November Potomac Intramural
2021 — MD/US
Public Forum Judges Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideEmail Jororynyc@gmail.com
Perry Hs
ASU Finance
Assistant LD coach at Peninsula, 2023-Present
Cleared at the Toc.
Alot of the way I think comes from Amber Kelsie, Jared Burke, Tay Brough and Raunak Dua - LD thoughts from Elmer Yang and Gordon Krauss.
Condense the debate to as few arguments as possible and have good topical knowledge.
Mostly read K arguments - Some policy arguments on the neg. Some Affs had plans.
I am bad for Phil or Trix.
FW: Fairness is an impact,
I also have an increasingly higher threshold for K debate because most of it done in LD is bad.
I wont flow until 1NC case so I can read evidence. I also have no problem telling you I did not understand what you said if its not explicit by the last speech.
Elkins '20 | UH'24
Email: ali.asif0221@gmail.com
You MUST send cases to aliasif12345123@gmail.com before the round begins.
I did extemp for four years on my local circuit and now do parliamentary debate for my college.
Truth over Tech
I CANNOT keep up with speed.
I have experience judging PF rounds in my high school so I'm pretty sure I know what is going on.
CROSSFIRE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF DEBATE!!!
***Auto 30s if you text 832-420-0810 saying "Shery carried you to radiant."
Please speak clear and not too fast. No arguments, enjoy debate where ideas/opinions are shared by each team.
I am very specific about time management. Lastly, I look at the individual and team knowledge on debate topic. How well you communicate, summarize the topic & persuasive.
Please refer to everyone involved in the round gender-neutrally unless otherwise stated by a participant or judge.
CX TEAMS: START THE EMAIL CHAIN AS SOON AS ALL DEBATERS ARE IN THE ROOM.
Yes, include me. My email is: amber@lamdl.org
high school debate: crenshaw high school ( policy )
college debate: st. john's university ( BP )
currently: i'm usually in someone's tab. as such, i'm not keeping up with current arguments, authors, strats etc. assume i'm used to your evidence at your own risk.
--
hi i'm amber (they/them) and i want you to have fun and learn new things. debates are for learning, not for whoever gets to nuclear war fastest. tech issues aren't considered prep, but do not abuse this.
on flowing:
I HAVE TINNITUS AND CANNOT HEAR MONOTONE READERS.
I HAVE TINNITUS AND CANNOT HEAR MONOTONE READERS.
I HAVE TINNITUS AND CANNOT HEAR MONOTONE READERS.
I HAVE TINNITUS AND CANNOT HEAR MONOTONE READERS.
I HAVE TINNITUS AND CANNOT HEAR MONOTONE READERS.
you have GOT to put inflections, emphasis etc in your speeches otherwise i WILL NOT be able to hear, understand, and flow you. if you pick up nothing else from this paradigm, absorb this and invest in practices that will allow you to be a clear and impactful reader.
you have one instance of me saying "Clear" in round before i stop flowing.
i flow args not authors most of the time. EXTEND YOUR ARGS. TELL ME WHAT THEY'RE REPLYING TO. "judge, extend our brooks '03" tells me nothing. where am i putting that? what is it answering? how is it relevant? if i have to answer those questions myself, there's an issue. you want me to do as little intervention in the back as possible-- tell me exactly where you want something flowed, that way at the end of the round we can be assured that my decision is based off of what you all debated for me, not my own opinions or biases.
POLICY basics:
1. I DO NOT FLOW FROM SPEECH DOCS. i flow what i hear, which means speak up, speak clearly, and if you're tempted to double breathe, don't. it's distracting and doesn't actually help you debate better or faster. if you go silent while you spread, don't. i have tinnitus in BOTH ears, i will stop flowing if you become unintelligible. you have one instance of me saying "Clear" in round before i stop flowing.
2. do not read theory at me. your speaks will reflect you reading theory at me poorly
3. keep your flows organized-- the easiest way to do that is by sign posting ("next", "and", "now onto" are perfect phrases for keeping the pace of a speech while still allowing the judge time to switch flows).
4. for neg teams in particular: do not prioritize reading a thousand args in the 1NC over 1-2 actual strategies. i will not reward you for wasting aff and MY time. do not play with me on this.
5. Do Not Read Theory At Me.
6. If you're nonblack and running Black args, 1) your reasoning had better be solid 2) i'm giving 24s and below to whoever does it poorly. using antiblackness, afropess and other Black args as "gotchas!" against teams in rounds IS in itself antiblack, and i'm not going to listen to the commodification of Blackness for a ballot. if your strategy needs to change because of this, you also need to be evaluating why you had those args in your arsenal in the first place.
tldr:
- read clearly and loudly, or i will not flow your speech. don't read theory at me. don't read bad Ks at me. your speaks will reflect you reading things poorly at me. don't read Black args if you're not Black, as 'gotchas' against your opponents; i will break tabroom giving you the lowest possible speaks.
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LD BASICS:
if you want to have an in depth, hardcore theory or k debate, i am not the judge for you. don't do it to yourself or to me. generally i'll evaluate most arguments fairly; if a team can explain and convince me to vote for them, and the flow matches, that's all i really need to give a ballot. that being said, i don't regularly judge LD so my ear is NOT trained to y'all's jargon and whatnot. in case you didn't read above, i have tinnitus in both ears and need you to SLOW DOWN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR SPEECH. enunciate anything of importance; no, that doesn't mean your whole speech lmao (unless you're going for high speaks, bc yes i will award higher speaks to whoever enunciates and emphasizes arguments in their speeches).
T: i don't like T debates, but i'll give them a fair evaluation!
larp v larp: sure, go for it
larp v k: i'll be honest, i'll probably lean larp here if the k team doesn't properly explain or defend themselves
k v k: please god do not do this to us. i mean it. it will be an unpleasant round for everyone involved.
disclosure: fairness is an impact but don't take this to an extreme.
no RVIs: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
friv. theory: if it's truly frivolous, no i'm not voting on it. i'll evaluate every argument given in the debate, but it NEEDS to have a basis in truth, or be proven not an absolute waste of debate time.
I am excited to be judging, I competed here all 4 years of high school so I have ample experience with this tournament. I was a varsity debater and completed in numerous tournaments such as Bronx and Harvard. I am a current student at UF studying psychology and PR.
For the round please speak clearly and at a rate at which everything you said can be fully understood. In the case of spreading, I will automatically reward the opposing team because I do not appreciate it when the argument can not be successfully understood by all parties. I do not like rudeness or yelling in any way towards your opponent and expect a civil round. I vote based on my flow so please extend all arguments throughout the round. I expect all competitors at this level to time themselves.
First time judge here but I have been listening to enough debate rounds from my high school kid
You don't need to speak super fast.. make sure you are clear and provide a quick summary towards the end of your speech.
Please be respectful. Debate is supposed to be fun. If you are rude or bully, your team will suffer.
No harm to crack one joke here and there, make sure those jokes are appropriate. You will gain 1 brownie point if you make your speech fun and convincing.
Most importantly, enjoy the process. This is just the beginning of your debate journey. Pay attention to what your opponents say. Take notes! I can guarantee you will get better each round.
Parent judge - please speak slowly and absolutely no spreading. I prefer to see cases with a value and value criterion and make your contentions very clear. I don't know much about this topic so please make your cases simple and easy to understand. Have fun!
7/10 on speed, so long as your tags are clear, you're not using speed to obfuscate or misrepresent evidence, and voters are delivered intelligibly.
Policy: I am most comfortable judging a stock-issues oriented policy round. In particular, solvency arguments can be decisive. Generic DAs are fine, but a specific link to the 1AC will always be more compelling. K's are fair game as well, but I tend to want a more specific link for a K than a DA. Common Ks like the Cap K or Fem K are exceptions to this - those Ks are common enough that the Aff should be prepared to debate them regardless. I take a tabula rasa approach to any question surrounding the "role of the ballot," so if you win ROB in a particularly favorable fashion, it can set you up very nicely.
LD: I am extremely comfortable evaluating framework arguments. I prefer a Value/Criterion framing structure for LD, but won't complain if you do something different, so long as you meet the resolution (assuming it isn't a K aff - I tend to view Ks as Neg ground).
General: I expect a bit more than simply regurgitating pieces of evidence. Analysis isn't necessary for every piece of evidence, but if there is a string of cards building some sort of overarching argument, one or two sentences wrapping it up shouldn't be too much to ask. This is especially true for any rebuttals!!
There is almost no chance of me voting for an RVI, unless there is a case of in-round abuse.
Hi I'm a junior at Winston Churchill HS and have about 4 years of PF experience.
Contact: xzz7446@gmail.com
Don't be too speedy I'm lowk bad at flowing
I like warranting, good extensions, and collapsing
No sticky defense
Comparative weighing is awesome
Tech > truth
Off time road maps>> (overviews: tell me where)
Pls signpost thanks
I don’t flow cross
Pls no prog args bad idea
I won't read cards unless its contested in round and you tell me to
10 second grace period?
Questions :) Postrounding >:(
Speaks based on eloquence and how well you handled the flow. +1 speaks if you bring me a chocolate milkshake. -1 if it arrives warm.
If you have any questions feel free to ask before round or even during round.
Have fun!!!!!!!!!
Welcome!
Below are some fast facts about how I will be judging and my background in this field:
Judging Experience: None. However, I have experience evaluating students through private tutoring, therefore I am familiar with judging students to an extent. Additionally, I have very basic knowledge of the topics at hand today, but I will do my best to articulate the arguments that are being formed for each round.
Some aspects I am looking for while judging (these aspects are not in any order of importance):
1. Present your point(s) with conviction and deliver them with supporting evidence.
2. I will be monitoring how strong your arguments/premises are (i.e. through how strong your evidence is, how impactful the argument is, and more).
2. Be mindful of the time; I will be having a timer running and when time is up, I will announce it.
3. Present your point(s) clearly and concisely at a reasonable speed.
Some other preferences (again, not in any order of importance):
1. I will not bring in any arguments from other rounds/debates/outside sources. My decision will solely be based on your arguments and your debate alone.
2. All arguments are fair game - but please be respectful to one another and the judges!
3. Have fun! This is an intellectual battle and may the team with the best arguments win.
I value good speeches that use rhetorical devices (ethos, logos, and pathos) paired with good statistical evidence. Speaker points will reflect the quality of speeches. I give speaker points in the range of 28 - 30.
Be culturally component and aware of your privileges when making general statements, truly try to understand someone else's experience before conducting a stereotype.
I'm a parent volunteer and have been judging tournaments since 2020. I value substance over style and logic over emotion. I'm fine with spreading, but I still appreciate effective intonation and articulation.
