I find arguments that appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos to be the most persuasive. Ideally a combination of style and substance.

Clarity is really important - don’t assume I’m making the connection or are familiar with your evidence. Be explicit and tell me why it matters (without just asserting it - back it up). Fewer arguments of higher quality are preferred to faster rounds with more arguments that are less developed.

I appreciate off-time roadmaps.

Vann Berryman

vberryman@auburn.wednet.edu

Head Coach, Auburn High School, Auburn, WA

Coached: 7 years

Competed: 1 year in policy

Hello,

Arguments have a claim, a warrant, and a link to the ballot (impact). This is interpreted by my understanding of your explanation of the argument. If I don’t understand the argument/how it functions, I won’t vote on it.

Main items:

1. Clear arguments-I should be able to understand you. I'm cool with speed, but if I can't understand you then I can't flow it.

2. What are the impacts?-Impact calc is very important. It's the main thing I'm going to vote on as well as the actual topics being clashed.

3. Give me voters in Final Focus, give me voters in the 2AR and 2NR for policy.

4. I find myself voting a lot on de-linked arguments. You could make a sick case for your argument, but if your opponent de-links it then it's gone.

Conduct in the round should be professional-We are here to debate not get into shouting matches. Or insult the opposing team's intelligence, no matter what we may think.

in policy, please don't run garbage filler off-case. If you want to run a T or two or a decent K that's fine. If you run more than four off I'm not listening. Argue the case and cut out that wack garbage version of policy.

I don't want to see evidence/definition wars unless you can clearly prove that your evidence supplements your opponents. Also, evidence handover counts toward your prep time-not outside of it. You wanna see someone's evidence that comes out of your prep.

Speaker Points: I was asked this several times last year so I figured I would add this piece. How to get 30 speaker points from me. First of all I would say that clarity is a big helper in this, alongside that I will also say that asking good lines of questioning in crossfire can help you get better speaker points from me. Be direct, be confident. If I have to keep yelling "Clear" you won't get a 30. This is rarely an issue but be attired properly. I understand that debate attire isn't accessible to everyone, but if you come across like you don't care about the round, it'll be hard for me to give high speaks.

Things that help you win my ballot:

Unique arguments (that actually link to the resolution)

Be clever.

Be polite.

Be civil.

Make it an awesome round. Down to the wire back and forth. Keep me on the edge of my seat.

Things that hurt you:

Being abusive-either in case or in speaking. Aggressive CF and arguments are okay with me, but keep it in check.

Disregarding any or all of the above points.

Insulting an opponent personally.

Remember we're here to have fun, as am I. If your judge is telling you how many times they went to state, they're doing it wrong. If I tell you how many times I went to state (spoiler: it's 0), make fun of me.

If you want it, I’m happy to send you my flow. Just let me know.

I'm one of the younger judges that you are going to have. Some information about me, I love humor when I was in the Army Humor got a lot of us through our days so when you're giving a speech remember it's okay to let loose and make some comedy out of it. Don't need to be so serious. I've done Debate all through Highschool at Puyallup High School. I was a Public Forum debater And Did Spar and Impromptu. I'm pretty easy to get along with as a judge as long as you are respectful to one another I was in your position once before. I understand the feelings that can arise in a debate or a speech. Some key rules when it comes to debate. Flowing is so important when in the round. I can flow very fast so go at your pace within the time you have. Flowing will determine the whole outcome of who wins. They are your best friend and notes. actively flowing. Having great body language. be passionate about the topic you're speaking on. If you show that you are passionate about what you're speaking, your audience is going to listen better. Avoid eye contact with your opponent. Remember, you're trying to convince me why your side is right. Not the opponent. Giving eye contact can be disrespectful so, keep it professional in rebuttal or Cross X look at me when you are talking. Think of it like a sales pitch and you're trying to keep me entertained on why your side is right and why I should choose you. communicate with your partner. You're a team so you must work together for my Public Forum speakers. I am aware that you have four minutes to say approximately 1,500 - 2000 words. don't go too fast where you can't keep up with yourself. if you have a hard time keeping up with yourself so may your opponent. I may be able. slow is fast, and fast is slow. you have time. Don't be passive-aggressive towards one another. it's noticeable and not professional. push through the anger and stay focused. To my speech and congress debaters, be confident when you speak. Take your time! you have a lot of time so think before you speak. I'm a hard hitter on that. Avoid those word fillers "And" and "Um" show and an occasional smile. Fake it until you make it. Act like you know what you're talking about, even if you don't. show good body and facial expression. Try not to sound like a robot. when you give a speech, you want the audience to be interested right? keep me interested however you have to. I try to give lots of feedback after each round in Tabroom and also in person if able. Good Luck!

