Westlake LASA TOC TFA Swing
2023 — Austin, TX/US
PF Judges Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideLC Anderson22
UT26
email for email chains:
pf: speed is fine, cards should be well cut, bring up everything you want me to know in your speech, framing should happen in constructive or top of the rebuttal, disclosure also needs to happen in constructive, no new offensive arguments past rebuttal - offense needs to be extended in summary, your links should be coherent, if something important happens in cross, make sure to also mention it in subsequent speeches, summary and final focus should mirror each other, tech > truth but remember that one to an extent determines the other, for progressive arguments i will try my best to evaluate them but probs not to the extent of an ld/cx judge so keep that in mind when running them; postround me till you understand my decision
congress: clash! warrant your arguments and weigh your impacts - comparative framework works best since there are so many arguments made in the round / internal links need to be coherent / i am open to diff types of arguments and structures / too much rehash = lower rank, but a good constructive with clash will be ranked high. make sure to be engaging (don't rely too much on reading off the pad), but remember that this is a debate event in the first place - no canned agds pls - try to find a uniqueness that works for you; sources (reputable and academic in nature) need to be cited and used always, with that being said your research is just one part, but your analysis is what matters most / good crystals will be ranked high - but it needs to go above weighing in the comparative framework --> in addition to that extend your side with new impact or evidence, win the side and debate overall. pls don't use a questioning block just to agree with a speaker, this time should be used for rebuttal. be convincing, but respectful; be active - congress is all about strategy / win the game; being aggressive (yelling and getting mean) doesn’t make you win the round
- for po's: i will rank you, but you need to know rules/structure of debate and be able to move the debate along smoothly, i shouldn't need to interfere, but i will always keep a chart to keep track - if there are consistent errors i will rank you lower
ie: do what you need to do, all topics can be super interesting, but make sure to always be aware of your surroundings and give proper trigger warnings
feel free to ask me questions before the round starts!
have fun!!
I did public forum debate for 4 years at Westlake (graduated 2022), qualified to the TFA twice and the TOC once. SPEECHDROP, don't email me.
Tech>truth. I can evaluate a flow
I don't have any topic knowledge but it shouldn't matter. Bring up everything you want me to know in speech.
Don't go too fast. I haven't debated for a while and was never great with too much speed, especially if you're unclear. I evaluate MY flow, so I can only evaluate the responses and weighing that I was able to hear and flow in round.
Don't say anything offensive or I'll tank your speaks and potentially down you.
Be respectful to everyone in round or I'll tank your speaks.
As far as progressive argumentation goes, I'm fine with theory and probably okay with K's (I ran a couple cap Ks but otherwise am not super familiar with any others, though I generally know how they work. also keep in mind I did PF). Friv theory is fine, but my threshold for responding to it will be lower than it would be for a regular shell. Extend all parts of a theory shell and the underviews that you want to be considered in summary/final.
Disclosure is good but I won't hack for it if you can't defend it. Paraphrasing is probably bad but I'm more lenient to it than a lot of judges and I won't hack for it if you can't defend it. Content/trigger warnings are good and it will be difficult to sell me on tw bad theory, but I won't hack for it if you can't defend it.
Second rebuttal has to frontline. Summaries have to extend everything you're going for (defense is not sticky) with warranting (NOT just card names and jargon) and should collapse. Everything in final needs to be in summary. You should point it out if your opponents bring up new stuff in final so that I can scratch it off in case I didn't catch on. With the exception of second constructive, arguments are dropped if they aren't covered in the next speech.
I presume by flipping a coin unless told to do otherwise in round.
I don't look at evidence unless I'm told to call for it/it becomes a major point of contention. Indicts need to have clear warranting.
PLEASE weigh. Your defense is probably not as good as you think it is and I will need weighing to evaluate the round. Strength of link is not a real weighing mechanism. Probability usually isn't either. If your opponent reads responses as "probability weighing" or does strength of link just point it out and tell me to scratch it off my flow so I don't have to evaluate it.
If you egregiously misconstrue evidence, I will drop you. So far I have been relying on kids to point this out during round, but from now on if I notice it and its badyou're done.
Hi, my pronouns are he/him.
I'm a parent judge and have previous experience with judging at debate.
I'm open to any arguments as long as you can explain them clearly.
Please try to go slow and refrain from spreading.
You may contact me for any questions: beskok@gmail.com
I did PF for 4 years (grad '22)
For email chain: morganmb22@gmail.com (send docs please if going really fast)
General PF Substance Stuff
- Tech>Truth, I evaluate the flow
- Assume I don't know anything about the topic
- Pre-flow before round
- Quality > Quantity of arguments / responses
- Everything you want to go for must be mentioned in summary (defense not sticky)
- The latest a new argument can be read is first summary
- Have the cut cards available for any pieces of evidence you mention
- 2nd Rebuttal has to frontline
- Collapse + extend warrants not just card names
- Okay with speed (no spreading) but make sure to send docs over before speaking if you are planning to go faster.
- (impact lvl) weighing is important but remember that you need a link into your impact for it to matter
- Cross is for questions, not arguing. As in, I'm not using cross to judge (with the exception of obvious concessions) so you don't need to counter something your opponent says if you don't agree, just move on w/o conceding anything unless you actually want to keep talking about it.
- Comparative weighing + link lvl warranting please
- I'm judging based on the flow so be clear about where you are on it
- I won't look at evidence unless it becomes a major problem in round / someone asks me to look at it
- Goes without saying but don't run offensive arguments
- Read TW w/ opt outs please (if argument is explicit)
- Be nice/ respectful to your opponents during round, your speaks will reflect your actions
- Wear what you want in round
Theory:
- Extend shell in summary and final focus
- Don't run theory on people who obviously don't know what it is / are unfamiliar with it just to win
- Paraphrasing (substance specifically): honestly no bias here, if it comes down to a paraphrasing debate I'm going to vote for whoever makes more sense
- If you are planning to run multiple offs just to win in prelim rounds that matter / elim rounds, I won't evaluate in a way you like
- I default to competing interps/ No RVI's/ drop the debater unless argued otherwise
- Must read shell right after the violation
- Okay w/ frivolous theory (again, your opponents must be familiar with theory tho + must be in prelims where breaking is not an option)
K's:
- I'm okayish with K's but run at your own risk (I ran a few topic specific cap K's but keep in mind this was in PF and I am overall not super knowledgeable about these type of arguments + perfectly evaluating them)
- I'm probably not familiar with the K you are running so you will need to SLOW DOWN and explain more (I'm not voting for it if I can't understand it)
- Like normal, extend everything you want me to evaluate from 1st summary on
- Don't paraphrase K's
- Weighing is VERY important here, honestly more-so than it is for substance just because you are often talking about out-of-round impacts
Feel free to ask me any questions both before and after round
General Shi:
1) I am tab
2) Extend everything and frontline damning offense.
3) I evaluate and appreciate frameworks
4) I am 50 50 on sticky defense depending on the argument made
5) If your gonna go fast, send speech doc ( I don't care about the cut cards on there if u don't ready any).
6) I do TKO's.
7) If you are getting nuked in a round, and would like to end the round early, you can forfeit the round (prior to grand cross) and I'll give you the L but give you double 30's.
8) Tag Team CX is allowed, I think it's a good thing.
Weighing:
1) Make sure I get COMPARATIVE weighing and you do the work for me. I will not intervene
2) Warrant your weighing (aka. tell me why your high probability impact matters more than the opponents' scope weighing)
Speaks Boost Stuff:
1) Speak clearly, especially since we are online. I will add a speaker point if you have Brent Faiyaz or Drake playing in the background during the constructive
2) You can say whatever (aka. accidentally cussing). I won't really care unless its explicitly racist, ableist, homophobic, etc.
