My favorite event is Extemp, so I treat all debaters like I would a national finalist in Extemp. Talk at a human pace so that the audience can understand the debate, but feel free to extend your impacts as far as possible pending you keep up the warrants for each claim. Impact turns make debate more fun, try to turn them. Work to cross apply your contentions to your opponents impacts. Making voting claims that I missed during the round won't be used to judge the round. The speakers have a duty to communicate what they want the audience to hear, the judge has a duty to listen to the best of their ability and shouldn't feel burdened by advanced debaters who go beyond the judge's means. I've got a PhD in Communication Studies and embrace a qualitative perspective, values matter. Be smart, be concise, and be respectful. If you can deliver the argument well, feel free to also be creative. For what it's worth, demanding language is a peeve, as opposed to suggestive; in voters, please tell me what I should(n't) do rather than what I can't do.

As a predominately speech-focused judge, my rankings are based both on the content of your presentations (organization and structure, evidence included, logical cohesion, defined points, etc.) and on the mode of delivery (movement/use of stage space, volume, pacing, eye contact, tone, posture, comedic timing, etc.). The content part is obviously cut for Declamation events. My feedback will usually address these areas, both for kudos for jobs well done and for areas to work on.

Additionally, for Congress, you'll get 5 speaker points if I can point out nothing wrong with your initial speech and if your Q&A session is mostly satisfactory. Speeches that go above and beyond in all factors get a 6. If I can provide areas for improvement per speech, you'll get a 4 or a 3 depending on what can be worked on. I don't give less than a 3, unless there's a serious issue. Please wait for your judges to be ready for you to speak, so we can make sure we have the right person and have noted whether you are aff/neg and which number in the discussion (Aff 2, Neg 4, etc.).

On a side note, if I ever end up judging LD, I'll try my best to follow the arguments and cross-fires, but at that point I'm out of my field and am there for the entertainment. Don't blame me. Blame the person who volunteered me for LD.

CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE

As a Congressional debate judge, I am listening for fervor, passion, and rhetorical integrity. Students who begin or lapse into reading their speeches will not receive high marks from me - extemporaneous speaking is key here with ideas presented in flavorful tones without the monotone elements that derive from reading a series of sentences. The proficient asking and answering of questions is key to receiving a high score from me. I listewnt to your words and expect clear pronunciation, medium pace, and enlivened debater from you and your peers. Once the session has ended, please accept my 'virtual high five' as a response to your gestures of 'thank you for judging' mantra.

DEBATE

I am primarily a tabula rasa judge, adjudicating arguments as presented in the round. Theoretical arguments are fine as long as they contain the necessary standards and voting issue components. I am not a huge fan of the kritik in PF and tend to reside in that camp that believes such discussions violate the legitimacy of tournament competitions; that being said, I will entertain the argument as well as theoretical counter arguments that speak to its legitimacy, but be forewarned that shifting the discussion to another topic and away from the tournament-listed resolution presents serious questions in my mind as to the respect owed to teams that have done the resolutional research deemed appropriate by the NSDA.

I am adept at flowing but cannot keep up with exceptionally fast-paced speaking and see this practice as minimizing the value of authentic communication. I will do my best but may not render everything on the flow to its fullest potential. Please remember that debate is both an exercise in argumentation as well as a communication enterprise. Recognizing the rationale behind the creation of public forum debate by the NSDA underscores this statement. As a result, I am an advocate for debate as an event that involves the cogent, persuasive communication of ideas. Debaters who can balance argumentation with persuasive appeal will earn high marks from me. Signposting, numbering of arguments, crystallization, and synthesis of important issues are critical practices toward winning my ballot, as are diction, clarity, and succinct argumentation. The rationale that supports an argument or a clear link chain will factor into my decision making paradigm.

RFD is usually based on a weighing calculus - I will look at a priori arguments first before considering other relevant voters in the round. On a side note: I am not fond of debaters engaging with me as I explain a decision; that being said, I am happy to entertain further discussion via email, should a situation warrant. Also, Standing for speeches is my preference.

