As a parent judge, I offer patience, fairness and I can empathize with the trials and pressure that each debater experiences during the rounds of competitive debate. With that being said, I value a cordial and respectful environment during each round.

Here is some insight to a few things that may encumber my ability to evaluate information and arguments fairly and impartially.

Structure: I am very much a traditional flow judge. I am not comfortable with progressive styles. Please make your Value and Value Criterion clear at the beginning, weave them into your case, and tell me explicitly why your framework is better than your opponent's.

Speed: I prefer a well-developed argument to spreading. Stay on topic and debate the merits of the given topic. It will allow for my fullest engagement and fairest evaluation.

Style: I appreciate assertiveness but dislike aggression. Explain to me the reasons for why you believe you won the round. Clarity of thought and logic for me will trump fast speech and bravado every time.

I have been the sponsor of the Speech and Debate Team at Apex Friendship High School for the last eight years. This is my eighth year judging. I have taught English for 20 years and Speech for five.

1. Framework is critical. If you don't connect your evidence to your framework, you haven't succeeded.

2. Do not spread--I value quality over quantity.

3. I value strong CX skills--being able to think on your feet and attack an opponent's case is key to winning the round.

4. Civil discourse is expected.

Benjamin Franklin High School

Tulane University

Current Conflicts: Durham Academy

Email: SeanFaheyLD@gmail.com (please put me on email chains and feel free to email me questions)

September 2022 Update (Read if you're a traditional debater): How exciting to be back in person! Some notes on lay debate in front of me. I am open-minded in terms of how you approach these debates as long as it does not come at an unfair expense to your opponent (ex: spreading against competitors who do not want to). Please be respectful of each other. I think about traditional LD fairly linearly - win offense underneath whatever framework is winning in the round. Whether that means conceding your opponents framework and going for turns or having an elaborate framework debate, all that matters to me is whether you outweigh under the winning framework. Cases without a criterion are very hard to evaluate unless you contextualize your offense to your opponents standard. I don't see much value in the value debate (no pun intended) other than using the value as an additional reason to prefer a certain criterion. I will listen to lay theory arguments, such as 'no counterplans', but, if you want to win on this argument, you need to articulate the theoretical argument as a voting issue and why (fairness/education/etc.). I appreciate thoroughly extended impacts and clear, decisive weighing. Also - with peace and love - please don't try to shake my hand, we just got out of a big pandemic. Have fun and debate your best!

I debated for 4 years at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, LA. I competed at the TOC twice and got to finals of the CFL National Tournament my senior year. I've taught at the Victory Briefs Institute and The Debate Intensive.

I read all styles of arguments at some point in time, but mostly read critical theory. That said, I’m open to all styles of argumentation and speed (I will state clear as needed). I like in-depth debates that emphasize critical and comparative handling of evidence/nuanced arguments. Simply reading a card is not really a full argument to me; rebuttals need to have a clear, full extension of arguments presented in your evidence. I don't have much lenience in evaluating extensions that are just the tagline and author. This should also flag that I’m not a huge fan of blippy styles of argumentation and, while debate is a competitive activity, I’d rather evaluate a more scholastic engagement of ideas.

I decide based on the flow, but everyone says that and it kinda means nothing. That said, I view myself as an educator and, as such, I don’t allow hateful/violent discourse and I will reflect that with my ballot/RFD.

I usually flow CX. I like well-used CX time.

Please slow down for plan texts, CP texts, theory interpretations, perm texts, or anything that has precise value in its wording.

Little blurb on disclosure+debating politely:

I think open source disclosure is a very good thing and I regard most attempts to avoid this norm as unpersuasive. That said, I have voted against disclosure theory many times on impact turns to fairness or transparency, given those arguments are won on the flow, of course. I think reading disclosure theory against debaters clearly out of the national circuit loop is pretty unkind and often voids engagement, so please don’t. That said, I think reading disclosure theory against novices/early varsity members of large programs on the wiki is acceptable because their coaches should tell them to do so/do so for them (especially if the rest of the team discloses) and sometimes these debates are the only way for people to learn.