3) If the debate round is legit interesting -- auto 30s for both sides
Evidence
I'll never call for evidence if it sounds too good to be true and nobody called it out. I think that's stupid and interventionist. I'll even evaluate evidence I literally know you wrote, if you're not called out on it. I don't care. I have a low threshold, however, for BS evidence if it's called out.
Theory Stuff
1) I think I am the wrong type of judge to read incredibly phil-rooted arguments or otherwise hyper-technical arguments that would be considered wildly outside of the realm of PF. This is not to say that you can't read theory, framing arguments or other technical arguments adapted to PF, but please be cognizant of this if you pick up my ballot, and explain your collapse better.
2) Make it interesting
I did 4 years of high school debate and 4 years of speech (extemp and informative speaking) back in the mid 80s.
Anderson 21' PF 3 years and some gold bids, LD 1 year and I was a novice lol
Tabula Rasa
Debate is a game
K's, T, disads, theory, and any progressive args are fair ways to play
I endorse good norms...I am happy to evaluate arguments that establish them
you're probably not winning a generalized theory bad IVI in front of me,
if you think you've encountered bad theory, read your own shell (or IVI) about friv theory or any specific shell you find abusive
default competing interps
speed is fine
feel free to post-round me until you understand my decision
will.erard@gmail.com
For readers:
I flow real good so follow the rules
No new offensive arguments past rebuttal; don't read extinction framing or struc vi in final
Every part of your offense (claim, warrant, impact) must be extended in summary or it is dropped
If it's not on my flow when it should be, it's not in the round anymore
You should frontline in second rebuttal
Defense is not sticky; extend it in first summary
I don't listen to cross so bring up concessions in speech
I give speaks based on in round strategy and technical prowess
FOR LD
tech pf judge
larp: very comfortable with larp, I won't mess it up I promise
theory: debated a lot of disclosure and paraphrasing in my day, I probably wont mess it up
T: T is cool i guess
Ks: mostly familiar with the structure but not with the lit, go easy on me, I might mess it up but I'll try my best
fine with spreading as long as I have the doc
ask specific questions if you have them!
4 years PF experience
For PF:
Anything on the ballot should be in Final Focus.
I consider myself to be a pretty technical judge. It is helpful when debaters go for fewer arguments and give clear link stories. My preference is that the second rebuttal responds to the first rebuttal and that new arguments are not brought up after first summary. CX is for the debaters, but it can be used as an opportunity to bolster speaker points. Paraphrase evidence is fine as long as it is not misconstrued. I will call for the evidence if you ask me to.
Feel free to talk to before round if you have questions.
UT '26
I did high school debate for 4 years and have both local & nat circuit experience. I did pf for 2 years and qualified to TFA both times. I consider myself a pf judge.
If I hear you were discriminatory or bigoted in any fashion at any point, in or outside of the round, you will immediately get tanked speaks for the rest of the season.
Before the round
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Include me in the email chain (knayeon117@gmail.com)
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If you are going to spread (full on ld/cx level spreading, double breathing and whatnot), send me a speech doc. Unless you plan on reading that fast I won’t need a speech doc.
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I don't care about how fast you read as long as you send me all the evidence/arguments. If I miss an argument that is not on the speech doc, I won't put it down on the flow. It is your responsibility to articulate your arguments well enough for me to understand.
In round
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tech > truth.
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If evidence A says sky is green and evidence B says sky is blue, please weigh and tell me which evidence I should prioritize or I would be forced to intervene and believe what I think is true (evidence B). As long as you weigh evidence A over evidence B, yes I will believe that the sky is green.
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I like framework when it’s run well. 2nd rebuttal is too late to read an overview/framework of any sort: the round is already too crystalized for you to tell me what I should prioritize first and foremost when signing the ballot and if you are going to run framework, you should be willing to sacrifice your speech time to expand upon it- aka take the risk of going first. Utilitarianism is the default weighing in round unless you tell me otherwise.
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I don't vote off of cross unless it is completely mind blowing. Most of the times, I won't be paying attention to it. If you want to bring up something from cross in your later speeches, shout "Judge, this is important" or something along those lines during cross so that I can note it down. Don't turn cross into a shouting match and don't be rude.
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Don’t extend your own case in both rebuttals and in 2nd rebuttal you HAVE to frontline or you’ll automatically lose the round. Reextending cards in case isn’t frontlining.
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Defense isn’t sticky
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Whatever goes conceded in summary can’t be brought up in final focus and in summary go beyond just reiterating what went on in rebuttal and be interactive with your opponents’ argument.
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In final focus, the round should be narrowed down to 1 or 2 voters and I honestly don’t like it when you overcomplicate things by trying to go for multiple things when you can just focus on one voter and extend it really thoroughly. A good final focus should mirror summary and quite literally tell the judge how to write their ballot.
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Progressive arguments : I probably won't be able to evaluate progressive arguments to an extent that LD/CX judges do, so keep that in mind whenever running them.
- YALL PLS DON'T BE LIKE "OH THE SPREADING WAS ANALYTICAL" I CAN'T FOLLOW ALONG, ALWAYS SEND A SPEECH DOC
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I don’t want to see a pf round turn into LD 2.0 so if you are going to run progressive arguments, make sure it fits into the format of a PF round. Don’t spread like 5 off and expect me to follow along w/o a speech doc and I honestly don’t think any education can come out of a round that a judge can’t understand properly.
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Kritiks: this is the progressive argument I feel most comfortable in judging, in most cases I probably won’t have any trouble evaluating them.
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Theory: If you are going to run it, do it well. What I mean is if you would like to run theory as a sole voting issue in the round, you would need to put in time and effort to persuade me into thinking that I should drop the debater (which is a pretty high goal). If you are going to read it as a time suck and ultimately end up kicking it (which you totally can), don't expect me to account for the t shell in making my decision. Also, don't be abusive with theory. If you're objectively from a big school with lots of resources running theory to a small school who doesn't even know what theory is, I don't think the round would be very fair. In short, don't run theory just because you want an easy win and don't weaponize it.
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don’t be abusive/disrespectful with progressive arguments
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Don't be racist, sexist, homophobic, discriminatory, or derogatory in any manner. That would result in a 25L. If you're going to run an identity based argument(especially afropessimism, orientalism, LGBTQ+ literature, etc) don't do it unless you're part of that community.
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Please weigh. If you and your opponents both do everything right and I'm left with two valid arguments that say the opposite, it is quite literally impossible for me to determine who the winner is without intervening. Tell me why your evidence or logic is better than your opponent's.
WSD Paradigm
- yall pls don't sound like this https://youtu.be/tj7n9Cnbmu8?si=pCJCPt634i-zjD8s&t=76
- the so called "worlds accent" is my biggest pet peeve
- the first speech should have definitions, framing, burdens, a worlds comparison, and the first two substantives. It's fine if you don't have each part, but you cannot bring them up in subsequent speeches (other than substantives)
- the second speech should respond to the first and introduce the third substantive. again, you don't need a third sub, but you can't bring it up any later
- each speech should progress argumentation. i dont want to be hearing the same things in the reply as i heard in the one.
