Hey guys, I'm writing this for my mom on her tab account. I do Varsity PF debate, so yeah this is a parent judge.

Background: My mom has worked in healthcare for 30 years, she has a Masters in Public Health and before that she was in the Peace Corps. She cares a lot about respect and making people's lives easier. She is very smart, so please don't completely lie and expect to get away with it. She listens to me rant about debate so she knows what's going on. Even though she is a parent judge and technically lay, she says she flows on paper. She has been judging for three years now, so I would treat her as more of a flay judge.

When you enter the round, definitely introduce yourself. It isn't super important but it will help her remember who is who.

She prefers when you time yourself, just don't go too overtime or under time or it'll probably look bad.

Try to be polite in the round, do not belittle your opponents. It is better for you to let each other speak than interrupt each other too much.

Speaking of, my mom can understand when you speak fast. If you're full on spreading you might want to let her know beforehand. That being said, if you don't need to spread, then don't spread.

My mom doesn't love it when debaters demand she has to vote a certain way or else. Instead, I would recommend saying you urge a con/pro ballot or even saying "please vote..."

Lastly, she isn't a fan of disclosing. She will disclose if it is necessary for a tournament or in a final round.

Okay good luck hope you do well. Please be nice to her!!!

CX(Policy) Debate

I LOVE direct clash, so if you can ensure that your arguments are responding to what's been presented in the round, then that will certainly be reflected in the speaker points for the round.
I prefer roadmaps to be short and concise. They do not need to be exaggerated, simply such as off-case then on-case, or off-case: 1T, 2DA, 1CP then moving to on-case. Throughout the round, I have always encouraged signposting. It ensures that your arguments end up on the flow where you want them to go, if you do not do this, then you run the risk of me putting it where I think it should go, and this could work against you. Take control of the round. Do not let me do this simply by signposting the argumentation throughout your speech.

T-Topicality
I have a low threshold on T for this resolution(22-23), so I would not spend much time on it past the constructive. Unless the AFF is truly not topical, which is difficult to imagine with the broadness of this year's topic. I would encourage addressing it and moving on to the NEG again unless the AFF is truly not topical and the violation is abundantly clear. Then, I probably won't be voting on this in the round.

DA-Disadvantage
In my personal opinion, this is the 2nd highest level of the debate that has been participated in for this topic. I love for the link-internal link chain to clearly show me how we get to whatever impact you advocate for throughout the DA(s) you run in the round. I would highly recommend impact analysis as the round progresses. Please know the difference between impact calc and impact weighing. Both are good. Just don't say you are doing an impact calc when you are actually doing impact weighing.

CP-Counterplan
I don't mind these, but want a clear explanation throughout the round as to why they can't be permed, what are the net benefits of doing it through the CP, and why the CP is competitive compared to the AFF. There are many ways for the AFF to answer the many different CPs that have come through on this resolution, and I have enjoyed the CP debate on this year's topic more than in previous years. For the NEG these take a ton of work for me to vote on, and for my ballot, it is not difficult for the AFF to answer them in the rounds.

K-Kritique
I will not interfere, but I do not spend much time, if any at all, with the literature, so you are going to have to do a ton of analysis...which, as a NEG Strat in my rounds, is probably a bad idea cause I tend to vote on clash and where that's happening. I'm not saying don't do it but be prepared to lose me quickly and lose my ballot quickly if the K does not make sense or has all the right elements to the argument.I think the most important part of this for you to see when it comes to K-Debate is that if this is your strat for the round to read a K. I will not reject the argument inherently, but want you to know I may not understand your argument at first and you may have to do more explanation and give more time when I am looking for DA and On-case position arguments. If you read this please make sure you have a complete K and are ready to explain the literature and how it is advocating for the change you want to see.

ON-CASE
THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!!! Especially this year, the abundance of evidence that generally links to the case that AFFs have to work through or that AFFs get to extend through the round has been incredible.

Realistically, I am looking for the stocks to be upheld, but want to make my decision based on those and what I believe will be the best policy in the round.

Last, I WILL NOT INTERFEER. I want you to enjoy the round, so read your evidence and debate your way. Please understand everything above is what I prefer to see in a round, and for me, the clash is the highest priority and the AFF burden to prove that policy is beneficial. Those are my two presumptions before the round ever begins, so whoever meets those and proves to me the policy is net beneficial or will lead to existential harm typically is who gets my ballot.

Speed, since that is what this question is really asking...I tend to err on the side of technical over articulate, as this is an incredibly technical event, and know how much time it has taken to develop that skill. That being said, POP THE TAG AND EVIDENCE TO ENSURE THAT IT MAKES THE FLOW...SPEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO KNOW YOUR CIRCUIT AND THE EXPECTATIONS...

(I,E UIL/TFA/TOC/NSDA EXPECTATIONS)

I will warn you to watch me or my pen. If I am not flowing the round, then there is a high probability that I am not following along with you, and the only saving grace for you is the speech drop, file share, or email chain if there is one. Please be present in the round and observant that it could be the difference in your win or loss, simply because I could not understand your attempt at spreading.

Again, this is not to say you can't, but I would for sure slow down on taglines/claims. Pop the source or card information before going full howitzer in the warrants of the evidence.