In the same vein as my policy on disclosure theory, please do not spread out debaters who clearly can not spread. You can still win this way because I won't intervene, but I will dock your speaks because I think it's rude. Please be considerate and inclusive.

Little blurb on theoretical presumptions:

In the past I have said what I default to in terms of paradigms for theory and framework, but I’ve come to view this norm as an incentive for lazy debating. I think you should have to justify everything necessary for you to win.

Things ppl actually care about:

• 50-50 on Framework v Non-T affs and not necessarily because of my personal opinions on the matter.
• Fairness and education are voters in no particular order; I think strength of link is especially relevant in the determination of which of these matters more in a given round.
• That said, I think epistemic modesty, as it is generally used, is pretty nonsensical. Don’t really understand weighing a deontic violation against a risk of an impact.
• I think K affs should do something or place some theoretical weight in the act of affirmation. Pessimism based affs with no clear solvency mechanism (or definition of what solvency is in the eyes of the affirmative position) generally seem to be negative presumption arguments in my mind. Feel free to change my mind on this point. I’ve seen exceptions to this.
• Please explain your permutations by illustrating a clear picture of the world it supposes.
• Weigh impacts and strength of internal links. PLEASE. Don’t presume that I think extinction is worse than genocide, war, etc. and give me some way to do risk analysis.
• Asinine theory follows the pornography rule for me, you know it when you see - my threshold on answering these args is substantively very low.
• Have fun, take it easy, and make some jokes or something.

I have judged LD for two seasons. I look for debate participants that show they have given great thought to both sides of the argument and then clearly articulate their contentions and subpoints in their openings. Furthermore, I appreciate their thoughtful responses to their opponents with courtesy and facts to back up their rebuttals. I do not score positively when spreading occurs. My wish is for all parties to have fun, enjoy the debate (win or lose) and come away with skills they have practiced and can use further on in their schooling and careers.

I have judges multiple events, however I spend most sessions in Debate, Congress, L-D and PF.

The opportunity for me to judge at Nationals several times has been exciting and very rewarding!

I want to be able to understand you, please speak clearly. My expectations for this

event are:

Disrespect is never ok, be fair to each other and treat people as you would like to be treated.

Be kind, to others as well as yourself.

Logical, clear arguments are appreciated!

"Don't raise your voice. Improve your argument." Desmond Tutu

I am a parent judge with limited debate judging experience and no PF experience. I am beginning to learn how to flow, but will probably examine the round through a lay angle if you speak too fast and I cannot understand what you say. Your performance will be helped by the following:

Simplicity: less is more.

Organization: organize your thoughts and ideas and present them in a logical order. This means for contentions, follow claim, warrant, impact and state each clearly so I may record them on my flow. Anywhere in the round other than the constructive, please clearly signpost the argument you are referencing and the speech it was brought up in.

Tempo: (possibly most important): you can think and speak much faster than I can listen and process. Like when you play a musical instrument, you will almost certainly be rushing when you speak. Slow down and have pity for the poor listener. Also, use a methodical pace to make a point, and don't be afraid to repeat a point for emphasis.

Stay on target: No tangents, no diversions. Be sure that all statements support your overall argument.

Use evidence effectively. I find common sense arguments more persuasive than "this expert said...".

Civility is important to me, and also enjoy seeing contestants enjoy themselves. Please use CX as a time for questioning, not a time to make arguments or tangents. Any arguments or tangents made during CX will result in a loss of speaker points. And remember, as a first time PF judge I will likely be more nervous than you.

Parent judge. Prefer no spreading and very clear statement of Value, Value Criterion,

and Contentions.

Please use this email to disclose - sheezahussain@gmail.com

I am a parent judge and have been judging since 2016.

For the Novice debaters especially : I take this seriously and expect that you have invested the time and energy into doing the same. I am empathetic when I see a speaker has done the prep and is trying...I am not pleased when I see someone who is being flippant about the event or the opportunity to participate/compete.

