Sam Allen (he/him)
Randolph-Macon College

I am an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies at Randolph-Macon College, where I am also the Director of the Franklin Debating Society. I have been involved with high school and collegiate speech and debate as a participant, coach, and director for the past two decades. My background is primarily in policy debate. I continue to have a pretty good flow and attempt to limit my decision making to the arguments I have heard students make in the debate as they have made them. I do not have have many argumentative proclivities at this point other than a strong desire to hear reasoned claims being supported by evidence and weighed by the students debating. I have not been actively involved in judging or coaching this LD topic this year, so please take care to explain your argument to me as if I am intelligent, but uninformed. I appreciate the opportunity to be with you all for these debates and look forward to judging these rounds. Questions? Please ask!

I debated policy throughout high school. I'd like to consider myself tab and I want you to run whatever you want.

Don't be rude and good luck!

Email: saraastatke24@gmail.com

she/her

please add jfrese016@gmail.com to the email chain

I am a coach at Washburn Highschool where I have been working since 2021.

I debater for a total of 6 years before I decided to stop debating. 4 were in high school at Glenbrook South and 2 at the University of Minnesota. I have qualified for the TOC once and the NDT twice

updated for Blake

TLDR

I don't really have much to say in this paradigm I have previously had long paradigms that explained my view of each argument, but, I dont think that provided anything useful because the way you debate is a stylistic choice and I don't think judges should have a preference on what styles they vote for. It is my job as a judge to evaluate the flow and vote for which ever team I think wins the round. I will vote for any argument (excluding arguments that make the debate space harmful as I won't ignore my role is as an educator).

Ks--i really like these they are useful education that should be discussed in the debate space. I will vote on framework because I think the debate about framework is a useful conversation to have (how should our engagement with debate operate is a useful question and one that I really like).

Policy--this is the style i debated. i really like these I don't know if there is much more to say. I mean DAs, Ts, CPs, Turns, all are good.

Condo--I think that condo is fine but Ill vote for condo bad even against 1 condo if you win it.

If u want to read my full views of debate they are here

My experience is one mainly as debating policy, however, my more recent experience coaching have left me more focused on critical arguments, mainly the cap k and set col while also adding in a role as an educator inside of the space. I don't think that it should be up to the judges to determine the stylistic decisions they vote on it should be the argumentation. That said I won't vote for arguments that make the debate space harmful.

Kritiks

I typically think of kritiks as coming in a couple forms. One that focuses a criticism on the framework of debate or one that focuses more on an alternative. These are both very strong and I understand the strategic choice of keeping routes open, but, by the end of the debate I think that having the time to spend constructing a specific route is more sucessful than trying to keep all options open. It is much more persuasive if all the arguments you chose to go for use a similar foundation. This is extremely useful because if you spent so much time winning framework it will make certain case arguments, certain links better.

If you are debating against a kritik what helped me was trying to identify the route the neg's k takes and having a plan for each of these avenues. I think it really depends on the aff, but there are a few strategies against Ks. By strategies I mean what is the focus of the 2ar win on, because you should still have everything covered as much as it needs to.

-Perm, no-link--it is important to have a net benefit to the perm which can be alt fails, cede the ptx, the advantage, ect.

-Framework, extinction outweighs, alt fails--it is important to think through the implication of you winning framework. There are some Ks where they will just lose while other Ks have strong alts and impacts.

CPs

I am a fan of CPs. I don’t really have any leaning way I believe. I think theory typically isn’t the best strategy not because I won’t vote on it but unless the CP is really cheating then it typically is just easier for the neg to defend theory.

This is where I spent a lot of my time in debate doing coming up with cps.

DAs

I love DAs. The bad ones the good ones whatever da you want. I feel like this isn’t controversial.

T

I am a very good judge for T if you are ready on the tech level. I will peetty easially pull the trigger on less viable T violations if you are just ahead. I really like the focus being put on the implications of how debate would work.

This is also where I spent most of my time debating

Claudia Friedrich (she/her/hers)

General Thoughts:

I debated policy for 4 years in high school (last topic debated was criminal justice reform)

Please remember to be respectful of each other. I appreciate a good clash while debating but understand the boundaries.