LD Debate

I am as traditional as it gets. I tend to keep a more technical-based flow. Slow, pretty speaking, and thorough argumentation. I weigh heavily on the Value and Criterion clash. I love good voters at the end of the rebuttal phase. I do understand progressive argumentation but for the sake of LD, I would keep it to a minimum. Signpost well and keep off-time roadmaps brief. Even though I prefer traditional LD Debate, I understand the merit of research that comes with progressive LD, I will evaluate these rounds and am quite capable of doing so since I spend most of my fall semester judging policy rounds. I would encourage you to read my CX(Policy) paradigm if this is your style. It will better help you navigate these rounds. I will also caution you with called drops especially if it appears this strategy is being used just to grab a win, I believe that harms the education in the round and makes me less likely to warrant them as drops rather than a lack of information. I would prefer an analysis of why the arguments are still valid and voting issues in the round rather than just calling them drops or unanswered arguments. Again, I stress reading the CX event above this to get a better understanding of how I will evaluate the round.

Please tell me when and where I will vote to control my flow and the ballot. If you do this, it should be a good round for you. I can not emphasize enough that CLASH is crucial, and I will know if you do not interact with arguments made by you and your opponent. If you declare it as an offense and can justify this claim, it could win you the round!

Congress

When it comes to a congress chamber, I have found that I enjoy healthy debate and awareness in a chamber. What this means is that for a PO and the chamber to understand when the debate has begun to circle around and there are no new arguments being developed...It is probably time to move to a previous question. If you feel that you have a really strong speech to give, but it is the same argumentation that has already occurred, I would encourage you to make sure that you are working on elements of refutation to direct speakers in the chamber along with crystalizing how the arguments have worked throughout the chamber. If this is not the strategy, it will probably hurt you to just get up there and give another 3:00 speech, developing the same cycle of arguments in the chamber. I really enjoy it when the debate on items is well developed and students are aware enough to understand when it's over and should be moving to the previous question for the vote to get to the next item in the chamber.

I have found that my ranks tend to be evaluated from the following parameters, but I do not think this is by any means the only way I would evaluate a chamber.

1st Priority--- Effective PO Procedures and chamber management. I do believe the PO is one of the most influential characters in the chamber. It is your job to have a clean and clear understanding of the parliamentarian procedures, and it is your job to reinforce the rules of the chamber. I do expect you to know the rules of the circuit for the tournament so know the differences between UIL, TFA, and NSDA.

2nd Priority---Quality of Speeches

3rd Priority--- Activity in the chamber (total) This covers # of speeches, questions, and general participation for me in the chamber

I have found that most PO in my balloting history will start in the 3 positions, and your effectiveness in this position will dictate if you move up or down from this position. I do place a premium on speeches, as I still think this is the most important piece to the event, so it will be common for my ballot that the speakers are ranked higher than POs, but if this is done well can push them to the top of a chamber but it is harder for these characters in the chamber to get my 1s.

Extemp

The core question for extemp is how to get my 1. Or what is the difference between my 1 & 2?

My 1's are nearly perfect speakers, the fillers are minimal and you are doing all the extemp nuances that we are looking for in these speeches. Sources are incredibly important and more does not always equal 1 but it can be the difference. I am also looking for you to analyze and give me your insight into the topic. Working that in could be the difference between 1 & 2. Time could also be a factor in judgment. Know the rules between different circuits!

Interp

These are my weakest events to judge...That doesn't mean that I can't, just that I believe my qualifications are less in this event. I do place a premium on some of the speaking tactics over the theatrical elements (blocking). Not that I won't appreciate your movements and evaluate them throughout the performance, but it's not unheard of that someone who can tell an effective story and take me through their performance allowing me to feel what their performance is asking, will have better success with me over someone who uses blocking to communicate these moments throughout your performance. I would encourage you to utilize both throughout the performance as that is ideally what I am looking for in this performance. My best encouragement to you if I am judging your interp round, is to probably block less and what you do block, make sure that it has a purpose other than the "over-top" movements won't be as effective with me at the back of the room. I will evaluate and enjoy your performance, giving you feedback on things that I really enjoyed, and areas that I think you might want to consider growing the performance!

Please add me to the email chain: lang901@gmail.com. I do not forward email chains from rounds I've judged (Is this a new thing? I never saw it in my day debating until like 2 months ago). 1. I don't generally keep chains after the round so I couldn't even if I wanted to and 2. I don't think it's my place to be sending other people's evidence to third parties without their knowledge or consent.

Affiliations and Qualifications:

Iowa City West High, Policy Debate, 2011-2017, 2023-, (Debating [til 2014], Coaching and Judging);

Hawken (Policy Debate and Congressional Debate, 2021-22, Judging);

A meme I made in 2012 was the cover photo for the High School Policy Debate Facebook page for like ~3-4 years.

I'm a lawyer in Iowa and also admitted (inactive status) in Ohio. To explain how I evaluate some arguments, check out this article about standards of proof in the legal context. Each section will have an analogous standard of proof for how likely I am to pull a trigger on a specific argument.

Policy

Feel free to ask any outstanding questions before the round. I debated in high school for 3 years and then judged in college for 2 years before I started judging again in law school. I've been involved with the activity for a decade but on and off so while I've picked up on some new community norms and trends, I might not be up on every one. In high school, I was incredibly policy oriented as West High wasn't a "K" team, though I dabbled a bit.

