Hey! I'm Tanvi. Small background on me, I was an LD debater at Rosemount High School in Minnesota for four years, and now I'm a third year out.

• Tech>truth but truth still matters. I vote off the flow, but if an argument is stupid and your opponent makes a decent argument as to why, I’m going to buy their extensions.
• Speed: Don’t spread but otherwise go as fast as you want. Add me to an email chain if you want to be sure I’ll catch everything adigedebate@gmail.com

Traditional Debate

Framework matters; doesn’t matter what it is but link into the winning framework if you want offense for me to vote on.

I appreciate good evidence analysis/indicts, impact comparisons, weighing, etc.

Circuit Debate

• CPs: Totally willing to hear a good counterplan. Pretty receptive to condo bad args so keep that in mind.
• DAs: Same with CPs
• Ks: I'm okay with some Ks but I'm not familiar with a lot of K lit. Don’t expect that I’m going to understand your K if it’s pretty dense/complicated. Also I don’t really love pre-fiat Ks and would rather not hear one if you’re going to run a K. In general, I would suggest you not run a K in front of me because I probably won't do justice to it.
• Phil: I probably won’t understand it.
• Theory: I’m willing to listen to theory arguments. I don’t care for theory structure all too much and I dislike disclosure theory.

Please make the debate accessible. If your opponent is not familiar with circuit structure/is a novice, don’t just use that to win the round. You can make whatever arguments you want but do it in a way that allows your opponent to engage with it.

Don’t be afraid to ask any questions!

harith.dameh@gmail.com

Hello!

TLDR Trad is preferred, weigh, and here's my speaker point scale

27.5 is average in your category. I adjust from there; anything above a +/- 2 difference is significantly different from the average.

My background: I debated for 3 years in LD for Apple Valley High School. I assistant coached there.

Placed 8th at NSDA senior year. Very trad but have some circuit experience. I'm not good with the jargon so explaining stuff is nice

I basically agree with Nick Smith's paradigm on everything. A couple key points for me in LD:

1. Explain your arguments well. Make sure that you could succinctly explain your case to your grandma if she asked

2. Show how they link under the framework. I get so sad having to discount really well-thought-out arguments because they don't matter under FW and someone points that out, but that's the name of the game, I guess.

3. Please interact your arguments with both the rest of yours and your opponent's. They don't exist in a vacuum; each argument is a piece of the puzzle. Show the connections and you'll be great.

and have fun! ask me questions before the round if you have questions

I am a parent judge who did not participate in debate in high school or college. In order for me to best follow a debate, the speech should be clear, easy to follow and at a conversational pace. Please do not spread or rely on jargon.

Blippy arguments make the debate nearly impossible to judge:

Cards should have warrants and you should be able to access the warrant and reasoning behind the card a quote without context is not an argument. You should be using warrants not just reading a quote. If you are extending evidence you should be reading the warrant, not just a blip.

THE DEBATER WHO HAS BETTER ARGUMENTATION WILL WIN OVER THE DEBATER WHO JUST READS A CARD THAT SAYS WELL ACTUALLY WSJ SAYS XYZ.

there should in general, be more engagement on the framing aspect of the debate. Tell me:

How you link into framing
Why that is good
Why your opponent doesn't
why that is bad

pick one main argument that you are winning and link to framing.

pick what offense the other team has and outweigh it

he/him

I have been a coach at Evanston for 5 years, and have been judging for them for 7+

please be clear if spreading, very important that you pause and sign post during argumentation. I will defer to what I hear in speeches and use the speech doc sparingly. It is importance to change cadence when spreading in order to emphasize warrants and impacts in order to differentiate. I don’t want to have to read the cards to figure out what you are saying in your speeches, you should be clear enough so I can flow

Tricks are pretty annoying and don't really help people learn how to debate, It is on a case to case basis on how I will weigh tricks (long story short, id recommend NOT reading them in front of me)

The most important thing in the round is that your arguments are accessible, and inclusive to everyone. That being said, be inclusive to your opponent inside the round. If your opponent doesn't understand speed, slow down. If an argument is not clear and is hard to understand, explain it. If you don't do these things, I will have a hard time voting for these arguments. That being said, I am pretty much open to any argument (regardless of event) as long as it is warranted, and impacted (as long as it is not exclusionary or violent). This includes critical arguments in public forum. Don't lie about evidence. This is a very good way to automatically lose the round with me, and more often than not almost any other judge, or judge panel.