Please add me to any email chain you create: claudiaf5860@gmail.com

I'm fine with speed as long as you emphasize the tags and maintain clarity, especially online.

Framework - I will definitely frame the debate on a team's suggested framework if argued properly. It also becomes much more compelling to me when the team successfully engages with the other's teams arguments on framework and appropriately cross-applies their own framework against the opposing teams.

Case - Don't underestimate the power of case; I find that a good case neg strategy can be very compelling.

DA/CP - Please make the link chain clear throughout the debate. I will absolutely vote on a sufficient DA or DA/CP strategy

Critique - I very much enjoy a good critique debate and am willing to hear these positions on both sides. Critiques are most persuasive when they interact explicitly with the 1AC/2AC. For example, I like specific 2NC link analysis (doesn’t necessarily need to be carded) that points to arguments being made in the 1AC/2AC, and I like 2NC attempts to gain in roads to the case by suggesting the alternative is a necessary precondition to case solvency.

A general note: given that I'm trying to evaluate your arguments as though I'm hearing them for the first time, please operate under the assumption that I'm completely unfamiliar with the literature you're reading.

Topicality - If neither team articulates a framework within which I can vote, then I’ll default to competing interpretations, but I’d much rather not have to default to anything. Assuming I’m voting in a competing interpretations framework, I think of standards as external impacts to a vote for a given team’s interpretation. That means comparative impact calculus has a huge place in a 2NR that’s going for T. Explain to me what debate looks like if I vote for your interpretation and why that model should be preferred to one that would allow for cases like the affirmative.

Theory - Like framework, the biggest thing on theory is the team's ability to engage with the other's arguments as opposed to reiterating their own arguments over and over so keep in mind that effective theory debates require real engagement for me. An independent win on theory means that you prove that a given violation merits the rejection of the team and not just the argument.

Overall, have fun and be passionate in your debating!

Current coach at Kent Denver School, University of Kentucky, and Rutgers University-Newark. Previous competitor in NSDA CX/Policy, NDT/CEDA, and NPTE/NPDA. Experience with British Parliamentary and Worlds Schools/Asian Parliamentary.

> Please include me on email chains - nategraziano@gmail.com <

TL;DR - I like judge instruction. I'll vote for or against K 1ACs based on Framework. Clash of Civilization debates are the majority of rounds I watch. I vote frequently on dropped technical arguments, and will think more favorably of you if you play to your outs. The ballot is yours, your speaker points are mine. Your speech overview should be my RFD. Tell me what is important, why you win that, and why winning it means you get the ballot.

Note to coaches and debaters - I give my RFDs in list order on how I end up deciding the round, in chronological order of how I resolved them. Because of this I also upload my RFD word for word with the online ballot. I keep a pretty good record of rounds I've judged so if anyone has any questions about any decision I've made on Tabroom please feel free to reach out at my email above.

1. Tech > Truth

The game of debate is lost if I intervene and weigh what I know to be "True." The ability to spin positions and make answers that fit within your side of the debate depend on a critic being objective to the content. That being said, arguments that are based in truth are typically more persuasive in the long run.

I'm very vigilant about intervening and will not make "logical conclusions" on arguments if you don't do the work to make them so. If you believe that the negative has the right to a "judge kick" if you're losing the counterplan and instead vote on the status quo in the 2NR, you need to make that explicitly clear in your speech.

More and more I've made decisions on evidence quality and the spin behind it. I like to reward knowledgeable debaters for doing research and in the event of a disputable, clashing claim I tend to default to card quality and spin.

I follow along in the speech doc when evidence is being read and make my own marks on what evidence and highlighting was read in the round.

2. Theory/Topicality/Framework

Most rounds I judge involve Framework. While I do like these debates please ensure they're clashing and not primarily block reading. If there are multiple theoretical frameworks (ex. RotB, RotJ, FW Interp) please tell me how to sort through them and if they interact. I tend to default to policy-making and evaluating consequences unless instructed otherwise.

For theory violations - I usually need more than "they did this thing and it was bad; that's a voter" for me to sign my ballot, unless it was cold conceded. If you're going for it in the 2NR/2AR, I'd say a good rule of thumb for "adequate time spent" is around 2:00, but I would almost prefer it be the whole 5:00.