Debate Preferences:

• I don’t mind fast talking – go for it – but I don’t like spreading. If you're going to talk fast, add me to the email chain.
• I flow….meaning I try to capture your key points and see if your opponent counters them (assuming the point is reasonable)
• If an opponent doesn’t respond to your point, I won’t automatically give you the point. I do, however, expect them to respond to every reasonable argument you put out there
• I know you will likely have a well-developed constructive speech, so I find myself more interested in how you counter and defend arguments
• I won’t tolerate personal attacks, discrimination or academic dishonesty
• I will evaluate your ability to advocate for your side and support it, realizing that both sides are usually not equal
• I enjoy clever arguments. Humor, emotive speaking and illustrative examples – we judge a lot of rounds and it’s nice to hear something creative or a creative approach to making a point
• If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask me before the round

Strike me if…

• You spread.. To me, if you're spreading, I might as well read the case myself while you sit there silently
• You are going to be so off-topic with your case that I wonder if we've changed topics
• You are going to use tricks or theory

=============================================================================

Speech Preferences: I want to get lost in what you're sharing with me -- I want to forget that I am judging and want to be left wanting more.

*For interp events (OI, DI, DUO, POI, DEC, etc), I am looking for characters that are well developed. I want it to be clear when you're building, when you hit the climax and how you make us feel in that moment. I appreciate when speakers use every tool available to them (within what's allowed) - facial expressions, gestures, vocal variety, etc. I want to see that you are so comfortable and familiar with the material that it feels natural, but I also want to feel your intensity and passion.

*For platform events (Extemp, OO, Info, etc), I look for a well-planned speech -- Does it have good structure? Do you have evidence to back up your points? Do you have a strong hook? Is it creative? Did you conclusion tie a bow on the gift that is your speech?

Email for disclosure : hussain.zakir@gmail.com

I'm a parent judge, who has judged debate since 2016.

I'm a flay judge..

My preferences:

• I don't mind fast talking, but don't spread
• Don't be rude -- or you'll lose speaker points, and, potentially, the round. No personal attacks, discrimination, etc.
• Don't call out your opponent's mistakes to me -- debate your opponent and let me determine if they, for example, introduced new evidence or arguments too late in the round. Don't try to help me.
• If you have questions for me, ask before the round

I competed from 7th grade thur college - I was a Policy Debater.

I have been coaching for 20 + years. I am not a fan of the direction that most debate is going.

Don't waste my time with obscure arguments. Bonaparte once said that "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."

You need to extend BOTH the warrant AND impact of your argument(s) in later speeches if you're serious about finessing my ballot. PS...make sure you have a warrant and impact...

If your flow and delivery are clear - SPEED isn't a problem, but if it sounds like you are having a spiritual moment while you are running your case - I am not impressed. Spitting is just rude. Work harder - no-one cares.

Loud isn't an emotion. No Bullies aloud/allowed 20L is in your future.

I am okay with offtime roadmaps - if it's really a roadmap and not trying to sink the other team...

Signposting is fine - I am an English teacher.

Use author qualifications when first citing a piece of evidence (for extensions last name will suffice).

I like good solid evidence, clear debate, and solid connections.

Debate is hard but it's not personal. Have fun - be kind - play fair and tell great stories.

I love powerful words and phrases.

CX can be the root of the best conversations.

I am a parent lay judge! We would all benefit if you present your arguments at a pace and in an outline format that ensures I can flow them correctly. I have no issues with an off-time roadmap if you desire.

I value logic with supporting evidence over emotional arguments. I would prefer to hear coherently linked arguments rather than an assortment of arguments unrelated to each other.

This is my third year judging LD as a parent judge. Please add me to the email chain: omicsoft@gmail.com

Preference: Traditional or Policy-oriented arguments > Mainstream Critical=Mainstream Philosophy > Theory > Esoteric concepts that can't be explained fully within the time limits.

I prefer traditional rounds with straightforward weighing and voter issues. I value clear logical connections between your arguments and your impacts. Furthermore, I will not extend anything for you. Please sign post, give an off-time roadmap, and try to stay organized.