Name: Alexander Corzo

School Affiliation: South Plantation HS

Number of Years Judging Public Forum/LD: 6 years

Number of Years Competing in Public Forum: None

Number of Years Judging Other Forensic Activities: 6 years

Number of Years Competing in Other Forensic Activities: None

If you are a coach, what events do you coach? All except policy

What is your current occupation? Debate Teacher/Coach

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

Speed of Delivery: Should not be spreading in PF, Ok in LD ( although I don't enjoy it) Edit for FBK2020:

Spreading is hard for me to follow and will more than likely affect my judging ( in a negative way) because I will be reading instead of listening to you speak. So, do yourself a favor and don't spread if at all possible! you can still run non-Traditional LD, as long as it's not abusive and gimmicky. (you're trying to trick and confuse your opponent)

Format of Summary Speeches Line by Line

Role of the Final Focus: Weighing

Extension of Arguments into later speeches: Required.

Topicality: Very important, don’t stray too far.

Plans: Not a PF thing, LD ok.

Kritiks: How could a lay judge follow this? So, no.

Flowing/note-taking: Essential

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

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? Yes, I don’t flow cross, if you want credit, it needs to be in a speech.

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? It’s not mandatory, but extremely helpful. Sometimes, time doesn’t allow.

Do you vote for arguments that are first raised in the grand crossfire or final focus? Grand Cross, only under extenuating circumstances, FF, never.

I value weighing over mindless card reading. Good luck!

For LD, many of the same comments apply. I'm more of a traditional judge in LD, meaning that although I understand theory and K strategies, unless there's a really good and compelling reason to resort to these progressive strategies, I enjoy traditional LD. In other words, I find many of the "progressive strategies" to be gimmicky.

As a judge, I prefer for debates to stay on resolution / topic, does that mean I am more traditional, yes. The formats were formed for a reason and that should be followed. If you get too progressive, well please see what I initially started my paradigm with.

As for speed, can flow very well, however if it sounds like you are choking and cannot breathe, well you just dropped those contentions, cards, points, whatever you were trying to establish. In most things, quality outweighs quantity, like do you attend three, four, five colleges at once, no, no you do not that, you pick the one of highest quality and focus on that, so in that vein, remember, this is not policy, but either PF or LD and looking for quality during the rounds.

Please respect each other and have a great debate.

I am relatively new to PF debate judging and have judged about 25 PF debates. I am ok with some speed, as long as you are clear when articulating your key contentions, subpoints, and rebuttals. While I do consider delivery, I am a flow judge and the team that is able to best argue and support their contentions with with logic and strong evidence, while effectively rebutting the contentions made by their opponents, will win the match. I place emphasis on when strong contentions (i.e., supported by clear evidence) are made by one team and not rebutted/addressed by the other team. In my view that's an implicit agreement with the contention.

When stating evidence, please ensure you provide the date when referencing.

On crossfire, my expectation is for each team to give each other the chance to ask at least one question.

I prefer for the teams to manage the debate round, including maintaining order and making sure to ask for prep time. I will have a timer, but teams are encouraged to maintain their time as well. I will ask at the beginning of the round, if teams want a 1-minute, 2-minute, etc. warning.

Please be courteous and respectful to each other.

Heyoo and Howdy, Its Jomi,

I have been Competing, Coaching, and Judging for going on 8 years now and I'm 21 so that says a lot about my wild amount of commitment I have towards this activity.

Mainly competed and coached extemp and congress so that is where my best critiques would come from since those are the events that I know the most about, however, I am proficient in knowing PF and LD since I have judged tons of elimination rounds for those events and have friends in the events so they teach me the game.

I would say no matter the event it always comes down to three solid principles for me

Logic without evidence

Quality of evidence

Speaking and execution of rhetoric

Logic without evidence meaning how solid on a logic understands deductive or inductive reasoning is the argument, to the point that at the least from a basic philosophical level can I consider that argument valid but not being true because that would require evidence.

Quality of evidence is what sets an argument to being a good argument because if your evidence is timely, relevant, and flows within the speech or case then that sets you apart from the round. Good evidence balances arguments, Bad Evidence breaks arguments

Speaking and execution of Rhetoric meaning simply how well are you conveying your speech and case in your delivery, even in Policy debate, if you want the judge to hear something import and round defining then you slow down and say it with conviction. How well do your voice and your inflections convey your narrative especially on the impact analysis which to me is the most important parts of arguments especially;y on a human level is to be important

Most of all, be respectful and courteous to your judges and especially to your opponents because if you are rude, condescending, sexist, racist, you know the deal if it's bad and I catch it, expect the worst result from me and expect for me to back it up. So just be a respectful person and we will be all good.