In the event that both teams have multiple theoretical arguments and refuse to clash with each other, I try to resolve as much of the framework as I can on both sides. (Example - "The judge should be an anti-ethical decision maker" and "the affirmative should have to defend a topical plan" are not inherently contradicting claims until proven otherwise.)

Winning framework is not the same as winning the debate. It's possible for one team to win framework and the other to win in it.

Procedural Fairness can be both an impact and an internal link. I believe it's important to make debate as accessible of a place as possible, which means fairness can be both a justification as well as a result of good debate practices.

3. Debate is Story Telling

I'm fond of good overviews. Round vision, and understanding how to write a singular winning ballot at the end of the debate, is something I reward both on the flow and in your speaker points. To some extent, telling any argument as a chain of events with a result is the same process that we use when telling stories. Being able to implicate your argument as a clash of stories can be helpful for everyone involved.

I do not want to feel like I have to intervene to make a good decision. I will not vote on an argument that was not said or implied by one of the debaters in round. I feel best about the rounds where the overview was similar to my RFD.

4. Critical Arguments

I am familiar with most critical literature and it's history in debate. I also do a lot of topic specific research and love politics debates. Regardless of what it is, I prefer if arguments are specific, strategic, and well executed. Do not be afraid of pulling out your "off-the-wall" positions - I'll listen and vote on just about anything.

As a critic and someone who enjoys the activity, I would like to see your best strategy that you've prepared based on your opponent and their argument, rather than what you think I would like. Make the correct decision about what to read based on your opponent's weaknesses and your strengths.

I've voted for, against, and judged many debates that include narration, personal experience, and autobiographical accounts.

If you have specific questions or concerns don't hesitate to email me or ask questions prior to the beginning of the round - that includes judges, coaches, and competitors. 

5. Speaker Points

I believe that the ballot is yours, but your speaker points are mine. If you won the arguments required to win the debate round, you will always receive the ballot from me regardless of my personal opinion on execution or quality. Speaker points are a way for judges to reward good speaking and argumentation, and dissuade poor practice and technique. Here are some things that I tend to reward debaters for:

- Debate Sense. When you show you understand the central points in the debate. Phrases like "they completely dropped this page" only to respond to line by line for 3 minutes annoy me. If you're behind and think you're going to lose, your speaker points will be higher if you acknowledge what you're behind on and execute your "shot" at winning.

- Clarity and organization. Numbered flows, references to authors or tags on cards, and word economy are valued highly. I also like it when you know the internals and warrants of your arguments/evidence.

- Judge instruction. I know it sounds redundant at this point, but you can quite literally just look at me and say "Nate, I know we're behind but you're about to vote on this link turn."

I will disclose speaker points after the round if you ask me. The highest speaker points I've ever given out is a 29.7. A 28.5 is my standard for a serviceable speech, while a 27.5 is the bare minimum needed to continue the debate. My average for the last 3 seasons was around a 28.8-28.9.

Hi, my name is Lyd (they/them)

My email is: ljhaindfield@gmail.com

I'm currently in law school. I debated 4 years HS PF, 3 years college CX and CARD debate. I've judged and coached various speech and debate events.

To me, debate is an event to have fun and to learn, but must first be safe and accessible.

You do you, and I'll judge accordingly.

Something you should know: I do have an auditory processing disorder - if you plan to spread, share the speech doc, or slow down a bit :)

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Caelen Hilty (he/him/his)

caelenhilty@gmail.com -- please put me on the email chain

I debated policy in high school for four years, ending with the CJR topic. I'm currently an assistant coach for George Washington High School.

General Thoughts – I try to be as tab as possible, I want you to have whatever kind of round you want to have. I'll of course do my best to evaluate the round as neutrally as possible, but here's some of my thoughts on specific arguments:

Case Debate – I find thoughtful on-case strategies very persuasive.

DA/CPs – I’ll vote on anything, but specificity to the aff tends to make a DA/CP more persuasive.

Critiques – I like the K as an argument, but please assume I don't know your literature at all--even if I do have some familiarity with your authors, I will try to evaluate their arguments purely based on your in-round explanation. In general, I think K's are most persuasive when they interact with the content of the 1AC/2AC as specifically as possible. Please structure your speeches however you want, but give me a heads up if your speech has a huge overview.

