Three Rivers TOC NIETOC at Upper St Clair
2022 — Upper St Clair, PA/US
Lincoln Douglas Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideFor Lincoln-Douglas debates, I look for clearly articulated value and criterion, with opening case statement arguments that are closely related to the value and criterion.
Arguments that are overly structured with complicated subset points begin to lose effectiveness; a clean, clear structure is more convincing.
The pace of speaking should not be so rapid, in haste to make as many points as possible, that the judge cannot clearly discern the arguments being made. A well designed argument is more convincing than rushed speaking where the judge may not be able to acutally discern the points the debater is trying to make.
NEG should focus in the case statement period more on building a strong argument rather than using an inordinate fraction of time to initiate rebuttal; if the case statement is made stronger, and minimal time devoted to the beginning of rebuttal, the NEG argument will probably withstand AFF rebuttal better.
Both AFF and NEG should avoid such phrases in rebuttal like "...if you don't buy that argument..." Such language suggests uncertainty in the argument just presented, which undermines its effectiveness.
I've judged over 100 debate rounds in the last 2 years at this point. I will flow the round. The biggest caveat is that you should not spread. It does not enhance argumentation and just makes the debate less engaging and less educational. I am putting this at the top of my paradigm. If you decide to spread, and as a result get dropped, that is your fault for not reading the paradigm, not a judge screw.
Pref Cheat Sheet
Traditional Debate/Lay- 1
Slow, Policy-Style debate- 4
Complex Phil- 4
Tricks- 4
Ks- Strike
Friv Theory- Strike
Spreading- Strike
I hate Ks, not because I don't understand them, but because I think they are bad for debate education. I have the same stance on spreading, I see no point in cramming as much content as possible into a debate if i can't understand you. It is anti-educational.
I would like there to be an email chain, especially for virtual debates. add me to it- sonalbatra14@gmail.com If you do not make an email chain that indicates you did not read the paradigm and will result in dropped speaks :)
I like a good, reasonable argument
Not a huge fan of theory, don't run a super frivolous shell. If your opponent is running a frivolous shell make a good argument for reasonability & you should be fine. BUT, absolutely use theory to check REAL abuse.
Spreading- Don't like it. I'll say clear twice & then stop flowing & dock your speaks. It is better to err on the side of caution. If it is a big problem you will be dropped.
Kritiks- I don't like them. I would say don't run them.
Flowing- I flow the round, but if you speak too quickly, the quality of this will significantly deteriorate.
Speaks- Speaker points tend to be "low". Being nice = higher speaks, Being mean/rude = lower speaks. I judge speaker points mostly as if you were in a speech event. If you spread, you will have VERY LOW speaks (think 26). I do believe in low point wins if the tournament allows.
Pet Peeves-
- telling me you won the debate (that is my decision)
- "we should just try" (no, if your opponent is proving active harms, we should not just try.)
- being rude to your opponent
- forcing progressive debate on traditional opponents, if your opponent asks for traditional, please do a traditional round.
Overall, you should run what you are comfortable with. It is better to run a case you know & are comfortable with than a case you don't know just to appease a judge. Just make sure everything is well warranted & linked, & we should be good!
My name is Dawn Dragos. Pronouns she/her. This is my third year judging LD. I am a traditional judge. I prefer a slower speaking pace. If you are talking too fast, I will not be able to flow the round. I do not like spreading. If you spread, you will most likely lose me and everything you say will be pointless because I won't hear your words.
I use paper and pen to take notes and construct my flow.
Most important for me is offering framing and comparative analysis. I also look for a very clear and articulate value and criterion. Specific judge instructions are key. Tell me what to vote off, why to vote it off and how it interacts with your opponents offense. At the end, give me your key voting issues and tell me WHY you win.
Be entertaining- the more interesting you are, the more likely you are to capture my attention.
Give content warning if appropriate.
Time yourself.
Most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Debate:
I do not mind spreading. If you are an inarticulate spreader, then you will send me your case as well as your opponent:isabella.droginske@k12.wv.us
I strongly oppose paraphrasing evidence. If I am your judge I would strongly suggest reading only direct quotations in your speeches.
I greatly appreciate framework debates and debates that really investigate philosophical ideas. I have a fair knowledge base of Rawls, Kant, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, Mills, and general schools of thought.
I do not mind Ks but excessive T is something I feel very strongly against.
