Hello all, I am a parent judge and I have been judging LD, PF, and other individual events for the last 3-4 years.

DECISION:My decision evaluates all scopes of the debate: framework, arguments, reasoning, evidence, links, etc. However, telling me why your IMPACTS are important and how you better achieve them than your opponent is key for you to win this debate. I do not care about what kind of impacts you give me, but it would be good if you start out with specifics and then at the end you summarize with broad ones so I know where you are deriving your impacts from.

FLOWING: I will flow a line-by-line analysis, however, I prefer OVERVIEWS (not only in your 2ars or 2nrs) because they clear things up for me and make the ballot easier too.

OTHER PREFERENCES: For speaking, please speak clearly and speak to the point. In terms of speed, please do NOT SPREAD . If you speak marginally fast or faster than conversational, it is okay as long as you slow down at the impactful parts, tags, numbers you want me to flow, etc. Do NOT RUN THEORY because I will probably not understand it or flow it. By chance if I do flow part of your theory argument , it will not be a major evaluation in the debate and I will probably just ignore it.

HAVE FUN DEBATING ;)

Lay judge, no spreading. I have judged Congress to oi to policy. I will always write long form notes on in round speeches, but I may not set up my flow like conventional debaters.

sai.ankireddi@gmail.com

TBD

hello! this was written by tony chang’s daughter - congrats on having him as a judge

yes, email chain: tonychang777@gmail.com

applicable to most debate events so PLEASE READ 

background: 

my dad was a philosophy major (lowk quirky LOL) - he’s a great writer and enjoys reading complex literature especially about philosophical concepts. he like cappuccinos and cooking, detests mochi and celery, and loves cats 

anyway...

key points: 

• sucker for good vocabulary - im not even kidding use a lot of vocab and you’ll have his ballot
• signpost please + explain stock issues!1!1
• SLOW
• pls write his ballot for him + weigh arguments —> or else he’ll prob vote on who spoke better lol

if you run topicality or counterplans you’ll have to explain it super well to him 

good luck !!!!

I am a parent judge and this is my fourth year judging in policy, PF, and LD events. Please do not spread or speak super fast: If I cannot understand you and follow your flow, I will not be able to judge you.

I am a scientist by training so I am mostly looking for the logic connecting the evidence with the statement, and if the opposing side was able to identify the conflict of evidence either existing in assumption and study methodology. I do not judge the credibility of the evidence by its author or organization but more on what the opposing team picks up to clash and answers to.

I am a parent judge with 8 years of experience judging almost all categories of speech and debate competitions.

former policy debater:

• Ks and theories allowed but I did NOT do a lot of work in that area. If you do bring it up, you will still have to explain thoroughly.
• if the tournament gears toward lay debate, keep the pace slow! 
• I have not done full research into this year's topic. Don't assume what background knowledge I have. 

If I am judging you for LD or PF:

• I have judged LD and PF a few times. However, I have not ever participated in the events/have an in-depth knowledge of these debates.

I will give more information on my background/what I judge for if further questions are asked. 

Overall!

• just don't be rude. keep it a fair debate.

email: kaylynchoilee@gmail.com

I’m a parent judge, and this is my second year judging debate. I have judged policy and parliamentary debate. I have extensive background in issues of national security and finance.

I ask that you please speak clearly and not too fast. Try to resist from filler words. Most of all, I ask that you are respectful of your opponents.

I appreciate logical and clear arguments backed up with evidence. Demonstrate that you understand the implications of your arguments on a micro and macro level.

I am a parent judge and judging for past two and half year.

I prefer if both teams would reference their evidence and make their arguments concise and easy to understand.

I look for consistency in the arguments throughout the debate

Judgement is limited only to the arguments presented and contested in the debate

Hey everyone I’m Ms.Stacy, the PF coach from Leland. Here is the paradigm for PF specifically:

Put me on the chain: shaky1832@yahoo.com

Treat me as a lay (less jargon, slower speed, etc.) I did not compete or coach tech-debate a lot so I am still working on understanding the intricacies of PF. Traditional speaking style/content delivery does weigh into my overall perception of the round, make of this what you will. Be fluent and seem passionate about what you are talking about and you will do great!

