Tab judge so run anything you’d like as long as its nothing offensive ie impact turns to oppression. I don’t default to anything so all arguments must be communicated clearly in the round including the implications of those arguments. Spreading is fine but slow down and be extra clear on tag lines and author names. If you have any specific questions just ask me before the round.

I am a junior in college majoring in Political Science and Sociology. I was speech and debate team captain in high school & I competed all throughout high school in Policy, Parli, D.I, DUO, P.O.I.

Looking forward to judging :) best of luck

Greetings!

For just a little background about myself, I am a high school chemistry teacher from California. I am a parent judge who is newer to judging speech and debate. Over the past year, I have judged speech, PF, and LD. I prefer clear slow speaking, please do not talk fast/spread. Please keep speech/debate jargon to a minimum. Please thoroughly explain and signpost throughout the round.

Email Chain > File Share

Add me to the Email chain - alexbaez18@gmail.com

4 Years of Policy at the Law Magnet - and 5 years at UTD

I've judged a decent amount of tournaments last year, mostly Dallas Circuit and TFA Tournaments, also TOC Tournaments in Dallas.

This year I've judged over 15 tournaments, mostly TOC tournaments online and local Dallas tournaments.

Just about anything goes, I'll pay attention, but the onus is on you to make sure I know what you're talking about, don't assume I know about your argument as much as you do. I mostly judge clash of civ debates but I love judging traditional policy debates and K v K debates.

LD

Not as familiar with Kant, DNG, Tricks. Aff time skew is real tbh

Greetings!

I am a parent judge and I have judged speech, PF, and LD. I prefer clear speaking, please do not spread. Please thoroughly explain and signpost throughout the round. Please no theories that are not relevant to the resolution.

I expect non-aggressive and friendly cross-examination and class. Be respectful to each other. Debaters should time their own speeches. I will time also and keep track of prep time.

clarity = speed of delivery. pleaseslow down on tags, texts, interpretations, advocacies, analytical arguments, authors, or any argument you want me to get in detail verbatim on my flow. please keep in mind that your speed will always be faster than my keyboarding skills/flowcabulary. i do not flow off the document and will not backflow arguments from the document

i am a great judge for technical, mechanical line-by-line debate

judge instruction is axiomatic. most judging philosophies say "judge instructions please" because debaters rarely do enough of it and judges are left to decide debates on their own devices which leads to inevitable intervention and at least one unhappy debater. please - judge instructions! yes, go for your arguments, say how they outweigh, sure, magnitude timeframe sure, but tell me what to do with them/everything else at the end of the debate

what you debate is up to you - i do not have a preference for how you stylistically debate or which arguments you choose to read. this is my 20th year in debate and i have been around long enough that i have probably heard, debated, coached, and/or judged almost any/every argument you could say or do within reason. all arguments are fair game within reason - do not be violent, racist, et cetera. i consider myself an incredibly flexible coach that believes debaters get the most out of the activity through a student-centered model of debate where the debater is in the argumentative captain's seat and my job as a debate coach is to coach debaters at what they want to do to the best of my ability

i obviously have preferences - every debate judge does - but i try to keep those out of the decision calculus for deciding who wins the debate. given that, the following might help you out while either filling out your pref sheet or in the pre-round prep:

i am an awesome to great to okay judge for almost all arguments that come from policy debate - disads, counterplans, plans, not plans, performance, kritiks, k affs, theory, topicality, the politics da, conditionality bad, et cetera

i am an okay-ish judge for kant/phil - did a lot of academic research in uni on kant, but often struggle with how ld does kant. if you are going to read a bunch of dense cards about the categorical imperative, you are a-okay. if you are spamming a bunch of paradoxes, i would probably take another judge

i'm getting increasingly better for "tricks". a couple years ago this would have said no tricks, but i find myself increasingly voting on arguments like "role of the ballot spec", random ivis, and such when explained/impacted properly. i will only evaluate the debate after the 2ar

my voting record is historically bad for the neg on "t-usfg/framework/must larp/instrumentally defend the topic" and would advise engaging the affirmative

the aff is 29-0 in front of me over the past 5 years when the nr goes for "t-nebel/whole resolution/cannot specify/no plans"

some judge intricacies:

i will not judge kick unless you explicitly make judge kick an option in your speech

team no risk - there is zero risk that i will win the gold medal in the 100m dash at the 2024 paris olympic games

debaters must speaketh the rehighlighting - you can only re-insert text that has already been read

speaker point floor typically 29.0

i do not have a "poker face" and am unabashedly human

This is my fourth year judging--I enjoy it and am so impressed with all the competitors.

I'm glad to judge across all speech and debate disciplines.

I base my winners on clarity, organization, dynamic speaking, engagement with/commitment to the topic, and respectfulness toward peers. Thank you.

I follow the flay pattern. I like to focus on the flow of the argument and also place emphasis on the presentation of the content.

Ideally, each contention should be called out before you deep-dive into it so that I can correlate the substance/examples of your argument to your contention.

If the above is taken care of, I can easily make out what you are presenting, regardless of whether you speak fast or slow.

In CX, please be courteous to your opponent and allow them to finish responding to your question(s).

This is my 4th time judging a Lincoln-Douglas debate but I still consider myself a lay judge.If you speak clearly and at a conversational pace, I will be able to follow your speeches and understand your arguments. Debaters should time their own speeches. I will time also and keep track of prep time.

I will make my decisions based on the arguments made in the debate. For Novice LD, I will not consider counterplans, framework arguments, or topicality arguments.

Pronouns:

He/Him

Brief Background:

2 years in Speech & Debate, Competed in every debate but mainly LD and Parliamentary

General:

· For speed, I am fine with relatively fast speaking but do not spread. I flow the round and vote based off what is on my flow. If I did not catch your argument or rebuttal because you spoke too fast, then that is your fault not mine. Also consider since this will be online, people might be susceptible to their internet cutting out so please be conscious of connection issues.

· I prefer being included in the email chain if any cards are called for. My email is padsdsu3@gmail.com

· Impact calculus and voter issues are critical. Do not expect me to weigh the round for you. It is your job as a debater to explain why your argument is more important than your opponent’s.

· Any discussion within cross is not considered on my ballot. The reason for this is if your opponent’s response is something that can be used as offense for you, then it should be mentioned within one of the speeches.

· Dropped arguments are not to be brought up later in the debate. I will be the final verdict if there are any disputes about whether an argument was addressed or not. In the same vein, be sure to signpost so I understand where on the flow you are.

PF:

· For weighing, I default to cost ben unless otherwise stated.

MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE FUN AND BE NICE

Hi--thanks for looking me up!

I'm a debate parent, a career English and Ethnic Studies professor, and a former member of the USC Debate Squad. My events were duo interp. and the "After Dinner Speech" (i.e., precursor to TED talk with goals to entertain and instruct). This is my 3rd year judging and I have voted with the majority in 85% of debate elim rounds.

Debate: I will flow your case and vote on the strength of it as a whole (no petty line-by-line here). My academic background is in rhetoric, so I like good evidence and precise word choice; it follows that I see overstatement as intellectually sloppy, annoying, and sometimes a critical error (looking at you, extinction-level arguments!). The best debaters will use superb sources and be vigilant about their opponents' blocks for the same. Cross is a strategic opportunity to open holes or create a path for your own case, so "repeat this" questions that primarily offer your opponent more airtime reflect poorly on you. Tone matters, so cross can be aggressive but not demeaning or bullying. Logical links should be made often and with crystal clarity. Real-world examples that are not cliche and offer you an opportunity to "make real" your framework and showcase the depth and adeptness of your thinking are always impressive.

Don'ts: I am totally unimpressed and dispirited by teams that share or use common cases. In my field we call it plagiarism and consider it illegal. Therefore, duplicate cases will be judged with great disadvantage. (Opponents are advised to drill down and demand logical links and sophisticated explanations from different points of view that folks who copy cases often cannot provide.)

Spreading: I am not (yet) convinced that spreading works. I see it as a flashy (and cheap) excuse for not doing the harder intellectual work of analysis and concision that debate, at its best, demands. Please don't waste my time and yours by subscribing to this rhetorical game that undermines the essential and transferable skills at the heart of this amazing program.

Furthermore, I am offended by the practice of sending written cases since I believe it compromises the careful listening and oral argument abilities that debate is designed to cultivate in real time. Please don't ask me if I'd like to be sent your case--you will be revealing that you haven't read my paradigm.

IEs: I believe in genre categories, so a Dec should sound like a speech and not a DI. HI should be LOL funny instead of weird/odd. Interp speeches should be cut to highlight a clear plot arc with tension, depth, and a satisfying conclusion. Sources matter and should be clearly and respectfully credited. Platform speeches should sound professional and resist drama creep.

I don't profess to be "right," but I believe that earnest feedback is a gift; I will do my best to be diligent and offer you what I can. I am grateful to learn something from you in nearly every round I have the pleasure of hearing (thank you!).

Most importantly, I celebrate you! I'm impressed that you've made the choice to participate in Speech and Debate, and I believe that your hard work here will benefit every aspect of your future. Many of you are already more advanced than my freshmen and sophomores in the CSU. It's such a pleasure to listen to you and to watch you grow over the seasons! :) Let's go!

Prof. Cassel

Hello! I am a lay judge who prefers moderately paced talking as opposed to spreading. I look forward to judging your round.

USC '25 (Debating)

DVHS '21

he/him

Use speechdrop or whatever file sharing platform the tourney offers - it usually avoids the delays associated with email sending.

If not, add me to the email chain: channa.dhruv@gmail.com

------------------------------------------------------UPDATE----------------------------------------------------------------

TLDR - most of the stuff remains true, but I've realized more and more that leaving my preferences at the door is probably best. I've done and read almost everything, so do what you do. I was a more K leaning individual on a very policy HS team, and in college I've continued to enjoy debating both sides of the spectrum. I still think that K affs should be topic-centered, and those that will win in front of me will often redefine words rather than solely relying on impact turns vs T, esp generic ones.

Fun debates/Debates where the atmosphere isn't hostile will receive high speaks: Innovative, fun, complicated, etc strategies that are executed well will be rewarded. That isn't to say you will be penalized for going for a "generic" strategy - if you can execute your strategy well, do it because I will enjoy that just the same.

LD -

Tricks - Strike me, don't really care to judge those debates because they're used in a way that's meant for the other team to drop them for you to win. It's the only predisposition I have vs any argument.

Phil - Pref me low, don't have the will to parse through these debates

1 - Policy, T, Impact Turn debates, Topic/Generic/Innovative Ks, Resolutional K affs, K v K

2 - K Affs(non resolutional), T-FW vs K affs

3 - High theory K/K-affs(i.e. Pomo)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a current debater at USC and competed in LD and Policy throughout high school, I've been a 2N throughout my career, but have switched to being a 2A as of late.

I'm pretty comfortable for whatever you want to do(some exceptions)... I've run most arguments on the spectrum, from being solely straight-up my sophomore year, to practically one-tricking the Security K my junior year, and ending up debating flex my senior year.

I'm not fond of the "1- ... 2- ... 3-" stuff, but I guess it can be helpful so:

1- Policy(DA, CP), T, T-Fw vs K Affs, Generic Ks or Topic Ks(things like Security, Cap, Berlant, etc)

2- Theory, K Affs, K v K

3- High theory Ks, Pomo Ks, Identity Ks

(IF LD)

4- Generic Phil(like Kant)

5- Phil other than Kant

STRIKE ME if your main strategy relies on making arguments that you can only go for if dropped(i.e. blippy theory arguments like Shoes theory, indexicals, and other tricks). Arguments must have a claim, warrant, and impact, I will not vote on anything that falls short of this threshold.

ONLINE

Please record your speeches and if the call drops, keep going and send the recording at the end of the speech. Also, please go 75-80% speed max, thanks :)

Policy

DAs -

I love them, straight turns are amazing, impact calculus is a must, Ptx DAs are good, Turns case with impact calc is great(especially when there's timeframe contextualization with these).

CPs -

I love a good counterplan debate.

CPs MUST have some mechanism of solving the aff in the 1NC itself, preferably a solvency advocate(card) but a simple line explaining how it would solve (if it's intuitive) works.

PICs do not need to have a specific advocate that advocates for the entirety of the plan excluding the thing being PICd out of.

Cheaty CPs are fine: process, advantage, etc are all good and valid.

T/Theory -

I default to competing interps, DTA on everything but condo and T, Condo good. That said, those are just my defaults, I can very easily be persuaded the other way via good debating. Fairness is an impact, so is education.

SLOW DOWN on theory, please. If I don't catch something and it becomes the entire 2NR/AR, I will not feel too bad not voting on it... don't tell me I didn't warn you.

Err neg and DTA are really persuasive arguments in my opinion, unless there's some real reason for DTD.

Pragmatics>>>Semantics - Semantics don't matter to me unless it's setting up an argument for predictability or precision or something like that.

Ks (on the neg) -

Love 'em.

I really love good K debates with nuanced link works and the sauce. A lot of my 2NRs my junior year was the K, and the K was often present in the 1NC my senior year as well. That said, don't take it as an excuse to just throw out buzzwords or expect me to know what you are talking about. I will not do work for you.

I'm very comfortable with the generics or with topic-specific Ks, anything else must be explained to me(little more so than the generics). I'll really like it if your OV explicitly states your theory of power, and that will make the rest of your work on the K proper much cleaner and it will make much more sense to me. I think I catch onto the thesis of Ks pretty quickly, so if I'm not making any sense in the RFD as to why I voted against you, it's probably because your explanation was incoherent.

Speaking of OVs, please keep them on the shorter side... If you say "new page for the OV", I will not be happy... and neither will you with your speaks.

Default to Affs should get to weigh the case, can be persuaded otherwise.

Make FW arguments explicit and do weighing as if it is any other arg. I find that the best debaters often resolve the differences between the models provided and help me identify what exactly makes one interp better than the other.

Perfcon is an issue of condo UNLESS you are using the aff's responses to one position to garner offense for the other. It's not usually the most persuasive

PIKs and FPIKs are prob illegitimate, but you gotta do the work to prove that.

K affs -

I'm down to listen to a good K aff. Affs must be in the direction of the topic somewhat, not saying "no K affs" but rather I'm saying that there must be some connection between the aff and the topic that is made in the 1AC. A really good example of this was this one aff that St Francis read on the arms sales topic about Queer Militarism with definitions of munitions being related to queer bodies... not saying that's true, rather that I love clever strategies.

T-Fw is very persuasive vs K affs - movements, fairness, education, whatever you want to read. Tbh I have yet to see a good answer to movements.

PIKs vs K affs are strategic, probably won't vote for PIKs bad

K affs get perms

K vs K affs are interesting, so if that's your strat, go for it.

LD

- I default Comp Worlds(tough to convince me otherwise), no RVIs(though that doesn't mean I won't vote on one).

- Condo is probably good, but it becomes somewhat abusive past 2

- Ks on the neg in LD: I am fine with new Link extrapolation in the 2NR(i.e. recuttings of the aff), esp if its breaking new. That said, you need to have some card in the 1NC that provides the thesis of those links

Phil/Trix

Try just to not read it lol.

Good phil = read it, but err on over-explaining because Im not familiar w most of the lit.

Trix = L 27(not actually, but if you make me suffer i'll return the favor)

default modesty

Good extensions of your Moen and/or Pummer evidence vs Phil should get you out of a lot of trouble

A lot of the paradoxes are terrible arguments, try to make intuitive responses to them

Theory vs trix is a very good strat in front of me

T-implementation vs "General principle" affs was my go-to strat, and I think that it is a good one

Grouping args(like calc indicts) is good and doing that little overview-y grouping work can help you in a lot of places, especially when going against blippy analytical walls.

I will not give you good speaks if you go for trix and will try to not vote on it in any and every way possible, so please just do not include it in the round itself, thank you.

The rest of the LD section should be the same as Policy

Misc

1. Please disclose on the wiki(open source w/ highlighting is best practice) if you are in Varsity unless you have some issues(either school-related or wiki troubles). Sending docs when requested is fine too.

2. Prep time is whatever has been determined by the tourney, prep stops when you have finished saving your doc. If <= 3 cards, body is cool, anything more please send a doc.

3. I have absolutely no qualms about giving the "I don't get it" RFD

4. I don't judge kick unless instructed to, and justifying should(if contested) go past "it's a logical extension of conditionality"

5. Ev ethics challenge ends the round there, I will evaluate and the winner of the challenge gets a W30, loser gets an L27 (if it was a false claim) or L and lowest speaks possible if the challenge was true.

6. Clipping challenges needs evidence(recordings, unless I notice it - then i'm your witness), but it's also the same as an ev ethics challenge. If I notice it and the opp doesn't, your speaks won't look so hot.

7. I will read your ev, so good quality prep gets high speaks in front of me.

8. If it's a lay tournament but both debaters want a flow round, go ahead and have fun!

9. If it's a bid tournament, I don't think you have to adapt to novices or non-circuit debaters. If theory was dropped, just extend it for a quick sec or two and continue the debate for educational purposes, that will earn you a ton of respect and good speaks.

10. If theory/T is dropped in a circuit round, I will be very unhappy if the next speech(if rebuttals) isn't that argument or if that speech is longer than 30 seconds tops...

11. Tech>Truth, except for things like racism good or the like. I will not tolerate any instances of racism, sexism, etc in round.

12. Sending a marked copy does not constitute prep, but requesting a doc where "unread cards are deleted" constitutes prep

Ultimately, just have fun and do you! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at my email above!

I am a flow judge. If I don't understand you, I won't put it into my flow. That said, there is a difference between speaking fast and spreading. You can speak fast but if it is incomprehensible (spreading), I will miss the argument and it didn't make it onto my flow. Also, do not expect me to understand the topic; it is up to the debaters to allow me to understand the round. Please clearly state your impacts in your final speeches.

In LD, there are 4 minutes of prep and I generally don't allow for flex prep. There's cross-x time for a reason. You can ask for evidence during prep but not clarification (again, that's what cross x is for).

I weigh on framework and impact analysis. I look for arguments that are both logically sound and that have proper evidence to support it. I would probably describe myself as leaning traditional but I am comfortable with progressive arguments.

I have judged Congress, Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and Parli, but I am most familiar with LD.