Specifics:

DAs/CPs (Preponderance of the Evidence):

I don't have any specific hang ups on DAs. Mostly the same for CPs, but please don't spread your plan text at me (CP text should also be in the speech doc). Especially if you're reading more than one. Consult and delay CPs have been on thin ice in terms of legitimacy since 2013 and I don't think that's changed. Process CPs are on slightly more stable ground, especially if you have a specific solvency advocate. I will not default to judge kick and you'll have a heck of a time convincing me to do judge kick. If you went for the CP, you're stuck with it. I'm not going to decide your "real" 2NR strategy for you. If this

T (Clear and Convincing):

I tend towards reasonability because I think CI trends towards a race to the bottom to find a technically excluding but overall terrible definition but I will use a different framework if you ask me and (obviously) win why that framework is better. Potential abuse is a voter but actual abuse is a stronger VI. Fairness is an impact and an internal link, I don't know where this trend away from fairness as an impact came from.

Kritik and K Affs (Clear and Convincing):

I may be a product of early 2010's Iowa debate I am not anti-K. I've voted on some weird ones before. That being said, I haven't even started to read a lot of the literature so err on the side of over-explaining rather than under-explaining. Being 100% honest, the K's that have the most familiarity with are K's like Cap, Security, and some anarchist literature (Virillio is probably the most "out there" K I am familiar with and that's only because of the transportation topic). If your K/K Aff is named after a or there's like one key author for your K, I guarantee I am not familiar with that lit. If that is your kind of K, you either should not pref me or do a comically large amount of explanation for the terms your using. If you don't do this explanation, I will try my best but I only have a limited amount of time to read cards and make my decision. If you're a k aff team that somehow got stuck with me as a judge after reading that paragraph, I'm sorry. I'm crying too.

For policy aff v k rounds, I will generally default to weighing the aff against the alt. Any other framework/role of the ballot arguments seem to boil down to "The role of the ballot is to vote neg" which seems arbitrary and isn't super convincing in a vacuum. However, you can read a different framework and I'll evaluate that argument.

Also this may be a new development in debate but I do not get the argument that "fairness is not an impact". If you want more extrapolation on why fairness is an impact, David Heidt's paradigm gives a far more eloquent explanation of fairness as an impact than I could type here.

Theory (Clear and convincing):

Condo becomes bad somewhere after 3 advocacies. Probably okay with one (1) CP and one (1) K. International Fiat is also bad, though I don't think that's relevant for this topic. 50 States Fiat is on thin-ish ice, fiating the NGA is on thinner ice. Speed bad (for reasons other than ableism) or "You can't tell jokes in a debate round" (real arguments from the same round I judged) are on the thinnest ice. I don't love resolving theory debates but I will definitely vote on it if enough time is dedicated to it. I have a highish bar for voting on theory. If you're going for reject the team, it should be like at least 40% of your last speech. If you're going for reject the argument, there should be at least a substantial time dedication on the respective flow. Please don't spread your blocks at me. Theory debates should not be at full speed.

ASPEC (Beyond a Reasonable Doubt):

Yes, this has its own heading. Please don't. I have never seen someone unironically, actually, wholeheartedly go for ASPEC. Save time and just don't. The aff is allowed to spend 10% of the time you spent reading ASPEC to respond to ASPEC.

Speed:

I am "fine with speed" however this comes with caveats. You should have three speeds. From fastest to slowest: Text, Tag, and Theory (and perms/plan texts). If you decide to do theory at card text speed, I will 100% miss something and you likely won't love my RFD. K debates should also be slower. It is hard to flow paragraph length tags at full speed. I barely understand a majority of philosophy at a conversational pace, I will not understand it better at 350 wpm.

Odds & Ends:

1. Tech over truth but that doesn't mean the truth is irrelevant. (i.e. "No" is a complete and probably winning answer to arguments like "warming not real" or "federalism solves electricity grid security." [this backfired a bit. You still have to actually give an argument with warrants. The phrasing of this was for rhetorical effect]).

2. I feel like a well-crafted and to the point overview was an underutilized tool in my day and since I've been back judging. Don't cut your line-by-line for to do an overview but contextualization of your L-by-L is incredibly useful especially with my limited knowledge of the topic or your K.

3. I am not a huge fan of 5+ off strategies. I get their usefulness but they usually lead to late breaking and sub-par debates. I'm not going to take points off or anything if you go 6 off but I personally believe the debate will be better with fewer positions. THIS IS NOT A VOTING ISSUE JUST A PREFERENCE/OBSERVATION ABOUT DEBATE. TRYING TO MAKE THIS A THEORY ARGUMENT WILL NOT WORK.

4. Is a 28.5 still a pretty good score or is that the new 27.5? Have we moved entirely out of 27? If point inflation really is that bad, I apologize if I'm still in a 2014 mindset. I was by no means stingy with points back in the day (I probably averaged somewhere around like 28.2-4) but heck if I know what stingy even is these days. Back in the day, I had a point floor somewhere around 27.5 and a ceiling somewhere around 29.7. These weren't hard lines though.

5. Don't read too much into how long it takes me to decide. I've judged debates that were incredibly close but decided immediately and lopsided debates that took 10 minutes to formulate an RFD.

6. If you start the evidence comparison or impact calc in the 2xR, don't get mad at me when that debate isn't fully fleshed out and I have to do some amount of intervention. I try to take the path of least resistance to my decisions and limit any intervention or bias but sometimes that's easier said than done.

7. Somewhat along the same lines as #6, I generally won't read evidence sua sponte. I generally read evidence in one of three scenarios, I can't resolve the debate otherwise, you explicitly tell me too, and/or something about your evidence piques my interest (i.e. I know it makes a claim that is interesting, objectively untrue, and/or you very clearly power tagged a card. These generally won't affect the outcome of the debate unless it's critical or I have to resolve that specific question and it's necessary).

