PF Debater for 4 years

I am very framework and evidence-oriented. Show me how your case supports your framework and why your evidence is relevant. Strong evidence is important, and I won't give a lot of weight to flimsy arguments. PLEASE EXTEND. Extend your arguments so I can give them the weight they deserve when deciding rounds.

Please keep things organized and go down the flow instead of jumping around. I can handle speed but I need to be able to keep up and flow everything. (Spreading won't get you very far with me) The easier I can read my flow, the easier I can understand you and your arguments. A roadmap before the speech is nice.

Although I did PF in high school, my knowledge and experience of Ks are limited, so you will need to thoroughly explain your arguments, but if properly fleshed out I can definitely understand.

Aggressiveness in a debate is expected and I don't mind it, just please be respectful of your opponents. Of course, discrimination or flat-out disrespect is unacceptable, so please be courteous.

I will be looking for which team can best identify the key points of clash in the round and demonstrate why they have won those points. Consequently, I would prefer to see quality of argument and depth of evidence and analysis on the key points rather than trying to drag all points through the round. (That doesn't mean drop things like crazy! It just means get clear on what's actually important to the debate and related to the resolution). I particularly dislike spreading; again, quality over quantity will win the round for me. I will also closely examine the wording of the resolution, so arguments that are not adequately linked to the resolution will not be considered.

LD- I’d like to see a value and a criterion

LD is Value Debate. Propositions of Value

CX is Policy Debate. Propositions of Policy

Debate:

I personally believe arguments should be made clear and understandable to viewers for the sake of accessibility. I am not a fan of jargon or the use of niche and specialized terms without at least a brief explanation that would be accessible to any viewer. Due to this, I do not perform judge intervention.

I am fairly easy going and while I do prefer professional attitudes, I'm much more concerned with the logistics and clarity of an argument than the fact that it was executed in a highly formal manner. So long as all participants are respectful, I prioritize skillful integration of factual knowledge and reasoning over presentation style.

Speech:

Pieces which are clearly products of much energy and effort are preferred. A high level of investment is appreciated, especially in the expression of physical, mental, and emotional engagement during performance. To me, pieces which show a clear dedication to embodiment and well-developed expression are very important. I will judge primarily based on level of perceived effortful piece development, energy/engagement during performance, as well as development of advanced elements such as physicality, character development, and execution of speech-specific skills.

I will adopt the debaters' paradigms and hear just about any type of argument as long as analytics are given to explain. I won't intervene by providing my own links or analysis if debaters just read cards at me.

Likewise, give me a framework and tell me how to weigh the round. In LD, I want this to be explicitly stated, even if it is a progressive framework. I'm fine with a non-traditional framework. Just explain it to me. In PF, the framework may or may not be explicitly stated, but I should be able to easily extrapolate a standard.

I like an LD 1AR/1NR or PF Rebuttal to be line-by-line, but feel free to tell me what you think is more important/has more weight in the round. I like LD 2AR/2NR to crystallize and give voters-not more line-by-line. Same with PF Summary and Final Focus.

It is imperative that debaters give voting issues and impact calculus linked back to the framework. If you don't, I'm stuck comparing argument to argument.

I am fine with both progressive debate and traditional debate. A bit of speed is fine, but I would prefer that it not rise to the rates in CX. I can follow you, but I'd prefer to have time to digest your arguments. Also, keep in mind that more isn't necessarily better. Be strategic. Introduce what you think you can reasonably handle. I'm fine with debaters kicking out of arguments. Funnel arguments down to what is really important and viable in the round.

About Me: I'm an attorney with a court of appeals. My job is basically to draft opinions in civil and criminal appeals for my judge. I competed in CX debate for 4 years. I also competed in DEX, FEX, and most drama categories at some point. I went to nationals in CX. I was the 2012 Oklahoma CX District, Regional, and State Champion.

TL;DR: I consider debate to be a game, which to me means two things: (1) I will not do your work for you, so tell me why you win; and (2) I will consider and vote on abuse-type arguments if you give me a good reason to do so. I prefer when debaters' arguments are intellectually consistent throughout the round.

I judge extemp using the standards on the ballot, which identifies several broad categories for evaluation. I score each category 0-10 and add up the total score. I also add a category for entertainment value, which I use only as a tie breaker. Highest score wins.

