Hello there, here is some information about my preferences in regard to debate.

Congress

- I judge based on 1) argumentation, 2) presentation, and 3) participation

- Be clear and concise, please do not ramble. If you are talking faster than I can keep up, it is hard to score accurately.

- Because sources are important in debate, please be clear when citing sources.

- Decorum is very important. Please treat your fellow competitors with respect. Interrupting other participants is not looked upon favorably.

LD

Speaking:

- You have a 10 second grace period. Once the grace period has elapsed, I will stop flowing.

- I am not a fan of spreading. If I cannot understand what you are saying, it is difficult to give you credit for it, which makes it harder to vote in your favor.

- Also, please make your definitions and contention titles clear to make it easier for me to flow your arguments.

- I listen to CX, but I do not typically flow it. I will only write something if an important point seems to be made. The questioning segment should be used for clarification and finding weaknesses, meaning the questions should be relevant to what has already been brought up in the round.

Reason for Decision (LD):

- I judge first on topicality and framework in importance, contentions are second (but still important), and CX is last.

- I judge based on my flow, which means that clarity, structure, and use of clashes are crucial in my eyes.

- Your contentions should be tied to both the framework and the resolution, and they should be supported by evidence.

- Additionally, it is up to YOU to point out the flaws in the opponent's arguments, as I judge the debate as it has been debated. I should not have to connect the dots at the end of the debate.

Interactions Between Opponents in the Round:

- Decorum is VERY important to me. If you are rude, condescending, or otherwise acting inappropriately, it will be reflected in your speaker points.

- Card calling should be used sparingly. If the card dispute is not brought up later in the debate, I will view it as being dropped in my flow. If I perceive that card calling is being used in an abusive manner, it may be reflected in speaker points.

- Please remember we are on a schedule, and out of curtesy to all participants and the organizers, let's try to keep the debate running smoothly.

My preferences are pretty simple so I'll keep this fairly short.

The biggest thing for me will always be civility and respect. Always, always keep it civil, in crossfire, in POIs, in questioning, in whatever it is, there is no need for hostility or rude behavior. When that happens, you're not having fun and I'm not having fun. So just be kind and be respectful towards each other.

Aside from that, I always appreciate clarity. Use road maps and signposting and anything else to make things clear and make my flow easier. Give me voting issues, I love those. Tell me why you won.

I will also always be in favor of strong argumentation and impact weighing. Give me impacts and tell me why yours matter more than your opponent's. Evidence alone is not enough to win you rounds, surround it with solid argumentation and tell me why it matters.

I can keep up with pretty speedy speech but I never feel like there is a need for excessive speed or spreading. I can't flow what I can't hear so just keep that in mind. Do feel free to go faster than a normal conversation though, I get it. You know what's excessive speed-wise.

Overall, I want you to enjoy the round and I want to enjoy it too, so just keep things civil, make my job easier, and have fun!