Quarry Lane Invitational
2022 — NSDA Campus, CA/US
Public Forum / Lincoln Douglas Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideI did Varsity Public Forum for 3 years at North Broward Preparatory School and graduated last year. I’m a pretty average judge and will judge by the flow. I will be honest and admit that I am not great with theory, kritiks, and those types of arguments, but I will still evaluate them.
Some basic guidelines for PF:
-You can talk relatively fast, but please do not spread
-Please be nice, this matters to me a lot
-Please weigh your impacts (but no new weighing in second final)
-I prefer a small amount of well warranted arguments over lots of underdeveloped arguments (warrants>tagline extensions)
-If you are giving the second rebuttal, please make sure to answer the first rebuttal in your speech
-I don’t care too much if you are paraphrasing or reading directly from the card, just make sure that your cards are easy to read if called for (I don’t want to read 2 pages of highlighted text)
-I’ll answer any ?s about my judging style at the beginning of the round
-Please do not take debate too seriously, it is supposed to be a fun activity! I am just happy to be here!
Hi! My name is Sanjana and I'm a senior at Quarry Lane on the PF team.
Please add me to the email chain: sanabajaj21@gmail.com
- Tech > Truth
- Speed: I'm comfortable with a fast pace as long as you're clear. Please signpost (moving to their case, on their first contention, etc.) and be organized in your speech
- Evidence: Send speech docs w/ cut cards for case and rebuttal
- Please collapse strategically on your own contentions as well as your responses to your opponent's case. The debate should ideally be narrowed down after each speech (quality > quantity!)
- Completely extend any piece of offense (UQ, links, impacts) & defense through summary AND final focus for it to be evaluated. No brand new arguments should be made in second summary or final focus.
- Make sure to frontline in second rebuttal/first summary
- Comparative weighing (link & impact) is super super important. Don't just restate your impacts, explain why they come first. I'll evaluate arguments with the strongest weighing first.
- Progressive arguments: I do have some experience debating theory (disclosure good & paraphrasing bad) and would try my best when judging these debates! Don't read any frivolous theory. I have very little experience w/ Ks so I wouldn't be the best judge for that.
Always be respectful to your opponents! And it should go without saying but don't read arguments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, etc, as those won't be evaluated.
Debate can be stressful but make sure to have fun :)
Yes, I want to be on the email chain - shabbirmbohri@gmail.com. Label email chains with the tournament, round, and both teams. Send DOCS, not your excessively paraphrased case + 55 cards in the email chain.
I debated 3 years of PF at Coppell High School. I am now a Public Forum Coach at the Quarry Lane School.
Standing Conflicts: Coppell, Quarry Lane
If there are 5 things to take from my paradigm, here they are:
1. Read what you want. Don't change your year-long strategies for what I may or may not like - assuming the argument is not outright offensive, I will evaluate it. My paradigm gives my preferences on each argument, but you should debate the way you are most comfortable with.
2. Send speech docs. I mean this - Speaks are capped at a 27.5 for ANY tournament in a Varsity division if you are not at a minimum sending constructive with cards. If you paraphrase, send what you read and the cards. Send word docs or google docs, not 100 cards in 12 separate emails. +0.2 speaks for rebuttal docs as well.
3. Don't lie about evidence. I've seen enough shitty evidence this year to feel comfortable intervening on egregiously bad evidence ethics. I won't call for evidence unless the round feel impossible to decide or I have been told to call for evidence, but if it is heavily misconstrued, you will lose.
4. Be respectful. This should be a safe space to read the arguments you enjoy. If someone if offensive or violent in any way, the round will be stopped and you will lose.
5. Extend, warrant, weigh. Applicable to whatever event you're in - easiest way to win any argument is to do these 3 things better than the other team and you'll win my ballot.
Online Debate Update:
Establish a method for evidence exchange PRIOR to the start of the round, NOT before first crossfire. Cameras on at all times. Here's how I'll let you steal prep - if your opponents take more than 2 minutes to search for, compile, and send evidence, I'll stop caring if you steal prep in front of me. This should encourage both teams to send evidence quickly.
PF Overview:
All arguments should be responded to in the next speech outside of 1st constructive. If is isn't, the argument is dropped. Theory, framing, ROBs are the exception to this as they have to be responded to in the next speech.
Every argument in final focus should be warranted, extended, and weighed in summary/FF to win you the round. Missing any one of these 3 components is likely to lose you the round. Frontlining in 2nd rebuttal is required. I don't get the whole "frontline offense but not defense" - collapse, frontline the argument, and move on. Defense isn't sticky - extend everything you want in the ballot in summary, including dropped defense.
Theory: I believe that disclosure is good and paraphrasing is bad. I will not hack for these arguments, but these are my personal beliefs that will influence my decision if there is absolutely no objective way for me to choose a winner. I will vote on paraphrasing good, but your speaks will get nuked. I think trigger warnings are bad. The use of them in PF have almost always been to allow a team to avoid interacting with important issues in round because they are afraid of losing, and the amount of censorship of those arguments I've seen because of trigger warnings has led me to this conclusion. I will vote on trigger warning theory if there is an objectively graphic description of something that is widely considered triggering, and there is no attempt to increase safety for the competitors by the team reading it, but other than that I do not see myself voting on this shell often.
I think RVI's are good in PF when teams kick theory. Otherwise, you should 100% read a counter-interp. Reasonability is too difficult to adjudicate in my experience, and I prefer an interp v CI debate.
K's/Non-Topical Positions: There are dozens of these, and I hardly know 3-4. However, as with any other argument, explain it well and prove why it means you should win. I expect there to be distinct ROBs I can evaluate/compare, and if you are reading a K you should delineate for me whether you are linking to the resolution (IMF is bad b/c it is a racist institution) OR your opponents link to the position (they securitized Russia). I think K's should give your opponent's a chance to win - I will NOT evaluate "they cannot link in" or "we win b/c we read the argument first".
I will boost speaks if you disclose (+0.1), read cut cards in rebuttal (+0.2), and do not take over 2 mins to compile and send evidence (+0.1).
Ask me in round for questions about my paradigm, and feel free to ask me questions after round as well.
Clements '20
email: wallacethechen@gmail.com
hey! i debated PF for 4 years, competing on the texas circuit and somewhat on the national circuit my senior year. i qualified for tfa state, nsda nats, the toc, blah blah.
i'd say that i'm a typical flow judge. debate in the style that you're most comfortable with, and i'll probably be able to adapt to you :)
i'll try to make my paradigm as understandable as possible to debaters of all levels. that being said, if you have any questions, feel free to ask before the round starts! if you're in a hurry, just read through the bolded.
- i am a tabula rasa judge. i will walk into the round with a clean slate of mind and learn as the round progresses.
- i vote based on a tech > truth philosophy. i view debate as a game, and i expect the debaters to play the game by its rules. whatever arguments are presented to me are assumed to be true until proven otherwise. however, the more absurd an argument is to me, the less subconsciously inclined i am to give credence to it.
- i will intervene as minimally as possible. a response made to an argument, even if it is unresponsive, will always flow through for me if it is implicated. however, my threshold for responses will be low; telling me it's unresponsive is enough for me to not evaluate it. i will also inevitably intervene a tiny bit if i need to make a decision when there isn't a clear path to the ballot for me on either side (it's your job to prevent this from happening, anyway).
- speed is fine, but only if the enunciations are clear. please keep in mind that i am no machine. the quicker you speak, the more you risk me misflowing something or missing it entirely. i would prefer a more comprehensive and moderate speed debate, and your speaker points will reflect this!
- i will not evaluate progressive arguments such as theory, kritiks, tricks, etc. i was more of a traditional substance debater and never properly learned the inner workings of these types of arguments, so please don't read them. as Jacqueline Wei puts it, "Not only am I uncomfortable with my ability to seriously evaluate these, I don't think they should exist in an event designed with as low of a barrier of entry as possible." if there is any true abuse in the round, warrant out in a speech why they are abusive and why i should drop them. i'll be receptive to it, because i think you can check back abuse without reading shells and making the round exclusive.
- i do not think defense is sticky, but this only applies to arguments that your opponents go for. if they don't extend something, consider it dropped. now that summaries are three minutes instead of two, i think it's advantageous for you to just extend defense on their argument(s) regardless of whether or not it's conceded.
- anything you want frontlined in the round has to be in the speech right after. this includes all offense and defense that is read against your case, or else it's considered conceded to me. your frontlines don't have to be that thorough in second rebuttal, but they should most definitely be fleshed out in second summary.