FOR ALL DEBATES:

In your last speeches, you should always make a big-picture argument why you should win the debate. If you can't tell me why should win, you probably shouldn't. I will not vote for a side solely because an argument was dropped or unanswered. The team making an argument has a continuing responsibility to explain (1) why it is true and (2) why it matters. If your opponent drops an argument, you may note that failure to respond and extend the argument through, but you should still make an argument that you're right and that I should care. For example, if an affirmative has two reasons why universal child care helps the economy, and the negative provides two reasons why universal child care is bad for the economy, and the aff never answers the negative's points, the negative still needs to explain why their two points are more persuasive than the aff's two points. The fact that the aff didn't respond gives your points more weight, but only if you say so.

FOR ANY DEBATE WITH CARDS:

Remember that I am judging how persuasive your argument is. Cards can provide some support for your argument, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient to make a winning argument. Unless the card is providing hard data, all it proves is that someone said something that you are now saying. It may be more or less helpful, depending on its credibility. For that reason, I AM NOT PERSUADED BY THE ARGUMENT, "WE HAVE A CARD, AND THEY DON'T, SO WE'RE RIGHT." Always justify the reasons why your argument is correct. If you can't explain your argument, I won't accept it. AND PLEASE DO NOT REFERENCE CARDS BY THE AUTHOR/DATE. Reference the claim (Heg is good/bad, universal child care works/doesn't work, Space Force good/bad, sneezing to the left causes nuclear war, whatever). I may have missed the author or not cared enough about the argument to write it down.

I'm also not a fan of judge intervention. If you feel that your opponents have been dishonest or have provided an incomplete card (either with text missing or an incomplete citation), make that argument in your speech, tell me why I should care, and I will review the card after the round if necessary. The only other circumstance where I will read cards after a debate is if the debaters dispute their contents. Please do not ask me to read a card after the round if you did not read it during your allotted speaking time. I will not read it, I will consider that an attempt to increase the amount of your speaking time, and I will dock your speaker points.

FOR PF DEBATES:

I'm looking for strong initial arguments that will be crystallized as the round goes on, and I expect your final speech to contain an explanation why you should win. I am looking for big picture arguments, so please don't get lost in the minute details. Explain, support, and defend each of your arguments. Show me how your argument applies to the topic, your position, your opponent's position and the impacts. I don't mind speed as long as you are clear; I hate speed if you're bad at speed.

FOR LD DEBATES:

I prefer traditional framework, with clear contentions and sign posting throughout the round. Remember that LD is value-based, so I will be looking for you to carry your Value/Criterion through the entire round and link all arguments back to this value. Your argument should have a solid framework to support it and it should be topical. I am looking for big picture arguments, so please don't get lost in the minute details. Explain, support, and defend each of your arguments. Show me how your argument applies to the topic, your position, your opponent's position and the impacts (and please name these clearly).

If you run counterplans (I guess counterplans are a thing in LD now?), remember that the neg's job is to negate the resolution. If your counterplan gives me no reason to reject the resolution, or if the aff makes a persuasive argument that adopting the resolution and the counterplan is possible (a perm, in policy debate), I probably won't vote neg on the counterplan.

FOR POLICY DEBATES:

You should slow down (a little) for taglines, authors, and important quotes in your cards. If you maintain a constant speed throughout your speech, I (and any other judge) will likely miss something.

Although I generally will let the debaters establish their own rules for the debate, here is some information on my voting history:

One-Off Negs: I typically do not vote for negative teams who make no effort to respond to the affirmative. If you ignore the 1AC, you'll probably lose. I emphasize "probably" because I have begrudgingly voted for one-off negs when the affirmative has responded poorly.

Topicality: Topicality debates should focus on standards and voters, which should be specific to your definition. In the past, I've voted negative when they've shown that the affirmative plan falls outside any definition that is fair, predictable, and flexible enough to accommodate a variety of topics. In those rounds, the negative has shown (1) their interpretation is reasonable, (2) the affirmative falls outside that definition, and (3) the affirmative's interpretation is unreasonable/bad for debate. I have never voted neg when they use a definition that is too restrictive (e.g., only x is topical) or when both teams have reasonable definitions. In other words, when the negative's argument came down to "our definition is better" rather than "our definition is good and their definition is bad," I have not voted negative on topicality.

