Debate how you’d like. I’m down to evaluate most positions, including any theory/kritik positions. Feel free to reject the resolution. Tech > truth. I protect the flow but call the POO. Good luck have fun :D

high-level stuff:

hi, my name is Sam (he/they) and I have been involved in debate for ~8 years. During my time competing, I debated in parliamentary debate for Nueva, mainly in the NorCal circuit. I am open to all types/stylistic forms of debate, so if you are not a NorCal team please don’t feel the need to change your entire debate style for one round. That being said, please do impact analysis (explain to me which impacts matter the most/matter over other impacts) and weigh (tell me which arguments are the most important). Doing both of these things is the easier path to winning my ballot. I have exactly zero tolerance for any bigotry, and I will intervene against any argument that is racist, sexist, xenophobic, etc. By extension, do not misgender your opponents—I will tank your speaks if you don’t correct your mistakes immediately. Content warnings are good for making debate a safe space for everyone, so please use them and respect them.

1. I will try my best to protect the flow. Regardless, always call the POO. Sometimes I miss things, so the best way to guarantee that I won’t miss an important argument is to call the POO. I will try to rule on the POO before you resume your speech to the best of my ability. I can promise anything, but I know this is especially helpful for debaters

2. Please provide texts of advocacies (plans, CPs, alternatives, ROTBs, etc...) when you read them. I default to texts are binding. If we are online, please pass them in the online video chat. If we are in person, please write them down on a sheet of paper and pass that paper around to both your opponents and me.

3. I give speaks based on strategic decisions and argumentative execution. I don’t care how you present your arguments, feel free to sit, stand, or do whatever makes you most comfortable. My range for speaks is 27-29.5. If you get above that you did fantastically and I think you should win the tournament. If you got below that you probably did something bad independent of the arguments you made in the round.

4. I welcome questions about the round/my decision. If you want to ask me questions about the round, please do not hesitate to do so. If we are at an in-person tournament, you are welcome to come find me as well.
   
   

case:

1. If you don’t read a framework, I’m going to default to net benefits. Likewise, if you don’t read a plan, I am just going to assume you are defending the entirety of the resolution as your advocacy. I would strongly recommend that you both read a plantext and a framework, even if it is just net benefits. I will be unhappy if you don’t read a plantext :(

2. Please try to terminalize impacts as much as possible; I need you to give me a specific and quantifiable explanation so I can weigh the round and thus decide the ballot. If you are reading an impact chain to me, please implicate and terminalize all of your impacts. This is also probably a pretty good way to pick up my ballot. You do not need to terminalize impacts like death or suffering to me; I assume they are terminalize in themselves.

3. I’m fine with conditional & dispositional counterplans. Just be prepared to defend them if your opponents read condo theory. If you want to read a non-mutually exclusive counterplan, please read competition for the CP and/or be prepared to beat the perm. In the same vein, I’m very down for any strange counterplans so long as you can justify it. If you don’t ask your opponents what the status of their counterplan is when they read it, I assume it is nebulous until they bring it up or you ask.
   
   

theory:

I’m a big fan of theory, but please make sure to include a specific text and violation if you want to run theory. If you’re going fast, slow on the interp at the very least. If we’re in-person, a written copy of your interpretation would be lovely as well.

1. I default to competing interpretations over reasonability. I think competing interps is a better model to evaluate theory, however, I will happily listen to reasonability if there is a brightline.

2. I assume all theory is to drop the argument unless told otherwise. I’ll happily vote for drop the debater, but just make sure to explicitly go for that.

3. Feel free to run Framework T/T-USfg/Ks bad theory. I don’t have a default for theory/kritik layering in round, so please read layering. The outcome of most rounds can be changed drastically by one side reading 30 seconds of layering, so please do it. At the very least, it helps me make my decision easier.

4. I’m perfectly fine with RVIs, in fact, I think running RVIs in response to theory is a very good strategy and often underutilized. If you’re going to run an RVI, give me a one-sentence overview of what the RVI is, why I should grant the RVI to you, and other important information you feel is necessary.

5. I’m fine with friv theory. Please be nice to your opponents though—don’t read friv t against another team if you know they don't know how to respond to it. I’m very sympathetic to RVIs on friv shells. I'm more than happy to throw my tech>truth views out the window in favor of accessibility in debate.

kritiks & critical positions:

I love kritik debates and will happily vote for them. KvK debates are my favorite kind of rounds to judge. This may be a hot take, but I also feel like they are the fairest option for neg teams trying to contest the aff K—still feel free to read framework T though.

1. Assume that I don’t understand your lit base and start from square one and go from there. I have experience and knowledge in critical literature but don’t assume anything.

1. For non-topical aff Ks, if you are rejecting the resolution, please give topic-specific reasons as to why you are rejecting the resolution. If you’re reading a topical aff k, I’m hyped to hear it. That doesn’t apply to you.