I would also request that there should be a non-aggressive and friendly cross-examination and class. Be respectful to each other. Keep track of your own time and your opponent's.

I'm a parent judge and so I have very basic but specific guidelines:

1. Share an outline or roadmap at the beginning that is not only clear but that you follow in your presentation (If it does not flow, I cannot follow).

2. Speak at a moderate pace so that it is easy to follow and understand.

3. Following speaker etiquette is important. While I may not vote down a debater for rudeness or lack of etiquette, it will affect their speaker points.

4. Strongly prefer traditional debates so please do not use progressive tactics (e.g., no spreading, no kritiks).

5. During cross fires, please do not ask questions for questions sake... recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity to ask probing questions to either clarify a point or expose a flaw in your opponents statements.

6. (For LD) Aff has a burden to show the resolution is, generally speaking, a true statement. Neg has the burden to show it is a false statement.

Email: kassdebates@gmail.com (note: I don't monitor this email outside of tournaments--- its possible I will not forward you speech docs unless i'm judging that weekend)

Hola,

I was a policy debater at Fort Lauderdale High School (2012-2016) and in college at WVU (2016-2019). While competing in college, I made it to elims at a few national/regional tournaments before I stopped debating and found joy coaching teams to the NDT and TOC and teaching novices. I have a B.A. in Latin American Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, and Geography from WVU.

Outside of judging debates, I work full-time in the movement as the National Organizer for Education and Justice Transformation at The Center for Popular Democracy

I'm a pretty flex judge. I want you to do what you're good at and be a decent human while you're doing it. I keep to a tight flow which means I can keep up with plan-debate but I found more competitive success with kritikal/performance. I've been in debate for over a decade sooo you do you, and I'll keep up.

here are some things worth noting tho :)

general stuff

• I center my debate on the flow and make a decision from it
• An argument has a claim, warrant, and impact.
• I'm ok with flex speeches and cross-ex.
• I love good evidence that I can vote on.
• I'm pretty immersed in debate's kritikal lit and can understand most of it, but I'm in the movement and legislative world, so I witness what policy and organizing tactics can do and not do. :')
• I love an impact debate.
• card docs at the end of the debate are helpful (especially for policy throwdowns)
• It's possible I will briefly close my eyes while flowing you -- this is especially true if you're incredibly fast or its the first few rounds of a tournament -- I promise I am listening, when I do this, I am adjusting to your speed/voice/rhythm, listening more intently (there's so much happening in a debate and this helps a bit with auditory processing), and just making sense of the debate. I will type everything you say!

Affs/case

• I prefer that aff's have a mechanism that does something whether that's hypothetical implementation, a material action, mindset shift. I want to know at the end of the debate "what do we do or not do?", and why is that good.
• performance is a-okay with me :) -- I want to know what arguments are embedded in your performance during the 2AC and in later speeches.
• if you're reading high-theory (bauldriard type ppl) give me examples to ground what you're saying. I can read your evidence, but oftentimes in these debates, I ask myself "what does adopting this theory of power lead to?" or "what?" in general, so having examples and full warrants that apply and explain your theory is helpful.
• Impacts are important to me. Tell me the story of the impacts and how they outweigh.
• Case Debates are a lost art. Bring it back.
• I need you to go to the case page in the block or be very clear when you're cross applying arguments to the case flow. The 2NR and 2AR must also go to the case page and isolate what key arguments you're winning. For affs, I want impact work here. I am very persuaded by negative case turns.

FW

• ill vote on it if you win it, this goes both ways! vs K affs, Im a better judge for plan = policy advocacy skills fw versus traditional must defend a plan because debate is a game, but can be persuaded if you're winning tech.
• Impact turns <3
• My decision normally gravitates to whose model of debate is best for Education with any/all DAs or offense you have against the Aff or FW.
• ROBS and ROJs are a good way to help me funnel offense and frame my ballot.
• I'm not really persuaded by fairness as an impact but if you win it, I'll vote on it. I am more persuaded that fairness is an internal link to an education impact

T

• I'd often give 6 min 1NRs on T if that's helpful at all.
• I like T debate and want more specificity here -- sometimes I feel these debates can become technical messes with no substance -- I want competing interps, impact turns, clear TVAs, talking about limits.
• most of my thoughts here are similar to FW

DAs

• I'm good with these
• I love a ptx DA throwdown
• I need clear links and internal link story on how the aff triggers the impact of the DA

CPs

• Tell me how the CP solves, what the NB is, and why the perm isn't an option

Theory

• Please don't read condo if there's 1-2 conditional advocacies

online judging tech/accessibility

• will most likely keep camera off while speeches are going to focus better and get best connection, will give verbal affirmation Im there and try to be on during CX.
• I’m a quick thinker, but sometimes I need more time to pause and think through my thoughts, this is especially true for RFD and questions

If you have specific questions, feel free to ask me before the round or send me an email at kassdebates@gmail.com. My only request is that you put me on the email chain, be open to learning/growing together, and give me enough pen time to flow everything (start speeches slow then speed up, take a second to breathe before switching flows, etc.). Debate is supposed to be a fun and educational activity, so show me what ya got and I'll do my best to keep up! :)

Good luck!

Hello!

I like multi-position negative strategies, any rate of delivery is fine, ill decide theory arguments and primacy of impacts based on the arguments in the round.

Please have emails ready for an email chain; you need to give your opponent a complete copy of your cards read so that they can read the unredacted version of your evidence. There are many reasons for this, Id like that also. Most tournaments imply this, notify me before the round starts if you have a problem with sharing evidence and we will resolve the issue before anyone invests their time in the project.

I also think that rapid rate of delivery and procedural fluency are not political issues; they are skill sets that should be developed If they are not already.

Experience with LD and PF

-Good with Speed & spreading

-Looking for opponents who give me full expanded thoughts and examples; excellent POI’s and cross exams

-for me, debates are won during the crosses

-ask thoughtful questions and find holes in opponents arguments

-flay judge: competed in high school (07-09) and have been judging lots of online tournaments since the pandemic. Can flow fairly well, but some of the jargon has gone out the window in the past few years, so laymen's terms are preferred when it comes to technically things. I have a college education, but some speech specific language, I don't remember.

Long story short: Be nice to your opponent. Not incredibly aggressive and not mean. Treat each other with respect. If I see foul play or bad manners, I generally lower points.

Personal notes:

• Spreading: Please... I beg you... don't do it. If I can't understand you or miss something, I can't score it.
• Humor goes a long way. It's a long round. If you make me laugh in a good argument, you'll get some brownie points.

To be updated!

My priority is communication. I have to be able to understand you, so I would prefer it if you not spread. If not, I have a tendency to disengage. Clarity is key!

Effective claims and evidence not only supplies your own side, but works as a counterattack against your opponent's case. Recency and evidence source will also be considered for any potential bias, implicit or explicit. Be mindful of dropped contentions: any arguments left unanswered will flow through. It is your responsibility to ensure that your case aligns with any provided value criterion. If offering a differing weighing mechanism, be sure to explain why yours should take precedence instead.

That being said, not all arguments ought to be weighed equally when using said criterion. What might be the financial burden and which population would be affected the most? Will this solution be able to work in the short-term and the long-term? Of these includes-but-not-limited-to example questions, there has to be a bottom line. Why does yours matter the most?

I look forward to hearing your well-researched and well-delivered cases. Good luck!

Matthew Dean: idc what you call me, I called the judge “your honor” because I was in Mock trial for four years. But besides that, I really don't care. You can pick a random name to call me in round honestly, literally anything, just be consistent. I'll probably find it funny and give you higher speaks.

Email: Mhadd.eon@gmail.com

I try my best to be tabula rasa but don't try to convince me death is good.

I originally had a really long paradigm on here but, realized no one's gonna read that, so here ya go. I'm a flow judge and I will accept plans in LD, I hate K's and k style debate. However, I will accept them.

Real quick, if you feel the need to run a K I gotta be given the K, unless its off the cuff, which then idc. Progressive argumentation is something I am painfully used to, I did policy debate and some LD though mostly policy. I understand progressive debate just not overly fond of it. However, if you want to do it just do it right and there will be no problems!

I'm fine with unique arguments and really have fun with your rounds ok?

If your case needs to be disclosed because you are going to spread, please give it to me, but be warned I flow, and will only judge you off of what I can HEAR, so if you're too fast and I have to shout clear you've lost speaker points. I did Policy for multiple years and am adept at good spreading I know what bad spreading sounds like. In events like LD please focus on value debate, If I don't hear about it you don't win. I cannot stress this enough if your argument says that not voting for you is racist, sexist, or some other stupid ism that somehow I am for not choosing you, I won't buy it. I want to hear you win on the merits of your ability nothing more. Try to stay away from attacking opponents verbally you will lose the round if you do. I expect people to avoid flimsy link chains (but if you can back it up I don't care how long that chain is). I truly love clash, the more arguments clash the more engaged I will be in the debate. The number one voter in every round is impact calculus, and how you prove to me the effects and true weight of your impact on the world, and/or the negative impact of your opponent. I did debate during high school, I did policy and went to nationals twice in it, I did PF for every year. I did parli for every year and went to states twice in it, I did LD and went to the NCFL national tournament in it. I know every debate event both on the circuit and off of it, feel free to ask clarifying questions as I'm not going to type everything out on here.

speed is fine as long as you make an email chain/speech drop - email is obinnadennar@gmail.com

im fine with all types of debate. i love critical arguments/case positions that engage with various types of philosophy. k debate is my favorite. cool with everything else.

one note on theory: i do not like frivolous theory (i.e. down my opponent since they are wearing socks - yes, i have seen this shell). if your opponent gets up in the next speech and says this is stupid and don't pay attention to it. i will discard it and i will not see it as a voting issues. that being said, if there is actual abuse in the round, theory is not only fine but welcomed. competing interps over reasonability.

please feel free to ask any questions before the round. ill be more than happy to answer them

Last updated: December 4, 2020 before La Costa Canyon Tournament

DEBATE:
Going straight to the point: I can flow but act as if I am a lay judge!! I would appreciate it if you can do an off time roadmap as well :)

1. Act as if I'm a blank slate on the topic.
2. Standards should be clearly established, framework at the top of the case is helpful
3. I dont flow during cross, you'll have my full attention and I will judge based off of how well you can reason w/ your opponent and how confident you are with you case.
4. Dont run theory or kritik literature as I will get confused (learned the hard way off of some crazy debate jargon). Does not matter how well you link or impact it, please stick to the topic at hand.
5. Voters at the end is the majority of helping me what my RFD will be!! Please include them!!

SPEECH:

If I am being honest with you, whenever I saw a judge with a speech paradigm as a competitor, it always made my day so I hope it makes yours!

1. Your social message is the most important thing I am looking forward to hear. Bonus points if you can talk about a general topic but find that unique twist to set you apart. I seriously love speeches like those.
2. Facial expressions! Hand gestures! Pauses for effect! OMG!!! Those are so important when delivering a powerful speech like yours. I will point out on what you did excellent and what you can improve... as presentation of your speech is what can make or break you.
3. Manners. Simply put, don’t let your ego get in the way when you step into a round. I hate when competitors stone wall or didn’t clap someone up as a tactic to seem better. Remember to be kind and have empathy, we're all here for the same reasons.

Video logistics

Even though your speech may or may not be pre-recorded, here are some critiques that I learned judging through the era of recorded videos! Use these tips to better enhance your performance for next tournament!

1. Platforms - Always stare at the camera. Dont worry, it wont look as awkward as it feels!

2. If possible, make sure you record full body! Especially in interp, it is hard to tell how when you pop/morph if your character stances aren't clear enough.

ABOUT ME: she/her

Hello! My name is Brianna, I was a competitor in my speech and debate team for 3 years. What got me into speech and debate was when I was volunteering for a state tournament that my school hosted and I had the honor to spectate one of my classmates in her HI round. Ever since, I have loved every second of this activity. Im a platform girl so if I’m judging your OO/OA/EXPOS round, just know I have a slight bias and I’m already excited to hear what you have to say. I’ve competed in NIETOC, TOC, NCFL and all those fun tournaments so I like to believe I know what I am doing lol! Oh– and don't worry, I will be sure to give you a long and completed ballot (I’ve always hated when judges would just say “good speech” on mines ugh).

Thank you for reading this far and I can’t wait to see you in round! Good luck to all :)

I am a parent judge. I have judged PF earlier, started LD this year.

I expect debaters to be polite and respectful to everyone involved. Please speak clearly and with concise arguments. Raising your voice will not earn you more points, it is not needed to convey your thoughts.

I expect participants time themselves with honesty.

I will not announce the result of a round right away, instead I will analyze the arguments presented and will give my reasoning in the ballot.

I look for debaters who have all of the components necessary for an LD case. Focus on explaining your impacts and weighing your and your opponent's arguments. Do not engage in an evidence dump.

Also, please speak clearly and at a reasonable pace. Be respectful to your opponent; being rude or interrupting will play a role in my decision.

I've been judging for a few years now and, being the parent of a speech and debater, I understand most events. For every event though, I prefer quality over quantity. I understand you have a lot to say but keep it understandable.

Debate: I encourage you to define acronyms, organizations, or things that a person who is unfamiliar with the topic wouldn't understand. I appreciate the effort you have put in, including time and research into your arguments, but if I can't follow the flow, it makes it more difficult to judge. Along the same lines, I do not appreciate spreading. If I can't follow your thought process, I will have a harder time understanding your argument. Additionally, be respectful to your opponents. I value professionalism especially in cross. If I see the same case across multiple teams/same school, I will devalue the argument for plagiarism. I heavily look at the resolution and compare it with your argument, I want to see topicality. I value a clear outline (clear, separated contentions; off-time roadmaps and directing your debate towards your judge). I appreciate evidence if it is used effectively to add to the debate.

Speech/IE: I've judged all speech events, and I'm fairly experienced with all of them. It should be organized and constructed well. I enjoy impactful conclusions; I listen to speeches all day and I want to see something that will stick with me. Please speak clear and concise. Do not force emotions, represent the proper attitude for your topic or speech event. For unprepared speeches, I can identify "canned" speeches and discourage them. I appreciate a speaker embracing the spirit of the event. Also, tell me what topic you chose. Especially for interps, make your characters clearly separated and characterized so I understand where your story is going. Have a clear plot line as well as believable acting.

Good luck!

University of Michigan 2015-2019

La Costa Canyon HS 2011-2015

Please add jgold717 at gmail dot com to the email chain.

I debated for 8 years and qualified to the NDT 3 times for Michigan including a semifinals appearance. While I was in college, I was an assistant coach for various high schools and taught labs at the Michigan Debate Institutes. I am no longer a debate coach or actively involved in debate, I am a practicing attorney and I only judge occasionally. As such, err on the side of over-explaining things to me, don't assume I have topic knowledge, go easy on acronyms, etc.

Top level:

For me, the most important quality in a judge is that they put their biases aside and judge the debate on the terms the debaters give them, so I will try my hardest to do that. I always prefer judging slower debates with warranted presentation, quality evidence, and "truer" arguments than whatever the opposite of that is. I prefer to see debaters doing what they do best rather than adapting to me. During my time as a debater I mostly read traditional policy arguments and thus am most comfortable evaluating these kinds of debates, but I have read and/or coached basically every type of argument that exists.

A few things I would note that are important to me regardless of what kind of argument you are reading:

(1) Impact calc and comparison, judge direction, and explanation of meta-level strategic interactions between arguments. In almost every debate you will be able to poke holes in the other side's internal links (and vice versa), so most my decisions come down to whose central piece of offense I think is most important to achieve/avoid.

(2) Warranted explanations of your arguments as opposed to just tagline-level explanations.

(3) Argument quality. I wouldn't consider myself "truth over tech" - I am perfectly willing to vote on "bad" arguments if they are warranted and won, and I am very flow-centric, but I would rather hear well-developed arguments with coherent internal links.

(4) Two "rules" - No "inserting this re-highlighting into the debate" - you have to read it (paraphrasing in speech/cx is sufficient as well). I also will not vote on any arguments about things that occurred outside the debate.

Online debate: If my camera is off I am probably not at my computer so please don't start speaking. I would strongly prefer debaters also leave their cameras on while debate things are happening so I know everyone is present when needed.

Kritiks (neg): I am comfortable with most common kritik arguments, but if yours is particularly esoteric you may need to invest some time in explaining your theory to me. Specific links with embedded impacts/case turns are great. When I vote neg for kritiks it is often because the aff made an error on the framework debate and the neg was able to neutralize a lot of the aff's case offense.

Kritiks (aff)/planless affs: If I was the czar of debate all affirmatives would include a topical plan text that advocates USFG action, and those affirmatives would range from your typical big-stick heg/econ affs to creative and kritical ways to affirm the topic. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to pick a central point of offense, do impact calc and comparison, and explain why your offense is more important than theirs. As a debater I almost always went for a T/framework argument based on fairness when debating an aff without a plan, so I am perfectly willing to vote on procedural fairness as a prior question, but that doesn't mean it's an automatic presumption I'll always apply. I often vote for the team that explains why their offense has a higher level of explanatory power than their opponent's by explaining the role of the ballot, the judge, debate as a whole, etc. These debates are frequently hard for me to decide because both teams build up their own points of offense well but don't interact with their opponent's offense sufficiently. I urge you to LISTEN carefully to exactly what the other team is saying, flow, think critically about their arguments and how they interact with your own, and then respond. Don't be overly block reliant, and don't give "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" speeches. Give me a story to tell in the RFD for why your offense is better than theirs.

Theory/CPs: Since I began my debate career neg terrorism via counterplans (e.g., multi-plank advantage CPs, CPs without a solvency advocate, multi-actor fiat, uniform 50 state fiat, 4+ contradictory conditional advocacies, etc.) has gotten way worse and as a former (slow) 2a I am sympathetic to aff appeals to fairness. However, most aff teams do a terrible job of extending theory objections to CPs and it has allowed the neg to get away with murder. If you are debating a CP like the above and invest time in advancing a warranted, coherent theory interpretation as a reason to reject the argument I will be very happy and likely persuaded. On the other hand, if you go top-speed through 15 unwarranted standards and hope the neg drops one that is not going to get you very far. I lean neg on conditionality with 1 or 2 conditional options, 3 is borderline, and at 4+ I lean aff (especially if they are contradictory). By default I will judge-kick a CP but I am persuadable the other way.

