For email chains/evidence exchange: chancey.asher@gmail.com

I am a lay parent judge. I am looking at Contentions, Rebuttals, Extend, Impact, Weighing. Also, I am looking at your links - if you are trying to link to an impact of 8 billion lives lost because whatever this debate is about will lead to global thermonuclear war and the end of humanity, I PROBABLY won't buy it.

What is your impact, and why is it greater than your opponent's impact?

I also love clean rounds. I start to lose focus when a round gets bogged down in technical disputes.

Any post-round questions can be directed to my email: kahnwiley@gmail.com

CX:

My background: the last time I debated (academically) was at the college level in parliamentary debate about ten years ago. I was very competitive, regionally, in policy debate in high school.

My general preferences/skills: I can flow fast enough to keep up with you. I will provide feedback if I can't understand you; this isn't meant to be disruptive but to ensure that I actually catch everything you're saying. I am probably not familiar with topic-specific arguments. I have worked in the legal field and politics, however, so I probably know a little more about how the justice system works than your average individual. Academically, I have a background in political theory, analytical and continental philosophy, and psychology (specifically cognitive biases). Go nuts about the K's; I get down with the social/critical theory and I'd love to learn some new stuff (explained well) from y'all. Procedurals are cool, too. I'll totally pull the trigger on some cheap shot independent voter if it is extended through the debate and articulated well in the rebuttals.

Oh, I also tend to like wacky arguments. Not bad arguments. But I loved going for arguments like de-dev and wipeout when I was debating. Don't take that as carte blanche to go completely off the rails, but it's nice to have a little levity in this event, and not hear the same generic econ or politics disad in every single round.

I'm willing to disclose my decision as long as it conforms to the rules of the tournament and I'm willing to provide extended verbal feedback to competitors if so desired, whether immediately following the round or later on. Some judges don't like this, but I would prefer you ask me questions before the round: "how do you like this type of argument," "what's your threshhold for voting on a procedural," etc. This is more as a favor to you because I can't possibly cover every contingency in this paradigm.

Open CX is fine (as long as it conforms to the rules of the tournament).

I'm tabula rasa but I will default policymaker in the absence of framework analysis.

Impact analysis/comparison is clutch. Timeframe, probability, magnitude, yo!

On speeding through analytics/procedurals: in debates where the teams are speeding through a lot of analytical arguments, I find it helpful to get a little pen (keyboard?) time to both flow and comprehend these arguments. If it just one one-sentence argument after another, I sometimes have difficulty adjusting to the sheer volume of arguments being made. I may flow them all but I do not think I will be able to do adequate analysis of these arguments if you do not provide sufficient explanation of each point. For instance, if you want me to flow your procedural voters, just rattling off that something "is a voter for fairness, education and ground" might be detrimental, if there aren't individual explanations as to why fairness is a voter, education is a voter, ground is a voter. Obviously if time is tight in the 1AR you will have to make a strategic choice how to allocate your time, but I don't think it will be beneficial to you if the coverage is superficial and the import on an individual argument is lost in the shuffle.

Addendum about K affs: I have noticed quite the disparity between the circuit-style "K Affs" (usually performative) that have proliferated, vs. the traditional style of policy debate that is still practiced at the other 95% of tournaments. I am okay with kritiks and critical literature, but I have very little tolerance for these cases that are essentially being formatted in this manner for strategic (rather than ethical or educational) purposes. Do not expect me to clap my hands with glee because you read a poem during the 1AC, had a moment of silence, didn't read a plan, etc. I think it's squirrelly and exclusionary. I understand the strategy: it does really limit the options the neg has. But that also means that I, as the judge, have to hear a bunch of rounds where the 1AC is performative, and the neg runs T. Does this mean you shouldn't run a K aff? Not necessarily. . . But it will probably elicit a deep sigh from me the moment you read a poem instead of a plan. I will definitely be leaning neg on presumption when their strategic options are reduced in this (or any similar) manner.

On speaker points: I attempt to assign points according to a rough bell curve distribution between 25-30 (or whatever the range is for your tournament). If you understand how statistical distributions work, you know this means you will not get a thirty from me. If you receive anything above 29, you should feel very good about your performance.

Also. . . have fun?