Content: evidence, critical thinking, in depth analysis of the bill

Delivery: energy, articulate, smooth story telling, respectful

Reaction: response to the room, ask and address questions

Disclosure:When I was a student I actively competed on the national congressional debate circuit for a number of years.

Intros:

Intros that are directly about the topic always beat canned intros. Congress can get boring and very rarely will I not reward someone for being creative or otherwise having an intro that is narratively captivating.

Congress Philosophy:

Congressional debate is sometimes called "Student congress" is a performative art. It is the only event that is truly Speech AND Debate. Judges are instructed to rank based upon who was the best "legislator". This is precise nomenclature, It is a holistic term that includes both performative rhetoric as well as flow-heavy argumentation. A good rule of thumb is If a politician wouldn't say it neither should you. However, this should not stop you from giving dynamic off-the-cuff responses. I have great respect for debaters who turn the event into a spectacle I should be engaged and entertained while watching you. The most important thing to ask yourself is "Will my judge remember me tomorrow?"

Argumentation:

Counter-intuitive arguments are a massive plus, especially when they manage to hijack the round. Please do not shy away from legislation-based argumentation or constitution/Supreme Court response arguments. "Let the courts decide that/ Neither you or I are lawyers" is NOT valid refutation. But if you are going to make a constitution-adjacent argument do not argue som version of "The bill is unconstitutional we should fail for no reason other than that."

Structure wise, I'm open to experimentation. Don't feel bound by CWDI or any other traditional methods of structuring arguments. Just make it clear enough that I can understand your tags and subsequent link-chain. Trust me to follow if its intelligible.

If you run National Debt adjacent arguments in front of me expect to receive a 9 and If Im the parli expect to DFL.

All speeches after the first cycle should refute other speakers.

Presiding officers:

POs start at a "3" on my ballot and will lose ranks from errors. They can also be supplanted by phenomenal legislators. The PO starts at a "3" ("4" if Im your parli) because the PO is the only indispensable contestant in the round. In an ideal world this would mean that PO should start as a "1" seeing as a round is impossible without the PO however, I cannot justify giving the PO a student who by definition does not engage in the debate the best rank in the round.

The more people who run for PO, the faster the winning PO will lose ranks from mistakes because you've claimed that you're better than every other person who wanted it.

I appreciate PO commentary but only to an extent.

IMHO, 3 types of POs exist fast POs charismatic POs, and bad POs. you should aim to be one or both of the first two, please do not make me feel that you are asleep at the switch.

Follow parliamentary procedure, but don't get anal-retentive over it. While a motion to open the floor for debate is technically dilatory don't point of order a presiding officer over accepting it. Some local circuits are very lax about that kind of thing. however, please, please never say "point of personal privilege to go use the potty"

Hey, you already know my name but I go my Max, my middle name, so if you want to make it known that you read this just call me that. a little bit more about me below

I did PF for 4 years

competed at nationals my senior year

I competed at UNC ethics bowl for 3 consecutive years

I'm probably one of the younger judges you will have in your debate career

With all that being said I judge congress more as a debate event. I still value your performance as a speaking but it should augment your points and not make up for them. On that same note, questioning is very important to me as well. I want to see relevant and engaging questions and answers. A poor showing in questioning won’t reflect highly upon you. At a high level of competition I’m looking for something that makes you stand out from the rest of the speakers, so play to your strengths and be memorable. If one is engaged in the round, making relevant, insightful comments and points there is no one reason why I wouldn't rank you first. My laptop includes a lot of information about me in the form of stickers, one of which being my occupation, which tends to fall into the scope of debate more often than not.

I am a parent judge; however, I am also a 30-year educator in English. Speech and Theater, so I appreciate the art of a strong debate and the nuances of a strong speaker. What will stand out in a round?

Hubris: Check your ego at the door; pride that brings about a fall is called that for a reason. Humility is much more impressive; your skills should speak for themselves and your respect of your competitors will NATURALLY flow from a humble place.

Evidence: NSDA rules dictate that an author and year must be cited. Research that is not your own will be clear.

Rhetoric: This is what I love most about Congress; there is an element of theater to it. Many can spit facts and research like a robot; few can give impassioned arguments that not only persuade but also elevate and further the discourse on the topic.