Misc.:

--An argument is a claim, warrant, impact and usually has to include application or reasoning to be coherent. I am lenient on allowing new responses to a dropped argument if it is blippy and lacks any of the above. In other words if your strategy relies on the other team dropping a one-sentence ASPEC violation hidden in the bottom of a T shell or something like that I am not the judge for you.

--I work in civil litigation and debate's understanding of how the courts work is suspect at best. I was definitely guilty of this myself as a debater. If you are reading a courts aff, you should be prepared to defend the legal procedure underlying your aff rather than just asserting fiat takes care of it all. One notable exception is judicial capital/balancing - I generally think debate has it right that judges do consider the impacts of their decisions on society/politics and their public image. That doesn't mean you can't persuade me otherwise.

--I think speaker point inflation has gotten a little bit out of hand. I struggle to deal with this because I don't want to punish debaters and give them lower speaks than average based on my own views, but at the same time it is hard to delineate performance if everyone is only giving 28.8s and above. It's subjective and varies by tournament, but the scale I will try to stick by is:

27.8-28.4 - bottom half speaker at a tournament/below .500 record

28.5-28.7 - middle of the pack/around .500 record

28.8-29 - top 20%/clearing as a lower seed

29.1-29.2 - top 10%/clearing as a higher seed/possible speaker award

29.3-29.4 - top 5%/clearing as a high seed/definite speaker award

29.5+ - elite

Good luck!

I was in Speech and Debate during High School. My strengths were in Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum, Congress, Extemp, and a variety of speech events with my favorite being Humorous Interp. Excellent debaters, in my opinion, should have good dexterity when it comes to flow of argument; if you cannot be dexterous, then you must have a firm constitution of values and beliefs that you will uphold no matter the weight of burden you must overcome. I judge mainly on the wisdom in arguments presented, how well contentions are intelligently upheld, and the overall charisma of the debaters.

Hi! I debated in high school for 3 years, I have competed in all events but was most proficient in Parli and Policy. I am familiar with progressive-debate but my league was lay. Currently coaching for BVHS.
My pronouns are He/Him/They/Them; feel free to share yours if comfortable.

I need to be able to understand you verbally to judge you, your doc means nothing to me or my flow.

If any of this paradigm is relevant to the round, please point it out. “Judge your paradigm states that…”

TL;DR - Be nice to each other, winning means having a meaningful debate.

Check the end for thoughts on specific issues/strategies.

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I believe everyone in a round is your peer first, competitor second. Do not be overly aggressive, adversary, or otherwise rude to others in the round. It does not make you "dominant" and WILL reflect poorly on your speaker points. When addressing your peers, respect any pronouns they have asked you to use.

I believe judges aspiring for pure Tabula-Rasa undermine the virtue of debate. If the end-goal is just a flow-based formula then this activity becomes pointless beyond some light practice of soft-skills. Every judge is a different person and they should be encouraged to judge differently.

I believe my job as a judge is to passively facilitate a good debate, I will reward those whose argumentation is educational and fair, I will penalize those who try to "win" by being dishonest and uninclusive in the round.

Basically, this means I will: Not weigh an argument if you demonstrably lied about your opponent's position, especially if you do it in the final speech of the round. Value analysis and prima-facie arguments, potentially above a statistic if it lacks analysis. Not allow certain debate-styles if one side states they cannot follow meaningfully. It is your responsibility to adapt to your peers who have barriers of any kind, not the other way around (Yes, this includes spreading).

So long as both sides can meaningfully participate, I can probably catch anything you run, even if you talk fast. That said if I - for literally whatever reason - cannot catch what you are saying it will not be considered, spreaders beware. I will always defend the accessibility of everyone to debate over anything else. I welcome discussions on this.

I will adapt my judging to meet the needs of the debaters in the round. As always, the goal is good debate, not producing a Boolean result based on some arbitrary algorithm.

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Novices can ignore:

Please make your own extensions, I will only extend if both sides fail to extend.

WRITE YOUR OWN CASES. I have been lenient on this because of how hard to is to prove in round that the case being run was not written by the debater speaking. I will no longer be lenient. If I happen to notice you run the same case - near verbatim - as another round I have judged; YOU WILL LOSE. No tolerance. You cannot convince me on this point. Allowing a case to be run by multiple debaters encourages prep to be done in a way that will always inherently disadvantage smaller schools with less coaching resources and will always be harmful to the education of the students involved.

In Parli only: I am much more accommodating for Ks and Kritikal AFFs, I know how hard good topical cases can be with some of the resolutions.

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MISC Preferences:

Here is some admittable bias I have when it comes to some common occurrences. This does not mean you cannot run/do these, just know in close debates these could make the difference.

-Unless you tell me otherwise, I will prioritize: scope > magnitude > probability > reversibility > time frame.

-I like kritiks but find they are rarely used well. This includes a obsession with overly-complicated Ks. If I cannot understand your thesis then I will not vote for it. Be thorough in your explanation.

-I judge alternatives very hard, I value spill-over a lot. No, "Reject the AFF and Vote NEG" is NOT a good alternative.

-I will typically listen to RVIs but will rarely vote on them. This paradigm includes some notable exceptions.

-I like seeing properly fleshed out Theory but will take any theoretical argument said in the round as Theory to the best of my ability.

-Power-Tagging is my biggest pet-peeve in debate, you WILL lose the argument if ANY of it is power-tagged and this is pointed out by your opponent (drop-the-debater Theory is also easy to run on me, so watch out).

-I HATE frivolous extinction impacts. Unless the topic is literally nuclear war, odds are I will think it is frivolous (I could easily vote on an RVI for this).

-I dislike when people run economic impacts without contextualizing to people, GDP means nothing to me unless you prove what it does in this debate.

-I do not care about where you/your opponent get your funding in policy, deficit spending exists. You still need to say "we will pay this with deficit spending" but I am not strict on fund-DAs in general.

-Political-Capital DAs will never be considered. They are infinitely applicable and defeat the entire purpose of CX debate. You will have VERY hard time convincing me otherwise.

-I am VERY easy to convince when it comes to dropping a PIC or Plan-Plus CP (similar strategies like delay also apply). Also could vote on an RVI easily. This includes actor pivots.

-Util means nothing to me in LD, if your opponent read a different VC, I will probably use that instead (can be convinced to use util).

-I dislike conditional CPs, you will likely do better by only running one of your plans and ending the speech early.

-I do not believe disclosure is an expectation or a prerequisite to fairness. This shell will be hard to win on me. Related, disclosing does not allow you to skirt topicality, you are not allowed to harm-offset an unfair interp.

-Your opponents are free to reject flashing/email-chains for whatever reason, this is NOT them waiving their right to understand your case, you MUST communicate to their accessibility level regardless.

-Pointing out a logical fallacy is often enough for me to drop an argument, "Arguing in Ignorance" is VERY common !!!!!!

-Identity Ks are very risky, if run well I will guaranteed vote for it, but I will always be even more strict on the Alt than usual. If you are not of that identity yourself, be careful.

-I like plans in LD, if the tournament allows it, go wild (I will judge it just as a Policy Plan).

-Bigotted arguments will not be weighed at all, your opponent does not have to point this out for me to throw out any bigotry. ACAB. BLM.

-

Feel free to ask me anything else before the round. Have fun!

Name: Andrew Halverson

School: Currently, I am not actively coaching, but in recent years I was the Assistant Director of Speech & Debate at Kapaun Mount Carmel High School & Wichita East High School (Wichita, KS). I have moved to work in the real world full-time, but I still keep involved with debate as a Board Member of a local non-profit that promotes debate in the Wichita area - Ad Astra Debate.

Experience: 20+ years. As a competitor, 4 years in high school and 3 years in college @ Fort Hays and Wichita State in the mid-late 90's and early 2000's.

Up to March, I have judged 88 rounds this season - mostly LD and Policy. I only have judged PF at the UK Opener.

**ONLINE DEBATING ADDENDUM - updated 3/4/2022**

In my experience, most tournaments are more than gracious with their prep and tech time leading up the start of a round. Please make sure that all of your tech stuff is sorted before beginning AND that you use pre-round prep for disclosure as well. I'm pretty chill about most things, but these two things are my biggest online debating pet peeves.

ALL Online tournament have pre-round tech time built in. Please be in the room for it. It doesn't take long. If it's something that's no fault of your own that is preventing you from tech time, fair. However, if one of the members of your team isn't in the room during pre-round tech time, it's a 0.5-1 speaker point deduction.

Public Forum Section - Updated as of 3/1/2022

As an FYI, I've coached PFD, but by and large, I'm a Policy and Congress coach. If there is anything that isn't answered in this short section, I advise that you take a look the Policy section of my paradigm or ask questions.

I'm going to assume that I don't know the in and outs of your current topic. Please make sure that you explain concepts that I might not know. I've coached a lot of different debate topics over the years. I know a lot, but I don't know everything.

The typical PF norms for evidence/speech docs sharing are terrible. You must put your evidence/speech docs in the Speech Drop, email chain, or whatever BEFORE your speech starts. Don't do it after your speech or in the chat. Also, don't just put a cite in the chat and tell someone to CTRL+F what they are looking for. This is non-negotiable. Other PFD norms, I'm honestly unfamiliar with. I assume there is disclosure and other things, but I don't know for sure.

I'm probably going to evaluate most debates like I would a Policy debate - without all of the mumbo-jumbo that is usually associated with that activity. In brief, that will probably be an offense/defense paradigm with a heavy dose of policymaking sprinkled in. I like good, smart arguments. Make them and clash with your opponents and you will be at a good place at the end of the day.

Policy/LD Debate Section - Changed as of 6/30/2022

++Since most LD has a policy tilt nowadays, this is a pretty accurate representation on how I would view an LD round. Actual value debate and my thoughts on RVI's, you probably should ask me.

++I do want to add something about the penchant to go for RVI's and other random theory cheap shots in front of me in LD. Just saying something is an RVI or that you get one isn't an argument - it's just describing a thing that you might get access to as an argument. There has to be a reason behind your theory gripe or whatever it is. FYI, usually I have a high threshold for voting on these arguments - unless it's a complete drop (which it won't be the case all of the time). Refer to where I talk about blippy theory debates down below if you want any other insight.

This is the first time in a long time that I have engaged in rewriting my judging paradigm. I thought it was warranted – given that debates and performances will be all done virtually in the immediate future. My last iteration of one of these might have been too long, so I will attempt to be as brief as possible.

Some non-negotiables:

**If you send a PDF as a speech doc, I instantly start docking speaker points. Send a Google doc or nearly anything else but no PDFs.

**I want to be on the email chain (halverson.andrew [at] gmail.com). Don’t send your speech doc after your speech. Do it before (unless there are extra cards read, etc.). There are a few reasons I would like this to happen: a) I'm checking as you are going along if you are clipping; b) since I am reading along, I'm making note of what is said in your evidence to see if it becomes an issue in the debate OR a part of my decision – most tournaments put a heavy premium on quick decisions, so having that to look at before just makes the trains run on-time and that makes the powers that be happy; c) because I'm checking your scholarship, it allows for me to make more specific comments about your evidence and how you are deploying it within a particular debate. If you refuse to email or flash before your speech for me, there will probably be consequences in terms of speaker points and anything else I determine to be relevant - since I'm the ultimate arbiter of my ballot in the debate which I'm judging.

**Send your analytics as much as possible. This platform for debate can sometimes be problematic with technical issues that can or can’t be controlled. I’ve judged some debate where the 2nc is in the middle of giving their speech and then their feed becomes frozen. Of course, we pause the debate until we can resolve the technical issues, but it’s helpful for everyone involved to have a doc to know where the debate stopped so we can pick up at that point once we resume.

**Don’t go super-duper, mega, ultra full speed (unless you are crystal bell clear). Slowing down a bit in this format is more beneficial to you and everyone else involved.

**For all of those Kansas traditional teams, yes to a off-time road map. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.

**Be nice & have fun. If you don’t be nice, then you probably won’t like how I remedy if you aren’t nice. Racist and sexist language/behavior will not be tolerated. Debate is supposed to be a space where we get to get to test ideas in a safe environment.

**Stealing prep time. Don’t do it. After you send out the doc, you should have an idea of a speech order and be getting set to speak. Don't be super unorganized and take another 2-3 minutes to just stand up there getting stuff together. I don't mind taking a bit to get yourself together, but I find that debaters are abusing that now. When I judge by myself, I'm usually laid back about using the restroom, but I strongly suggest that you consider the other people in a paneled debate - not doing things like stopping prep and then going to the bathroom before you start to speak. I get emergencies, but this practice is really shady. Bottom-line: if you're stealing prep, I'll call you on it out loud and start the timer.

**Disclosure is something I can't stand when it's done wrong. If proper disclosure doesn't happen before a round, I'm way more likely to vote on a disclosure argument in this setting. If you have questions about my views on disclosure, please ask them before the debate occurs - so you know where you stand. Otherwise, I can easily vote on a disclosure argument. This whole “gotcha” thing with arguments that you have already read is so dumb.

**New in the 2nc is bad. What I mean by that is whole new DA's read - old school style - in the 2nc does not foster good debate OR only read off-case in the 1nc and then decide to read all new case arguments in the 2nc. I'm willing to listen to theory arguments on the matter (and have probably become way more AFF leaning on the theory justification of why new in the 2nc is bad), BUT they have to be impacted out. However, that's not the best answer to a NEG attempting this strategy. The best answer is for the 1ar to quickly straight turn whatever that argument is and then move on. Debaters that straight turn will be rewarded. Debaters that do new in the 2nc will either lose because of a theory argument or have their speaks tanked by me.

Now that’s out of the way, here are some insights on how I evaluate debates:

**What kind of argument and general preferences do I have? I will listen to everything and anything from either side of the debate. You can be a critical team or a straight-up team. It doesn’t matter to me. An argument is an argument. Answering arguments with good arguments is probably a good idea, if the competitive aspect of policy debate is important to you at all. If you need some examples: Wipeout? Sure, did it myself. Affirmatives without a plan? Did that too. Spark? You bet. Specific links are great, obviously. Of course, I prefer offense over defense too. I don’t believe that tabula rasa exists, but I do try to not have preconceived notions about arguments. Yet we all know this isn’t possible. If I ultimately have to do so, I will default to policymaker to make my decision easier for me.

**Don't debate off a script. Yes, blocks are nice. I like when debaters have blocks. They make answering arguments easier. HOWEVER, if you just read off your script going for whatever argument, I'm not going to be happy. Typically, this style of debate involves some clash and large portions of just being unresponsive to the other team's claims. More than likely, you are reading some prepared oration at a million miles per hour and expect me to write down every word. Guess what? I can't. In fact, there is not a judge in the world that can accomplish that feat. So use blocks, but be responsive to what's going on in the debate.

**Blippy theory debates really irk me. To paraphrase Mike Harris: if you are going as fast as possible on a theory debate at the end of a page and then start the next page with more theory, I'm going to inevitably miss some of it. Whether I flow on paper or on my computer, it takes a second for me to switch pages and get to the place you want me to be on the flow. Slow down a little bit when you want to go for theory - especially if you think it can be a round-winner. I promise you it'll be worth it for you in the end.

**I’m a decent flow, but I wouldn’t go completely crazy. That being said, I’m one of those critics (and I was the same way as a debater) that will attempt to write down almost everything you say as long as you make a valiant attempt to be clear. Super long overviews that aren't flowable make no sense to me. In other words, make what you say translate into what you want me to write down. I will not say or yell if you aren’t clear. You probably can figure it out – from my non-verbals – if you aren’t clear and if I’m not getting it. I will not say/yell "clear" and the debate will most definitely be impacted adversely for you. If I don’t “get it,” it’s probably your job to articulate/explain it to me.

**I want to make this abundantly clear. I won't do work for you unless the debate is completely messed up and I have to do some things to clean up the debate and write a ballot. So, if you drop a Perm, but have answers elsewhere that would answer it, unless you have made that cross-application I won't apply that for you. The debater answering said Perm needs to make the cross-application/answer(s) on their own.

Contact me if you have any questions. Hope this finds you well and healthy - have a great season!!

Email chain: donghee.han53@gmail.com

While I judged a few high school tournaments during the pandemic,

It's been a while since I've been in the debate community as a whole.

I usually stare at spreadsheets during the day.

That being said, general notes:

• I'll stress clarity, sign-posting, and strong overviews

• I would recommend cutting down on jargon heaviness by your second rebuttal (No need to overcompensate, just be mindful)
• I do not have strong opinions as pertains to the on-goings of the debate community for aforementioned reason.
• ^ I rely on tabula rasa methods. I'm probably drawing lines and circles on the flow at the end of the debate. (we're all better off if you leave less open to intervention/interpretation. You have a job, I have a job)

• Please be respectful - whatever that means to you.

Other notes

• I look for macro-level framing work as it tells me what I need to know.
• Line-by-line is the way
• Let's keep things simple, uq, link, IL, Impact, DA, CP, K,...
• If you feel the need to stray from this template, keep it clean and organized.
• I am reading up on other judge's paradigms and will not be deviating from community norms.

Add me to the email chain: 2ethanharris@gmail.com

University of Kansas '25

Lawrence Free State '21

I'm a junior debating for KU, and a 2A who has read a mix of policy and K arguments.

Top Level

Do what you do best. I will try my best to adapt and be unbiased. I care much more about argument quality than argument type.

Judge instruction is really important and will improve your speaks and odds of winning. The 2NR/2AR should put pieces together, use even if statements, simplify the debate, and do impact calc. Organized, easy to flow speeches that use direct clash will boost speaks and make the debate easier to be resolved.

I have done minimal topic research - explain acronyms, have specific link stories/solvency mechanisms, contextualize arguments to the 1AC.

Read re-highlightings or explain what it says if inserting it - I won't read it for you.

Tech > truth.

K affs

They're good. Assume I don't know your literature base and err on the side of over-explanation.

It is possible to win on presumption against K affs. Specific analysis and explanation of the advocacy/mechanism for the aff is important. Explain why you solve something or don't need to.

I don't care about the form the 1AC takes (performance, cards, etc.), but it should defend something and have some connection to the topic.

I appreciate innovative neg strats and creative PIKs.

Framework v K affs

Go for whatever impact you're most comfortable with.

