Debaters:

Please speak clearly and DON'T RUSH.

Organize your arguments and be sure to explain how your argument is more feasible than your opponent's.

DON'T RUSH.

Give me a good reason to vote for you by successfully proving that your opponent's argument is not practical.

Please watch your speed. If you're going too fast, it makes it harder for me to flow, so I just won't do it.

Respect your fellow debaters in general and during cross-ex.

Please don't yell.

Once again, DON'T RUSH.

Congress Paradigms:

Your speech should be thoughtful and touch on one to three key issues related to the legislation. Your time should be well balanced between all points. If you are spending significantly less time on one point than on your others, cut it. You aren't spending enough time developing it if your other points are significantly longer.

Your delivery should be slow and deliberate. It should be a conversational, extemporaneous style. If you bring a laptop up to speak from, you will be docked points. You should be communicating and speaking to the chamber and judges, not speaking at them. You cannot accomplish this if you are reading from a laptop.

You should have one to three reliable pieces of evidence per point. I don't believe you need to cite everything in your speech, but you should be able to name the source if asked/challenged.

If you are not the sponsor/author for a piece of legislation, you need to incorporate some element of clash or engagement with earlier speakers. Do not come up and give a completely pre-written speech that doesn't engage with the debate that has already been established. This isn't mini-extemp. You need to be engaged with the debate. If there have been more than 3 cycles of debate on a piece of legislation or the debate is heavily one-sided, someone in the chamber needs to motion for previous question or motion to table to allow competitors to write speeches to allow for a more even debate I shouldn't hear the same speech over and over with nothing new being presented.

What can/should PO's do to earn high ranks? A PO can earn high ranks by running an efficient and error-free chamber. One of the biggest issues I find with POs is their lack of active engagement with the chamber. It is the PO's job to keep the chamber running as quickly and efficiently as possible. If debate is getting repetitive, suggest motions. If there seems to be a confusion about procedure, don't wait for the chamber to figure it out. Suggest motions and keep the chamber moving. Have a strong knowledge/practice with your gaveling or time-signal procedures and precedence tracking. Explain them clearly and then stick to them.

I am a high school senior in my 4th year of PF.

I look for clarity of argument, always. As such, I will vote based on clarity of link into impact first, and then off of magnitude. If you can't draw me a straight line from beginning to end about your argument, then don't expect me to vote for you.

Additionally, extend for me. Anything not extended in summary and FF will not be weighed in my decision for you. No new arguments, and if it boils down to it, I will compare your constructive and rebuttal, nothing else.

The point of PF, at least in my rounds is to find a way for me to vote for you, I will always weigh a stronger defense of your case over attacking your opponents case because at the end of the day, you're showing me why your side is better, not why your opponent's side is worse.

Email: mattagaray25@gmail.com

Student Judge

Add me to any email chains and/or Google Docs please!

I'm a middle school debate coach with about 20 years experience. Right off the bat, I'm not huge on spreading. I am open to a lot of arguments. If you don't say it, I don't flow it and I weigh rounds on quality of arguments. I rarely give 30 speaker points unless it's one of the best rounds I've ever heard. I'm looking forward to judging! Good luck to all!

I am a parent judge that normally judges PF.

I do not want you to talk fast or spread, but I do want to have your cases because we are online and audio may cut out.

I also prefer you don't spend too much time on the framework debate, however I do expect a value and value criterion for both sides.

Please tell me in your last speech, in verbatim, "this is why i should win this debate." If you don't, I have no way to decide the winner and will presume your opponent the winner if they give me a reason and you don't.

Finally, please do not use complex jargon, I know you think it is good for intimidating you opponent, but in reality all it does is confuse me. Instead of saying " we outweigh on impact calculus" you can say something like "we positively affect more people than my opponent"

Email address: parim1207@gmail.com