K Affs/Nontraditional Debate –Go for it. These kinds of debates are usually more enjoyable to adjudicate (and, I think, debate) when debaters articulate how I ought to compare impacts/evaluate the round in general and the line-by-line stays as clean as possible.

Topicality – As with any argument, explain to me how to evaluate arguments on the flow. Absent that explanation, I default to competing interpretations, where I'll weigh standards as impacts to a vote for an interpretation/model of debate. In any case, you should probably be clearly articulating what your model of debate looks like and how I should compare impacts.

Theory –I probably default to rejecting the argument for most theoretical objections, but I'm always open to hearing substantive justifications for why I should reject the team. Clean, clear line-by-line and direct clash is extra important for this part of debate to be meaningful and enjoyable.

Speed – As long as you’re clear, I’m fine with speed. Please be mindful that clarity suffers online.

Speaker Points – 28.5 is average. I will reward clean, clear, and strategic debating.

If you have any specific questions, please ask. Feel free to email me after round with questions.

Brenden Lucas

He/Him

Senior @ MoState

Yes email chain: brendentlucas@gmail.com

This is by no means comprehensive, it's just a few highlights to look at when the pairings get blasted.

I did 4 years of CX at Raymore-Peculiar High School, and now do NDT-CEDA at Missouri State

2X NDT Qualifier

My preference is fast, technical policy throwdowns. But, don't let that sway you from doing what you prefer. Do you and I'll adjudicate it.

If you need to use the restroom or step out of the room you don't have to ask.

Disclaimer for HS Topic: I'm not as active in high school coaching as I was last season, I don't really research or think about the topic all that much so watch your use of jargon.

CPs & DAs

I'm a big fan of CP disad debate, most of my HS 2NRs were CP disad.

The way I evaluate a disad doesn't deviate from the norm. Have all four parts and do impact weighing.

Turns case args are very nice

I'm down with most counter plans, especially agent and process. However, "cheating" counterplans like delay will not jive with me so keep that in mind.

I default to judge kick

T

Competiting interps is better than reasonability

Plan text in a vacuum is cool for me

Theory

Deep in my heart, I think condo is good. But, I'm open for a good condo debate. Tbh I prefer affs that limit the neg to 1 or none as opposed to like 1 and dispo or infinite dispo.

Most theory args are reasons to reject the argument, not the team.

K's

I think the topic is generally good and that debates about the topic are also good.

I'm not opposed to K debates, but my limited lit knowledge and liking for framework could make it an uphill battle for you.

I have voted for K affs before, FW is not an auto dub, debate well and you shall be rewarded.

Fairness on framework is a good impact imo.

TVAs are legit

"You link you lose" is nonsense. Teams can win by bitting the link and winning independent offense on the alt, so keep that in mind.

Other

If you read death good, I'm auto-voting against you and giving you the lowest speaks possible.

LD & PFD

I don't have a lot of detailed thoughts for these types of debates. I think they are valuable for students but my judging is policy-focused; so just do what you do best and I will judge accordingly.

Zia Meyers (she/her)

Please add me to the email chain: zmeyers713@gmail.com

I have only judged 1-2 rounds on this topic, so I am slightly familiar, please don't assume I know all acronyms, organizations, etc.

In-round decorum- Please be respectful of the other team. I know debate can get heated, and that is fine, but I will not tolerate personal attacks on the other team.

Speed- You need to be clear if you go fast, but any speed is fine by me!

Case Debate- I think that case debate can be very compelling when well done and incorporated into the 1NC strategy.

DA/CP- Anything you run is fine, I will vote on it as long as it has a clear link chain and is specific.

Critique- I am comfortable hearing and judging critical positions both on the aff and neg side. I am most familiar with sett col and cap, if there are others that you are reading I am very open to hearing them, please just explain the alternative and contextualize it closely to the aff. Operate under the assumption that I have not read any K literature you read.

Topicality- If you are reading/going for T, a lot of time needs to be spent on the standards debate and the impact level of the standards. Highlight what framework you would prefer me to vote under, and what that means for the round, the aff, the neg, etc.

Theory- These arguments need to be thoroughly developed throughout the round (or a given speech) and should not just be pre-written. It is key to give a reason to reject the team rather than just the argument if you expect to win on theory.