Decision-Making:

Framing:

If you tell me to look at a certain framework and it is fair and reasonable, then I will do so. If I don't think it is fair I probably wont evaluate under it, but I will tell you why I think it's unfair, and how to make it fair. For LD, it is more about warranted framing. I don’t like/understand phil framing when it’s spread, and I literally have no idea how to evaluate it when it’s read at 200+ wpm

K's are cool.

Decorum: You should do what makes you comfortable in round, if you want to sit down for cx cool, stand up, cool. Sit down for speech, yeee, stand on your head. Let people know if there is anything you need to make the round more accessible or more comfortable for you.

Speaker points: Being kind in round is the best way to get 30's with me. Also, if I learn something new or interesting, you will probably get good speaks

winners get probably 28-30, then the losing team .5 less

30: you were cool in round

I don't always remember to time, so please be honest and hold yourselves accountable.

Pre-round paradigm

Hello! I am good with pretty much any argument as long as it is developed as an actual argument. I much much much prefer clash to avoiding argumentation. Something isnt an argument just because you say it is, it has to actually be an argument. and dont read tricks please :)))))

Prefs paradigm

Please put me on the email - Harvanko11@gmail.com - but I probably wont be reading ev during the debate I enjoy all types of debates as long as they are done well, I will try my best to be tab and adapt to whatever style of debate you are used to rather than having y'all poorly adapting to what i am used to. I am fine with most things as long as you take your opponent seriously. go at like 70% of top speed. I obviously do have opinions on things as everyone does so the rest of this will be trying to be transparent about what those are. None of this is set in stone and I will try my best to rid myself of any ideological bias during the round.

For quick prefs i hate you if u read tricks and will happily evaluate everything else

POLICY AFFS

I enjoy all of them from the most stock aff on a topic to an in-depth process aff as long as they are debated well and I am given a clear story of the advantages/what the aff does to solve them.

K AFFS

Go for it, I would much prefer if the aff had *some* relationship to the topic either being "in the direction" or telling me why I shouldn't like the topic (and more importantly why that means I should vote aff) and I do not really like an aff that is just something that can be entirely recycled every topic. With the framework debate I probably err towards a well thought out counter interp than just straight impact turning everything but both can be viable and winning strategies.

PHIL POSITIONS

I have at least some experience in most philosophies. I have a hard time believing that all the philosophies that y'all claim don't care about consequences actually don't care about them (kant is an obvious exception). With a policy against a phil debate, I would prefer having some spin as to why your offense is relevant under their framework than just going all in on their framework being wrong or yours being normatively true but either can be a winning strategy.

COUNTERPLANS

I really enjoy a good counterplan so long as I know both how it competes and what the net benefit is (competition from net benefits is competition enough but there can be more). I really really enjoy process counterplan debates as long as I understand its distinction from the aff.

Counterplan theory is pretty much the only theory that I am wholeheartedly for. I come from LD originally and have moved into policy so my thoughts on condo aren't really clear yet, for LD I can be easily convinced of either side.

DISADVANTAGES

I don't really have any strong opinions about disads. I would like a lot of impact and turns case analysis if the disad is the only thing in the 2nr. I don't think I would be comfortable voting on a disad if the aff has a comparable impact without some level of solvency push by the negative.

THE CRITICISM

I think they are usually pretty good arguments but I feel as though they are often times assumed to come prior for no particular reason and I wont just arbitrarily do that for you. I need a substantial amount of explanation for me to feel comfortable voting on denser theories like afropessimism, baudrillard, lacan etc.

THEORY

I can get behind most theory debates as long is there is actual abuse. I know I know, reasonability is arbitrary but I think there are affs that clearly are not abusive. I think that fairness is a good internal link but not an impact in and of itself (and I imagine that that will be hard, but not impossible, to convince me of). I actually find myself hating judging theory debates nowadays because they are usually way to fast for me, so with that, I would prefer if you slowed down quite a bit if you're going to be making hella quick analytic args (this is generally true but especially true for theory debates). I really don't like disclosure in most cases unless the aff has been broken but isnt disclosed online and isnt disclosed in person before the round.

TOPICALITY

Go for it, I am predisposed to think that t isn't an RVI but can potentially be swayed otherwise. The more contextualized definitions are to the topic the more I like them. I think t can be incredibly persuasive against k affs as well (not as a framework position but actually going for t)

TRICKS

dont read them please :)

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

- CX is binding but I probably wont write anything down unless you explicitly direct me to in the moment.

- Speaks start at around a 28.5 and I look to go up or down from there based on strategy, efficiency (not time efficiency but if you are too repetitive on an argument), and clarity.

- Please ask me questions before the round if you are unsure of anything!!!!!