That being said, I can tell when a response is new. New responses that were not in rebuttal or summary will not be evaluated. I want to understand the response as you are giving it, not 2 speeches later. As much as I try to be tech>truth, bad response quality, and explanation does still hurt. The same thing goes for extensions, which take more time than a 5-second speed run in the back half. If I do not understand the argument, I will not vote on it.

Keep advocacies topical. I do not trust myself to evaluate any sort of pre-fiat offense whether it be theory, kritiks, or whatever else. The most I could do is evaluate an evidence IVI if the cut is really bad.

Please weigh. A lot of the time I have a really hard time making the “right” decision if I have to evaluate multiple lines of offense with no comparative weighing. If you start the weighing strong and early, it makes the round much easier to evaluate.

Most importantly, remember to have fun!

Written by the child of this judge:

General: My mom is pretty expressive irl so if you either say something funny and/or really absurd she'll laugh and if you say something she doesn't understand she will frown. If it's online debate then she'll probably won't change her expression throughout the debate

Putting her on the chain is probably a disadvantage to you because she has no idea how card formatting works.

Ideal speed is the speed at which you would talk to your parents about normal, everyday things.

Experience: My mother is a lay parent who has some experience judging stock issues centered lay debate at a local level. She values clarity of expression and thought, and devalues faster speaking styles and arguments. This doesn't mean that just because someone spoke better than you she'll vote for them, this just means if she can't understand your argument, she won't vote for you.

Jargon: Additionally, try to minimize your jargon even if the phrases might not seem like jargon to you. Things like "OCOs," "uniqueness," and even " status quo" should be avoided.

Background: My mother works in management for a tech company that heavily involves straddling the barriers between the United States and China. That means she is generally pretty knowledgeable about international supply chains, US-China relations, and manufacturing. Do with that information what you will. She's also really smart so don't feel the need to excessively simplify arguments for her. In addition, even though she is fluent in English, it's still her second language so just speak a little slower than you think you need to.

Strategy: In terms of strategy, she likes big, core of the topic affirmatives (yes read a plan) with intuitive solvency mechanisms and minimal jargon. On the negative, she WILL and often does vote on presumption and inherency. That means that when it comes to 1nc construction, it's probably better to develop a deeper explanation of case defense rather than adding in another off case position.

Intuitive advantage counterplans with clearexternal net benefits might work in front of her but be very clear in describing exactly how the counterplan functions. Counterplans that rely on specific definitions of words in the resolution probably would confuse her (i.e. DoS CP, DSCA PIC, all counterplans that compete off of certainty and immediacy). I would say the closer you stay to the core of the topic arguments and position, the better it is. Something like OCOs bad + defensive posture cp against the ocos aff would be much better than something like the Canada Counterplan or the dsca pic.

Really really really oddly enough she loves the 5 eyes counterplan against cyber affs. I'm not sure why, and I'm not sure how she'll evaluate a round on it so read at your own risk.

If you are a K debater/prefer kritikal arguments then I'm sorry but probably not the greatest judge for you.

If you want to go for T it's probably going to be a coinflip unless the violation is extremely blatant and intuitive. In that scenario, technical standards debating won't win you the round but big picture appeals like "c'mon, this very obviously isn't about nato security cooperation" will, so in that regard topic knowledge is probably the best offense on T.

I am a well-experienced parent-judge and have judged LD, PF, and Policy.

-I encourage you to talk at a reasonable pace so that your arguments are clear

-Make sure to keep time of yourselves

-Don't bring up new arguments in final focus

-Be respectful of your opponents

I am a parent judge and this is my 4th year judging debate and speech tournaments.