Feel free to ask any questions about my paradigm or anything else before/after round.

Ben Parent (he/him/his)

GWHS '21 -- UT Austin '25

Add me to the email chain: ben.parent35@gmail.com

Debated policy in high school for four years, from 2017-2021.

I have judged one round on this topic. Please explain every acronym and topic-specific concept.

tl;dr - Do what you do best, and explain it well. Don't be mean.

General Thoughts – I try to be as tab as possible, but I do have some preferences. Don’t feel like you have to adapt to my preferences--you should do whatever you do best. But if what you do best happens to be judge adaptation, here are some of my thoughts:

Flashing/Prep: Please don't waste time. Once you stop prep, you should be ready to speak. Sending any cards/documents shouldn't take long.

Framework – Engage each other's interpretations and arguments--don’t just read and extend. Look to my comments on topicality if you're interested in how I try to evaluate standards-based debate.

Case Debate – I think thoughtful case-specific neg strategies that invest time into on-case arguments can be really compelling.

DA/CPs – The more specific the better, but I’ll vote on whatever.

Critiques – Most persuasive when they interact explicitly with the 1AC/2AC. For example, I like specific 2NC link analysis (doesn’t necessarily need to be carded) that points to arguments being made in the 1AC/2AC, and I like 2NC attempts to gain in roads to the case by suggesting the alternative is a necessary precondition to case solvency. I'm not the best for critical affirmatives (or k vs k rounds). If you choose to read one in front of me, proceed at your own risk. Also, you must explain the significance of voting affirmative, and please note that I probably have a negative bias in K vs. FW debates. A general note: given that I'm trying to evaluate your arguments as though I'm hearing them for the first time, please operate under the assumption that I'm completely unfamiliar with the literature you're reading.

Topicality – My threshold for T is the same as any other type of argument, but like all other positions, there are central issues that the 2NR needs to resolve in order for me to vote on T. If neither team articulates a framework within which I can vote, then I’ll default to competing interpretations, but I’d much rather not have to default to anything. Assuming I’m voting in a competing interpretations framework, I think of standards as external impacts to a vote for a given team’s interpretation. That means comparative impact calculus has a huge place in a 2NR that’s going for T. Explain to me what debate looks like if I vote for your interpretation and why that model should be preferred to one that would allow for cases like the affirmative.

Theory – Please engage the other team's arguments--don't just read blocks and talk past one another. If you expect to win on theory (independently), you should probably give me some kind of substantive reason why a given violation merits rejection of the team, and not just the argument.

Nontraditional Debate – As long as I’m provided with a standard for evaluation that I feel both teams can reasonably be expected to meet, you can do whatever you'd like.

In Round Decorum – Please be respectful of each other. Debate can get heated (and that's fine) but personal attacks will not be tolerated. Debate should be a positive experience for all involved -- rude debating will cause you to lose speaker points (or the round).

Speed – As long as you’re clear, I’m fine with speed, but read/speak tags/analytics/overviews clearly and not at full speed. Be mindful that clarity suffers online. The speechdoc is not a replacement for good speaking.

Speaker Points – 28.5 is average. I'll add points for things like clarity and efficiency, and I'll subtract points for particularly messy debating.

Misc - Some miscellaneous thoughts below

Tell me how to vote in your 2NR/2AR -- giving these speeches like you're writing my RFD will go a long way.

Engage with what the other team is saying - pick apart their evidence, rebut their arguments, explain your positions well.

I don't like the strategy of reading as many half baked strategies in the 1NC as possible and then going for whatever was under covered in the 2AC. I believe debate should be educational and accessible to all, and this strategy is antithetical to both of those things. If this is your preferred neg strategy, don't feel like you have to alter it for me, but note that your speaks will suffer.

If you have any specific questions, please ask. Feel free to email me after round with questions.

Respect: Please be respectful of your opponents in-round. I will vote you down if I feel you have been overly rude, aggressive, or disparaging to your opponents, regardless of how well you debate.

Case Debate: I think arguments on case can be a very persuasive neg strategy. I think it's particularly persuasive when coupled with convincing DAs and well-presented CPs.