- i have only seen a handful of teams actually weigh. it needs to startat the latestin the three. you need to do more than just tell me what your impact is; compare it to the opponents' and tell me why yours is better using some mechanism
- if you want me to vote on argument, it needs to be in the 2, 3, and reply. if its missing inanyof them, i will not evaluate it
did pf @ westlake
tech>truth
please:
-weigh
-extend fully (uniqueness, link, impact)
-collapse
pointers:
I won't know the topic too well so I run niche args at your own risk
Don't speak too fast, I can't flow fast
If you have any questions ask before round
plz preflow & signpost
Assistant Debate Coach Dripping Springs High School
2a/1n UH debate 2016-19
email chain- ryanwaynelove@gmail.com
I do not watch the news.
Novices:
I have infinite patience with novices. So just do your best to learn, and have fun; welcome to debate!
Unrelated:
Hegel updates just dropped: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/29/manuscript-treasure-trove-may-offer-fresh-understanding-of-hegel
Policy: TFA State Update: (Ask me questions! This is an important tournament, I really do not like how hostile some judges can be to debaters. Y'all deserve to be able to ask whatever you want before the round).
Really important: You have got to slow down a bit for me. If you are not clear, you are doing yourself a disservice. The clearer you are, the faster you can go in front of me. The less clear you are means the more you should slow down.
You do you. But please crystallize the debate. I am infinitely more comfortable voting on well explained, well warranted, argument(s) that were explained persuasively, that took up the vast majority of the time in the 2nr/2ar, than I am on voting on a blippy technically conceded argument that was 20 seconds of the 2nr/2ar. This means I prefer deep debates over crucial issues of clash much more than debates where both sides are trying to spread the opponents thin. In debates where debaters take the latter approach rather than the former, I often times find myself seeking to determine the core "truthiness" of an argument. I often times have a different interpretation of "truth" than others. This means that in debates where little weighing is done for me you may not like how I intervene to make a decision. Similarly, if there is a conceded argument I much prefer you explain why that concession matters in the context of the greater debate being had, instead of just saying "this was conceded so vote for it." Most important to me is how you frame the round. If structural violence outweighs make it clear. If ontology is a pre-requisite to topical discussion make it clear, and so on. I do not want to adjudicate a round where both sides "pass each other like two ships in the night." Weigh your arguments, compare evidence, indict the ideas and arguments your opponents put forth.
Many times in conversations with debaters after the round I will be asked "Well what about this argument?" The debater will then go on to give an awesome, nuanced, explanation of that argument. I will then say "If it had been explained like that in rebuttal, I probably would have voted for it." If you expect me to vote on something, make it important in the last rebuttal.
I have not judged much on this topic. So start slower and work your way up to full speed. If I cannot understand you I will say clear.
Slow down in rebuttals. If you are going blazing fast I will miss something and I will not do the work for you on the flow. If you are fast and clear you should be fine. I need a clear impact scenario in the 2nr/2ar. Tell me the story of your impact(s); whether it be nuclear war, limits/ground, education, or settler violence. Be sure to weigh it in comparison with the impact scenario(s) of your opponents. In short, do the work for me, do not make me intervene to reach a decision.
Argument specific stuff:
Topicality-I am not aware of topical norms, so do not be afraid to go for topicality; especially against super vague plan texts.
Kritiks-I am most comfortable judging kritikal debate. As a debater I debated the kritik explicitly. I say this because I think y'all deserve to know that the finer techne of policy throw-downs are not my strong suit. If you read the Kritik I likely have at least some passing familiarity with your arguments. That does not mean I will hack for you. I expect you to explain any argument to me that you expect me to vote on in a clear and intelligible way. If I can not explain to a team why they lost, I will not vote for an argument.
K Aff v. Framework- I am about 50/50 regarding my voting record. Something, something, the duality of being ya know?
Disads- These are fun. The more internal links to get to the impact the more suss I think the arg is, the more likely I am to believe there is very low risk.
Counterplans-If your strat is to read 900 counterplans that do not really compete I am not the judge for you. Counterplans that have a legit net benefit on the other hand...those are nice. That being said, I have a soft spot for words PICS/PIKS.
Misc- Debate is a game. So if your A-strat is to go for that heg advantage, federalism and 50 states, or cap good, then go for it. You do you. Be polite, be friendly, don't waste anyone's time. Speaking honestly, these things are far more likely to influence my mood than whatever arguments you read.
Please use cross-x effectively
Please act like you want to be here.
Please be efficient in setting up the email chain, sharing docs, et cetera.
Please know I am only human. I will work hard. But know I am not perfect.
Last but not least, have fun! Debate is a great place to express yourself and talk about really interesting and pertinent things; enjoy your time in debate because it is quite fleeting!
LD:
This is the event I am least familiar with of all of the ones I have on this page. I would say look at my Policy paradigm and know that I am very comfortable with any policy-esque arguments. What the cool kids call LARP in LD I am told. For anything else judge instruction and weighing of args is going to be critical. As I have also stated in my policy paradigm I am more familiar with Kritikal args than policy ones, but I think for LD I am a good judge to have if you want to read a plan or something.
That being said I do appreciate debaters using their framing IE Value/standard/whatever to help me adjudicate the round. If you win framing you will probably win the debate when I am in the back of the room, as long as you have an impact as to why your framing matters.
Frivolous theory, RVI's, and tricks are going to be a hard sell for me. Legit theory abuse, topicality, or "T-you gotta defend the topic on the aff" are args I am more than willing to vote on.
Phil arguments are cool but do not assume I have any familiarity with your author. If I do not understand something I ain't voting on it.
San Antonio specifics
Unless both parties agree I do not want to see any spreading.
Do not be afraid to be a traditional debater in front of me. Just be sure you can debate against other styles.
Public Forum
Update a la Churchill on the Kritik- I am down like Charlie Brown for the kritik in PF (understatement). However, if you introduce the K in rebuttal I will be willing to evaluate theory args in response.
TLDR: Tech>truth, I keep a rigorous flow, I appreciate good analytics, and I hate theory in PF. I do not care if you sit or stand. If you want to call for a card go for it; BUT PLEASE do this efficiently. Do not try to spread, but going quick is fine.
Long version: I have judged a lot of rounds in Public Forum this year. There are a few things that you need to know to win my ballot:
The teams who have routinely gotten my ballot have done a great job collapsing the debate down to a few key points. After this, they have compared specific warrants, evidence, and analytics and explained why their arguments are better, why their opponents arguments are worse, and why their arguments being better means they win the debate. This may sound easy, however, it is not. Trust your instincts, debate fearlessly, take chances, and do not worry about whatever facial expression I have. I promise you do not have any idea where my thoughts are.
Crossfires: Use this time wisely. Use it to clarify, use it to create ethos, use it to get concessions, use it to make their arguments look bad and yours good. But use it. I think answers given in crossfire are binding in the debate. If you get a big concession use it in your speeches.
Framework(s): I like these debates. Reading a framework IE structural violence or explaining via an observation how the debate should be framed is helpful because it clarifies for me how to evaluate the debate. I like this in debates, it makes things easier for me. If you are reading a framework be sure to extend it in every speech and use it as a lens to explain your impacts in the debate/weigh your impacts against your opponents.
Speed: I think PF should be more accessible to the general public than policy. With that being said I have not seen a team go too fast yet.
Theory: This is silly. Disclosure theory is silly. Do not read it in front of me. Do not read any theory arguments in front of me. I will not vote on them. With that being said arguing that your opponents are not fitting within the bounds of the resolution is a good argument to make if it applies. If you make this argument and have warrants and impacts do not be afraid to go for it in final focus.