(she/her) I debated Public Forum for three years, coached for four years, and am currently in law school. You can run anything you would like (within the bounds of public forum) and I'll weigh it appropriately and vote accordingly.As always, be respectful towards your opponents otherwise I will dock speaker points.

Feel free to talk as fast as you prefer, but make it purposeful! Choose your words with intention.

Any we said/they said arguments that lack analysis are going to be a wash. Use impact calc and the specific terms.

Have fun!! Its always better to judge fun rounds, and you should enjoy yourselves as well.

I am a lay judge; this year is my first year (day) judging.

Speak clearly and slowly- I cannot overstress this point. If I can't hear your argument, I won't flow your argument.

Debate is a polite sport. Take note.

Andrew Chadwell,

Assistant Coach, Gig Harbor HS, Gig Harbor WA

Coached PF: 10+ years

Competed in PF: 1 year

Competed in British Parliamentary: 2 years

Competed at the 2012 World Universities Debating Championship in Manila.

Items that are Specific to the 2018 TOC tournament are placed at the end of this-I would still encourage you all to read the whole Paradigm and not just the TOC items.

Hello all,

Note: I debated in PF at a time when things were a bit different-Final focus was 1 minute long, you could not ask to see your opponents evidence and not everything needed a card in order to be true. This might explain some things before you read the rest of this.

Arguments have a claim, a warrant, and a link to the ballot (impact). This is interpreted by my understanding of your explanation of the argument. If I don’t understand the argument/how it functions, I won’t vote on it.

Main items:

1. Clear arguments-I should be able to understand you.

2. What are the impacts?-Impact calc is very important.

3. Give me voters in Final Focus.

4. Abusive Case/Framework/Conduct: Alright so if you are running some sort of FW or case that gives your opponent a super narrow bit of ground to stand on and I feel that they have no ground to make any sort of case then I will consider it in my decisions.

That being said if your framework leaves your opponents with enough ground to work with and they don’t understand it that's their loss.

Conduct in the round should be professional-We are here to debate not get into shouting matches. Or insult the opposing team's intelligence.

Framework/Res Analysis/Observation’s: Totally fine with as long as they are not super abusive. I like weighing mechanisms for rounds.

Evidence Debates/Handover: I have a very large dislike of how some teams seem to think that PF should just be a mini-CX where if you don’t have a card even if the argument is pure logic, they say it cannot be considered. If the logic and the link works I am good with it.

I don't want to see evidence/definition wars unless you can clearly prove that your evidence supplements your opponents. Also, evidence handover counts toward your prep time-not outside of it. You wanna see someone's evidence that comes out of your prep.

Speaker Points: I was asked this several times last year so I figured I would add this piece. How to get 30 speaker points from me. First of all I would say that clarity is a big helper in this, alongside that I will also say that asking good lines of questioning in crossfire can help you get better speaker points from me. I do tend to grade harder on the rebuttal and final focus speeches since those were what I was primarily doing when I competed. The other thing that can be really helpful is analogies. Good analogies can win you a round. If they are actually good.

Things that help you win my ballot:

Unique arguments (That actually link to the resolution)

Be clever.

Be polite.

Be Civil

Make it an awesome round. Down to the wire back and forth. Keep me on the edge of my seat.

Things that hurt you:

Being abusive- either in case or in speaking. Aggressive CF and arguments are okay with me, but keep it in check.

Disregarding All of the above points.

Not being attired professionally. (Unless extenuating circumstances exist)

Ignoring my point about evidence debate.

Insulting an opponent personally.

TOC Specific Items

Please share your opinions or beliefs about how the following play into a debate round:

The speed of Delivery: Medium speed and clarity tend to win out more than the number of items that you claim should exist on my flow.

The format of Summary Speeches (line by line? big picture?)

I generally would go for either Line by line will help my flow be clear and easier to understand at the end of the round. Big picture I tend to believe has more of an impact on the summary and the final focus.

Role of the Final Focus

Put this up at the top: But here it is again: I want to see Voters in the final focus. Unless your opponent pulled some sort of crazy stunt that absolutely needs to be addressed, the final focus is a self-promotion speech on why you won the round.

Extension of Arguments into later speeches

If an argument has not been responded to then you can just extend it. If it has been refuted in some way shape or form you need to address that counter before I will flow it across.

Topicality

Unless this is explained extremely well I cannot vote on T. Frankly don't risk it.

Plans

Not for PF.