Congress (old, mostly irrelevant):

Apparently I judge Congress now. If you're here because you're a congressional debater, you can ignore the above. Coming from a policy debate background I really like good and effective argumentation. However, I realize that the constraints of the Congressional Debate format can put up barriers to that. Recognizing that I try to weigh speaking skills along with argumentation skills somewhat equally but, good argumentation can help a speech with speaking issues while good speaking skills can't save a speech with flawed argumentation.

Policy Debate Paradigm:

Overview:

The things you are probably looking for:

Speed: I’m fine with whatever you are comfortable with--no need to try to impress me.

Performance: I do not mind a performance but make sure the performance is tied directly to the case and purpose of the debate. I am NOT some old fart, but I am a bit old school with a blend of progressive ideology.

Pre-dispositions: Please do not make arguments that you do not understand/cannot explain in order to fill the time or to confuse the opponent—I will definitely take notice and probably will not vote for you. Keep things well researched and logical and everything should be fine.

Sportsmanship: Please always be respectful of your opponents. Mean-spiritedness is not a way to show me you’re winning. Even though I will always vote for the better arguments, if you display signs of cruelty towards your opponent, your speaker points will suffer.

****Make sure you have great links…nothing worse than sitting through a round where no one understands how any of the arguments relate to the topic*********

Specifics:

Disadvantages: Unless if your strategy is extremely sophisticated/well thought out/well-rehearsed (I have encountered quite a few when I competed), I think you should always run at least 1 DA.

· The Counterplan: If done well, and the strategy around them is logical and thought-out, these are generally winners. If done poorly and you just inserted one to fill the time, I will be sad and bored.

· Procedurals/Topicality: I love a good meta-debate, and I am open to these if you guys have a solid strategy around these arguments (for example: if your opponents are illogical/made mistakes, point that out to me). However, I usually see T’s used as generic fillers, and I will not vote for a generic filler.

· The Kritik: Love Ks if done well and showcases your knowledge of the topic and argument. However, if I can sense that you don’t know what you’re talking about, running a K might hurt you.

Overall, have fun ( I understand how stressful this event can be), show me you're prepared, and always try to learn something.

Lincoln-Douglas, Big Questions Debate, and Public Forum Debate Paradigm:

My job as a judge is to be a blank slate; your job as a debater is to tell me how and why to vote and decide what the resolution/debate means to you. This includes not just topic analysis but also types of arguments and the rules of debate if you would like. If you do not provide me with voters and impacts I will use my own reasoning. I'm open all arguments but they need to be well explained.

My preference is for debates with a warranted, clearly explained analysis. I do not think tagline extensions or simply reading a card is an argument that will win you the debate. In the last speech, make it easy for me to vote for you by giving and clearly weighing voting issues- these are summaries of the debate, not simply repeating your contentions! You will have the most impact with me if you discuss magnitude, scope, etc. and also tell me why I look to your voting issues before your opponents. In terms of case debate, please consider how your two cases interact with each other to create more class; I find turns especially effective. I do listen closely during cross (even if I don't flow), so that is a place to make attacks, but if you want them to be fully considered please include them during your speeches.

Email: dhbroussard1763@gmail.com

Do not speak too quickly as it does not allow me to fully grasp what you are saying. I understand that sometimes a lot of information needs to be shared, but not at the expense of understanding for those listening.

Pretend that I know nothing (but I do, I have a lot of judging experience) about your topic, which sometimes may be true, and explain what you think I may not know for clarity (i.e. abbreviations, acronyms, jargon, etc). Then convince me why your side should win.

About Me: I am Afro-Latino with the pronouns him/he. I graduated from Alief Taylor High school in Houston. I've debated in LD, Policy, and Congress all four years. I am majoring in Economics and minoring in philosophy which is why I love debate so much because it encompasses both those things.

Email Chain and questions: Carbajaljilson@gmail.com

Basic Details: I don't mind spreading, just make sure you're clear and slow down on specifically important information and analytical data to make ensure it's on the flow. If you aren't clear, I probably won't remember it or put it on the flow. I'll yell clear if needed.

I don't vote for people who kiss "butt" to the judge. Don't run arguments just to satisfy me, Run arguments that satisfy you and you believe will have a good clash. All that matters is that you're confident in your case and display great arguments throughout the round.

Don't expect or assume that I know exactly what you're talking about. It will hurt you. I haven't done much research on this topic so make sure To explain your arguments well and clear.

K: I like hearing all types of Ks, especially performance Ks. However, if you run them, please know what you're talking about and how to run a K. I've seen many K debates where both teams have no idea what they are doing or talking about. Don't run Ks if you're unfamiliar with the information. It can lead to low speaking points.

K Aff: I don't mind it, just make sure not to stray away from the topic and have a clear Alt and link. Most K aff can get permutated if not run well.

Theory/T: I like theory debates however, please don't run STUPID theory arguments for the sake of winning the round or to get an advantage, I will most likely not vote on it if you do. (If you have a question on what I mean by "stupid", let me know before the round starts). For T's, I default to counter- interps. Have a good explanation of internal links and impacts.

CP: Please explain how your CP is better than the AFF's plan. Conditional CPs are fine; just don't have five CPs and only one of them as unconditional; this is abusive. It ruins clash in the debate round, and I like to see clash. Please establish if a CP is conditional or unconditional if more than one is used.