I believe that debate should have the highest form of decorum throughout. I do dock speaker point for lack of decorum and respect to your opponent, judge(s), and the art of debate.
I make final decisions based on my flow-Tabula Rasa.
—LD: I appreciate robust value debates. Don’t collapse. Flow value to your side.
--PF: I dislike excessive time spent on card checking. I will not read cards after the round.
--Congress: I'm looking for analysis that engages the legislation, not just the general concepts. I believe that presentation is very important in how persuasive you are. I will note fluency breaks and distracting gestures. However, I am primarily a flow judge, so I might not be looking at you during your speeches. Being able to clearly articulate and weigh impacts (clash) is paramount. I dislike too much rehash, but I want to see a clear narrative. What is the story of your argument.
Speech: Do not be on your phone while a performer is performing in a round. Decorum counts.
Prepared events should know their times and be, well, prepared from the start.
—Extemp: Citations and organization are really important to me, but so is the entertainment part. Be compelling. Have an interesting AGD. Connect it at the end of your speech.
Hi, I'm Elijah -
Email chain: nastudent21@gmail.com
North Allegheny '21
Carolina Chapel Hill '25 | Psych major
Quals -
a) competitive success: broke at 1st circuit tourney I attended (Yale '19), octas Princeton '19, 11th prelim seed/9th speaker Loyola '20, NSDA Academic All-American, qualified to nat trad tourneys (NSDA/CFL/PHSSLs) all 4 HS years, won some locals
b) leadership: HS deb8 VP (senior year), secretary (junior year), event leader (HS+MS), and camp coordinator
How I judge -
Read anything that isn't repugnant. I've cut/spread everything from hard-right heg good to hard-left pess Ks. So pull out your aprioris/indexicals/paradoxes, theoretical phil NCs, radical pess Ks, fav extinction policy disad, or a K/performance aff. My goal is to judge as robotically/tabula rosa as possible to avoid judge intervention. Weighing is super important (you tell me if extinction outweighs oppression or if reps come before content). I flow off what I hear, not the doc (spread however fast you want and if its too fast for me I'll just say slow/clear. However, I think I'll be good). I only use the doc for ev ethics/quality checks if its disputed in round.
I'm still happy to judge traditional/lay deb8 (again, it's your deb8 = you do you).
Feel free to ask me any questions you have and call me Elijah/Eli/judge (whatever makes you feel most comfortable).
I did public forum for 4 years in high school and have been coaching it for 3 years now. I am going to divide this into 3 parts because I usually judge PF, LD, and policy (occasionally). Also apologies if this is all very long and confusing! If you have any questions, please ask me before the round and I will answer! Or if you have questions about the round after it's over, ask me!
Public Forum
I am okay with speed. However, send me your case if you think you will be speaking fast. I need to understand what you are saying if you want me to vote for you. I like to see clear and clean extensions of your links, warrants, etc. I have been seeing a lot of shadow-extending recently and if it happens in round, I can't vote for you on those arguments, cards, warrants, or whatever it is. You don't need to weigh too much in your rebuttal, but you need to start weighing in summary for me to vote for you. In PF, I prefer a line-by-line debate that has a lot of warranting, making it clear what arguments you are winning, whatever it may be. And make sure to signpost too. For summary, I think that the round needs to be brought down to 1-3 key issues on your side and your opponent's side as to why you are winning and starting impact calc. Basically, summary should be treated as a longer version of final focus. For final, I like impact calc that does a good analysis on both sides, with good warranting with why you win and why you win the impact debate. And don't be rude in the round to your opponents, such as being mean during cross or during your opponents' speeches. I am more likely to vote you down solely based on that.
Lincoln Douglas
I have been judging LD for probably the last 2 years, so I have a lot of experience of the format and how the round works. And also with the background of PF that helps too. My big thing is that I love a framework debate. If you win framework, I am more than likely to vote for you. Because (unless your opponent accesses your framework too), you have the better explanation for why we must evaluate the round based on that interpretation. If both debaters agree on framework, then it becomes a round based on who accesses framework better, becoming more of a standard "line-by-line" debate. If both sides don't discuss framework enough or just drop it, then I will resort to judging it similar to a PF round.
Policy
For the national circuit - I apologize if I am your judge. I will do my very best but please do not spread. I hate spreading and most people doing it aren't amazing at it. I would rather you speak clearly and focus on good arguments.