Kritiks

With the lack of knowledge that I have in regards to how Kritiks should be run, Please do not run them in front of me. This will likely make vote for your opponent.

Flowing/note-taking

You should be flowing in the round-Even if you know that you have the round in the bag. Always flow.

Do you value argument over style? Style over argument? Argument and style equally?

Equal. A debator who can combine good arguments with style is going to generally win out over one or the other.

If a team plans to win the debate on an argument, in your opinion does that argument have to be extended in the rebuttal or summary speeches?

Definetly in the summery. If you have time in the rebuttal you can...

If a team is second speaking, do you require that the team cover the opponents’ case as well as answers to its opponents’ rebuttal in the rebuttal speech?

No. If you can start to do that great-but that might push you past the medium speed threshold.

Do you vote for arguments that are first raised in the grand crossfire or final focus?

If they are new-no. However, if they are extensions of prior arguments then that will be determined on a round by round basis.

If you have anything else you'd like to add to better inform students of your expectations and/or experience, please do so here.

Please read the whole paradigm. Also remember that I am human (I think) and I can make mistakes.

i dropped out of harvard to save the debate game

former PF debater for bellevue, 2x national and elims, state elims too

I flow, expect to see good clash etc. expect respect for your opponent and will dock speaks if you are rude in cross.

as andrew lee said put thought and effort into the words that you say!

Chris Coovert,
Coach, Gig Harbor HS, Gig Harbor WA
Coached LD: 27 years
Coached CX: 17: years

Coached PF: 21 years

Competed in LD: 4 years

Competed in NPDA: 2 years


LD Paradigm: I have been competing in, judging and coaching Lincoln Douglas debate for over twenty years. I have seen a lot of changes, some good, some not so good. This is what you should know.

I will evaluate the round based on the framework provided by the debaters. The affirmative needs to establish a framework (usually a value and criterion) and then show why, based on the framework, the resolution is true. The negative should either show why the resolution is not true under that framework or provide a competing framework which negates. My stock paradigm is what most people now call truth testing: the aff's burden is to prove the resolution true and the negatives is to prove it false. I will default to this absent another paradigm being established in the round. If both debaters agree that I should evaluate as a policymaker, I am able to do that and will. If you both put me in some other mode, that is reasonable as well. If there is an argument, however, between truth testing and another way of looking at the round the higher burden of proof will be on the debater attempting the shift away from truth testing.

As far as specific arguments go.

1. I find topicality arguments generally do not apply in Lincoln Douglas debate. If the affirmative is not dealing with the resolution, then they are not meeting their burden to prove the resolution true. This is the issue, not artificial education or abuse standards. I have voted on T in the past, but I think there are more logical ways to approach these arguments if the aff is affirming the entire resolution. In a round where the affirmative runs a plan, T becomes more relevant.
2. I find the vast majority of theory arguments to be very poorly run bastardizations of policy theory that do not really apply to LD. I especially hate AFC, and must/must not run plans, or arguments of this nature.
3. I have a strong, strong, bias against debaters using theory shells as their main offensive weapon in rounds when the other debater is running stock, predictable cases. I am open to theory arguments against abusive positions, but I want you to debate the resolution, not how we should debate.
4. You need to keep sight of the big picture. Impact individual arguments back to framework.

5. I am not going to vote on disclosure theory. I am more likely for an RVI against the person who ran disclosure. There is no obligation to disclose.

Finally, I am a flow judge. I will vote on the arguments. That said, I prefer to see debaters keep speeds reasonable, especially in the constructives. You don’t have to be conversational, but I want to be able to make out individual words and get what you are saying. It is especially important to slow down a little bit when reading lists of framework or theory arguments that are not followed by cards. I will tell you if you are unclear. Please adjust your speed/clarity accordingly. I will not keep repeating myself and will eventually just stop flowing.

Public Forum Paradigm

I want to see clear arguments with warrants to back them up. I am ultimately going to vote on the arguments in the round not speaking ability. That said, speaking persuasively will never hurt you and might make your arguments seems stronger. Please do not lie about evidence or take it out of context. I know enough about most topics that I will know if you are misrepresenting evidence or simply making stuff up.

Couple of notes.

*There's no penalty for pausing to take a deep breath!

*Try to stick with 3 or 4 points that bolster your case. For me, judging is about having thirst for knowledge on a topic. Blasting me with a firehose of data doesn't necessarily quench my thirst.

*I've been judging speech & debate tourneys for six years.

I am active in the storytelling community -- like The Moth, Fresh Ground Stories, Story Collider. Prior to moving to the Seattle area, I lived in New York, worked on Wall Street and hosted The Dawn Patrol, a financial news show in Times Square.

