Hey y'all. My name is James Allan. My email is jpa6644@gmail.com if there's anything here that's not clear. Please put me on the email chain.

Experience:

4 years at Lakeland Central School District, 4 years at Binghamton University, 2 years of grad fellowship at Baylor University, 1 year coaching Desert Vista, third year coaching for the University of Houston.

I received a first round at large bid to the NDT my senior year, the first in binghamton university history.

Previously coached at/conflicted with: Lakeland, Binghamton University, McQueen, various ADL debaters, Baylor University, Desert Vista, University of Houston.

how i make decisions

I used to flow on paper but have transitioned to flowing on my computer. it is still in your best interest to go at about 85% of what others would consider "top speed" in front of me so i can catch more warrants, examples and analysis for your argument.

i like judge instruction, i like well engaged framework debates that tell me how to view how the debate is going down, i like rebuttals that start with "vote (aff/neg) to (explanation of what the aff/neg ballot does/means/signifies) which solves these impacts. these impacts outweigh and turn my opponents' impacts because..." you catch my drift.

i determine the competing thesis-level/key/framing/whatever-you-want-to-call-it questions presented and determine which team sufficiently answered theirs/their opponents' framing questions and work backwards from there.

i generally give more weight to dropped arguments if the impact to the argument is adequately contextualized (you can say i lean towards tech over truth but it's debatable obviously).

randomly how i feel about different arguments

k aff v. framework: debate is cool because you get to actively debate about the rules

i am indifferent about framework as a strategy to negate affs that don't hypothetically defend a topical plan text. in my mind, if negatives don't successfully insulate the framework page from case offense (win a convincing "framework comes first" arg, in other words) or use standards to turn the aff method or impact, i very rarely vote negative in those debates. i like standards that defend the topic, not just topical debate in the abstract. i am pretty sympathetic to the very simple argument "don't maintain fairness, if fair debate produces X bad thing". both teams should point out that the other team is grossly misrepresenting how their model of debate actually doesn't go down the way it is described.

k aff v. k neg: debate is cool because you get to test different explanations of how power is distributed and how it operates

presumption is an underutilized neg argument in these debates and too easily dismissed by affs. how does competition function and why should i care/not care about it? what is your theory of power and how does it differ/overlap with your opponents'? explain, analyze and develop in your constructives but you should be crystallizing your big dense words for me in your rebuttals in terms of impacts and impact comparison. what is your method/theoretical approach/critical approach/alternative and how should i think about "solvency".

policy aff v. policy neg: debate is cool because even seemingly hyperbolic and contrived internal link chains teach the participants about logic processing and decision-making

show me unique, topic research that is specific and interesting. i'm slowly gaining more sympathy for cheaty counterplans. i have a low threshold for voting on presumption or inherency, with smart, warranted analytical arguments even without cards. i like politics disads. i don't like cp's that randomly first strike asian countries. i like T.

policy aff v. k neg: debate is cool because forms of rhetoric and knowledge employed by the debaters is up for debate.

neg teams usually win debates by impact turning the education/worldview/representations/justifications introduced by the affirmative (framework) or by winning that the plan emboldens/worsens/justifies the impact/social system that outweighs and turns the affirmative. i very much make sense of the world of policy aff v. k neg debates in terms of pre/post fiat debates. policy affs should be ready and willing to defend the scholarly underpinnings of their affirmative. i am very susceptible to aff tricks (util, negative state action link turns, alt solvency presses). i am very susceptible to neg tricks (floating pik, framework turns, epistemology indicts, serial policy failure). judge instruction is a necessity in these debates.

random list of great debate minds i have learned from, competed against, was judged by, worked with:

(basically who shaped the way i think about debate to give you a better insight into how i make decisions)

Amber Kelsie, Vida Chiri, Tj Buttgereit, Jeff Yan, Geoff Lundeen, Ben Hagwood, Stefan Bauschard, Carlos Astacio, Willie Johnson, Kevin Clarke, Jesse Smith, Reed Van Schenk, Brianna Thomas, Michael Harrington, Jacob Hegna.

I really like debate

this is my tenth year in the activity and i love participating and learning and teaching in every individual debate. what i am now realizing from the grad student side of things is how much the community is dependent on unrecognized and uncompensated labor from grad students, mostly feminized bodies, people of color, black people and disabled people. be nice to grad students, we are trying our best lmao

Abe Benghiat:

School Affiliation: Lexington High School, Colgate University

Years Debated: 4 (policy)

It's your round.  Do what you want and be clear on what you want me to vote on.  To me, debate is a game so have fun.