Kritiks: If you feel confident in your Kritik, I will listen to it like any other argument. In my view, a winning Kritik is pertinent to the affirmative case and/or the resolution in general and has a clear, feasible alternative. If you run a K with an argument (CP, DA, etc) that contradicts the K, I won't like you. To be honest, I've rarely voted neg because of a K, mostly because negative teams tend not to run them well. If you don't understand the Kritik well enough to explain it, don't run it. Tip: If you've run a K to throw the other team, you've probably thrown yourself as well.

Counterplans: I've voted negative on counterplans that are competitive with the affirmative case and are mutually exclusive from it -- that is, counterplans that prove we should not adopt the resolution. I've never voted negative on a topical counterplan. That said, you are welcome to try.

Theory: Because debate is a game, I'll entertain theory. In the past, I've voted on theory only when one team has demonstrated that their opponent's strategy/argument is so abusive or unfair that it functionally derails the debate. I've voted aff on theory when the negative functionally ignores the 1AC and begins a new conversation. I've never voted negative on theory, but I've considered it when deciding whether to accept or reject a perm to a counterplan.

cameronmdecker10@gmail.com

TLDR: run whatever you want, i can handle progressive args and speed, im voting on the flow. dont be problematic.

PF: i did pf for four years so i would say i’m pretty experienced and can handle most arguments.

be respectful in round, i don’t really care if you get aggressive because i know it happens, just make sure your aggression doesn’t come off as disrespect to your opponents. if you do/say anything problematic (ie being racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) in round you’ll get dropped.

Framework: i'll vote on your framework as long as you extend it through every speech and actually use it to tie your impacts. if you just say our framework is x at the beginning of every speech im more likely to just judge the debate as if framework didnt exist. essentially, tell me why youre winning under your framework with each impact you extend throughout the ff and summary. also, if your framework just says "if we prove x and y then we win this debate" and x and y are literally just your first and second contention, then im just gonna drop the framework and default to either your opponents, or if they dont offer one then cost benefit analysis. its abusive to say that the only path to the ballot is through whatever your specific arguments are.

last thing on fw: if you do not clash with your opponents fw and just say "we're winning under my fw" or "our fw is better" im either going to default to the opponents framework or default to cost benefit analysis because at that point youre not debating youre just being repetitive.

Argumentation: i really dont care if you wanna run progressive arguments such as counterplans or kritiks, but im only gonna vote for you if you actually know what youre talking about and not just using it to catch your opponents off guard. that being said, my experience with Ks is somewhat limited, so if you run one, just explain it thoroughly

another note on Ks and CPs: if youre only attack against them is that "they arent allowed in pf" then youre gonna lose the round. just debate the argument.

besides that im open to any argument really.

Weighing: teams that quantify impacts are gonna win my ballot 99.9% of the time vs teams that dont quantify anything. quantifying is by far the easiest way to weigh impacts against each other. if no quantifiable impacts are brought in the round its basically impossible for me as a judge to pick a winner if its a close debate because at that point youre making me choose which argument i think sounds better.

besides quantifying, i really like impact calc. if you tell me that youre impacts have more probability, bigger magnitude, and a better timeframe then it makes it really easy for me to vote for you.

Speaks: generally ill give good speaks as long as no one is rude, like i said i dont mind aggression as long as its not rude or disrespectful. i also will give you better speaks not only based on actually speaking skill, but how well your argumentation is within your speech. if you get up and give an absolute banger rebuttal or summary, youll probably get a 30 assuming youre not being hateful in the round.

Speed: i dont mind speed, just dont full on spread, other than that if you wanna go fast thats fine with me. im giving you the benefit of the doubt that if i can keep up, then your opponent should be able to as well, however, that works both ways so if i lose track and cant understand you im gonna assume the opponents cant either.

other than that, i think this is a great activity that everyone should have fun with. dont be afraid to make jokes, smile, and enjoy yourself. thats what this activity is for imo.

LD: i never did LD but i did PF for four years and i was a pretty progressive debater so im gonna be able to keep up with any arguments. i dont mind speed, just dont full on spread unless you wanna let me have the evidence youre reading, other than that if you wanna go fast thats fine with me. im giving you the benefit of the doubt that if i can keep up, then your opponent should be able to as well, however, that works both ways so if i lose track and cant understand you im gonna assume the opponents cant either.

I have been judging regularly for about 15 years; and I am in my seventh year coaching Harding Charter Prep HS in Oklahoma City. I love every single event offered for competition. They are all valid. Memes hating on particular events are lame. Follow @hcpspeechdebate on Instagram and Twitter.