For debate-

My vote is based on the following three principles:

1. Clarity and evidence: Debaters should deliver their arguments clearly and concisely, with supporting evidence from credible sources. Take your time to explain your reasoning to the judges, and don't assume that they will understand your points without a thorough explanation.
2. Rebuttal: Debaters should challenge their opponents' arguments during cross-examination and rebuttal. This shows that you have listened carefully to your opponents and that you have thought critically about their arguments. Be sure to provide evidence to support your own arguments and to refute your opponents' claims.
3. Pace: Debaters should speak at a moderate pace. Speaking too quickly can make it difficult for the judges to follow your arguments, while speaking too slowly can be boring and ineffective.

In addition to these three principles, I also appreciate it when debaters are respectful of their opponents and the judges.

For speech-

I am looking for presentations, not just readings. I appreciate speakers who use nonverbal communication skills such as varying their volume and speed, using hand gestures and facial expressions, and moving around the stage to engage the audience and emphasize key messages.

PS. Please avoid mumbling your words even if that could be funny to get certain effect.

I wish all people good luck and can enjoy the game.

I have experience in judging Policy, PF, LD and Parli debates, as well as Speech competitions for High School and Middle School tournaments.

- Give a quick off-time roadmap before you begin. If you signpost during your speech, it'll help me follow you better.

- I may be unfamiliar with your debate jargon, so please explain any terms simplistically.

- For PF/LD - don't assume I have judged your topic earlier, so please explain any terms related to the topic.

- I will flow with you and will take notes. I will use any missed arguments in my judging.

- Please be respectful of your opponent team, irrespective of their level of debate.

- Speaker points will be awarded on the clarity of speech and thoughts and your art of laying down your thoughts.

- In your final speeches, make sure to clearly lay out why I should vote for you.

Most importantly, debate is a friendly competition. Remember to have fun !

• I am a parent judge. I only judge slow debates and I do flow. I judge using a holistic approach. Please be clear and concise. Also, be respectful and civil toward your opponents.

I am a parent who has judged for 5 years. Please be civil and respectful in round. Speak at a reasonable speed, and make sure to have organization in your speech.

Parent judge. Speak slowly and explain arguments simply and clearly.

I am a parent judge with some experience in judging Policy and Public Forum. When I judge, I will not read your evidence as reading a newspaper but listen to your speech. I am ok with a faster speed, but please be clear when you speak. I will try my best to remove personal biases but focusing on your arguments presented.

I founded Able2Shine, a public speaking company. And I have only judged a few debates this year but love the activity. And I want a clear communication round with no speed.

Hello Participant, I am a first year LD/Policy judge. Please respect and be courteous to everyone in the hall. Keep track of time. Please maintain clarity and consistency with your arguments through out the debate. All the best.

This is my 2nd year judging. I am comfortable with both slow (lay) debate and medium fast debate. I understand different affirmative advantages as well as disadvantages, counter plans and topicality. I do not know how to judge theory or kritiks and I am unfamiliar with them in general. I like it when teams are clear and tell me for what to vote on.

If you would like to spread, please add me to the email chain at gayatri.naha@live.com . However, if you are going at lay speeds, it is up to you if you want to include me on the email chain. If you have included me, please let me know so I can check my inbox. However, spread at your own risk, as the faster you get, the harder it will be for me to understand your argument. I am a parent judge after all, and I tend to like slower rounds more. If you decide to speed up, be cautious at how fast you are reading your arguments.

Most importantly, remember to respect each other and have fun in debate.

I am a parent judge who prefers debating by the five stock issues (but not a must).

This includes inherency, significance and harms, solvency, topicality and the disadvantage. (and counter-plan)

As long as you speak clearly, stay on topic, be more convincing than your opponents, handle yourself well during cross-X, I'll vote for you.

Cheers!!

I am a parent judge with some experience in judging but not with fast debate. Please avoid using terms that parents do not understand.

For Policy Debate specifically, I evaluate the round based on the clarity of your point, evidence, and ability to handle cross-examination of issues. I will consider your framing but will vote for a more credible, logical, and understandable case most of the time. I also prefer summarizing your argument and points at the end of the debate, especially in rebuttals.