Fairness can/can not be an impact depending on who is winning this argument, so explain and impact out fairness when going for it.

Explain what your model of the resolution/debate looks like, including topical affs and a progression of innovation for those affs throughout the season. You're probably winning an impact, so a giant impact overview is useless, but contextualizing and explaining it to the debate can write my ballot for you.

Neg: Answer case - don't concede the aff's theory of power or solvency mechanism and case offense. TVAs aren't necessary, but a good one can be terminal defense.

Aff: Get creative with your counter-interpretation to limit out of the negs impacts. Weigh the aff and its education - you read it for a reason. Reading a couple well-impacted out disads in the 2AC is better than reading a series of unexplained disads. Impact turn strategies should be coupled with defense.

Ks

Explain the theory of power in simple language, assuming I don't understand the literature and buzzwords. Err on the side of over-explanation in high theory debates.

Embedded clash > long overviews.

Links are DAs to the perm, but there needs to be an impact to this.

Links of omission aren't links. Link contextualization is important and can make a generic link persuasive - talk about the aff as much as possible - pull lines from the 1AC and CX. 1-2 impacted out links > multiple links.

Framework shapes how I should resolve clash debates, so explain why winning framework matters, and how you win the debate even if you lose framework.

Winning an alt isn't totally necessary, but it is helpful. Explain how the alt solves the links but the perm doesn't.

I'm good for technical, well-defended K tricks - link turns case, floating piks, PIPs, epist first, etc. These strategies should not be vague or underexplained by the end of the 2NR.

Aff: 2ACs should contextualize perms to the links. You need to answer their theory of power - defense to theirs and an alternative theory of power. Leverage your 1AC - impact turns, case outweighs, net benefit to the perm, etc.

Theory

2ACs should read multiple theory arguments, and don't be afraid to go for them.

Condo isn't necessarily good or bad, you don't need to win in round abuse but it helps.

Slow down and clash, don’t spread through blocks at top speed.

T

My topic knowledge is minimal, so I don't have a great understanding of what "core of the topic" actually is, and the interp debate is extra important.

Slow down in these debates and impact it out in the 2NR.

Case lists and examples of lost ground/functional limits are good.

I default to competing interpretations but think reasonability is fine. Either way, explain what it means for resolving the debate.

DAs/CPs

Specific links and explanations > topic links.

Couch turns case arguments into the internal link when possible.

Judge kick is probably bad and I won't do it unless instructed to.

Good analytics can beat a bad DA.

LD Paradigm

While I was a PF debater all throughout high school, I only have ~1 year of experience judging LD. I am familiar with common, traditional jargon used in debate, but am not familiar with the more in-depth strategies, which means that I will default to who has the best arguments/framework with robust impact analysis and effective counterarguments.

Speed

It is the debater's burden to make sure that speech is clear and understandable. While I will not knock spreading/speaking quickly immediately, the faster you speak, the more clearly you must speak and signpost. If I miss an argument, then you didn't make it into my flow. I vote off of my flow for all rounds -- whoever has the most consistent flow-through and coverage will likely have the advantage.

Speaker Points

The quality of arguments alone does not impact speaker points, but the better you explain your arguments, your speaks are likely to improve.

As stated earlier, I do not take points off for speed, but if you lack fluency or clarity, your points will be docked.

Traditional flow judge. No spreading. Keep it slow please. I like substantive debates.

I am a parent/lay judge. So, please do not rush through your speech. Spreading is NOT ok with me - I cannot offer my opinion if I do not understand you. I don't like when debaters are rude to one another and I will take speaker points off so please keep the round civil.

I also will pay special attention to cross ex as that provides a good insight into your knowledge and confidence regarding the topic. However, just remember to stay respectful during cross-examination too.

Please explain all abbreviations/jargon so that I know what you are talking about.

I am parent/lay judge. So, please do not rush through your speech. Spreading is NOT ok with me - I cannot offer my opinion if I do not understand you. I don't like when debaters are rude to one another and I will take speaker points off so please keep the round civil.

I also will pay special attention to cross ex as that provides a good insight into your knowledge and confidence regarding the topic. However, just remember to stay respectful during cross examination too.

Explain all abbreviations/jargon so that I know what you are talking about.

Voting issues: Not entirely necessary but its helpful.

I've been judging tournaments since 2017 - mostly debate (LD/PF/Parli) but some speech events as well.

Things I like in debate:

- Debating on the resolution

- Running traditional framework and making it clear with clash and weighing mechanisms

- Good, explicit speech structure and signposting

- Strong clash

Things I do not like in debate:

- Spreading (if I don't hear it, I can't flow it)

- Kritiks / theory

- Falsified evidence

Things I am probably OK with in debate:

- CPs, where permitted by tournament rules

Things I am probably not OK with in debate:

- Highly implausible impacts

Good luck... and good skill!

Hello there!

Some things to consider:

Cases:

Please share cases with each other before your first speech. A speech doc would be helpful if you are reading any cards during your rebuttal. I need to be able to access all evidence that you use.

Speed:

It is the debater's burden to make sure that the speech is clear and understandable. While I will not knock spreading/speaking quickly immediately, the faster you speak, the more clearly you must speak and signpost. If I miss an argument, then you didn't make it into my flow. I vote off of my flow for all rounds.

Impact:

Impact arguments by both the Aff/Neg should be clearly stressed and extended. It's worth repeating and stressing if you feel you have the winning arguments. Don't just say "______ impact has more chances of happening than my opponent's impact of ____" I would like to see evidence on anything you do present on impact debate.

Clash:

Clash is necessary. You must convince me that your arguments outweigh your opponents. Dropped arguments leads to that argument being won by whichever side presented it. If your opponent dropped an argument, make sure to clearly state that during your speech in case I miss it on my flow.

Off-Case:

I am okay with Topicality/interp. If one does run T/interp the opposing side I would say the other side has to respond. If the T has been dropped, whoever ran the T is more likely to win the round.

I am familiar with the capitalism K, ethical imperatives K, and Feminism K. If you read any unfamiliar K's, please explain well.

Counterplans are okay with me. Make sure to explain how your counterplan would have more benefits than your opposing side.

Refutes:

Any cards you read against your opponent, be sure to ask if I or the opponent would like to see them before moving on. (or just use a speech doc like I mentioned earlier)

Other:

Be respectful to one another and make sure you are not making your opponent feel uncomfortable in any way.

Good luck and I'm excited to judge your debate!

I'm a new judge, but looking forward to the experience. A good pace will help me judge you better. Please don't speak so fast that I can't follow. I will most likely be a judge that prefers the quality of information given rather than the amount of information given.

UCSD' 22

I debated LD, PF, CX, and Parli in highschool. The main event was Parli

Went to TOC for PF and was ranked 5th in the nation for Parli.

TLDR; Run anything you want, in order of my favour: LARP, Theory, K, Performance, Heavy Phil, Trix. I flow everything I can hear/reasonably read. I will say now tho I been out of the game for a while so may not be as fast as I used to be.

Dkolikineni@ucsd.edu

General

I'm tabula rasa, so I won't lean to any specific argument over another, so run what you'd like. Though I will not fill in any gaps for you and if I cannot say for certain you have won the round by the end, you will not win. It is most strategic for you to

a.) tell me which arguments you have won

b.) why you won them

c.) and why that means you won the round.

Prefs (In order of my understanding)

LARP / Case Debate - 1

Theory - 1

Philosophy - 1/2

K's - 2

Performance - 3

Speaks

30: Perfectly performed debate on all layers + you were entertaining to judge.

29+: All layers of the debate were handled very well.

28+: Most layers of the debate were handled well.

27+: Some layers were handled well.

26+: Missed critical aspects of the debate and didn't handle most layers adequately.

25+: Fatal error / Lot to improve on.

0: Defending sexism, racism, etc

Arguments

Kritiks

a. If you're going for a K, make sure the framework, link, impact, and alt are clearly stated. Provide a ROTB when applicable to make my job easier. If it's a K that is uncommon on the circuit, spend 15 seconds explaining the thesis PLEASE

b. If you say "the alt is to vote neg", provide justification in the sense of analysis, logic, or evidence.

c. General links are not ideal. Give me something directly from the aff case that links the case.

Aff Kritiks

a. In addition to everything else stated above, give me good reasons why the aff gets to be non topical (if you are non topical).

b. Creative but logical alts make me more inclined to vote for you.

c. If you don't have me convinced by the 1AR, I probably won't vote for your K Aff.

Plans

a. Clever plans that go outside the expectations of the resolution but still are justifiably topical are good. Be very specific in what your plantext contains. (All the different types of Specs).

b. Give me a solvency advocate. Ideally two. Go for the perm.

c. (For Parli) Give me a copy of your plantext on a separate piece of paper before or during your 1AC.

Counterplans

a. Please, PLEASE, prove why the counterplan is competitive.

b. Counterplans should have advantages independent of the rest of the debate.

c. Perms by the neg are valid. Convince me though.

Disads

a. More recent evidence is better than not.

b. A direct link is better. Something specifically from the aff you're facing.

c. Give me quantifiable impacts.

Misc

a. In LD, CX, and PF you can spread all you want provided you send me a speech document.

b. In Parli I am fine with a fast pace however I won't allow LD / CX speeds simply because I cannot guarantee I'll catch everything.

c. I cannot spell if my life depended on it and I care less still to try so just keep that in mind.

d. If anything isn't answered on this paradigm, ask me briefly before the round.

UCSD' 22

I debated LD, PF, CX, and Parli in highschool. The main event was Parli

Went to TOC for PF and was ranked 5th in the nation for Parli.

TLDR; Run anything you want, in order of my favour: LARP, Theory, K, Performance, Heavy Phil, Trix. I flow everything I can hear/reasonably read. I will say now tho I been out of the game for a while so may not be as fast as I used to be.

Dkolikineni@ucsd.edu

General

I'm tabula rasa, so I won't lean to any specific argument over another, so run what you'd like. Though I will not fill in any gaps for you and if I cannot say for certain you have won the round by the end, you will not win. It is most strategic for you to

a.) tell me which arguments you have won

b.) why you won them

c.) and why that means you won the round.

Prefs (In order of my understanding)

LARP / Case Debate - 1

Theory - 1

Philosophy - 1/2

K's - 2

Performance - 3

Speaks

30: Perfectly performed debate on all layers + you were entertaining to judge.

29+: All layers of the debate were handled very well.

28+: Most layers of the debate were handled well.

27+: Some layers were handled well.

26+: Missed critical aspects of the debate and didn't handle most layers adequately.

25+: Fatal error / Lot to improve on.

0: Defending sexism, racism, etc

Arguments

Kritiks

a. If you're going for a K, make sure the framework, link, impact, and alt are clearly stated. Provide a ROTB when applicable to make my job easier. If it's a K that is uncommon on the circuit, spend 15 seconds explaining the thesis PLEASE

b. If you say "the alt is to vote neg", provide justification in the sense of analysis, logic, or evidence.

c. General links are not ideal. Give me something directly from the aff case that links the case.

Aff Kritiks

a. In addition to everything else stated above, give me good reasons why the aff gets to be non topical (if you are non topical).

b. Creative but logical alts make me more inclined to vote for you.

c. If you don't have me convinced by the 1AR, I probably won't vote for your K Aff.

Plans

a. Clever plans that go outside the expectations of the resolution but still are justifiably topical are good. Be very specific in what your plantext contains. (All the different types of Specs).

b. Give me a solvency advocate. Ideally two. Go for the perm.

c. (For Parli) Give me a copy of your plantext on a separate piece of paper before or during your 1AC.

Counterplans

a. Please, PLEASE, prove why the counterplan is competitive.

b. Counterplans should have advantages independent of the rest of the debate.

c. Perms by the neg are valid. Convince me though.

Disads

a. More recent evidence is better than not.

b. A direct link is better. Something specifically from the aff you're facing.

c. Give me quantifiable impacts.

Misc

a. In LD, CX, and PF you can spread all you want provided you send me a speech document.

b. In Parli I am fine with a fast pace however I won't allow LD / CX speeds simply because I cannot guarantee I'll catch everything.

c. I cannot spell if my life depended on it and I care less still to try so just keep that in mind.

d. If anything isn't answered on this paradigm, ask me briefly before the round.

gordondkrauss@gmail.com

Head LD Coach at Peninsula High School.

julian kuffour (any)

julianjudging@gmail.com

slower = better. won't flow until the 1nc on the case (reading the cards), won't clear you or say i understood what you said if you're unclear or i do not follow your argument.

Hi, in terms of speech, I judge based on presentation and content. For the presentation, make sure you are not too fast or quiet; otherwise, I won't really be able to keep up with what you're saying. As for content, I know you can't really change it on the day of the competition, but it just has to flow well and make logical sense. All in all, be confident and enthusiastic. Good luck!

I am a parent judge.

I will drop you if you spread or run theory. I cannot evaluate circuit LD.

Signpost so I know where you are on the flow. Make sure to impact your arguments well.

Be respectful and courteous to your opponent.

Email: andrewjlopez120@gmail.com

TL;DR If you run Ks in anything other than LD, you probably want to strike me. If you run performances or non-topical Affs in any debate event, you definitely want to strike me.

Background: Debated for 4 years at Claremont High School (PF, circuit Parli, Congress, and, very briefly, LD). Currently coaching Parli, PF, and LD at my alma mater.

General: I try to be as non-interventionist as possible, so tech > truth. Although I list several argument preferences here, I won’t automatically disregard an argument just because I’m biased against it. If you run it well, I’ve got no problem voting on it. Just know that I’ll be more sympathetic to stock responses against certain arguments.

Evidence: Ev ethics still matter! If I find that you are deliberately fabricating or misrepresenting a piece of evidence, I'll give you the loss and the lowest speaks the tournament will allow. Yes, this applies to ALL debate events. No, I won't wait for your opponent to call you out on it.

Lincoln-Douglas Note: In LD, I maintain the style preferences I list below. On substance, however, I’m far more receptive to Ks and Theory/Topicality. I’m also fine with all LD-specific strats (phil, skep, tricks, etc.).

Style: Keep roadmaps short and off-time. I can’t handle TOC-level speed, but feel free to speak much faster with me than you would with any lay judge. I'll shout "clear" if necessary. If I have to do this more than twice, you lose speaks. Using excessive speed to confuse or exclude your opponents will cost you the round. Racist, sexist, queerphobic, or other bigoted remarks will do the same. If you start shouting at your opponents, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Speaker Points: I reward you for

- signposting THOROUGHLY

- impact and warrant comparisons

- being courteous

- being strategic

- being efficient

- being witty/humorous

Cross-Examination: Cross-ex is binding. PLEASE know when to end a line of questioning. Know when to cut somebody off and how to do it politely. Don’t tag-team and don’t use cross-ex time for prep. If nobody has anything left to say, it’s over. Time to start the prep clock.

Theory/Topicality: I rarely vote on either. I default to reasonability. With theory, I usually buy Drop the Argument, Not the Debater. I believe fairness is the gateway to education. I don't like RVIs, but I detest any strategy that involves regularly running Theory/Topicality as a means of just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. These arguments exist as last-resort checks on in-round abuse. Please keep it that way. Also condo is good; winning Condo Bad in front of me is very difficult.

Kritiks: Unlikely to vote for most, as it's hard to woo me away from a policymaking framework. I will not usually vote for kritiks with "reject the aff" as the only alt; rhetoric/discourse Ks are an exception. I prefer specific kritiks with tight links to the aff and CPs as alts. Performance/Kritikal Affs hurt debate in my opinion, and I'm very sympathetic to arguments against them. If you’re blatantly using Ks to exclude debaters with a more traditional style, you’re going to lose.

Counterplans: Go for it. I love almost all types of counterplans. Consult/study CPs are a notable exception; throw theory at them all day. Aside from that, I am far more receptive to a wider array of CPs than most judges you’ll find. Multi-actor fiat, non-institutional fiat, PICs, delay CPs, and agent/actor CPs are all fine by me. I assume conditionality and reserve the right to "judge kick" unless someone tells me otherwise. If you sever out of the 1AC, you’re going to lose.

Politics Disads: Not a big fan. I think fiat precludes any process-oriented disads (eg political capital), but results-oriented disads are fair game, though I find most high school debaters don’t construct or defend them well.

Impact Calc: Do it early and often. I default to util unless you tell me otherwise. Please weigh on the internal link level too, especially if you're going for the same impacts as your opponents. If neither side does proper impact calc, I’m left to do it for you. So for your sake and mine, please be thorough with warrants and impact calc at every point in the debate.

Other

- Please make copies of your plan text, CP text, T interp, and/or Alt available to your opponents and to me. Saves us all a ton of grief.

- I will not extend your arguments for you, but all you need to do to extend them in my mind is say "extend *insert tagline here*"

- I keep a poker face on and usually look down at my flow the whole time, so don’t stress.

- I’ll disclose at every tournament where it’s allowed. If it’s not allowed, I’ll still give oral critiques after the round, if time permits. Whether I’m giving an RFD or not, don’t be afraid to challenge me on anything I say. We can’t learn if we can’t have a discussion.

Former LD competitor, also did a bit of PF and Parli debate. I am way more comfortable judging traditional arguments and would like to avoid theory if at all possible. However, if it's important to you that you include theoretical arguments in the round then just make sure you explain them very clearly and without a lot of jargon that I probably won't have heard of. Apart from that, make sure you clearly engage with your opponent's arguments (CLASH!) and be conscientious of the issues you are discussing. Speak clearly and be nice! :)

UMich Class of 2024

Email -- jsmargolin1@gmail.com

Top

1. Tech over Truth -- say whatever you want
2. Interesting debates => higher speaks
3. I tend to give quick and blunt decisions

Policy

Pretty normal for most of this -- better than average for impact turns, process CPs, borderline topical affs, and weird stuff -- worse than average for soft left affs.

K

Significantly worse than average for most of these, but if you win you win.

I am a lay judge, this is my fourth year of judging league and invitational speech and debate. If you have any questions, please ask.

Email for chain: debate.wm@gmail.com

Because this is being done online, please slow down a bit. I would hate to miss anything due to latency or other technical issues. If you need to spread I won't stop you, but your opponent might miss something, and I might miss something.

I am open to just about anything, but explain it like I am new to the argument. I am most likely not familiar with the sources you are using to cut your cards.