LD/PFD: I prefer quality of information and sources as well as clarity and presence of speakers over speed and quantity of information and sources. The more you can tell me about the qualifications of a source, the better I can weigh them. If you give a simple (Last Name/Year) tag, you can assume I know nothing about the author. I like to see your personality as a debater and jokes/lighthearted moments are welcome as long as they are within the scope of the topic. I dislike plans and policy-style approaches to Lincoln-Douglas debate; if you want to do Policy, there's a debate for that. I believe that the heart of Public Forum debate is that it should assume any judge is a lay judge and is more informal and free of debate jargon. Limit pre-case observations and don't place impossible burdens on your opponent. Be civil and professional during cross-examination or your speaker points are toast. Use cross-examination time to ask questions, not make another speech. Use your speech time and prep time! Your constructive speeches should be as close to memorized as possible. I want to see you speaking/debating, not just reading. Cases on paper vs on a laptop gain an automatic advantage. Have fun!

Big Questions: Please, please, please read the Format Manual. Then read it again. Use the Format Manual as evidence in round if you need to. Please let this thing have a chance to become its own thing before we drown it in the other debate sauces.

Policy: If I am judging round round, I apologize in advance. Something has gone awry at this tournament and I am a kind-hearted person with a semi-functioning brain that has been put in to prevent the round starting hours late. We'll make it through this together. I'm probably not gonna disclose unless tab forces me to.

Congress: Don't read word-for-word pre-written speeches. You should have an outline. Pay attention to the whole of the round, not just sitting there prepping for when you are going to talk. Keep questions concise.

World Schools: Requests for POIs should rise/raise as often as needed but don't be a pest about it. You are at the discretion of the speaker. Avoid debate jargon. Rely on reason and logic. Appeal persuasively. Prop arguments should do their best to prove the resolution beyond a shadow of a doubt. Opposition arguments should be about broad rejection of the resolution, not just finding an outlier to say that one example is representative of all.

Final Thoughts: This activity is for education. Winning and excellence should always be celebrated, but not the only goal. Remember that Words Matter and Words have Power. Respect the purpose of the Pronouns and name pronunciation options in Tabroom. The NSDA has worked hard to be inclusive. Don't abuse that. #NotGarbagePeople

Hello,

I am a student at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to college, I competed in speech and debate events for 8 years. My main events were LD, PF, DEX (a little FEX), PO, PR, SO and I went to nationals for world schools debate.

What I look for in debate rounds:

Civility. If you can not be civil in the round, you are not truly debating. It is okay to be passionate, but it is not okay to be rude.

Clarity. I do not want to struggle to understand you, your point, or what you are referring to.

What I look for in speech events:

Emotion. I want to feel something. If it's a humorous piece, I want to laugh. If it is dramatic, I want to feel the sorrow.

Quality selection. If you are doing a piece or a topic I have heard a million times, chances are you are not the best rendition I've ever heard. If you are doing a piece and someone else in the room is doing a similar one you will automatically be pitted against each other, so be wary of using common pieces/authors.

Overall, have fun. If you care about what you are doing, I promise it will show.

Best of luck.

I mostly judge Lincoln Douglas, but I have coached all events offered by the NSDA and the OSSAA. I was the coach at Cascia Hall from 2007-2021 and have worked at the Tulsa Debate League since 2023.

I am more comfortable with a more traditional style of debate, but will make my best effort to judge the round in front of me, even if it isn't stylistically what I am most comfortable with. That being said, no matter what style you prefer, debate is pretty much the same. Tell me how to make an evaluation and then tell me why you win under that evaluation.

If you have more specific questions, I'm happy to answer them before the round begins if all competitors are present.

I absolutely love the framework debate, please explain to me how I know your impacts achieve your framework. FRAMEWORK IS HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO VOTE IN THE ROUND.

I am comfortable with all forms of arguments: K's, Counterplans and plans, Theory, Reverse voting issues, ETC. Just explain yourself and don't assume I know the literature.

If you exhibit any discrimination towards your opponent or me it will be extremely difficult for you to get a ballot from me.

I appreciate a good speaker and someone who stays confident, NEVER GIVE UP any solid argument could persuade me to vote for you

Good Luck!

Quick Overview

I will vote on about anything. Debate how you do best! Btw, automatic 30 speaks if you run Anthro. Btw, will probably vote you down(?) if you run any sort of death good stuff.