LD:

I competed in LD briefly in high school. My primary background is in policy debate, so I'll be flowing. Obviously, speed is fine, but make sure the other judges are cool with it, too.

Questions? Feel free to ask before the round.

Be excellent to each other.

PF:

I did this the first year they tried it out as "Ted Turner Debate" (sigh). It's definitely improved since then. I'm a policy judge so don't worry about going over my head. PF is very much about style and presentation, so I'm going to be placing a lot more emphasis on speaking skills, tone, nonverbals, etc. I view it as kind of a speech/debate hybrid: less analytical than policy but slightly deeper than StuCo. Not to undermine the value of argumentation (you will probably lose if your arguments suck), but I find that these PF topics are often politically loaded so as to be heavily biased toward one side or the other. I usually am aware of this and will not vote against you simply because you got stuck arguing for something that I absolutely morally abhor. Jokes are good. Politeness is good. Actually knowing what you're talking about is best. Above all, have fun!

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have before the round starts.

WSD:

I judged this for the first time at nats in 2021 and rather enjoyed it. My related background: I competed in policy, LD, PF, extemp, humor and student congress in high school; in college, I was a member of the student government and competed in parliamentary debate (not British Parliamentary, which is the norm now, and much closer in format to WSD). At this point I have judged a far greater number of rounds than those in which I ever competed.

I will be "flowing" your arguments in a loose way but I will pay a lot of attention to delivery and presentation; I care less about a neat flow than getting a cohesive "story" from both sides. Answering arguments is important, but providing a solid case and returning to that original structure throughout your speeches is going to make your team look stronger overall.

Parli:

I debated in parli briefly in college. My paradigm for parli is roughly the same as my CX paradigm except you won't be reading cards to support your positions. Badgering your opponents with POI's is kinda a jerk move, but IMO, POI usage is a big part of the strategy of this event; honestly, it will reflect more poorly on the team being badgered if they do nothing to shut it down and allow their time to be monopolized by incessant interruptions from a more dominant team.

Background: I am a 4 year former high school debater competing in the West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and National circuits. I am a strong proponent of a student run round (keeping track of your speech time, prep time etc.) (Please, unless you are the one speaking do not use a timer that is going to create any sound at the end of time.) That being said, the judge is the arbiter of the round. While I encourage discussion and asking questions, please be respectful to both the judges and your competitors. If I am alone judging, I will make the final decision about an given issue, and if I am on a panel of judges, I will yield to their opinions unless my input is needed. During my debate experience I found that nothing bothers me more than disrespectful, condescending, and rude debaters. Now as a judge, being one of the aforementioned competitors is a guaranteed way to lose points and/or the round.

Public Forum:

1. Speed- When it comes to speaking in Public Forum, I have no preference as to how fast you speak. As long as you are coherent, you can speak at whatever speed you'd like. Spreading does not bother me, though I do often find that spreading overall weakens the points you are trying to cover.

2. Argumentation- When it comes to argumentation in public forum, I like when competitors weigh impacts or their contentions. A well developed contention is great, but if I don't understand how it impacts the world I live in, it doesn't hold a lot of weight. I prefer empirical arguments rather than theoretical and hypothetical, though if both teams decide to argue this way, I will not object. I think the stronger side is not only the one that extends their case, but who also refutes their opponents case and their arguments in response to their case. I think the best use of the summary speech is to respond to the opponents rebuttal, and save the key issues and weighing for the final focus. I will vote solely on what you tell me to, but if I am not presented with issues to vote on, my decision will ultimately come down to who wins more individual points.

3. Evidence- Paraphrasing in PF is okay, but you must provide the source. If you don't cite your source, the evidence will only be upheld if the other team doesn't clash or provide different evidence. All evidence has to be accessible to your opponents (and to me should I call for evidence after the round). Give evidence in an efficient manner. I won't start your prep time on reading evidence until your opponents hand it to you and you start reading and I'll stop your prep when you stop reading. I usually won't call for evidence after the round, but if the context or validity of a source are important to the debate, that evidence should be readily available for me to see after the round has concluded. If your evidence is called for, and you cannot provide it, any arguments that are based on or supported by the evidence will be automatically dropped.