Please have fun.

1. I am going to be judge of any debate for the first time.
2. As a judge , I would like to have followings in the debaters ..
3. Speak clearly and not "reading".
4. Smooth delivery & clear voice.
5. Show interest and enthusiasm.
6. Be respectful to others.
7. Follow the time limit.

Looking forward to see you all.

LD Winter Classic UPDATE 12/2/23: Please refrain from spreading if possible as I have judged approximately 1x per year since 2015. This tournament has proven difficult for me to flow 20-30+ page long cases, even with the file in front of me. This is especially since I have not familiarized myself or with the LD fossil fuel topic ahead of this tournament, so I don't know some of the specific acronyms and terms used for this LD topic. I'd recommend using your lay case and adding some cards as I do not require it to be completely slow or any fluff you'd add for parent judges. I just want to be able to fairly evaluate the round and this year the spreading has been way more significant than past years. Maybe try not to have more than ~ 17 ish pages as the 25+ page cases have been too fast.

My Background: I am a graduate of UC Davis. My background is in Biology and Political Science. I competed primarily on the LD circuit but also did some parli, impromptu, and IX). I debated all 4 years at La Costa Canyon High School (2011-15) but also had to compete independently under Leucadia Independent. I also competed in NPDA (parli) my freshman year of college, and Model UN for 3 years. Feel free to clarify any questions before the round.

Evaluation of rounds: I will first evaluate wins the framework debate, then followed by who links their offense best back to the framework. Don't forget to do offense and defense on framework if conflicting. You are more than welcome to collapse framework if in agreement.

Speed: Slow down for taglines and authors. I haven’t competed or judged recently so I don’t trust my own ability to flow speed very well. If you do speed, please do so proportionally to your clarity. I will yell clear and/or slow. If I have to say slow/clear more than 3 times I won't ask again - you are too fast/unclear. Also, some people think they are spreading but they are actually just poorly trying to spread - it's slow and just hard to listen to. These people would be better off just not trying to spread. If you are sharing case files please try to order your cards in order read and delete or clearly designate cards as not read (for ex. highlighed all red, tiny font) and/or clearly say "skip XXX evidence." Best practice, if you are emailing/passing me a case I'd prefer you just cut the card entirely because it's really hard to scroll and follow.

Theory/T: You can engage in theoretical debate if there is abuse. Please avoid if possible though as I would rather see a substantive debate. If so, please provide a reasonable abuse story. I prefer if you frame it like a shell (a, b, c, d…). I must explicitly hear a warrant for “drop the debater” if you want me to vote that way. I don't like any theory read presumptively

Policy Arguments: I am familiar with disads and counterplans/plans. When considering impacts, please try and have a clear link chain with warrants. Please note I have never judged or competed in policy debate and most of this familiarity is with respect to LD.

Kritiks: I never ran K’s. Generally speaking, I don't like K's and I would not run a K in front of me if you can help it.That said, if you do run a K, I do not understand a lot of K lit. Of course, I’ve hit the basics. Please explain a K to me. Use cross-x wisely here. If I don’t understand the argument, I will likely buy your opponent’s refutation. That said, I will vote on a K if well executed. Also, when running a K, do not drop your opponent’s case. I will not cross apply your K arguments to your opponents framework. Try to engage your opponent's case. This is often where I would find a way to beat a K. I don’t like it when debaters get handed a K and read it because they think it’s a definite win. It’s not, and I expect debaters to be able to beat a poorly run K.

Speaker points: Don’t make me yell clear/slow a lot, or be disrespectful in round. I believe word economy and fluidity also factor into getting high speaker points. Again, please slow down for tags and authors. If you don't, and I can't flow these well, this is your loss and your speaker points should reflect that.

Things I dislike: excessive intros/off-time road maps, "new in the two" aka new evidence in the 2AR or 2NR, skep, performance cases, Kritiks (especially weird ones), voting on presumption, lying in cross-x, anyone who cites CHSSA rules as a reason for me to drop the opponent, being rude, spreading (just can't do it anymore).

Things I like: good weighing, clear extensions (claim, warrant, & impact), strategic use of cross-x, a solid framework, sticking to an off-time road map. Try to not use some stock case you use at every tournament. I like relevant, topical debate.

That said, I love LD, and I look forward to being surrounded by it once again. I look forward to judging a good round! :)

I am an experienced judge with a background primarily competing in British Parliamentary debate and Lincoln Douglas debate, and I have judged or competed in all other debate formats numerous times. I am comfortable with clear fast speaking, but not spreading. I am familiar enough with debate, public policy, and current events to assess your evidence, adherence to the rules, etc. I am comfortable with theory debates to the extent that they are relevant and persuasive, but I have little patience with theory debates that are done with the intention of simply confusing or tripping up another debater.

In LD, I hope to judge rounds based on the values debate, and based on impact weighing of contentions as assessed by the value and criterion debate. Debaters who effectively engage in the values debate and assess the impact of their arguments through the lens of their value/VC or both values/VC will be in good shape to win by my paradigm. If both debaters effectively do this, the win will go to the debater who has the greater impacts associated with the value/VC debate and/or to the debater who wins the value debate, if the impacts are fairly even. Sometimes debates are not conducted in a way that allows this level of judging to occur, and then I will default to judging the round based on who had the more impactful arguments generally, the better evidence or logic, or the best general persuasion. I believe in low point wins, and I do enjoy good speeches as a part of the debating process. I expect debaters to be generally courteous to one another and I am not opposed to speaker point penalties for debaters who treat one another unnecessarily rudely.

I view the PF format as intended to be publicly relevant and engaging, and its primary purpose as weighing the pros and cons of an idea. By and large, PF is not a value debate or a plan debate, unlike LD or policy - and I do not enjoy debaters who try to pigeonhole their opponents into defending a specific plan or value. Rather, PF is a format that is designed to be weighed generally by which world is the "best". I expect debaters to weigh the round and help the judge determine how we "know" that their world is "best" - be that the number of arguments won, the nature of the impact of an argument that was won, etc. In the realm of weighing, my hope is that debaters will directly clash with the other team's arguments; the lack of value and plan can sometimes leave debates feeling unachored. You have so much time for rebuttal and it is therefore important to dig into the meat of your opponents' arguments. Explain why an argument is false, or why your argument outweighs it, or why it is non-unique to the debate at hand, etc. And, as with LD, I expect debaters to be generally respectful to one another.

Ryan Nam - Los Osos High School

Background: I've competed in Speech & Debate for four years at Los Osos High School, primarily in Parli and Extemp. I've also competed in Congress, Public Forum, Extemp Debate, Worlds, etc. I have judged at a few tournaments, primarily for Parli and Public Forum, and I'm currently on the Boston College Mock Trial team ('22). If you have any questions or concerns about my history or background, you are more than welcome to ask before the round.

Parli Paradigm:

With most of my experience being in Parli, there is not much on material that would surprise me during a round. Do not ask if I am familiar with material before a round because I will most likely not answer. The following breaks down categories of Parli that you may have specific concerns about to help you find your answer. If your question is not answered here (and it is NOT about material), you are welcome to ask me about it before a round starts.

Types of Debate: It is my belief that there are three fundamental resolution styles in Parli: policy, value, and fact. Make sure you are aware of which resolution you are working towards in a round. If there is a dispute on this during the round, please make sure to address it during the round and not ignore it.

Policy: Policy should be fun, engaging, and the most creative format of Parli that we can debate on. I value strong fundamental set-ups for plans (i.e. AFF should have a clear and engaging inherency/problem). I also find it important to express creativity in this style. Being able to execute creative plans (even if they seem realistically ridiculous) is always interesting to watch from my perspective and will engage me more with your speeches. Of course, strong fundamentals and a clear understanding of the style/resolution is crucial. If "creativity" means you have weaker overall debating, then avoid it and stick to what works for you. I will always prioritize strong fundamentals. All tactics (i.e. CPs, perms, PICs, Ks, topicalities, etc.) are welcome for both sides. If you feel like you are being excluded via speed or that their plan is especially niche in its application, then express that during your speeches properly and I will flow it. I will probably be familiar with most of the literature (if you are using any) during these tactics, but that does not mean you should neglect it or skim by it. I am a firm believer in flowing only what I hear during the round and if I do not hear you properly explain something to me, then I will not flesh it out for you.

Value: Make sure to have your own value or I will assume you are working under AFF framework. If AFF does not have a value, then I will work under NEG framework. If no one gives me a value, then I will go with whatever framework has been presented during the round at all. The idea here is that we do not need to come to a consensus for a framework as you would normally in a policy round. Simply achieve your value best and (bonus points) try to show why you are ALSO achieving your opponents' value better than them. This is your time to really hone in on niche arguments and incorporate some aspects of philosophy that touch on moral or philosophical issues. For instance, human lives may/may not be the best impact here, so be creative with how your arguments work UNDER YOUR FRAMEWORK.

Fact: This is a simple fact-oriented debate. I do NOT weigh rounds based on quantity of factual material, but will weight based on quality. Of course, just having one good statistic is not going to win the round for you, but do not expect to just pour out a bunch of facts on me without proper explanation of what they mean and why they matter and expect to win. Treat this round as classic debate without bells or whistles and just try to win the round via strong warranting and impacting.

Public Forum Paradigm:

In Public Forum, you obviously are limited on time and must focus on what you feel are the important ideas. The hardest part of this event is proper time management as a team. It is fine to address important small details, but do not linger on them and attempt to look at the bigger picture. Framework issues should hopefully be addressed in the 1AC/1NC as best as possible. Cross is generally used as a speaking score indicator for me. If you claw out an important statement or argument from your opponent, you should reiterate that in your following speech for me to properly flow.

I really enjoy how fast this event goes and if you can keep up the tempo and be aggressive in your argumentation, it will yield more offensive flow for you. Frankly, there is not much on material that I can address, but do explain your arguments thoroughly, yet efficiently as if it is my first time hearing the resolution to begin with. As I mentioned in my Parli paradigm, I also tend to value creativity. I understand that it may be harder in this event as by the end of the month, the tier list of arguments is generally pretty much fixed, but maybe developing your case with new and intriguing twists can be helpful for you throughout a round. Do not be careless, but use your strong fundamentals to incorporate some fresh ideas into the round, if possible.

General Paradigm:

Speed: I can "understand" up to 400wpm, but I would recommend sticking to no more than 300wpm. I am not confident in my own ability to flow all of your arguments above that as I have been out of debate for a few years. As I have stated earlier, if you are getting spread out of a round, then I welcome you to argue that appropriately. If not, I will assume you understand what is happening just fine. That being said, I am aware that most judges disapprove of spreading in Parli for good reason. I am not that judge. You are welcome to spread in this event AS LONG AS YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO IT. Do NOT spread if you are not clear and cannot enunciate properly. *If I say "clear" during a round, please actually either slow down or read more carefully. If I am saying "clear," I expect you to respond in some way and not doing anything about it, is likely to cause me to not flow your arguments correctly*

Tag-teaming: I am fine with it. I would appreciate a notice that you will be doing this just for me to make sure that the opponents are also aware of their ability to use it. Also, I will only flow what is said by the appropriate speaker at that time. Therefore, if you are speaking and your partner says something, make sure to repeat it to me or else it will not go on the flow. This is very important if you are tag-teaming.

Flow/Protecting the Flow: If it has not been clear by now, I am a flow judge and will flow arguments equally across the board. My eventual weighing does not impact the flow, but will be factored in at the end of the round. I protect the flow for novice/JV, but I will not protect the flow for Open/Var events. I would advise you to be attentive during your opponents' speeches to keep track of this.

Impacts: This is how you win rounds. If you do not impact out an argument, I will not do it for you. Flesh out your arguments and negative impact out your opponents' arguments. If you want to run an impact chain to death/human suffering every time, then go ahead. Just impact out everything that you feel should be impacted out.

Foul Language/Rudeness: I am OKAY with mild foul language. It will not hurt you during the round. However, do not start cursing every sentence or speech for the sake of it. If it slips, it slips. Don't sweat it. On the other hand, rudeness will not be tolerated. If you begin to attack your opponents directly and not their arguments, this is not only frowned upon, but will likely lose you the round. This is an educational activity that should be fun, enjoyable, and accessible to ALL people. Please advise.

I have not included speech paradigms, as I fall pretty much in the same realm as any other speech judge. If I am the only judge, you can ask me simple questions NOT related to the direct speech material and I would be happy to answer.

If there is anything that was not covered in this paradigm that is not related to direct material, please feel free to ask before a round starts. It will be more beneficial you to be knowledgeable and aware than to simply assume.

Good luck!

If my camera is off, don't start your speech. If you want to email me questions about your round, please do so with haste because I have an awful memory.

Email: okvanessan@gmail.com

Kapaun Mt. Carmel/Mount Carmel Independent '19. I did policy debate for four years.

University of Southern California '23. I did not compete but was still involved with the policy debate team.

General:

Please be kind. I promise I'm not angry or upset, my face is just like that.

Again, I haven't competed since high school and I'm not as involved as I once was: this means I've forgotten lots of jargon and you will need to slow down a bit. The technical nuances of debate aren't as intuitive to me anymore so please explain the implications of your arguments more.

I don't really have any strong opinions on debate other than:

(1) be kind to your partner and opponents, and

(2) debate is a valuable activity and all argumentative styles that allow chances for contestation/clash are essential for that.

If you take time out of your own prep to delete analytics from constructives, you're only hurting yourself.

Feel free to email me with any further questions.

Content:

Do whatever as long as it's not repugnant. If you're unsure whether your argument falls under this category, then probably don't read it.

For what it's worth, I read mainly policy arguments in high school and am not super familiar with critical arguments. If you read the latter, you're going to have to explain your arguments more. Such debates are easier for me to follow if your strategy engages the impact level. Non-USFG affs should have a debate and ballot key warrant. I always went for framework, a topic disad if it linked, or an impact turn against such affs.

I think fairness is the best impact.

I think affs should get to weigh their plan and it will be an uphill battle to persuade me otherwise.

I know very little about the topic. Please keep this in mind if going for T.

I like impact turns. That does not mean death good. That does not mean wipeout. Please.

*LD note: I dislike RVIs.

Good luck! Have fun! Learn lots! Fight on!

I am a parent judge.

I am a lay judge with little experience. This is my second tournament judging Lincoln-Douglas debate. I am familiar with the format. Consider me a blank slate with respect to the arguments. If you speak clearly and at a reasonable rate of speed, I will be able to follow your speeches and understand your arguments.

I will time speeches, cross exam, and prep time; it's a good idea for the debaters to time their own speeches, cross exam, and prep time.

Read citations and evidence clearly. When you paraphrase evidence, have the full original card available for review. I will make my decisions based on the arguments made in the debate.

As a judge, I want to see respect throughout the debate. I look at how an argument is developed and supported. I appreciate a good counter-argument. Use tone of voice and inflections to emphasize key words and points as part of your delivery. Try using a slower pace instead of rushing through an argument.

Background Info:

ELC '21-debated for 4 years (cx)

USC '25

Add me to the email chain: Isaiortega28@gmail.com

General stuff

Be clear when spreading

Tech>truth even tho truth frames how I should evaluate args

I'm open to any type of argument, as long as it isnt problematic, so go crazy lol. None of the preferences I'll list below will override what team did the better debating so do what you do best, I'm comfortable judging all types and styles of debate. BUT, if you do adjust your strat a bit based on my specific preferences, you'll likely have a better chance in winning my ballot and get better speaks.

As for a general preference (or what you might look for when ranking judges): I’m mostly a K debater but I’m also cool with judging any type of debate style.

Line by line is great.

Tag teaming is cool.

No new args in the rebuttal part of the debate will be evaluated.

Don't clip

Usually flow straight down so lmk if I need to switch something up when giving me the order of the speech.

If you display any form of racism, sexism, etc., I'll automatically vote you down so be respectful and if at some point you feel uncomfortable in the debate, lmk

lastly, have fun! Debate is a pretty cool activity (even tho its pretty stressful at times) so try to enjoy yourselves.

Specifics

Aff:

In high school, I was often reading soft left affs so I sorta prefer these debates. But don't let this stop you from running any big imp affs! As long as you debate it properly and handle the framing/imp framing, you should be good.

-If you're reading a K-Aff, give me a reasonable and good explanation of your solvency. Tell me what the ballot means and why it's important (and if you imp turn, tell me why your analysis comes first). I recommend imp turning fw even tho a counter interp can help limit or minimize neg offense. And if you're debating fw, I prefer imp turns bc its pretty clear that you're not debating according to the rez (depends on the k-aff)so you might as well tell me why your form of debate is better and list your standards and impacts well throughout the debate and why your analysis comes first.

Neg: Throughout high school, I usually read kritiks more than any other thing. I usually read a lot of Set col but I'm open to other Kritiks as well (Biopolitics is kinda cool ngl--read this a few times but didnt really add it to my strat) and I think I have a good understanding for most kritiks except maybe some high theory stuff (Deleuze, somewhat Baudrillard, etc.). However, you should assume I know nothing about your kritik and explain it in a good manner that doesnt lead me to assuming a ton of jargon and literature. I'm cool with voting for DA and CP's as long as you have a good Link/imp scenario and a good net benefit. But plz have a good Internal link...i get frustrated when the link is pretty dope but has no correlation to the imp so give me a good scenario

DA: Plz do impact calc. it does a lot for you and the debate and is a good way to evaluate args and impacts. Make sure to have a good Internal Link and do good on the link work. Also, make sure your evidence is pretty relevant to the DA so dont give me a politics disad with evidence from an year ago.

CP: Make sure the DA and the CP exist in the same world and explain the process of the cp. I won't judge kick cp, do it yourself. Make sure the cp has a net benefit and is actually competitive. And when answering perms, dont group em all together as one perm.

K: I think I've mentioned some stuff about the K already but when debating a kritik, explain it to me like I'm unfamiliar with the kritik and know nothing about it. Don't assume I'm familiar with the lit and impact your args out. Though I may know a lot of the jargon you're referencing, it's important that your ov and blocks arent heavy in terms of lit bc then its just rambling. Though ov's are great and whatnot, often times ppl are to block reliant so that eliminates any actual line by line debating so try to minimize being block reliant.

I love a good fw debate but I will say that I tend to allow the aff getting to weigh the aff.