Structure: Your argument’s structure should be clear. You are either discussing a problem and proposing a solution or you are refuting that proposal with solid reasoning and evidence.

Respect: It should be given and received. You should consider yourself on equal footing with everyone walking in the room to begin the round. If you prove in your approach to your competitors in direct questioning that they do NOT deserve your respect by your cutting them off or attempting to discount them or dismiss them just by speaking more loudly or OVER them, it will affect your speaker points and rank.

Round: Contribute what’s NEEDED to the round and not what you have. IE: If you’re the last speaker, I expect a crystal; if you’re the sponsor, I expect you to lay a solid framework.

PO: It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. The indispensable nature of a great PO to a round is not lost on me. Someone who banks on being a PO because he/she is unprepared for the round should think twice about running for PO. A great PO is fair, efficient and confidently runs the round so that fellow competitors can showcase their strengths; an ineffective PO can derail the round just as easily. I will always consider the importance of the PO in rankings.

The “It” Factor: If I am still thinking about your previous statement before you speak your next because it was THAT compelling, you likely have “it.” If your research is thought-provoking and catches my attention because it is the only approach to the topic I’ve seen in the round, you likely have, “it.” If your presence and power as a speaker is so strong that even your competitors stop typing on their laptops to simply listen to what you are saying, you likely have, “it.” And the “it” factor makes me remember your name from the first time you speak. The rank will reflect this. Do you have “it?”

Please maintain professionalism and proper decorum at all times, feel free to speak as quickly or slowly as you are comfortable with, and make sure you state your evidence explicitly - don't make me work for it. It's your job as a speaker and debater to argue your stance using words.

I will not read anything sent to me. I will only consider what is presented verbally in the round.

I consider cross and questioning heavily. If you ask just clarifying questions, that’s weak.

As an LD judge, I prefer a traditional argument to a K. You have been given a resolution and a stance to argue, and it is your job to debate within the definitions and assumptions of that resolution and stance. Debating around the resolution is, at best, a waste of time, and at worst, inappropriate in my opinion.

As a PF judge, like LD, I also prefer traditional argument, but especially within PF, I need your impacts linked properly. Stating evidence is not enough. Tell me why that evidence matters and what it affects.

In Congress, I appreciate the strategic use of speech timing. As the legislation goes on, it becomes more and more important to have novel arguments and evidence so if you don’t have anything, be sure to use clash to refute the other side.

Lay parent judge

Specializing in Congress and Speech

Congress

Presentation 50% Debate 50%

Passion and uniqueness is valued

Terminalize your impacts to weigh how it will affect humanity as your job is to represent the people first and foremost.

Interesting intro is key (intro should be memorized)

Be active in the round! Respectful questioning is valued.

Weighing, analyzing, and impacting is key to having a impacful argument.

Make sure to explain why your data occurs, or why it is important.

data must be credable: mention source and date

any format speech format works as long as clarity isn't lost.

Flipping is appreciated

And rehashing is okay, as long as it isnt excessive.

engaging and mentioning on people in the round will make yoir speech more engaging

PO- your job is to run a efficient round but also make yourself stand out. Your presence matters within a round!! So don't shy away from trying to make yourself look good. But make sure what you do to make yourself look better doesn't cost the chamber speaking time. POs will usually be ranked 5th-3rd. (Pls make sure to remind me your name and that you are a competitor too at the end)

key take away- emotional humanitarian arguments>>>

Speech

Emotions are key

Make sure the story you are trying to tell flows well

emotional appeal will always win me over

confidence matters

Uniqueness and unpredictability makes any speech presentation more interesting

I want to see various range of emotions

-you will be dropped if you are disrespect in any way

Debate

No kritiks or tricks

Traditional case will always be better

Passiave aggressive rebuttals recieves less points.

But if a circuit case is run make sure it is easy understandable as i have limited debate judgeing experience.

Terminalize your impacts to weigh in humanity

I mostly did PF in HS.

email: just_mar25@yahoo.com

read bolded for a quick rundown if you're unwilling to go through the whole paradigm.

1. Truth>Tech. That being said, I will not prescribe my own understanding of argumentative substance to bail you out when you're confronting bad substance/bad faith arguments. If the content of your opponents' arguments is fundamentally false, they should be especially easy for you to answer without any help from me.