I am a parent judge, and I have some experience with judging congress, LD, public forum, policy, and parliamentary debate. I have been judging for less than 2 years, and I don't know all the rules about these events.

Please speak slowly and clearly, and don't use too much debate jargon. I evaluate rounds based on what you convince me to evaluate, so please clarify this.

Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the round.

I'm a college freshman rn.

Events: Oratorical Interpretation (Declamation), Duo, Congress, Policy, BQ, + College parli and LD very briefly

- I've seen PF before though so I am fairly familiar with structure, but guide me through the framework of how to vote in PF --> aside from that apply the relevant parts of my paradigm in the policy section

- LD/Parli: Please guide me on how to vote/what to prioritize according to the rules of your debate --> aside from that apply the relevant parts of my paradigm in the policy section

Have fun and run what you want as long as it's not offensive/discriminatory or blatantly false.

If the debate isn't policy please treat me like a parent judge and apply the relevant parts of my paradigm, however feel free to speak at a faster pace.

I am as tabula rasa as humanly possible. You may refer to me as "judge" or by my first name if during the round.

If the tournament is primarily fast, do a fast round. If a tournament is primarily slow, do a slow round. If you do want something different make sure that you tell me and ask permission from your opponents.

x<26 --> you said something horrifying!

26-27 --> more speech drills

27-28.9 --> average/good

29 --> great

30 --> god

Policy:

Keep the debate clean and sign post. I'm good with pretty much any argument. Don't try to run anything you don't know well enough

- give an off-time roadmap, FOLLOW the roadmap while you're speaking

- keep your link chains clear

- I will not vote on anything if I notice you dropped it

- Don't be slimy (DO NOT say that your opponent never answered something when they clearly did, DO NOT misconstrue your evidence, DO NOT misconstrue your opponents evidence, DO NOT make up a fact, DO NOT hand me a graph or chart you made)

- Impact calc is very important, tell me why this outweighs the other. Write my ballot for me

- Explain your warrants, don't just extend something without explaining why it's still relevant or which argument it applies to

- If you bring up new arguments in the rebuttals, especially the 2ar, I will be very annoyed and refuse to consider them.

Don't be racist/sexist/egotistical. You'll get the lowest possible speaks if you are and chances are I'll vote you down.

Circuit Policy specific:

If you run T/Framing/Theory please thoroughly go through the voters and standards and explain why I should vote for you based off that. While you're running T/Theory slow down on the voters/standards so I can actually flow it.

*I'm not stable on K's so please explain them well and slow down

I'll avoid looking at the speech doc unless absolutely necessary but BE CLEAR. I will call "clear." However if I have to tell you more than three times through the entire debate >:(

bonus for actually reading my paradigm which sucks:

+ 5 speaks if you judge strike me

here's my linkedin if you want to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yong-ooi/

I am a parent judge and would like to be included in the email chain

• Please speak slow so I can understand you best

• Be respectful of your opponents and give them the chance to speak. I will drop your speaker points if you are rude

• I encourage sign posting and off time road maps during your speeches so I can follow your arguments well

• I judge based on evidence, rebuttals, impacts, and weighing on both sides

Good luck and have fun!

Parent judge, please try to go slower and err on the side of overexplaining jargon on the topic. Warrant out and impact all of your arguments. Good reasoning and explaining of your side will win you the round.

Please speak slow and be clear in analysis. 2nd year parent judge

Newer parent judge, please speak slow.

Parent judge that has only judged a few debates. Please no spreading and use stock issues. Have fun!!

1. Group your arguments clearly, usually persuaded by large set of well developed & cited arguments.
2. Deliver your arguments slowly and clearly, backed up with evidence (historical/political/data) and adequate reasoning.
3. Evidences should be cited with author and any other relevant info.
4. I'd look for a well structured plan, impact and evidences over pragmatic analysis.
5. Be polite, civil and exhibit eye contact with your fellow debaters as well as with the judges.