- i have a high threshold for extensions. i expect warrants to be in anything that you extend, and turns should have impacts that are properly weighed if you want me to be able to vote on them. also, i think it's strategic for debaters to narrow down to one or two arguments by the end of the round. go for more if you think it's necessary, but collapsing is definitely the move. telling me that an argument has no warrant/implication/impact flows through and is an acceptable response to me. if you win your argument but extend it poorly, don't expect the best speaks.
- i hate rhetoric impacts. telling me that "poverty happens" or "war will occur" is not really contextualized enough for me to happily vote for; i will buy any clarity of impact weighing if this is the case. i would prefer numbers or statistics when it comes to impact extensions, but, of course, if you win the weighing and explain why your impact comes first, i'd still vote off of it even if it's fundamentally rhetoric.
- summary and final focus should have alignment. whatever you want me to vote for in final focus should be in the summary speech (yes, warrants and everything). it does not matter if your opponents do not address it; you still have to properly extend it. i won't vote for anything new in final focus. and yes, i can tell if you're lying. don't read new evidence in second summary either. if you do anything cheap, your speaker points will probably be hurt.
- offensive overviews in second rebuttal make me unhappy. these can probably be turned into disads or turns against your opponent's case. if you read like two or three new contentions in rebuttal and mask it as an overview, i think that's incredibly abusive. if the other team tells me this is abusive, i'll agree and cross it off my flow.
- please signpost. tell me where you are on the flow as you go, otherwise it will be very hard for me to follow you. roadmaps before your speeches are appreciated too!
- weighing helps me very much when evaluating rounds. i hold weighing in a layer above substance, but you'd still need an impact to access that layer. it isn't necessary, but it does make it easier for me to sign my ballot for you. however, please don't just throw buzzwords at me and say you outweigh on six different mechanisms. i think weighing should be properly warranted and explained as should any other argument.
- i default to utilitarianism absent a framework/weighing. i'll intervene with common sense, looking at the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
- i will call for evidence only when necessary. if debaters explicitly tell me to look at a piece of evidence, i will call for it after the round is over. if i think the legitimacy of your evidence is crucial for my decision, i will also call for it. that being said, i will base any implications made on that piece of evidence on what i read. so, if you heavily exaggerated what your article says, then that card's implications will hold less weight when i'm making my decision. if the card is completely miscut, i'm automatically dropping you and tanking your speaks. while it is somewhat interventionist if the opposing team didn't make the analysis that your evidence is misconstrued, i don't think that teams have the ability nor the obligation to check back every single piece of evidence that you read. i hold evidence ethics in a completely different sphere; if you miscut evidence, you are a cheater in the game of debate.
- i presume the team that lost the coin flip when i do not see any offense coming from either team by the end of the round. my friend Yukiho once explained this to me, and i thought it made a lot of sense. the team that loses the coin toss begins the round with a structural disadvantage and are thus rewarded with the default win in this scenario. i used to presume first speaking team, but i feel like most teams that lose the toss end up speaking first anyway. if the team that won chooses a side, then they are receiving an advantage by securing their preferred side. feel free to warrant out another way i should presume, though.
- i don't flow crossfires. however, i think crossfires are such an underrated aspect of debate rounds. cross was my favorite speech as a debater, and i will appreciate an interesting discussion. crossfire is also binding, which means that anything you say must be upheld for the rest of the round. feel free to be funny or cuss, as long as you aren't being rude or derogatory in any way. seriously. cross shouldn't be a shouting contest.
- speaker points reflect your speaking style and strategy. to get good speaks from me, i expect strategic decisions that make the round very clean and organized. i was a very narrative-heavy debater, so if you guys paint a very clear picture for me, you will be rewarded! (also +0.5 speaks if you bring me food)
- flex prep and open crossfires are fine. as long as both teams agree to it, feel free to have everyone speak during cross or take prep time to ask each other questions.
- please read content/trigger warnings if you plan on making arguments pertaining to sensitive issues. debate should be a safe space for everyone! at the very least, people deserve to be prepared for the discussion before the debate begins. if you're going to be reading arguments like that, please be prepared to drop it or replace it with something else in the case that your opponents are uncomfortable with it.
- don't be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. if you are offensive or derogatory in any way, i will down you and nuke your speaks. even if you are the best debater in the world, some things are more important than a high school activity.
- postround me if you want. i don't think you should do this to a judge unless they explicitly say it's fine in their paradigm; it's important to understand that no judge wants to make the wrong decision. but, for me, it's fine if you disagree with some aspects of my decision. i'll discuss it out with you as long as i'm not in a hurry.
most importantly, be sure to have fun! if both teams agree to it, i am totally down to judge the round with different conditions. you want me to be a lay judge? i got you. i also don't care what you wear as long as you're comfortable! just don't shake my hand please.
if you have any questions, feel free to ask me before the round starts
Although I've coached debate before, I'm new to judging. In debates I will be looking for details and explanations/evidence that clearly illustrate and support the values and reasons expressed by the speaker. In speech, I'll be looking for memorization, eye contact, tone, gestures and body language.
Contact Info: Pramit De on FB Messenger or pramitde@utexas.edu
Debate Basics
- Send speech docs for constructive to my email. Makes it easier for me to flow and makes sure I don't miss anything you're saying.
- Debate should be an educational and safe space - No violence of any kind towards anyone in the round will be tolerated and the round will be stopped if deemed unsafe for an individual in it.
- Do your best to win on the flow while maintaining clarity for the general public.
Online Debate
- Cameras on at all times.
- Establish a method of evidence sharing before the round starts.
- If you get called out for stealing prep and you clearly are, speaks will be low. To avoid this - stay unmuted when a team is sending evidence over.
Public Forum Basics
- I'll vote off of the least mitigated link chain with an impact at the end of the round
- Extend the arguments themselves - the names of each author aren't required. If extending an argument requires nuance or repeating something from case to frontline, it needs to be said explicitly.
- To make an argument into a voting issue, it should be extended in the latter half of the round, warranted throughout the round, and weighed against other arguments
- Have tangible impacts (extinction works) - statistics about the economy growing don't count, and reading "x increases trade and a 1% increase in trade saves 2 million lives" doesn't make the impact of your individual argument 2 million lives either
PF Rebuttal
- Frontlining is required in second rebuttal - if you drop offense it's conceded, and defense on an argument you collapsed on should be frontlined or it'll be an uphill battle. The only exception to this is if the first speaking team reads some massive 4 contention 12 link case and dumps in rebuttal. If you are unsure on if your opponents are doing this in my eyes, please just ask and I'll tell you whether you have to frontline or not. In the scenario where they are:
- First speaking team needs to extend which responses they want to pull through in summary.
- Second speaking team will just frontline which argument they want to go for in summary. Please don't respond to the entire dump, just frontline what you need. This is not to say you should ignore that part of the rebuttal. Be wary of overarching case responses that respond to multiple contentions placed on a specific contention.
- Link turns need uniqueness responses to make them into a link turn and access the impact of the contention, otherwise it's just another contention with no impact
- Each response should have a warrant - you can read as many as you'd like, but no warrant means it doesn't matter
- Dumping DA's in second rebuttal is can be made into a voting issue, but I don't have a predisposition on this issue
PF Summary/Final Focus
- Any argument (defense or offense) that wants to be a voting issue needs to be in both speeches - sticky defense doesn't exist
- Extend and weigh any argument you go for
- Arguments not responded to in the previous speech are conceded - just call it that and extend it and move on
- Metaweighing is good but hard - try your best to do it when needed and you'll be rewarded
Theory
- Any shell in a Varsity division is fair game - that being said, the more frivolous the argument, the lower the threshold for responses. I don't have much experience with theory and am sympathetic to those in that position, so please attempt to respond to it even if you don't know the technical details, I won't punish you for that. Below are my preferences on common shells ran in PF.
- Theory about non-evidentiary ethics - things such as misgendering, violence, content warnings, etc. are good to read with a higher chance I vote off of the first 2 if there is clear abuse. I'm truth over tech for these. If the theory-reading team forgets to extend part of their shell in summary and the only response from the other team I hear is that they forgot to read "x part" of the shell, I'm still going to up the theory.
- Theory about evidence-related practices - paraphrasing, disclosure, etc. are fair game - I believe disclosure is good and paraphrasing is bad, but will not hack for these arguments in any way. My caveat about forgetting to extend parts of shells above does not apply here. Tech over truth.
- Theory that has nothing to do with content in the round - take a guess
Other Progressive Arguments
- Don't know how to evaluate them, run at your own risk.
Evidence
- Every piece of evidence needs to be cut - you can choose to paraphrase but must still have cut evidence for it
- If you take more than 2 minutes to find a piece of evidence, speaks will be low.