I appreciate civility, and reasonably paced speech rather than "speed talking" for debates.

Please speak clearly and at reasonable pace.

Please have eye contact with the other contestants and the judge.

Please don't debate whose value is better. Weighing your arguments against your opponent's is the key to winning the debate. Clearly state how your arguments outweigh theirs, and again, stress your impacts.

Do summarize why the judge should vote for your case.

Hi everyone! I have competed in Oratory, PuFo, Impromptu, and Info over the years. Hateful speech or a lack of decorum is never tolerated. Other than this, I am very flexible. Full speaker points (just kidding) to whoever quotes Lana Del Rey.

If you want to go fast make sure I can understand you and make sure your main arguments are heard/ weigh your points.

I really enjoy a good cross X

Be nice to your opponent if you are being rude towards me or your opponents you will be docked points.

PLEASE fill time I want a full debate if you don't have something to say about the other case then build off your own.

Hello friends,

I'm Hannah; I used to do PF for Interlake and am now an undergrad at Dartmouth. Please set up an email chain for round documents, my email is hwhuang04@gmail.com.

LD

I have never ever competed in LD. I'll try my best to evaluate everything, but I also haven't debated in a while and am a normal college student at this point... I <3 topical arguments and will probably evaluate them in a way that everyone will be happier about

PF

I evaluate debates as tab as I can, but deep down I do like truthy arguments that make sense. If I dont understand something, I feel very compelled to evaluate other things before it

I liked debating and I like watching people debate. Whether I like judging is another question contingent on some of the things below

Things I like:

• Decelerating rounds: faster case and rebuttal, slower summary and final focus (PLEASE COLLAPSE EFFICIENTLY)
• Clash: collapsing on a common issue on both sides makes the debate more interesting, easier to evaluate, and easier for me to make a decision that everyone is happy with (this can also be done thru comparative weighing)
• Frontlining in the next speech: this should be going on as soon as 2nd rebuttal
• Complete extensions: this goes for offense and defense - no sticky defense
• Warrants/analysis that go beyond "author said so"
• Implicated turns: please weigh turns that aren't direct link turns
• Content warnings with opt outs on sensitive issues
• ROB analysis: I like progressive arguments which tell me WHY i should deviate from more traditional judging and what role the judge should take in the round
• Cool, intuitive arguments

Things i dislike:

• New in the 2: I WILL NOT evaluate arguments not in summary
• New implicative weighing in ff: it's basically a new argument
• Frivolous theory, please don't waste my time
• Bad spreading
• Bad evidence
• Debaters that don't look at their timers
• Racism/sexism etc

I'll disclose whenever I can. Feel free to ask questions about my decision if the tournament isn't running behind

i'm from seattle (mercer island...) and did pf in high school. i'm a student here and you should apply it's so nice and cool. i am a flow judge but not a sweat lol chill out.

i have a couple things i want to see:

1. RESPECT no rudeness in cross, no talking down, no lying—show decorum to your opponents because you guys should be friendly and whatever
2. SIGNPOSTING refer to your arguments and stay organized in your speeches—off-time roadmaps are ok but don't be annoying about it
3. VOTERS + WEIGHING weigh! your! voters! i need impacts and voters for any argument to be worthwhile, so establish these in your speeches and make your ff hard hitting
4. USE CARDS EFFECTIVELY to flow through your evidence, please read your cards; more importantly is never drop args
5. DON'T DO ANY OF MY PET PEEVES: 1. speak over time 2. make statements in question form in cross-x 3. be mean because it makes me sad
6. ϖ∂₯Ωµ₨₻₪₩¬i

i'll give speaker points with an average of 28, and i'll disclose if the tournament allows.

Speak slowly.

:)

I’m the head coach of the Mount Vernon HS Debate Team (WA).

I did policy debate in HS very, very long ago - but I’m not a traditionalist. (Bring on the progressive LD arguments-- I will listen to them, unlike my daughter, Peri, who is such a traditional LD'er.)

Add me to the email chain: kkirkpatrick@mvsd320.org

Please don’t be racist, homophobic, etc. I like sassy, aggressive debaters who enjoy what they do but dislike sullen, mean students who don't really care-- an unpleasant attitude will damage your speaker points.

Generally,

Speed: Speed hasn't been a problem but I don't tell you if I need you to be more clear-- I feel it's your job to adapt. If you don't see me typing, you probably want to slow down. I work in tabroom in WA state an awful lot, so my flowing has slowed. Please take that into consideration.