I aim to be transparent with my decisions and welcome any questions.
I appreciate all the hard work you put into this and look forward to meeting you.
nathan.gong@utexas.edu / I prefer tabroom fileshare though
I qualified to the TOC three times for LD, debated twice, and cleared once (as Plano East and Plano Independent)
Read good quality evidence, be clear, compare arguments, and ballot paint!
Stop talking early when possible - I don't want to hear a 6 minute speech when a theory shell was conceded.
I can tell you speaker points after round if you want
Don't read evaluate after X
Quick update for online: I will try to keep my camera on so you can see my reactions, but if my internet is slowing down and hurting the connection, I’ll switch to audio only. For debaters, just follow the tournament rules about camera usage, it doesn’t matter to me and I want you to be comfortable and successful. I will say clear or find another way to communicate that to you if need be. If at all possible, do an email chain or file share (and include your analytics!!) so we can see your speech doc/cards in case technology gets garbled during one of your speeches (and because email chains are good anyway). We’re all learning and adjusting to this new format together, so just communicate about any issues and we’ll figure it out. Your technology quality, clothes, or any other elements that are out of your control are equity issues, and they will never have a negative impact on my decision.
TLDR I am absolutely willing to consider and vote on any clear and convincing argument that happens in the round, I want you to weigh impacts and layer the round for me explicitly, and I like it when you're funny and interesting and when you’re having fun and are interested in the debate. I want you to have the round that you want to have—I vote exclusively based on the flow.
If you care about bio: I’m a coach from Oregon (which has a very traditional circuit) but I also have a lot of experience judging and coaching progressive debate on the national circuit, so I can judge either type of round. I’ve qualified students in multiple events to TOC, NSDA Nats, NDCA, has many State Championship winners, and I’m the former President of the National Parliamentary Debate League. See below for the long version, and if you have specific questions that I don't already cover below, feel free to ask them before the round. I love debate, and I’m happy to get to judge your round!
Yes, I want to be on the email chain: elizahaas7(at)gmail(dot)com
Pronouns: she/her/hers. Feel free to share your pronouns before the round if you’re comfortable doing so.
General:
I vote on flow. I believe strongly that judges should be as non-interventionist as possible in their RFDs, so I will only flow arguments that you actually make in your debates; I won't intervene to draw connections or links for you or fill in an argument that I know from outside the round but that you don't cover or apply adequately. That’s for you to do as the debater--and on that note, if you want me to extend or turn something, tell me why I should, etc. This can be very brief, but it needs to be clear. I prefer depth over breadth. Super blippy arguments won't weigh heavily, as I want to see you develop, extend, and impact your arguments rather than just throw a bunch of crap at your opponent and hope something sticks. I love when you know your case and the topic lit well, since that often makes the difference. If you have the most amazing constructive in the world but then are unable to defend, explicate, and/or break it down well in CX and rebuttals, it will be pretty tough for you if your opponent capitalizes on your lack of knowledge/understanding even a little bit.
Arguments:
I’m pretty standard when it comes to types of argumentation. I've voted for just about every type of case; it's about what happens in round and I don’t think it’s my right as a judge to tell you how to debate. Any of the below defaults are easy to overcome if you run what you want to run, but run it well.
However, if you decide to let me default to my personal preferences, here they are. Feel free to ask me if there's something I don't cover or you're not sure how it would apply to a particular debate form, since they’re probably most targeted to circuit LD:
Have some balance between philosophy and policy (in LD) and between empirics and quality analytics (in every debate form). I like it when your arguments clash, not just your cards, so make sure to connect your cards to your theoretical arguments or the big picture in terms of the debate. I like to see debates about the actual topic (however you decide to interpret that topic in that round, and I do give a lot of leeway here) rather than generic theory debates that have only the most tenuous connections to the topic.
For theory or T debates, they should be clear, warranted, and hopefully interesting, otherwise I'm not a huge fan, although I get their strategic value. In my perfect world, theory debates would happen only when there is real abuse and/or when you can make interesting/unique theory arguments. Not at all a fan of bad, frivolous theory. No set position on RVIs; it depends on the round, but I do think they can be a good check on bad theory. All that being said, I have voted for theory... a lot, so don't be scared if it's your thing. It's just not usually my favorite thing.
Framework debates: I usually find framework debates really interesting (whether they’re couched as role of the ballot arguments, standards, V/C debates, burdens, etc.), especially if they’re called for in that specific round. Obviously, if you spend a lot of time in a round on framework, be sure to tie it back to FW when you impact out important points in rebuttals. I dislike long strings of shaky link chains that end up in nuclear war, especially if those are your only impacts. If the only impact to your argument is extinction with some super sketchy links/impact cards, I have a hard time buying that link chain over a well-articulated and nicely put together link chain that ends in a smaller, but more believable and realistically significant impact.
Parli (and PF) specific framework note: unless teams argue for a different weighing mechanism, I will default to net bens/CBA as the weighing mechanism in Parli and PF, since that’s usually how debaters are weighing the round. Tie your impacts back to your framework.
Ks can be awesome or terrible depending on how they're run. I'm very open to critical affs and ks on neg, as a general rule, but there is a gulf between good and bad critical positions. I tend to absolutely love (love, love) ones that are well-explained and not super broad--if there isn't a clear link to the resolution and/or a specific position your opponent takes, I’ll have a harder time buying it. Run your Ks if you know them well and if they really apply to the round (interact with your opponent's case/the res), not just if you think they'll confuse your opponent or because your teammate gave you a k to read that you don’t really understand. Please don't run your uber-generic Cap Ks with crappy or generic links/cards just because you can't think of something else to run. That makes me sad because it's a wasted opportunity for an awesome critical discussion. Alts should be clear; they matter. Of course for me, alts can be theoretical/discourse-based rather than policy-based or whatnot; they just need to be clear and compelling. When Ks are good, they're probably my favorite type of argument; when their links and/or alts are sketchy or nonexistant, I don't love them. Same basic comments apply for critical affs.
For funkier performance Ks/affs, narratives and the like, go for them if that's what you want to run. Just make sure 1) to tell me how they should work and be weighed in the round and 2) that your opponent has some way(s) to access your ROB. Ideally the 2nd part should be clear in the constructive, but you at least need to make it clear when they CX you about it. If not, I think that's a pretty obvious opportunity for your opponent to run theory on you.
I'm also totally good with judging a traditional LD/Parli/Policy/PF round if that's what you're good at--I do a lot of that at my local tournaments. If so, I'll look at internal consistency of argumentation more than I would in a progressive debate (esp. on the Neg side).
Style/Speed:
I'm fine with speed; it's poor enunciation or very quiet spreading that is tough. I'll ask you to clear if I need to. If I say "clear," "loud," or “slow” more than twice, it won't affect my decision, but it will affect your speaks. Just be really, really clear; I've never actually had to say "slow," but "clear" and "loud" have reared their ugly heads more than once. If you’re going very quickly on something that’s easy for me to understand, just make sure you have strong articulation. If you can, slow down on tags, card tags, tricky philosophy, and important analytics--at the very least, hammer them hard with vocal emphasis. My perfect speed would probably be an 8 or 9 out of 10 if you’re very clear. That being said, it can only help you to slow down for something you really need me to understand--please slow or repeat plan/CP text, role of the ballot, theory interp, or anything else that is just crazy important to make sure I get your exact wording, especially if I don't have your case in front of me.
Don’t spread another debater out of the round. Please. If your opponent is new to the circuit, please try to make a round they can engage in.
I love humor, fire, and a pretty high level of sassiness in a debate, but don’t go out of your way to be an absolutely ridiculous ass. If you make me chuckle, you'll get at least an extra half speaker point because I think it’s a real skill to be able to inject humor into serious situations and passionate disagreements.
I love CX (in LD and Policy)/CF (in PF) and good POIs (in Parli), so it bugs me when debaters use long-winded questions or answers as a tactic to waste time during CX or when they completely refuse to engage with questions or let their opponent answer any questions. On that note, I'm good with flex prep; keep CXing to your heart's desire--I'll start your prep time once the official CX period is over if you choose to keep it going. CX is binding, but you have to actually extend arguments or capitalize on errors/concessions from CX in later speeches for them to matter much.
If I'm judging you in Parli and you refuse to take any POIs, I'll probably suspect that it means you can't defend your case against questions. Everyone has "a lot to get through," so you should probably take some POIs.
Weird quirk: I usually flow card tags rather than author names the first time I hear them, so try to give me the tag instead of or in addition to the cite (especially the first few times the card comes up in CX/rebuttal speeches or when it's early in the resolution and I might not have heard that author much). It's just a quirk with the way I listen in rounds--I tend to only write the author's name after a few times hearing it but flow the card tag the first time since the argument often matters more in my flow as a judge than the name itself does. (So it's easiest for me to follow if, when you bring it up in later speeches or CX, you say "the Blahblah 16 card about yadda yadda yadda" rather than just "the Blahblah 16 card.") I'll still be able to follow you, but I find it on my flow quicker if I get the basic card tag/contents.
Final Approach to RFD:
I try to judge the round as the debaters want me to judge it. In terms of layering, unless you tell me to layer the debate in another way, I'll go with standard defaults: theory and T come first (no set preference on which, so tell me how I should layer them), then Ks, then other offs, then case--but case does matter! Like anything else for me, layering defaults can be easily overcome if you argue for another order in-round. Weigh impacts and the round for me, ideally explicitly tied to the winning or agreed-upon framework--don't leave it up to me or your opponent to weigh it for you. I never, ever want to intervene, so make sure to weigh so that I don't have to. Give me some voters if you have time, but don’t give me twelve of them. See above for details or ask questions before the round if you have something specific that I haven't covered. Have fun and go hard!
Weigh impacts.
Weigh impacts.
Additional note if I'm judging you in PF or Parli:
- PF: Please don't spend half of crossfire asking "Do you have a card for x?" Uggh. This is a super bad trend/habit I've noticed. That question won't gain you any offense; try a more targeted form of questioning specific warrants. I vote on flow, so try to do the work to cover both sides of the flow in your speeches, even though the PF times make that rough.
- Parli: Whether it’s Oregon- or California-style, you still need warrants for your claims; they'll just look a little different and less card-centric than they would in a prepared debate form. I'm not 100% tabula rasa in the sense that I won't weigh obviously untrue claims/warrants that you've pulled out of your butts if the other team responds to them at all. I think most judges are like that and not truly tab, but I think it's worth saying anyways. I'll try to remember to knock for protected time where that’s the rule, but you're ultimately in charge of timing that if it's open level. Bonus points if you run a good K that's not a cap K.