Under any/all conditions on a lay circuit:

• No spreading
• No theory
• No tricks
• No spikes
• No Ad Hominem
• No Bigotry/Disrespect

For progressive debaters -

• Limit speed to <250 wpm for ALL your speeches - you don't need to email me your rebuttal speeches.
• DAs/CPs are perfect
• Keep your DAs topical

Good Luck!

I'm flow oriented and prefer that debaters explicitly state and weigh impacts. I like to include authors' names when I flow; please read them clearly.

I am a traditional lay judge with limited experience. 

Organization: Keep the round as organized as possible. ALWAYS give an off-time roadmap before all speeches and signpost during each rebuttal/constructive.

I am unfamiliar with the following so please do not do these during round:

Kritiks, Tricks, Theory, Spikes, Non Topical Affs

Spreading--Please no spreading. Make sure you are clear, organized and that your opponent is able to understand you.  At any point, if your opponent asks you to slow down...please do so.

If you plan to speak somewhat fast, please add me to the email chain below: mehtadipal@yahoo.com

LARP: I am relatively familiar with policy debate but make sure your plans are explained extremely thoroughly and clear. If I don't understand your case/policy position, then I will drop you in the round. 

Counter plans and Disadvantages: If you plan to run these during round, make sure you explain them extremely clearly and be very thorough. I will also evaluate the counter plan if you explain it as an "alternative" during round if your opponent isn't as familiar with CP's.

Signposting---Please ALWAYS Signpost. This is the most straightforward and clearest way for me to keep track of what your arguments and when you are saying what during your speeches. If you do not Signpost, your points may become muddy and what you're saying may get lost to your opponent and I.

Voters: Please provide me with overviews and clear, reasonable and fair voters during your last speeches. If you do not do so, I will not know how you should win the round. Don't finish the round with untouched, messy and abandoned arguments. Make sure to extend all arguments and make that very clear to me as the judge. If your opponent says you didn't extend something and if I also don't catch it, then I will assume you did not say it and I will drop the argument. 

Thank you and Good Luck!

I have a fairly straightforward perspective on my judging preferences. I am very much a traditional flow judge. I do not prefer progressive styles. I don't prefer spreading, and if a debater speaks so quickly that I have trouble understanding them, I will not be able to prefer their arguments.

Backing up your arguments with convincing evidence and telling me specifically why I should prefer your evidence over your opponent's will help you win the round. Extending your arguments throughout the flow and pointing out to me any concessions your opponent made in cross-ex or any arguments dropped by your opponent will greatly strengthen your case. Voter issues are helpful. Explain to me the reasons for why you believe you won the round. Clarity of thought and logic for me will trump fast speech every time.

Hi! I'm MacKenna Morris (they/them), and I'm a senior at Durham Academy.

My email is 23morris@da.org

Background

I have spent most of my time as a Lincoln-Douglas debater on the local NC circuit, and I was an NCFL qualifier in 2022.

I am most familiar with progressive traditional argumentation, but I am still willing to hear and vote for other arguments as long as you understand and explain them well (as you should with all of your arguments). When choosing an argument to run, please keep in mind that debate should be educational and accessible for all parties.

TLDR

I flow, but you still need to explain all of your arguments well.

You should weigh and give voters as it will help your ballot and your speaks.

Clarity will never hurt you, so signpost.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the paradigm or anything else before the round. Feel free to email me or ask in the room.

Specifics (LD):

Be respectful to your opponent throughout the entirety of your interaction as debate is supposed to be enjoyable for everyone. In addition, debate should be a safe and inclusive space, so don't discriminate. If you are sexist, racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, or otherwise exclusionary, you will be dropped and given low speaks.

I'm a flow judge. However, it is not sufficient to say "Extend contention 3, it was conceded," move on, and expect to win the round on it. I may understand what you mean, but jargon is not an excuse for lack of clear explanation of arguments.

Also, please signpost. Clarity and organization are generally good and will not only help me judge you better but will result in a better round.