- Make evidence issues part of the debate rather than out-of-round issues - each team should be given a chance to justify the abuse or explain why it warrants a loss
- Explicitly tell me to call for evidence if you want me to look at it - if you want me to read evidence don't just call it bad and tell me to read it, take the time to explain why you believe it's bad if it's a critical part of the debate
- If a team can win by reading cut cards only, you're guaranteed a 29 minimum
Speaker Points
- To get a 29.5 baseline, you must email both constructive and rebuttal speeches on the email chain prior to the speech - this MUST include cards. Points will go up and down from there based on speaking style.
- Otherwise, my baseline is 28.5.
Post-Round Info
- I will always disclose as long as the tournament allows it and I feel like I'll be able to reach a decision in a reasonable time - if they don't, shoot me a message on messenger and I will.
Novices (Any Event)
- Collapse. Most rounds are lost by going for too much and not explaining the most important arguments enough. Choose only a few (one is fine of course) arguments to have in your last speech and explain it/do impact calculus and compare it to your opponent’s argument.
- Clarity. Go at a pace you feel comfortable at, there isn’t always a need to match your opponent’s speed and make sure that speed doesn’t sacrifice the clarity of your arguments. This also relates to the order of your speeches: Be clear when responding to different arguments and label them as such (i.e. “Moving on to their argument about Military Spending”). This makes it much easier to follow along and catch everything.
- Comparison. A bit repetitive but important to understand: comparing (doing impact calculus) is the most important way to win a round. Usually both teams are winning some argument on their side, and the way to ensure your argument comes above theirs is to give reason as to why it does.
- Critical Thinking. This is good for speaker points and even winning the round. You won’t have responses to every argument and so using outside knowledge or analytical arguments that rely on logic are more likely to be stronger in rounds. Don’t be afraid to use what you know.
- Other than this - I’m open to any arguments being read as long as you explain them and follow some of the suggestions I’ve outlined. I understand that being new to the event can be difficult at first so I want to make sure you are getting as much out of the round as possible. If you have any questions about an argument, my decision, or the event in general, feel free to ask me after the round or shoot me an email. Good luck!
Hello!
I’m very excited to be judging you today. I competed for 4+ years in a variety of events, but mainly PF, Congress, and speech events like OI, Expos, and Extemp. In college, I competed for 3 years on the collegiate Model UN circuit. As for my judging history, I’ve judged regularly ever since I graduated high school and have had the opportunity to judge most events. Here are a couple things that I look for:
Debaters: I like off-time roadmaps, it helps with signposting and keeps my flow clean. I do flow and keep track of arguments and evidence but that doesn’t mean you can disregard speaking style, eloquence, etc. The winner of a round should be the better speaker AND have the best arguments. Make sure you’re impacting your arguments and carry these impacts throughout the round. It makes my job a lot easier and then I won’t consider them as dropped. If you have a standard or value criterion, make sure to tie back your arguments to it (it should act as a thesis to your arguments). If you do not have a standard/VC and your opponent does, I will be forced to weigh the round on their standard unless you give me promising reasons why I shouldn’t. When I was debating, I used to be able to keep up with full speed spreading. I can no longer do this so please do not spread. You may speak quickly but if I’m not able to keep up on the flow, I’m going to miss your arguments and it will only hurt you. I don’t understand theory shells, Ks, or any other obscure parts of debate. Do not include them in your speeches because I will disregard them. Be kind and respectful during CX. I really hate when people consistently talk over others or end up yelling in rounds. You can have the same debate respectfully and calmly.
Speech: Make sure you’re staying in time and do not overly dramatize parts of your speech. For extempers, try your best to dedicate equal amounts of time to each of your points and be clear with your transitions.
Above all, please just be mature, respectful, and have fun!
If you do not want to read everything on this -- TLDR: have fun and don't be stupid, bring me food for good speaks
Background Info:
- they/them
- Junior at Dougherty Valley High School
- 5+ years PF experience, 2 years impromptu, 1 year of LD, 1 year of Parli
- Idk just tab stalk me
- My biggest accomplishment is 1-5 at ASU
PF:
General:
- Add me to the email chain: ashnag0415@gmail.com
- Send me your case before round
- Label email chains adequately. Ex. "TOC R1 F1 Email Chain Dougherty Valley GB v. Alsion Montessori SS."
- Have fun so I don't fall asleep
- Warrant responses or I won't vote on it
- Carded link extensions are stupid -- just re-explain the arg and ill buy it
Cross
- be aggressive its fun
- don't be homophobic/racist/sexist/ any -ist or ill drop you
- if you say something important in cross say it in speech too because I probably wont be listening
- be funny
Rebuttal
- do whatever you want
- second rebuttal has to frontline
Summary
- first summary has to frontline
- WEIGH.
Final Focus
- should basically be mini summary
- new weighing in first ff is fine
- imo -- rounds cant be won in final but they definitely can be lost here
Prog
- if you do prog debate badly ill be sad
- run literally whatever you want I'll evaluate it
- I have a lot of experience with K's -- not so much with theory but I still understand it well
- friv is fun
Speaker Points
If I cant understand you, I will say "clear" three times before I stop flowing completely (you'll probably lose)
I give an average of 26 speaks without bonuses
+0.3 if you:
- do a spin every time you turn an argument
- clap after all of your opponents speeches
- make my little pony references
- make your contention name a bear-related pun
+0.5 if you:
- send your case before round
- do a handstand in cross
- make a donut analogy
- find a legitimate way to impact out to dugongs
- bring me food (+0.5 for every snack you bring me)
Auto 30/29.9 if you:
- run Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad K
- rap your entire final focus
- Cite Surya Muthu Devasenapathy as a source
- read 30 speaks theory
- run a progressive argument well (i have a high threshold for this)
I will dock your speaks if you:
- run a prog argument without understanding it
- misgender (ill probably drop you too)
- spread on novices
- act like a bad person
4th year on the Circuit
Add me to the email chain: adityavir01@gmail.com
Straight from Amrit Sharma's Paradigm:
Tech > Truth (You can win an argument saying that the 1 + 1 = 3 if your opponent does not respond to it, I believe doing anything otherwise is judge intervention)
I require speech docs to be sent before constructive and rebuttal speeches
Frontline all offense in second rebuttal and defense on the arg ur going for (by all means frontline everything I think its a good strat)
Summary should extend defense
When you are extending responses on your opponents case please interact with their frontlines otherwise you're just wasting time.
No new weighing in second FF, very minimal new weighing allowed in First FF
IMPACT CALCULUS: this is what wins you debates. If you clearly explain to me and give warrants as to why your impacts matter more than your opponents, you're much more likely to win if they don't. Some common mechanisms include Probability, Magnitude etc.
Speaks:
+1 if you read cut cards in case
Auto 30 if you read straight from cut cards in both rebuttal and case
Progressive:
Shells: Familiar with most (Paraphrasing, Disclosure, TW), I can't judge a full-fledged theory debate nearly as well as others so run at your own risk
Kritiques: Not familiar at all, but will try my best
Other:
If you have any questions feel free to email me.
Be respectful and have fun!
I'll try to keep this as brief and concise for you all as I can! I debated LD for 4 years in high school (along with dabbling in a bunch of other events) and now attend Harvard University. I was able to debate on local and national circuits, so I'm comfortable listening to honestly anything you want to read from traditional to progressive.
Feel free to read anything. As long as you have warrants, don’t rely on your lingo, slow down on plan/interp/standard/etc. texts, make your links/abuse stories as specific as possible, weigh, and are not blatantly offensive (sexist/racist/ableist/homophobic/etc.), we'll be good. I like hearing all types of unique arguments! It's your round, and you should read what you feel most comfortable reading! I am willing to vote on stupid tricks or spikes if you give me a reason to do so lol.
Also, side note, if it is clear that your opponent is debating at a significantly different level/style than you, you should be able to win in a way that allows them to still understand what's going on and engage with you.
Bonus speaks if you make me laugh! :)
If you have any questions or want to add me to the email chain, my email is: megan.gole@yahoo.com
i did 4 years of pf (2016-20)
my paradigm is essentially the same as danny's
my understanding of the round will trade off with speed. if you plan on spreading send a speech doc to greenicamilla@gmail.com
i attended 1 progressive argumentation lecture at ndf in 2019. that is the extent of my understanding of theory
I am a parent judge with limited previous judging experience.
My preferred rate of delivery is a 2-3 out of 5. If you are unclear, I will not flow your arguments even if they are true. This helps me understand your arguments and better allow me to evaluate the round.
Substance debate and contention level debate under the resolution is most important. Framework is important as well, but you should make the best argument as I will vote for the most persuasive speaker.
It is very important to have strong evidence to back up your claims. If you make assertions without good authors/sources/credentials to support your position, that is not a strong case.
