Hello my name is Shannon Catlin. I have judged debate for the last four years, while also participating as a debater in my high school career. When I sit down to a debate I prefer to hear evidence based proof with a footprint to back your sources. I also look for if a debater understands what they are presenting, explaining in your own terms.

I like to see what your policy is and how your plan of action will work with proof and funding. I watch for confident body language and being able to make eye contact with your peers.

I will allow spectators if the participants also agree, however they will not be allowed electronic devises.

Let's have s great debate.

Stock Issues

I did not debate in high school or college, but have served as a debate assistant for several years. I have judged about 10 rounds on this year's topic. I am policy maker or stock issue judge. I appreciate when teams listen to the evidence that the other team is reading and analyze it and check the warrants. I hate just reading blocks without explanation.

The Affirmative has the burden of proof to support the resolution. You will probably do better if you do not speed read to me.

Generic Disads, Counter Plans, Kritiks are fine. Topicality is fine. Specific links are important. Explanation is important.

The last speakers should weight the round.

I will penalize rudeness. Just be nice to each other.

I mostly base my decisions on good policy. I do mix in stock issues of they are applicable which is mostly topicality.

I prefer real-world arguments.

Good speech organization is always a positive foot forward.

Respect for each other is key. I do not like shouting matches or putting down of others.

Counterplans are acceptable if they are sound.

I am not a fan of Kritiks or Resolution Justification.

My preference on the pace of speech is the pace at which the common man can understand. In short, if you're gasping for breath, you're too fast.

1 year of high school debate experience many years ago but I have since forgotten most of it. I have been actively judging debate since 2021 and do understand stock issues but am no overly technical. I have no preferences for the round or what argument types are used.

I don't really have one. I'll judge anything from stock issues to kritiks. If all else fails I default to stock issues when nothing else merits judging. I look for strong evidence backed arguments with clear links and justifications. I am big on structure and clarity, so well structured speeches and arguments go a long ways.

I am a fourth year debater who competes in varsity tournaments. I do not care how fast you speak as long as it’s understandable and you sign post. Starting with a topical aff is good along with neg running disads and possibly a counterplan. If you understand your arguments and show to me that you do, then I'm more likely to weigh that side. Saying your partner is going to answer everything is not the way to go. I also really love analytical arguments.

I am intrigued by K's, but please only run them if you understand them...

My decision is usually made by my flow. I see how the arguments correspond and if they made sense and how you delivered them.

I have no preference as to how the “perfect debate” should go and i'm open to any arguments as long as you are able to defend them. However 8 minutes of topicality is not how I imagine things to go so please steer away from that, I won't vote it down if it's a reasonable argument but it does make for a rather bland debate and there's endless arguments out there waiting to be made.Clash is a must!!

Flowing: tell me what I need to look back at and cross apply!

The aff should know their case enough to be able to look at me while they speak, not with their noses shoved in their computer. I believe delivery is super important, the more passion and interest you show the more persuasive you sound.

I love cx. I believe cx is super important for not only clarification but for setting the round into motion.Trapping them is good, helps set up your arguments and shows the drive to defend your side. However that’s not an open invitation to be a complete jerk.Rebuttals need to be delivered in order of the debate and I expect you to tell me every argument made and how your case is to be preferred.

good luck!

I have experience as a high school debate and assistant debate coach. I care about stock issues. If you are using speechdrop, I will follow along with the evidence. I will also do my best to flow the arguments. Read cards as fast as you want, but if your words blur together because of poor enunciation I won't understand what you're saying. Don't drop arguments. I prefer no new arguments in the rebuttals. If I'm keeping track of your time, I will say "time" when time runs out. I don't care if CX is open or closed, but if any of the debaters prefer it to be closed, it will be. Please decide this before the round starts. Respect each other and don't make any ad hominem arguments.

Tabula Rasa approach because it encourages sound debating and because it is consistent with the assumptions of the debate. Plus - I find kritiks fun to navigate.

I use she/her pronouns.

I am a debate coach, so you don't have to explain to me your terminology, but I expect you to clearly explain your arguments.

Include me in the evidence sharing chain: osilverman@sacredheartknights.org

Fair debate:

I like a fair and educated debate. Please share your evidence (preferably - right away, certainly - upon request). Teams should refrain from insulting each other, using not-PC language, yelling and intimidating opponents, and make racist and sexist arguments.

Speed and Flowing:

I don't like spreading; reasonable speech is fine, but be aware that I am an auditory person and I need to hear what you have to say, so I need to understand what you are saying.

Organize, label, and signpost clearly. Give me a roadmap.

Voting:

I will vote for Aff or Neg that convinces me that the other side lacks evidence or logic.

I will vote on any of the stock issues, including inherency.

I like sound Ts, but they must be structured and justified. Aff must answer Ts properly, no matter how outlandish they are, or I will vote Neg.

I will vote on a CP if it is advantageous, but I will gladly weigh a justified Perm.

I will vote on DAs if Aff is unable to answer them. I prefer probable DAs, but you can run whatever is your best shot, as long as it's properly linked.

I detest tempered evidence: misleading tags and unfair cutting. I love to hear evidence analysis. If a team questions the quality of evidence, be specific and purposeful. I don't care if their card is from 1957 and yours is from yesterday unless you'll tell me why it's a problem.

I will vote on Ks if you can understand and explain them. I will not vote on dehumanizing Ks or those that Neg cannot clearly articulate.

Your rule of thumb with me: show me your strength and run what you know how to do well. I will vote for a more educated and better-prepared team, provided that they do not abuse the merits of this activity.

Experience

4-year policy debater/forensian @ Lansing HS (light congress) 2001-2005

4-year assistant debate/forensics @ Lansing HS 2006-2011

7 years head coaching debate/forensics (1 Leavenworth 2010-2011, 5 Salina-Sacred Heart 2012-2018, 1 Hutchinson 2018-2019)

4 years assistant debate/forensics @ McPherson HS 2020-pres

Policy:

I like T that links, DAs and affirmative advantages should have real-world feasible impacts, and I am only in favor of K debate if the framework has equal ground for both teams to earn a ballot (don't run K's that are impossible for the aff to meet the alt). CPs must be competitive to be viable. Tell me why you win and what to vote for.

I believe the negative has to have a coherent position. I don't buy the "multiple worlds" theory of negative debate.

I am fine with open CX, but I am immensely against open speeches. Never feed your colleague lines in a speech. I don't care if they parrot your words exactly, it is not your speech to give.

LD:

I like deep discussions on interactions between the value and its criterion, especially when values and criterion are cross-applied between competing sides. I see LD as competing frameworks and will prefer the debater that does a better job framing the resolution in terms of the value and its criterion (or criteria).

PFD:

I have no idea how this format works. I will vote on the team that gives the most compelling reasons to prefer.