For the local circuit - I know most of you don't spread, but don't do it regardless.
email - johnevans201413@gmail.com
I am a parent judge who has judged LD for three years. I don't know everything about the topic, so inform me about your side the best you can, especially if you use a more complex framework . I like running a traditional round (no spreading, kritiks, etc). Clearly roadmap your speech beforehand so I can flow and understand your points better. I value truth>tech and flow CrossX. But most of all, have fun! That's the purpose of debate after all.
As a LD judge, it is important for the flow to be maintained so that your criterion and values are clearly articulated to me. For philosophical arguments, your value and criterion must clearly connect to your contentions. This information will take precedence to cards. If you are speaking too fast then I may loose your points during your flow. I am fine with speed, but please do not spread. If you spread and I cannot flow all of your arguments then they will not carry through the round. I expect for you to be able to establish your declarations and standards without being condescending. You may keep your own time but I will keep official time. If you continue speaking after time has elapsed, I will not flow your arguments. Please do not look at each other during crossfire but rather speak to me. When you call for a card I will begin using your prep time when the card is handed over to you. I will keep track of your prep time and I will tell you when I start and end the time.
As a PF judge, remember that your speed can negatively affect my ability to ability to follow your flow. I am fine with speed but do not spread. Please be mindful when calling cards as this can take significant time away from the debate itself. When you call for a card I will begin using your prep time when the card is handed over to you. I will keep track of your prep time and I will tell you when I start and end the time. I will not follow your directives to do so and the time that I keep is the official time. Decorum is important to me. Although you may not loose the debate over decorum, it can affect your speaker points.
My name is Jackie Hertzel. My pronouns are she/her. I am a traditional judge, in my 4th year of judging. I take my notes on an online flow during the round. I am interested in hearing what debaters have to say so please be mindful of your speed. I appreciate off time roadmaps, calling out dropped arguments and noting voting issues. If one debater’s argument goes unchallenged then I will assume it is valid. I am not a fan of spreading. Good luck and have fun!
Lincoln Douglas: I am more of a traditional LD judge: it is a values/criterion debate. I expect your contentions to support the value you advocate viewed through the criterion you chose. LD is not simply a public forum argument based on facts and policy arguments. I prefer to be able to well-follow your arguments and to the extent the speaking is so fast that I cannot follow, that argument will be discounted. I keep the time for the round, but do not offer signals unless asked. When time expires, I will allow the person speaking a reasonable time (one or two sentences) to finish their thought (including on CX questioning). Anything beyond that will be ignored. I expect debaters to act appropriately (no personal attacks or snide comments about the competitor, for example) and failure to so act will result at the least in loss of speaker points.
Hi! I'm Matt (He/Him). I did LD for 3 years as my main event but I also did PA Parliamentary and World Schools. I am familiar with PF, but I am admittedly bad at it. I have been the LD Coach at Pgh Central Catholic HS since 2021. I've judged 162 rounds of LD, PF, Parli, and congress over the past 3 years on both the Pittsburgh-circuit level as well as State and National level break rounds.
Upper St. Clair '20 / Pitt '24
email: Matthew.hornak@gmail.com
TLDR: play nice, have fun, run whatever you want. I hate drops, think theory is usually unnecessary, want a strong framework debate, and won't buy impacts in LD that belong in PF/Policy.
NOTES ON DEBATE / CASES:
1. Framework. I understand dropping your frameworks when they are similar and debating them would just waste time. HOWEVER, framework is the heart of LD and what sets it apart from the other debates. Maintain that.
2. I like APPLICABLE philosophy.By all means run out of the ordinary things like Anarchy, AfroPess, Buddhist ethics, whatever you can think of. Just give me convincing reason to care about you bringing it up. Creativity in the framework is only gonna help you if you use it to weigh your impacts and extend it through the round. As for progressive stuff, run a K / theory if you think it'll actually lead to a substantive debate (don't steamroll some poor novice).
3.Evidence Ethics. Use scholarly and reputable sources. Don't expect a singular dropped card to win you a round. That being said, try and directly rebut line-by-line as much as possible. I prefer line-by-line to thematic, overarching arguments. If your opponent calls for evidence, you've got one minute to produce it -- I will heavily consider dropping you full stop for not being able to do so. I don't need you guys to do email chains but I also don't mind them, so do what you want.
4. Extinction/unweighted Impacts. I do not buy extinction impacts. they are inherently unweighable: how will causing or preventing infinite deaths ever be comparable to issues of inequality, justice, and morality? those arguments, if you chose to make them, need to be so excruciatingly clear and logical. After all, LD is rarely talking about the extreme ends of slippery slopes, but the grey area between both sides.
