flow.

Speakers: If you strategically incorporate the word "pogchamps" or "poggies" or "poggers" into your speech at any time, you get +1 speaker points.

I'm going to evaluate cross but it won't be part of the flow. If you get destroyed, it'll have an impact on my decision.

For Fun Paradigm:

General preferences:

Rabula Tesla, BS>truth>tech, I define BS as any words that come out of my mouth so please quote me to win.

Second re-bundle must line-front and first summary must extend deed fences.

I will literally be weighing your arguments in a round by bringing in a scale. Print out your cases and put them onto the scale. Whoever’s arguments weigh heavier are the ones I will look to first. The same applies to extensions. Every time you extend an argument, please stretch the argument on the piece of paper or else it will not be evaluated. Longer extensions win rounds. As for collapsing, sadly the tournament told me I cannot encourage kids to faint in rounds. Sorry. No collapsing in my rounds or else I will have to report you to tab for my own safety.

Speed:

Unfortunately, with my debate experience, I have developed a fervent dislike of normal speed speeches. If you don't go over 300 wpm, i will give you very low speaks.

Progressive:

As a flay congressional debater, I do not understand Prog. However, I do understand Pog, so if you can yell pog as many times as you read your progressive arguments, I will vote on them. (Example: a is the pog interp, debaters must not poggly paraphrase. B is the pog violation: they paraphrased poggly.)

Only friv theory im voting off of is this:

A. is the interp debaters shouldn't slide but as we can see, you won't abide

B. is the violation, can't name them all your time is up, you're starting to fall mom used to scream "what are you doing" "mom" i'm failing, girls i'm pursuing

C. is the standards, you don't have any you slide your best friends, but your fails are uncanny

D. is the voter drop the debater you are as hot as a refrigerator you need more wins, but none at Bronx your round against stuyvesant really wasnt stonks

Speaks:

I believe everything in life has to be earned step by step so speaks start at a prompt 0 and go up .01 for everything you did that I liked. If you have never done the wonderful art known as congressional debate, your speaks will start at promptly -1. This is a simulation for the real world in which nothing will come easily.

Cross: Debate is an activity that prepares you for the real world. In the real world, you WILL have people who yell at you when they ask questions. So naturally, you must be louder to win those confrontations. Thus, whoever yells louder in cross will get +5 speaker points.

I debated Policy, PFD, and LD. Congress bad.

I will vote for the team that produces the most good/least bad.

Speed - If the other team doesn't want you to spread, don't. Going fast risks me not being able to flow everything you say.

DAs - I don't care but obviously specific links are preferable.

T - I will only vote on T if it is dropped/underdeveloped, the aff is blatantly untopical, OR the neg proves the aff's interpretation is unfair as a debate model.

Ks - They're fine but I don't want to hear some far-off philosophical debate about whether or not I as the judge exist.

CPs - Status doesn't matter but I am willing to vote on condo.

If you have questions about my paradigm then ask. My paradigm changes a lot. If you are why my paradigm changes then that probably isn't a good thing.

I'm a relative newcomer to the world of debate, so any arguments that are done at a speed that an average human would struggle to comprehend, I might also have trouble following. Arguments that clearly highlight the impact are particularly important. During crossfires, I really appreciate questions that allow your opponent to actually answer meaningfully, as opposed to critical statements with a question mark at the end (i.e. "You proved that your argument wasn't valid... don't you agree?"). I keep time and expect you to do the same.

Hi!!!

If you don't want to read specifics or are in a pinch, scroll down to the end for the general notes. Speechies and novices: just do your best!!

My name is Faith, I'm from Southern California and I am attending UCSB as a freshman. I have done debate all 4 years in high school, and qualified to state (PF + Congress) in the last three, nats (PF) in sophomore and junior year (I did not compete to qual to nats senior year). At nationals, my partner and I made it to round 10 in PF both years. Most of the debate I have done in my life is lay given that I do PF/Congress, but I have also competed in LD/Parli/BQ/World Schools, so I have a decent understanding of just about every event.

