3 years HS policy experience; 4 years college parliamentary experience.

I am looking for engagement between the debaters with a focus on the quality of each teams argument.

I care about how the participants choose to shape the debate and articulate how I should vote. I look for interesting arguments and how debaters respond to and weigh arguments in the round.

I am a lay judge.

Please do not speak very quickly, and I do not appreciate yelling.

Truth over tech, if you want to implement something technical, explain it in lay terms. I prefer not to try to understand technical jargon, please just explain the concept without it (or make sure to define the term).

Clearly state the number and tagline of your contention clearly to help my flow.

I prefer shorter speeches to over-repetition of a point without adding additional information (i.e. just to fill time).

Make sure your framework matches your contentions.

Please give (and follow) an off time roadmap (again, to help my flow).

Debate parent, former high school policy debater. Moderate to fast pace ok, will decide round based on debater speeches. Emphasis on last set of speeches

Michael Siller Paradigm

About Me: I am a parent judge on behalf of either Stuyvesant High School or the Bronx High School of Science, depending on the tournament. I am not a "technical" judge. I have been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and have a good sense of what makes a persuasive argument and an effective presentation style.

Procedural Preferences: There are a few guidelines I will ask you to follow as you present your case, to allow me to most effectively understand and judge your arguments:

(i) Please identify yourself at the start. I want to make sure I get your names, schools, the side you will be arguing, and the order in which you will present so that I can correctly assign speaker points.

(ii) Please try to avoid speaking too quickly. I prefer that you speak clearly, focus on your most important points, and avoid trying to cram in every argument you can think of. It will be more difficult for me to follow the flow if you are speaking too quickly.

(iii) Mind your time: I will not be judging you by how many seconds you are under or over the limit. A few seconds over is not going to be penalized; on the other hand, you should strive to use up as much of your available time as possible.

(iv) Be polite. There's an apt maxim from the field of legal ethics: One may disagree without being disagreeable. Attack and criticize your opponents' arguments, not your opponents.

"Theory" arguments. If you intend to make theory arguments that's fine, provided you also engage on the merits of the topic at issue. Debaters will be judged and scored on how they address the assigned topic.

Evaluation Criteria: I will evaluate your presentation based on a combination of how well you: (a) appear to demonstrate a mastery of the substance (about which you may I assume I know far less than you); (b) present your arguments logically, coherently, and persuasively; and (c) refute and weigh your opponents' arguments, as well as on your presentation style (e.g., poise, professionalism, and ability to think on your feet). Concerning thinking on your feet, I pay particular attention to how well you comport yourself in cross-fire.

For purposes of sharing evidence, my email is mbsiller1@gmail.com

I wish everyone good luck and look forward to your presentations!

Former Policy Debater from the UDL circuit and NFL (Nation Forensic League).

Debated for the University of Louisville (2005-2010).

I was a public school teacher for 10 years, and I am currently the senior programming manager at the New York City Urban Debate League. I've judged and coached in public forum, parliamentary, and world schools formats. Please address your opponents arguments clearly and impact. Be respectful and avoid personal attacks.