4. Format- Please do signpost(roadmap) before any extemporaneous speeches so I know exactly what I will be listening to. You may do this offtime, so that the time of your speech can focus on content. You may time yourselves, but I will stop flowing once your time is exhausted.

Crossfire- I don't flow cross, but I will listen. If something important is said, be sure to bring it up in a later speech.

If you have any other questions about judging preferences, please ask me before the round starts.

michaeldepasquale21@gmail.com

Public Forum

Short version: collapse onto one contention in summary, weigh weigh weigh, extra speaker point for each team if you start an email chain before each round and send evidence that way. Include me on the email chain.

I did policy debate for 3 years and now am coaching public forum. With that being said, i am okay with some spreading but i need to be able to understand what your saying. Ill vote on anything, however, if your going to go for something it needs to be rebutted throughout the entire speech. You should try and write my ballot for me at the end of the round by giving me 2-3 of your best arguments and going for them. If I look confused its because I am confused, so try to not do that. I pay attention to cross x, but i dont flow it. If I feel like theres an important point being made ill for sure write it down. Cross x is the most entertaining part of the debate, so make it entertaining. Be confident but don't be rude, theres a big big difference. I prefer that you have more offensive (your flow) than defensive arguments (your opponents flow) but you need to have both in order to win the round.

If you have any specific questions let me know and Ill be sure to answer them before the round.

Policy

Like i mentioned in my PF paradigm, i did policy debate for 3 years and am now coaching Public Forum. I am good with anything you do. That being said, I don't know a lot about this topic. I'm cool with speed, but you have to be clear. Bottom line, ill vote for anything, as long as you give me a clear reason to vote for you at the end of the round. I consider a dropped argument a true argument.

Im not okay with shadow extending. If something gets conceded, you need to explain to me the argument, and why its important to the round. If your going to do an email chain, which id prefer, id like to be on that. My email is at the top of the paradigm.

Topicality: love T debates, i need a clear limits story. I am more willing to vote for you if theres in round abuse, but you do not have to prove an abuse story to win.

Ks: I will listen to them, but i am not great with Ks. I am not up to speed with all the k jargon. I need a clear link and alt. If you can prove at the end of the round why you won, and i think its convincing, ill vote for you. I recommend slowing down in the 2nr, especially if your going for the K.

Das: I do not buy generic links. If your going to read a politics da, you need to give me case specific links. Ill also be more than likely to vote for you if you can provide me with good and comparative impact calc.

Case Negs: I love case specific debates. Ill vote on presumption, and honestly any type of solvency takeout. I give analytical case arguments, especially if they are good, a lot of weight. Love impact turns.

Affirmative: I tend to swing aff when it comes debating against ptix disads with a bad link story. Same goes for cp solvency, and k links.

If you have any specific questions let me know and Ill be sure to answer them before the round.

I graduated in 2021 from Pine Richland and did Public Forum all 4 years of High School.

PF: While I understand that public forum is getting more technical, I tend to prefer a more traditional style of debate. Generally I will look at arguments and your response to them as a whole and am a solid believer that you do not need to refute every single piece of evidence presented as long as you adequately deal with the larger point. This is not policy. I am fine with debate language, but please make sure it's actually backed up by substance.

Crossfires are important. I will pay attention to them. That said if a key point comes up, please be sure to carry it through your speeches. I like voters in summary and final focus. Carry through your framework if it is important to weighing or a relevant point of contention.

Please don't spread, it will be reflected in your speaker points. Generally, the average debate speaking pace is alright. Keep in mind if you speak too quickly and I don't catch your point I can't weigh it. Please time yourselves (I will keep official time) and be mindful of going over. You can always finish your thought, but after that I will stop taking notes.

LD: As far as Lincoln Douglas goes my preferences are pretty much the same as they are for PF. Make sure to carry through any framework, your value and value criterion throughout the round.

I really enjoyed my time in PF and want everyone else to have the same positive experience. Please be respectful, have fun, and try your best.

I am a traditional lay judge who is new to judging. I'm very lay, meaning you should explain your arguments thoroughly while also being clear and concise. I will be voting off of whichever side leaves me with the strongest argument by the end of the round, defends their case while putting strong and extended responses on their opponent's case, and proves to me why their impacts outweigh that of their opponents.

