hi, i've been doing public forum debate since middle school - i'm familiar with the technicalities so feel free to adapt to my preferences in a way that's most comfortable for you.

general info:

-tech > truth

-speed is fine - send speech doc if you need to spread

-abusiveness or rudeness in any speech = docked speaks

-please warrant and implicate every argument you read in the round

-frontline in 2nd rebuttal

-i'll try to be as generous as i can with speaks :)

backhalf/weighing specific:

-the backhalf writes my ballot

-everything you want me to evaluate has to be in summary, or it doesn't exist in my rfd

-weighing is no use if it's not comparative

-i like probability weighing, amplifiers and pre-reqs, but any mechanism as long as it's thoroughly explained is cool with me

-weighing is a really easy place for me to vote, take advantage of that

I used to compete in Congressional debate, HI, DI, Informative, Extemp, Impromptu, and BQD back in high school for four years. I have been judging PF for 5 years now. keep up with prep time

• PF - I side on the traditional side of PF. Don't throw a lot of jargon at me or simply read cards... this isn't Policy Jr., compete in PF for the debate animal it is. Remember debate, especially PF, is meant to persuade - use all the tools in your rhetorical toolbox: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos.

• Speed - I like speed but not spreading. Speak as fast as is necessary but keep it intelligible. There aren't a lot of jobs for speed readers after high school (auctioneers and pharmaceutical disclaimer commercials) so make sure you are using speed for a purpose. If you spread I will just stop listening. If the only way I can understand your case is to read it, you have already lost. If I have to read your case then what do I need you in the room for? Email it to me and I can judge the round at home in my jammies - if you are PRESENTING and ARGUING and PERSUADING then I need to understand the words coming out of your mouth!

• Know your case, like you actually did the research and wrote the case and researched the arguments from the other side. If you present it, I expect you to know it from every angle - I want you to know the research behind the statistic and the whole article, not just the blurb on the card and please actually connect it to the case.

• Debating is a performance in the art of persuasion and your job is to convince me, your judge (not your opponent!!) - use the art of persuasion to win the round: eye contact, vocal variations, appropriate gestures, and know your case well enough that you don't have to read every single word hunched over a computer screen. Keep your logical fallacies for your next round. Rhetoric is an art.

• Ethics - Debate is a great game when everyone plays by the rules.

• Enjoy yourself. Debate is the best sport in the world - win or lose - learn something from each round, don't gloat, don't disparage other teams, judges, or coaches, and don't try to convince me after the round is over. Leave it in the round and realize you may have just made a friend that you will compete against and talk to for the rest of your life. Don't be so caught up in winning that you forget to have some fun - in the round, between rounds, on the bus, and in practice.

• Immediate losers for me - be disparaging to the other team or make racist, homophobic, sexist arguments or comments. Essentially, be kind.

• Questions? - if you have a question ask me.

• I don’t judge based on the cross

Im Will Roberson this is my third year judging/competing in PF

• let me know if you drop anything
• No new evidence in second summary
• have evidence prepared
• im ok with normal vernacular
• pls extend all evidence I firmly believe this is critical to keep a link chain intact
• pls be respectful in all cross i don't mind if you tell during speeches though
• im okay with spreading just don't go crazy with it
• Tech>truth

Debate should be about dialog and not confrontation. I realize people get excited when stating and reinforcing a point of view, but please let’s keep it civilized.

Be mindful of your allotted time and articulate your points clearly and concisely.

I like to see eye contact, knowledge of your topic, and interchange between debaters when proving/disproving points.

I am not impressed by debaters repeating the same data points constantly until the allotted time is exhausted or reading a computer screen at 200 miles an hour; rapid speaking is acceptable if it is understandable.

If you want to win, persuade me into viewing the argument from your point of view; you may do this by demonstrating knowledge breadth and depth about the topic you are defending. It is not only about stating your position on the resolution, but you must also be able to defend it and prove to me why your position is the best position during the crossfires.

Cards may be sent to ntillero@comcast.net

FOR NOVICES:

hi everyone! to win my ballot, you need to do a few things:

1. be thorough with extensions. this means in summary and final focus, you should be reexplaining your own case and defending it, reexplaining key responses to your opponent's case, and weighing. explain all your reasoning.
2. implicate! explain why your points matter and why they are important. if you have an important response, tell me what impact it has on the round and why it is so detrimental to your opponent's case.
3. no new cases or responses in summary or final focus.
4. 2nd rebuttal should frontline (defend against responses).
5. have good organization in your speeches and tell me what order you are going in and what you are about to do.
6. WEIGH!! in a scenario where both cases are true, why do your impacts matter more?

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hi! i am a high school varsity debater with almost three years of experience in pf. overall: i consider myself somewhere between tech and flay in that i consider the flow but also don't evaluate tricks & have a low threshold for responses to weird arguments. but here are some more specifics:

general:

1. i prefer slower/clearer reading, but any speed is fine as long as you can send a doc
2. even though tech>truth overall, you still need to have good warranting in both case/response and extensions in the back half (i.e. making a one sentence response and extending it by saying "extend _ card" isn't a proper extension)
3. try to stay away from theory, k's, and other prog. because i won't be able to judge it well - especially tricks or frivolous theory because i have a bias against it
4. signpost and have clear organization of speeches or i will be super confused
5. keep your own time/prep time - i don't time your speeches but usually i time prep
6. i will call for any evidence i think is critical to the round
7. anything racist, homophobic, sexist, etc. loses you the round plus low speaks

front half:

1. frontline in 2nd response or it's dropped - even against weighing in 1st response
2. weigh your responses, especially turns & make them well warranted

back half:

1. extend everything you want me to consider in both summary and final focus (including case & impacts)
2. i love prereq, link-in, amplifier, & short circuit weighing but any is fine. if you're creative with your weighing i'm probably more likely to like it
3. no completely new arguments in summary or final focus or it won't be considered (besides frontlining in 1st summary & backlining)
4. metaweigh
5. make your weighing comparative - saying "we outweigh on magnitude because we save 100 million lives is not comparative
6. PLEASE collapse - it makes the round so much easier to judge

good luck y'all!