It is recommended that you include voting issues at the end of the round that crystallize your position and your speech so that I, as the judge, know what to vote on and who to vote for.
I am Nimish Jain, I am an incoming senior at Dougherty Valley High School. I have competed for a while in PF and did a little bit of speech. Please read my paradigm and email me if you have questions.
Short Version:
people say i am tech but i like to consider myself flay
I am the most annoying judge when it comes to warrants. I want every little thing in case to be extended, if you don't extend a warrant into why nuclear war leads to extinction i won't give u extinction.
If you and the opps agree that this round should be a lay round then I can be a lay judge or if yall even want to have a fun round where you just read a bunch of fun stuff (ie.climate change good) then let me know I would be totally down to evaluate it.
For 30 speaks buy me food (MAKE SURE IT IS FULL VEGETARIAN)... the following options are accepted:
Buy me Subway sandwich: (Veggie Delight. Italian Hurb and Cheese. Pepper Jack Cheese Toasted. Lettuce, Tomato, cucumbers, salt and pepper, honey mustard, guac)
or
Cheese Pizza (margarita preferably or anything vegetarian)
or
Taco Bell (2 Chalupas (replace meat with beans) and 1 drink (Mountain Diew Baja Blast))
or
Chipotle (Burrito with: Black and Pinto Beans, White Rice, Mild Salsa, Corn, Sour Cream, Lettuce, guac)
or
In n Out (2 Grilled Cheese with strawberry milkshake)
Long Version
For any tournament:
I am such a mid debater. Feel free to stalk me. Lay debate is superior but I enjoy tech too.
Top 14 at nationals. 3x Gold TOC (prom is the same day :(, i prefer my social life over debate), 2x Nationals, a bunch of random awards feel free to stalk me :)
Update: I have the right to drop you if I believe you are being racist, homophobic, and etc. I believe debate should be a safe space and I wont allow you to advance if you act rude. This also applies to cross. I really hate seeing crosses where 1 person is just talking. I want to see a nice cross where both teams are respectful. Just done be mean in general.
I want case the disclosed to me:I want the doc and the cards. Also rebuttal doc will be nice. You don't have to send it to the opponents but please send it to me. How to send an email
Topic Knowledge: If it is public forum i know the topic otherwise any other event i don't know anything.
Evidence Sharing: You can call for evidence but like please don't like call for 100 cards otherwise I will knock your speaks down. Btw after round I will probs be asking for cards so if I do plz send it to me. How to cut a card
Tech> Truth
Speed: I don't care if you speak fast. I always speak fast in round. But if you do speak fast, please send speech doc. Otherwise, if I don't catch something I won't evaluate it.
Weighing: Please do it in SUMMARY AND FF. If it is not in both then i don't evaluate the weighing. I also like simple weighing like magnitude and stuff. If you are going to give complex weighing explain it well. How to weigh. I will evaluate new weighing in first FF. Unless the other teams says 2nd FF is too late to bring up new weighing then I wont evaluate it if they dont say it then I will evaulate it.
2nd Rebuttal: YOU HAVE TO FRONTLINE. If you don't frontline in 2nd rebuttal then i immediately look at 1st speaking teams flow and if they have access to their case then no matter what they will win. How to give a rebuttal
Summary and FF: They should be pretty much the same. NO NEW EVIDENCE IN FF. I AM NOT A LAY JUDGE. How to give a summary
Cross: I don't care. I wont listen to cross. How to do good cross
Warranting/Implications: Plz provide a warrant and EXTEND it. Tho if you do extend without warranting and the opponents do not call you out I might give you the arg. But if they do call you out then I won't consider the response. Debate has become very Blibby and I hate blibbyness. PLEASE IMPLICATE I BEG. I KNOW WHAT YOUR DEFENSE IS DOING USUALLY BUT I WON'T EVAL IT IF U DIDNT TELL ME.
warranted ev>warranted analytics>unwarranted ev (UNLESS IT IS A STAT, I LOVE NUMBERS!!!!)>unwarranted analytics
Theory and K's: Also I wouldn't run theory in MS :). I understand theory and I will evaluate if it is run properly. I am ok with K's. I am also ok with performance and non-topical. What theory is I THNK DISCLOSURE ON WIKI IS GOOD AND PARAPHRASING IS BAD I WILL HACK FOR THESE.
SIGNPOSTING IS NECESSARY: I need it otherwise I will be very confused and you don't want that happening.
Prepping: You have to time your own speech and prep. I won't do it because I am too lazy to.
Presumption: I am personally against presumption. I want to vote for the better debater so if I can't find a way to vote I will vote off a couple of things (based on priority).
-
If u tell me to vote for u off presumption then I will (But give me a reason why u deserve the presumption vote)
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Who did the better link extensions
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Who was the better lay debater
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Who did the better weighing (if both teams lost case)
LINK EXTENSION: THEY HAVE TO BE READ IN SUMMARY AND BEYOND. IF NOT I DROP YOUR CASE.
If I am judging speech:
Have fun. I want to be entertained by your speech. Don't just give me the general 3 points. Give me something that makes you stand out because if you stand out you will do better. But if you stand out and fail then u will get low. A lot of times when i did speech i sang during my speech. Some of my favorite songs I have sang were hindi songs or nursery rhymes. I have even sang let it go in the past. But beware if u do that it better make sense.
LD judging: If I am judging LD then treat me like a flay. You can run whatever you want but you gotta explain it to me. I am totally down to judge Ks and stuff but dont expect me to fully understand it
email: njanga10@gmail.com
UPDATE: 3 ways to get an auto 30 (if only one person out of a team does it, only they get the auto).
1. Drake, amc, gamestop reference in any form
2. showing any pet on camera (dogs are the coolest)
3. emailing Oluwafemi0110@gmail.com saying that "Kishlaya is a better debater than you" and showing proof before the round starts
Also After judging for a while I have realized that for my ballot weighing isnt as important as link debate ie: I could care less about the weighing a team does if they are losing on the link level so don't sacrifice proper frontlines and warranting just so you can say random buzzwords that I could care less about
Just make sure you are winning on the link level, if both teams get full access to their links that's when I look at the weighing
Overall
I will not evaluate any theory, tricks, Ks, etc., unless there is a violation in the round that hurts or excludes someone. Even then, I would prefer you point it out to me in paragraph form with a warrant and explanation rather than forcing me to evaluate progressive argumentation. If you read disclosure gl :)
I flow on my laptop and can type pretty fast so you can go as fast as you want pretty much but send a speech doc for constructive
If you run an offensive overview in second rebuttal it will make me really sad :(
General
- My face when you sign post :) My face when you don't sign post :((((((((((((((
- I’m fine with flex prep and open cross
- I consider myself tech > truth I'm going to vote for the team with the least mitigated link chain into the best-weighed impact
- Defense you want to concede should be conceded in the speech immediately after it was originally read
- a concession requires an implication of how the defense interacts with your argument not just "we concede to the delinks"
- If I like what you are saying expect some very obvious head nodding
Rebuttal
- Frontlining turns in second rebuttle are crucial
- Any turns not frontlined in second rebuttle have a 100% probability
- If you are going for something in the latter half of the round, collapse in second rebuttle and frontline the entire thing
- Defense do be sticky till frontlined
- You don't have to extend at all in second rebuttle, just frontlining is cool with me
Summary Overall
- Do all extensions with author names and the warrant behind them pls
- If you want me to vote off case offense, you have to extend uniqueness - link - impact and then you should be good
- For turns - if you want to collapse on a turn in FF the extension has to have an impact ie: if you extend a link turn you also have to extend the other teams impact
First summary
- If you give me some fire frontlining in first summary I will be very happy
- New evidence for frontlining is cool
- Since its 3 minutes try to extend the defense you find most important
Second summary
- You gotta extend defense
- Weighing has to start here if you want me to evaluate it in the round
Final focus
- Still extend uniqueness link and impact
- Extend weighing pls
- Don't be the partner who extends stuff that your partner didn't extend in summary
Cross
- Cross do be binding
- I like cross makes the debate kind of interesting
- Don't be rude but if you are sarcastic that's cool but there is a pretty thin line between being rude and sarcastic
- Bless me and skip gc if you want
Evidence
- I'll only call for evidence if it's SUPER important for the decision or the other team tells me to call for it
- You will have around a minute to pull out evidence - if there is something wrong ie: internet is out or there's a paywall that's cool just try to pull it up as fast as possible
Post Round
- I'll try to disclose every round
- Post rounding is cool with me, you can do it after rfd or on messenger after the round. I can also email the flow to you so you can see what I saw in the round
- I presume neg if there is no offense in the round
- For Feb topic I default first speaking team if there is no offense
Donts
- Be toxic
- Spread on novices, if its clear that you are winning just show them respect and give them a chance to learn ie: explain the implications in cross in an understanding way
- Say something that’s blatantly racist/sexist/misogynistic/ xenophobic and all those ists
- If you still for some reason want to run something progressive and are doing it for an easy ballot because you know your opponents can't respond properly I am NUKING speaks
***ALL cards read during ANY speech need to be sent in the email chain PRIOR to the speech. If you are not comfortable adapting to this standard, please strike me
North Broward '20 Wake Forest '24
Quartered @ TOC and have minimal college policy experience
Head Public Forum Coach @ Quarry Lane
Email: katzto20@wfu.edu
tech>truth
I would prefer both teams talk about the topic. I have given up on judging bad PF theory / K debates.
debate is a game and the team that plays the best will win.