5. Cross-Apply. If you are going to say cross-apply a contention, you need to say more about why I prefer your contention over your opponent. I simply won't flow it and treat it as a drop if you just say "cross-apply" and leave it at that.
NOTES ON SPEECHES / SPEAKING:
1. Speed. I prefer slower, traditional style debate. If you need need need to spread, I can make it work for you, but I'd prefer you avoided it.
2. Speak respectfully. Debate is a space to explore and test ideas. Respect that ability for your competitor as well. Police your speech a little and try and avoid tropes that are easily misconstrued toward offensiveness. Before you come to a tournament, genuinely consider what positions you advocating; even if you are running "main arguments" of the topic, consider how your rhetoric may be implicitly xenophobic, racist, sexist, etc. ((in 2023, I heard "migrants will bring disease and copious amounts of crime" more times than I can count)). If your opponent is being rude and offensive, handle it professionally and if it is a genuine cause of concern for you, let me know privately post round / let tab know.
3. Drops are the necessary evil of debate, but they do not decide my rounds. If your final speech consists entirely of drops, I'm 90% sure I will not pick you up; your arguments are all why your opponent is bad, not why their arguments are bad or yours are any better. I still respect drops because those are the rules, but please don't hinge my decision on that.
OVERALL:
Have fun. not just as in "be happy when you win and remember its all learning Kiddos!!11!" I mean, crack some jokes, make me and your opponent smile! this isn't life or death it's 3 to 5 people sitting in a room way to early on a weekend. make this more bearable pleaseeeeee.
I aim to judge fairly, and to do so pay close attention to:
Responses to opponents' questioning/rebuttal
Durability of points over the course of debate
Strength of inflection/flow of speech
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE
As a congress judge I like to see each student add something to the debate. If you don't have something new or unique to add to the debate and are simply rehashing what previous speakers have said you will not get a good score from me. Please directly refute what other speakers have said and explain why the previous speaker is right or wrong, don't simply say that you disagree with them, I need an explanation. To receive a good speech score from me I expect to hear unique arguments, with cited sources to back them up and lots of analysis. You will not get ranked in my chamber if you simply give one or two very polished speeches, I expect chamber participation which includes asking great questions and making relevant motions!
LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE
I have been judging LD debate on and off for almost 15 years. I judge mostly at local Ohio tournaments. I have a very open mind when it comes to arguments that can be presented in an LD debate. With my policy competition background I like to hear a good impact analysis, but don't let your framework get lost in the round. Every argument you make should link back to and support your framework. At the end of the round make sure you are telling me why you win the round! Not why your opponent is losing but why YOU WIN the round.
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.
last chance - i will have much less tolerance for circuit debaters trolling traditional debaters at this tournament, sorry. i don't mind what you read as long as you're not going too fast or being intentionally obtuse when you're asked to explain it
i have recently shortened this paradigm cuz it was getting really ranty - if you would like to see my thoughts on specific arguments, feel free to look at my rant doc
Intro
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I’m Eva (they/them) - please just call me Eva in round instead of judge. I did traditional LD (Canfield ‘18) in HS and have coached since graduating. I primarily coach traditional debate, but when I bring kids onto the circuit they typically go for theory and K heavy strats
- Affiliations: Hawken, VBI
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Email: evathelamberson@gmail.com put me on the chain but speechdrop is better :) i think docs are a good practice even for lay debaters and i would prefer if you send analytics
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Sidenote: I judge every weekend in the season, but Ohio doesn’t use Tabroom so it doesn’t show up :( I've probably judged an additional 500+ local rounds
TL;DR FOR PREFS i have come to the conclusion that i actually care very little what you read and hold a minimal amount of dogma re: what arguments should be read and how they should be read. i am good for whatever barring anything offensive, obviously. i have judged & voted for basically everything - if you have good strategy and good judge instruction, i will be happy to be in the back of your round whether you're reading the most stock larp stuff ever or tricky phil or friv theory or a non-t aff, etc. read the rant doc if you're interested in my specific thoughts on specific types of arguments. basically, do whatever you want, seriously
i believe debate is a game and it's not my job to tell you how to play it; i will be happiest when you are debating the way you enjoy the most and are best at
i consider myself a fairly flexible judge and try not to be biased toward any particular style. however, in very close clash rounds, i may lean towards arguments i find to be simpler/easier to vote for or that i understand better. to be open about my biases, i will say that i find myself voting for theory, phil, and tricks more than ks and all the above more than policy
accessibility:
- round safety is very important to me, and if there is a genuine safety concern that is preventing you from engaging in the round, i would prefer it be round ending as opposed to a shell - if you are feeling unsafe in a round, please feel free to email or FB message me and I will intervene in the way you request.