My name is Alyssa Kirby, and I debated PF for four years on the Sequoyah Speech and Debate Team. Nothing crazy as far as prefs go; I would say I'm a fairly technical judge. When it comes to the individual speeches, I don't have much preference (speed is fine, just make sure you speak LOUDLY and CLEARLY). Do try to have good sign posting because that helps me in judging. I'll be writing a lot so repetition and reiteration is much appreciated. If you don't say your framework in your first speech and your opponents bring one up that you don't like, please try and address it in first cross. Make sure you keep things civil in crossfire. A lot of your speaker points are going to come from that, so if you're rude/don't let other people talk/don't have any questions, I'll dock points. Humor is appreciated and encouraged but disrespect is NOT. I may give you higher points if you make a good (or not so good) pun. **Does not apply for online debates—Be sure to face me during crossfire and stand except for in grand. You aren't debating to get your opponents to vote for you, you're trying to win your judge over. Face me durning speeches.** I may look up from time to time, and some eye contact is always appreciated. Make sure you do a lot of weighing! You should never leave it up to your judge to decide what the most important argument is. Tell me what I should care about and why. It's really easy for me to vote for you if you emphasize weighing impacts in your last two speeches and quantify. Additionally, if you want me to flow your argument, include it in both summary and final focus. If you don't, I will not consider it while voting. I'm not super familiar with progressive debate, so please refrain because you probably won’t win off of it. Please keep your own time. It's also probably a good idea for you to keep your opponents' times as well. If your time ends during a speech, you can definitely finish your sentence, and I won't take off points as long as you're not abusing your time. Same goes for cross if you are asked a question as the timer goes off; just answer quickly.

If you have questions about my decisions don't hesitate to email me: alyssa.kirby.2291@gmail.com

Traditional. Prefer a deliberate to moderate speed and less jargon.

Please try your best to make your points clear, crisp, and concise in supporting your argument or rebutting your opponents argument.

PF is not a style contest, yet clarity still is vital to support or rebut the arguments.

Hi, I'm a parent judge with a high schooler who has done debate for a couple of years. I have judged a bit before, but do not know all the ins and outs of debate rules. Don't run theory or use jargon because I won't understand it.

Things that will be important to win a round when I am judging:

Speak clearly so I can understand you. This is the most important thing because if I can't hear you, I won't be able to give you points for your arguments. Try to make eye contact with me, especially on virtual tournaments.

Truth>tech for me. If the logic of the argument is very far-fetched, it will not win.

Intro/Affiliations

Email: zachlim804@gmail.com

- Former student at New Trier HS (2015-2019) and the University of Pittsburgh (2019-2022).

- Experience: 6 years as a policy debater, no TOC bids, & NDT doubles (NDT '21) in college. I have been coaching for 2 years and judging for 4 years, albeit the past year and a half has been PF heavy.

**PF Stuff at the bottom

Online Debate

Cameras on preferably, slow down, and I don't know why this happens but wait until you know 100% that I am present before you give an order or start your speech. A black screen with my name means I am not there/ready unless I say otherwise.

Important/Relevant Thoughts

- For this specific topic, I am not familiar with the trends and arguments being made on the circuit, specifically the subsets, but I am knowledgeable on NATO as an organization from a previous college topic.

- My experience is policy-heavy, but in college, I strayed away from strict policy debating to more critical debating on both sides, mostly reading iterations of racial security and racial capitalism kritiks and critical affs with a plan. I am most comfortable adjudicating DA v. case, CP/DA v. case, and K v. case; it ultimately isn't my choice what I hear, but point is I think I've seen, heard, and debated a wide variety of arguments that will help aid in judging so do what you know best.

- I find debate enjoyable and I truly appreciated judges who gave a full effort in paying attention and offering an understandable RFD so I will attempt to emulate that in every round that I judge. With that, the best thing you can do for yourself is, up to you how you go about this, to orient your debating around "making my job easy". Whether you lean critical or policy, be more reliant on explanation and spin rather than being solely reliant on what your evidence says. Show me the big picture and within that picture, point out any fine details that are important for me to evaluate. Be explicit, get straight to the point, and avoid unnecessary speak/fillers. Judge instruction is key.