Background
I did 4 years of PF in high school and 4 years of parliamentary (BP) at University of Southern California. I've coached in both PF and Parli.
Style
Be civil and regardless of your speed, remain coherent in your speech. I'm fine with spreading, but do realize that there is an inherent risk of me missing something if you do so, especially if you begin slurring words together.
I appreciate signposting and well organized speeches in general; either keep it organized or explicitly signpost. Otherwise, I will not guarantee the flow I have is the same flow that you may have wanted.
If you want to offer a framework, make sure that it's a framework of substance rather than just a glorified roadmap. I'd rather you set the tone for the round by providing a weighing mechanism instead (morals in utilitarianism vs. consequentialism, short-term vs. long-term, etc.).
I will only call cards if they are the deciding factor for the round, which is basically never. However, mentions of statistics or results of studies should touch on their methodology.
Judging
Impact, impact, impact. I won't care about how great your point is unless you explicitly show why it matters. Note: if you shotgun a ton of arguments in hopes that the opposing team will inevitably drop a few of them, do not suddenly bring them up at the end of the round without having extended them at all.
I lean tech>truth, but keep it somewhat reasonable. I appreciate creative arguments and am open to anything. However, if you run a more convoluted argument that requires a certain suspension of belief, keep it relevant to the topic of the round or at least keep it loosely grounded in reality.
Speaks will be given based off of argumentation and how well you engage points. Bonus points if you fit in a clever analogy somewhere.
Weighing and/or offering a criteria for weighing is far more appreciated that dogfighting the same 2 or 3 points for 30 minutes. I highly appreciate turning arguments, but make sure it makes sense.
I prefer moderate speed while speaking. I vote for speaking clearly and convincing arguments.
Background: I primarily did PF in high school (as well as other speech events + Congress). Currently I'm a speech + debate coach. 3x National qualifier.
In all forms of debate, I prioritize clash and impact weighing. Tell me where to vote on the flow. Tell me how you've won your debate.
Parli: I love a good k. I dislike friv theory as it wastes time and contradicts the purpose of debate (education).
PF: Cards without valid reasoning to demonstrate how they support your argument do not prove your point. Please signpost, warrant, and weigh.
LD: I prefer a traditional approach to LD. Set up a framework that explains how your value weighs more or solves for your opponent's case. Use the framework as you weigh voters. Prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to words/speed. LD shouldn't be treated like circuit policy.
Policy: I do my best to keep up with speed, although I'm less familiar flowing policy than other debate formats. I'll consider kritiks, counterplans, and disadvantages.
Speech: I vote based on emotional authenticity, delivery, content (topic, speech cutting), organization, and blocking. I care about unique topics in platform events and believable acting + compelling character arcs in interp.
Decorum: To me, debate should be inclusive and welcoming to students of all identities and experience levels. If you make it hostile for someone, I cannot ethically vote for you, no matter the flow. Laughing at your opponents; excessively whispering during others' speeches; or making implicitly sexist, racist, or ableist arguments will affect your speaks and my ability to buy your argument. I will deduct speaker points if I encounter students from the same program running the same arguments word-for-word. Share ideas in prepared debate events, but write your own cases.
cosby '21 fsu '24
put me on the email chain jackmerkel57@gmail.com
3 years pf (Qualled to TOC, States, Broke at many Nat Circuit Tourneys), 2 year NFA-LD (Qualled to NFA Nats 2x - Octos 2024)
important stuff
let me know if you want to see my flow of your round after it's over - i'm uncomfortable sending flows to debaters that weren't in the round though because i think that unfairly helps debaters w more clout
feel free to postround me respectfully, i recognize that i'm capable of making wrong decisions or understanding arguments incorrectly - i'm here to learn and improve just as much as both teams are
i will drop you for misgendering someone, apologies don't solve and i'm not at all open to hearing arguments that claim otherwise.
please read an opt-in cw for any argument that may contain sensitive content, if you don't and a team reads cw theory I honestly don't see myself ever not voting for it. when in doubt err on the side of reading one.
NFA-LD
Case-Yes topical plan affs. I am probably the best at judging this style, with that being said non-t/k affs are fine, just a higher threshold to win my ballot.
T-Came from PF so never debated T before NFA, as a result not as good of a T judge compared to more established LD/Policy judges. Prob lean aff in most cases on T but will obv vote on it if the neg provides good warranting and definitions as to why its not T. Overall tho found T pretty boring and probably went for it less than 10% of the time so take that as you will.
DA-Yes please, I love a good disad that is creative in its link from the aff and has good weighing against the aff scenarios. Probably the most fun kind of debate to judge.
CP-Never really read or went for these, that being said I love a good/strategic cp that can solve the aff and has unique net benefits. Just explain how the cp solves the aff and why its competitive.
K-Read a lot more of these my last year debating, mainly read security but have experience running Cap and Psycho (Lacan/Matheson). I struggle a bit on higher phil like Baudy but I can prob still evaluate it. In addition performance/identity Ks are fine, obv dont have much experience running these but can still evaluate them. Idc if your alt isn't a material action, just describe what the alt world looks like whether its a mindset shift, rejection ect. On framing prove why your rotb matters and why I shouldn't weigh the aff, interact with your opponents fairness/education/predictability claims and prove why I should prefer your interpretations, weigh pre vs post fiat implications ect. "Perm do both" isn't a response, explain why the aff and alt are not mutually exclusive and explain how the aff and alt can function together and why that solves better.
Theory-I honestly like theory, obv as stated above didn't come from a LD/Policy background so don't have as much experience debating/evaluating procedural theory but have debated theory enough that its still fine to run. I love disclosure theory and just think its prob a true argument on both aff and neg so feel free to run this.
Misc- Speed is fine, I personally never really spread but I can evaluate it. Speaks are stupid and I think judging speaking ability is the most pointless thing in the activity, read 30 speaks theory and Ill give both debaters highest speaks allowed, regardless you will both prob get high speaks.
PF Stuff
how do i decide who i vote for?
first - i go through every piece of offense in each final focus and determine if every important piece of the argument is extended (all too many rounds i vote based off a team failing to extend a link, warrant, or impact)
next - i look at the defense on each of these - if no weighing is done, i default to whichever argument is the path of least resistance - if both teams have no offense left, i presume the first speaking team - this is also when i call any cards i'm told to or that i think are bad
then - assuming there is weighing, i vote based on whichever weighing mechanism is best justified - if none are justified, i default magnitude first, probability second, and timeframe third - i think lots of other mechanisms used in pf fall into one of these (for example, severity is a type of magnitude, strength of link is probability) i also look to framing at this step if there is any and apply that as well. also on weighing, the most convincing and best weighing is link-ins and prereq weighing, this prob comes before any other generic mechanisms
evidence
paraphrasing is fine, just please have a cut card for whatever ur paraphrasing. if someone calls for ev and u send an 80 page pdf and tell me to control f something and read around it im not evaluating your ev. its really not that hard to just copy and paste that paragraph and highlight what your reading.
prog stuff
see NFA-LD section, tldr open to most prog stuff except trix which im just never voting for. if you have more specific questions just ask before the round
most importantly i want to make debate an inclusive space where everyone can have a fun and educational time so please let me know if there is anything i can do to make the space more accessible
*It’s been a while since I’ve judged, and I have very little topic knowledge. Try to overexplain arguments please.*
*If all competitors get to round early and begin, I'll boost speaks*
*aamirsmohsin@gmail.comfor the email chain*
General
I did PF for four years on the local and national circuit; treat me as a standard flow judge
- Tech > Truth
- Comfortable with anything < 250wpm, but if you plan on speaking quickly, don't sacrifice clarity; I'll need a doc for anything above that
- Fine with paraphrasing as long as not misrepresented AND you have the card cut ready to send
- Extend the content of a card, not just the author
- I presume first-speaking team if there's no offense at the end of the round, but that can be changed if args are made in round
Speeches
Cases
- Do whatever you think is strategic
- Slow down on weird args
Rebuttal
- If you choose to dump responses, PLEASE make sure everything has a warrant and don't go ridiculously fast unless you're reading cut cards
- Read new advantages/disadvantages (and don't label them as 'overviews') if you want, but they should interact with your opponent's case
- Second rebuttal, at the minimum, should frontline any turns on case.