I am very laid back judge, but here are a few things I would love to see:
1. Give me a roadmap; even something as simple as "it's going to be aff then neg" is greatly appreciated. If your speech is going to jump all over flow, be transparent about that at the top and signpost as you go. Overall, please be purposeful about signposting/claims and slow down for those statements. I need to be able to follow on the flow as this is the primary factor in my decision.
2. If anyone is using a framework, do NOT drop it post constructive or rebuttal. Once framework is introduced, how each side weighs into that throughout the round is crucial.
3. Utilize crossfire. Do not use that time to solely ask clarifying questions. Be offensive (even in the first cross), that's what we're here for. It's not going to win you the round, but it'll give the round depth.
4. FOR PF FIRST SPEAKERS SPECIFICALLY: The summary speech is the easiest way to win your round. Do NOT just merely extend every little thing your second speaker said; that's useless. Do NOT spend the entire time simply refuting your opponent's responses to your case. Give me a worlds/comparative analysis & weigh every impact. Defending your case can be integrated into these big picture analyses. This speech needs to only hone in on a handful of essential arguments. Be intentional with those two minutes.
5. Second speaking team, first speakers: if you want to dedicate some time in your constructive to rebuttal, DO IT. Keep the round entertaining.
6. Keep track of your prep time. I will also be keeping track, but you should be keeping track of each other as well.
7. If anyone is using hands off prep to get a piece of evidence, DO NOT PREP. I will down you.
8. Avoid blippy responses. I value the quality of your argument over the quantity.
9. If an argument seems to be a wash between opposing pieces of evidence, be prepared to show me the evidence at the end of the round.
10. I vote based on a combination of who won the flow, who outweighed, and who was the most intentional with their time.
If any of this is confusing, just ask me for clarification before the round! :)
Name: Sajid Bin Hasnat
School Affiliation: BRAC University
Number of Years Judging Public Forum: <1
Number of Years Competing in Public Forum: <1
Number of Years Judging Other Forensic Activities: >3
Number of Years Competing in Other Forensic Activities: >3
If you are a coach, what events do you coach? - Not a coach
What is your current occupation? - Undergraduate Student
General Notes for speakers:
It is important for speakers to be aware of the following facts:
1. I value teams with a clear structure, who can successfully explain the consequences and evidences, and who can appropriately connect evidence to their arguments.
2. It's preferable if you use proof to describe the underlying trend/core problem associated with it.
3. It's crucial to keep your audience's attention. Direct comparison and weighing make the task of judges easier. You should also show how your benefits outweigh their disadvantages, as well as how your benefits outweigh those of your competitors.
4.Be prepared to explain why your solution is preferable, such as because it completes the task faster/easier and uses fewer resources.
5. Please don't make any arguments that an average rational voter wouldn't see coming. If you do this, the value of this content will be diminished.
6. You must avoid utilizing any wording that could lead to a breach of equity.
7. Having a road map is beneficial to us.
8. Speaking quickly is acceptable as long as you are clear.
9. I don't care what style you have as long as you're comprehensive. Because of their diverse upbringings, different debaters have distinct styles, which I admire.
10. I have a good level of energy during presentations. In the heat of battle, I scribble down the most important questions and the responses I receive.
email: colter.heirigs@gmail.com
POLICY PARADIGM:
I have been coaching Policy Debate full time since 2014. Arms sales is my 7th year of coaching.
I view my primary objective in evaluating the round to be coming to a decision that requires the least “judge intervention.”
If debaters do not give me instructions on how to evaluate the debate, and/or leave portions of the debate unresolved, they should not expect to get my ballot. My decision will end up being arbitrary, and (while I will likely still try to make my arbitrary decision less arbitrary than not) I will not feel bad.
In the final rebuttals, debaters should be giving me a “big picture” assessment of what’s going on in the debate to give them the best chance to get my ballot. Extending 25 arguments in the rebuttals doesn’t do much for me if you’re not explaining how they interact with the other team’s arguments and/or why they mean you win the round. In my ideal debate round, both 2NR and 2AR have given me at least a 45 second overview explaining why they’ve won the debate where they dictate the first paragraph of my ballot for me.
Important things to note:
-I don’t ever think Topicality is an RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-If you don’t signpost AND slow down for tags, assume that I am missing at least 50% of your tags. This means saying a number or a letter or “AND” or “NEXT” prior to the tag of your card, and preferably telling me which of your opponents arguments I should flow it next to. Speech docs are not substitutes for clarity and signposting.
-I'm probably a 7 on speed, but please see above ^^^^
-High-theory will be an uphill battle.
-I would prefer not to call for cards, I believe it’s the debaters job to clearly communicate their arguments; if you tell me they’re misrepresenting their cards – I will probably call for them. But if I call for it and they’re not misrepresenting their evidence you’ll lose a lot of credibility with me and my cognitive biases will likely run amuck. Don’t let this deter you from calling out bad evidence.
-You can win the line-by-line debate in the 2AR but still lose the debate if you fail to explain what any of it means and especially how it interacts with the 2NR's args.
-Don’t assume I have any familiarity with your Acronyms, Aff, or K literature
-Swearing is probably word inefficient
-You’re in a bad spot if you’re reading new cards in the final rebuttals, very low propensity for me to evaluate them
-CPs that result in the aff are typically going to be a very hard sell, so are most other artificially competitive CPs. Perms are cool, so are time tradeoffs for the aff when this happens. If you really think you've got a sick techy CP make sure to go out of your way to win questions of competition/superior solvency / a specific link to the aff plan alone for your NB
-I think debate is a competition.
-the best “framework” arguments are probably “Topicality” arguments and almost probably don’t rely on cards from debate coaches and definitely don’t rely on me reading them after the round
-Impact everything out... Offense and Defense... I want to hear you telling me why your argument is more pressing and important than the other team's. I hate having to intervene... "Magnitude," "Probability," and "Timeframe" are not obscenities, please use them.
Arguments you shouldn’t waste your time on with me:
-Topicality = RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-Consult CPs
I am going to have the easiest time evaluating rounds where:
-warrant and evidence comparison is made
-weighing mechanisms and impact calculus guiding how I evaluate micro & macro level args are utilized
-the aff advocates a topical plan
-the DA turns and Outweighs the Case, or the CP solves most of the case and there's a clear net benefit that the perm doesn't solve for
-the negative has a well-researched neg strategy
-I am not expected to sort through high-theory
-the 2NR/2AR doesn't go for everything and makes strategic argument selection
Presumptions I bring into the round that probably cannot be changed:
-I’m voting Neg on presumption until the aff reads the 1AC
-Topicality is never an RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-There is no 3NR
-Oppression of humans = bad (note: I do not know how this compares to the end of the planet/human race, debaters are going to have to provide weighing mechanisms for me.)
-Earth existing = good (note: I do not know how this compares to other impacts like oppression of humans, debaters are going to have to provide some weighing mechanisms for me.)
-I will have a very difficult time bringing myself to vote for any sort of Consult CP if the aff even mumbles some type of “PERM”
-Once the 2AC perms, presumption goes to the neg to prove the perm unworkable or undesirable if the CP/Alt is not textually/functionally competitive
Unimportant things to note:
-Plz read your plan before you read solvency – I will be annoyed and lost if you don’t
-I really enjoy author indicts if/when they’re specific – it shows a team has worked hard and done their research
-I really enjoy case specific strategies – I enjoy it when a team can demonstrate that they've worked hard to prepare a case specific strategy
-I enjoy GOOD topicality debates
-I’ve been involved in policy debate in some capacity for 11 years now – Education is my 5th topic coaching.
-I put my heart and soul into policy debate for four years on high school. I worked tirelessly to put out specific strategies for specific affirmatives and I like to see debaters who I can tell have done the same and are having fun. So, show me you know your case better than anyone else if you're affirmative, or on the neg, show me specific links and answers to the affirmative... I tend to reward this in speaker points. ...That being said, generics are fun, fine, and essential for the negative team. Feel free to run them, you will not be penalized in any way.
Specific Arguments
I'm good for just about anything that is well debated: T, Theory, DAs, CPs, Ks... I can even be persuaded to vote solely on inherency if it is well debated - if the plan has literally already happened, for the love of god please punish the aff.
That being said, I enjoy seeing a strategy in argument selection, and appreciate when arguments don't blatantly contradict each other (i.e. the DA linking to the CP, or Cap Bad and an Econ Impact on politics). Especially in the 2NR.
********************************************************
LD Paradigm
I am pretty tab when it comes to LD. My goal is to reach a decision that requires the least amount of judge intervention.
Signpost and slow down on tags. Slow down even more for theory args. Spreading through tags and theory interps is absolutely not the move if you want me to be flowing your speech. I will not be flowing from the doc.
Slow down. No, you don’t have to be slow and you should certainly feel free to read the body of your cards at whatever max speed you are comprehensible at. If you’ve used signposting, slowed down on tags and pre-written analytics, you’re golden. It's inexcusable and unforgivable to not have signposting in the 1ac.
I come into the round presuming:
-the aff should be defending the resolution
-the aff is defending the entirety of the resolution
-my ballot answers the resolutional question
-debate is a game
These presumptions can likely be changed.
Stylistically agnostic, but probably not your best judge for:
-dense phil that you’re spreading through
-undisclosed affs that don’t defend the entirety of the resolution
-process CPs that result in the aff
-more than 2 condo
-friv theory - I ❤️ substance
-Probably not interested in hearing condo if it’s just 2 condo positions
-theory interps that require me to ignore other speeches
I think that I have a low propensity to vote for most arguments regarding things that happen outside of the round or prior to the 1ac. I am not interested in adjudicating arguments that rely on screenshots of chats, wikis, or discord servers.
Questions, or interested in my thoughts on particular subjects not covered in my LD paradigm? Check out my POLICY PARADIGM above!
Public Forum Paradigm:
First speakers get to ask the first question in crossfire. If you ask about the status of this in round, expect to get one less speakerpoint than you would have otherwise.
File Share > e-mail chain.
Depth > Breadth. You only have four minutes to construct your position, would far prefer to hear 2 well-developed contentions rather than 3-4 blippy ones unless they are incredibly straight-forward. Much less interested in adjudicating “argument checkers” than most.
I have completed the cultural competency credential and I am ready to deploy the skills in debate rounds. Remember, your words have power.
Please uphold positivity in the round. I give speaks from 20-30 but I will almost never give 30 speaks. If you are perfect you deserve a 30 but I have almost never seen anyone deserving of a 30.
I think that the best debaters are those who effectively utilize ethos, pathos, and logos in their speeches.
