General

Respect your judges and competitors.

Follow the rules, as I read them and will ask Tab staff if there are any issues.

Be timely to your round.

Debate

I judge mostly on the content you provide and how you approach your opponent's speeches. However, your delivery is important in order for me to hear and understand you. I do flow the debates and will use my flow to do a majority of my own deliberation. Please use signposts, it will make it far easier for me to focus on your content, rather than where you are in your speech. I will prioritize certain points if you provide evidence or backing as to why they should be prioritized.

DO NOT SPREAD! I will not be able to keep up, it will not be an instant loss, but your points are far more likely to slip off (or not even appear) on my flow.

If you are to use theory, rather than evidence, please make sure you have adequate support as to why I should care (it’s the same for the vice versa). You may discuss general points, but show me impact. No non-topical kritiks.

For LD, your CV and VC are incredibly important as to why you win. However, you can win through other means if the values and criteria are a wash.

Online: Normally I would use a check and x system on my ballots. But due to online functionality, I will use :) and :( .

Congress

I judge your score based on a combination of how well it is written, the content of the speech, the delivery of the speech, and how it applies based on what has happened thus far in the chamber. I will rank you based on your scores, your questioning, and what your impact was on the chamber.

I want to see rebuttals and new content.

I do not want to see repetitious points or speeches with all words, no content.

I want questions that influence the flow of debate.

I don’t want gotcha questions that are only for making your opponent look bad (If it otherwise influences debate it is okay, but don’t do it maliciously).

Some level of purposeful blocking and vocal inflections during your speech would be recommended.

Speech

I will judge you based on a combination of vocality, movement, and content (these will weigh differently based on your respective event [this is not to say the ones weighed lower are unimportant]).

Please stand out in your event, it will make you more memorable when I am ranking you. Do not be monotone or use minimal blocking. Appropriate vocal pacing and emphasis are key to making it high on my ballot.

Please be respectful of other speakers, when they are presenting. Please stay attentive (or at least act like it). I know many of you will see the same script up to 4 times a day, but remember you want your judge and audience to give you attention, so do the same for them.

Your event has recommended guidelines for the judge, but they are also for you. Make sure you excel in each of them and you are more likely to rank higher. If you are unable to locate this, please read your league’s website or ask your coach, not your judge.

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Good luck and have fun! :-D

Follow the rules of competition

Respect the other side and all team members and their position on topic.

Track your time

Speak Clearly

Hello, my name is Kerem Esin. Here are my judging criteria:
1. I place high value on the quality of the argument. Debaters should display solid logic and reasoning, advocate a position, utilize evidence, and communicate clear ideas in an understandable, organized manner.

2. I also consider delivery of the argument. Debaters should express their ideas in a clear and concise manner. Going over the time limit by more than 10 seconds will reflect poorly in your scoring. Honor your time commitments. Additionally, I ask that debaters speak clearly and avoid spreading so that I can properly follow their line of reasoning. If I am unable to hear you clearly, I cannot give you credit for what you are saying.

3. Debaters must be respectful of their opponents. Giving opponents rude/judgmental looks, interrupting, use of foul/inappropriate language towards opponents, is highly frowned upon. Remember, we are all here to have fun and gain valuable experience, so poor etiquette has no place at this tournament.

In short, I place high value on organization and clarity. Honor your time commitments and be respectful. Thank you all for being here and I’m looking forward to hearing your arguments!

First, let me say that I'm truly impressed by the caliber of person who invites this kind of challenge in their lives. Already, you win in my book. I appreciate the opportunity to witness your talent. I am generally new to judging, but if I had to categorize myself, I would say I'm a "flay" judge. I have a background in law and philosophy. I value logical arguments that are supported with evidence. I will not judge based on my prior knowledge, but on the arguments and evidence that you provide. I expect civility as a baseline. Present a strong enough case that you win on merits, not bravado. I appreciate if you can be specific when weighing instead of only talking in generalities. Also, I cannot give you credit for that which I cannot understand, so do not forsake communication for content. In other words, be careful when spreading. If your opponent(s) and I can't understand your arguments because you don't articulate, then you don't get credit for them. Lastly, because I will be flowing, I will know whether you provide an honest representation during summary arguments. Good luck!