Two main rules: try your best and be on time. Then you can't do terribly.

Any questions are fair game pre-round.

Judge Paradigm

I debate for Lakeland so I’m more policy oriented. For the neg: I’m ok w/ K’s, T, CP, Da’s ---- basically every arg.  I personally like the da and cp/case strat but as of late, I really like T.

DON’T STEAL PREP

For the aff: I prefer affs that are resolutionally based… In my ideal world there would only be a few affs on the circuit. 

On theory: I like evidence of in round abuse and impact calc; ie what is the terminal impacts to fairness

For both teams, don’t change your strat for me---- go for what you’re confident with because that’s when you’ll debate your best. 

Prep ends when the flash drive leaves the computer

I have zero tolerance for card clipping

DON’T STEAL PREP

Most Importantly: try to have fun, at the end of the day debate is supposed to be an enjoyable and educational activity. Also, don’t be rude; the debate is not a space to be mean to the other team or even your partner.

DON’T STEAL PREP

I personally think borders should be deconstructed and we should abandon border thinking to embrace the other.  This would probably solve most problems in our society like stealing prep.

The key for me when it comes to deciding most debates is two fold. First it is easier for me to vote for a team that weighs what is is being debated instead of just continuing to reiterate what their argument is. Well argued impacts are essential to choosing who is doing the better debating. I will look at the round objectively regardless of what I personally believe in almost every case so the way you frame your arguments and position them in the real world is very important to me.

Second, I think that since I am on the other side of the round, all I have to go on is what you're giving me; I will not do the work for you. In other words, if you make a really convincing argument in the first speech or in cross fire and you don't extend through the entire debate it or you let the other team take out the impacts without you addressing them, I can't just ignore that they're doing the better debating just because you may be right. I hope that makes sense.

As for me, I have a mostly policy background as a debater so I am good with spreading or k debate if you want to take it there, I have no real preference of specific arguments, i will hear whatever you say to me and weigh it as such. Just be respectful of everyone's space and time to speak, don't be an a**hole, and truly most importantly, have fun. I'm dead serious, if you're not having It'll just be a rough time for everyone, energies are tangible even over zoom.

Debate experience: I debate for two years and half years in High School for Benjamin Banneker Academy and about 2 years in college. 

I am currently a sophmore debating for Brooklyn College (CUNY) as JV/Open.

• I am open to any sort of argument that anyone makes. I've had my fair share of policy and I am slowly transitioning into K debate, so I am a bit more understanding and tolerant of Kritiks. That is not to say I don't vote on kritiks. I just feel there needs to be a better explanation of the kritik and what it does, the same goes for policy. You know what? Everything needs good explanation. Period.
• I like to vote on the flow. I don't like intervening as a judge (unless told otherwise). Every argument needs to be explained at least one, so if you're going to just extend a bunch of arguments make sure they're explained! ( Have you picked up on the pattern?)
• If you're paperless or some form of paperless then I do not count flashing as prep. However, if the time it takes to flash becomes too extensive then I will run prep. I also give 10 minutes of free time to fix any proven technical issue you maybe experiencing in the debate round.
• I always prefer that debaters treat each other with respect. There is only a certain level of snarky that I will allow in the debate round before I start deducting speaker points. You don't have to be nice but you certainly don't have to be rude. Cursing is fine, keep to a minimum and if you're going to get up and say offensive things please have a reason. Don't just say offensive things because it's debate.
• Speed is not an issue but if you go too fast or unclear then I will let you know. I would prefer that you read at a consistent pace as oppose to really loud speed reading, but don't let my preference deter you from doing what you do best.
• I really like Impact Calculus. I think it's really important part of the debate. I look to it as a first and last resort in all situations. If Impact calculus isn't really well done then I just need a really clear reason as to why you win the debate round and we can go from there.
• Theory: Theory is really an important issue in the debate especially when you can prove actual in round abuse. If someone runs 6+ off-case then maybe condo is good theory to run. I will vote on theory under certain conditions. 1. There is actual in-round abuse, potential abuse needs more work but I don't buy it (half the time). 2. It's dropped 3. It's debated properly and there are actual reasons to believe the other team is lacking in the theory flow. Often times I will default to not voting for theory if a team makes just enough arguments to drop it...simply: please don't make evaluate theory debates! (My favorite theory arguments: floating pics bad, pref con good and bad, utopian good and bad).
• Topicality: I love a good T debate. I feel that the best part of a T debate is when the negative spins the story really well and they prove that AFF is being abusive not just by how the C/I is bad and abusive but how the AFF causes actual in-round abuse.
• DisAd: I like a good DisAd debate. Seriously, there nothing more that I would like to hear than the aff messing up the status qou. Things are usually fair game. For DisAds, I like a lot of warrant analysis is needed so I can understand how the affirmative cause the status qou to change. I don't count reading a 10000 impact cards as impact calc.
• CounterPlans- These are the worse things in the world. I will vote for them, but the first piece of offense I look forward is the perm. Please perm a CP...make up dribble (make it make sense). I like permutation text, I feel it's a good way to resolve a lot of abuse in the debate round and help teams win the flow better. I don't like voting on net benefit-less CPs (I don't think anyone does)
• Case: This is tricky. If the Affirmative is losing on solvency, I will often feel obligated to give them the the chance of 1% (if that argument is made; this by no means that this is the norm. It is simply under certain circumstances) I'm more often going to depend on the offense/defense paradigm for this. 
• Kritiks: Explain the Kritik to me well. Explain the Kritik to me so well that you think, if you don't explain well enough, that I am going to drop you and vote AFF or NEG on presumption. I am learning how to run Kritiks. They're fun. I like CAP the most. 
  - Not a big fan of linear disads. 
• Framework: Framework debates are good. I prefer state enacting frameworks. Whatever other framework you present is fine also. 