Good luck!
progressive arguments - read at your own risk
Please use content warnings for content related to SA or self-harm.
Hi! I'm Neel (they/them). I debated at Plano East (TX), starting out in circuit PF and debating circuit LD during my senior year. I now attend Michigan (I don't debate for the school) and would say that I'm somewhat removed from debate.
Yes, put me on the chain - gimmeurcards@gmail.com
Be mindful of how rusty I may be - go slower, explain topic jargon, and all that jazz - it'll be tremendously helpful for how confident I am in my decision and your speaks.
Tech > truth, but a combination is ideal. Don't be rude, because I can also decide that not being mean > tech.
I primarily find/found myself in debates that center around policy or kritikal positions both as a debater and a judge. I'm not very confident in my ability to adjudicate very fast and blippy theory/T, phil, or tricks debates. I'd say I'm a 1 for policy, a 1/2 for the kritik (aff or neg), a 3 for theory/T, and a 4/strike for phil or tricks.
For policy -
Impact turns are fine, but I refuse to listen to death good.
Evidence quality is your best friend in front of me.
I'm probably more open to letting CP theory debates unfold than other judges.
Read more than 1 argument on case please.
For the kritik -
I have a soft spot for cool K-affs, but I'm neutral on framework and all of the iterations you can go for.
Your overviews should have a purpose - apply stuff you say to the LBL and contextualize the things you are saying.
I've been in more debates about identity and the "stock" kritiks than pomo stuff - do with that what you will.
Cool case args are my jam (even presumption is cool).
For T/theory -
CIs, no RVIs, DTA for theory. DTD for T.
Huge fan of disclosure but I feel uncomfortable evaluating other violations sourced outside of round.
I'm very mid for frivolous shells.
Be organized and clear please.
For tricks and phil -
Not a great idea - I probably would barely be able to follow along a Philosophy 101 course.
If you want to read these, SLOW DOWN and number stuff.
Evil demons don't force me to vote aff and I only evaluate debates after the 2AR.
I honestly am just uninterested in 95% of this literature base - sorry.
For PF -
Good for all the progressive stuff and PF speed. I will hold you to a higher standard than most progressive PF judges.
Sticky defense is silly. Extend your arguments.
Turns case arguments are the truth. Probability weighing is fake.
Underutilized arguments and strategies are fun - if you can win the presumption debate or the impact turn, go for it.
Hi there! I'm Preeth!
TLDR - I'm a fairly "flay" judge. I enjoy more realistic arguments especially when presented at a manageable and easily flowable speed, though I obviously will do my best to follow you the faster you go.
I'm not super duper familiar with the topic, so I would suggest explaining acronyms and all that good stuff!
General Stuff
Tech > truth - but this does NOT mean make blatantly false arguments. You should always debate well and technically WHILE making arguments that could be true.
Keep in mind that I am not involved in debate professionally - this means you should go in between "parent" speed and "best coach ever" speed.
I'll do my best to average at around a 28.5 as far as speaker points go.
I appreciate when evidence exchanges are fast - I've found that speechdrop.net works best for me (shout out to my little brother for showing me that site).
I'll do my best to disclose and give some critiques for speaking and argumentation at the end of the debate - whether this is verbally or on the ballot depends on if I'm time-crunched or not.
Good luck to both teams, and thanks for letting me judge!
I have very basic knowledge in the topics that will be discussed and debated in this debate. I will evaluate the round based on the arguments presented, how impactful a team's framing is and thus how well a team is able to explain why their framing matters the most. Please speak clearly and concisely, I will do my best to take into account all the arguments presented but will not be able to take arguments that I can't understand into account.
Yo! I’m Maggie, she/her, a sophomore at Hunter College High School.
My internet’s not the greatest at times, I might ask in between speeches for a quick sum-up of the stuff I missed just to make sure my flow’s on point.
I’m judging a debate round about the resolution, not a debate round about the debate round. Not a fan of theory or progressive args, I’m also not good at evaluating them.
Don’t spread. I can’t keep up with your arguments if you talk as fast as Quicksilver moves, and it’s not going to help you in the end.
WARRANT AND WEIGH!!! Cards without warrants are meaningless. Also, you have the impacts, tell me why they’re important. I’m not going to intervene, so weighing is key.
I don’t flow cross. Bring stuff up in the round if it’s important. If you want to end cross early or skip it, I’m fine with it as long as both teams are okay.
Just relax. You got this :)
Heyo it's Brandon :)
Pronouns: He/Him/His
10/3/21 update: I'm not familiar at all with the Sept/Oct topic and core ground -- it's been a while since I've really engaged in the activity, so don't go max speed. also as a general note, pls make sure ur spelling out all ur args for me - its frustrating when I see args but im not sure how to implicate them in the round
Short Version: Don’t be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. You’ll be dropped. Speed is fine. Ks are cool, spikes/tricks are not. I vote off the flow, but I definitely was not the theory debater in HS so don’t go crazy with that. Speaks avg around 28.5, but if you read something cool you’ll be rewarded. Here's a quick cheat sheet of my preferences:
1 - Ks/Performance
2- CPs/DAs
3- Topicality
4- Theory
Add me to the email chain please!!: brandonps206@gmail.com
Long Version:
0 - Background/About Me!: I'm currently a junior at Cornell University. I did policy for one semester here (fall 2020) but I stopped so it's been a little bit since my last debate. I debated LD for 4 years at Roslyn High School, where I predominantly focused on K and performance debate. I read a lot of model minority args my junior and senior years, and I’ve had my fair share with LARP. I was coached by Mina Lee (hi mom), Christian Quiroz, David Asafu-Adjaye, and Tosin Agboola. I taught at VBI Philly 2019 and now I currently coach a couple of kids on the circuit.
1 - Kritiks/Performance: Go for these! I’m familiar with some identity K lit bases (Asian American, anti-blackness, security, orientalism, etc) but I’m also open to hear anything else. High theory Ks are fine too ig tho I never rlly understood baudy. That being said, please don’t assume your opponent and I understand the meaning behind buzzwords because even if I understand, I won’t vote off of it unless I get a clear explanation in the round. Make sure you clearly implicate it and tell me why I'm voting on the arg.
PLS EXPLAIN YOUR ALT. I am less inclined to vote for "reject the aff" alts especially when opponents challenge solvency because I don't know what that means or looks like. This doesn't mean that the alt can't be something intangible; just make sure it actually does something.
Performance is great - I love watching these rounds and especially appreciate it when debaters take the time to actually live their performance instead of spreading it or smtg. I’m open to anything - different languages, dance, poetry, rap, go off :)
2 - Non Topical Affs v Framework: I'm prob most comfortable judging these rounds. I pretty much ran non-t affs all of my junior and senior years in HS, so I’m well versed in the T debate. Idc what the aff is, make sure I know what you're defending after the 1ac - pls dont be shifty with ur advocacy. I will try to be as impartial as I can with the K v T debate so if you don’t know how to execute the non-t debate, don’t run your K aff in front of me and expect to pick up easy ballots against T with generic K > T blocks. These debates get me the most excited if done properly, and you’ll be rewarded w high speaks if you do so!!
4/3/21 note: college policy has def made me less of a non-t hack and more 50-50 so feel free to go for FW
2.5 - Presumption: go for presumption if the aff doesn't posit a method or attempt to change. I enjoy these debates.
3 - Topicality: I never went for T in the 2n but I they create interesting debates, just be a little slow w the technical line by line ty
4 - Theory/Tricks: I’d advise you not to run this in front of me lmao. I'm not confident in judging these rounds -- It’s definitely not my strong suit and I did not run this during HS. That being said, I’ll still evaluate off the flow. If there's legit abuse, run it. But I strongly dislike friv theory. And with tricks, pls just save them for another round… I will probably still vote for them as long as you win them but i never really understood them. I've never voted on a permissibility or skep trigger, nor has anyone read them in front of me as a judge so take that how u will.
disclosure is fine -- put the screenshots in the doc pls! If there aren't screenshots of their wiki/messages and the violation isn't contested, I'll just assume its true. *pls make sure u disclose ur own prep with the same standards you hold your opponent to*
5 - Counterplans: These are great! Unique and well developed CPs/PICs = happy me = higher speaks for u. Please make sure ur PICs have net benefits :)
6 - Disads: These are cool too ~ im fine w ur big extinction impacts w a long ass link chain but the longer/more unrealistic it gets, the lower threshold i have for answering this argument
7 - Philosophy: I'm familiar with Kant, Descartes, Hume, and other basics but other than those the most phil you’re getting from me is what I’m learning in college phil electives rn. But I'd love to hear about any ethical theories and whatnot you have so explain them well and I’m more than down to vote for ya.
8 - Other General Things
****HELLO PLEASE READ ME - I MAKE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IE I MIGHT LOOK CONFUSED BY FURROWING MY BROWS I DO THIS BECAUSE IM TELLING U I DONT GET UR DAMN ARGUMENTS SO PLS EXPLAIN MORE OR DON'T GO FOR IT IN THE NEXT SPEECH***
-speed is fine, id prefer if you started slow and got faster.. ppl are hella unclear nowadays so maybe go 80% ur top speed. ill say clear and slow when needed but if I have to say it more than 3 times ur speaks will suffer :)
-if you want to win, you gotta make it clear what I’m voting on at the end of the day. Paint a nice ballot story for me and tell me what comes first.
-pls weigh weigh weigh ur arguments.
-sit or stand, i don't care as long as you’re comfortable
-you can wear whatever u want lmao I always went for a clean hoodie and jeans look
-keep ur own speech and prep time pls
-speaks are rewarded based on strategy, execution, and creativity w args!!
-cx is a valuable speech!! Make me laugh, be a lil sassy, but don’t be mean or rude
Have fun!! You’re at a stressful ass tournament prob so make sure u get some good eats lol :) make friends y’all
Feel free to ask me any questions before round ~ gl!!
Email: itsedriclei@gmail.com
^ please put me on the email chains, feel free to contact with either if you need something, like speaks or whatnot
I was a PF debater and I've debated PF for around 4 years
I’m gonna disclose and give an rfd because I really hate judges that don’t
Tech > truth so call people out on incorrect things, don't just assume I'll intervene
If you weigh in rebuttal I will give you +0.5 speaker points
I don't flow cross, if you want me to vote on something said during cross, please say it in the next speech
I'm fine with progressive debate, I will evaluate it
I go to Walter Johnson, currently debating right now in high school PF.