As for the links, try to have as many case specific links as possible and make sure you carry the links throughout the debate. I also need you to impact out your links and explain to me why the aff's actions make the sq uniquely worse. With this link story, I also need a good alt debate and an analysis of why the alt solves for the issues of the K

T: T debates are pretty cool. I tend to like education impacts more so contextualizing and being specific are important for me. I also think that in order to win, your interp needs to show me a definition more predictable and that the literature (evidence of the interp) needs to be in context of the rez, not some simple webster def stuff.

Theory (procedural): I'm just eh about it tbh. It's not my strongest area but I understand some stuff. Make a good arg and do a lot of imp comparison and show how the other team essentially skews the round by going forward with their strat. Do this and you should be fine.

Stuff that might boost your speaks:

- if you bring me a snack or a drink (xxtra hot cheetos is the move, gatorade, idk something cool)

Email: ema3osei@gmail.com

Pronouns: They/Them

Debated at University of Pittsburgh

I think about debate strategically primarily. Bad strategy => bad decision-making => bad comparison => bad debate. Lack of argument comparison also generally means more of a focus on skill than arguments which makes for less substantive feedback which has a negative feedback loop on the quality of judging experienced by debaters and the growth of teams themselves in my view. Substance is cool even when the substance is literally just about the meta-game.

I like judging different things, there are many different styles and many get overlooked or forgotten, so do your thing and do it well. I have a higher threshold for how you answer presumption in rounds without a plan and will filter a lot of the debate through solvency.

I'm typically more interested in a K that has offense either about the consequences of the plan or the consequences of the process but if you can win your overarching thesis claim outweighs plan/method focus, then go for it. The whole point of a K is to disagree with the assumptions of the affirmative so I don't understand the turn to agree with the affirmative's assumptions about how it should be evaluated vis-a-vis their various interps.

If you have a K that fundamentally disagrees with the epistemic starting point of the affirmative, then the latter part of the prior statement probably applies more than the former two even if you do have an embedded impact turn to the affirmative considering you likely have epistemic disagreements on starting points that inform what counts as an impact turn and also how to evaluate it comparative to other arguments on the level of uniqueness.

I don't have any specific feelings about framework as long as you're doing impact comparison. Regardless of whether you are winning a procedural or a terminal impact, it doesn’t really mean you auto win unless you have effectively zero’d/excluded all the opposing team’s offense, so offensive applications of impacts matter, if only from a strategic point of view.

Everything else is pretty round-by-round, please pic out of things, use theory intelligently and capitalize on mistakes and cross-examination early. Things may be unfair but unfairness can be justified or argued to not be unfair if a team lacks core justifications against competing claims to uniqueness/barriers to effective implementation. Same reason the neg gets to exclude the entire aff from evaluation if they win the procedural comes before aff offense.

Always keep in mind that just because you're right doesn't change the fact that you're still a debater doing debate. Every round is different and every debater debates/interprets arguments differently, so don’t switch up. Popular opinion (in debate) rarely matches reality anyway.

Please think about what is your strongest argument instead of ones that are superfluous, waste time, are unfamiliar to you, or otherwise have no strategic value. I try to give good speaks, but rarely super high. I prefer debates with fewer sheets. Don’t spread faster than is comprehensible and prioritize clarity. Make it make sense.

A dropped argument is not a true argument, though it may be persuasive. Micro-aggressions exist but so do mistakes. Your standard for how to engage them is likely biased and/or strategic. The easiest way to engage is to be a less than terrible person. If you have to worry about that you have more personal work to do.

Anyways, see ya~

Please speak slowly and persuasively so I can understand you.

Speakers should time themselves as I will not give out hand signals.

Thank you.

One could consider me as both traditional parent judge and non-traditional parent coach. When it comes to experience, I have never participated in actual LD debate myself. However, I have a strong interest in philosophy, history and political science and have formal education in these subjects, even though I work as a physician. I am very much involved with coaching my daughter who participates in varsity LD debate. It means that I have spent some time on the topic that you are debating in front of me, and I am very well familiar with most of aff and neg arguments. I leave my opinions at home. However, it is your job as a debater to convince me that your arguments are stronger than your opponent's. Everything matters. You have to explain how you derived your values and criteria from the resolution, provide a framework, construct contentions which connect and re-enforce your framework, demonstrate superiority of your values and criteria via clashes and rebuttals. Non-traditional routes such as debate theory, disclosure, tricks, etc are fine but it will not grant you victory if it is your only strength in the round. You may talk as fast as you want but I have to be able to flow your round. I do not like spreading - it puts emphasis on your ability to talk fast ( perhaps beneficial to your potential career at auction (just kidding)) but takes away the essence of an interesting and constructive debate. If, in my opinion, you are talking too fast. I will let you know. I evaluate your speech skills and ability to think on your feet. You have to present yourself professionally and be courteous to your opponent. Throwing ideological labels and calling your opponent's arguments idiotic, racist, misogynistic, leftists, right-winged, etc will not win this debate. You have to prove your side. That is the point of LD debate. It is an honor to judge your round, and I take this job very seriously. Best of luck. I am looking forward to your debate.

I am a parent judge.

I value tech over truth.

I would like the competitors to speak at a below-spreading level.

Add me to the email chain: bpuchowitz@gmail.com

Debated at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School from 2015-2019

Lasted updated: Glenbrooks 2019
Glenbrooks 2023 update - it's really sad that debaters don't shake hands anymore.

TL;DR:

I'm not familiar with the arms control topic, but don't let that change the way you debate in front of me. Really, all this means for you is that you should be a bit more explanatory in T debates and not leave me to my own devices, as I don't have a good grasp on what the ideal way to read the res is.

I'm comfortable with almost any type of argumentation. I've read big stick heg good affs and soft-left domestic violence affs, as well as k affs including Derrida, Spanos, Anarchy, and Buddhism!

I prefer depth over breadth; my speaks will reflect that.

Regarding Tech v. Truth... This is a silly dichotomy to me, mainly because what's 'true' is almost never a given. To me, this question seems to be one that, at its core, is about how judges evaluate dropped arguments. There is no universal metric I employ to determine the answer to this question. Obviously, dropped arguments are assumed to be true. But what constitutes an argument? An argument requires a claim and a warrant (i'm sure you haven't heard that one before), but it is a debate to be had as to what constitutes those. If the block says "severance perms are a voter" (assuming this is all they say on the matter) and the 1AR drops it, it should be easy to persuade me that there wasn't sufficient explanation as to constitute a warrant. For the argument to be complete (especially if it's something you want me to vote on), it requires me understanding why a claim is true; otherwise it's almost meaningless.

Thoughts On Argument Types:

FW: There are two different ways to go about reading framework. The critical difference between the two is whether or not you make the claim the arguments we read in debate shape our beliefs. If you make that argument, you need to defend the educational merits deriving from the substance of debates centered around the state, not just the form. It's unconvincing to me to claim that debate shapes subjectivity while simultaneously making the claim that the form of debate the affirmative endorses somehow doesn't result in anything beneficial you can take from the round. Even if you're making the claim that clash is necessary to make us better arguers, the affirmative is still typically making claims about the benefits of holding the beliefs they endorse alone, which I see as somewhat isolated from the skills derived from deliberation alone. Thus, this way to read framework requires you to win that the type of pedagogy they endorse is bad, or at least not as beneficial as the pedagogy associated with policy-centered analysis. The other way of reading framework, which is to say that the arguments we read in debate have no effect on our political beliefs, doesn't require you defending the state on the level of substance. Instead, using clash as the key internal link, you can claim that all debate does is teach us a better argumentative form. The fact that teams read several different contradictory arguments helps support the narrative that the only way debate truly influences our beliefs is at the margins, ie over the hundred debates you have, you end up debating (for and against) arguments that are on the side of truth more often than arguments that are not. Without clash, there's no good means to determine what args (besides extremes) are truer than others. If the ideology you endorse isn't subjected to rigorous and meaningful criticism, how are you supposed to determine whether or not it's right? It might come off like I'm good for the negative in these debates, but all I mean to do is point out what I think to be to irreconcilable ways of thinking about framework. I love seeing new and innovative strategies and ways of thinking about framework and debate by the aff.

Counterplans: The phrase "all we need is a risk of offense" still requires you - obviously - winning a risk of offense. To me, there isn't always one. If a team read a DA that was cut from this judging philosophy and tagged it as something else, even if they had a counterplan that I felt confident solved the entirety of the case - I clearly wouldn't give the DA any weight. Of course, this example is a bit extreme, but this becomes more important the worse evidence quality gets.

Topicality: The most important thing to do in T debates is impact calculus contextualized to the interpretations endorsed. You should treat this impact debate like you would any other. It's not enough to say overlimiting the topic is bad, but why is the fashion in which the affs interpretation overlimits the topic worse than their accusation of your interpretation being somewhat arbitrary?

Reasonability is not and should not be read as an argument merely about unpredictability. I see many teams read reasonability as "their interp is arbitrary and thus you should prefer ours" without anymore analysis. I think judges still understand the argument teams are trying to make, but if that's the extent of your explanation it won't be sufficient for me. Reasonability is about the burden of the affirmative. All the aff should have to do (according to the arg) is provide a reasonable reading of the resolution. It shouldn't be the aff's burden to read the resolution in the way that's best for the negative. If teams are voted against for reading a res that's reasonably within the parameters of the res, the negative is given the incentive to find a more and more limiting interp.

Various Thoughts About Debate:

Clash is the most valuable aspect of debate. The ability for two sides to forward arguments, to which the other side will say "no" to is something that only debate allows. What makes debate great, however, is that a debaters burden falls not just on a reassertion of "yes", but saying "no" to the other teams objections.

Evidence quality is important. In good [close] debates, which contain many moving pieces, and in which both sides are technically proficient and make logical arguments, evidence quality often does (and should) put a team ahead. Quality alone can only do so much. If a team severely misrepresents the evidence they're reading, it's the other teams burden to point it out. It's also important to realize what constitutes 'good evidence'. There's a reason why evidence quality is valued so highly. Peer reviewed journals (assuming their highly relevant to a question in a debate), for example, offer claims backed by a high depth of warrants and analysis that makes it difficult (but not impossible) to rely on logic or rhetoric alone to diminish them. Reciprocity is paramount but does not mean "if they have a card, you should have card." More likely than not, if a [competent] team doesn't have evidence to answer a DA, it's probably contrived and not a controversy within literature. In fact, I think that the card:analytic ratio against most arguments (specifically the contrived politics disads of the Trump era) is far too tilted towards reading evidence. Logic surrenders to nobody.

I feel like it's important to protect the 2NR against new 2AR arguments, particularly in topicality and theory debates.

Theory is underutilized in debate today. Any good 1AR has at the very least one theory arg extended.

If you can't defend that bad things are bad, you deserve to lose. This ideology extends as far as comprehension allows. It shouldn't be too hard to convince me extremely unethical positions are wrong/bad. It's not like I want to vote for them.

I am familiar with most primary critical theorists and read philosophy for fun.

I am an economics major and thus enjoy debates centering around economics.

Arguments that hold a special place in my heart:

- Integral Fast Reactors

- Buddhism

- Capitalism K (against critical affirmatives)

(Copy and paste Erick Berdugos paradigm ) but to summarize my general beliefs .....

Affirmative :

1) The affirmative probably should be topical. I prefer an affirmative that provides a problem and then a solution/alternative to the problem. Negatives must be able to engage. Being independently right isn't enough.

2) Personal Narratives - not a fan of these arguments. The main reason, is that there is no way real way to test the validity of the personal narrative as evidence. Thus, if you introduce a personal narrative, I think it completely legit that the personal narrative validity be questioned like any other piece of evidence. If you would be offended or bothered about questions about its truth, don't run them.

3) K -Aff : Great ,love them but be able to win why either talking about the topic is bad, your approach to talking about the topic is better,why your method or approach is good etc, and most importantly what happens when I vote aff on the ballot.

4) Performance : Ehh- I’m not the judge to run a good perf bu but I am willing to listen to the arguments if you can’t rightfully warrant them .
Perf cons ARE an issue and can cost you the ballot . Be consistent!
5) EXTEND ! EXTEND! EXTEND! “Extensions of the aff are overviews to the 1 ar” .... no they are not . I want to flow them separately not in some clump . It gets messy.

NEGATIVE :

1) Kritiks : I am not familiar with a large range of lit but I know plenty how to judge a good kritik and I enjoy it. Do not feel you need to run a K to win any sort of leverage in the debate ... you’re better off reading something you are comfortable defending than a crappy K you have no knowledge of . You need to be able to articulate and explain your position well don’t just assume I am familiar with your authors work. Alts need to tell me cause and impact aka what will the after look like ?? K MUST have a specific link. K arguments MUST link directly to what is happening in THIS round with THIS resolution. I am NOT a fan of a generic Kritik that questions if we exist or not and has nothing to do with the resolution or debate at hand. Kritiks must give an alternative other than "think about it." Have good blocks to perms !!! Especially if you have no links to the advocacy .

2) DA : Go for it ! I lean towards topical / substantive larpy rounds so I will definitely vote on a good DA . Make sure your impact calculus is outweighing and tell me how ! Internal links should be clear . If the impacts are linear that needs to be articulated as well . Pretty simple but feel free to ask me for clarifications !

3) CP/ PIC : Strategic if done correctly ! For the CP there needs to be net benefits and they should be extended throughout the round . Please don’t read generic cards you stole off a case file ( I can tell and it makes for a redundant debate ) I won’t vote against you for it but .. don’t plz . Theory against abusive CPs is completely legitimate. For the PIC - keep it clean ! *paradigm under construction *

Hey, I'm Chris, and I debated for Newark Science for four years in LD and Policy. To start, I'd like to say that although I was known as a particular kind of debater, I encourage you to do what you can do the best, whether that be Kant, theory, performance, etc.

As a common rule, please don't go your top speed at the beginning of your speeches. Go slower and build up speed so I can get accustomed to your voice. I've had times where debaters started at their top speed, which wasn't really that fast, but I wasn't accustomed to their voice at all, so I missed a few of their arguments. To prevent this, please don't start blazing fast. Build up to your top speed.

I've come to realize I am probably one of the worst flowers in the activity. This doesn't mean I won't hold you to answering arguments but it does mean that I am far less likely to get a 5 point response than the next person. Take that as you will.

I'm far from a tabula rasa judge; if you say or do anything that reinforces racist, heterosexist, ableist norms then I will vote against you. This is not to say that you'll always lose Kant against Wilderson; rather, it's about the way in which you frame/phrase your arguments. If you say "Kantianism does x, y, and z, which solves the K" then I'm more willing to vote for you than if you say "Kant says empirical realities don't matter therefore racism doesn't exist or doesn't matter"

On that note, I'm an advocate of argument engagement rather than evasion. I understand the importance of "preclusion" arguments, but at the point where there are assertions that try to disregard entire positions I must draw a line. I will be HIGHLY skeptical of your argument that "Util only means post-fiat impacts matters therefore disregard the K because it's pre-fiat." I'm also less likely to listen to your "K>Theory" dump or vice versa. Just explain how your position interacts with theirs. I'm cool with layering, in fact I encourage layering, but that doesn't mean you need to make blanket assertions like "fairness is an inextricable aspect of debate therefore it comes before everything else" I'd rather you argue "fairness comes before their arguments about x because y."

I think that theory debates should be approached holistically, the reason being that often times there are one sentence "x is key to y" arguments and sometimes there are long link chains "x is key to y which is key to z which is key to a which is key to fairness because" and I guarantee I will miss one of those links. So, please please please, either slow down, or have a nice overview so that I don't have to call for a theory shell after the round and have to feel like I have to intervene.

These are just some of my thoughts. If I'm judging you at camp, do whatever, don't worry about the ballot. As I judge more I'll probably add to this paradigm. If you have any specific questions email me at cfquiroz@gmail.com

UPDATE: I will not call for cards unless
a) I feel like I misflowed because of something outside of the debater's control
b) There is a dispute over what the evidence says
c) The rhetoric/non underlined parts of the card become relevant

Otherwise, I expect debaters to clearly articulate what a piece of evidence says/why I should vote for you on it. This goes in line with my larger issue of extensions. "Extend x which says y" is not an extension. I want the warrants/analysis/nuance that proves the argument true, not just an assertion that x person said y is true.

Hi - My name is Raji Rao and I am a parent judge. This is my 4th year judging debate tournaments in bay area. I have judged both PF and LD Debates in the past and in this tournament judging LD.

I expect the debaters to keep their timers and prefer an off time road map. Will take both value( and value criterion) and contentions into considerations. Quality over quantity is preferred. Good Luck and bring out the best.

I have judged LD many times. I would like the debaters to speak in a moderate speed and speak clearly. When deciding the winner, I choose the debater who has strong arguments, does not drop any important arguments, and clearly explains why their arguments are important.

I am a former competitor and I judge on pacing, volume, and energy that feels relevant to the context of the speech. If blocking is into your speech, I will be judging on how clean and organic it is. If this speech is an original I will also be critiquing the context of your speech as well as the organizational structure. Good luck! I will make sure to give you the best feedback I can :)

I competed for 4 years, primarily in PF and a bit of policy. When it comes to Public Forum I don't want you to just read evidence at me, stop trying to make PF policy! Explain your evidence and warrants, give good analysis. Also I really enjoy Framework debates, if you're going to read framework carry it through the entire round. Care about FW arguments because thats how i'm going to end up voting if i'm not given an alternative FW. Make sure there is actual clash, dont just tell me why your positions are important.

Since im fairly new to CX I dont have a ton of preferences, just dont expect me to understand super high theory off the bat, and if you do run it, make sure to explain it really well. Other than that just do your thing and be kind to each other. I am generally a laid back person, however i have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to being purposefully cruel or bigoted to your opponents or otherwise. Lets have fun and learn from each other, thats what this is all about.

Hello, my name is Dayanand and I'm a first-time debate tournament judge. As a new judge it would be helpful if debaters could do the following:

1) speak at a moderate pace/clearly

2) proper etiquette

3) be respectful to your opponents

4) Enjoy your experience!

Looking forward to being a judge!

Debate is an educational activity. Do not gamify it.

Public Forum should be accessible to the public.

Lincoln-Douglas should engage with relevant philosophies and their practical consequences.