- A judge is never going to be unbiased when listening to different types of arguments. However, pre-conceptions are malleable and good debating (lbl, explanation, etc.) can supersede argument bias, but given my varying degrees of knowledge/expertise in different arguments, adaptation will matter in how "good debating" is performed in round.

- Continuity in argumentation and explanation will be scrutinized. Having been on both sides as a 2N and 2A, I believe many final rebuttals get away with a lot of new spin/explanation, so as I have throughout judging debates, I will hold a higher standard for extensions and such.

- Absolutely do not read morally reprehensible arguments such as death good, racism good, homophobia good, etc. There is no room for that in debates, and it is not courteous to your judge or opponents. You will be dropped and receive a zero.

- The link below will take you to a doc that I wrote many years ago, containing specific thoughts I have about specific types of arguments. I honestly do not think it's as relevant as it was when I was a first year out, but if you aren't familiar with what I think of certain arguments, then feel free to check it out to gain some more clarity. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d5pO-KRsf90F5Y-9Hfc1RlzRxsu21KCSxV9aVZFcRH0/edit?usp=sharing

- Don't hesitate to ask me any questions about my college debate experience as well as my time at Pitt. Feel free to email me or ask after the round!

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

Public Forum

I am a flow-centric judge on the condition your arguments are backed with evidence and are logical. My background is in policy debate, but regardless of style, and especially important in PF, I think it's necessary to craft a broad story that connects what the issue is, what your solution is, and why you think you should win the debate.

I like evidence qualification comparisons and "if this, then that" statements when tied together with logical assumptions that can be made. Demonstrating ethos, confidence, and good command of your and your opponent's arguments is also very important in getting my ballot.

I will like listening to you more if you read smart, innovative arguments. Don't be rude, cocky, and/or overly aggressive especially if your debating and arguments can't back up that "talk". Not a good look.

Give an order before your speech

Hello!

I am the Speech and Debate Coach at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie, PA. I've been coaching and involved with speech and debate since 2017, and primarily work with my school's debaters. I enjoy judging Public Forum due to it's clear and pragmatic discussions.

When judging, I, above all, desire to hear clearly delivered speeches. Without clarity, it is difficult to give consideration to your position and evidence. Also, I listen closely for a well-organized speech that clearly states contentions, evidence, and impacts.

I approach PF as the event was originally intended. As judge, I am basing my decision on who was most convincing in their argument. I am a regular guy pulled off the street, so you must clearly explain things and convince me!

Finally, debaters must remain courteous and civil in debates. Rudeness will be penalized!

I look forward to judging your team!

Public Forum -

I am a traditional flow judge and former extemper and public forum debater who prefers clear analysis, well-cited arguments and clearly outlined voting issues in summary and final focus.

I look extremely unfavorably upon theory arguments in public forum. I believe they undermine the educational value of the activity and are one of the core reasons why policy debate has little value as an educational activity, in my opinion. I still vote off the flow, but import the worst aspects of policy debate into public forum at your own risk. I have never heard a theory shell run in round that didn't make me feel like I had lost an hour of my life that I will never get back - but hey, there's a first time for everything, I suppose.

I try and balance my final decision between who had persuaded me more of their position overall and who won the key arguments of the round. I find that the winning team almost always is stronger in both regards, but if it is close I typically award the win to the team who has persuaded me more of their position overall.

Along those lines, I don't score the rounds based on a strict win-loss basis for each contention. For example, if the affirmative had the better argument on several contentions, but negative had the stronger argument on the main contention at issue in the round, I typically would award the win to negation.

Teams that clearly outline their reasons for decision/voting issues in the third and fourth speeches tend to do better than those that do not. I like it when teams clearly tell me what issues they believe defined the round and why I should vote for them.

I will not hold the speed of your delivery against you, but spread at your own risk. I can only judge based on the arguments I hear. I prefer a more conversational style but am fine with some faster reading - but if I miss points because you read too fast, that's on you.

I am here to listen to the best arguments you've brought to defend your side. I tend not to rate highly teams that get lost in PF-jargon or who try and score technical points in lieu of making a strong argument.