Fraser, Katie Name Katie Fraser, Lexington High School '14, Harvard A.B. '18, A.M. '18, PhD '24 (expected; Physics)

Experience Debated four years at Lexington high school (National circuit experience - Qualified to the TOC twice, Elims of octos bids, finalist at St. Marks, etc), coached at Lexington High School, mentored for HCMUD (Harvard College Mentors for Urban Debate)
Note: It has been a few years since I judged a debate, and I'm not familiar with the current topic.

TLDR
I have a high threshold for what constitutes an argument and have much less patience for nonsensical arguments then when I was actively debating. For the most part I default to offense defense, however, I feel very comfortable voting on a legitimate presumption argument. There is no "risk of a link" unless you win one. Unless there is a logical connection, the risk of one part of a DA being true does not affect the other part. In a good debate I will likely read cards after the round; but if you don't explain the warrants in your cards don't bother handing them to me, and I want to hear and understand every word in the text of your cards. I will call clear a limited number of times - after that I will blatantly stop flowing - it is up to you to notice. Framing the debate clearly and point out logical inconsistencies in the other teams arguments are the most important things you can do to get good speaker points. I would very strongly prefer you read a topical plan. Speech times and flowing are nonnegotiable, please strike me if you have other plans. Don’t steal prep. Don’t be mean. Don’t cheat. Don’t clip cards. Ask me if you have any questions.

Ethics violations and clarity
Please ask teams to clarify in CX what they read before you call an ethics violation, and only follow through if your opponent can't accurately mark their cards in CX. If the accusation is determined to be accurate I will drop the team that violated said rule, and the debaters who did so will receive zeros (absent extenuating circumstances, such as novices who don't know what clipping is, etc). If an incorrect ethics violation is called, I will drop the team that declared the ethics violation. If I start to suspect a team is clipping, I may mark last words that I hear read, and will consider that sufficient evidence for clipping, even if the other team does not call you out for it. If an accusation is made after the fact, I need a recording.

Kritiks
I haven't read any K literature in years (I'm a scientist, not a philosopher), so don't rely on jargon. If I don’t understand your K by the 2nr I won’t read into your evidence to figure it out. Both sides should slow down a little in K debates -- Spreading philosophy at 400 words a minute will not leave either of us happy after I write the ballot.

For me to vote on the K, it needs to be contextualized to the aff. There needs to be a clear link from the aff to a specific instance of the impact, and either an alternative (or alternative framework) or an argument about why not doing the aff actually prevents some impact. The only exception to this is if the aff messes up the framework debate, which I always look at first because it determines how I should evaluate the K debate. If well debated I find the aff usually gets to weigh their impacts, but they still have to win their impacts are true. I'm unlikely to vote on silly K tricks.


K Affs
My biggest problems with most K affs are the race to claim large impacts that you don't solve, and the oversimplication complicated systemic issues. This is also true for in round impacts: many claims about how the topic is exclusionary to X group of people are both essentializing and also don't fix the very real structural inequities that exist in debate. The aff needs to solve, otherwise I'll vote on presumption.