Email for speech docs/email chains: carolli9600@gmail.com
Speed: I can handle 900 word cases or anything around that. If you plan on spreading, please provide speech docs. Unless you’re adamant on it, I would generally discourage spreading.
progressive debate:
-
I like to think that I can handle progressive debate but if you’re going to run a K, please warn beforehand and set up a speech doc/email chain
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Honestly just try to avoid running K’s because I might cry
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If you run theory, make sure there’s an actual violation. I’m okay with theory but please be wary of my judging. You shouldn’t really find yourself defaulting to theory unless there’s an actual issue at hand in order to win on some nuanced technicality (disclose if you're going for paraphrase/disclosure theory please).
Cross:
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I don’t flow cross. If something comes up that’s important in cross, you have to extend it through the rest of your speeches for it to be considered.
Speeches:
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When you extend, extend the warrant, not just the card name
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Please signpost, give an off-time roadmap, whatever is needed to organize your speech. Make your place on the flow clear.
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When reading blocks, identify your response type (i.e. impact turns, mitigations, delinks)
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I know it’s technically legal but if your entire 1st rebuttal is just reading another contention, it’s not gonna work out so well ヽ(  ̄д ̄)ノ
- Please weigh whenever it is most reasonable to do so, as it would give you the best advantage (rebuttal is a good time to start)
Other notes:
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Speaks start at 28.5
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I will default to util for impact weighing unless you provide a different method of weighing and warrant it
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Tech > truth
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I default squo but I’ll hear reasoning on why I should default 1st speaking
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Metaweighing <3
- If you're racist, homophobic, sexist, etc., L26
If there are any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. At the end of the day, debate in a way that makes you comfortable.
(◕‿◕)
when they say you need to judge
hi! i debated for plano west. i use they/them pronouns. add me to the email chain: rhl53@georgetown.edu
tl;dr
• my priority #1 is a safe debate space. read trigger/content warnings with proper opt-outs when applicable, respect people’s pronouns, and generally don't act exclusionary/___ist or you will be given an L and 20s
• watching people debate off speech docs makes me sad.
• extend the entire argument (uniqueness through impact) and collapse please. otherwise, your speaks will be a bit concerning
• warrants > evidence; i won't call for cards unless you tell me to, or if a lack of warrant comparison requires me to
the rest
• email chain ≥ google doc >>> zoom/nsda campus chat. pf evidence ethics...
• "new warrants are new arguments and will be treated as such" —aj yi
• unanswered defense is sticky in first summary; the only frontlining i require in second rebuttal is turns/offense
• i like progressive arguments, as long as they are run in a way that's accessible to everyone in the round. if you read tricks or friv when your opponents didn't agree to a tricks/friv round, you are cringe and my threshold for what counts as a good response will be very very low
• i don't mind speed, but if i have to flow off a speech doc, you're going too fast. (if i have to clear you more than 2-3 times, i'm deducting speaks) that being said, send your speech docs anyway
• random specific icks: dumping/doc botting and then either looking confused mid-speech when reading through some of the responses on your doc or using completely irrelevant responses, calling for a gajillion cards and then not making them relevant in any speech, probability weighing, impact weighing the same impact scenario read on both sides, being called judge (just call me renee)
• i don't have a presumption preference. if the round goes off the rails, tell me why i presume for you or else i may or may not flip a coin
• click here to boost your speaks; click here and here for instant serotonin
feel free to ask questions! i’m fine with postrounding
if you ever need someone to talk to or have anything else you want to ask, my facebook messenger and instagram (@reneelix) dms are always open
read rebuttal off doc for lower speaks
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
Assistant LD coach for Peninsula HS
tech over truth - i will flow all arguments and vote on what you extend into your final speeches.
"like many before me I have decided that I am not a fan of cop-out or cheap shot strategies designed to avoid clash and pick up an easy ballot. This means my threshold for an argument that is warranted and implicated is much higher and I feel more comfortable giving an RFD on 'I don't know why x is true per the 2ar/2nr.' If you would like to thoroughly explain why creating objective moral truths is impossible or why disclosing round reports is a good norm then please feel free to do so, but 10 seconds of 'they dropped hidden AFC now vote aff' isn't going to cut it" - lizzie su
i do not feel confident in my ability to evaluate the following debates:
-phil ac vs phil nc
-k aff vs non cap kritik
-phil ac vs kritik
non-condo theory shells are dta unless otherwise justified
convinced by reasonability - affs need a c/i
i tend to read a lot of evidence - spending more time reading quality evidence will serve you well
better for framework 2nrs that go for fairness
i try not to be expressive in round if i make any facial expressions it is probably unrelated
I am a parent judge with my two girls enrolled in debates.
- No spreading, speak loud and clear at a reasonable pace. If you speak too quickly, I may not get all of your arguments down and understand what you are saying. Quality of arguments/evidence over quantity.
- Respectful to each other and present yourself well. Do not talk over your opponent. Discourtesy will result in deducted speaker points.
- Always have a framework or prove that your case supports the opponent's framework better.
- Use credible evidence and logic to back up your claims and attack an opponent's case. Explain why your impacts matter more than your opponent's. Your rationale should be clear so that your opponent can adequately address your points. Don't just attack, you need to defend.
- Signpost your arguments/rebuttals
- Your summaries should be to clean up anything vague or muddled, and final focus to make me vote for you. Everything in the final focus must also be in the summary speech. If something isn't in summary, don't bring it up in the final focus.
- Please track your time. You may finish a thought after time ends, but do not abuse this by adding multiple sentences or thoughts when I call for time should end.
- I value the time and energy you have invested in debate and will make sure to be a thoughtful, attentive judge. Just debate and have fun.
- For the virtual tournaments, my decision is not influenced with the issue of technical difficulties debaters might have during the round. However, please try to resolve technical issues during the tech check before the round. My decision-making and comments are related only to the content and quality of the presentation or speech itself.
NSDA’s Online Tournament Guide
Hi, I have judged at national-level tournaments in PF and LD.
All events: be inclusive and KIND :)
I like good slow arguments and prefer speakers give clear instructions and organizations.
I will listen to all argumentations but please be reasonable...
I have taken the Cultural Competency course and other certifications for NSDA.
ASK BEFORE ROUND FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
Update for TOC 2024:
I haven't debated in a minute but here's my background: Did PF for 1.5 years, switched to LD my senior year and qualified to the TOC. Since college, I haven't actively competed / judged PF occasionally, my overall preferences / views on debate haven't changed significantly but I'd place a significantly higher emphasis on deep research and evidence quality. Additionally, my tolerance for tricks / friv theory / clash evasive strategies is generally a lot lower than it used to be -- that being said I'm probably still more receptive to this than most PF judges and won't hack against it, just might not be as good at judging these rounds and will over-reward high-level strategic round vision in these debates.
With that in mind the below paradigm is largely up to date, and happy to answer any questions in round or prior via email.
Things that might need to have more emphasis given how long it's been since I debated (especially for PF):
1] Clarity -- please signpost clearly and slow down a little on taglines, I don't flow off the doc and won't go back unless you've marked cards.
2] Overviews / Round Vision -- Tell me what you're going to do before you do it, even if this is just 3 seconds of "High risk of a DA outweighs a mitigated case" at the top of the 2NR, it helps me know what's happening strategically, don't feel the need to overdo this compared to other rounds but if you don't do this already, try to do it (I promise other judges will also thank you with speaks boosts!)
3] Packaging / Simplicity -- In and out of debate I've realized that regardless of how complex arguments are going in, the hallmark of competence is being able to explain it simply. I used to be more on the side of thinking I'm stupid in these debates when the 2nr/2ar is unclear and going back through cards, rereading taglines and overviews to try and get an understanding of what was said. Today, I'll err more on the side of punishing you for long jargon-filled overviews, extension blocks that aren't tailored to the round and not being able to explain/contextualize your arguments in a simple way
4] I don't know the topic lol
5] I don't know if evidence ethics / file sharing standards in PF have gotten better over the years but I have absolutely zero tolerance -- send out docs (don't waste time/steal prep asking for cards) and don't miscut/paraphrase.
Paradigm:
I don't think you should worry about reading this too closely, I'll evaluate any argument however you tell me to in round and I will try to be as tab as possible butI do have biases which while I can try to keep them out of debate, some will implicitly be present and I feel like it would be better for me to make you aware of them rather than pretend they don't exist.
TL/DR: These are just my preferences as to what I believe is good for debate I won't default one way or another unless there is absolutely no pushback from either side.
Regardless, a ranking of how familiar I am with things:
Policy/K/T - 1
T-FW/K Affs - 1
Theory - 2
Phil - 2
Dense Phil/ Pomo read as an NC - 3/4
Tricks - 4/5
K vs K debates -- 4/5 (I like them but I'm a coinflip heavily weighted towards the perm)
K Affs vs FW
- Been on both sides and these are my favorite debates to judge however I probably do lean slightly neg.
- CI's are good to resolve some offense and provide uqs for an impact turn but it's not necessary.
- 2N's need to do a better job winning the terminal impact to FW, don't overinvest into reading long blocks that explain why the aff is unfair/decks clash because let's be honest, they aren't gonna contest that most of the time, focus on implicating why that is important both in the context of debate and in the context of the affirmative.
- Framework 2nr's I've thought were excellent often use the same verbiage as the aff instead of using long o/v blocks.
- TVA/SSD to resolve some offense is good, even if it doesn't
- 7 minute 2nr's entirely on the case page often get confusing for me when they lack good judge instruction -- try and be clear as to what you are doing on teh case page before you get into the lbl
K
- good for larp v k
- bad for k v k (biased towards the perm + often get confused a lot); if I do end up unfortunately judging one of these, judge instruction is paramount. I will evaluate these debates generally knowing that theories of power are largely compatible. So, my ballot will be a reflection of differences between the aff and the alternative and the impact to those differences. If the difference between the two indicates the alt is worse than the aff, I vote aff. If the difference between the two indicates the alt is better than the aff, I vote neg.
- lbl > long o/v's
- Framework CI = you don't need an alt unless the aff says you do and winning links is sufficient if you've won framework
- Alts that result in the aff are fine absent a 1ar warrant why they aren't (being shady in cx is kinda annoying tho)
- Only understand cap, Moten/Harney, Warren (never read this in round), and a little bit of Baudrillard -- explanation is good.
- All the interactions that people consider "k tricks" should be implicated in the 1nc or else 2ar answers are justified (saying lines in the card make the claim most often doesn't really count)
LARP
- Like this a lot
- UQS prolly controls link direction
- all cp theory can be dtd granted a warrant
- hate reading cards and I will stay away from it as much as possible but end up having to read ev in most rounds.