DA: Make sure to have a clear link and internal link. Be specific on the impact and include impact calculus to strengthen your argument. Utilize DA's to enact turns on the aff's case. Have a great DA structure and try not to have too many links and internal links, it can hurt you in the end.

Clash debate: I love to see clashes in the debate round. If you avoid clash or dont clash with your opponent, speaker points may be affected. Just make sure to be clear in on voters

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or let me know before the round begins. :)

I consider myself to be 'tabula rasa' aka 'clean slate and will vote for anything if there is reason to vote for it on the flow. Weighing and key voters are very important with me. I was an LDer from 2009-2013 and coached from 2013-2014.

I am not a fan of spreading these days (haven't judged or coached regularly for years); however, I am okay if you choose to spread anyway-- it's 'at your own risk'. If I cannot understand you I will say 'clear' once and if you do not adjust I will stop flowing what you are reading.

Feel free to ask me about anything more specific.

I competed in mostly Congress and extemp in high school, but I dabbled in PF. I also have a tiny bit of Policy and Worlds experience. Since graduating high school, I have judged locally in Northeast Ohio and on the Circuit (for Hawken), mostly in PF and LD but also a little Congress, since Fall of 2018. Here are some thoughts; I often update them after a tournament if something stands out to me.

Congress:

I flow Congress rounds, and I expect you to treat it like a debate event. I won't rank you if you're not a good speaker/presenter, but you also won't rank if you're not a good debater.

The top people on my ballot will need to do a few things:

1) Know your place in the debate. Are you giving a 1A or 1N? Set up the issue and relate it to the bill. Early-Middle of the round? You can give me a new point or two, but make sure you're refuting (and, for the record, just name-dropping somebody doesn't count as refuting). Late-middle? You should be mostly refuting. Last? Crystalize, summarize.

2) Show me that you're versatile. All other things equal, I will rank the person that gave an early and a late speech (see Point #1) higher than the person who gave two early speeches or two late speeches. That being said, I will probably think more of you if you give two late speeches vs two early speeches, because I think refutation is more impressive than a canned speech.

3) This line appears in my paradigm for every debate event I judge: You should not use evidence without logic. You should not use logic without evidence. If you read evidence and do nothing to contextualize it or explain it, I will likely not weigh it much. If you go on a wild logical tangent with no evidence, I will likely not weigh it much.

4) Impact.

5) Be good at answering questions. Be good at asking questions. Do both things consistently.

6) Don't be a jerk. I'm not going to describe what being a jerk entails, but you know it when you see it.

I'm also more than happy to rank POs, and I do it often. I judge the PO in the context of the round, and will rank anyone (often highly) if they maintain control of the round and are fair and quick. I really can't give more detail than this, but you know who's a good PO and who's not.

PF:

Full disclosure: I loved PF in high school, but I've cooled on it a bit as a judge for one reason: I cannot stand the debates that come down to cards, args, and impacts that don't clash or aren't weighed. There is too much talking at each other that goes on in PF, to win you need to make sure you clash and tell me why you beat your opponent. You'd think this goes without saying, and I guarantee that many of you reading this think you don't do this, but I promise many of you will. I need you to do impact calculus. I need you to tell my why your card is better than your opponents' if they clash. I want to do as little work as possible, so clearly tell me why you win. Also, don't extend through ink--this tends to be something PFers struggle with a lot.

Framework is important, but winning framework doesn't mean you win the round. You should not use evidence without logic. You should not use logic without evidence. If you read evidence and do nothing to contextualize it or explain it, I will likely not weigh it much. If you go on a wild logical tangent with no evidence, I will likely not weigh it much. Impacts are important, I want to see weighing and impact calc. I like to vote on impacts. Tell me a story in FF about why you win.

For the record, I flow and can handle speed. I won't be happy if you spread, but short of that I'm fine. I love CX, but I probably won't flow it, if there's something important bring it up in your speech or I likely won't weigh it. I won't ever call for a card unless you tell me to and tell me why; if you tell me to call for a card and there was no good reason for it I'll be unhappy.

Last Chance BQD:I took 5th at Nats in BQ so I have a pretty good understanding of the event. There are little to no limits on arguments you can run in BQ so I will be pretty tabula rasa when it comes to argumentation. I, personally, believe the event should be debated pretty lay/accessible but I will not hold that against you if you run technical arguments. Feel free to read the rest of my paradigm for more information.

Basics: I competed in LD from 2016-2020 with experience locally and nationally. Now, I am the head coach of Dublin Jerome HS in Ohio where I coach all events. I have experience with all types of arguments and the remainder of this paradigm just goes over my preferences.

Conflicts: Louisville Sr. HS (OH), Dublin Jerome HS (OH), Alliance HS (OH).

LD:

Framework: You must run a V/VC. I use the framework to weigh the round but I do not vote on it alone. Do NOT make it a KVI because it carries no weight on its own.

Contention Level: I keep a rigorous flow. This means I will ask you to follow a line by line and will record all dropped arguments. This does not mean I will vote on who covers the most ground. You need to extend dropped arguments and weigh them against your opponents. If you kick a contention(s) that's fine, I don't care, just let me know in speech.

Evidence: You need to provide evidence in a timely fashion. I will use your prep time if you abuse this grace period. I will (likely) not review the evidence. It is not the judge's responsibility to do the evidence analysis. If there is a breach of rules then I will intervene. Otherwise, it is both debaters' duty to show why their analysis of the evidence is better.