Specific strategies are always good. Affirmatives that don't read a plan should definitely be responsive for the language in their advocacy text, and probably the entirety of the 1ac. (If there is no advocacy statement, the aff should be responsible for every word they said in the 1ac). If debate is about competing performances than the aff probably doesn't get a perm. I am a strong believer in the importance of intersectionality and am unlikely to be convinced some forms of systemic oppression are by definition "worse" than others.



Clash of civilizations debates
Though I've been out of the activity for a while which has made my perspective (slightly) more detached, I still believe in the importance of switch side debate, which has shaped the way I think about some things to this day. That being said, I've voted against framework many times when there aren't detailed internal link and impact chains and/or the aff has been poorly answered. Like in any other debate, impact calculus, framing, and solving your impacts are important.

Both teams need to be respectful of each other's experiences. Progress is always possible and violence is bad, if you say otherwise please strike me. Framework is not policing. You're privileged to be here - don't trivialize other people's experiences for the sake of a ballot.

Theory
Most of the time theory debates are silly and people argue them terribly. If there's no warrant, I will not vote on it even if it is dropped, and will dock your speaker points for wasting my time with it. If you want to win a theory debate, you need offense and a good line by line. I tend to default to rejecting the argument (except for condo) unless I am told a convincing reason why voting against the team matters.

Topicality
I've always found the reasonability/competing interpretation debate a little murky and rather irrelevent. A good T violation should always win that the aff isn't reasonable. For affs, winning reasonability means you have to win an interpretation that is good for the topic - the link on topicality is a yes/no question - you can't be "reasonably topical." Affs need offense on T. Both sides should clearly articulate specific impacts to all of their internal links. Specific impacts are much better than broad impacts (ex. Research skills, advocacy skills, and economic knowledge instead of just "education"). Do impact calculus like you would on any disad. And, in case I ever judge LD, interpretations have to be from contextual evidence, and RVIs aren't a thing. Ever. I will not give above a 26 if you try to go for an RVI, no matter how awesome the rest of the debate was. SPEC arguments are stupid.

Counterplans:
I tend to default neg on counterplan theory unless debated out otherwise. I think that counterplans with specific solvency advocates are almost always legitimate, CPs with generic solvency advocates can be legitimate, and CPs without solvency advocates should be rejected. If you're aff and want to win a theory debate on a CP, make theory violations as specific to the counterplan as possible.

Random
Presumption goes to the least change from the status quo – that means the aff doesn’t have to win a net benefit to the permutation if there actually is zero risk of a net benefit to the CP
Conditionality means I can kick the CP/K alt for you unless otherwise specified in the debate.
Permutations are not capitalized on nearly enough by the aff – if you want to win a perm in front of me you need to explain what the world of the perm looks like from the 2ac on
The block doesn’t get new Ks, CPs, DAs, or Impact turns (an exception is you can impact turn 2ac impacts). They don't get new CPs even if new add-ons are read. That is the disadvantage to advantage CPs. Evidence can and should be read up through the 1ar, and possibly in the 2nr if it is in response to new 1ar cards.
I have always been a 2n. I tend not to give 2as that much leeway – If it wasn’t in the 1ar, it is a new argument and won’t be evaluated. However I’m very fond of techy, embedded clash in a 1ar and so a warranted argument that is 5-7 words in the 1ar can be blown up in the 2ar.

I am one of the head captains of the Westhill High School debate team in CT. I have debated for four years and have won first place awards in both Lincoln Douglas and Policy on the national and state levels.

I am a "tabula rasa" judge from the beginning of the round but I always like it when policy is debated, not kritiks (unless they are actually warranted, in which case you'll probably win anyway). I walk into the round assuming I know nothing and that it is the burden o the debater to tell me all I need to know. I view debates as games of chess: when one person makes an argument, I expect a strategic and logical follow up. Treat the round as though I know nothing, and PERSUADE me to vote for your policy over the other.

But in the end, I suppose that the ideal debate for me would be to have two teams telling me how to vote and actually following through on that argument. Tell me how I should deround the round, whether it be based on a stock issue, a direct comparison of policies, or even theory, and I will probably follow those instructions. After all, you're making the debate- I'm merely deciding if I buy it.