- defense is underrated and can def be terminal if implicated as such (i.e: bill alr passed prolly is terminal)
- solves case explanation can be new in the 2nr as long as it was in 1nc evidence
- perm shields the link/cp links to nb -- explain these args to me! I'm not v smart/takes me time esp since I don't know the topic lit most likely
Phil
- Haven't read anything besides util/Kant and a little prag -- think it's hella interesting doe if that counts for anything
- Weighing is important, spend more time explaining your syllogism and why that excludes theirs.
- TJF's prolly o/w and are the move if I'm in the back
- weird complex ev mandates not-weird not-complex explanation
Theory
- Like this
- Weigh between standards
- low threshold to vote on rvis -- still need to justify them and w/e
- reasonability should be explained and is v strategic at times -- I will not vote on an RVI if you are going for reasonability obviously
Tricks
- will vote on these as long they are implicated fully in the speech they are read
- I can't flow for my life so like try and slow down a Lil bit
Evidence Ethics
- did pf for 2 years, cut cards weren't a thing, people paraphrased, the average card was shorter than T definitions, and evidence was sent via url's + ctrl F -- I really don't care at all about ev ethics until it's mentioned but i'm p sure my standards for ev ethics are very stringent so if you do call it out/stake the round on it in PF you will probably win 90% of the time
- if staking the round, that should happen the moment the violation is called out. -- don't read a shell and debate it out until the 2ar and then decide you wanna stake the round instead
(i.e: Miscut 1AC ev means you should stake the round immediately after you see it BUT at the very latest after 1nc cross)
Misc:
- I'm cool with post rounding -- not cool w/aggressive or toxic post rounding
- Clear judge instruction is really helpful
- Hate it when people steal prep
- hate unclear signposting
- Record your speeches in case audio cuts out
- time yourself and stop at the timer. (pls)
I have competed in policy in high school. I have competed in debates in varsity as well. I have coached policy for high school teams. That said, I evaluate debates based on the weight of the matter brought forward and especially look forward to teams bringing out why their arguments and framing matter in line with the debate.
amanda072086@gmail.com
Speak clearly. Any speed is fine as long as you slow down and read your tag lines and main points very clearly. Spreading is fine. Give clear indication of when you have reached the burden you set out.
LD: I am a true values debate judge in LD. Tabula rasa judge. Flexible to any kinds of cases and arguments as long as they are respectful. If your case is not topical or abusive and your opponent argues and proves that in their speeches then I am willing to vote based on topicality, education and abuse.
PF and CX: Be respectful and cordial to your opponent. I’m open to most anything in Policy rounds. Always stay on the debate topic, don’t wander off onto an irrelevant subject because it’s more enjoyable to argue about than the topic is. Always allow your opponent the opportunity to complete their sentence before continuing to cross.
I’m a Tabula rasa Judge especially in Policy debate. If you don’t tell me how you want me to weigh the round and set a minimum burden for each side to have to meet within the round to win then I will default to judging based on the block and will turn into a games playing judge and will make voting decisions based on what my flow shows and dropped arguments or arguments that were lost or conceded will very much factor into my vote. Impacts, Warrants and links need to be made very clear, and always show me the magnitude.
This is my first time being a judge, but a I bring background experience as an attorney and as a coach for Model United Nations student delegates. I believe sound, linear logic is essential to establishing a convincing argument, and the ability to make distinctions in an argument key to a successful round. In addition, my Model United Nations' coaching background influences me to acknowledge diplomatic exchanges and debaters who demonstrate mutual respect.
utd 26'
email: rahulpenumetcha10@gmail.com
NDT x2
Top Level -
The debate should be up to the debaters and I will not intervene - any of my opinions discussed below will not affect my decision-making process if any argument in the debate is made over them.
A lot of this philosophy (and my beliefs in debate) will echo austin kiihnl, kevin hirn, and julian habermann's philosophies'.
There is almost always a risk of any argument, its a question of how the debaters do calc as to which risk matters more
I will vote on any argument that I disagree with or is not true if the argument is won at a technical level (doesn't apply to non-negotiables)
"Evidence quality influences technical debating and I value good evidence highly"
"I have a fairly strong preference for organized, technical debating, and not debating in this way will probably make it a lot harder than you'd like for me to adjudicate the debate." (From Austin)
Notes:
-Analytics need to be used more (esp vs less truthful args)
-I won't judge kick unless told to
-I don't lean a certain way on cp theory but 2ac blippiness means the neg block has a low threshold to meet. I'm better than most for theory to make it into the 1AR but still, every cp theory other than condo is probably a reason to reject the arg
-We meet on T is a yes/no question - generally T debates are my favorite when done well.
-“I will weigh the aff unless convinced otherwise. I enjoy alt debating far, far more than FW. Aff-specific link explanation will be rewarded highly. I am most likely to vote for a K if it uses its critical theory and explanatory power to directly diminish aff solvency rather than try to access a larger impact. If debated like a critical CP, DA, and case push, you will be rewarded.” (From Julian)
-I've spent a decent amount of time reading critical literature with the most time spent on Calvin Warren, Frank Wilderson, Christina Shrape, Arthur Kroker, and Douglas Kellner in that order. This means my threshold for your explanation might inevitably be higher, however aff specific contextualization and the explanation of the theory of power on the line by line should overcome any gap in understanding.
-I have a sweet spot for impact turn debates.
-My evaluation of K affs vs FW is best for the aff when there is either a firm impact turn strategy with some metric to evaluate aff case offense or a counter interp that focuses on establishing an inroads to 2nr offense while solving external impacts. I'm better for the negative when the strategy is either hard right fairness and providing a metric to view aff offense through or a strategy that revolves around clash/fairness and establishing ways FW can solve aff offense via a TVA/SSD. If it matters I've been on the neg side of these debates slightly more than the aff.
Non-negotiables
Do not be racist, sexist, homophobic, or misgender.
CX is binding
I will not vote on anything that did not happen in the round because that is not what a judge ought to do.
If the debate can be made safer, accessible etc. Please let me know.
2024 update: I haven't judged in a while so just keep that in mind, most of the below isn't too relevant to pf but if you have any questions just let me know
Torrey Pines '19
Pronouns: he/him
Email: williamphong10@gmail.com
General
- I’ll vote for almost anything as long as it isn’t morally abhorrent
- go a bit slower bc of online debate, thanks :)
- Read whatever you want as long as you can explain it
- If you have any questions just ask before round or you can msg me on fb/email me
Defaults (can be changed if you make the args)
- Neg on presumption
- Drop the debater, competing interps, no rvi
CP - Should solve the case or part of it, have a solvency advocate, and be competitive with the aff. PIC’s are fine, 1-2 condo is fine, also open to aff theory against them.
DA – Disads are great, higher quality disads > higher quantity of disads.
Kritiks – My knowledge is mostly towards more basic k’s like cap, security, setcol, etc. It’s your job to articulate the k to make sure I understand - I'm not well read on a lot of lit bases and I might not know the jargon you use. Contextualize the k/links to the aff. High theory – really interesting but the extent of my knowledge is a 30 min lecture from Ronak and a bit of source reading so probably not a good idea.
K Affs – I like them and read them, but I don’t favor either side of the debate more than the other. Make sure you explain what the aff actually does.
Topicality – Convince me that your model/interp of debate is better than theirs.
T/FW - TVA arguments and case lists help me visualize the interpretation.
Theory – Good theory for me includes things like 50 state fiat bad, floating piks bad, disclosure, etc. Friv theory - I’ll still vote on it but the threshold for responding lowers the more friv it is.
Phil – I find philosophy interesting but I only have base level understanding of anything not util.
Tricks – 0 experience
I am a parent judge.
Please keep it simple. For your arguments, please speak slowly and clearly, and make sure to emphasize to me what you truly want to get across in your speeches. Again, I am not experienced so I will not be able to get down every single thing you bring up in your speeches. It is your responsibility to make your narrative clear and tell me why you're winning.
I would prefer no progressive argumentation (theory, Ks, etc) as I have no idea how to evaluate them.
I am new to judging but I enjoy debates and arguments. I believe in quality vs quantity of arguments as I believe arguments don't add up but average out. I also believe style is important, so speak slowly and clearly.
TL;DR Primarily a Trad coach who also enjoys K's, Tricks, and Theory. I'm fine with LARP but at least run interesting arguments.
Bio: I've coached LD since 2013, and competed since 2009. I've coached students to stage at the NSDA national tournament, and had a lot of local success in Ohio. I'm the director of LD curriculum at Triumph Debate which I co-founded.
I strive to be a tab judge, and am pretty much always tech over truth.
Email: m.slencsak@gmail.com - Please put me on email chains. Please.
Sidenote: I judge every weekend in the season, but Ohio doesn’t use Tabroom so it doesn’t show up :( I've probably judged an additional 400+ local rounds
If you cite sources you need to follow evidence standards (this is mostly an issue in Ohio). In my opinion paraphrasing in unacceptable in both LD and PF.
Debate camp is for trying out new arguments and debate styles. Just have fun with it.
Conflicts:
Liberty HS (OH)
Triumph Teams
General
- Please provide me with a clear way to evaluate the round. If you don't I won't be happy when I try to figure out who won.
- Rounds should be accessible to your opponent. This means that you should, of course, use inclusionary language, correct pronouns, content warnings if necessary, etc. but also means that you should not spread complex Ks or tricks or anything otherwise unnecessarily high level against novices, lay debaters, etc. If you do this I will be supremely annoyed and you will be very unhappy with your speaks. What is the point of winning a debate round if your opponent never has a chance to compete? (more on this in the trad v. circuit section)
- If we're online please just always send speech docs.
- I'm probably not watching the video, so don't stress about that.
- I have ADHD and can lose focus easily. Please try to make sure you're engaging and feel free to yell into a mic, or do something in round if you feel as if I've zoned out.
Public Forum
- Warrants and Links are more important to me than impacts. I'd rather your argument make sense and have some probability of happening, rather than end in extinction. Of course, I still expect good impact calc.
- Impact calc is important. Explain why your impacts are more important than your opponents. This is especially important given the lack of frameworks in PF
- Try to present you case in a way I would actually want to hear it, were I not forced to be judging the round. Be interesting, use unique arguments, vary your rate and volume of speech, etc. Do something to differentiate yourself from everyone else at the tournament.
- If you're circuit or plan on reading prog, I have a very low tolerance for prog in PF. Theory is fine to fight abuse, Topical K's are fine, T is probably necessary at many points in PF.
Circuit
- I primarily coach, and exclusively competed in traditional LD. Please keep this in mind. It's not that I don't understand circuit or can't flow spreading, I just don't have as much experience here as I do with Trad debate.
- Phil: I enjoy this. Just try to keep the debate accessible and make sure you're explaining things well.