1. I think disclosure is good but quite unverifiable and invites judge intervention as a result. I am skeptical of voting for disclosure theory, but will probably boost your speaks regardless a bit if someone mentions you disclosed the aff K.

1. I’m not a huge fan of offensive RoBs, but feel free to read them if you want. Please justify and explain the reject alt if you’re reading a reject alt.

assorted tech stuff:

Feel free to read IVIs. I think IVIs can be quite strategic, and I will happily listen to them. I don’t have much experience with other ld/cx arguments that aren’t common in parli, so i'm happy to listen to phil/tricks but no promises I’ll follow along perfectly.

good luck have fun :D

Hi! My name's Madi, and I competed in LD for all four years of high school. Feel free to run whatever you want as long as you explain it well, and I'm good with speed as long as your opponent is.

hey! i'm sofia (she/her) and i do high school public forum debate and congress. i'm relatively new to judging :)

preferences

- tech > truth

- be respectful and friendly to everyone

- make sure to weigh in summary and final

- warrant, roadmap, and signpost your arguments

- evidence exchange should be quick and evidence should not be misconstrued - make sure you have cut cards

- a little speed is fine but avoid spreading

- progressive arguments (t/k/etc) are okay, but i don't prefer them

- second rebuttal/first summary needs to frontline. you should extend all defense/frontlines - basically anything you want to say in final focus has to be said in summary (don't bring up new arguments late in round)

- if you have framework --> warrant it

- crossfire is important, but you should reiterate key points in your speech. don't interrupt your opponent. if you say something in cross and don't bring it up again in speeches i'll disregard it

I have no experience in terms of judging any kind or form of debate. Even though I have no experience but I will be fair and impartial with my decisions.
Always act with decorum towards other debaters.

BASICS

I AM A LAY PARENT JUDGE.

First, starting with the obvious, I WILL NOT tolerate any amount of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and/or any constricting or or offensive arguments. Debate is a safe space and you will respect both your opponents and you partner, please do not laugh at your opponents, roll your eyes, or cross-contest on POI's.

COURTESY

Please signpost everything, tell me where you are. Aff case, neg case, where are we? It makes judging so much easier when I know where on the flow I should be, and whether something is offense, defense, or something else.

I do not believe in Judge intervention so I will not protect the last speech. Always call POO's and do not become frustrated or scared to call them/answer them.

Please try to take at least 1 POI per speech, but, do not ask POI's just to waste your opponents time, ask POI's so you can take jabs at the opponents weaker points, or for a point of clarification.

SPEED

Especially online, enunciate everything and go slower, you can speed your speech up slightly, but do not spread. If you opponents ask you to slow down, please do.

I do not like it when debaters go over the top in speed in a way that confuses both the opponents and the judge, it takes away from the educational value of the debate. Your opponents should know what arguments you are running/what you're saying. You shouldn't be winning on confusion, but instead the actual content of your case.

JUDGING

I prefer if you actually have a understanding of what argument you are reading, I do not like it when debaters only win off of saying certain buzzwords.

I do not usually vote for any over the top, or "quirky" arguments. I do not usually buy very unprobable link chains like climate change from using less paper or nuclear war from a small disagreement. Just keep it realistic. I care more about a probable link chain than if you have big stick MPX that you have no access to.

I prefer if you keep the debate clean and organized, it's hard for me to arrive at a good, strong decision if the flow is messed up everywhere.

Always make sure your case is logical. Tell me a story that makes sense and is easy to follow.

WEIGH WEIGH WEIGH WEIGH WEIGH. Weigh your MPX. Tell me why yours are more important, tell me why it matter. Give me a clear weighing mech, tell me exactly why I'm voting you.

TECH

NOVICE (only division I will be judging): DO NOT run K under any circumstances, novice is a space for debaters to learn and new debaters should not be abused by Kritiks. If your opponents are being extremely racist, using problematic arguments, or being offensive, LET ME KNOW. I do not fully understand how a Kritik works and running over the top tech arguments like it will only confuse me. While I want the debate space to be equal and safe, I simply cannot vote on K's because I don't understand them, and therefore I would just be blindly guessing.

Only run theory if necessary. I will not vote on friv, and will be sympathetic to teams who call friv theories out. I will be very sad voting for an abuse AFF plantext, or abusive neg counterplan.

If you perm, explain it to me thoroughly. Tell me why you should be able to perm, what a perm is, and what it does for you in the round.

Overall, don't run too techy things. If you do, explain them to me. You could also just ditch the 'tech' format (EXAMPLE: Just straight up tell me if the other team is abusive and why, instead of launching into a complicated speech filled with jargon. I really don't care about your standards and voters if I don't even know what they are and why they matter) for theories. Just saying (wink wink).

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, debate is a safe space for education and having fun. Whether you win or lose, you still have gained something from the round. Never concede the round, and always believe in your ability to be an exceptional debater, regardless of the decision.
Good luck :))

also, if you run an abusive CP and I have to vote on it, I will literally be seething with sadness. dont do it.