Non-traditional stuff: I enjoy creative takes on the topic, unique cases, and smart argumentation. I do think that PF should always revolve around the topic, I also think the topic is broader than most do. That being said avoid jargon. You can make a lot of creative arguments in this event, do so while avoiding weird debate jargon. No this does not contradict the "theory" section above. I will weigh claims about someone not fitting within the bounds of the resolution vs explanations about why a team is satisfying the burden of the resolution. Whoever does the better debating will win this question in the debate.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: I am a firm believer that my role as a judge is to be impartial and adjudicate fairly. I will flow what you say and weigh it in comparison with what your opponent says. Be polite, be friendly, don't waste anyone's time. Speaking honestly, these things are far more likely to influence my mood than whatever arguments you read.
Congress:
I was a finalist at the TOC in this event. This means I am looking for a lot of specific things to rank high on my ballot.
Clash over everything. If you rehash I am not ranking you.
Authors/sponsors: get into the specifics of the Bill: funding, implementation, agent of action, date of implementation. I appreciate a good authorship/sponsorship speech.
1st neg: Lay out the big neg args, also clash the author/sponsor.
Everyone else needs to clash, clash, clash. Specifically reference the Rep's you are refuting, and refute their specific arguments.
Leave debate jargon for other events.
Ask lots of questions. Good questions. No easy questions to help your side out.
This is as much a speaking event as it is a debate event. Do not over-read on your legal pad (do not use anything else to speak off of), fluency breaks/over gesturing/swaying are distracting, and be sure to use intros, transitions, and conclusions effectively.
I loath breaking cycle. If it happens those speaking on whatever side there are speeches on need to crystallize, clash, or make new arguments.
I appreciate decorum, role-playing as congress-people, and politicking.
1 good speech is better than 100 bad ones.
Wear a suit and tie/ power suit. Do not say "at the leisure of everyone above me" that's weird. My criticisms may seem harsh. I promise they are not intended to be mean. I just want to make you better.
Presiding Officer: To rank in my top 3 you need to be perfect. That being said as long as you do not catastrophically mess up precedence or something like that I will rank you top 8 (usually). The less I notice your presence in the round the better.
BOOMER thoughts (WIP):
Outside of policy/LD I think you should dress professionally.
In cross-x you should be looking at the judge not at your opponents. You are trying to convince the judge to vote for you not your opponents.
At the conclusion of a debate you should shake hands with your opponents and say good debate. If you are worried about COVID you can at least say good debate.
You should have your cases/blocks saved to your desktop in case the WIFI is bad. You should also have a flash drive just in case we have to go back to the stone age of debate.
"Is anyone not ready?" is not epic.
"Is everyone ready?" is epic.
The phrases "taking running prep" or "taking 'insert x seconds of prep'" should not exist.
"Taking prep" is all you need.
"Starting on my first word" umm duh that's when the speech starts. Just start after asking if everyone is ready.
GBX 2023
- send constructive and rebuttal docs with cards to both emails before you read them
- set up the chain BEFORE you come into round
- I have done a considerable amount of topic research
- I think open source is a good norm
Westwood '22
Coach for Westwood
Email for email chains (I want to be on it)/questions/anything really: amoghdebatedocs@gmail.com AND westwoodpfdocs@gmail.com
I will flow every speech and be focused on the round. I love the activity and know how much time you put in - you deserve a judge that pays attention and that cares. Go as fast as you want but be clear. More often than not you don't need to read 4 contentions or go as fast are you're going - quality is way more important than quality.
Speaks are a function of strategy (good collapsing, weighing, going for dropped turns and doing it well, etc) and practices (disclosure, cut cards, etc). I do not care what you wear. Speaks will range from 28 to 30 unless you do something unacceptable.
I will research most, if not all, of the topics. So, you can assume I have background knowledge, but if you're reading something super specific explain it and your acronyms.
Smart analytics > bad evidence or paraphrased blips.
If you want a short version - I agree with Akhil Bhale.
Non-negotiables:
- No prep stealing (it's quite obvious)
- Have the cut card for any piece of evidence that you read easily accessible (bare minimum), if your going to send links to large PDFs please strike me.
- I am uninterested in listening to and will not vote for arguments that endorse self-harm or suicide. Spark and other hypothetical impact turns are fine.
- Do not use racist/sexist/misogynistic rhetoric.
- I will "flow" cross-examination and it is binding (it exists for a reason). I hate it when teams don't understand their own arguments and this is the time to make it obvious. Probably won't be a voting issue but could be made into one.
"Preferables" (your speaks will automatically improve but I won't hold it against you unless convinced otherwise by theory etc.) :
- Disclose previously broken positions on the wiki (personally think new Affs/Negs are good but that is a debate to be had)
- Read from cut cards
- Send constructive and rebuttal docs with all the cards before your speech. I will never call for specific evidence after the round. If I think the evidence will decide or influence my decision I will go to speech docs to read it, if it isn't there too bad. Sending evidence after the round is just a way for debaters to send new evidence they didn't read, highlight evidence, cut parts out - I don't want to deal with that. TLDR: It helps both you and the debate if you send docs. I am a sucker for good evidence. If you have some really good evidence make sure I know about it - call it out by name. Again not an excuse for not debating - don't hide behind your evidence.
- Pre-flow before the round.
General:
- Tech > Truth (to an extent) - if an argument is dropped it is considered true but still has to be an argument for you to win on it (ie. it must be extended with uniqueness/link/internal link/impact), new implications or cross applications justify new responses to the specific implication. If you blow up a 2-second rebuttal blip - my threshold for responses won't be very high. More stuff on progressive arguments later.
- Read whatever you want to read - do your own thing. More on specific progressive arguments later.
- Open CX is fine (both people can speak/explain during cross-examination). Flex prep is fine and often good (ask questions during your prep time).
- 2nd rebuttal should collapse and frontline everything on the argument you're going for. Efficiency will be rewarded with good speaks. Defense is not sticky. Most "weighing" is new responses more on that later - at the latest 1st final but that's probably way too late and justifies 2nd final responses which isn't good for you anyway. 0 risk is a thing, but most defense will be evaluated on a probabilistic scale. 1st summary is the last time, I will flow new arguments. (There is a distinction between new arguments and new weighing - be careful.)
- Most substantive questions will be revealed on a probabilistic scale - comparative risk of the arguments. In 99% of debates, both sides will win some offense so comparative weighing and impact calculus can and often decides rounds. Procedural arguments often have to be evaluated on a yes/no basis (does the AFF violate the interp, RVIs or no RVIs, etc.)
- Turns. I love them but they are often done terribly. 99% of link turns need uniqueness to be offensive (ie. If the AFF tells me there is no negotiation in the status quo, and the NEG goes for a link turn about how the AFF makes negotiation worse, I have no idea what the impact to negative negotiation is.) Impact turns are also often interesting debates - if the link is contested (I hope it isn't if you're going for an impact turn) or if your opponents go for a different argument, then extend it clearly. If both teams seem to agree to the link and it just becomes an impact debate, I don't really care about link extensions too much. There are only 2 types of turns. Link turns and impact turns. New DAs and ADVs are often labeled as turns but you won't fool me and don't try - more on that later.