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pls give me a heads up if you're gonna read explicit discussions of self harm or suicide. you can still read them in front of me but i would like a warning as early as possible - email or messenger is the fastest way to reach me during tournaments
- DO NOT try to SHAKE MY HAND. on this subject, i am a huge germaphobe - i will be wearing a mask probably until the end of time, don't worry i'm not sick, i just don't want to get sick. if there are covid precautions or anything like that you want us to take in the round, please vocalize this and we will make that happen (open windows, masking, etc.)
My preferences for LD:
1. I don't mind a fast speaker but do not spread. Please respect your time limits. While I will officially monitor time, I'd rather be focusing on what you're saying than watching the clock.
2. It is always good to have stats and examples for your contentions. Repeating the same points during different arguments (unless relevant in a new way) will not make them more effective.
3. If you do not clearly refute one of your opponent's contentions, I will usually give them the win regardless of how good your contentions were.
4. Speak confidently and respectfully, and in an orderly manner. Maintaining a coherent flow is always very helpful for me.
I debated policy in high school and college (Pitt), and coached college policy for ten years, but haven’t coached college level in a long time. Started coaching again for my kids in middle and high school. I also teach in a comm program (UMW). I have been working with my son's team for the past few years.
Email chain: rhetorrao@gmail.com
Pronouns: he/him
I am most comfortable with a traditional policy-like strategy. The biggest problem I have seen in LD debates is not properly weighing and explaining how positions interact. I am not a fan of most K affs. As long as you are able to explain it with clear links to the resolution then I am open to it. On the neg make it clear.
I really do not like frivolous theory, and never enjoy when a debate ends with messy theory. Definitely not the judge for a tricks debate.
Make sure you are actually flowing, and not just relying on a speech doc. I am fine with speed- just make sure you are clear.
Finally, rude people are not fun to listen to, and I have little tolerance for a more experienced debater bullying or beating up on someone who is learning how to enjoy the activity. Make good arguments, test ideas, and have fun.
Hi, my name is Vidya Reddy and I am a LD Parent judge for North Allegheny High School.
NOTE : My 2012 - 2016 Judging is not listed as we were not digital then.
I feel a great joy and take pride in volunteering my time as Parent Judge, as I learn so much just sitting and listening the student’s perspective about all the current Topics. Seeing these kids decked out in suits ready to harness the great power of communication inspires me. It takes just one debate round to realize that the skills learned in speech and debate will ultimately reform the world for the better.
I have been judging LD ,in the year 2012-2016 for 4 yrs when my Daughter was in debate team and I resumed my Parental Judging Role 2019 – Present for my younger child. Both are LD Debaters.
I basically judged the LD & PF and couple of times judged the Prose/Poetry
LD- I am more experienced in LD, my both kids have taught me well in flowing the debates and to give the constructive Feedback. I Have better understanding of LD Debate Mechanics. Most important for me to win my vote is to uphold and support the Value & Value Criteria with proper Crystallization. I will Judge based on following Framework
Burden of proof/Value structure/Argumentation/Resolution/Clash/Delivery
I like to hear a well-organized case—I value clarity and consistency. I prefer depth of analysis of one or two contentions rather than superficial treatment of a long list. Supporting evidence is important, but not as important as logical argumentation.
a. Burden of proof - Which debater has proven his/her side of the resolution more valid as a general principle by the end of the round? No debater can realistically be expected to prove complete validity or invalidity of the resolution.
b. Value structure – Which debater better established a clear and cohesive relationship between the argumentation and the value structure?
c. Argumentation – Which debater better presented his/her arguments with logical reasoning using appropriate support? Which debater best utilized cross-examination to clarify, challenge, or advance arguments?
d. Resolution –Which debater best addressed the central questions of the resolution?
e. Clash – Which debater best showed the ability to both attack his/her opponent’s case and to defend his/her own?
f. Delivery – Which debater communicated in a more persuasive, clear, and professional manner?
