Brazos Speech and Debate Tournament
2022 — Wallis, TX/US
Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show Hide- Which best describes your approach to judging policy debate?
- Policy maker
- Which best describes your priorities in judging policy debate? (check only one)
_____Communication skills are more important than resolution of substantive issues.
_____Resolution of substantive issues is more important than communication skills.
X Communication skills and resolution of substantive issues are of equal importance. - Which best describes your philosophy concerning evidence in policy debate? (check only one)
_____Quantity of evidence is more important than quality of evidence.
_____Quality of evidence is more important than quantity of evidence.
X_Quantity of evidence and quality of evidence are of equal importance.
- Indicate your preference for the following items (check one number for each item):
- Preferred Quantity of Arguments ____1____2__X__3____4____5 (1= limited quantity - 5 =Unlimited quantity)
- Topicality ____1__X_2__ __3____4____5 (1= rarely vote on – 5 =vote on often)
- Counterplans __X_1____2__ __3____4____5 (1=Unacceptable – 5 =Acceptable)
- Disadvantages ____1____2__ __3_X__4____5 (1= Not essential – 5 Essential)
- Conditional Arguments ____1__X_2__ __3____4____5 ( 1=Unacceptable – 5 =Acceptable)
- Kritiqs __X_1____2__ __3____4____5 ( 1=Unacceptable – 5 =Acceptable)
Are there any teams you should not judge due to affiliation or prefer not to judge.
Additional Comments: I am a policymaker judge who does not ignore the stock issues. State your case up front as soon as possible and as clearly as possible in the 1AC. Running generic DAs or topicality arguments by the negative is risky, I'm not a fan. I prefer on-case DAs however I've noticed that this year's topic is often attacked and attacked well with "generic" DAs. Well-thought out analysis and evidence of DAs will be essential to winning a NEG ballot. Extinction arguments don't usually sway my vote. Impact calculus will sway me—tell me why the harms/advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and vice-versa. Don't claim abuse on a technicality and don't spread because I am not sympathetic and I think spreading is abusive. If I don’t hear and understand it, it didn’t happen.
Sandra Peek
CX Judging Paradigm
I have been teaching 30 years and coaching 17 of those. I did policy in high school and CEDA in college. Keep in mind that that was in the 80’s, and I do not have the tolerance for extreme speed that today’s college debaters often have.
EVALUATION-I will evaluate the round through the framework/interpretation provided and argued by the debaters. In other words, if the aff wins framework, I will evaluate that way; if the neg wins framework, I will evaluate that way. In the absence of a framework, I will revert to policy maker, which is my personal preference. Unless you have an exceedingly strong policy advocacy and an exceedingly clean link story, I do not want to see a performance aff or neg.
SPEED- I prefer a moderately-paced debate. I understand the need for speed in the 1AR, and I can follow well signposted fast argumentation. However, I want to hear the text of the evidence. I am not okay with speed so fast that the words in the evidence are not enunciated.
ORGANIZATION-Organization is critical to me. I need you to give a succinct road map before your speech starts and then signpost as you go including numbering. Additionally, before you speak put your speech on the flash drive or email chain so that it is easy to track prep time. I prefer most negative positions to be started in the 1NC . Disads,CP, and T should always be started in the 1NC.
PARTICULAR ARGUMENTS
KRITIKAL ARGUMENTS- I generally will accept well applied, resolutionally focused kritiks and affs. K’s need to have a clear alternative beyond rejection.
DISADS/ADVANTAGES- I feel that disads are almost essential for the negative. I will vote a disad down if the aff articulates and wins that the link fails. I generally will not vote on a minuscule chance of the disad or on a “try or die” analysis from the affirmative. In sum, I want impacts to have a reasonable chance of happening before I consider them in my impact calculus.
TOPICALITY- I will vote on topicality as it is a key limiter.
INHERENCY-I will not vote on inherency unless the negative proves outright that the aff plan is already happening. I don’t think I have ever actually voted on inherency.
SOLVENCY- I like solvency and vote on it often usually in conjunction with another argument.
COUNTERPLANS- I vote on them and generally accept that they can be topical.