- Weighing. Also something I love but is often done wrong. There are three weighing mechanisms: probability, timeframe, and magnitude. Any other mechanism is either a subset of those three (ie. scope is a subset of magnitude) or isn't a weighing mechanism (ie. clarity of the strength of the link or whatever people like to say.) Unless convinced otherwise (which is easily possible), link weighing/debating > impact weighing. I often find that nuclear war outweighs climate change or poverty outweighs death is irrelevant with good link weighing. I will give examples of link weighing below: at the latest these arguments need to be introduced by 1st summary. Probability link weighing are no-link arguments or "mitigatory defense." Stuff like "it is hard for terrorists to get BMDs because of monetary and technical constraints" is definitely link defense and needs to be in 1st summary at the latest. Probability is a function of how much defense you win on an argument, I will not arbitrarily assign probabilities (ie. say climate change is more probable than nuclear war) - you have to explain to me why that is the case which often is just link defense. Timeframe link weighing can be great. Arguments like the NATO bank at the earliest even if created won't get funding for years etc. Magnitude link weighing is really good and often underused (ie. "scope of solvency"). Solving bitcoin emissions won't solve climate change writ large etc. That being said, I can be convinced that impact weighing comes before link weighing. Arguments like extinction first and Bostrom and viable and can also be good. I hope everyone knows what impact weighing is so not going to go too in-depth on that. Last note - turns case is really, really good and also really, really underutilized in PF. Conflict probably ends negotiations, climate change probably makes war more likely, economic growth probably resolves underlying conditions for crime, etc. These types of arguments can really help you frame a round and establish why your came case comes first. Impact weighing and turns case can come by 1st final by the latest.
- Try or die can be convincing if done well. It is often a great strategy if you are going for an extinction impact and the NEG has conceded uniqueness. This is not an excuse for not frontlining - 0 risk is a thing. Timeframe is a really good weighing mechanism in try or die/extinction first debates and can often implicate probablity.
- Framing debates are also really interesting - extinction first etc. Framing arguments are not a substitute for link debate but a supplement. If you win policy paralysis and the other team wins a very large risk of their extinction scenario, the other team has probably won the round.
"Substance":
- Quality > quantity. Not too many interesting thoughts here. Good weighing and link debating wins rounds - avoiding clash, being shifty, and dumping blips doesn't.
- Empirics aren't arguments but can help your position combined with warrants. If you have good empirics that are specific to the mechanism of the resolution/your argument you're probably in a good spot.
- I could care less about quantified impacts. They are often random predictions by conspiracy theorists or terrible models. Even worse, debater math. I would much rather your impact be economic growth than some math you did with different studies and percentages. Extinction is an impact, recession is an impact, etc - I do not care about your 900 million card.
- Kicking case in reading a new DA/ADV in 2nd rebuttal is a bad idea. You essentially just wasted half of the debate. I will have a very low threshold for responses and encourage theory. This is different from reading 4 minutes of turns (ie. kicking case and just going for prolif good). I am perfectly fine with that, in fact, that would be quite fun.
Below are some thoughts on progressive argumentation. Don't read these arguments to win rounds - it's quite obvious. You disclose for the first time and read disclosure theory, change from full text to open source for 1 tournament to meet your interp, etc. I will still vote for it if you win but your speaks won't be great. Also, don't read progressive arguments just to beat novices - I will give you the worst speaks I possibly can.
Theory:
- I have mixed feelings on disclosing broken interps - could be convinced either way. In general, meta-theory is interesting and under-used.
- Topicality is also interesting. Define words in the resolution. Intent to define and evidence quality is extremely important. Unlike most theory debate, precision, your interpretation, and the evidence matter a lot more to me than the limits/ground debate.
- While I will not "hack" against these arguments be aware it is an uphill battle if you are defending paraphrasing good or disclosure bad. If you win your CI and everything on the flow of course I will still vote for you. If it is a close-round, you know which way I am probably going to vote.
- I default to competing interpretations, no RVIs, spirit of the interp, and drop the debater. I can easily be convinced otherwise. If paradigm issues are dropped/agreed upon they do not need to be extended in every speech. If the debate devolves to just theory under competing interps - I am voting for the better model of debate, I could not care that you won no RVIs (personally, no RVIs doesn't mean you can't win on a counter-interp in my mind)
- Reasonability is a good tool against mis-disclosure (open-source versus full text etc) and frivolous shells. You should still read a counter interp - but explain why the marginal differences in your models of debate are outweighed by substance crowd out etc.
- Read your shell the speech after the violation (if they paraphrase in 2nd rebuttal - feel free to read paraphrasing theory in 1st summary.) Theory after that is fairly late and really hard to have good clash, thus probably will result in intervention but if you think its necessary read it (bad language etc.)
- For some reason, small school counter-interps are quite popular and I get why (I read them myself a few times.) However, I am inclined to believe that arbitrary entry limits are just that arbitrary. Also, a lot of small schools are in big prep groups with a lot of resources, or just don't have a lot of people competing etc.
- Theory is unaccessible is a terrible argument - there are tons of resources out there and if you need more help/advice feel free to email me. It is just like responding to any other argument.
- Theory cards, in most cases, are overrated and are often just written by former debaters and will be evaluated on the same level as any other standard/argument. This is different from topicality interpretations and impact weighing/cards against Ks.
K's:
- "Substantive Ks" like Cap K or Security K are great but probably will just be evaluated as DAs or impact turns. Reading it as a K is often just an excuse to get out of the uniqueness debate, and when your alternative is just rejection, I don't think that gets you very far.
- Non-topical positions are also fine - I am familiar with most of the stuff people read in PF, but if you're reading high-theory or something confusing - slow down and explain it. I won't vote for something I can't explain back to you. This is my one exception to disclosing new Affs/Negs. I strongly believe non-topical positions should be disclosed before the debate to allow for clash.
- I slightly lean towards T/FW against K affs/negs probably because K debate in PF isn't done very well - but can easily be convinced otherwise. K teams should go for impact turns, weigh the K against the shell, and have a good CI that mitigates the limits offense. Do not read a K based on research about x argument and discourse and then make a prepouts bad argument on theory - that doesn't make too much sense. Weighing is really important in these rounds and I find that the theory teams get away with some stuff too easily (answer stuff like fairness is key to participation which comes before your method.)
- I am also down for a method v method debate, or PIKs etc. Conditionality is probably good against a new K aff/neg (ie. fine with T/FW combined with a PIK etc)
- Long pre-written overviews are not as useful as line-by-line and specific weighing.
- Also, please have an actual method. If you say "vote for me because I pointed this out," you probably won't get my ballot.
- Paraphrased Ks are a big no. Non-negotiable.
If you got this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions feel free to email me whenever. I will always disclose unless the tournament explicitly tells me not to. Postrounding is good if it is constructive and educational - but this time, I will have already submitted my ballot and will not be able to change it. Feel free to email me questions after the round as well.
Public Forum:
The three things I prioritize are clarity, professionalism, and you helping me follow your arguments. Don't use sticky defense, don't bring up new arguments in summary and FF, and stick to questioning in CX. Please don't turn grand CX into a four-way shouting match; that's stressful for everyone.
Hello everyone! My name is KJ (he/him), I competed all 4 years of high school and now go to Texas State University.
I am primarily an IE person. I competed in every IE event including OO, Info, and Extemp. I as well competed in World Schools a bit too. I was a 4x state qualifier, state finalist, 5x state semi finalist, 2x NIETOC semifinalist, and a 3x NSDA qualifier. I was as well an All-State and All-American competitor with over 2200 NSDA points. What I am looking for is understanding of the piece. How well thought out it is and how much effort you have noticeably put into it goes a LONG way.
IE's
- Needs to be clean, concise, and have a deeper meaning as to why you're telling the story, interp is acting with a purpose
- Be proud of what you're performing! and have fun with it!
- Characterization is key, I want to see real peoples stories that I am actually able to connect to
- I want to know what's going on! Don't just throw us into the middle of everything, give us some exposition, who are you? Where are you? What is going on?