Summary/FF
- Collapse
- Make the implication of defensive args clear
- I'll be iffy on weighing in first final, it should be in first summary unless second rebuttal chooses not to collapse
Progressive
- I think I'm okay at evaluating theory debates. This is the max you should probably read in terms of progressive args
- If necessary, read whatever you need to, and I'll try to adapt to you
Speaker Points -- tell me if you do any of the bonuses
- I'll start speaks at a 28.5 and go up or down based on strategy
- I'll up speaks by a point if you disclose properly (full-text or OS) on the NDCA wiki
- I'll tank speeks if you steal prep
Short version of judging paradigm/my debate background:
age 33 now, X Florida debater- both policy and LD ; had a very high overall country wide ranking and at least 3-4 bids to the TOC my senior year in LD (preferred event if policy partner not available); was recruited by a college policy coach to debate with them in college right out of high school, but after a summer of pre-season, I decided to quit debate to go “paint pictures” and play d3 & some d1 ultimate frisbee; now I’m a chef LOL. *other notes: speed is fine; but this internet is new so please be clear on the internet; I am/was one of the fastest speakers and excellent spreaders clarity wise probably in the history of debate; also being rude disgusts me try not to do that in the round- your speaker points will suffer, watch it happen.
being rude vs. being confident is totally different.
racism sexism antisemitism etc being nasty to women- those things also will not be tolerated; your speaker points will suffer as will your personal karma LOL; lastly interrupting without purpose even during cross x is not tolerated. unlike the last ie most recent presidential debate between the two “babies” who couldn’t control not going over their own time limits - we live in an organized, comported society. as a former debater and just reasonable human being, I was shocked to see such lack of respect for rules especially among grown men; as such I now especially expect better of our youth and hold the next generation to a higher standard- one of my ONLY reasons for judging your competition! *evidence and the "flow" and flow of things is very important whether it be policy, LD, parli, extempt, congress, I dont care what.
BE A MASTER OF YOUR CRAFT & WITH YOUR WORDS. those who do this will also be rewarded with appropriate wins and speaker points. any sign of hope or brillance any spark for the future of our country from you youngsters would be AWESOME. FEEL FREE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS about specific judging preferences/argument BEFORE ROUND OR TOURNAMENT. just have fun please and do a nice job.
if you are a tournament director etc, someone looking to hire me i have EXCELLENT ETHICS, MORALs, and STELLAR communication both written and verbal in english/spanish; i am always looking to demonstrate excellence on behalf of you as judging indeed is extremely important to both the debate activity and NEXT future American generation; finding qualified judges who still REALLY CARE about this activity, the future of our country and planet, and about being a good person is super important for debate :)
i wish everyone a healthy and happy 2022; we are ALL in this TOGETHER. :)
best
chef Heather Nagle
Hello everyone! I am a university student studying Criminology at Simon Fraser University.
I am currently a PF coach, but my main focus of teaching is younger students in PRO-CON debate.
Tips on receiving higher points and winning the round:
1. I personally like off-time road map for easier flow.
2. Please have your camera on AND time yourself. It is important for you to get in the habit of timing yourself and being able to adjust to the timer.
3. I am HEAVY on frontlining (reconstruction) during second rebuttal AND summary. If I don't hear a frontlining in the second rebuttal, I will be disappointed.
4. I like clear weighing mechanism and USE the weighing mechanism terms in your speech. (ex. we outweigh on ____).
5. If your case is a sole contention, make sure to emphasize the subtopics AND impact and terminal impact.
6. Make sure your contention title is related to your argument and what you are talking about.
7. I highly favour quantifiable evidence over ANYTHING ELSE. So, use numbers!
Not Do's :
Any type of racism, sexism, discrimination, rude comments and negative behaviour will give you very low speaker points. So please be polite to one another :)
Do not talk over people OR cut people off during crossfire. I care a lot about mannerism and etiquette during the rounds. It is important to get your idea addressed, but please let others talk.
Lastly, Have Fun:)
I am currently a sophomore at Emory university. I debated public forum at the quarry lane school for four years.
tech > truth
please add me to the email chain - snellian@student.quarrylane.org. Send speech docs before each speech !
I'm fine with speed, but make sure you're clear. Frontline in 2nd rebuttal. Any offense you're going for in final focus should be extended completely (uniqueness, links, impacts) in summary. Cross is binding but doesn't matter unless it's in speech. Please collapse !
Start weighing as early as possible and definitely focus on comparative weighing (both link and impact level if possible), when I'm looking at the arguments, I'll start with the one with the strongest weighing.
Always be respectful towards your opponents. I won't evaluate arguments that are sexist, racist, homophobic, ableist, etc. Lastly, debate can be stressful but make sure to have fun :)
Regarding prog arguments, I have little to no experience with Ks (I’ve debated a K maybe once or twice). If you want to read a K, I think it’s super interesting but I probably won’t be able to evaluate it well and am not a great judge for that. I’ve debated/read theory before, and have more experience with it than Ks, but I’m not extremely experienced with it either.
Good luck and feel free to email me before or after the round if you have any questions.
Hey friends!
TLDR; 10+ years of experience coaching and competing in all formats of debate and all styles (traditional and progressive). I'm fairly open-minded to any argument that is well justified and I'm going to vote for the team that paints the best picture via their impact comparison. I want you to write my ballot for me in your closing arguments. Also please note I will not vote on any argument that isn't extended in your final speeches. If you want me to vote on something you need to extend it and tell me why I'm voting for it. Other than that, just have fun, debate is your space.
*Speaker points are arbitrary but here’s something that isn’t: If you give all of your speeches without reading cards, I’ll give you a 30 as a baseline (may still deduct a bit from this for certain things). Of course, please refer to cards and summarize your them in your own words. Evidence debate has led to people not listening to each other’s arguments and IMO it’s net worse for debate. Constant powertagging means paraphrasing theory is probably irrelevant (but I’m very open to criticisms that a team said that a card said something that it didn’t)
Here are just a few specifics about my philosophy, feel free to ask about more:
On Evidence:
I believe there is far too much emphasis on evidence in many rounds of LD and CX as of late. Cards are important for backing up a claim which specifically needs evidence (think statistics, quotes, etc). Some folks are quick to dismiss their opponent's arguments by saying "no evidence" without actually responding to the merit of the argument. Conversely, the overemphasis on evidence has made some students afraid to get up and make an argument simply because they don't have a card on it. Perhaps it is because of my background in NPDA, but I strongly believe that many claims can be made and warranted via analytics and in fact that these arguments are even preferable because they demand that debaters think on their feet and respond to the argument specifically instead of searching desperately for a card that may or may not actually verify the claim they want to make. An argument has 3 parts: Claim, Warrant, Impact. A card is one type of warrant but historical and or/material analysis is another which is just as valid and I encourage debaters to make whatever argument occurs to them so long as they can warrant said argument.
On Strategy:
In general, I don't care what you read. Debaters should make their own strategy and use whatever they think is competitive. That said, I am of the opinion that "6 off" strategies tend to be uncompetitive because no arguments are really developed and I will lean towards skepticism of neg blocks which develop a lot of new arguments because their initial constructives refused to engage the debate in depth. Quality tends to prevail strategically over quantity but I won't impose this belief onto you, if you think 6 off is more strategic, then prove it and I'll vote for it if you win. There is no K, CP, or theoretical argument I will reject outright on principle. Some arguments are likely more theoretically legitimate than others (An uncondo K is probably pretty alright and 8 condo delay CPs may not be) and some arguments are certainly more true than others but what I think is irrelevant in context of what is said in the round. Whatever it is you decide to go for, I do believe "collapsing" is good and makes debates simpler and also that arguments should be explained in context of one another. That's to say, how does "straight-up" make sense of the K, how does theory make sense (or not make sense) of the Aff, so on and so forth. Framework is the most important aspect of debate (followed by links). Tell me what my role as a judge is or the role of my ballot is and precisely how I ought to use it. I want to do as little as possible when writing my ballot and want as much of the argument as possible to be framed and explained for me. You should understand the difference between defense and offense and recognize that defense does not independently win rounds. Defense can empower offense but is not sufficient in and of itself to overcome any offense which improves upon the status quo.