Tech = Truth: I’ll probably end up leaning more tech, but I won’t vote for weak arguments that are just blatantly untrue in the round whether or not your opponents call it out.

Arguments:

I prefer a strong, developed NEG strategy instead of running a myriad of random positions.

I love it when debaters run unique arguments that they truly believe and offer really high speaker points for this. (I'm not inclined to give high speaks, though.)

Any arguments that aren’t on here, assume neutrality.

Do like and will vote on:

T - I love a well-developed T battle but rarely hear one. I don't like reasonability as a standard-- it's lazy, do the work.

Ks - I like debaters who truly believe in the positions they’re running. I like critical argumentation but if you choose to run an alt of "embrace poetry" or "reject all written text", you had better fully embrace it. I’m in touch with most literature, but I need a lot of explanation from either side as to why you should win it in the final rebuttals.

Don’t like but will vote on if won:

“Debate Bad” - I DO NOT LIKE "Debate is Futile" arguments. Please don't tell me what we are doing has no point. I will listen to your analysis. I may even have to vote for it once in a while. But, it is not my preference. Want a happy judge? Don't tell me that how we are spending another weekend of our lives is wasting our time.

Very, very, very... VERY traditional LD - if you are reading an essay case, I am not the judge for you.

Not a huge fan of disclosure theory-- best to skip this.

Don’t like and won’t vote on:

Tricks.

About Me- Competed in 4 years of speech and debate with Gig Harbor High School. 2016-2020. 1 year PF, 1 year extemp, 1 year CX, 1.5 years POI.

Paradigm-

-Primarily a flow judge, I don't usually flow cross but will take it into account where relevant. Keep your arguments clean and organized, signpost frequently.

-Good on speed, but only if you're clear. If I can't understand your arguments when you read them, I won't write them down. If you are going to spread, make sure to slow down on tags and authors.

-IMPACT CALC! Show where you clash and why you win on it (especially in rebuttals). This is one of my biggest judging points.

-Clear set of voters makes my life a WHOLE lot easier. Show me where you clashed and why you win, as well as impacts. I will vote based on what you ask me to vote on, so make sure you have it laid out and organized.

-Keep track of your own time. I will keep my own timer, but I will not give any hand signals/etc.

Please be nice and respectful to your competitors!

Ask me for my paradigm before the round starts :)

I am a parent judge. I have judged roughly 40 rounds in the last 18 months and I did policy debate in college.

I would consider myself a flow judge and you should expect that I will vote on the flow. I expect clear links as well as impacts, one without the other doesn't mean much. I expect to see debate on both the links and the impacts.

I prefer it when you can explain your arguments in some context. If you just read cards and don't tell how they tie to together, that's likely not to be compelling. Reading me a random set of arguments that aren't really anchored in your case or your opponent's case or reading them in a random order so I don't know what you're arguing against may leave you in a spot where I can't put them in context and, thus, you don't get much value out of them.

Tell me a story in final focus about why you won and about how I should interpret the flow and the weigh the impacts. Repeating your impacts without explaining anything about probability or timeline doesn't have the same impact as explaining why and how your links and impacts outweigh.

I don't mind speed, but if I can't understand you then I can't flow you. Frameworks are fine as long as they're not abusive and I'm open to theory, although I am likely woefully inexperienced in judging it.

Off-time roadmaps are fine, but just enough so that I have idea what parts of the flow I need to have in front of me.

For me, quality is much better than quantity. It is better to have one or two really strong arguments, supported by both evidence and logic, than 4 or 5 weak points. Don't dump information by speed-talking. As my colleague Nate Silverman put it well: "If I can't understand something you say, because you speak too quickly or unclearly, then I can't write it down. If I can't write it down, then I can't refer back to it when making my final decision. In other words, it's as if you never said it."

On that note, for your sake, if you begin to speak too quickly, I will raise my hand so you slow down. If you do not slow down, I will stop flowing.

If it comes down to your evidence says "x" and their evidence says "not x" and I have no way to know who is right, you will lose. What do I mean? Explain why your evidence is more relevant, accurate, and credible...and/or why theirs is not.

Other points:

Please sign post. Is this a new thought or more warrants or impacts on the same claim?

Off time road maps are a waste of "real" time. I'm guessing you're going to tell me why you're right and they're wrong. Right? If you sign post, I'll know which order you're going in.

Be respectful of your opponents. Let's be real, if the coin toss were different, you'd be arguing for the other side so don't act like your entire life's work has focused on your stance on this topic. Keep it civil. On a related note, rudeness is unacceptable as is outright lying.