I aim to judge to the best of my abilities, but know that I am new when it comes to judging. With that being said, here are my specifics.

CONGRESS KIDS:

I looooooove Congress. Be kind to your competitors, make clear arguments, ask plenty of questions. I appreciate humor, sass, and out of the box arguments a lot. Basically, don't be forgettable!

Most of the rest of this doesn't really apply to you, except for the note right below this. No bigotry!

Do your best!

If you say anything racist/homophobic/xenophobic/ableist/bigoted/etc, you will be voted down with 25 speaks. I won't tolerate anything like that in debate whether it's an insult to your opponents, to me, or in an argument. I have been treated unfairly as a debater, and I know what it feels like, so don't do it.

Speed: I can keep up with a fast speed as it can get quick in PF, but I will stop flowing if what you are saying becomes incomprehensible. I cannot and will not flow spreading! So, speak quickly if you'd like but PLEASE be as clear as possible.

Argumentation: Tech>truth. If you tell me the sky is purple in round and it goes unresponded to, then the sky is purple. Make your link chains clear and have solid evidence for me to buy the actual arguments that you are making though. Everything needs to be extended through the summary or I will not vote on it. If it wasn't in summary, it doesn't exist anymore.

Evidence: I don't have a preference going into round, but if you are making a comparison in round, you need to explain WHY I should prefer your evidence over your opponents. If it comes to it, I will call for evidence.

Weighing: I love weighing! It makes my decisions easier. PLEASE WEIGH! Please if you are going to weigh, make direct comparisons and make it clear. When I judge, I will base it on the argument with the greatest weight in the round. If I have to make that decision for myself, it might hurt you. Please don't make me do the weighing for you.

Cross: I will listen to cross, but it doesn't factor into my vote unless you bring up major concessions in your speeches. It will factor into speaks. Don't speak over your opponents, let them answer questions, let them ask questions. I love seeing a team that can dominate cross but be respectful. If your opponents are being disrespectful during cross, trust me, I see it and will note it.

Collapse: Do it if you can, it makes flowing & understanding the round easier.

TLDR: I'm a PF/Congress kid. Speed is fine, be clear. Tech>truth. Do evidence comparison, weighing and collapse if possible.

Overall- I want to enjoy watching the round! Have fun, be kind, and compete to the best of your abilities!!

• I flow

• Im okay with speed, I am not okay with mumble rapping

• run wtv u want just keep in mind I will unlikely vote for tricks or frivolous theory

• don't bang the table at any moment

• General preferences :

Rabula Tesla, BS>truth>tech, I define BS as any words that come out of my mouth so please quote me to win.

Second re-bundle must line-front and first summary must extend deed feces.

I will literally be weighing your arguments in a round by bringing in a scale. Print out your cases and put them onto the scale. Whoever’s arguments weigh heavier are the ones I will look to first. The same applies to extensions. Every time you extend an argument, please stretch the argument on the piece of paper or else it will not be evaluated. Longer extensions win rounds. As for collapsing, sadly the tournament told me I cannot encourage kids to faint in rounds. Sorry. No collapsing in my rounds or else I will have to report you to tab for my own safety.

Speed:

Unfortunately, with my debate experience, I have developed a fervent dislike of normal speed speeches. If you don't go over 300 wpm, i will give you very low speaks.

Progressive:

As a flay congressional debater, I do not understand Prog. However, I do understand Pog, so if you can yell pog as many times as you read your progressive arguments, I will vote on them. (Example: a is the pog interp, debaters must not poggly paraphrase. B is the pog violation: they paraphrased poggly.)

Speaks:

I believe everything in life has to be earned step by step so speaks start at a prompt 0 and go up .01 for everything you did that I liked. If you have ever done the wonderful art known as congressional debate, your speaks will start at promptly -1. This is a simulation for the real world in which nothing will come easily.

Cross: Debate is an activity that prepares you for the real world. In the real world, you WILL have people who yell at you when they ask questions. So naturally, you MUST be louder to win those confrontations. Thus, whoever yells louder in cross will get +5 speaker points.