Parliamentary should be creative, off-the-cuff argumentation.

Policy should explore policy-making and its impacts on society.

Focus on the basics of persuasion that carry over to real life.

a. Speaking extremely fast is rarely persuasive.

b. Exaggerating impacts is never persuasive.

c. Speak clearly. Stay calm.

I'm a parent judge, first timer here.

Say clearly and articulate your points well.

Please be polite, slow.

Be respectful.

And have fun!

Glenbrook South '19 | University of Michigan '23

kellymskoulikaris@gmail.com

General

Be organized. Do line-by-line, impact calc, judge instruction, and evidence comparison. Do not just read evidence in the 2AC/2NC/1NR. Smart analytics can overcome bad evidence.

Inserting rehighlightings is okay as long as the rehighlightings are short and the implication is explained in the speeches.

For everything below, I can be convinced otherwise through good debating. Feel free to ask clarification questions pre-round!

Case/DAs

I love good case debating. No, this does not just mean yes/no impact. Yes, this means debating the internal link to advantages (and disadvantages). Debates can easily be won or lost here, and internal link comparison in the final rebuttals is underutilized.

Case-specific DAs are preferable, but politics can be good with decent evidence and persuasive spin.

Rider DAs are not DAs.

CPs

Advantage CPs are preferable to Agent CPs/Process CPs. PDCP definitions (from both sides) should have specific standards/theoretical justifications.

Condo is (probably) good, kicking planks is (probably) good, and judge kick is the default unless debated otherwise.

2NC CPs are good against new affirmatives, but against non-new affirmatives, the 2NC should justify their new planks. The 1AR can convince me this is abusive (especially if the 2NC is adding new planks to get out of a straight-turned DA).

Most theory arguments are reasons to reject the argument, not the team unless debated otherwise.

T

It is important for both sides to map out what topics look like under their interpretations, especially at the beginning of the season. What affirmatives are included? What negative argument are guaranteed? What does each interpretation exclude? Examples help frame the round!

Evidence quality matters much more in these rounds!

T vs K Affs

Debate is a game, and competition/winning drives our participation in debate. The strongest impacts to T are fairness and clash (iterative testing, testing etc). Negative teams have had success in front of me when they utilize clash to link turn affirmative offense.

Specific TVAs are good. You do not need evidence as long as you have a plan text and explain what debate rounds would look like under the TVAs.

Ks

I am most familiar with Anti-Blackness, Capitalism, and Settler Colonialism literature, and not as familiar with Baudrillard, Bataille etc.

Please do not give extremely long overviews. Root cause claims, impact comparisons at the top are smart and strategic, but the rest of the "overview" can be incorporated into the line-by-line later on the flow.

Impact out each link!

I debated 4 years in high school parli and PF and I’m a year into college British parli so I have a lot of experience!

Here’s a list of things that I do and do not want to see in a round!

1. Introduce yourselves and make sure that you are following proper etiquette when entering the room.

2. Don’t stall the round I’m here to judge and you are here to debate.

3. It’s extremely important that you show a good understanding of your case and the topic and you are not simply throwing out arguments that you think fit.

4. Theory debate is something that I know can be imperative for a round but please avoid at all cost and if not use it properly and not to pigeon hole a debate via some specific definition

5. Make sure you properly tag and flag rebuttal I will pick it up but I shouldn’t have to do that for you.

6. Speed is something I don’t mind when it is because you have a natural habit but if you are purposely spreading I will most likely drop my pen.

7. Rude debaters aren’t fun to watch at all so really try to not.

i weigh rounds based off of 1. Impacted out arguenents with proper explanation and linking 2. Understanding and context 3. Etiquette

Cajon High School, San Bernardino, CA

I debated Policy for one year in high school a hundred years ago. I have been coaching LD for nine years, judging it for fifteen. I like it. I also coach PuFo and have coached Parli. I have judge two rounds of Policy as an adult and am not a fan.

LD: Briefly, I am a traditional LD judge. I am most interested in seeing a values debate under NSDA rules (no plans/counterplans), that affirms or negates the resolution. I want to see debaters who have learned something about the topic and can share that with me. I am much less interested in debates on theory. Engage in an argument with the other person's framework and contentions and I will be engaged. Go off topic and you had better link to something.

Parli: I definitely don't like to hear tons of evidence in Parli, which should be about the arguments, not the evidence. Please ask and accept some POIs, and use them to help frame the debate. Manufacturing of evidence has become a real ethical problem in Parli. I don't really want to be the evidence police, but I might ask how I can access your source if the case turns on evidence.

Public Forum: Stay within the rules. Don't dominate the grand crossfire. This was designed to resemble a "town hall" and should not get technical or be loaded with cards. It is a debate about policy, but it should not be debated as if it was Policy debate.

In more depth:
Crystallization: It's good practice. Do it. Signpost, too.

Speed/flow: I can handle some speed, but if you have a good case and are a quick, logical thinker, you don't need speed to win. IMO, good debating should be good public speaking. It's your job to understand how to do that, so I am not going to call "clear", and I am certainly not interested in reading your case. If you're too fast, I'll just stop writing and try to listen as best I can. I will flow the debate, but I'm looking for compelling arguments, not just blippy arguments covering the flow. If you're not sure, treat me as a lay judge.

Evidence: Evidence is important, but won't win the debate unless it is deployed in support of well constructed arguments. Just because your card is more recent doesn't mean it's better than your opponent's card on the same issue - your burden is to tell me why it is better, or more relevant. Be careful about getting into extended discussions about methodology of studies. I get that some evidence should be challenged, but a debate about evidence isn't the point.

Attitude: By all means challenge your opponent! Be assertive, even aggressive, but don't be a jerk. You don't have to be loud, fast, rude, or sarcastic to have power as a speaker.

Speaker points: I don't have a system for speaker points. I rarely give under 27 or over 29. I have judged debaters who have never won a round, and have judged a state champion. I am comparing you to all the debaters I have seen. It's not very scientific and probably inconsistent, but I do try to be fair.

Theory: I generally dislike the migration of Policy ideas and techniques to other debates. If you want to debate using Policy methods, debate in Policy. In my opinion, much of the supposed critical thinking that challenges rules and norms is just overly clever games or exercises in deploying jargon. Just my opinion as an old fart. That said, I am okay with bringing in stock issues (inherency, solvency, topicality, disads) if done thoughtfully, and I will accept theory if all of the debaters are versed in it, but you'll do better if you explain rather than throw jargon.

Kritiks: I don't care for them. They seem kind of abusive to me and often fail to offer good links, which won't help you win. Even if your opponent doesn't know what to do with your kritik, by using one you transfer the burden to yourself, so if you don't do it well you lose, unless the opponent is very weak. I generally find them to be poor substitutes for a good debate on the resolution - but not always. I suppose my question is, "Why are you running a K?" If it's just because it's cool - don't.

Other: Unless instructed to do so, I don't disclose decisions or speaker points in prelims, though I will give some comments if that is within the tournament's norms and you have specific questions.

I'm anti plagiarism- so it feels ethically wrong to do so without asking- but if I could copy Mike Bietz's paradigm word for word, I would (can be seen here: https://www.tabroom.com/index/paradigm.mhtml?judge_person_id=4969) except I'm ok with flex prep. In addition to everything in here I have a few additional pieces of information.

Note: If you have any questions about how to interpret my paradigm, ask me pre-round. If any of the terminology is something you're unaware of or curious about, feel free to ask me either before or after the round. If you want to look anything up, wikipedia has surprisingly thorough indexes of debate terminology (especially when you're starting out!)

For all Debate:

• Disclosure is good and should be done. Sharing cases is good for fairness in debate. As someone who was in a small program during my high school debate career, the sense that the round was unwinnable because the opponent had 8 coaches giving them prep and resources to my none was incredibly frustrating, and while disclosure doesn't fully solve that, giving people from smaller programs access to evidence, cases and formats from bigger programs helps the health of the debate scene.
• General disclosure rules: Share case right before the speech (aff shares case before their first speech, neg shares case after the aff finishes speech)
• I flow the rounds, and catch what I can. If I don't catch it, it doesn't show up on my flow. Speaking quickly (and even spreading on a circut level) is fine, but you have to recognize your personal limits as a speaker when you do so. Intonation enables the spread, so training yourself as a speaker to be intelligible while spreading is on you.
• When sharing cards, please do so equitably and fairly. Ideally, include myself (and the other judges) on the document sharing doc to ensure that we know the documents are shared fairly, and to prevent frivolous fairness theory being read in the round.
• Debate is, in general, a format for education first and foremost. Fostering an environment that promotes education means that you must enter a round with empathy for your judge, opponent and audience. If a person is confused in a debate round, spend a moment to explain what you mean to them. Creating a debate environment that is inclusive and mindful of diversity gives people an opportunity to meet, learn from and grow with a diverse group of people.
• Related to this, people who push a "old boys club" mentality within debate round, who seek to bully out wins on newer debaters by reading fringe argumentation, or are excessively combative to people who are clearly not comfortable in it don't have a place in debate in my opinion. Remember, although competitive this should be an environment that values being collaborative as well. Debate isn't an environment to get your rocks off and feed your ego by bullying the less experienced, and people who treat it as such will get negative outcomes on ballots from me.
• Above all, remember that debate is an activity that is for fun more than it is anything else. That fun is not just your own; the priority to make everyone enjoy the experience to the best degree you can is important.

For Public Forum:

• PF is not meant to be theory heavy. Philosophy has a useful basis in backing an argument, but being topic-centric is the essence of the debate format.
• Exception: Any independent voters (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc.) will be weighed heavily, and if any happen, it will result in an automatic loss.
• On Cross: Being aggressive is good (and encouraged), but you need to give your opponent space to speak. Cutting them off occasionally is reasonable to guide the conversation, but if you ask a question and don't give the opponent space to answer or attempt to railroad a CX by turning it into a soliloquy that will be noted for speaks.
• Impact calculus outweighs argument volume down the flow. If you seek to win on a line by line on argument volume, your opponent will win the debate (if you prove 9 different people will die in 9 arguments, you will lose to the person who proves 90000000 will die in one argument).
• I do flow Crossfire and weigh it as a speech, so cross matters to me as a judge. Don't assume a vote that will be cross-exclusionary. Someone can win in spite of a bad cross, but cross will be weighed in how the outcome is perceived.
• Dedicate summary to expressing Voting Issues and dropped arguments. Extend to why you are winning currently on the flow.
• Dedicate FF to weighing mechanisms and impact calculus.

For LD:

• On Theory: Theory is fine to read, and often makes debate better. One important thing about theory is that I view it as a "pact" that both debaters have to agree on.
• On RVIs: I believe in RVIs as a way to counteract frivolous theory. In general, especially on a circut level, I believe the anti-RVI stances a lot of judges hold on is a portion of what creates the neg skew on the circut. Beyond "fairness" I think that, conceptually, theory takes time and mandates a response and having theory's worst case be net neutral for the team that reads it lacks fairness.
• On Ks: Kritiks are good for debate, but I have a clear line in the sand:
• Topical Ks: Good, make debate better, force flexibility in thought and challenge our implicit biases. Topical Ks further education in round and create a space where we challenge our baseline assumptions in a way that challenges the way we look at the world.
• Non-topical Ks: The only context where I view non-topical Ks as a voter is if an independent voter manifests. Reading "debate is a male-skewed environment and societal burdens placed on women creates inherent unfairness in the debate environment" may be true, something I agree with, and something I prioritize in how I judge, but is not something that I will vote on unless the opponent is engaging in behavior that is exclusionary to that group. And as the debater, you must highlight the infringement.
• On Perms: Perming is good and should be done often. In order to successfully perm in round, you must demonstrate the lack of conflict between the counterplan and the aff.
• Advantages/Disadvantages: All disads and advantages need every plank in order to be considered (uniqueness, link and impact).
• NO NEW ARGUMENTS IN THE 2AR
• Tricks should be called out as tricks if ran against you. If a trick is identified and demonstrated to be a trick successfully, it will be treated as a voter.

The things:

Npiredebate@gmail.com

Affil: Baylor, Georgetown University, American Heritage and Walt Whitman High School.

If you think it matters, err on the side of sending a relevant card doc immediately after your 2nr/2ar.

**New things for College 2023-24(Harvard):

Weird relevant insight: Irrespective of the resolution- I am somewhat of a weapons enthusiast and national security nerd.

Yes, I am one of those weirdos that find pleasure in studying weapon systems, war/combat strategy and nuclear posture absent debate. Feel free to flex your topic knowledge, call out logical inconsistencies, break wild and nuanced positions etc. THESE WILL MAKE ME HAPPY(and generous with speaks).

In an equally debated round, the art of persuasion becomes increasingly important. I hate judge intervention and actively try to avoid it, but if you fail to shore up the debate in the 2nr/2ar its inevitable.

Please understand, you will not actually change my mind on things like Cap, Israel, Heg, and the necessity of national security or military resolve in the real world...and its NOT YOUR JOB TO; your job is to convince me that you have sufficiently met the burden set forth to win the round.

Internal link debates and 2nr scenario explanation on DAs have gotten more and more sparse...please do better. I personally dont study China-Taiwan and various other Asian ptx scenarios so I will be less familiar with the litany of acronyms and jargon.

***

TLDR:

Tech>Truth (default). I judge the debate in front of me. Debate is a game so learn to play it better or bring an emotional support blanket.

Yes, I will likely understand whatever K you're reading.

Framing, judge instruction and impact work are essential, do it or risk losing to an opponent that does.

There should be an audible transition cue/signal when going from end of card to next argument and/or tag. e.g. "next", "and", or even just a fractional millisecond pause. **Aside from this point, honestly, you can comfortably ignore everything else below. As long as I can flow you, I will follow the debate on your terms.

Additional thoughts:

-My first cx question as a 2N/debater has now become my first question when deciding debates--Why vote aff?

-My ballot is nothing more than a referendum on the AFF and will go to whichever team did the better debating. You decide what that means.

-Your ego should not exceed your skill but cowardice and beta energy are just as cringe.

-Topicality is a question of definitions, Framework is a question of models.

-If I don't have a reason why specifically the aff is net bad at the end of the debate, I will vote aff.

-CASE DEBATE, it's a thing...you should do it...it will make me happy and if done correctly, you will be rewarded heavily with speaks.

-Too many people (affs mainly) get away with blindly asserting cap is bad. Negatives that can take up this debate and do it well can expect favorable speaks.

More category specific stuff below, if you care.

Ks

From low theory to high theory I don't have any negative predispositions.

I do enjoy postmodernism, existentialism and psychoanalysis for casual reading so my familiarity with that literature will be deeper than other works.

Top-level stuff

1. You don't necessarily need to win an alt. Just make it clear you're going for presumption and/or linear disad.

2. Tell me why I care. Framing is uber important.

My major qualm with K debates, as of late, mainly centers around the link debate.

1. I would obvi prefer unique and hyper-spec links in the 1nc but block contextualization is sufficient.

2. Links to the status quo are links to the status quo and do not prove why the aff is net bad. Put differently, if your criticism makes claims about the current state of affairs/the world you need to win why the aff uniquely does something to change or exacerbate said claim or state of the world. Otherwise, I become extremely sympathetic to "Their links are to the status quo not the aff".

Security Ks are underrated. If you're reading a Cap K and cant articulate basic tenets or how your "party" deals with dissent...you can trust I will be annoyed.

CP

- vs policy affs I like "sneaky" CPs and process CPs if you can defend them.

- I think CPs are underrated against K affs and should be pursued more.

- Solvency comparison is rather important.

T

Good Topicality debates around policy affs are underappreciated.

Reasonability claims need a brightline

FWK

Perhaps contrary to popular assumption, I'm rather even on this front.

I think debate is a game...cause it is. So either learn to play it better or learn to accept disappointment.

Framework debates, imo, are a question of models and impact relevance.

Just because I personally like something or think its true, doesn't mean you have done the necessary work to win the argument in a debate.

Neg teams, you lose these debates when your opponent is able to exploit a substantial disconnect between your interp and your standards.

Aff teams, you should answer FW in a way most consistent with the story of your aff. If your aff straight up impact turns FW or topicality norms in debate, a 2AC that is mainly definitions and fairness based would certainly raise an eyebrow.

I am a first-year studying Comparative Literature and Molecular Environmental Biology @ UC Berkeley. My pronouns are they/them.

PARADIGM

TL;DR: don’t shake my hand. Would like offtime roadmap. Make sure your [link] story is clear. Weigh.

Grace periods don't exist.

If you are going to talk about East Asia, particularly China or South Korea, you'd better be representing the facts correctly. I have a unique amount of knowledge in that area.

POI:

I’d like it if you take at least one POI if asked, especially if it's framework-related. I'm usually not cognizant of protected time, so make sure you know the tournament rules!

Case & CP:

Have a clear plantext with adequate specification and solvency (I care about this a lot).

Fine with small affs.

If you’re running a CP, explain why it’s competitive. Perms are a test of competition so either explain to me clearly why the CP is competitive or why it isn’t. If the CP isn't competitive then you can make that your advocacy. I don’t mind multiple CP’s but explain to me why you can contradict yourself if you do. I love PIC’s (but it doesn’t mean I won’t vote on PIC bad theory if you run it well). Also, I like advantages to CPs.

Generally, I don't like PICs but I love the theory debate over them.

Make sure to ask CP status, always.

Defaults on Case:

Presumption flows to the side of least change.

Probability > magnitude.

LOR/PMR:

Weigh your impacts because I won’t do it for you. Don't make your weighing "this is better because it has highest magnitude". Give me more than that.

Collapsing is preferred, but not required. Even in a round where you're winning on everything, collapse please (it makes my job much easier). But, if the round gets messy (T, K, case, etc), collapsing is VERY necessary.

The LOR shouldn’t be the MO. I’ll flow only the aspects that make up a voter’s speech.

Tie everything to your weighing criterion.

I default to probability.

POO:

I will be deciding right then and there if it's new or not because it could seriously affect the debate.

Theory

I'm fine with friv--but it has to be explained really well for me to buy it. Make sure I see the actual merit in it. If you run something that could've been answered with a POI (or with online tournaments, flex time), I don't like it and I think you're honestly normalizing abuse in debate.

Thirty speaks is fine but (see below) I give 28-29 anyway.

