This is my first time judging speech. Talk at a regular speed (no spreading) and make sure to enunciate. Have fun!

I have decades of experience producing and writing television programs and educational videos. I appreciate the power of well-chosen words delivered with just the right amount of passion. My work also includes media training at a major Washington, DC think tank, where I spend a lot of time interviewing global leaders in energy, security, environmental activism, politics, diplomacy, and more. You will earn top ranks in Extemp, OO, and Informative Speaking if your speech follows strong logic, goes beyond the obvious, and is free of errors, such as mispronunciations of countries and global leaders. Furthermore, I beg you, DO NOT come at me with corny puns. If you are discussing the invasion of Ukraine, do not tell me that we will first "blast" into the truth, and then "take aim" at new theories, before "Putin'" some solutions to the test. This type of writing will get you nowhere in the real world! Clever is good. Corny is bad. And while we're at it, when competing in Extemp, go into a deep dive on pop culture at the top ONLY if you have an excellent plan for how you plan to relate it to the topic. We do not need time-consuming analyses of Disney movies or boy bands before moving into news and politics. If performing DI, HI, or POI, you will rank well if you bring nuance. I seek highs, lows, and performances grounded in human behavior, even at their most intense moments.

I love judging these events because I am continually amazed at the intelligence and capability of Speech Kids. You are everything good about your generation.

PF Judge

I like a good, clean debate with clash and coherent reasoning and logic.

Don’t spread (It’s my biggest pet peeve)

Speak clearly and slowly, and LOUDLY

If you are asking for evidence from the other team; make sure to bring it up don’t ask for evidence just for the sake of it.

Make sure you weigh in summary and final focus, I choose the winner based on overall consistency through the round and whichever team carries and extends their arguments throughout the whole round. Logic and coherent reasoning are super important.

Don’t just say “I have a card” explain to me the significance of it

Cross-ex should be civilized

Good luck :)

For Extemp, Congress and Debate, I weigh both style and content. I will be judging the logic, clarity, and organization of your arguments; the quality and credibility of the evidence you cite; and your persuasiveness, fluency and clarity as a speaker.

Equally important to me is decorum (and this is equally important for you in life as well as in debate). Be polite and respectful to your fellow competitors and judges. No matter how good you think your arguments are, I will downgrade you if you're rude and interrupt others, if you waste time and fail to cooperate, or if you are arrogant and disrespectful.

I'm a former national and state champion Extemp. In college, I coached at the National Speech and Debate Institute at American University in summers and judged national high school tournaments. Now I'm a parent judge.

Debaters and Congress people, don't spread or use debate jargon and acryonyms. If you reply on complex philosophy, you must explain.

Be prepared, be respectful and do your best. Have fun and good luck.

With a background of 4 years on the speech team in my high school in Illinois (HDA, DDA, Info, OO, Radio Speaking), I am currently a speech coach of 3 years in Bethesda, MD. In performances, I look for passion and energy in delivery, along with articulation and logical piece cuts/writing structure, but mostly that passion and energy! Stumbles will only be factored into my ranking if they are significant. My comments may seem nit-picky sometimes, but worry not - I only do this to help speakers improve!

Aimee Sann Paradigm

Policy is a fascinating debate format! I love it, and I am still learning it. If I am your judge and you are sending emails, please include me: sanna@notredameprep.com.

1. Be organized. I prefer claims numbered, deliver tags clearly and with emphasis, roadmaps, and signposting. Otherwise, my flow will just fall apart. My flow will be on paper.

2. Lay out your framework clearly and don’t fail to say why you won. In the end, I need to hear what you believe carries the most weight in the round. How you met your burden. How the other side failed to meet theirs.

3. Don’t assume I know all the jargon. I have familiarity with most of it, but explanation matters.

4. Treat statistics with care. If there is clash on them, I will be attentive to your knowledge of how they are collected and how to measure their strength.

5. In Ks, I will be looking for specificity with reference to the AFF’s plan, and I will be listening for your alts.

I have been judging primarily debate events (except for Congress) for fifteen years, first as a parent of a debater and now as a coach's parent. I also judge speech events as needed. I have been judging in the NCFL for fifteen years and in the NSDA for the past four years. For debaters, watch the speed, please -- about 225 words per minute at maximum, and no spreading. Good sportsmanship is very important to me as a judge; please be polite. Good luck with your rounds!