This is high school debate. It's a learning experience. I don't expect you to be perfect and would hope you take every opportunity to learn, whether you win this round or not.

Just have really solid arguments in a well organized fashion

I value clarity of argument. Be civil. Be clear. I prefer you don't go to fast; otherwise, I may miss things in my flow. Topicality is important, although creative cases are always interesting to hear.

This is my third year judging Public Forum. Some things you can do that will help me:

1. Speak at a normal speed so I can take better notes on your arguments.
2. Use sign-posting to clearly communicate the arguments you are answering.
3. Decide on a card exchange strategy with the opposing team before debate starts.
4. Stay within your time limits.

Hello,

I am a 4th year parent judge and am looking forward to meeting you. I would say that I tend to lean towards the argument that has the most impact over the quantity of points.

Best wishes!

Tristan

he/him

i did pf for four years. i haven't really thought about pf in a couple years so maybe i am washed.

i'll be tech>truth

in general, do what you like, but do it well. i'll try and evaluate it.

i exclusively have experience in pf

more specifically--

what i like:

frontline in second rebuttal (u must do this unless ur a novice in which case it's ok)

weigh as early as possible (if there's no weighing i'll default to who has better warranting/i just have to intervene which i don't like)

extensions -- if it's not in summary and final focus i can't vote on it. this INCLUDES WARRANTS i am a big fan of warranting

i'm a big fan of analytics -- a good warranted analytic can be just as effective as a card (tell me why to prefer it to a card tho)

PLEASE collapse

number ur responses in rebuttal, makes it easier for me to flow

what i don't like:

abusive frameworks

theory (i dont know how to evaluate progressive arguments, i can try but i won't be v good at it)

sticky defense (unless second rebuttal doesn't frontline at all)

when teams just keep repeating stuff and don't actually interact with each other

"this is true because X author said so" - tell me WHY the author says so, or the reasoning the arg is true

off-time roadmaps over 5 seconds (it really should just be "our case, their case, weighing", or some variation of that)

speaks:

read unique/creative cases and i'll boost ur speaks

be funny and i'll boost ur speaks

do something cool strategically and i'll boost ur speaks

be overly annoying in cross and i'll drop ur speaks

be annoying/slow about evidence exchanges and i'll drop ur speaks

add me to the email chain - zubinoommen@gmail.com

just ask me if u have any other questions before the round. email me if you have questions after the round - zubinoommen@gmail.com

Hi, my name is Christine Pyle

I am a coach and participated in debate in school many years ago.

Fast talking(spreading) is fine, however clarity is key.

Signposting is preferred - organization helps not only me but you

If you are utilizing impacts to enhance your case, follow through with those impacts in your case to the end of the debate.

I'm looking for good case structure, compelling arguments, good use of crossfire, and that arguments with weight are flowing through to the end.

Congress specific: Don't just repeat what the previous speech has stated, if you are going to add to the conversation then add, don't restate.

I am a parent judge. Please keep rounds civil and polite. During your constructive speeches please speak clearly and try not to talk too fast so I can flow the important details in your case. Stay within the respective time limits and signpost as well. Off time roadmaps are alright with me as well. Have fun and good luck with your rounds!

**Judging Paradigm for Lincoln-Douglas Debate**

Welcome to the round! As a judge in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, I approach the evaluation of arguments with a focus on values and philosophical principles. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind:

1. **Value-Centered Debate:**
- I expect debaters to engage in a clash of values and ethical principles rather than relying heavily on plans or counter-plans.
- Clearly articulate and defend the value that underlies your case, and explain how it should be prioritized in the round.

2. **Framework:**
- Present a clear framework that guides the round. Explain how the values and criteria should be weighed and why they are most relevant in determining the winner.
- The framework should serve as a lens through which all contentions and impacts are analyzed.

3. **Contentions:**
- Develop well-reasoned contentions that directly relate to the established framework.
- Provide solid reasoning and evidence to support your contentions, and show how they contribute to the overall value clash.

4. **Clash:**
- Engage with your opponent's arguments, demonstrating a thorough understanding of their position.
- Highlight the points of clash between your case and your opponent's, and explain why your position is superior within the established framework.

5. **Resolution Analysis:**
- Clearly connect your arguments to the resolution. Demonstrate how your position upholds or challenges the resolution, and why that matters in the context of the round.

6. **Quality of Analysis:**
- I value depth over breadth. Provide in-depth analysis and warranting for key arguments rather than presenting a wide array of superficial points.
- Logical reasoning and the ability to link evidence to the overall framework are essential.