OO, Info, Extemp, WS
- Are you just telling me the facts? Or are you engaging with the information and the topic you've chosen and presenting it in an effective way?
- Charisma is KEY, you wrote this speech, be proud of it!
- How well thought out is your argument or topic?
- Are you speaking fluidly and confidently or are you using filler words and swaying nervously?
- Make sure that you're applying the facts that you give to the grand scheme of things, what are the implications?
Like I said earlier, I was always more of an interp person. However, I do know all of the rules and the ins and outs of debate! I may not be as adept as I am with speech but I know my way around. Essentially just treat me as a lay judge who knows a lot about the subject.
Debate
- Well thought out arguments will go a long way, the more you put into a speech the more you will get out of it, and trust me when I say that we as judges notice how much effort you put into it
- How well do you structure your speech? How well does it flow?
- How do you respond to questions and how do you interact in the round?
- Don't just tell me what you are going to do but also HOW you are going to accomplish it and WHY
- Add me to the email chain plz - kjamarino@gmail.com
- As far as flowing goes, I'm not a stickler for it during cross so don't worry about it
- I can follow spreading but if you'd like to have mercy on my soul and not that would be awesome
- I'm not a huge theory argument person, so if I feel you're twisting the resolution in a way that it most likely wasn't intended as may not work if its too far out there
All of these are just my personal opinions regarding judging, please do not change your speech or performance based on trying to get my 1. So long as you have fun, enjoy what you're doing, and you are proud of the work you've presented, that is all I ask.
Email: kjamarino@gmail.com
**i want to emphasize that I was a pretty traditional PF/LD debater and my experience with theory/other progressive arguments was very limited. i won't evaluate any progressive arguments (including disclosure theory). for LD, treat me like a lay judge**
- I vote on the flow, with that being said if it is not said, I can't vote on it. However, if both teams are not doing the work, I'll have to do it alone, and you might not like my decision.
- Respond to everything if you are going for an argument. If you don't respond to it, it's conceded.
- Whenever you extend a case you need to extend the entire link chain, not just the argument. This includes extending authors, warrants, and impacts.
- Don't speak fast.
cale@victorybriefs.com or SpeechDrop work
hi! i'm Cale. i've been coaching and judging pf & ld for 8 years. i debated in Texas before that.
general:
- read whatever you like: judging debaters who enjoy what they read is fun. however, keep in mind the coherence of my rfd will scale with your clarity- slow for analytics and tags, send well-organized docs, signpost, and number answers when you can. you'll be much happier with my decision.
- speaks reflect how strategic i found your debating to be. i'll evaluate any style, but admittedly prefer quick, clear debaters that read interesting arguments. (no 30 speaks spike or tko, please)
- i will not 'gut check' or strike an argument just because you've deemed it unwarranted or silly. instead, i encourage you to make an active response- it should be quick to do so if the argument is as underdeveloped as you say.
- extend your arguments. it doesn't have to be exhaustive, but something more than the tag is necessary, even if you think it's conceded.
- keep the round a safe and pleasant place for everyone. i will work hard to give you a thorough decision so long as we can all access the debate and speak about it afterwards without hostility.
- i am not going to use my ballot to make an out-of-round character judgement. if you are concerned your opponent is engaging in genuinely unsafe or violent behavior, a debate decision is not the appropriate means of redress- i will bring it to tab or the relevant party.
ld:
overall- i am best for policy debates, good for theory, worse for phil, and alright for Ks and tricks with some caveats (see below). ultimately, i'd like to judge your preferred strategy, but you will need to be more clear if it's something i'm typically not preffed into the back of. i am only human.
policy- i'll judge kick the counterplan. i lean neg on cp theory claims, and wish the aff would engage in a competition debate rather than read a blippy theory argument, particularly when the 1n is only like 3 off. i am good for your process/consult/intl fiat/etc cp, and, again, wish 1ars would just engage- if you are convinced there is not a discernable net benefit, the argument should be easier to answer. 3 word perms aren't arguments- explain the world of the perm. zero risk exists, and while it is difficult to achieve, it is entirely possible to make an argument's implication so marginal that its functional weight in the round is zero. i really appreciate well-executed impact turn debates, some of my favorite rounds to judge.
theory- no defaults, read w/e you want. always send interps and slow for anything you extemp. far too often in these debates there's no weighing or line by line done on paradigm issues: the 1n reads their theory hedge and vaguely crossapplies it to the 1ac underview, and then all of these arguments just float around in the 1ar and 2n without resolution- please lbl to make judging this tolerable. when going for T, keep in mind i do not actively cut LD prep or mine the wiki, so i don't have a reference point for your caselist or prep-based limits standard- add some explanation.
K- i frequently judge cap arguments, and often judge setcol. external to that, i'm much less experienced- happy to judge it, but i need instruction. please lbl clearly: i find myself most lost in k 2n/2ars when the overview is jargon-heavy and crossapplied everywhere. it is probably useful to know i can count on one hand the number of K v K debates i've been in the back of.
tricks- i often judge truth testing and skep and their associated tricks, but i don't have a deep enough understanding of the argument form to say i'm 10/10 comfortable if you read a nailbomb aff or a bunch of indexicals. in general, delineate in the doc and cross, be super clear abt the collapse strat, and i can vote for these.
phil- i have next to no experience with phil argumentation save for Kant tricks and some pomo (mostly just Baudrillard). need you to slow down and give me extra judge instruction if you're reading anything dense, but happy to learn.
pf:
extend defense the speech after it's answered and be comparative when you're weighing or going for a fw argument. otherwise, read what you think is fun- this includes theory, critical arguments, and other forms less common to PF. two things to add here: 1. don't read an argument just for the sake of it, read it well and 2. i am not amenable to the PF-style 'this argument form is holistically bad' response if we are in the varsity division- engage with substantive responses.
come to round ready to debate (pre-flowed, have docs ready if you're sending them, etc). the only way to frustrate me beyond being rude is to drag out the round by individually calling for a lot of evidence and taking forever to send it.
many PFers spend copious amounts of time impact weighing with multiple mechanisms. more often than not, you are better served reading one simple piece of weighing and investing that time elsewhere- either in more clearly frontlining and extending your case argument, or better implicating a piece of defense or turn on your opponents' case.
Hello!
I am a lay judge that looks at the team that speaks the most clearly. Speak slower as I value clarity over speed. As long as you explain your arguments in an understandable way, I will be able to take note of it. Teams that present themselves in a more confident and concise way will end up getting my vote.
Clements '22 | UT '26
4 years of PF, state and nats quals, etc etc.
put me on the chain: krastogi4444@gmail.com
TLDR: do what you want, have fun, be respectful. im pretty flow
any form of bigotry is entirely unacceptable and will immediately result in an L25.
PF
Case
- pretty straightforward do what you want
- send case with cards before you speak
- framing should be read here
Rebuttal
- anything not responded to here is considered conceded
- please send docs, especially if you're spreading or reading new offs
Summary
- by far the most important speech
- if you haven't started weighing already, definitely start doing it now
- any voters in final must be in summary. if it's not here i dont care about it
- extensions are more than just "extend x card/author/arg" i need claim-uniqueness-warrant-link-impact
- defense is NOT sticky now that speeches are 3 minutes. that means defense must be re-extended in every speech that follows any offense
Final Focus
- like above, if its not in summary, i dont care if its in the final. if its in the final but wasn't in summary, i don't care
- please mirror summary in both content and order
- weighing should have started earlier; the only new weighing i'll evaluate in FF is meta-weighing, which requires warranting as to why i should prefer one mech over another. it is NOT just yelling mechanisms at me
Extra
- cross is binding so long as you bring it up in a speech
- speed is fine as long as i have a doc. however, i will only flow if the speech is comprehensible; i will say clear once and if it doesn't get clearer i probably wont flow how you want.