Disadvantages

I think Disads are great. Specific links are preferred but I'll let generic ones slide as long as you explain to me how the aff comes within link ground. PLEASE HAVE AN INTERNAL LINK CHAIN.

Counterplans

I love case-specific counterplans! Please have a solvency advocate. Net Benefit(s) to the CP are preferred.

PICs: I'm not a fan of PICs but I will totally vote for them if either team is winning it.

Kritiks

Again, specific links are preferred. Please explain your alt in the round.

K Affs: The aff should be specific and relevant to the topic and have a viable alternative/solvency mechanism. Neg: I'll totally vote on T/FW if you run it and win it.

Literature: If you don't know if I'm familiar with the lit you'll be running, just ask me.

Topicality

I love topicality. Voting issues should impacted out and applicable to the debate. Also, I DO like RVI's and I WILL vote on them as long as you prove actual abuse and impact it in round.

Case

Love it!

Framework/Framing

Tell me why one is a better/worse model for debate and why I should prefer it in round.

Extra/Misc. Stuff

Speed - I'm cool with it. Just be clear and slower on your tags or analysis. I'll tell you to clear if needed. For online debates, probably slow down a little.

Cross-Ex - I'm fine with open or closed, as long as both teams agree. If open, both partners should participate at some point in the debate. DON'T be rude in cross-ex.

Time - Please try and time yourselves. Ask me ahead of speech time if you can time yourself or if you forgot how much prep you have.

Prep time - I don't normally count flashing as prep unless it just gets stupidly long. Don't ghost prep.

Speaker Points - I will CRUSH your speaker points and give you a hella quick 25 if you're rude to your opponent, partner, or me. I will CRUSH your speaker points if you are caught card-clipping, and probably get you DQ'd too lol.

Pronouns - He/him. If any debater in the round has preferred pronouns, please make that clear to me and every competitor in the room.

"ism" - I DO NOT want to see any examples of racism/sexism/classism/etc. in round, it is not cool at all. However, don't call somebody out for any "ism" if it's not true, that's inversely rude.

Evidence - If I need to see a piece of evidence for my clarity, or because it was heavily contested in round, I'll ask for it

RFD - I might take a minute or two to write out my RFD, just be patient, I don't care if y'all chat. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about my RFD.

Email Chain - If you are using the chain, I'd like to be included @ damian.g.hernandez02@gmail.com

If you have any other questions, ask me before round, I'll answer!

Finally, it's debate, you joined for a reason. Have fun and learn something!

PF debater for 2 years with a some experience in LD.

What I am okay with:

- Progressive debate (K’s, Theory, Tech, etc)

- Spreading (IF you flash me your files)

- Yes you can time yourself

- Off-case arguments

Framework is obviously always important, but I do heavily focus on the contention level debate. Tell me how to weigh the round or I'm going to go off of straight impact calculus. Keep things organized and easy to follow on the flow because I am a flow orientated judge. Also, MAKE SURE TO EXTEND.

About Me: I'm Bailey McBride (she/her), and I'm the marketing and communications manager for a beverage distribution company. I competed in LD and PF debate for 4 years of high school (Bishop Kelley, OK), and was the 2007 Oklahoma LD State Champion and a top 5 finisher in DEX. I went to Nationals in Student Congress. I also competed in DEX, FEX, and all drama categories at some point in that time. I debated 3 years in college (University of Arkansas).

FOR LD DEBATES:

I prefer a traditional framework, with clear contentions and signposting throughout the round. Remember that LD is value-based, so I will be looking for you to carry your Value/Criterion through the entire round and link all arguments back to this value. Your argument should have a solid framework to support it and it should be topical. I am looking for big picture arguments, so please don't get lost in the minute details or you will lose me. Explain, support, and defend each of your arguments. Show me how your argument applies to the topic, your position, your opponent's position, and the impacts (and please name these clearly). Please speak at a reasonable speed for me to flow by hand--if you go too fast, I will miss your argument and can't consider it in my final decision. If you get into a back and forth about "cards" and waste your time on that over the greater issue of the round, I will not consider that compelling. Please have voting issues.

FOR PF DEBATES:

Public Forum debate should be conversational, respectful, and engaging. I'm looking for strong initial arguments that will be crystallized as the round goes on, and will flow through anything that is not addressed by Summary. I am looking for big picture arguments, so please don't get lost in the minute details or you will lose me. Explain, support, and defend each of your arguments. Show me how your argument applies to the topic, your position, your opponent's position, and the impacts (and please name these clearly). Please speak at a reasonable speed for me to flow by hand--if you go too fast, I will miss your argument and can't consider it in my final decision.