I am a parent judge.

Background: PF @ Mountain House High School '19, Economics @ UC Berkeley '22, Berkeley Law '26. This is my 5th year judging.

THREE ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS BEFORE YOU READ THE REST OF MY PARADIGM:

Due to the fast paced nature of debate nowadays and potential technical difficulties with online tournaments, I would really appreciate if you could send me the doc you're reading off of before each speech to my email write2zaid@gmail.com. If you can use Speech Drop, that's even better.

Preflow before the round. When you walk into the room you should be ready to start ASAP.

I will NOT entertain postrounding from coaches. This is absolutely embarrassing and if it is egregious I will report you to tab. Postrounding from competitors must be respectful and brief.

JUDGING PREFERENCES:

I am a former PF debater and I still think like one. That means I highly value simple, coherent argumentation that is articulated at at least a somewhat conversational speed.

In my view, debate is an activity that at the end of the day is supposed to help you be able to persuade the average person into agreeing with your viewpoints and ideas. I really dislike how debate nowadays, especially LD, has become completely gamified and is completely detached from real life. Because of this, I am not partial to spread, questionable link chains that we both know won’t happen, theory (unless there is actual abuse) or whatever debate meta is in vogue. I care more about facts and logic than anything else. You are better served thinking me of a good lay judge than a standard circuit judge. NOTE: I also am strongly skeptical of K AFFs and will almost always vote NEG if they run topicality.

That doesn’t mean I do not judge on the merits of arguments or their meaning, but how you present them certainly matters to me because my attention level is at or slightly above the average person (my brain is broken because of chronic internet and social media usage, so keep that in mind).

I will say tech over truth, but truth can make everyone’s life easier. The less truth there is, the more work you have to do to convince me. And when it’s very close, I’m probably going to default to my own biases (subconscious or not), so it’s in your best interest to err on the side of reality. This means that you should make arguments with historical and empirical context in mind, which as a college educated person, I’m pretty familiar with and can sus out things that are not really applicable in real life. But if you run something wild and for whatever reason your opponent does not address those arguments as I have just described, I will grant you the argument.

You should weigh, give me good impact calculus (probability, magnitude, scope, timeframe, etc), and most importantly, TELL ME HOW TO VOTE AND WHY! Do not trust me to understand things between the lines.

More points that I agree with from my friend Vishnu's paradigm:

"I do not view debate as a game, I view it almost like math class or science class as it carries tremendous educational value. There are a lot of inequities in debate and treating it like a game deepens those inequities.

Other than this, have fun, crack jokes, reference anecdotes and be creative.

There is honestly almost 0 real world application to most progressive argumentation, it bars accessibility to this event and enriches already rich schools.

Basically: debate like it's trad LD."

SPEAKER POINT SCALE

Was too lazy to make my own so I stole from the 2020 Yale Tournament. I will use this if the tournament does not provide me with one:

29.5 to 30.0 - WOW; You should win this tournament

29.1 to 29.4 - NICE!; You should be in Late Elims

28.8 to 29.0 - GOOD!; You should be in Elim Rounds

28.3 to 28.7 - OK!; You could or couldn't break

27.8 to 28.2 - MEH; You are struggling a little

27.3 to 27.7 - OUCH; You are struggling a lot

27.0 to 27.2 - UM; You have a lot of learning to do

below 27/lowest speaks possible - OH MY; You did something very bad or very wrong

I am a parent judge.

My decision was based on logic argument with the support of relevant and verifiable evidences.

To avoid implicit error, such as speech order, I give scores to each categories (depending on events) and calculate the waited sum. Then I normalize the score through linear transformation to obtain speaker points.

Zita Wang

I am a parent judge. I judged speech and debate in different tournments in the past three years.

Take your pace, provide framework, and love to hear your summary about why you should win.

Be confident, run your flow, respect your competitors, and have fun!