- i will not look at any evidence unless i am explicitly told to do so. poor evidence ethics will tank speaks but will not lose a round, unless that argument is made
- i don't have much experience with progressive argumentation but i am happy to evaluate it. keep in mind i may not evaluate it how you want me to, so probably not a great idea to read 7 off
- be nice to novices, you can beat them without being rude and condescending
- i'll evaluate TKOs. If at any point in the round (post constructives) you think the opponent has NO routes to the ballot, the round will immediately end and you get a W30. However, if I think the opponent has any route to the ballot, you get an L25. High risk, high reward.
WSD
- I try to appoint speaks as fairly as possible according to each category. However, if you are losing every argument, you will not win a round just because you had a better strategy. Thus, I will retroactively adjust points as necessary.
- the first speech should have definitions, framing, burdens, a worlds comparison, and the first two substantives. It's fine if you don't have each part, but you cannot bring them up in subsequent speeches (other than substantives)
- the second speech should respond to the first and introduce the third substantive. again, you don't need a third sub, but you can't bring it up any later
- each speech should progress argumentation. i dont want to be hearing the same things in the reply as i heard in the one.
- i have only seen a handful of teams actually weigh. it needs to start at the latest in the three. you need to do more than just tell me what your impact is; compare it to the opponents' and tell me why yours is better using some mechanism
- if you want me to vote on argument, it needs to be in the 2, 3, and reply. if its missing in any of them, i will not evaluate it
- I used to have a longer paradigm but it was deleted. feel free to ask if you have any questions
UPDATE FOR WSD @ TFA:
WSD didn't exist when I was in high school, but I judge it almost exclusively now including into deep elims of TFA State, UT, and Berkeley so my experience is not null.
Big things for me: I like clash, I want yall to answer the question, and I reward good on the spot analysis of your opponents argument, don't get so caught up in your case that your forget to answer your opponent's argument. Also I am fine with speed, but I don't think its necessary in worlds and honestly I prefer speech's that are stylistic and given like a PA. Please let me know if you have any questions and congrats on making it to state!
IE: I am pretty open to any stylistic choices or preparations of a speech/script, it is an Interpretation after all, so creative choices are welcome!
Extemp- You should have ample amount of evidence for the three main claims you decide to make. Please have your speech as structured as possible as it makes it easier for me to follow along and judge. It’s better for your speech to run 5 minutes, but be clear and conscie than for you to stay up there for seven minutes rambling on.
OO/INFO- There should be at least three sources in your speech. I don’t mind when you try and break the very formulaic structure of OO or info, but I should be able to easily follow along. I.E. you dont have to go “But first, then, finally” but hey whatver works for you, works for me, speak clear, be confident, and have fun up there.
HI- Use your space, HI is about physical humor as much as its about the jokes you are telling! Racist/misogynistic/Xenophobia etc humor is not funny. It’s not.
DI- Be careful with your content, DI’s are serious and I understand that, but be careful with how graphic you get. I am not a squimish judge so curse words dont bother me and mature material is fine, just try and be as tasteful as possible. And DONT mis-represent a character I.E. if you are playing a forty year old mom who just suffered the loss of her son, thats fine, but if you are speaking for an identity you cannot identify with, maybe not. DONT USE SLURS. Even for effect. It’s not needed. Use the space and be comfortable with silence. There is a lot of pauses and silence in DI and when its intentional l it works really well, so dont be afraid of it!
PR/PO- Don’t let your binder fall flat. I don’t think there is one right way to hold the binder, but there are a million wrong ways. It’s awesome when you find a way to incorporate the binder for techy stuff, but its def not necessary.
Lingering thoughts..
Your teaser should give me a clue about what your piece is about, (AND IT SHOULD BE MEMORIZED) it doesnt have to be a summary, but a couple of lines to let me know where the piece ie headed is great!
TIME. Be concious of it. Don’t run 10:29 or 10:30, once the fist is up WRAP IT UP.
If you forget your piece, take a moment to pause and collect your thoughts, try not to show it in your face and dont worry about it too much.
Be respectful to other performers, if you are on your phone, eating loudly, sleeping, or being distracting in anyway. I might factor it into your rank. It’s not cool, respect eachothers work.
- For Extemp:
1. Make to sure to include a humorous or captivating AGD in the intro.
2. Please, provide a blanket statement corresponding with your answer to the question. Ex. "Yes, because of...."
3. 3 points of elaboration to the answer are a must.
4. I provide 3-down time signals.
5. I have extensive background in DX and FX. Additionally, I am currently a public affairs graduate student. Inaccurate statements or misrepresented statistics will be reflected in your rank.
For Debate events:
1. Don't spread. Speak clearly. Spreading will ensure that at most, you'll receive 28.5 speaker points.
2. I judge based on the flow. With that being said, I evaluate impacts above all else. If you extend and cogently argue your biggest impacts, you'll likely win.
Background: I’m a second-year Journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. I did 2 years of Congress and 2 years of PF at Vista Ridge High School.
PF
Argumentation
-
2nd rebuttal should be frontlining
-
Extensions, extensions, extensions
-
Weigh as early as you have time for and make sure that it’s comparative. I want clear warranting as to why I should vote for one impact over the other, not just name-dropping random weighing mechanisms
-
I won’t vote on theory unless there’s an actual reasonable violation in round, so no disclosure, paraphrasing, etc
-
I will vote for substance over any theory or progressive argument. Treat me like a lay judge when it comes to any progressive arguments
-
It’s really up to you, but I prefer line-by-line in summary and voters in FF
-
Definitely frame the round and WEIGH in summary
-
I’m listening during cross but won’t vote on anything
Evidence/Speed
-
Add me to the chain: raiyanshaik22@gmail.com
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Don’t just ask for multiple pieces of evidence for the purpose of prep
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I’m generally ok with speed as long as you’re speaking clearly, but if you’re going to spread send me a doc
-
Be respectful. I will lower your speaks if you’re rude or excessively aggressive during CX
I will immediately vote you down if you say anything racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.
Congress
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Do not just give multiple sponsorship speeches in a row. After the first speech, your speeches should be interacting with the arguments before
- do not repeat arguments from prior speeches unless you're specifically adding something new to the conversation and acknowledging that you're doing so
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If you’re giving one of the last speeches of the round, crystallization is preferred
-
Clear cited evidence
Hi, my name is Rajeev Sharma.
I have no distinct experience in public forum, but I have learned a bit from my son, a public forum debater.
Always Tech > Truth.
I don't know much about this month's topic, so keep that in mind and please be sure to explain your points in detail.
PLEASE SPEAK SLOWLY, and add me to the email chain @ rajeevsharma01@gmail.com
I do not judge cross, but please make sure to use this time wisely to clarify. Please be kind and respectful during the round. No racism, etc. Also, please don't prep steal.
Defense is not sticky, please extend your defense throughout the round.
Please weigh, collapse and extend your warrants. Second rebuttal HAS to frontline.
In final focus, please be brief with your points and make sure to weigh and explain why I should cast my ballot for your team. Please make it easy for me to understand.
I will be judging heavily on weighing and whether arguments were extended, so please be sure to do it.