I don't have a lot of experience with progressive LD, not as much as much as most circuit judges that you will run into, but as long as you articulate and explain your argument well enough, I should be able to understand it. I am somewhat conflicted with spreading in LD, so I am a bit susceptible to arguments against it in general but if both debaters are fine with it then feel free to go all out. I will say clear 2 times before i stop flowing you all together. I usually am pretty kind when it comes to speaker points, as long as a debater does not say something racist, homophobic, transphobic, or sexist. I do not want to see any attempts to exclude your opponent from the debate space. Develop clear, concise arguments, provide evidence for those arguments, signpost and apply your arguments and have fun.

LD: I'm pretty traditional. I like values and criteria and evidence and clash. If you read a K or a bedtime narrative, I will stop flowing the round and take a nap. I have a speed threshold of "don't" and if you could please keep the jargon to a minimum, that would be great. Theory is cool, in theory, but it shouldn't be an entire framework. I like long walks on the beach, and a good tennis match. Also, don't shake my hand at the end of the round.

PF: Um....win more arguments than the other team. Go. Fight. Win.

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquity of the selfish and the tyranny of evil man. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger upon those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers, and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!

-Ezekiel 25:17

General:

• Be respectful, but don't waste your time asking your opponents for permission for things like the first question.
• This means treading the fine line of being aggressive and respectful.
• I like to see crystal clear clash on the flow. Please when framing rebuttals go in order down the flow. Do not bounce around.

Value/Criterion

• Provide clear links between your value and criterion and the rest of your case.
• At the end of the day your value and criterion are most important to me in LD. I want to see clear links and evidence upholding those.

ABSOLUTLEY NO SPREADING.

I prefer speechdrop but here is my email for document sharing/evidence chains if you need it:betty.stanton@jenksps.org

I'm the head coach of a successful team, and have been coaching for 18 years. I did CX in high school so long ago that Ks were new, and I competed in college.

LD: I'm a very traditional judge. I like values and criteria and analysis and clash. I want framework debate to actually mean something.

PF: I’m a very traditional judge. If the round becomes a very short CX round instead of a PF round, we have a problem. I want evidence and actual analysis of that evidence, and I want actual clash.

CX: I can handle your spread and I will vote where I'm persuasively told to with the following exceptions: 1) I have never voted on T. I think it's a non-starter unless a case is so blatantly non-topical that you can't even see the resolution from it. That's not to say it isn't a perfectly legitimate argument, it's just to say that I will probably buy the aff's 'we meet's and you might have better uses for your time than camping here. 2) If you run a K, you should firmly and continuously advocate for that K. 3) I, again, will always prefer actual clash in the round over unlinked theory arguments.

General Things ~

Don't claim something is abusive unless it is.

Don't claim an argument was dropped unless it was.

Don't advocate for atrocities.

Don't be a jerk to your opponents (This will get you the lowest speaker points possible. Yes, even if you win.)

I am a traditional LD judge who participated in Speech & Debate when I was in high school. I make my judging decisions based off clear, reliable evidence provided during the round. I also weigh my decisions heavily upon the ability of the debater to uphold their value/criteria. I appreciate clear speaking at a reasonable pace.

"I may not be smart enough to debate you point-for-point on this, but I have a feeling that about 60% of what you say is crap" - David Letterman

I am the definition of the "citizen judge" in regards to adjudicating PF. I did not do debate while in high school (I focused on DEX as my primary event, but did on occasion do an interpretative event as well). I come to NSDA mainly as an amazingly proud parent who was blessed to watch his daughter shine in PF and DEX for four years. And for those of you that have taken the time to review these paradigms, thank you for your participation in NSDA. You are a rock star and my sincere congratulations for your achievements at any level - whether just starting out to participation in Nationals.

YOU - just as you are - are a rock star. Every one of you is worthy - just exactly the way you are and how you perform. If you take nothing else out of this paradigm, know that you are seen and I admire you for who you are and what you do - exactly as you are right at this moment.

Debate - My judging style for rounds is very simple - make your argument to the best you can. Convince me. Refute your opponents. Present your evidence. Don't drop anything that is truly important in a debate case. I know you know the arguments (and - you know the positions and the arguments better than the judges. We all know. We don't say it - but we know.) Part of what we all need to learn to live in this world is that each side comes at things from a different perspective. We don't need theatrics, drama, all of that - we just need to be able to clearly communicate where we are coming from and convince people. That is the paradigm of how I base my decision.