PF:

*************Frontline. Frontline. Frontline.*****************

Framing: It needs to be topical and not abusive or I will drone you out.

Line by line: I don't buy the norm of PF to just leave arguments behind. You can and should be consolidating throughout the round, but that means you pull everything together. I will weigh drops against you.

Evidence: *SEE LD* If you would like to have your partner review evidence while you speak, the other team needs to agree. Otherwise, this needs to happen during prep.

Please Please Please ask me questions if you have them. I take no offense at all if you question any one of these comments. As long as you're respectful, I don't care how you debate.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!!

Robert Duncan He/Him/His

Head Speech and Debate Coach, Dublin Jerome HS

Columbus District DEIB Chair

I ask that competitors do not spread and that they let their opponent finish their sentences during cross. No spreading and no cutting people off while talking! Thank you :)

I am a new Judge, and I enjoy judging speeches. I have Judged several speech competitions this year. While Judging, I look for a strong introduction and conclusion and would like to hear more logical and supportive data and analysis of the stance one is taking. I do my best I can to judge each Speech on its own merits. I take notes during the Speech and rate the candidate on the style, delivery, content, analysis, examples/citations, and the strong introduction and conclusion.

I am a head coach for Speech & Debate.

I prefer traditional-style Lincoln-Douglas Debate, with a focus on Value Clash.

Evidence should be read throughout the debate.

I keep a good FLOW during the round.

I prefer debaters speak at a conversational rate.

I encourage you to give VOTERS. Tell me why you have won the round.

I really do not tolerate disrespect in the round. Being rude will lose you the ballot.

Email: Annaherrig2@gmail.com

PF:

You should answer first constructive in second constructive

skip grand cross

disclose

don't paraphrase

General:

UTT 22-Present

Please send speech docs! (also if you say "mark the card here" please mark it)

Lets all learn something from each other. Debate is supposed to be fun, that being said, if you are having fun, I'll have a better time judging the round. The best judges will listen to any argument and style of debate. Do what you are best at. I try to leave predispositions out of decision-making as much as possible (it's not) and will work hard to adjudicate your round well. It's not my job to decide what you should debate, but to help you become better at how you choose to debate.

Signposting is important, please do this throughout your speeches and tell me the order beforehand.

Tech>truth.

If you say the words "for a brief off time roadmap," I am going to be sad.

Topicality

I will vote on T. I think you need to be explaining why you have the better internal link to either fairness or education. I think these debates have gotten increasingly shallow, and no one goes for it as a super compelling strategy in the block anymore. Explain why under your interpretation, debate is better and you method is better for debate at large. Arguing the spillover effects of your interp is an easy way to win this on the negative. Generics will not do it for me. I default to competing interpretations.

Disads

You should be cutting new uniqueness very often, and if you go for this strategy the quality of your evidence will have an impact on my decision. "If your link cards are generic and outdated and the aff is better in that department, then you need to have a good reason why your evidence is more qualified, etc. Make your scenario clear, DAs are great but some teams tend to go for a terminal impact without explanation of the scenario or the internal link args. Comparative analysis is important so I know how to evaluate the evidence that I am reading. Tell me why the link o/w the link turn etc. Impact analysis is very important, timeframe, probability, magnitude, etc., so I can know why the Da impacts are more important than the affs impacts. A good articulation of why the Da turns each advantage is extremely helpful because the 2ar will most likely be going for those impacts in the 2ar. Uniqueness controls the direction of the link, this goes for both sides. If you want to win a link turn, you must win that the disad is non-unique and if you want to win the link you must win that it is." -Kristiana Baez. There is such thing as 0% risk of a link.

Counterplans

Much more persuasive if they have a solvency advocate, just reading a line in the 1NC just to dump 6 minutes on it in the block means that I give the aff leniency in rebuttals to catch up, but that isn't an excuse for sloppy 2ACs. I really like counterplans, and I like process counterplans. I don't love super generic CP's with the same set of solvency cards each round. However, if the evidence is good then I am more likely to believe you when you claim aff solvency. There needs to be a good articulation for why the aff links to the net benefit and good answers to cp solvency deficits, assuming there are any. Permutation debate needs to be hashed out on both sides, with Da/net benefits to the permutations made clear.

Kritiks

Feel free to read them on affirmative or negative, but don't get lazy with them and engage with the arguments the other team is making. Just reading the blocks you wrote at the beginning of the season and not referencing specific authors, lines of evidence from either side and engaging with arguments without specificity is a good way to get really behind in these debates. You should have specific links to the aff. I am the best for cap. Anything else, especially anything pomo, you will need to explain to me like I am a 5 year old. If you're arguing that the k outweighs and turns case, you need a solid articulation as to why. You also need to be arguing specific impacts of the k, and how that compares to the claims made in the affirmative. I need a very clear explanation of framing here, and if you go for the K in the 2NR you should be writing my ballot for me. I also need a very clear picture of how the alternative functions, and why you solve the aff if you do.

K v K

I think that these debates can be really great because clash is kind of important. However, these debates tend to get really muddled, so you need to work extra hard to make things clear for me rather than just assuming I will lean one way or another. When it comes to K Affs v. FW, I think that you need to do a lot of work and don't just go for generic arguments like switch side without giving specific examples of things like in round abuse, etc. or interesting impact arguments. Ex: just saying roleplaying good/bad without a really good explanation is not going to be compelling.