DA/CPs: I really like persuasive and reasonable DAs and CPs, especially when coupled with good case arguments. However, I am not a big fan of DAs that are unreasonably impacted out to extinction or some other impact of great magnitude. The link has to be well articulated and backed up in order for me to buy it, in most cases.

Topicality: I think debates on T are great. Make sure to present a framework for me to evaluate topicality in. I also want to hear offensive arguments about why your interpretation is better for debate.

Critiques: I will only vote for a K if I can tell you really know what you're talking about, if you can establish specific links to the case, and if the impact is well articulated. In most rounds, I don't think this happens. I would say I usually prefer the DA/CP/Case debate to debate on the K, but I will vote for persuasive, well presented Ks.

Theory: I'll vote on theory if there is a legitimate reason why the violation merits rejection of the team, but that's a pretty high threshold.

Framework: I think the framework debate can be very interesting. Just make sure to actually engage with each other's interpretations - don't just read and extend.

Nontraditional Debate: I don't like it. Please follow the traditional format for Policy Debate.

Speed: I prefer a few really persuasive, well-explained arguments to a bunch of poor, half-baked ones. That being said, speed is ok as long as I can understand you and it is clear. I'll let you know in round if you're going too fast.

Final Thoughts: Debate is meant to be educational, skill-enhancing, and fun. Please make sure it remains so in the rounds I judge.

Updated 11.02.2021

Coach at Kent Denver School; he/him/his; HS LD 2014, TOC/NSDA competitor; second season coaching policy, LD & PF; conflict with KDS and Valor Christian High School.

> Please include me on email chains - andrew.wixson@zoho.com <

POLICY:

JUDGE INTERVENTION — I try to be as tabula rasa as can reasonably be expected — an argument is claim, warrant, impact. My paradigm is an abstract list of preferences and while I obviously live for its incorporation in front of me, it does not mean I will outright refuse to vote for you if you do certain things, but I will naturally accept weaker responses to problematic arguments. Bottom line: be as explicit as you possibly can about why I should or shouldn't vote for certain arguments so that I'm not forced to intervene, leaving everyone far more frustrated than they would've been if you simply said out loud how I ought to write the ballot.

DISCLOSURE — Please please please disclose early and often to the wiki and in-round and don't cheat. My thoughts on this have evolved, but I'm at the point where I think that radical transparency is a good hard policy to have and I really don't think there should be much dispute.

BEST STRATEGIES — The vast majority of my debate experience is in LD so I'm rather biased towards philosophical debate since that's what I came up on. I absolutely love Ks, but if you're running them in front of me, please make sure you're actually making it count and not just using a generic K purely to confuse your opponent with no deeper substance. Empirical debates that whittle down to an evidence dispute are very interesting to me, but I'm not the most skilled at making informed calls based purely on the data, so be careful to over-explain and not assume that hard data will win rounds by default. Obviously, theory's the only way to check abuse and debaters definitely need that guardrail, but please don't run non-applicable theory for strategy's sake or I will be very sympathetic to I meets and counterclaims of abuse.

AFF BURDEN — You have to have a present a topical advocacy, by having a well-warranted plan text. I tend to prefer concrete advantages, but justify anything, there's great ways to subvert this expectation if executed properly. I default NEG unless given topical offense by the AFF. This does not mean that AFF teams are bound to only reading topical offense in their constructives, it just means that at the end of the round the AFF has to have some shred of topical offense survive that I can hinge my ballot on.

NEG BURDEN — I default NEG, which means just cast as much doubt on the resolution as you can by any means necessary. Please make sure off-case positions are relevant: DAs and CPs only work on plan texts and word kritiks/PICs only work if your opponent used the actual language ascribed in the literature you're reading. Too many NEGs have one strategy that they use to answer every AFF regardless of its relevance so please be careful to avoid giving this impression.

CX — CX is the fun part of debate. CX is binding, but take a deep breath and relax, be funny and likable, and perceptually dominate and you're good to go. Please don't use CX as an opportunity to abuse your opponent, especially if they are obviously a weaker debater than you, it will make me uncomfy and that should not be the goal.