7. **Speaker Etiquette:**
- Be respectful and professional throughout the round. Avoid personal attacks and focus on the merits of the arguments presented.

8. **Flexibility:**
- While I appreciate a well-prepared case, the ability to adapt to your opponent's arguments and effectively respond in crossfire is crucial.

Remember, the round is not just about presenting arguments but also about persuading me that your ethical framework is the most compelling. Good luck, and I look forward to a thoughtful and engaging debate!

Willow.C.Roark@gmail.com — She/Her

Policy Debate(NDT/CEDA) at the University of West Georgia

Western Washington University (2020-2023)

Mount Si High School (2016-2020)

—— Overview ——

I most align with the communications paradigm. I flow the round. I flow cross-examination.

I will evaluate all complete arguments. A complete argument is a claim, a warrant, and an implication.

I currently compete in intercollegiate policy debate but I’ve also competed in 5 other formats: Advocacy Debate(CARD), British Parliamentary(BP), International Public Debate (IPDA), Social Justice Debate(SJD), and Public Forum Debate(PFD). I’ve had a pretty broad tour of the debate world so don’t worry about just competing as you would in your home format, be that communicative or technical, slow or fast, “progressive” or “traditional.”

I have a considerable bias toward innovative arguments across the board.

Laughing at your opponents is an auto-drop and lowest possible speaks.

If your opponents tell you to slow– slow, or I will stop flowing your speech.

Speaker Points are based on:

1. Conciseness. People use different filler words and speak and articulate at different speeds: I am evaluating these word economy elements less. I will evaluate your sentence level efficiency, overall repetitiveness of the speech structure.

2. Cross-examination – short questions, effective follow-ups, not being excessively rude or interruptive.

3. Signposting (especially including numbering responses in rebuttal/2AC)

Random pet peeve: I don’t want a “card doc.” The round is over dude.

We don’t know how to do tech or truth. Just do the work and try and make sense.

—— Public Forum ——

Argumentative preferences)

I come from the 2016-2020 PF Era but have moved into ‘progressive’ styles of debate in college.

Throw theory and Ks on the flow, I’ll evaluate it all the same.

I like procedurals, especially in a format as broken as Public Forum.

I know the rules say no plans/counterplans, they also say no snitches. It’s the debaters who get to set the norms through the theory debate, not a rulebook. I promise I won’t tell NSDA.

Evidence)

The evidence norms in PF are disturbing. Paraphrasing is everywhere, the evidence can’t be looked at before round, and the cutting of most evidence is immensely sketchy. It’s gotten to the point that I’ve had some rounds where more time was spent calling cards than actual speech time. Other debate events figured out that disclosure and highlighted cards are how you check back on this. I won’t decide every round on these half-assed evidence indicts. It’s just handing the decision to the judge at this point to sort out who did the more sus prep.

“Judge we like looked at their card after CX and squinted at it all moody-looking for a split second, drop this evidence and call for these like 12 other cards”

Because I care about PF, I will only evaluate this kind of evidence indict if:

1: There was disclosure before the round or there is an in-round email chain sent out for at least your side of the debate with your constructive and rebuttal speech docs.

Or 2: you make a formal evidence violation claim and bring your opponents to tab like serious debaters do when they think their opponent has willfully misrepresented evidence.

Summary/Final Focus)

Collapse. Hard.

Go for that one dropped turn and spend the entire back half of the round implicating it on the flow and explaining why you win.

Going for everything is bad. Don’t do it. Don’t extend three contentions in your summary.

Framework)

If you read a framework, justify it. Tell me why to evaluate that kind of impact first; read a warrant. “My opponents didn’t read a framework” is not a warrant.

Weighing)

PLEASE WEIGH YOUR IMPACTS.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t vote for your impact:

Because I was confused. Because this event is confusing, and a mess, and you are the clean-up crew. Put on some gloves and do the dirty work.

Specific peeves)

“Drop them right there” – nope.

“Strike this off your flow” – no.

“for these X reasons, [Our next author] concludes”

- No they didn’t

- Not for those reasons

—— Policy ——

Procedural preferences)

Judge kick in the block as a default.

Fairness can have its own terminal impacts.

Theory can be a reason to drop the team or the argument in any instance, it depends on how you implicate it.

Pen time is appreciated!

General Biases)

In college I have been both a K 2N and a soft-left affirmative. I don't promise to have read your specific brand of high-academic kritikal weaponry, but I will always evaluate complete arguments.

I’m not too hot on ‘infinite condo.’

Floating PIKs are often extremely sketchy. Please tell me exactly what you are PIKing out of and why it resolves your offense.