Looking for good argument, not technical wins. I.e. I don’t care about dropped contentions if the dropped contention was weak and other, stronger contentions were addressed well. Intellectual, evidentiary, and logical domination wins over tit-for-tat flow.

Technical losses are stupid. You’ll never see my ballot say “You didn’t frontline, therefore you lose.” Debate is still about persuasion. Don’t get me wrong; frontlining, collapsing, etc., are all good persuasive techniques to be used in debate. But the failure to use them won’t necessarily or automatically lose you the round… it just might affect the persuasive effect of your argument. If you can still persuade that your side wins without using all the specific techniques, even against a team that does use them, you’ll still get my ballot.

Cross should be for either a) establishing a framework (e.g. "Can we agree that [term from the topic] means [definition]?"), b) make a point, or c) set up a point you get to make later. I'm not scoring cross per-se, but if you run a tight cross and either make a good point or use an answer later to good effect, it'll go to speaks. Being a jerk in cross will *also affect speaks.

Yes, I want to be on an evidence thread if you start one. (tampalaw@gmail.com) Yes, you can speak fast but don't policy spread me. Kritiks and mathematical annihilation arguments (e.g. "Even if it's only a 0.001% chance, nuclear war means extinction therefore we outweigh") should be used sparingly and only if *truly warranted and supported.

PS I am perfectly fine with paraphrasing. Heaven help you if it's not fair, of course... but if it is I prefer not to have a ridiculous block quote from some article. Be persuasive... not technical.

LD- know your VC. Understand how, e.g., utilitarianism works or what social contract means in the context of your argument before hanging your entire argument on it. Do the actual analysis using your VC. Also do the analysis using the opponent’s VC if you can. Cross is good for discovery, but also for points.

I’ve debated LD, PF, and Policy over the past 4 years.

Currently I debate LD at Florida State University.

I value clear line-by-line.

I am fine with speed if your opponent agrees to it, just make sure you slow down when you read contention and card headers.

if you want to win the round, have a strong cross x, use your speech and prep time effectively, and successfully weigh your case impacts and links throughout the round. If you have any other questions, just ask before the round.

I am a lay judge/parent judge affiliated with Palm Harbor University High School in Pinellas County, Florida. An attorney by profession, I work as a consultant to providers in the healthcare industry.

I began judging high school debate tournaments in the 2022-2023 school year, so I consider myself relatively new to the process. I did not debate in high school or college, so be careful with the debate jargon and don't assume I'm proficient in it - take the time to explain or, better yet, avoid jargon altogether if possible.

Participants should keep and adhere to time limits. I will be timing as well, and will disregard arguments made after time has expired.

Clarity is crucial to communication, so speak clearly and at a reasonable pace. If I can't understand you or keep up with your pace then you're not communicating. Be respectful of your fellow debaters and avoid talking over each other.

I am looking for a well-rounded performance, my goal is to weigh arguments/style/analytics/evidence equally. I prefer quotations over paraphrasing, and appreciate detailed citations. If you're going to cite a source, you should be able to explain why it is a relevant authority.

Most of all enjoy yourself and have fun!

rakent@aol.com

I vote off the flow. I don't mind debate jargon, but I may ask you to clarify some terms. Don't spread or talk too fast (200 wpm is the max where I can still catch everything you say). I will ask you to slow down if I'm missing arguments. I may ask you after the round for cards and evidence, so don't run out of the room until I've let you go. Be respectful in cross. I will not tolerate Ad Hominem attacks (attacks against your opponent and not their argument). I do not like theory arguments that are off topic and trying to be "clever" to win on technicalities. I will likely not vote on it, especially if you are abusing it.

LD: I have a background as a philosophy professor. Please make your value and value criterion clear and carry them throughout the round. Don't turn this into a 1 person policy round. I prefer more traditional LD arguments. If you are going to try to tell me that mass extinction is good, for example, it better have some hard evidence and strong logic backing it up.