Sheryl Kaczmarek Lexington High School -- SherylKaz@gmail.com

General Thoughts

I expect debaters to treat one another, their judges and any observers, with respect. If you plan to accuse your opponent(s) of being intellectually dishonest or of cheating, please be prepared to stake the round on that claim. Accusations of that sort are round ending claims for me, one way or the other. I believe debate is an oral and aural experience, which means that while I want to be included on the email chain, I will NOT be reading along with you, and I will not give you credit for arguments I cannot hear/understand, especially if you do not change your speaking after I shout clearer or louder, even in the virtual world. I take the flow very seriously and prior to the pandemic judged a lot, across the disciplines, but I still need ALL debaters to explain their arguments because I don't "know" the tiniest details for every topic in every event. I am pretty open-minded about arguments, but I will NOT vote for arguments that are racist, sexist or in any other way biased against a group based on gender identity, religion or any other characteristic. Additionally, I will NOT vote for suicide/self harm alternatives. None of those are things I can endorse as a long time high school teacher and decent human.

Policy Paradigm

The Resolution -- I would prefer that debaters actually address the resolution, but I do vote for non-resolutional, non-topical or critical affirmatives fairly often. That is because it is up to the debaters in the round to resolve the issue of whether the affirmative ought to be endorsing the resolution, or not, and I will vote based on which side makes the better arguments on that question, in the context of the rest of the round.

Framework -- I often find that these debates get messy fast. Debaters make too many arguments and fail to answer the arguments of the opposition directly. I would prefer more clash, and fewer arguments overall. While I don't think framework arguments are as interesting as some other arguments in debate, I will vote for the team that best promotes their vision of debate, or look at the rest of the arguments in the round through that lens.

Links -- I would really like to know what the affirmative has done to cause the impacts referenced in a Disad, and I think there has to be something the affirmative does (or thinks) which triggers a Kritik. I don't care how big the impact/implication is if the affirmative does not cause it in the first place.

Solvency -- I expect actual solvency advocates for both plans and counterplans. If you are going to have multi-plank plans or counterplans, make sure you have solvency advocates for those combinations of actions, and even if you are advocating a single action, I still expect some source that suggests this action as a solution for the problems you have identified with the Status Quo, or with the Affirmative.

Evidence -- I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Highlighting random words which would be incoherent if read slowly annoys me and pretending your cards include warrants for the claims you make (when they do not) is more than annoying. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part of the card you read needs to say extinction will be the result. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards after a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.

New Arguments/Very Complicated Arguments -- Please do not expect me to do any work for you on arguments I do not understand. I judge based on the flow and if I do not understand what I have written down, or cannot make enough sense of it to write it down, I will not be able to vote for it. If you don't have the time to explain a complicated argument to me, and to link it to the opposition, you might want to try a different strategy.

Old/Traditional Arguments -- I have been judging long enough that I have a full range of experiences with inherency, case specific disads, theoretical arguments against politics disads and many other arguments from policy debate's past, and I also understand the stock issues and traditional policy-making. If you really want to confuse your opponents, and amuse me, you'll kick it old school as opposed to going post-modern.


LD Paradigm

The Resolution -- The thing that originally attracted me to LD was that debaters actually addressed the whole resolution. These days, that happens far less often in LD than it used to. I like hearing the resolution debated, but I also vote for non-resolutional, non-topical or critical affirmatives fairly often in LD. That is because I believe it is up to the debaters in the round to resolve the issue of whether the affirmative ought to be endorsing the resolution, or not, and I will vote based on which side makes the better arguments on that question.

Framework -- I think LDers are better at framework debates than policy debaters, as a general rule, but I have noticed a trend to lazy framework debates in LD in recent years. How often should debaters recycle Winter and Leighton, for example, before looking for something new? If you want to stake the round on the framework you can, or you can allow it to be the lens through which I will look at the rest of the arguments.

Policy Arguments in LD -- I understand all of the policy arguments that have migrated to LD quite well, and I remember when many of them were first developed in Policy. The biggest mistake LDers make with policy arguments -- Counterplans, Perm Theory, Topicality, Disads, Solvency, etc. -- is making the assumption that your particular interpretation of any of those arguments is the same as mine. Don't do that! If you don't explain something, I have no choice but to default to my understanding of that thing. For example, if you say, "Perm do Both," with no other words, I will interpret that to mean, "let's see if it is possible to do the Aff Plan and the Neg Counterplan at the same time, and if it is, the Counterplan goes away." If you mean something different, you need to tell me. That is true for all judges, but especially true for someone with over 40 years of policy experience. I try to keep what I think out of the round, but absent your thoughts, I have no choice but to use my own.