Even though I am a flow judge, reading more evidence will not equate to a win. Quality over quantity matters to me. Giving coherent and well explained explanations will help make your points stronger.

Please WEIGH your arguments. You need to show me why your impacts matter most under the framework that is being used in the round. Use weighing to help prove to me why your arguments matter and why I should vote for you. Good weighing wins rounds and bad weighing loses them.

In addition, please include voters in your last speech as they are the easiest way for me to evaluate the round. Use your voters to explain the key aspects of your arguments and tell me exactly why I should be voting for you in this round.

I will not evaluate new arguments in the last speeches as it does not give the other side adequate chance to respond, and if it is a critical argument to your strategy, you should plan to bring it up before your last speech.

Good luck, and have fun!

I am a parent of a debater and I participated in Lincoln Douglas Debate in High School. Although the resolutions are very different, the underlying premise in value debate is the same and above all else it is important to so reasoning in either establishing a case or refuting. We NEVER spoke quickly in our time - but that has changed and that is understandable, however I would prefer a reasonable to brisk pace. I do not appreciate 'spreading' as this takes away from the communication aspect of this style in my opinion. Please be thoughtful in your words, establish a repoire with those around you, Please be respectful and tolerant. Like good cooking, some thoughts need to simmer. I want to see arguments for definitions and value criterion linked to reason, evidence, example and carried through the round. This is the base of the pyramid for me. Evidence is applicable when placed in a solid / sound construct. Relax and enjoy your debates as much as I will enjoy hearing your ideas.

This is my second year as a judge. I have judged Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas debate events, both at the novice and varsity levels. I have also judged multiple speech events, including Extemp, Impromptu, HI, DI, etc. at the novice and varsity levels.

For Debate competitors:

My preference is for the debaters to speak slowly and clearly. It's better to have lesser but more impactful statements, rather than to cram in too much information all at once that doesn't flow properly. Debaters should also take advantage of the prep time available to them, instead of rushing into things.

Start with an off-time roadmap, in order to clearly describe what you will be speaking about and to keep yourself organized. Also summarize your key points in the beginning... and at the end. "Tell me what you're going to tell me, then tell me, and then tell me what you just told me."

Don't spread, as it tends to put you at a disadvantage with me as a judge and with your opponent who can use your spreading to attack you. Enjoy yourself, and be respectful to your opponent and your judge.

For Speech competitors:

Based on your event, take advantage of your opportunities to show emotion, changing of voice tones, gestures, and overall personification. Use roadmaps when appropriate, and speak clearly and slowly. Don't forget to clearly and accurately state the question / topic / title in your intro and in your conclusion, and summarize your answer / key points in your intro and conclusion.

Please speak clearly and not too fast. Have logical connections between your arguments and impacts.

pendyala.neha@gmail.com

My involvement in debate began 4 years ago when my daughter started in the club. I have a very numbers based and analytical background. Using numbers that you can back up will be the thing that most sways my thinking. I don't mind a fast talker but you need to be clear. If I cannot understand what you are saying you can't convince me of your arguments.

Please no spreading. I value quality over quantity.

I am a parent judge, I have a child who did 2 years of LD and is now in PF. (Hi I’m writing my mom’s paradigm so don’t assume she knows a lot about debate from this lmao)

Short: layest of lay judges

Long:

Speak slowly and clearly so I can understand you. Preferably send speech docs as well. hujane2@gmail.com

No spreading I will drop you.

I should be able to easily understand your link chain. If it’s not explained well enough that a parent can’t understand it then it’s probably not good enough.

Weigh your impacts clearly.

Don’t use debate lingo.

Be respectful (I’ll drop your speaks).

You should be able to clearly explain to me how and why you win.

Have fun!

This paradigm is written mostly for LD debates, which I frequently judge. Towards the end, I have specifics for PF debates, which I also judge, though less frequently.

What preferences do you have, as a judge?

Any progressive arguments, tricks, theories, I can't evaluate. Substantive arguments only, please.