- LARP/ Policy: Not my favorite rounds to judge, but feel free to do it, I won't hold it against you. Provide clear weighing mechanisms (and use them to weigh). I prefer more interesting arguments to generic ones.
- Tricks: Go for it
- K's: I prefer it if we keep things vaguely topical, but you do you.
- Theory & T: I weirdly enjoy theory debates when it's done well. T is fine with me as long as it's not to out there.
Traditional
Framework is the lens through which I'll evaluate the round. That means to win the round you need to show how you best achieve whichever framework won the round.
Values - Are a waste of time and should just refer to some sort of generic good concept.
Philosophy - I'm cool with anything from a philosophy standpoint and enjoy seeing interesting takes on the topic. Personal Preferences are Hobbes, Kant, and Rawls, and I'm not a fan of libertarianism. I'll still evaluate everything fairly though.
“They do not achieve their fw” is not a response to the fw. “My fw is a prerequisite” is almost never explained and I usually cannot figure out a single reason why it matters or is true.
If what you really want is the util debate, then just run util. Traditional debaters do this thing where they’re like “my framework is rights” but it’s clearly just util.
Trad vs Prog
I believe some of the best education in debate comes out of traditional vs progressive rounds, that said, it is largely based on how the progressive debaters acts towards the trad debater.
Trad debaters - Don't whine about progressive debate being bad, don't read spreading bad shells that a teammate gave you, don't read K's bad, etc. Engage with the arguments and refute them, and you'll be fine.
Prog debaters - It is your job to keep this debate accessible. This means doing things like accepting your opponent won't read a counter interp, but if they engaged with the theory argument just going with it. This means politely explaining the K in cx (both substance of the K, and how K's operate in general). As long as you're polite, and make the round accessible and fair, we won't have any issues. Feel free to ask for guidance before the round if you have ANY questions on this.
I borrowed parts of this paradigm from Eva Lamberson. Thank you Eva.
Thank you for reading this paradigm, I will award references to horses with a very small bump in speaks as a reward for actually reading my paradigm.
Tech judge who flows and discloses
Tech > Truth
If you plan on using a lot of jargon and/or abbreviations, it's fine if you just make sure to explain it.
If someone cards you, put the link to the website you used in the chat with a small excerpt so the person can find it. I know you might have some technical issues, but if you can't provide a card within maybe 5 minutes I will consider you to not have one. Some teams like doing email chains for evidence or creating docs to paste in cards. Don't do that, and use the chat instead to exchange evidence.
If your card is a news source that's super biased, I'm not going to take what it says seriously if opponents contest it at all. With that being said, you can say "according to my imagination, everyone will get nuked tomorrow if you don't vote aff"; and as long as opponents don't contest it, I'll consider it valid evidence.
If your card is the actual topic being debated, I will consider it invalid. For instance, if the debate is about the US government and your positive information is from the white house website or if the debate is about the UN, and something positive is from their website, that's not evidence.
Even if what you're saying makes more sense in crossfire than what your opponents are claiming, interrupting or raising your voice will make me consider you as the one to have lost that round.
If I can, I will disclose at the end of the round and say why I made my decision.
If a framework is introduced and you don't respond during first rebuttal, it means you accepted it. That being said, the opposing team accepting your framework isn't necessarily a "win". If you propose a utilitarian framework, and they decide to not challenge it because they believe their argument can work that way, that's just the round moving forward.
Also, for whoever is introducing the framework, don't just say what it is, explain why it makes sense for the context of the debate.
If your speech is more than ten seconds out of frame of what you have, I will penalize it. So if it's a 4 minute constructive, you have to make it between 3:50 and 4:10. With that being said, I expect you guys to time yourselves and call out opponents if they're overusing prep. It's your job to be diligent, and if your opponents are being unfair, don't feel bad about telling them that their prep is used up and they have to go.
Don't use lay speeches.
I'm okay with fast-talking (can capture around 200-220 wpm), but don't spread too much and enunciate.
Extend impacts, and always answer "why does it matter?"
Example: This leads to environmental damage "Why is that bad" ➞ more climate change "Why is that bad?" ➞ people die "Why is that bad" ➞ our framework is quality-of-life and death is the ultimate reducer of quality-of-life
Weigh, especially during final focus.
If this is jv debate or below, absolutely no theory or ks. When you do use them, kritiks are ok(ish), but if you're running theory about proper debate practice, you're just wasting time.
Regarding speaker points, my big personal thing is interrupting. If you interrupt at all in crossfire, that's a big minus for you and I'll count whatever loaded questions you might have asked to have meaningless responses. I'm honestly okay with crossfire going a little bit over time, but nothing excessive.
If you want to personally suck up to the judge, don't.
Feel free to ask questions at the end. I have experience in tournaments, and I can point out some ways you could improve responses, the case, etc.
PF/LD:
Please speak clearly in a good speech pace. I will evaluate the round based on how you tell me to. I favor the argument that has the largest impact, so please impact out your arguments and explain why your framing matters most.
Speech:
I will strictly follow NSDA and NCFL rules. For interpretation events, your storyline should be easy to follow so that I know what's happening. For OO/Extemp Speaking, you need to persuade me with evidence from reliable sources.
I am a parent lay judge and have been judging for the past few years.
This means try to keep the debate at a conversational speed.
I have a business and marketing background.
Whilst I will do my best to take notes, I do appreciate sound logic and constructive evidence.
It would be beneficial for you to hash out your link chain and narrative throughout the round.
Please engage with what your opponents say in their speeches and not just ignore it.
Above all, please make the debate an inclusive space and be respectful to your fellow debaters.
Remember to have fun!
Add me to the email chain: htang8717@yahoo.com
TABROOM PARADIGM
As a judge, I am committed to addressing barriers to accessibility in debate.
EXPERIENCE:
I did high school Lincoln Douglas for 4 years, and JV Policy at the collegiate level (Trinity University) for 2 years until 2018 or so. I have experience judging policy, LD, PF, and some speech events. I judged tournaments in the Houston, Austin, and San Antonio areas from around 2015-2018, took a break, and have been regularly judging online tournaments since 2020. At this point in my judging career, I'd say I'm still very knowledgeable with the basics, but I'm less comfortable now with high-jargon arguments in policy and LD (see, theory in LD, K literature). Having good and clear voters is important to me - I'd say the best 2NRs/2ARs are the ones that write my ballot for me. Tell me why I should vote for you!
SPEAKER POINTS:
I judge speaker points based on how clearly you navigate the flow (sign post, please!) and how clearly you articulate your voters in the final speeches. No speaker points will be deducted for stuttering - so long as you sign post (tell me where you are on the flow), have good organization on the flow, and tell me what arguments I should vote on, you will get above a 29. You will get low speaks if your speech is disorganized, and lower speaks if you are rude to your opponent.
My scale is usually (but not always):
30-29.5: excellent sign posting, clearly outlined voters, very good round. 30s will write a well warranted ballot for me
29.4-29: mostly good sign posting, at times a bit unclear, but you did a generally good job.
28.9-: not enough sign posting, your speech was somewhat disorganized.
LD/POLICY:
SPREADING:
For policy: I will permit spreading evidence if all debaters in the round are okay with it – if you wish to spread (evidence only), please ask beforehand in front of all participating members. If you or your opponents do not want to spread, no reason is necessary, and I will not flow any arguments that are spread if your opponent and I have explicitly asked you not to spread before the round (these requests to/ not to should be made before the round - I will not drop debaters for spreading, but I always welcome spreading kritiks). Spreading can be an accessibility issue, and it is important to make our rounds respectful. Good debaters do not need to spread to win!
If all debaters agree to spreading, then you HAVE to slow down for tag lines – if it’s important and you want it on my flow, then you HAVE to slow down and provide emphasis. It's been awhile since I did debate, so I'm not fast to flow anymore - ESPECIALLY for final speeches, do not spread analytics if you want your arguments on my flow/ ballots. I cannot give you a good RFD if I cannot flow your arguments
For LD: Please do not spread (and if you do talk quickly, just do so with cards, not tags or analytics). These rounds are too short, and at this point in my judging career I miss too much in LD rounds with spreading - treat me like a traditional judge, and give me quality arguments, and you will win against opponents with blippy speedy arguments
EXTENSIONS:
When extending an argument, you must extend the warrant as well. A dropped argument is a conceded argument.
And - weigh your arguments!! If you are losing an argument, but you are winning another and tell me why that’s more important, I will be more likely vote for you. Weigh, weigh, and weigh some more!
FRAMEWORK:
I enjoy framework debates, but they usually aren't enough to win a round alone. Clearly weigh your winning offense through the winning framework - whether that’s yours or your opponent’s - and you will win
I evaluate the round by: 1 looking at the winning framework (ROB, standard, etc), 2 relevant voting issues/ offense, and lastly (and arguably most importantly) 3 weighing (tell me why your offense matters more)
KRITIKS:
Ks are okay, but make sure your arguments are clear. Especially if you're reading denser philosophy, be sure to explain it clearly - I'm good on stock Ks, but if it's high level/ complex, explain it to me like I'm a lay judge (and I generally recommend erring away from these in front of me)
PLANS/CPs/DAs:
Love them, and I especially enjoy a good comparative worlds debate. I am able to write the best RFDs for these debates
TOPICALITY/THEORY:
IN CX: Topicality is fine, I will vote for it if there is a clear violation and it's articulated well. I am not the biggest fan of Theory.
IN LD: TLDR: Treat me like a lay judge if you're running theory, please do not spread your theory debates - I will not be able to follow. It is best not to run theory in front of me
My longer response: I think that theory in LD is very different than theory in policy. I was never really into the technical aspects of theory, and my skills in being able to judge it have eroded over the years. If you want a good and coherent RFD from me stay away from theory, and probably stay away from T as well (though I am more willing to hear this). If you are running theory/T in LD, you cannot spread if you want it on my flow/ ballot - I will not be able to keep up. If you choose to run theory and spread in front of me, I will do my best to judge this, but I would encourage you to run any other arguments in front of me. Judge adaptation is an important skill to have!
PF:
Everything above applies! Some additional notes:
- If you plan on speaking quickly/ spreading, then please make sure your opponents are comfortable with that before the round - I generally prefer it if PF rounds stay at a conversational pace, but if both teams want to speed up the speeches, that's okay.
- PF is not policy/LD. Remember - one strong argument with good weighing is better than multiple poorly warranted ones - know how much time you and your partner have to commit to addressing all arguments in play. I am okay if you want to run more policy-like arguments.