*As an updated addendum to this, I would strongly prefer not to vote on violations that are alleged to occur outside of a debate round.
** A second addendum on theory - in light of some rounds that have occurred in early 2023, I'm realizing that in a debate that collapses to theory where theory truly feels like a wash, I think I'm preferring to flip to the team that didn't go for theory. This means you should use theory with me in instances that truly feel abusive. This is not to say that I won't vote on potential abuse, but it is to say you better win your shell convincingly if you intend to collapse on potential abuse
On Speed:
In general, I don't mind speed. I used to debate quite quickly, I listen to every podcast in the world on 2.0, and one of my previous partners was probably one of the fastest there ever was. That said I don't think speed should be a tool of exclusion and I do think there is a point at which speed is used (especially in evidence style debates) as a tool to lazily "warrant" an argument by reading cards that don't say what you say they say in the tagline and just hoping no one notices. Obviously, you should slow down to read taglines but even when you're "spewing" out the actual card, it should be comprehensible. This is especially true in a world of online debate which can become particularly hard to understand. I've watched some judges in a panel be too afraid to clear/slow when no one can understand a word someone is saying (especially in online debate). To be clear: I am not afraid to clear/slow you. Clear means speak more clearly, slow means I need you to slow down. I'm much more likely to say clear than I am slow as I want to hear the merits of your cards so if the card becomes an issue in a debate I can actually hear what you read. I don't mind going back to read a card that is contested but I also think that as soon as I start spending time outside the round reading, I'm now being asked to input my interpretation of what I read and apply it to what the debaters said. This quickly begins to violate the so-called "path of least resistance" that most judges are looking for. As such, my preference is to evaluate what I understood and hopefully not have to go back and read. It's the responsibility of debaters to make sure that what they're arguing is understood by the judges to the maximum extent possible. Spewing out a card at a speed you can't handle without slurring your words does not accomplish this goal. You'll get a lot further spending your time making coherent arguments everyone can understand than you will spitting nonsense to make fake claims.
*As an addendum to this, this issue has gotten a lot worse since I first wrote my paradigm. And frankly, at the highest levels (CEDA), we now see debate starting to slow back down. Honestly, I'm starting to feel like this is my preference. I'm not going to punish anyone for spreading, and I don't need you to speak your case at 2mph, "2.0 podcast" is a pretty good speed. My highest priority is understanding. Look, we are talking about some really in-the-weeds ideas in some of these debates. Debate will inevitably bastardize almost any philosophy, but I think you're going to do a lot more just interpretation of it when you slow down enough to actually explain your position and how you resolve the issues in and out of round.
If you ask me for prep, I'm just going to run your time, it's up to you to keep track of how much you're using. Flex prep is fine, but if you're going to do it, please ask your opponent and establish it at the beginning of the round. I've had some debaters ask me if flex is OK after their opponent already used some or all of their prep and this seems unfair to me. If you make an argument in CX, make sure you actually put it on the flow during your speech time.
PLEASE provide me a copy of all texts (Plans, counterplans, perms, alts, interpretations, etc)
- Competed in PF and Public Speaking in HS
- jasminejw.park@mail.utoronto.ca
- Send me an email before/after rounds if you have questions; feel free to use this email for an email chain
- Minimal spreading is fine but if I can't understand you, it won't end up on my flow
- Clear taglines are helpful
- Tech > Truth
- Weigh in FF with voters!
- I don't flow crossfire; mention it in rebuttal/summary/FF if you want it to go on my flow
- If it takes you more than 5 minutes to find a card, you don't have it
- If you're asking for every single evidence and I don't see why you needed it, it won't benefit you
- Be respectful during the debate
Hi! My name is Sachi (she/her) and I did Public Forum at Quarry Lane for 4 years on the national circuit. I am now a freshman in college and coach for Quarry Lane. Add me to the email chain: spatel0275@gmail.com
-- UPDATE FOR JV POLICY, GBX/BERK --
I'm familiar with policy but don't have a super extensive background in it. I recommend using my PF paradigm below to understand my judging preferences -- the main principles are the same (weigh well, extend properly, send evidence promptly/adhere to prep time, etc.). For specifics, see the first half of this paradigm.
-- Public Forum --
**Send speech docs with cut cards for case and rebuttal BEFORE the speech. I have more tolerance for less experienced debaters, but if you're in JV/varsity and aren't doing this, your speaks will most likely be getting docked.
Tech > Truth
Good with speed as long as it's clear, if you’re going >250 wpm just send a doc. And please SIGNPOST.
Frontline in second rebuttal → If you don’t frontline defense on an argument you’re going for and your opponents extend that defense, I will evaluate it as conceded.
WEIGH!! very very very important. Make it comparative + the earlier the better, I look to the weighing debate first when evaluating rounds. Hearing smart, well-warranted weighing (clever link-ins, prereqs, short circuits, etc.) makes me happy.
Collapse if it is strategic (most of the time it is). This means collapsing on your own contentions/case args but also collapsing on responses on your opponent's case (Quality > Quantity). Note** I am fine with you dropping case and going for turns on their case. It's fun if you can pull it off well (please weigh).
GOOD EXTENSIONS MATTER. Fully extend case args w/ uniqueness, links, impacts, etc. and responses should be well implicated. This can be as simple as pre-writing case extensions and reading them in the back-half, but for some reason it is still poorly done, which is sad :(
Any offense you’re going for in final focus must be in summary. Defense is not sticky.
I don't really listen to cross, won't evaluate anything from cross unless it's brought up in a speech.
Feel free to postround me -- I think it's educational and am more than happy to elaborate on any part of my decision.
Progressive Args:
I will try my best! Generally lean towards disclosure good, paraphrasing bad but I won’t hack for either. I can probably evaluate a decent theory debate … anything outside of that realm run at your own risk.
Speaks:
Strategic round decisions = good speaks !
Not sending speech docs, stealing prep, being disrespectful = bad speaks :(
Finally, this goes without saying but don’t read arguments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. because they WILL NOT be evaluated and you will most likely get terrible speaks/get dropped.
Have fun!!!
Honestly just don't make me want to die during the round. You don't understand how many rounds I sit through wanting to die.
Hey! I'm Amrit (he/him) and I debated Public Forum for 4 years at the Quarry Lane School and am now a freshman at the University of Washington.
UPDATE FOR BERKELEY JV POLICY
I've never judged or debated policy. I did public forum so I have a basic understanding of debate, but treat me like a lay judge in policy.
Tech > Truth (If you make the argument that 1+1 = 3 and it is extended properly and not responded to, I will vote on it even though 1+1 = 2)
Add me to the email chain: 2005amrit@gmail.com
I expect all cards for both constructive and rebuttal speeches before the speech is given. Teams that don't do this will have their speaks capped at 27.
Things I like to see in round:
- Frontlining in second rebuttal
- Extending defense and arguments in Summary
- interacting with frontlines when extending defense, do not extend "thru ink"
- doing comparative weighing (explain WHY you o/w on magnitude, timeframe, severity, etc.)
- ^^this is what will decide rounds for me
- no new weighing in second FF, very minimal weighing in first FF, most of your weighing should come in summary (even better if it's in rebuttal)
Speaks:
- +0.5 if you read cut cards in case
- +0.5 if you are disclosed on the wiki with highlights and cites
- Automatic 30 if you read solely from cut cards in both rebuttal and constructive
Progressive:
Shells:
Familiar with most (Paraphrasing, Disclosure, TW) , I can't judge a full-fledged theory debate nearly as well as others so run at your own risk
Kritiques:
I know less than nothing about these, please do not run unless I'm the only judge on a panel who doesn't know them.
Jasmine Turnage
Arkansas State University - Jonesboro
Cabot High School Alumni
Mainly a PF/Congress Debater
tech > truth (in most cases)
hey guys! just a quick introduction- i’ve done multiple types of debate, barring LD, but i focus on PF and congress. I’m a recent grad from cabot high school where i was varsity pf captain and had competed in debate since freshman year. For the most part, you guys just do what you feel necessary within the round & everything will be groovy. If you want specifics, read below under the events.
General
I don't have a problem with aggressive, loud spoken debaters. I tend to be "aggressive" when arguing myself. BUT, always be respectful to everyone in the round. You don't need to talk over each other in cross. I love some good clash, but both teams yelling at each other doesn't impress me in the least.
For the most part I’m a flow judge, but I’m not going to flow the round for you. You tell me what you want on my flow and that’s what’ll be on the paper. ex: if you want me to cross-apply your answers, tell me. Im not here to assume.
Impact your arguments out -- make sure to weigh them against your opponents impact.
You should have a clear line by line. Reference cards if I need to pay attention to them.