THEORY-I buy warranted ground loss based theory arguments and will vote on them.
FUNDING- I cannot remember a time when I found funding arguments convincing (by saying this I am NOT saying that I do not like funding-based DA’s).
GENERAL- Open CX is fine if both teams agree except at UIL tournaments where the rules forbid it. Be certain that one gender is not preferred over the other through interrupting or condescending. I will not vote for those engaging in overtly racist or homophobic speech. Kicking is fine but be certain to make it clear. I do prefer the negative to sit on the right and the affirmative to side on the left.
LD Judging Paradigm
I have been teaching 30 years and coaching 17 of those. I did policy in high school and CEDA in college. Keep in mind that that was in the 80’s, and I do not have the tolerance for extreme speed that today’s college debaters often have.
EVALUATION-I will evaluate the round through the framework/interpretation provided and argued by the debaters. In other words, if the aff wins framework, I will evaluate that way; if the neg wins framework, I will evaluate that way. In the absence of a framework, I will revert to value/criterion, which is my personal preference.
SPEED- I prefer a moderately-paced debate. I understand the need for speed in the 1AR, and I can follow well signposted fast argumentation. However, I want to hear the text of the evidence. I am not okay with speed so fast that the words in the evidence are not enunciated.
ORGANIZATION-Organization is critical to me. I need you to give a succinct road map before your speech starts.
PARTICULAR ARGUMENTS
KRITIKAL ARGUMENTS- I generally will accept well applied, resolutionally focused kritiks on both aff and neg. K’s need to have a clear alternative beyond reject.
DISADS/ADVANTAGES- I feel that disads are sometimes out of place in LD. I will generally vote a disad down if it is not intrinsic to the resolution.
TOPICALITY- I will vote on topicality as it is a key limiter.
PLANS/COUNTERPLANS- I'm not a huge fan of these in LD but will not automatically vote them down. When there are policy-based resolutions, they often get my vote.
THEORY-I buy warranted ground loss based theory arguments and will vote on them.
GENERAL- Rude/sexist behavior and/or racist speech will result in lower speaker points. I will not, on principle, vote for those engaging in overtly racist or homophobic speech. I do prefer the negative to sit on the right and the affirmative to side on the left.
PF Judging Paradigm
I have been teaching 30 years and coaching 17 of those. I did policy in high school and CEDA in college. Keep in mind that that was in the 80s, and I do not have the tolerance for extreme speed that today’s college debaters often have. In PF in particular, I think slower debate is better since the intent of the event is for everyone to be able to understand it.
EVALUATION-I will evaluate the round through the framework/interpretation provided and argued by the debaters. In other words, if the pro wins framework, I will evaluate that way; if the con wins framework, I will evaluate that way. In the absence of a framework, you put yourself at risk of me simply judging on policy impacts.
EVIDENCE- I think paraphrasing is fine, but be sure those that paraphrasing can be defended with actual correctly cited evidence.
ORGANIZATION-Organization is critical to me. I need you to give a succinct road map before your speech starts.
PARTICULAR ARGUMENTS
KRITIKAL ARGUMENTS- In my opinion, there is very little time to flesh out arguments like this in a PF round, so unless they are extremely easy to understand and carefully linked to the resolution, I would prefer debaters not use them.
DISADS/ADVANTAGES- While the arguments do not have to be labeled as advantages or disadvantages, in most PF rounds I actually weigh impacts to make my decision so regardless of what you call the arguments, you should impact out this way.
TOPICALITY- I will vote on topicality as it is a key limiter.
PLANS/COUNTERPLANS- In my opinion, plans and CP's are rarely a good use of the limited time in PF. Occasionally, CP's work if they provide a counter-narrative to the resolution.
THEORY-I buy warranted ground loss based theory arguments and will vote on them.
GENERAL- Rude/sexist behavior and/or racist speech will result in lower speaker points. I will not, on principle, vote for those engaging in overtly racist or homophobic speech. I do prefer the con to sit on the right and the pro to side on the left.
6/26-edited to add PF, update numbers, and clarify ideas