Extemp - Relax and take a breath. Have a solid introduction, restate the question and then tell us what you know. Cite references. Be clear. Restate the points at the end and have a conclusion that ties it together. The best extemp speeches are ones where I learn something I didn't know about before - whatever you know about the topic is enough, just share it with us.

Interpretative - I'm sorry - I wish I was better at these. Whatever your discipline - be you. If it is HI, show me your joyful side. If it is DI, show me the dramatic version of yourself. I will judge on the requirements of the event as a primary basis of decision - after that, it is how much you put into the performance. The best performances have left me laughing and in tears (both for the right reasons) - that kind of emotion is in each of you. Share it with us during the performance.

Congratulations for being a member of the speech and debate family and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Brian Welborn

This will be my 2nd ear judging. Being relatively new to judging, I really appreciate when the flow of the debate or forum is clearly called out (i.e. contentions, subpoints, voting issues). If I have to guess whether or not a competitor clearly rebutted a contention, or is stating a voting issue, I often assume it was not addressed.

I have experience at state finals level competition in high school and have judged for many years. I am a government lawyer and policymaker by profession who works on equity and racial justice issues in housing, urban planning, and financial services.

I generally default to stock issues unless I am persuaded to adopt another paradigm, which I will do if the round goes to a place where that is not a fair framework to apply. If that's the case, please crystalize the voting issues and framework you want me to apply.

I prefer to vote on impacts, framework, or philosophy when I can rather than minor dropped cards or minor procedural abuse arguments unless those issues are significant. Dropped arguments of course are inherently significant.

I will keep up with spreading if it is clear and well sign-posted.

There is a line between aggressive, strong debating for your position and rude and dismissive behavior to the other team which I like to see respected.

Please add me to the email chain: jwwylie@gmail.com

I did PF for three years, becoming a state champion my senior year. I'm currently a sophomore at Princeton.

Just some general rules

Don't be mean. There's a difference between being aggressive in cross-fire and being mean, don't be mean.

Don't lie or misconstrue your evidence. I'll probably read evidence if you ask me to, and if I feel like you're stretching something then I'll probably call for the card at the end of the round.

About cross-fire: I generally don't flow cross-fire, but if something spicy is mentioned I'll jot it down. If you're witty you'll get some speaker points, but there's a big difference between being witty and being mean. Mean bad, Witty good.

Truth over Tech any day of the week, especially in PF. Something that will really help in clarifying how you win in that regard is by weighing your arguments in the context of magnitude, probability, and time-frame. I loooove impact calculus, really gets me up in the morning. That being said, don't just tell me that your argument is more probable, rather tell me why it is more probable.

I think PF is at its best whenever it is focused. Don't bring up some argument that has been ignored the whole round back up again in final focus. If it really is an important point then bring it up continuously in your speeches.

There's a lot of value in telling me why your evidence is better than your opponents, especially whenever they say opposite things. Also if you have a DOPE piece of evidence tell me why its a goldmine.

Overall I think debate is a fun time where we should learn a lot from. If I walk out of a round and don't learn anything, then there's a problem. If you can provide some unique analysis that provides an impact that makes me really care about the topic, then you've done a fantastic job.

Policy Debate:

I am certified and currently teach/coach policy debate and have for the past 5 years. I participated in speech events when I was in school and love nerding out over good speeches and logic.

Speed:

Speaking fast just to get your evidence in is not high quality debate, but this is my opinion. Speaking well, flowing, and with confidence will get you much farther.

Flex Prep

No.

Arguments

Stock issues should all be addressed and upheld.

Each negative position tests the validity of the affirmative. Don’t drop an argument. Even if you feel like you answered it before, always answer it in the ending AR.

Topicality: Don’t rely on it. Justify the impact of topicality

Your argument doesn’t directly influence your speaker points - This is based on how well you convey your augment and confidence in speech.

Theory: While theory is fine, I would much rather see a debate on logic and advantages of policy.

CP: Fine, but still must prove why CP and Aff plan cannot coexist and why your plan has am adv over neg and how.

I do not take points off for speed; however, I do take points off for a lack of clarity. A speech impediment or obvious pre-existing condition will also not count against a debater.