Keep in mind that I am a lay judge. Most lay judges don't have knowledge of or even interest of knowing the nitty-gritty of public debates, and I am certainly one of that kind. You can think of lay judges as ordinary Americans watching politicians debating on TV, or as jurors sitting in a civil court and watching lawyers presenting their cases.

Generally speaking, if you defend your contentions well and put serious dents on your opponent's, you would have a good chance of winning the debate.

In a neck-and-neck round where AFF is winning this argument but NEG is winning the other, I would weigh the importance of each argument. If that still cannot break the tie, it may boil down to tiny things here and there that I won't elaborate here. Fortunately, I rarely had to do a coin flip for tie-breaker.

Logistics

I prefer normal conversational speed because English is not my native language.

If you plan to spread during the debate, it's imperative that you send your scripts/docs in advance, with clear highlighting. Tabroom's doc share feature is good enough, but if you'd like to include me in the email chain, here it is: michael.zhou@gmail.com.

Along the same line, please reduce the usage of jargons to get the most credit out of your claims and arguments.

It's my habit to take notes during the debate and write comments while debaters use their prep time. The purpose is to give instant and candid feedback to both debaters from a judge's perspective and lay out my reasoning for win/lose decision. I hope that helps debaters improve their cases, sharpen their skills and prep for next rounds.

How should debaters approach constructive speeches?

A few well-developed arguments prove more persuasive than a larger quantity of arguments. I am an engineer and practice the principle of reducing complex concepts to the simplest meaningful terms. You may often hear Alert Einstein being quoted "if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." Sometimes, less is more.

Arguments should each be addressed individually in a concise manner, with a clear pause before moving to the next argument.

Now, the most important thing! Arguments should be coherent. Let me give an example. If you claim US military presence is the main factor of regional instability and next second you suggest US forces be redeployed from Middle East to Indo-Pacific region, that creates a self-inconsistence. These types of logical mistakes are extremely detrimental to your case's credibility. It's like shooting yourself in the foot. Let me stress this: logics and coherency.

How should debaters approach rebuttal speeches?

I prefer each rebuttal making a brief reference to the specific issue advanced in constructive speeches.

Same as constructive speeches, rebuttals should be delivered succinctly, with emphasis on the key issues.

How should debaters approach evidence?

Citations after article introduction.

How should debaters use values, criteria and arguments to support a value position?

Build the value that is not overly complicated, relatable, and criterion should not be over technical.

What arguments (such as philosophical, theoretical or empirical) do you prefer to support a value position?

Empirical.

Here are the reasons.

I am genuinely interested in many disciplines but I rarely read philosophy books, so I can't judge if you approach the resolution from a philosophical angle.

An ideal world exists only in a utopian ideology but we are living in a real world, and an imperfect one. Countless things theoretically ideal or with wonderful intentions have led to total disasters in human history.

So I prefer empirical arguments ONLY.

Please explain your views on critical arguments.

Critical arguments should provide substantial evidence for their support.

How should debaters run on case arguments?

Make sure all claims are supported with specific, defined examples, no paraphrasing.

How should debaters run off case arguments?

Make sure they have a purpose or illustration for the case at hand.

For PF

While most of content above is still generally relevant for PF, I am adding a couple of points specific to public forum debates that help you understand my preferences.

• Have a clearly outlined constructive speech. It would be a huge plus if you start with each of your critical points in an emphasized one-liner, because that saves me time to summarize it for you.
• I generally don't question or ask for evidence, unless your statements are outrageously contradicting with common sense or my knowledge. That does not mean the opponents won't poke holes and challenge you. Which brings my next point.
• I value quality rebuttals and that counts heavily toward decision making of who wins/loses. Meaning if you cannot refute your opponent's critical points effectively, those points will stand. You can think of this process as point reduction. Both you and your opponents start at a perfect 30-point. Every time you have a strong rebuttal, you are reducing points from your opponents. Every time you defend your constructive points well, you are reserving/keeping points for yourself.
• Last but not least, substance is more important than presentation. It's even okay to stutter during debates, and it won't count against you unless your arguments are not cohesive, which shows you are less prepared.