- In my experience, rebuttals should address all arguments, summaries whittle them down to the key arguments, and final focuses look at the voting issues. Again, I think the best final speeches are the ones that write my ballots for me!
MISC:
- Open cross is fine.
- I don't count flashing in prep, but keep this within reason.
- You are responsible for timing your own prep - I prefer to not have to keep time myself. Same with timing speeches - you are responsible for keeping track of your own time.
- If time is up, you can finish your sentence, but do not go significantly over. I do usually time speeches and will stop flowing when your time is up - if you're going towards 30 seconds over, this will reduce your speaker points.
- I will not vote on any morally repulsive arguments.
- Do not be rude. Debate is a competition, but we should respect one another and do our part to make this a welcoming educational environment.
- Weigh your arguments!! Generally speaking, you're not going to win every single argument in a round. That's okay. Win the most important argument, and tell me why it's the most important argument/ more important than the argument(s) your opponent is winning
COVID/ VIRTUAL DEBATING UPDATES:
- Please try to show up on time to rounds - that includes showing up to whatever "report time" or "check time" the tournament outlines. That being said - technical difficulties happen, and this will not factor into my RFD.
- If you think you'll be asking for evidence, collect emails/ create a Google Doc BEFORE speeches begin. No prep time is needed to share evidence, but try to be as quick as possible so that we can have an efficient round. Please get my email in round so I can be on the email chain. I think Google docs are the easiest and best way to share evidence
If you have any specific questions about my paradigm, feel free to ask me before the round begins! I am more than happy to clarify, and always appreciate when debaters read paradigms before rounds. Best of luck y'all, and have a great round!
My judging philosophy is to carefully assess logical arguments presented by both teams and evaluate based on the depth of knowledge debaters showcase during the debate. A good debate is well researched, well-coordinated, well articulated and presented at a pace that is easy to follow. Be calm and respectful of your opponents!
About:
Hi, I’m Asher (he/him). I competed in LD from 2017-2020 and qualified to the TOC twice. Shortened my paradigm for efficiency – feel free to email/message me if you have any questions about my opinions on specific arguments. Other events at bottom
Email: ashertowner@gmail[dot]com
Online Debate:
1. It’s in your best interest to go at 50-65% speed for analytics and 80-90% speed for cards. Slower on tags, conversational pace for short tags that are 1-3 words/plan texts
2. Record your speech locally to send in case there are network/wifi issues. I will not let debaters regive speeches – if you didn’t record it locally I will vote off of what I have on my flow
Judging philosophy:
1. I will vote on anything as long as it is won, not blatantly offensive, and follows the structure of an argument (claim, warrant, and impact). My decisions are always impacted first and foremost by weighing, no matter what style of debate you choose. I value argument quality and development – I’m unlikely to pull the trigger on cheesy, one-line blips and reward debaters that perform quality research and explain their positions well.
2. You must take prep or use CX if you want to ask your opponent what they did/did not read
3. I will not vote on anything which occurred outside of the round (with the exception of disclosure) or use the ballot as a moral referendum on either debater. Genuine safety concerns will be escalated and not decided with a win or a loss.
4. "Insert rehighlighting" - you should be reading the card if you're making a new argument distinct from the one the evidence made when it was initially introduced. Insertions are okay if you're providing context, but you should briefly summarize the insertion. I'm unsure how to enforce this besides being a little annoyed if you go overboard, but if your opponent makes an argument that your insertion practices are toeing the line I'll be inclined to strike them off my flow
Preferences:
1. I think theory can be an invaluable check on abuse and enjoy creative interpretations that pose interesting questions about what debate should look like. The more bland and frivolous the shell the more receptive I am to reasonability. Reasons to reject the team should be contextual to the shell – otherwise rejecting the argument should be able to rectify the abuse. Counterplan theory is best settled on a competition level
2. Kritiks should be able to explain and resolve the harms of the affirmative - the less specific the link arguments, their impact, and the alternative the more likely I am to vote aff on the permutation and plan outweighing. Impact turns are underutilized. 2NR fpiks = new arguments unless clearly indicated earlier in the debate
3. I have no strong ideological predispositions against planless affirmatives. However, in a perfectly even matchup I would likely vote on framework
Evidence ethics:
I will end the round and evaluate whether or not the evidence is objectively distorted: missing text, cut from the middle of a paragraph, or cut/highlighted intentionally to make the opposite argument the author makes (ie minimizing the word “not”). For super tiny violations like powertagging I’d prefer you just read it as a reason to reject the evidence.
Misc:
Be nice to your opponent! Will nuke your speaks if you are too rude, especially if your opponent is a novice or is making a good faith effort to get along
PF stuff:
PLEASE TIME YOURSELVES.
I'm comparatively less involved in this event and so I'll try not to impose my opinions on its conventions. For varsity, I'd prefer both teams share their evidence prior to their speeches, and I dislike paraphrasing as a practice but won't automatically penalize you for it. Speed is fine but not ideal given the norms of the activity. Generally speaking, I would prefer you not read progressive-style arguments given this format's time limitations. Other than that, just weigh.
I am a judge who prefers clarity and logical argumentation over speed and technicality. I will look for a calm, focused, well-thought out and respectful style of debate.
This is my third year judging speech and debate. I’m looking for a clear, understandable tone and excellent content.
I like seeing passion for the topic and confidence when delivering the speech.
I enjoy when there are sources provided for Extemporaneous.
In debate rounds, speak about your topic to show me why it is a stronger side.
Always respect opponents even when you do not agree with them.
To score highly, use a clear voice, good content, and engage your audience.
Best of luck!
Miranda Wambeke
Be respectful and cordial to your opponent.
Always stay on the debate topic, don’t wander off onto an irrelevant subject.
Always allow your opponent the opportunity to complete their sentence before continuing to cross.
Follows the structure of an argument (claim, warrant, and impact)
This will be my second debate tournament. I have always been interested in intellectual arguments and debates watching speakers such as Christopher Hitchens and William Lane Craig. My approach to judging will incorporate anything that occurs in the debate i.e. everything is fair game. If you hear the other debaters say something untrue feel free to point it out in the rebuttals or crossfire portions because I am not too familiar with the topic. In addition, please keep track of your time. We will enforce the it, but make sure your arguments fit within the allotted time. Heave a good time and entertain me .
I debated in PF for four years at Spring Lake Park high school, and currently compete on the Augsburg University forensics team. I also judge LD and congress and have done so at local tournaments and on the National Circuit.
LD AND PF PARADIGM:
Overall, I'm truth > tech all the way.
In other words, dressing up a mediocre argument in debate jargon won't do it for me. I care mostly about the strength of your arguments.Sure, if you give me a really strong argument early on and don't extend it all the way through, I can't declare you the winner.However, your bad arguments will still be bad arguments even if you (attempted to) weigh it and extend and whatnot.
I look for arguments that:
1. Have convincing grounds, warrants, and impacts
2. Are not convoluted (see my comments on this below)
3. Are backed up by strong evidence
If you argument is problematic, illogical, fallacious, has weak/unconvincing warrants, etc, it doesn't matter to me how well you extended it.
If the card being used to back up an argument was not credible or cherry-picked, I will not weigh it even if it goes uncontested in round. (See pet peeves below)
Other general things I look for:
1. Signposting: Please be organized in your delivery so it is easier for me to flow and for you to keep track as well.
2. Clear speaking: Although I debated for four years, I have never ever been in favor of overly fast speaking whatsoever. I think it a cheap way to cram in too many arguments and then later say they never got refuted. I know how to comprehend general speed (sorry, it is hard for me to give exact wpm!), but if you are just spreading your case, unpopular opinion, but I think that reflects poor speaking skills.
- However fast you speak, please enunciate.
3. RESPECT AS A SPEAKER: If I see rude behavior, that is an automatic L from me. I don’t care how strong your case is.
4. Collapse arguments in the second half of the debate (summary and beyond) and please give me clear voters
5. Credible cards that aren’t cherry picked, outdated, or sketchy (see my elaboration on this below)
Pet Peeves:
1. Insisting that quantitative impacts are superior over qualitative ones:
- I don’t believe an impact is inherently not significant just because it cannot be expressed in a number. Numbers are incredibly important to prove the magnitude of a point, but it does not always outweigh a properly explained and cited qualitative impact. Although numbers tend to be more concrete, qualitative impacts can in some cases be quite powerful.
- For example, I cannot give you an exact number of how many people will die if we don't make college free (for example), but that doesn't mean the impact is meaningless. You can give all sorts of studies linking college education to employment, give research on how this might impoverish people, etc. But if you don't have numbers for the exact amount of people that will DIE, that doesn't mean the point is meaningless.
- But if you have numbers, use them. Just don't assume that your opponent's impacts aren't there just because nobody has done a formal study on how many would die.
2. Catastrophic impacts
- I am unconvinced by catastrophic-sounding quantifiable impacts. Examples include people saying "1 billion people will die from nuclear war if we do this;" "x policy will cause mass extinction;" "the passage of x bill will bring back the ice age;" etc. If you’re gonna give me an impact that billions of people will die, I’d like to hear a credible explanation with a warrant that isn’t convoluted. I am skeptical when debaters pull very unrealistic, outrageous sounding numbers, so be cautious of this.
3. Cherry-picking cards or using ones that aren’t credible
- I am very good at being able to pick out when a card sounds fishy, and have caught debaters using such cards. Have integrity, use evidence that you’ve verified, and don’t cut and paste the portions that suit your narrative.
CONGRESS PARADIGM:
All the notes above still apply.
My other note - please try to move the debate along in your speeches. Too often, I see congressional debaters repeating the same points in later speeches and it doesn't do anything to advance the debate. Throughout the session, you should be addressing the points of contention from the round.
Firstly and most importantly, it'll be difficult for me to follow your argument if you speak too fast. Speak slowly.
I prefer weighing in summary and final focus.
Crossfire matters, I flow cross, although it's not as important as the other speeches to me.
I'm not too strict on time, I'll usually give a grace period of a few seconds after you go over time in your speeches, but please try to keep track of your own time.
Extend your arguments, I also expect both teams to frontline their arguments.
I expect you all to keep track of your own prep time.
Another small thing, I don't really care what year both team's cards are from, although it would be great if both teams cross-examined each other's evidence.
I'm a lay judge but I've been judging debates for a while now. I promise I'll be unbiased and work hard as a debate judge.
Thanks.
I appreciate your comprehensive research and hard work in preparation for the debate. For sure I do my best to ignore my own knowledge about the topic and respect your stances, without bias. For sure I enjoy your debating skills and the art of speech. But the logic thinking driving your words is of paramount importance. The facts and points supported by data and resource are stronger than a statement in general.