Make sure to point out link/case turns.
speed is fine, but make sure it’s appropriate for the event.
i am tech> truth for the most part
Definitely give me voters & weighing. Otherwise, you leave it completely open for me to interpret what to vote off of - and that might end up in your favor & it might not.
Don't be rude, be respectful to judges/teammates/opponents/spectators. We're all here to have fun. If you're rude, disrespectful, or anything along those lines - your speaks will reflect that.
***Any disrespectfulness within the round towards anyone present will not be tolerated
Please check for your opponents pronouns before the round- and if they point them out, make sure to address them appropriately.
PF
I enjoy good, fun PF debates almost as much as I love Dr. Pepper. I'll judge on whatever you want - you guys just do what you think is best. If you use a framework, make sure to tie your arguments back to it and use it throughout the round. Again, make sure to line by line and point out things you want me to put on my flow. Extend arguments throughout the debate, make sure to weigh impacts. Summary should be the point where you articulate the most important arguments and start getting into some serious weighing. Final Focus should be voters and some final weighing.
If there are any conflicts with evidence, I'll call for the card. It shouldn't take you ten minutes to find it. You need evidence to prove what your saying, but keep in mind that analytics are pretty powerful too.
CX
I did policy for a year, so I understand the basics of it. My input on that is to run what you think you can do the best at. It’s been a hot minute since i’ve done policy, so bear with me. If you’re wanting some all knowing policy god, it’s probably best that you strike me as a judge if you can.
I want to be on the email chain -- turnaj1@cps.k12.ar.us
LD
I've never competed in LD, but I've seen rounds. I don't have a preference of traditional or progressive. If I end up judging you, its up to you what you decide to do. While I haven’t done LD, i’m definitely not oblivious to how it works- so ultimately just do whatever you’re comfortable with & what you think is best.... This ones kinda vague, so if you have questions or need clarification just email
Congress
honestly, this doesn’t really need an explanation. speak well, i enjoy the use of pathos- but not excessively. i will rank you on your overall participation within the round. Make me notice you- ask questions, use parli pro, and give some dang good speeches. have fun, this is always a learning experience and if you have questions- just ask.
also- i’m a firm believer that anyone breaking should be a well rounded delegate- by this i mean that they’ve been active and prominent within the session - asking questions, using parli pro, giving speeches. Also while quality > quantity is definitely true, don’t think you can just give one speech and be done because more than likely, that’s not going to earn you points in my book.
Speaks
Everyone starts @ 28.5. I see this as “average” and your speaks will go up or down from there. Don’t expect a 30 from me unless you are truly an exceptionally great speaker (for your division) I will be more lax about speaks with novice debaters. Again, any harmful speaking during the round will result in embarrassingly low speaks.
I do give RFDs - you should write them down. I might disclose the round, but that depends on the round, my flows, and the tournament.
In the end, have fun. Make it fun for everyone there.
Any questions - email me jasminelturnage@gmail.com
I am a mom of 3 and one of them is in public forum. I like proper understandable speaking. I do ask that you speak a little slower than you are used to so that I can understand. If you bring up complicated topics make sure you explain them to me and I also take some notes. I weigh mainly based off who wins the debate and I award based off skill. I also judge off your confidence. I don't time speeches.
Logistics
- if you debate without your computer auto 30 (in-person)
- if your tournament isn't running on Pacific Time, please be considerate on early rounds, it's super early out here
- if you are flight 2, preflow/flip/set up chains or docs before and be ready to start by the time flight 1 is over.
General
- Debate is a game so tech>truth
- Speed: go as fast as you want, if you’re going faster than I can process, I’ll yell clear once and then it’s on you. Also, the faster you go the more likely I am to miss something, so do that at your own risk
- Defense you want to concede should be conceded in the speech immediately after it was originally read
- a concession requires an implication of how the defense interacts with your argument not just "we concede to the delinks"
- I don't care if you sit or stand/wear formal clothes etc, all that doesn’t matter to me
- give trigger warnings- if another team does not feel comfortable with an argument, change it. you can argue whether trigger warnings are good/bad for debate/society, but don't proactively cause harm on someone else.
- defense isnt sticky
- Flex prep is cool and tag team speeches/CX is fine with me
- if ur down to skip grand for 30 seconds more prep (during the time of grand), i'm down
- absent any offense in the round, i'm presuming neg on policy topics and first on "on balance" topics
Case
- Have fun. Do whatever you want to do
- For reference, here’s the link to our circuit debater page to see the style of arguments my partner and I used to read. (Look for Kempner BS)
- I prefer framing arguments to be read in case, i.e extinction/structural violence authors.
Rebuttal
- Offensive overviews in second rebuttal are BS and as such, my threshold for responses will be lower
- I think you need to frontline in second rebuttal but do whatever you want to do, however,
- Anything not responded to in second rebuttal is regarded conceded
- Turns that are conceded will have 100% probability
Summary
- Caveat on turns. Like my friend Caden Day, I believe that If you extend a link turn on their case, you must also make the delineation of what the impact of that turn is otherwise I don't really know what the point of the turn is.
- case offense/ turns should be extended by author name, you'll probably get higher speaks if you do, it's a lot clearer for me
- do- “Extend our jones evidence which says that extensions like these are good because they're easier to follow"
- Dont do "extend our link"
- for an argument to be voteable I want uniqueness/ link/ impact to be extended
- please extend warrants, I don't want to have a flood of blippy and unwarranted claims on my flow at the end of your summary
- this also goes for arguments that are conceded
- First summary
- Defense should be extended but I’ll give slightly more lenience to your side if extended in final especially since the second speaking team already had a chance to frontline it twice. However at this point, it’s probably not terminal defense if it was originally, but it’ll at least mitigate their impact
- Second summary
- This is your side’s last chance to weigh, so if the weighing is not here then I will not evaluate any more weighing from your side
- Defense must also be extended
Final focus
- Just mirror summary, extend uniqueness, link and impact.
- Don't make new implications on something that was never heard before, it’s annoying for me to go look back and see if you really said that, plus it’s just abusive
Cross
- Cross is binding, just bring it up in a speech though
- I'm most likely not going to be paying attention during cross, so don't mind any nodding/movements from me
Evidence
- I know how bad evidence ethics are, however, I will only call for evidence if if the other team tells me to call for it
- If your opponents are just blatantly lying about a piece of evidence, call it out in speech and implicate what it means for their argument
- I’ve always been a firm believer that a good analytic with a good warrant beats a great empiric with no warrant. Use that to your advantage
- You’ll have a minute to pull the evidence your opponents called for before your speaks start getting docked
- Exception- the wifi is bad/something is paywalled and you have to go around it
Progressive stuff
- there are also a few hard rules when it comes to debate
- Speech times are set (4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2)
- Prep Time is set (3 minutes)
- I will vote for one team and one team only
- I will evaluate theory
- Shells I'd be more willing to vote on - Actual abuses that make sense (trigger warning, gendered language [I think this is more specific to competitors than to authors], DA's in second rebuttal)
- Shells I'd be less willing to vote on - Disclosure, paraphrasing, friv theory, 30 speaks
- if you read a small schools warrant and you're from a big school, you are getting a 25.
- Paragraph Theory works too, no need to get fancy if you don't need to.
- I err on the side of reasonability here, I think it's the only fair way for teams who aren't experienced with this stuff to be able to interact.
- I reserve the right to just not evaluate a shell.
Donts
- Spread on novices- I understand you want the dub but remember you were also there at one point and also what good is beating a novice team you could’ve beaten anyways by spreading
- This includes reading disclosure/progressive stuff on novices
- Be toxic- meaning, dont be an jerk during round in general, don't start yelling/cutting your opponents off etc
- Say something that’s blatantly racist/sexist/misogynistic/ xenophobic
- having moving target warrants that change from speech to speech
other events
- im probably not the best judge here, but most of the same norms apply (ask for specifics)
- if you are running progressive stuff, just slow down/explain and i should be fine, your signposting is gonna be insanely important
High Schooler
GOOD LOGIC OUTWEIGHS BAD CARDS
Few things I look for:
1. Rebuttals are responsive to the arguments
2. Be consistent, do not contradict your arguments
3. Only talk fast if you are able to speak clearly while doing so.
4. Do not misconstrue cards!
5. Summary should be very clear and interactive and MAKE SURE TO WEIGH IN BOTH SUMMARY AND FF.
I am okay with speed but don't go too fast
I weigh on the arguments that are strong and get cleanly extended
I won't weigh on some shady arguments without good evidence backing them up
Please state your taglines for each contention clearly.
I don't flow crossfire, so make sure you mention all your points/ideas during your speeches
I'll give extra points if u shut down your opponents but not in a bad/rude way