KRITIKS — Krit lit is awesome. Don't assume I know your K — even if you think it's generic, make everything crystal clear as K debates often get way too muddy to justify an objective decision. If it's obviously policy backfiles, I won't be impressed. I won't vote on what I don't understand, so if you can't extend it without reading verbatim from the author nor explain your argument to your opponent in CX, I will be very hesitant to vote on it. If you're running a K with no alt, I don't have a reason to vote on it unless your opponent massively fumbles it. Please do the explicit weighing for me since Ks are inherently ambiguous and don't hesitate to back up any argument you're making with a theory justification.

THEORY — Be careful to address substance first and foremost and avoid cheap tricks that don't actually contribute to anyone's understanding of the round. I default to reasonability, drop the argument, and fairness over education and competing interps on T. I'm much easier to convince with "I meets" than most judges — i.e., theory should only be run on real violations and the threshold for those violations is high enough that you should be using a substantial amount of your speech time defending that it comes before any substance happening in the round. Potential violations are trash and I prefer that you warrant why the theoretical interpretation isn't valid and move on, because providing offense back to a counter-interpretation becomes infinitely regressive.

SPIKES — Just don't. While there's *a* reality where I vote on this if someone openly doesn't address it at all, I doubt they're winning on substance anyways so just avoid it in front of me especially if I'm rolling my eyes the whole time you're reading them.

SPEED — While I can follow speed, I probably can't flow your top speed — clarity is the issue, particularly if you aren't disclosing. Try to slow down on analytics, tags, and author names so I can follow where you are in the document. Please email/flash me your speeches.

DELIVERY & SPEAKER POINTS — I like giving high speaks. If you are making smart arguments and debate well, your speaker points should be good. A 30 will be hard to come by (but not a 29.8), but I'll tend to average 28.5. Well-placed jokes are the best and can (usually) only help your speaks. My judgment on how to assign speaker points is based on my perception of your debate sense and ability to cut through the BS and make complex arguments crystal clear. I won't hesitate to give you a loss 0 for oppressive discourse that creates an uncomfortable debate space or justifies things we all know are atrocities. I tend to be expressive during the round, so look up from your computer every once in a while and adjust accordingly.

Do what you do best and please be original and creative. Great weighing and writing my ballot for me wins rounds, it's really that simple. Don't get lost in the formality of it all, literally just level with me and bring me on a journey, that's what it's all about.

LD:

JUDGE INTERVENTION — I try to be as tabula rasa as can reasonably be expected — an argument is claim, warrant, impact. My paradigm is an abstract list of preferences and while I obviously live for its incorporation in front of me, it does not mean I will outright refuse to vote for you if you do certain things, but I will naturally accept weaker responses to problematic arguments. Bottom line: be as explicit as you possibly can about why I should or shouldn't vote for certain arguments so that I'm not forced to intervene, leaving everyone far more frustrated than they would've been if you simply said out loud how I ought to write the ballot.

DISCLOSURE — Please please please disclose early and often to the wiki and in-round and don't cheat. My thoughts on this have evolved, but I'm at the point where I think that radical transparency is a good hard policy to have (other than local Colorado tournaments lol) and I don't think there should be much dispute.

BEST STRATEGIES — I'm rather biased towards philosophical debate and absolutely love a well-constructed K, so if you're running them in front of me, please make sure you're actually making it count and not just using a generic K purely to confuse your opponent with no deeper substance. Empirical debates that whittle down to an evidence dispute are very interesting to me, but I'm not the most skilled at making informed calls based purely on the data, so be careful to over-explain and not assume that hard data will win rounds by default. Obviously, theory's the only way to check abuse and debaters definitely need that guardrail, but please don't run non-applicable theory for strategy's sake or I will be very sympathetic to I meets and counterclaims of abuse.

AFF BURDEN — I like topical AFFs but non-topical AFFs can be really great especially when approached in a similar manner to a K. I tend to prefer concrete advantages on policy-based topics and ethical theory on moral dilemma topics, but justify anything. I default NEG unless given topical offense by the AFF. This does not mean that AFF teams are bound to only reading topical offense in their constructives, it just means that at the end of the round the AFF has to have some shred of topical offense survive that I can hinge my ballot on.

NEG BURDEN — I default NEG, which means just cast as much doubt on the resolution as you can by any means necessary. Please make sure off-case positions are relevant: DAs and CPs only work on plan texts and word kritiks/PICs only work if your opponent used the actual language ascribed in the literature you're reading. Too many NEGs have one strategy that they use to answer every AFF regardless of its relevance so please be careful to avoid giving this impression.