Public Forum: Policy Maker ; No spreading ; I like voters and an impact calculus at the end of the round ; plans are okay ; Ks are okay, if ran and explained well
Policy Debate: Policy Maker ; Stock Judge ; Tabula Rasa ; No spreading ; I like voters and an impact calculus at the end of the round ;
Lincoln-Douglas: Tabula Rasa ; No spreading ; I like voters and an impact calculus at the end of the round ; well-organized cases and speeches are important
World Schools Debate: No spreading ; I like voters and an impact calculus at the end of the round ; well-organized cases and speeches are important
Please, no spreading!
I value quality over quantity of evidence -- relevancy (topical) , source , unique , legit
I expect teams to adhere to the resolution. Meaning, arguments MUST be balanced -- you choose how to balance them -- these balanced arguments will be your VOTERS
My ballot weighs:magnitude ; probability ; reasonability ; overall solvency ; advantages and disadvantages ; impacts
Watch out for drops! – use caution when intentionally dropping an argument, even if it’s your own.
Carry all arguments throughout the round.
Arguments must be weighed based off their impacts , probability , and timeline – this will used to evaluate them as voters.
I need Voters and an Impact Calculus
Johnathen.standifer@leanderisd.org
But, set up a speech drop. It's 2024, there is no need to fight school emails for email chains. share your cases, move things forward, don't be petty for your prep.
Experience in PF, CX and LD. I was an LD/CX debater in high school, and run a PF team now as a coach.
I try to run as close to a tab judge as I can, I'm willing to judge anything you run I just ask for justification in the round for why I should care about debating for it.
I'm fine with speed, I'm fine with theory and I'm fine with progressive arguments.
Don't just throw a trick in the first speech ignore it 'til the end and tell me to vote for you, that's boring.
Congress: I can't think of anything I hate more than everybody giving a speech on a bill in a congress speech. Rehashing only goes so far, I don't need 5 crystallization speeches.
MOVE THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. My points for speeches tend to go down the more an argument goes on and the more rehash we get. Forget equity, move the round forward and you'll be my favorite.
I did PF at Westlake for 4 years and qualled for TOC 3 times kind of
email cheriewang835@gmail.com
send CASE AND REBUTTAL docs (to everyone preferably but if u and ur opponents don't decide to share cases just send to me). If i don’t get docs from you i’m giving 26s
judges r allowed to eval disclosure at TFA state so i will do that and u can see more info about disclosure below.
general things
idk the topic so clarify acronyms in speech and remember things i don’t understand aren’t evaluated as well and it is up to u to make me understand and eval them well
also speaks buff if u play a subway surfer video on ur computer for me during ur speeches it helps me flow better (u shld clarify what this means pre round so u don't do it wrong i would hate for u to waste ur time)
+.25 speaks buff every time u say “wow it’s sooooo preppy in here” when u finish taking prep
snacks are 30s (no starbucks)
no silly speaks buffs at tfa its not allowed sorry
tech>truth
don't go too fast; i can only evaluate what i can flow. if u go too fast (especially if i'm tired) could be ggs idk what to tell u. i will not pretend i heard stuff in rebuttal that was too fast for me just because the other team didn’t respond to it. for reference u should top out ~800-900 words in constructive and thats being pretty generous
i ask for docs but i'm not flowing off them that is not an excuse to go faster than i can handle and then get angry about the decision later
be nice or get 25s.
read whatever u want and i will do my best to evaluate it!
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i do not flow things that aren't signposted. if there’s 100 different arguments and no one explains how they interact then they are basically meaningless to me
u r very welcome to post round either verbally after round (unless tournament is running super late then try to keep it short) or via email. i will not be mad education is great
random things
when u point out a lack of a warrant for something please also read a counter warrant or else it is not an effective response unless completely dropped!
if u read turns can u read impacts please
if u read turns can u read weighing please
if u read turns can they not be Your Case Pt. 2 But The Card Names Are Different please
hege args need real warrants too. for the one going around at state you should know that i hate the arg. won't intervene on it and have voted on it twice now but i do not like it. if u decide to read it anyway i will eval it like a normal arg i just want you to know that i hate it
i like analogies fine but not cliches (except for poking/feeding the bear i like that one. generally speaking i like bears)
above most other things i hate teams wasting my time and making me flow things that aren't useful. like i would rather hear analytics than random turns u won't go for or 8 pieces of ev that all say the same thing in rebuttal. weigh or make extra implications to pad ur time instead of reading useless ev.
do not waste both of our time by reading an overview if you are going to read it again as link level responses.
pf substance stuff
second rebuttal needs to frontline everything that they want to extend later. i would love to see some collapsing in this speech.
i have a decently high threshold for extensions but they don't need card names, just warrants and impacts. please don't go for more than one link/warrant when extending case if u don't have to.
i presume with my own coin flip unless told to do something else in round. i would love to be told to do something else in round. presuming with a coin flip is lame
warrant things
weigh things
extend things
SPARK AND OTHER IMPACT TURNS R AWESOME AND COOL BUT MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A LINK!
IMPACT DEFENSE IS HEAVILY UNDERUTILIZED IN PF AND WE HAVE STARED TO ALLOW PPL TO READ THE WORST IMPACTS I'VE EVER HEARD CAN WE STOP PLEASE!!
because of something cale mccrary made me read i would also really enjoy seeing teams experiment with responding in second constructive but thats just a thought. im pretty sure no one will do this but if u do i will pad speaks for cool strategy
love a card heavy rebuttal (not as much as an analytics heavy one because that's so much cooler) but if i hear the same response with different cards a bunch of times i will dock speaks harshly for bad strategy. give a real rebuttal if i wanted to hear 5 pieces of evidence saying schools will cut sports programs i would read it myself.
progressive debate
i'll judge anything as best as i can
i love judging theory but that means when it's bad, i hate it a lot more than mid/bad substance. i will take mediocre substance over mediocre or bad theory any day. however do not be afraid to read theory in front of me if you are fairly new to it because i love seeing people experiment and learn about progressive/new argumentation more than i hate hearing a bad theory round.
theory is great including friv but if u r being funky, u must also be fun. otherwise its just kinda terrible for everyone else and no one wants that especially not me (and u dont want that either because u won't like ur speaks)!
if u read friv and do a bad job at reading theory ill be mad cus why are u wasting my time and everyone else's
all parts of theory need to be extended in summary/final but not rebuttals (but if u want to make the argument that a rebuttal extension is necessary, go for it--it's just not my default). if u forget to extend something like DTD and they point it out u will probably not be winning off theory!
going for RVIs/DTA/reasonability are cool strats that i think are underutilized in pf!
im a big fan for os disclosure and am very open to hearing arguments for disclosure, os, misdisclosure whatever. obviously my opinion is that disclosure is good but i won't hack for it if u can't defend it. content/trigger warnings are good on graphic args but i won't hack for it if u can't defend that.
k's are out of my area of expertise so run at ur own risk--i don't mind hearing them and i'll try my best to eval but idk the big words. on top of that speed will absolutely make my brain fold in on itself and implode. if u want to read one u should probably gauge my experience w them and talk to me before round
i need a lot of judge instruction and a minimal amount of buzzwords for k's (as in i will not understand buzzwords and need full explanation in their place). personally im by far the most familiar with cap but every time i learned about wrote or debated k, all the knowledge went in one ear and out the other in like a week
again, BE NICE. especially if ur reading progressive args on novices.
This is my first year in Speech and Debate, though I have a background in rhetoric. Have judged PF and LD rounds in few tournaments.
I do take some notes, but the focus of my attention is mainly the verbal presentation. Given this, please speak at a more conversational speed, though some spreading is acceptable.
Debaters should try to keep their arguments linked to core issues of the resolution.