Performance/Methodology debates

I am in no way biased in one way or another. I think that arguments need to be competitive. The things you may talk about in your performance/methodology may be true, but there needs to be a clear link articulated to the argument that you are debating. Many times competing methodologies start to sound really similar to each other, so teams need to establish a clear difference between the arguments.

Theory

Dumb theory or tricks won't do it for me. However, the less generic you are, the more I would be willing to vote on this. I believe theory that is done well and is well-articulated could be a compelling place for me to vote. I think proving in round abuse is important. Generally, I think condo is good.

Pref Stuff:

I am best for a policy v policy debate and or policy v k debate. Most familiar with running and judging cap&fem

I like the ptx da when done well

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.

My paradigm addresses two central elements: civility and common good versus individual rights scenarios.

1. I'd like a revoltingly civil round please. Refrain from interruptions, name-calling, eye-rolling, and terse or inflammatory language. My bias is that incivility cripples any debate in an instant and squelches the learning and knowledge-sharing that can be gained from civil discourse. It ceases to be a debate with the introduction of incivility.
2. If you present an argument that favors individual rights, I'd like to see a mention of how it may or may not impact the common good , and vice versa - an argument focusing on the common good should have a consideration of any impact on individual rights.

I’m the head coach of the Mount Vernon HS Debate Team (WA).

I did policy debate in HS very, very long ago - but I’m not a traditionalist. (Bring on the progressive LD arguments-- I will listen to them, unlike my daughter, Peri, who is such a traditional LD'er.)

Add me to the email chain: kkirkpatrick@mvsd320.org

Please don’t be racist, homophobic, etc. I like sassy, aggressive debaters who enjoy what they do but dislike sullen, mean students who don't really care-- an unpleasant attitude will damage your speaker points.

Generally,

Speed: Speed hasn't been a problem but I don't tell you if I need you to be more clear-- I feel it's your job to adapt. If you don't see me typing, you probably want to slow down. I work in tabroom in WA state an awful lot, so my flowing has slowed. Please take that into consideration.

Tech = Truth: I’ll probably end up leaning more tech, but I won’t vote for weak arguments that are just blatantly untrue in the round whether or not your opponents call it out.

Arguments:

I prefer a strong, developed NEG strategy instead of running a myriad of random positions.

I love it when debaters run unique arguments that they truly believe and offer really high speaker points for this. (I'm not inclined to give high speaks, though.)

Any arguments that aren’t on here, assume neutrality.

Do like and will vote on:

T - I love a well-developed T battle but rarely hear one. I don't like reasonability as a standard-- it's lazy, do the work.

Ks - I like debaters who truly believe in the positions they’re running. I like critical argumentation but if you choose to run an alt of "embrace poetry" or "reject all written text", you had better fully embrace it. I’m in touch with most literature, but I need a lot of explanation from either side as to why you should win it in the final rebuttals.

Don’t like but will vote on if won:

“Debate Bad” - I DO NOT LIKE "Debate is Futile" arguments. Please don't tell me what we are doing has no point. I will listen to your analysis. I may even have to vote for it once in a while. But, it is not my preference. Want a happy judge? Don't tell me that how we are spending another weekend of our lives is wasting our time.

Very, very, very... VERY traditional LD - if you are reading an essay case, I am not the judge for you.

Not a huge fan of disclosure theory-- best to skip this.

Don’t like and won’t vote on:

Tricks.

*If you make any morally reprehensible claims in the round, I reserve the right to drop you. If you are spreading hateful rhetoric, you should be removed from the tournament.*

I've been coaching speech, debate, and interp for seven years and I'm currently the head speech and debate coach at Southlake Carroll in North Texas.

Public Forum: Speed is fine, but don't spread. If you're unclear in PF because of speed, I probably won't tell you because you shouldn't reach that point in PF. Don't be overly aggressive, rude, or shout. Lack of clarity or respect will lead to a serious drop in your speaks.

You should provide me with a clear weighing mechanism and justification for using it. If I have to do this work for you, you don't get to complain about my decisions. Remember that public forum is meant to be understood by anyone off the street so don't expect me to be impressed by sloppy attempts at policy tactics.

Second speaking teams don't have to defend their case in rebuttal, though it doesn't hurt to. Just because something was said in cross doesn't mean that I'm going to flow it, though I will be paying attention to it. Please don't waste cross. This is my biggest pet peeve. Give clear voters in the final focus and do your best to go straight down the flow. If you jump around the flow and I miss something, that's on you.

Hi!

I am a new parent judge.

Please speak clearly and speak slowly. Remember, I have not done research on this topic so make sure you explain all your points thoroughly. Also, I will probably not know many debate terms so please try to avoid these. This is especially important when weighing. Please do not just throw debate words around, please explain your point. Also, signpost so I can follow all your speeches. If you want me to vote on a certain point, keep bringing it up.

Most importantly, make sure you are always being respectful each other during round.

Thank you!

Nothing will lose my favor or interest faster than a debate on the rules of debate. I appreciate well-researched cases and strong link chains, but I find spreading to be borderline intolerable. I want to see unfavorable points negated with elegant use of evidence and logic. Attempting to dominate a round with jargon and technicalities overshadows the sharing of ideas and the ability to learn from one another, which in my opinion, flies directly in the face of and casts a shadow on this art form. That being said, don’t be afraid to bring attention to outright abusive argumentation - just be prepared to back up what you’re saying in a way that is just and truthful. I like your personalities to shine through and for your communication styles to have an individual essence. Please don’t make me have to judge rounds based on who is the fastest or trickiest robot. It truly breaks my heart.