- I welcome you all to post round me, we are all in debate for a reason and i love to argue

I come from a state with a traditional style of debate. Truth over tech. I don’t mind a bit of speed with signposting but need speaking to be clear.

University of Iowa | 26'

Valley High School | 22'

Update for Millard North: I competed for Valley for around two and a half years before stopping during online debate. I was familiar with most types of arguments, but am certainly a bit rusty and out of the scene. I'm not familiar with what arguments are within the meta, however still willing to vote on anything as long as its explained and warranted. Please err on the side of over explanation and around 75-80% speed.

Here's my paradigm:

email for chain: tknudsen77@gmail.com

General:

Tech > Truth

Willing to vote on just about anything as long as there is a warrant, but please explain your arguments and don't assume I know what you are reading. I will not be voting on anything I don't understand.

As a debater I had the most experience in framework, theory, and tricks. (so do with that what you will)

I will not vote on any argument that is sexist, racist, homophobic, etc.

Defaults: can easily be changed.

Drop the Debater

Competing Interps

No RVI's

Fairness and Education are voters

Presumption Affirms

ROB is Truth Testing

Specifics:

Theory:

Defaults are above

Default Layering: 1AR theory, T, 1nc theory

Prefer shell over paragraph theory, however both are fine.

I really enjoy a good theory debate, but bad theory debates can be the worst to watch

Weigh, Weigh, Weigh - this is especially important in resolving messy theory debates

You can read any theory shell, frivolous or not, but I have a lower threshold for responses for friv theory

Don't like disclosure theory - more often than not I am on the defensive end of this. If you feel like you have to read this please provide screenshots, but my threshold for responses are lower than most shells.

I think 1ar theory can be very strategic however it is often underutilized

I think reasonability is also underutilized - consider going for it but please provide a brightline.

Topicality:

Fine for this - don't go for it as often as theory but feel free to read it.

I have gone for Nebel T, T - fwk, T - plural, and T - eliminate.

If you are going for it the 2n - please go for it for the majority of the 2n and win why it comes first.

Policy:

Probably not your ideal judge for dense Larp debates

I read policy style arguments on the neg a lot. Generally one or two policy offs against a policy aff however I generally go for theory or an NC in 2n.

I like built-in turns case args against non-util frameworks and think they're strategic

DA's are good - don't know anyone who has an issue with these

CP's are fine but please explain their interactions with the affirmative (why it solves the aff and avoids the DA)

I won't read cards unless I am instructed to

1ar theory should probably be read against CP's - especially cheaty CP's (what those consist of is left up to the debaters)

Tricks:

I love a good trick and am willing to vote on these, but please win Truth Testing.

These debaters can also become very messy so please don't go for every single trick you read. Please layer and weigh to make these debates resolvable.

Willing to vote on any trick I understand, however I might not understand every super complex tricks - ask before the round for clarification.

Clever aprioris or tricks are really fun to watch and will result in good speaks, but stale overused ones can become boring. Still willing to vote for them

A lot of these arguments are ridiculous so just point out why - failing to do so can be devastating.

Going for these arguments poorly will result in lower speaks - but doing so well will result in very high speaks

Please slow down on skep triggers or other blips. Also, please be open in cx I find "what's an apriori?" very annoying.

Phil:

I go for Phil a lot and enjoy a nuanced Phil debate.

A well-warranted syllogism is really fun to watch, but okay with independent preclusion arguments.

Don't understand how to evaluate the round under epistemic modesty - you should provide a formula for evaluation if you want me to use this. I will default to epistemic confidence.

Ask before the round for familiarity - will most likely be able to follow your framework if it warranted and explained well

I think metaethics are very strategic to filter what frameworks are relevant.

Clever framework hijacks are awesome and underutilized.

NC/AC strats are the best strat and if done well you will receive high speaks

K's:

These debates are not my favorite. I don't understand a majority of the literature, but know the basics of some. If you want to ask for familiarity before the round that would probably be smart. If you don't and I have no idea what your reading is, you will probably not be happy with my decision.

Please err on the side of over-explanation.

I feel like a lot of kritiks are just random buzzwords thrown together, specifically high theory. But feel like I can somewhat evaluate identity K's okay.

Would prefer a LBL approach rather than long overviews

I don't think going for the alt is necessary and it oftentimes is more strategic not to. Going for the K as a turn or DA to case is strategic.

I don't really understand how to evaluate many K tricks like floating PIK's but please be open about them in CX

I think reading theory and winning theory first is generally a good strat.

Winning your ROB is generally a must.