Evidence -- I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Highlighting random words which would be incoherent if read slowly annoys me and pretending your cards include warrants for the claims you make (when they do not) is more than annoying. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part if the card you read really needs to say extinction will be the result. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards in a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.

New Arguments/Very Complicated Arguments -- Please do not expect me to do any work for you on arguments I do not understand. I judge based on the flow and if I do not understand what I have written down, or cannot understand enough to write it down, I won't vote for it. If you don't think you have the time to explain some complicated philosophical position to me, and to link it to the opposition, you should try a different strategy.

Traditional Arguments -- I would still be pleased to listen to cases with a Value Premise and a Criterion. I probably prefer traditional arguments to new arguments that are not explained.

Theory -- Theory arguments are not magical, and theory arguments which are not fully explained, as they are being presented, are unlikely to be persuasive, particularly if presented in a paragraph, or three word blips, since there is no way of knowing which ones I won't hear or write down, and no one can write down all of the arguments when each only merits a tiny handful of words. I also don't like theory arguments that are crafted for one particular debate, or theory arguments that lack even a tangential link to debate or the current topic. If it is not an argument that can be used in multiple debates (like topicality, conditionality, etc) then it probably ought not be run in front of me. New 1AR theory is risky, because the NR typically has more than enough time to answer it. I dislike disclosure theory arguments because I can't know what was done or said before a round, and because I don't think I ought to be voting on things that happened before the AC begins. All of that being said, I will vote on theory, even new 1AR theory, or disclosure theory, if a debater WINS that argument, but it does not make me smile.

PF Paradigm

The Resolution -- PFers should debate the resolution. It would be best if the Final Focus on each side attempted to guide me to either endorse or reject the resolution.

Framework -- Frameworks are OK in PF, although not required, but given the time limits, please keep your framework simple and focused, should you use one.

Policy or LD Behaviors/Arguments in PF -- I personally believe each form of debate ought to be its own thing. I DO NOT want you to talk quickly in PF, just because I also judge LD and Policy, and I really don't want to see theory arguments, plans, counterplans or kritiks in PF. I will definitely flow, and will judge the debate based on the flow, but I want PF to be PF. That being said, I will not automatically vote against a team that brings Policy/LD arguments/stylistic approaches into PF. It is still a debate and the opposition needs to answer the arguments that are presented in order to win my ballot, even if they are arguments I don't want to see in PF.

Paraphrasing -- I have a HUGE problem with inaccurate paraphrasing. I expect debaters to be able to IMMEDIATELY access the text of the cards they have paraphrased -- there should be NO NEED for an off time search for the article, or for the exact place in the article where an argument was made. Making a claim based on a 150 page article is NOT paraphrasing -- that is summarizing (and is not allowed). If you can't instantly point to the place your evidence came from, I am virtually certain NOT to consider that evidence in my decision.

Evidence -- If you are using evidence, I expect your evidence to be highlighted consistent with the intent of your authors, and I expect your tags to make claims that you will prove with the parts you read from your evidence. Pretending your cards include warrants (when they do not) is unacceptable. If your tag says "causes extinction," the text of of the part you card you read MUST say extinction will happen. Misrepresenting your evidence is a huge issue for me. More often then not, when I read cards in a round, it is because I fear misrepresentation.

Theory -- This has begun to be a thing in PF in some places, especially with respect to disclosure theory, and I am not a fan. As previously noted, I want PF to be PF. While I do think that PFers can be too secretive (Policy and LD both started that way), I don't think PFers ought to be expending their very limited time in rounds talking about whether they ought to have disclosed their case to their opponents before the round. Like everything else I would prefer were not true, I can see myself voting on theory in PF because I do vote based on the flow, but I'd prefer you debate the case in front of you, instead of inventing new arguments you don't really have time to discuss.

Education: Harvard University '18

Affiliation: Lexington High School

Years Debated: 2010-2014

Debated: Policy (4 Years)

Judging Experience: I have experience judging policy and LD rounds for 5+ years. Haven't judged in 4 years, so I'm a bit rusty.

For this year - I'm not familiar with the topic yet, so acronyms and other topic specific things will need to be articulated more.

Note on Prep Time: Just ask for prep, not specific amounts that's annoying. Just prep.