Manage your own time so that I can pay attention to what you’re saying. You may a timer that I’ll be able to hear (or not), but if it goes off, complete your thought as quickly and neatly as possible without just dropping it. Any new points introduced after time will count against you. I’m a fidgety sitter and prefer to flow by hand so I’ll usually turn off my camera while people are speaking, so as not to cause a distraction as I flip pages and scribble away. Please let me know if you’d prefer I didn’t do so. Also, no off time roadmaps - you should be writing/speaking well enough to inform me throughout your speech of where you are and the points you're making!

I am a former HS debater (2002-2006, Morristown West in Tennessee), and I had the most success in Public Forum - although I also enjoyed Congress & LD (I don't think Parli was available on a HS level yet or I probably would have tried it, too). I didn’t get really serious about PFD until about halfway through my high school speech career, and by my senior year, it was my main event. That year, my partner and I won both our NSDA (formerly NFL) National Qualifying tournament, and our state’s local organization’s championship. These accomplishments remain the highlights of my time in high school - not just because of the affirmation and recognition of my effort, but because of all the time spent and memories made with my teammates and closest friends along the way. I had tremendous passion for and gratitude toward Forensics, and I tried to embed that into my approach. I always prided myself on my relaxed, easy going, evidence and logic based, and respectful but fun speaking style. Remember that most of your judges are not former debaters and that you have an enormous opportunity to educate adults and maybe even change their minds about some things when you communicate effectively and in an accessible manner - consider the Ancient Greek foundational communication philosophies of logos, ethos, and pathos.

My favorite thing about judging is getting a glimpse at the future leaders of our nation’s government and workplaces, and you all give me a tremendous amount of hope. Thank you for your participation and congratulations to all of you, always, for your hard work and boldness in showing up for yourselves and your teammates today!

I don't flow CX so bring up anything you want on the flow in following speeches.

If a question is presented before CX time expires an answer can be provided.

Avoid circular debate, if you see mass repetition, summarize key points and move on.

Try to minimize flow hopping.

Make sure you sign post. If you don't tell me where to put content on the flow it may not get on the flow.

Extend arguments and impacts, don't just extend author's names. Example, don't say: "Extend the Locke Card" Do say, "In Locke, extend the impact of the social contract..."

Explaining impacts and why they matter is crucial.

Decorum matters.

Spread at the peril of your speaker points and ballot decision.

If speech time ends wrap up final thought, there is not a grace period in debate.

I am a traditionalist, LD should revolve around the V and VC debate, policy should address stock issues, etc.

Call Africa a Country and lose.

I try to keep an open mind but arguments must be feasible. Global extinction, nuclear war, etc default to slippery slope fallacies for me unless you can really show a direct and likely path specific to resolution.

Ask me for final paradigm to open possibility of getting perfect speaker points.

Hello!

I competed in Public Forum debate for three years so I would consider myself more of a tech judge than a lay judge. I am ok with speed as long I can understand you clearly. Please tell me where on the flow you are during your speeches so I know what are you are talking about/responding to. Please also keep track of your time.

I have been coaching and judging High School debate since 2003, though I have spent the better part of the last decade in tabrooms, so don't get to judge as much as I used to. :-)

If I had to classify myself, I would say that I am a pretty traditional judge. I am not a huge fan of Ks, because for the most part, I feel like people run Ks as bad DAs, and not a true Ks.

I cannot count the number of times I have had a student ask me "do you vote on [fill in the blank]"? It honestly depends. I have voted on a K, I have voted on T, I have voted on solvency, PICs, etc., but that doesn't mean I always will. There is no way for me to predict the arguments that are going into the round I am about to see. I can say that, in general, I will vote on almost anything if you make a good case for it! I want YOU to tell me what is the most important and tell me WHY. If you leave it up to me, that is a dangerous place to be.

Important things to keep in mind in every round.
1) If your taglines are not clear and slow enough for me to flow, I won't be able to flow them. If I can't flow it, I can't vote on it. I am fine if you want to speed through your cards, but I need to be able to follow your case.

2) I like to see clash within a debate. If there is no clash, then I have to decide what is most important. You need to tell me, and don't forget the WHY!

That leads me to...

3) I LOVE voting issues. They should clarify your view of the debate, and why you believe that you have won the round.

I have been a Speech and Debate coach for 15 years with multiple State champions and National elim rounds. I also teach classes for students for both elite competitors and novices. I have judged virtually every form of debate including CX, PF, LD, WS, and BQ, however, my main emphasis is on the Speech and Interp side. While I can handle speed, I prefer debaters that emphasize organization and clearly outlined arguments with strong analysis skills. Debate is a communication event. If I can't understand you or you don't make your arguments clearly with good evidence, I will not be voting for you.

This is my eighth year being the head coach at Kenston High School in Cleveland, Ohio. I have been a lawyer for 33 years and still practice law. I competed for four years in high school (Centerville, Ohio - three years policy debate, one year LD and four years congress) and four years in college (Miami Univ. - two years policy and two years 2-person value debate (CEDA)). Impacts are important to me. I flow the debate vigorously. Please signpost and remain professional. Please don't talk over each other in crossfire. Pronouns: he/him. Email for any chains: svoudris@me.com