PF: Make sure your arguments all make logical sense. I probably will not vote on Kritiks or weird theory. I prefer you have evidence to back up your claims but it is not always needed for logical arguments. Please present me with clear impacts and carry them throughout the round.

Feel free to ask me questions after round (if this is a tournament where judges disclose), but know that I have already submitted my ballot so please don't try to convince me why my decision was wrong. If you want to set up an email chain, my email is josephmpergola@gmail.com

Dear students,

I applaud you for putting the time, effort, and your bright minds into participating in this event.

I just want to establish some ground rules:

Please be cordial to your opponents

Be cognizant of the time.

Make an eye contact with participants and the judge.

I would appreciate if you can be specific instead talking in generalities. Be careful when spreading, as if your opponent or I cannot understand you, you will not receive the credit.

Good luck

I look forward to watch you presenting your case.

I have very simple demands when it comes to judging:

1. Speak concisely and at a reasonable tempo; if I do not understand what you're saying, I unfortunately cannot give you credit for saying it.
2. Be respectful to the opposing team throughout the debate and especially during crossfire.
3. Stay on time; I will not be timing throughout the debate, so it is your responsibility to hold the other team accountable either verbally or by letting your timer play aloud.

I vote solely based on the strength of your arguments and rebuttals to aforementioned arguments. I have only judged twice before this so I may occassionally need assisstance in running the round. I am excited to see what both teams have up their sleeves. Thank you for reading and good luck!

I will take off points for spreading. Speak clearly please.

Hi! I’m Lily.

I debated in Lincoln Douglas Debate for 4 years in high school. I am a freshman at Hamilton College and I compete in American Parliamentary Debate. I was President of my team for 2 years in high school and am the current President of my team at Hamilton. I have additional experience competing in World Schools Debate, Public Forum, and Student Congress.

Prefs:

Please do not spread! Spreading will lead to a deduction in speaker points and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to flow your entire case. Run whatever arguments you believe to be necessary. I am open to any and all, but definitive statements such as “…I inherently win because of x…” are unnecessary and unproductive statements. Back your arguments with fact and theory. Please be respectful to your opponent(s). Poor etiquette will reflect poorly on your ballot. Debate is fun, we’re all just here for a good time! That’s all. :)

Background

I never competed in debates either in high school or college. I graduated from Park University with a degree in Computer Information Management after four years in the United States Marine Corps. After the military, I became an entrepreneur for the past twenty plus years. Although I’m a parent judge, I’m not new to argumentation.

Debate Preferences

I would consider myself a flay judge. While I will flow both sides of the debate, I don’t want to have to intervene in order to come to a decision. Always warrant your arguments. If you use logic and rhetoric to explain something, be sure to warrant it. Always weigh your arguments starting in summary if you want me to vote for your ballot. I’m going to expect frontlines starting in second rebuttal. If you are unable to quantify your impact, I won’t be able to weigh your arguments effectively. Ideally, I shouldn’t need to put in additional work off the flow to vote one team over another.

Speed

I am okay if you spread as long as I can understand and you can articulate the words.

Pet Peeves

-Don’t use foul language. This has never been a problem, but it needs to be mentioned.

-If this is the first round of a tournament, it’s likely I don’t know the topic as well as you will. Please explain your acronyms if it’s the first round, even if it means having to do it off the clock.

-I won’t keep track of your prep time. That’s not my problem unless a team accuses the other of abusing prep.

Evidence

Pretty simple, follow the NSDA rules and read the last name and year of publication. No need to list the authors credentials, I don’t care unless the source is disreputable. It is up to the opposition to point out if evidence is misconstrued. If the evidence is misconstrued, depending on the severity I will either cross it off the flow or vote down the team using the evidence. I won’t look at evidence unless both teams cite cards that contradict each other, at which point I will decide which team wins the card.

Please remember to have fun! Debate is all about learning, and if you’re not having fun there’s no point in debating.

Thank you for all the work and effort you are doing. It is a joy to watch.

Melissa Wenenn