If you are asked to provide a source and you are unable to provide it, I follow PHSSL rules and consider that an automatic loss. Providing analytical and empirical evidence is always necessary. Citing sources is essential for you to formulate your argument, for your opponents to accept the statistics you provide, and to give me the judge a basis to judge the data both teams are using to convince me their argument is superior. Technology or wifi issues are not an excuse - you should be prepared and have downloaded your case and cards so they're accessible offline before the tournament - as we all know, wifi can be spotty at debate tournaments.

My background: I am a public forum coach. I have judged more public forum rounds than any other event combined over the last three school years. I have an educational background in international affairs and a professional background in public policy and education. I do my best to not allow my prior knowledge to influence my decision-making and strive to decide every round by the arguments brought to bear within the four walls of competition room.

Lincoln Douglas Debate -

I generally prefer a more conversational style. If I miss something because you're talking fast, that's on you.

I evaluate the importance of your value and value criterion depending on how its used in the round. Several times, I've found that the winner of the framework debate isn't necessarily the winner of the round.

I strongly prefer when students give explicit voting issues at the end of the round. Tell me how you want me to evaluate the round, and if you don't I'll evaluate it as I see it.

I don't love jargon but cross-apply, extend, turn, etc are fine

I generally decide the winner based on who won the key argument of the round

Evidence is great. I strongly prefer it, but if you have a strong logical argument a lack of evidence won't hurt you.

I'm a flow judge, and I prefer traditional debate and am not a fan of K or theory.

Policy -

No spreading. It's poor communication and a sign of an inability to deliver your argument competently, concisely and persuasively. Is it standard in policy? Yes. Do I care? No.

No K's or identity arguments. I love substantive debate - it's why we're here, right? To debate policy?

Limit theory only to topicality. Need to have proper warrants, links, and impacts. Proper use of impacts is essential to policy formation.

Hi, my name is Stefani and I am parent judge. During my work life I am a CEO which means I give speeches, engage in debate, and value clearly defined, well articulated arguments. You will lose me with spreading — I want to understand your points and be able to follow them.

Please address your opponents’ contentions and make logical connections between your points. I don’t like a wash — I love a good clash.

I am looking forward to judging you…. speak clearly and have fun.

* Quality of argumentation

* I don't like people getting angry, personal, or condescending during debate

Hi, I am a parent. I have judged speech & debate tournaments for the last 3 years with a heavy focus on PF, Parli and Lincoln Douglas debates, but I am not a debater.

PF/PA:

Voting:

I will vote off what you say not how you say it. Please have credible arguments with tangible explanations, essentially, follow common sense. To me, arguments need to be coherent, organized and well articulated. Vague generalities and sweeping generalizations are signs of sloppy thinking.

Off-Time Road Maps:

I am okay with off time road maps, but if you give one, please follow through in the speech.

Speed:

Please speak slowly, clearly, and loudly, if I cannot understand what you're saying, you did not say it.

Timing:

I will keep my own time and will raise a fist in the air to indicate that your speech time is up. I will not flow anything said over time.

Crossfire (PF only):

BE RESPECTFUL IN CROSS FIRE! While I will not vote off of cross-fire I will listen to what you and your opponents say and give feedback based on that.

Evidence:

If you are calling for evidence/cards in PF the card should be readily available for me to review as well should I ask at any point in the round. Prep time should be taken when a card is being read by a team and not while the card is being opened by the other.

Speech

Judged relatively less rounds compared to debates, but love the spontaneity that speech brings !

written by Lara Scherer (he boldened everything he thinks is important)

My dad is a lay judge and not fully versed in the topic. Make sure you are using no jargon. Don't tell him you win because of a prereq weigh, tell him why your impacts are more important and logically sound. If the argument is logically reasoned and clearly extending and signposting throughout Summary and FF, he will be able to follow the flow of the round easily and make a decision based on your debating, not based on jargon he can't understand. He also will call for evidence if he thinks it's necessary, so make sure you are adding him to email chains and anything regarding evidence disputes.

Don't spread and make sure you are speaking clearly and coherently. Speak slowly, he should know what you're saying.

Make sure you time yourselves.

Good Luck Debating!!!

I am a traditional judge. Please time yourself, speak clearly, don't spread, and be respectful. If the opponents are violating rules, it is your job to point that out. Have fun, and good luck.