Please have text ready. In online tournaments, put it in the chat.

Kritik

No K Aff unless the resolution absolutely begs for it.

I'm not amazing with speed so if you're going to run a k, run it "slowly". If your k can't be explained at a normal speaking speed, then you are being non-inclusive to not only me, but likely your opponents as well. Make sure to slow and clear when your opponents tell you to.

Not a fan of bad k's or running k's just to run k's. I can tell the difference and you also have to explain your k very well to me. I have a high threshold. However, I also understand that ks are often necessary as a survival strategy and some topics absolutely need to be critiqued. Unfortunately, I think that most people abuse the existence of the k.

Dislike postmodern ks.

Speaker Points:

I don't care about eye contact or stuttering or anything like that.

Miscellaneous:

I try to be as tabula rasa as possible but if you are blatantly incorrect, that flies out the window (this especially applies for topics I'm very knowledgeable in, e.g. China topics). However, it is impossible to be tabula rasa so perhaps it's more appropriate to say that my aim is to be objective.

Tagteaming is fine. I’ll only flow what you say.

I will vote against you if you have very problematic rhetoric during your speech. Don’t be hostile.

Provide a text if the team calls for it, preferably immediately. (Since we're living in the age of online tournaments, I expect you to be able to provide a text immediately in the chat. Always put your interps in the chat!)

I don’t care whether you stand or sit.

Don’t pay attention to any of my facial expressions. Sometimes I'm about to sneeze.

Don’t pay attention to my flowing. Just focus on your speech.

You can always ask me questions about the debate, your case, etc. after the round.

If you say or do anything problematic during the round, we will have a discussion with all parties present after the round is over.

Classical '19

Point Loma Nazarene University '23

NPTE Update: I strongly believe that NPTE is a tournament where innovation is at its center. Read your most unhinged arguments as long it doesn't get yourself cancelled. I'm willing to hear you out if you decide to push the limits on the amount of conditional advocacies you have, weird performance kritiks, or anything else you would be afraid to read in front of another judge.

TLDR: Read the arguments you want. I will flow and evaluate them. I will always vote on the execution of an argument rather than whether I think it is true or not. I have a slight preference for policy debates but I also like a well-executed Kritik debate. All of my preferences are just preferences and can be reversed through good debating.

Full Paradigm:

Top level things:

-As a caveat, everything in my paradigm is just my opinion and can be reversed through good debating.

-Tech>Truth.

-Nothing is at 0 or 100% risk. I evaluate debate as to which arguments have a higher risk and which ones are quantifiably bigger or implicate the debate on a deeper level.

-Debate determines risk until I'm told why it isn't.

-I don't have a problem voting for "lies" but I'd rather vote for true arguments.

-Some people whose opinions about the debate I admire are Chris Tai, Scott Wheeler, Raam Tambe, and Danish Khan.

-In my opinion, the negative does not read enough off-case positions most of the time.

-Judge instruction is underutilized but the team that uses it more will make the debate easier to decide.

Email chains are a big vibe: alexdebates109@gmail.com

My Decision Process:

Some habits in my decision process:

-I usually evaluate defense first, I usually vote for the least mitigated argument.

-I make the techiest decision, usually without explanation from the other team. I pay more attention to implications when left to my own devices.

I will do my best to actively assess who is ahead during the debate however, this does not mean an instant decision. I will try to give a timely well thought out decision as fast as I can because I believe it's the debaters job to debate their best, and the judges to be an active listener and decisionmaker which means to think critically through the debate as it goes on. The way I use this process is by assigning risk based on explanation and/or comparison of arguments. Usually, I base the way I assign risk of on dropped arguments, explanations, and comparisons between which arguments should be considered to be the nexus question of the debate and which should not. Just to be clear when I mention explanation, I don't mean explain your argument about what is but how it fits throughout the overall strategic context of the round. This means quantifying why your evidence proves that argument has a broader scope than your opponents. Absent reading evidence, I usually vote for the team that has best articulated why their argument's risk is higher or can be quantiified as much bigger. Good ev/argument comparison, framing arguments, and evidence that can be well explained in a strategic context can shift this process in your favor. The reason for my decisionmaking process is that I believe in tech over truth and I don't try to do alot of work people. Explanation is important but only in the context of me evaluating the debate in a purely technical way because I do not want to evaluate the relative truth claims of arguments as much as I can. That is not so say I am truth over tech, the process I just listed probably only applies if the debate is close. If an argument is dropped, it's dropped and I have SUPER LOW threshold for dropped arguments which I will vote on. The more you use the process above to direct my decision, the less my predispositions factor into the decision.

I believe that the evidence determines the scope of the argument. I.E if you powertag your extinction card but it only says small scenario for war, I'll probably not against a powertagged card if the other team points it out but I'll vote for lies in any other instance.

Online Specific Stuff:

-Go 85-90% of how fast you would go in an in-person round.

-I do not require you to turn your camera if you do not feel comfortable doing so.

-If you are reading blocks that are mostly analytics, slow down a bit because not all of us have the best internet connections.

Policy Paradigm:

Kritiks:

I am a mid judge for the kritik. I think that thesis claims and links are the most important part of the Kritik. Thesis level claims should forward a description of the world that filters how I evaluate the other parts of the Kritik. For example, if you read antiblackness or Psychoanalysis, you would want to win arguments such as Blackness is ontological, Psychoanalysis is true, or the state is irredeemable. Links should be about the plan, not just rant about why a certain ideology is bad. I'm probably the worst for the K on the alt. If you don't have a K that relies heavily on winning the thesis, you should focus on winning the alt the most. I don't think I'm in the automatically assuming that the alt doesn't do anything camp but I'm not deep enough into K lit to make extrapolations based on certain buzzwords or phrases. Referencing specific lines of aff evidence that show that the aff is the ideology you are Kritiking will go far. Aff teams should leverage their aff against the K way more imho. I understand Kritik's are multifaceted and have many ways to win on them, so both sides should explain why the parts of the Kritik debate they are winning matter if you decide to divert from my preferences.

T vs Policy Aff:

Plans should be topical. Painting a scary version of the topic that creates an unreasonable research burden for the negative is always a good strategy. Depicting a litany of affs that the 2N cannot prepare for is fine. If you make a ground argument, explain why the specific Affs, Disads, or Counterplans are necessary for your side to have a fair chance at winning rather than just saying we lose "x" ground without explanation as to why that ground is necessary in the first place.

T vs K aff:

I prefer that the affirmative read a topical plan but that is not a deal-breaker. I recognize that some Kritikal affirmatives have a great deal of value and are some of the best arguments in debate read by the best debaters but a lot of K affs are part of a phase that some debaters have where they want to be a "K debater" because it's fun, new, or more interesting. Rants aside, my preferences are just that; my preferences, I will ultimately vote for the team that does the better debating in the most technical way possible in every debate I judge no matter what argument the debaters read.

If you develop 1-3 pieces of good offense, I will be more inclined to vote aff. In general, the whole "we're a discussion of the resolution" argument is a decent counter-interpretation but the more aff takes the side of the discussion that affirms the action of the resolution, the more likely I'll vote aff. Redefining the words of resolution can be good too. I think that affirmatives that don't have the grammar of a plan but still affirm the action of the resolution like the "No is illegal" aff from the immigration topic are up for debate because it still gave some ground (but not enough) to the negative. Anything that goes in the direction of carte blanche rejection of the topic will be a harder sell.

If you are against a kritikal affirmative, I think that procedural fairness is the most tangible impact that my ballot has an effect over. I prefer if you read standards that engage or turn the aff's offense or demonstrate that their description of the world and debate is inaccurate or problematic. DO NOT argue racism, sexism, homophobia good, etc. but challenge the operationalization of the aff's theory in the debate by reading standards that challenge the scope of the claim that the 1AC forwards.

General Policy Stuff:

- Framing is a supplement, not a substitute for answering disads.

- Read arguments that justify the educational model of how we talk about impacts. Things "Learning about extinction is valuable" or "Extinction prediction education is bad"

-If you are reading a soft left, read arguments about extinction prediction models fail rather than some ethical orientation about immediate violence comes first.

-Debate in meta-level characterizations that tell the story of the debate. COMPARE arguments. Say things like link speaks to a broader event that the aff causes or the link evidence only describes a small event that the aff outweighs. OR "the aff's advantage is minuscule but the disad is huge because they conceded "x", "y", and "z" argument.

Counterplans:

Read them. There's not much to say here. Read a counterplan. Make sure it solves a sufficient part of the aff. Define what is a sufficient amount of the aff is solved by the counterplan and vice versa for the aff. Ideally point to lines in the evidence that identify these thresholds for solvency. Quantify counterplan solvency/solvency deficits by telling how big or a small counterplan solvency or the solvency deficit is. Solvency advocates for counterplans are helpful but not having one isn't a deal breaker.

Disads:

I evaluate them probabilistically and usually don't vote on arguments that are direct yes/no questions. Make arguments about the Aff/Disad having higher risk is the way to go for me. I care more about the impact debate than I used to but the link is still most important. Politics Disads are good and they teach valuable political forecasting skills that are extremely useful in the field of political science like making predictions about the political ramifications of political action in a probabilistic manner.

Theory:

The debate determines whether a counterplan is legitimate or not as well as any other theoretical question. All things equal, I default negative on condo, states, international counterplans, PICs, and process counterplans. If you are to go for theory, make arguments about why the negative promotes a model of debate that creates worse education or lower quality arguments rather than some claim about why it makes debate too hard for you. Counterplan theory aside, I'm agnostic. You don't have to have an interpretation but it would better if you did. Don't blaze through blocks. Do line by line.

LD paradigm:

- All of the policy stuff applies.

- I have little to no comprehension of "phil" or techy strategies germane to LD and I will evaluate "phil" like a Kritik. The closer you are to policy debate, the happier everyone will be with my decision.

- I think condo is good but I find condo bad to be more debatable in LD than in policy.

-My initial thoughts is that "Nebel" or "T: Whole Res" is a ridiculous argument. I think that it opens up the aff to all sorts of ridiculous PICs. However, I won't reject the argument on face but arguments about format distinctions between LD and Policy and justifications for why this interpretation pushes better solvency advocates will make this a more tenable argument when reading it in front of me.

Parli Paradigm:

-All of the policy stuff applies except for the card-specific stuff.

-Speed theory is a tougher sell, It's uncomfortable having to evaluate a debater on debater debate.

Speaker Points:

I start at a 28 and work up or down from there.

27 - Still learning

28 - Alright

28.5 to 29 - You probably can break

29.5 and above - Semis/Finals

I listen for speeches that are well organized and supported by evidence more than presentation skills. It is important that speeches clearly address the topic at hand and not be canned speeches that indirectly relate to the topic. I am not focused on time; I would rather you stop before your time is up than speak super quickly just to make more points. Similarly, I would you rather stop before you time is up then run out of pertinent things to say and ramble and repeat things. Be clear, concise and factual.

I have judged for the past 9 years so I have experience. I debate with my wife everyday as well. I am a laidback judge, but I will flow the debate. Do not run "circuit" or "tech" arguments.

For PF, I trust evidence but I NEED analysis to weigh arguments (DO NOT CARD-DUMP). Give me voter issues.

For LD and Parli, logical arguments are necessary to get my ballot. Bring up evidence, but logic is as important if not more.

When you use evidence (especially empirics), make sure to explain how the study was conducted if possible (just helps me weigh "equal" evidence)

In every debate, signpost every argument.

Spreading = Loss

Disrespect = Loss

Feel free to ask my for any clarifications on preferences prior to the round.

Overall:
1. Offense-defense, but can be persuaded by reasonability in theory debates. I don't believe in "zero risk" or "terminal defense" and don't vote on presumption.

2. Substantive questions are resolved probabilistically--only theoretical questions (e.g. is the perm severance, does the aff meet the interp) are resolved "yes/no," and will be done so with some unease, forced upon me by the logic of debate.

3. Dropped arguments are "true," but this just means the warrants for them are true. Their implication can still be contested. The exception to this is when an argument and its implication are explicitly conceded by the other team for strategic reasons (like when kicking out of a disad). Then both are "true."

Counterplans:
1. Conditionality bad is an uphill battle. I think it's good, and will be more convinced by the negative's arguments. I also don't think the number of advocacies really matters. Unless it was completely dropped, the winning 2AR on condo in front of me is one that explains why the way the negative's arguments were run together limited the ability of the aff to have offense on any sheet of paper.

2. I think of myself as aff-leaning in a lot of counterplan theory debates, but usually find myself giving the neg the counterplan anyway, generally because the aff fails to make the true arguments of why it was bad.

Disads:
1. I don't think I evaluate these differently than anyone else, really. Perhaps the one exception is that I don't believe that the affirmative needs to "win" uniqueness for a link turn to be offense. If uniqueness really shielded a link turn that much, it would also overwhelm the link. In general, I probably give more weight to the link and less weight to uniqueness.

2. On politics, I will probably ignore "intrinsicness" or "fiat solves the link" arguments, unless badly mishandled (like dropped through two speeches). Note: this doesn't apply to riders or horsetrading or other disads that assume voting aff means voting for something beyond the aff plan. Then it's winnable.

Kritiks:
1. I like kritiks, provided two things are true: 1--there is a link. 2--the thesis of the K indicts the truth of the aff. If the K relies on framework to make the aff irrelevant, I start to like it a lot less (role of the ballot = roll of the eyes). I'm similarly annoyed by aff framework arguments against the K. The K itself answers any argument for why policymaking is all that matters (provided there's a link). I feel negative teams should explain why the affirmative advantages rest upon the assumptions they critique, and that the aff should defend those assumptions.

2. I think I'm less technical than some judges in evaluating K debates. Something another judge might care about, like dropping "fiat is illusory," probably matters less to me (fiat is illusory specifically matters 0%). I also won't be as technical in evaluating theory on the perm as I would be in a counterplan debate (e.g. perm do both isn't severance just because the alt said "rejection" somewhere--the perm still includes the aff). The perm debate for me is really just the link turn debate. Generally, unless the aff impact turns the K, the link debate is everything.

3. If it's a critique of "fiat" and not the aff, read something else. If it's not clear from #1, I'm looking at the link first. Please--link work not framework. K debating is case debating.

Nontraditional affirmatives:

Versus T:

1. I'm *slightly* better for the aff now that aff teams are generally impact-turning the neg's model of debate. I almost always voted neg when they instead went for talking about their aff is important and thought their counter-interp somehow solved anything. Of course, there's now only like 3-4 schools that take me and don't read a plan. So I'm spared the debates where it's done particularly poorly.

2. A lot of things can be impacts to T, but fairness is probably best.

3. It would be nice if people read K affs with plans more, but I guess there's always LD. Honestly debating politics and util isn't that hard--bad disads are easier to criticize than fairness and truth.

Versus the K:
1. If it's a team's generic K against K teams, the aff is in pretty great shape here unless they forget to perm. I've yet to see a K aff that wasn't also a critique of cap, etc. If it's an on-point critique of the aff, then that's a beautiful thing only made beautiful because it's so rare. If the neg concedes everything the aff says and argues their methodology is better and no perms, they can probably predict how that's going to go. If the aff doesn't get a perm, there's no reason the neg would have to have a link.

Topicality versus plan affs:
1. I used to enjoy these debates. It seems like I'm voting on T less often than I used to, but I also feel like I'm seeing T debated well less often. I enjoy it when the 2NC takes T and it's well-developed and it feels like a solid option out of the block. What I enjoy less is when it isn't but the 2NR goes for it as a hail mary and the whole debate occurs in the last two speeches.

2. Teams overestimate the importance of "reasonability." Winning reasonability shifts the burden to the negative--it doesn't mean that any risk of defense on means the T sheet of paper is thrown away. It generally only changes who wins in a debate where the aff's counter-interp solves for most of the neg offense but doesn't have good offense against the neg's interp. The reasonability debate does seem slightly more important on CJR given that the neg's interp often doesn't solve for much. But the aff is still better off developing offense in the 1AR.

LD section:
1. I've been judging LD less, but I still have LD students, so my familarity with the topic will be greater than what is reflected in my judging history.

2. Everything in the policy section applies. This includes the part about substantive arguments being resolved probablistically, my dislike of relying on framework to preclude arguments, and not voting on defense or presumption. If this radically affects your ability to read the arguments you like to read, you know what to do.

3. If I haven't judged you or your debaters in a while, I think I vote on theory less often than I did say three years ago (and I might have already been on that side of the spectrum by LD standards, but I'm not sure). I've still never voted on an RVI so that hasn't changed.

4. The 1AR can skip the part of the speech where they "extend offense" and just start with the actual 1AR.

I have been coaching Parli, NFALD, and IPDA for several years, before that I competed in all three, so I've seen a lot. Mostly a flow judge.

Historical references make me happy because history provides a framework from which discussions can grow. Misuse of historical warrants makes me sad because bad faith arguments are the death of civilized society.

I definitely prefer case debate. Those who are careful about choosing their ground will find it fairly easy to win my ballot.

I sometimes vote on theory if I think that the AFF has questionable topicality, but it's always important to consider the time tradeoffs, because everyone will get confused if the whole debate is just theoretical.

I occasionally vote on a K, but only if you make it CLEAR and explain the theories plainly, for the judges AND your opponents. Respect is the key word here. I’m not a fan of abusive frameworks that are designed to box the other team out of the debate, so I'll probably look for a way to weigh case directly against the K because I believe that's the most functional way to view debate.

Evidence blocks are good because some facts work well together and this increases the efficiency of listing warrants... But canned arguments in Parli make me sad because there's an event for that and it's called LD. Having a favorite argument is not the same as having a canned argument, it's all about when and how you use it.

I basically never vote on RVIs, they're infinitely regressive and boring to hear.

This is a sport for talking; part of my job as a judge is to provide a theoretically level playing field which adheres to the rules of the event.

So... Tabula Rasa, but I'm still a debate coach doing the writing on that blank slate.

Hi all! 

I appreciate accesible language and quality over quantity when it comes to conventions and subpoints. Speak at a conversational pace and be respectful to your competitors. These things make a world of difference.

I did S&D all throughout high school, and loved it so much it inspired by career in International Relations! I hope this activity has an amazing energy for you and that you enjoy the tournament.

Cheers,

Paulina Zacharko