Policy

Theory - Most things are reasons to reject the argument (except for like Condo). I love a good theory debate. If you attempt to weigh theory versus a T violation, you must explain reasons to prefer one or the other.

T - I think reasonability is a strong argument (#2aandproud). But that being said, you have to address the voting issues.

Ks - Fine by me. I'm not the best at understanding these, but if you articulate well, then you're fine.

CPs & DAs - A good, clean strat. Impact calc is always good. Bonus points if you run XO and politics and you don't go to Lex.

Case - Please, please, please label/signpost where you are on case. Especially in the 2AC.

Non-traditional, Race, Identity, etc - Probably not the judge for you. I never looked forward to these affs/negs, and don't understand the intricacies of them. That being said, I have voted for them, greatly respect them, and do have a basic understanding of the arguments as a whole.

Other Items

Flashing - I don't take prep time for flashing, but if you take an absurd amount of time, then the timer starts.

Clipping - If you clip and the other team catches you (via a recording or other method) you will lose and get 0 speaks. I have a zero-tolerance policy on card clipping - the tabroom and your coaches will be notified.

Marking - You must flash/physically mark after your speech the marked evidence. In extreme cases of not knowing where you have marked MANY cards it will result in disregarding the evidence.

Rudeness - C'mon be chill - we're all part of a community. Be fun, be cool, be funny! If you are rude, violent, bully, or insult the other team your speaks will suffer accordingly.

Jokes - For every good joke told in round, you get 2 brownie points. If you tell a bad joke/pun, you lose 1 brownie point.

Swag Moments - If you say or do something that demonstrates the massive amount of swag you have (like getting a concession or admission in CX that gets the room to go 'WHOAAAAA') you get 3 brownie points.

Brownie points - If one gains enough brownie points, said points may be exchanged post round for prizes of little to no value.

LD

Mostly the same as above. Spell your arguments out more. I'd prefer more policy-esque arguments, but if you want to to kritikal stuff, then just explain it WELL.

Really spell out your AC/NC in the rebuttals. As a policy debater I tend to do more weighing on issues and view framework a bit differently. Watch out for other jargen type things that I might not get (I get like Value Critereon and stuff, but blowing through theory is not a good idea).

I am a debater for CUNY, I have been debating in college for 2 years mostly in open and jv.I have judged for UDL tournaments and some tournaments in the northeast. How I evlautate debates I pretty much vote on anything , As long you are clear and give me a road map then I will be fine. Also I do like a Roll of a Ballot:). For people who care about speaker points im generous, as long you know your arguements, and speak clear yall be fine.

T- I dont really vote on T and I do not like the argument, but if you can convince me to vote for T I will.

DA/Cp/Fw- I like this arguements, and I dont mind policy stuff. But if your going to defend the USFG do it hard. Give me reasons why I should vote.

K- My favorite arguements, I am familiar with most K arguements but explain the K  arguement and what does the world of the alt look like, and explain your link to the resoultion if you are running a k aff.

Theory- I dont like theory arguements

I'm a policy debater so I lean towards policy alternatives but, I will vote for teams with out a plan text if you impact framework or T well. If you are a K team don't change your strat for me because I prefer good debate over everything else. NO CLASH means bad speaker points. I am fine with speed so go as fast as you can. I will tell you to be clear once in a speech before I stop flowing. In rebuttals I want a story tell me how A gets to B don't just tell me A and B.

I'm ok with you making jokes in speeches and cross ex just don't be rude. I don't count flashing as prep but, when you are done with prep don't prep. The speech timer starts when the opposing team opens the speech doc.

I’m usually up for anything and I am reasonable. All I ask is you do your best to speak clearly, promote education (the reason we are all here), and don’t get too fancy with spreading or be purposefully confusing.

Speak clearly. If I don't understand what your argument is I will not be able to flow it.

If you decide to run T it should be thorough. Critical stuff is good, I'm open to all types of cases even if they do not strictly adhere to the resolution.

Again: speak clearly, it will be a better educational experience for everyone.

Joe Patten - I make it a point to judge the round based on the evidence provided by both teams, and do not make arguments for teams - in other words, I will vote for teams even if I don't personally agree with their arguments.  I can judge speed, but tend to give higher speaks for debaters who speak clearly.

Former Policy Debater, 2.5 years with Brooklyn Tech as Nov and JV (Varsity on regional circuits), 1.5 years with the CUNY Policy Team. I ran stock issues for roughly 2-3 novice tournaments before converting over entirely to K debating.