Misc:

"Independent voters are not independent - they are dependent entirely on what is almost always a new framework that involves some impact that is presumed to be preclusive." - Conal Thomas Mcginnis

Things like speech times are non negotiable

Compiling a doc is prep, but emailing is not

Make the debate fun for yourself - the ballot is yours I am just here to fill it out.

I am over a decade removed from High School Debate.

I won't vote for arguments I don't understand:

I won't understand arguments made at an incomprehensible speed. Speak at a quick, conversational pace.

I won't understand arguments that rely on dense philosophical frameworks. Many philosophical arguments take several readings to understand. Ask yourself this: if you didn't understand the passage the first few times you read it with your eyes, will I understand it the first time I hear it read at 200 words per minute? Probably not. Philosophical arguments are fine, and philosophical debates can be fun, but the best debaters can distill complex ideas into arguments that appeal to our most basic moral intuitions. In a similar vein, avoid arguments you know to be morally suspect. I'm likely to share the same suspicion and asking me to suspend my moral intuition for the duration of the round is not a winning strategy.

I won't understand arguments missing a claim, warrant, or an impact.

I probably won't understand arguments that ask me to evaluate the resolution as something other than a normative question.

Together with your coaches and teammates, judges are an important force in promoting norms of behavior that make high school debate a worthwhile activity for everyone involved. With this aim in mind please consider the following:

Think rigorously. Make smart, original arguments. Avoid strategies and behaviors with no convincing aim other than winning the round at the expense of substantive debate. This includes unreasonable "spikes" and blippy arguments.

Be respectful: Obviously, avoid patently offensive speech. Perhaps less obviously, if you're the debater that's very clearly winning the round, it's incumbent on you to ensure debate remains a worthwhile activity for your opponent. Take it as an exercise in humility and do your best to ensure your opponent at least understands the argument you're making.

Be honest: do not misrepresent evidence. Consider your speech an academic work product (which it is) and adhere to the same standards as you would in school.

I competed in policy in high school and in NDT for four years in college. However, my high school years were 1981-85, and my college years were 1985-89. Since that time, I coached national level policy debate from 1992-2007, and then retired for 13 years. From 2020 through 2023 I have been coaching LD for Edina HS. I have also been a labor and employment lawyer (representing employers) since graduating from law school in 1992.

I believe debate is a verbal activity. I will flow your speeches and will yell clear if I cannot understand you. If I yell clear, slow down and ensure that I am tracking your speech. I will not flow based on your speech doc. I will consult the speech doc if there is a dispute about what evidence says.

Given my policy history, my default evaluation is policy in orientation. However, I'm more than willing to evaluate a debate based on a philosophical framework or a kritical/in-round framework. I am not a big fan of tricks debate, as I apply a Toulmin-style evaluation of arguments and expect a claim, data and warrant, and in my experience a lot of tricks debate arguments lack the data and warrant elements of a Toulmin argument. However, I do judge the debate based on the flow, and I've certainly voted on a lot of theory arguments in my time.

I think debate is a wonderful activity and I value everyone's contribution and participation. As a result I will react negatively to any conduct or argumentation that devalues or diminishes debaters. If you're rude, nasty or mean, expect me to reduce your speaker points. If your rudeness or nastiness is related to gender, race or some other protected characteristic, expert me to reduce them a lot.

I love to watch debaters having fun. It's a great activity. Try to enjoy it.

Currently coach of Minnetonka High School

Hey Y'all I love weighing and extentions and plzzzzzzzzzzz signpost for me.

Ive done circuit for 1 year for LD. Done 2 years of LD, 2 years in other formats, and also 1 year in Congress

LD - Make sure to sign post when speaking. Use weighing mechanics to weigh impacts. Clearly explain framework and why your fw matters. If you don't signpost while doing your rebuttal I will drop it.

• Idk lately why a lot of debaters don't link their case back to their fw.
• Also weighing too duh????
• Signpost plz so I don't get confused lol
• Tech>Truth

If I yell out clear 3 times I will stop flowing

Circuit LD - Plans, Disads, CP, K and Theory only. I will not vote on tricks arguments.

Plans,Disads,CP>Theory>K>Other things

I will vote you down for any Tricks

Congress - Speeches must be clear and concise. The only way you will get a good placement if you actually have clash.

*Little rant: I don't know why nobody in congress have clash. This is a real debate hence you would need some clash. Don't just go up and say your side without talking about the other sides points.

How I vote on congress. Argumentation/Content>Speech points/Quality>Quality of Questions> Following Procedures

Email chain send to trinh120@umn.edu