I miss impact calculus.

The K AFF is fine but IMO it should have anti-topical offense or find creative routes to topicality. You are not writing a good K AFF if your offense and method is floating way off in the void, detached from the resolution.

Speed is probably terrible for everyone who does it and the entire community.

I won’t dismiss framework against the politics DA and the states counterplan.

Don’t be a toxic rage robot.

—— Lincoln Douglass ——

Hey! I am not a frequent LD judge. A few implications:

1. Explain and warrant your value criterian arguments!

2. I have a much higher threshold for theory, especially RVIs.

3. Trix are for kids and not my ballot. Check your tom-foolery at the door.

Despite debating in policy, I actually don’t necessarily default to utilitarianism and consequentialism or prefer them. I will check my biases, but at least know that I am not going to poop on your ethics party.

Debate is as much about learning as it is about winning.

•Speed: I’m comfortable with faster than conversational speed and if you’re too fast, I’ll hold up my pen high to indicate that I’ve stopped flowing.

•Organization: Clarity and structure are important and it helps me to flow your arguments. Tags are helpful. I’m good with off-time roadmaps.

•Extend your arguments: Please no surprises late in the debate. .

•Policy style arguments: I’m not a Policy judge. Make sure you explain your terms if you choose to go this route. I will not vote for arguments I don’t understand.

•Common decency:

Respect your judge. Respect your partner. Respect your opponent.

Avoid name-calling (EX: saying your opponent or an argument is stupid). That’s rude and also lazy debating.

Avoid yelling matches in crossfire.

I do not like "theory." Debate the topic.

As always...for me, quality is much better than quantity. It is better to have one or two really strong arguments, supported by both evidence and logic, than 4 or 5 weak points.

While I can handle spreading, if I can't understand something you say because you speak too quickly or unclearly, then I can't write it down. If I can't write it down, then I can't refer back to it when making my final decision. In other words, it's as if you never said it.

If it comes down to your evidence says "x" and their evidence says "not x" and I have no way to know who is right, you will lose. What do I mean? Explain why your evidence is more relevant, accurate, and credible...and/or why theirs is not.

Other points:

Signposting is good. Please signpost. Is this a new thought or more warrants or impacts on the same claim?

Off-time road maps are bad. They are a waste of "real" time. I'm guessing you're going to tell me why you're right and they're wrong. Right? If you signpost, I'll know which order you're going in. This is a more valuable skill to learn. For those of you motivated by speaker points, know that I will deduct a full point for each off-time road map.

Be respectful of your opponents. Let's be real, if the coin toss were different, you'd be arguing for the other side so don't act like your entire life's work has focused on your stance on this topic. Keep it civil. On a related note, rudeness is unacceptable as is outright lying. I've seen too many teams blatantly lie in round. If you lie, you lose.

Yearn to Learn. This is high school debate. It's a learning experience. I don't expect you to be perfect and would hope you take every opportunity to learn, whether you win this round or not.

I used to debate Policy in the late 80s and am just getting back into judging high school debate.

I prefer well-articulated arguments, backed by evidence. I am open to a good theory debate but wouldn't call myself tabula rasa -- I will apply basic knowledge and common sense.

I am open to judging both PF and LD and can handle a moderate amount of speed.

be clear & limit spreading please

competed PF all throughout high school for Bellevue

consider me a flay judge, I'll flow but I most likely won't catch everything

- I have to write feedback, I'll flow constructive on paper, don't worry I'm still listening when I type feedback after constructive speeches

- please be kind in cross, but don't let the other team walk over you. I like a heated cross, but no insults thrown pls ????????

- I don't flow cross, but I'm listening

- no Ks or anything crazy, I'm not tryna work my brain too hard

- no mumble rapping unless u make it into slam poetry

- please interact with the opponent's case, don't assume I know everything you're talking about, and WEIGH

- truth>tech

- be kind and have fun, bring me food or compliment me every time u start prep for +1 speaks (u can tell me my hair looks nice or smth)

-NO NUCLEAR WAR PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

I competed in Speech and Debate my entire highschool career. Ive competed in DI, OO, POI and PUFO so I am a pretty expirenced debator/ judge!

I am not a fan of super fast speaking but I can manage it.

Please be nice to your opponent and judge. I do not tolerate foul language, racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, ableism etc.

Looking for good quality cases, facts, and evidence supporting your contentions from both sides. Listen to your opponent’s arguments, being courteous and logical. Focus on the clarity of the debater's speech, the quality of the arguments made, and the ability to defend your positions.

I’ve never done debate before. Very confused.