SPEECH :
The speech should be either to inform or persuade. Showcasing the voice, passion for the topic and confidence in delivery.
OI - Different types of literature into one cohesive performance, clear motivated blocking, living in the character.
Extemporaneous - Looking for 3 good points and sources to back it up.
Declamation - Language elevated, inspirational, elegant. Speaking with confidence and authority.
Interpretation (HI, DI and Duo) - Entertaining, humorous, bringing characters to life, confidence and delivery.
PF Paradigm: I am an experienced PF judge and PF coach on the national circuit. I judge primarily on impacts. You need to give a clear link story backed up with logic and evidence. Framework is important. Weighing is very important. It is better to acknowledge that your opponent may be winning a certain argument and explain how the impacts you are winning outweigh than it is to ignore that argument made by your opponent. Don't extend through ink. If your opponent attacks your argument you need to respond to that attack and not just repeat your original argument. I don't mind rapid conversational speed - especially while reading evidence, but no spreading. I will keep a good flow and judge primarily off the flow, but let's keep PF as an event where persuasive speaking style, logic, evidence, and refutation are all important. Also let's keep PF distinct from national circuit LD and national circuit policy -although I will listen to any arguments that you present, in public forum, I find arguments that are directly related to the impacts of the resolution to be the most persuasive. Theory arguments as far as arguing about reasonable burdens for upholding or refuting the resolution are fine, but I don't see any reason for formal theory shells in public forum and the debate should be primarily centered around the resolution.
LD Paradigm: I am an experienced LD judge. I do prefer traditional style LD. I am, however, OK with plans and counter-plans and I am OK with theory arguments concerning analysis of burdens. I am not a fan of Kritiks. I will try to be open to evaluate arguments presented in the round, but I do prefer that the debate be largely about the resolution instead of largely centered on theory. I am OK with fast conversational speed and I am OK with evidence being read a little faster than fast conversational as long as tag lines and analysis are not faster than fast conversational. I do believe that V / VC are required, but I don't believe that the V / VC are voting issues in and of themselves. That is, even if you convince me that your V / VC is superior (more important, better linked to the resolution) than your opponent's V / VC that is not enough for me to vote for you. You still need to prove that your case better upholds your V / VC than your opponent's case does. To win, you may do one of three things: (1) Prove that your V / VC is superior to your opponent's AND that your case better upholds that V / VC than your opponent's case does, OR (2) Accept your opponent's V / VC and prove that your case better upholds their V/VC than their case does. OR (3) Win an "even-if" combination of (1) and (2).
CX Paradigm: I am an experienced LD and PF judge (nationally and locally). I have judged policy debate at a number of tournaments over the years - including the final round of the NSDA national tournament in 2015. However, I am more experienced in PF and LD than I am in policy. I can handle speed significantly faster than the final round of NSDA nationals, but not at super-fast speed. (Evidence can be read fast if you slow down for tag lines and for analysis.) Topicality arguments are fine. I am not a fan of kritiks or critical affs.
Regardless of speech or debate, all competitors should emulate good sportsmanship and be respectful during the competition. Examples of what this means:
> Paying attention while your opponent/competitor is presenting. (NOT goofing off on your phone or talking with a friend in the room).
> Being respectful and courteous, whether after a presentation or during debate cross-fires.
Debate Event Specific: Clear articulated and respectful debates. The pace of speaking should not be so rapid that the judge cannot clearly discern arguments being made. Additionally, while debate clashing is key, debate is still an exercise of public speaking, so be mindful of presentation skills.
My name’s Luke (he/they), you can just call me that in round. I’m a very traditional guy when it comes to LD. I competed in Ohio for 4 years and judged for 2. So with Ohio being very traditional that is all I have seen.
For LD I think the most important aspect of it is the FW debate. However if you aren’t good at it don’t focus on it a lot. I pay the most attention to FW warrants.
The more clear and concise you are the more likely I am to vote for you. I don’t like doing work so the more work you do for me the better. Do the weighing for me. If you are trying to do a turn or anything like that, tell me.
I have ADHD so the more entertaining you are the better. I will try my best to follow along even if you aren’t but I’m not making any promises. Also call me Luke in round it will make it easier for me to pay attention.
When it comes to speed. DO NOT spread or anything close to it. I cannot follow it and makes debate inaccessible.
Also I have judged all year it won’t show up though because Ohio uses speechwire.
My email: Lucastom495@gmail.com