I have been coaching Public Forum for roughly 4 years.

Speed is fine by me, just be clear. Flow judge for the most part.

To put it simply, win the framework, the impact calculus, and the solvency debate. Big fan of turns, make use of them and be sure to explain and impact them adequately.

Every argument should have claim, warrant, and impact.

Pro teams, take time to explain the inherent need for your plan and your solvency.

Feel free to run whatever con strategy you want, be it on-case, DA's, or a combo of both. I prefer if you had your own counter-interpretation and voters, but if your strategy entails ceding to the pro's F/W then you better win it.

Name: Jefferey Yan
Affiliations: Stuyvesant High School ’15
Binghamton University '19
Currently working as an assistant coach w/ GMU for 2021-22

Please put me on the chain: jeffereyyan@gmail.com

I debated for 8 years, in HS for Stuyvesant and in college at Binghamton. I read a plan for a majority of my time in HS, and various K arguments on the neg. In college, I read an affirmative about Asian-Americans every year with a variety of flavors and a few about disability. On the neg, we primarily went for K arguments with themes of biopower, capitalism, and resiliency.

Form preferences:

I think line by line is an effective way to both record and evaluate clash that happens in debate. I like to judge debates that are heavily invested in line-by-line refutation because I think it requires the least amount of intervention and the largest amount of me pointing to what you said.

That being said, I think rebuttals require less line-by-line and more framing arguments. The biggest problem for me when evaluating debates is there is often little explanation of how I should treat the rest of debate if you win x argument. In other words, you need to impact your arguments not just on the line by line, but also in the broader context of the debate. The ability to do both in a round is primarily what modulates the speaking points I give.

Argumentative familiarity/thoughts:

Framework/T-USFG: I like to think of framework as an all-or-nothing strategy that can either be utilized effectively and persuasively, or poorly and as an excuse to avoid engagement. My ideal block on FW is where you spend time articulating specific abuse and why it implicates your ability to debate with examples. I think specificity is what makes the difference between framework as a strategy for engagement versus framework as a strategy for ignoring the aff. I think a lot of the delineation here is most apparent in the 2NR and whether or not the neg explicitly acknowledges/goes to the case page.

Generally speaking, I think ties to the topic are good. I think topical versions of the aff are something people need to be going for in the 2NR and are lowkey kind of broken given the time tradeoff vs amount of defense generated ratio. I am unpersuaded by fairness as an intrinsic good or impact in itself, and relying heavily on it in the 2nr is not a great spot to be in. For example, I am relatively easily persuaded by the argument that if a current form of the game produces bad outcomes, then whether it’s fair or not is ultimately a secondary to concern when compared to re-thinking the content of the game itself. I think arguments regarding the quality of clash are the most persuasive to me as they can implicate both fairness and education impact arguments fairly intuitively.

I default to competing interps, but I think that aff teams tend to read awful C/Is without realizing it, mostly because they fail to really think through what their counter-model of debate looks like. I think a strong counter-interp really sets aff FW strategies apart, because being able to access the neg’s offense does a lot for you in terms of explaining the specificity of your own impact turns.

T: Like I said, I have very little topic specific knowledge and am a bit out of the loop in regards to the meta. This means I’m probably more willing to vote on a stupid T argument than other judges. This could be good or bad for you.

DA: I like stories. DAs are opportunities to tell good stories. Not much else to say about this.

CP: I wish people slowed down when reading CP texts because it makes it so god damn hard to flow them. I think judge-kick is stupid. If the debate becomes theoretical, please adhere to some kind of line-by-line format.

K: I am most familiar with structural kritiks. Link specificity makes life good. I think framework is incredibly important for both sides to win to win the debate. I think the neg should defend an alternative most of the time. I think the neg should generally pick and choose one or two specific link arguments in the 2NR.

K but on the aff: These debates are largely framework debates, and the winner of that debate gets to decide what happens with the judge and the ballot. I think it’s important to make clear what the aff advocates early on, because often times these affs have too many moving parts, which gets you into trouble vs link debates/presumption arguments. I think ties to the topic are generally good. I usually really like judging these types of affs.

Speak clearly, avoid topicality, don't spread (I want clear, well developed, and concise arguments), respect your opponents and have fun.

Lexington '15

Vanderbilt '19 (did not debate at Vanderbilt)

Don't be offensive (no racism/sexism/ableism/etc good obviously)

You need to flow.

Debated more on the policy side, but I'm good with any well-executed argument.