CX — CX is the fun part of debate. CX is binding, but take a deep breath and relax, be funny and likable, and perceptually dominate and you're good to go. Please don't use CX as an opportunity to abuse your opponent, especially if they are obviously a weaker debater than you, it will make me uncomfy and that should not be the goal.

KRITIKS — Krit lit is awesome. Don't assume I know your K — even if you think it's generic, make everything crystal clear as K debates often get way too muddy to justify an objective decision. If it's obviously policy backfiles, I won't be impressed. I won't vote on what I don't understand, so if you can't extend it without reading verbatim from the author nor explain your argument to your opponent in CX, I will be very hesitant to vote on it. If you're running a K with no alt, I don't have a reason to vote on it unless your opponent massively fumbles it. Please do the explicit weighing for me since Ks are inherently ambiguous and don't hesitate to back up any argument you're making with a theory justification.

THEORY — Be careful to address substance first and foremost and avoid cheap tricks that don't actually contribute to anyone's understanding of the round. I default to reasonability, drop the argument, and fairness over education and competing interps on T. I'm much easier to convince with "I meets" than most judges — i.e., theory should only be run on real violations and the threshold for those violations is high enough that you should be using a substantial amount of your speech time defending that it comes before any substance happening in the round. Potential violations are trash and I prefer that you warrant why the theoretical interpretation isn't valid and move on, because providing offense back to a counter-interpretation becomes infinitely regressive.

SPIKES — Just don't. While there's *a* reality where I vote on this if someone openly doesn't address it at all, I doubt they're winning on substance anyways so just avoid it in front of me especially if I'm rolling my eyes the whole time you're reading them.

SPEED — While I can follow speed, I probably can't flow your top speed — clarity is the issue, particularly if you aren't disclosing. Try to slow down on analytics, tags, and author names so I can follow where you are in the document. Please email/flash me your speeches.

DELIVERY & SPEAKER POINTS — I like giving high speaks. If you are making smart arguments and debate well, your speaker points should be good. A 30 will be hard to come by (but not a 29.8), but I'll tend to average 28.5. Well-placed jokes are the best and can (usually) only help your speaks. My judgment on how to assign speaker points is based on my perception of your debate sense and ability to cut through the BS and make complex arguments crystal clear. I won't hesitate to give you a loss 0 for oppressive discourse that creates an uncomfortable debate space or justifies things we all know are atrocities. I tend to be expressive during the round, so look up from your computer every once in a while and adjust accordingly.

Do what you do best and please be original and creative. Great weighing and writing my ballot for me wins rounds, it's really that simple. Don't get lost in the formality of it all, literally just level with me and bring me on a journey, that's what it's all about.

1/20/22

I'm returning to the activity after a few years, so I'll do my best to update this throughout the rest of the season.

If it's helpful to you, I debated for Westminster in Atlanta from 2008-2012 and Northwestern University in Evanston from 2012-2015 and was a pretty straightforward policy debater.

I'm willing to vote on anything provided that it's explained/argued well. I hold no deep attachments to how I debated or the things that I went for. With that being said, I am more well versed in in DA/case or DA/CP style debates. Those are the things I went & prepared for. But again, if you explain your positions clearly and your 2AR/2NR gives me a clear RFD, I am perfectly happy voting for whatever's in front of me.

I'll still getting familiar with this year's topic. Don't let that prevent you from going for whatever you like, but don't assume I'll know different acronyms or be able to fill in sketches of things for you.

Please be clear. I'll tell you once or twice during your speech for the sake of my flow. But after that, it is what it is. And I'll only vote for what's on my flow.

The only substantive note I'll leave you with is this: write my ballot for me. I enjoy final rebuttals that zoom out/understand the bigger picture. And I always want the impacts to arguments to be spelled out. If you feel your winning some impact, tell me why it matters. If they've dropped an argument, spell out why I should care.

As competitors, your main goal is probably winning. As a judge/coach, I enjoy watching y'all grow. Please don't hesitate to talk to me after the debate, & you can always email me at worku.robel@gmail.com with any questions.

Lastly, have fun y'all!