2. On Speed/Spreading - Speed is fine but it must be purposeful. Speed is not purposeful if you're unclear and lack diction (I will yell 'clear' or 'louder' if I struggle but if I need to keep doing that I'm going to nuke your speaks). Speed is not purposeful if all you're doing is introducing blippy arguments in hopes that one makes it across and wins you the round (you could literally just read more cards on legitimate arguments to strengthen your links instead of the blips). Speed is not purposeful if you're actively disenfranchising the other team by spreading (you do NOT need to spread versus a novice team, just out-debate them). Just because I might have your case doesn't mean it's all on my flow, I am not as familiar as you are with your own literature. If you're incomprehensible all you're doing is making me uninterested.

3. On Ks - Kritik arguments should NOT depend on my understandings of terms of art/common terms from your authors, whose viewpoints I am likely unfamiliar with. Just because you're running doesn't a K doesn't mean you don't have to DEBATE and explain why you're winning on the K flow. Yeah if the K goes unresponded then its a winning argument but if you don't extend/explain to me why the K wins (aff or neg) beyond "they had no response to the K" then presume I drop the K. Extend the K.

4. On Weighing - Rhetoric impacts are bad arguments. Explain/Weigh why your impacts are impactful. Don't just tell me 'poverty bad', explain why poverty is bad and what poverty actually causes. You can't outweigh on "Scope". There is no implication to what "Scope" means unless you give it context. Impact calculus takes into account Magnitude, Probability, Timeframe. Implicate what your advocacy has in terms of contextualized warranting versus just yelling out "scope" and praying it works out (it won't).

5. On Evidence Sharing - Just use an e-mail chain/Speechdrop. Please don't be the reason the tournament is running 30min-1hr longer than needed. I'm not saying you have to send over your cases (PF), I know that the norm on that is still being established (in PF) but no judge wants to watch you stand awkwardly over someone's shoulder while waiting for a card, just send it electronically and that way judges can have it too if it becomes a point of contention. If a card you called out for is miscut/misleading and this is enough to win you the round TELL ME THIS. TELL ME TO READ THE CARD BEFORE I MAKE MY DECISION BECAUSE IT TURNS THE ROUND. Don't get mad at me after the round because you didn't explicitly tell me to read a card.

6. On New Arguments - I try my hardest to give debaters as much agency as possible to actually debate. That being said, DO NOT introduce new arguments in the last speech of the debate, I will - at best - ignore them or - at worst - vote you down if the team after you argues that the introduction is a voting issue (fairness/time, etc.) This happens enough that it needs its own section.

7. On Framework - I will default to a utilitarian framework to weigh unless given an alternative by either team. In terms of defaulting to utilitarianism, unless a team in the round offers an alternative framework then this is generally what people would end up arguing under anyway (I literally don't trust teams to weigh appropriately so I'll just save us all the time and say this in my paradigm to at the very least mentally prepare you to weigh in some capacity). You can lose the framework debate and still win the round. Winning framework does not inherently mean you win the round. It is entirely possible to lose (or concede) the framework debate and still win. Framework is about who operates better under that given paradigm.

8. On Crossfire - I don't flow crossfire. If anything happens during Cross that you feel is relevant to winning then refer to it in your next speech so it is on paper. This doesn't mean saying something like "In Cross they said Nukes aren't real so they lose C2." I want you to tell me the other team conceded the link on C2 so I can put it on my flow (SIGNPOST WHERE THE RELEVANT CROSS INTERACTION SHOULD/WOULD BE ON MY FLOW). Aff always gets first question. Why are we doing the whole "may I have first question" song and dance still?

9. On Extensions - Summary and Final Focus should be aligned - whatever you extend in Final Focus should also have been present in Summary. I don't believe defense is sticky. You should still extend defense on an argument unless the other sides explicitly kicks out.

10. On Tricks - Don't. Deliberate attempts to subvert clash by lying, misleading, hiding arguments, being unethical will be poorly received. What're you trying to prove by doing this? That you can't win a round by actually debating? I'll nuke your speaks since I believe this actually "kills debate". To be clear, a funny tagline is funny and okay, but you know when something is a pun and when something is deliberately misleading.

11. Don't be rude - Personally abusive language about, or directed at, your opponents will have me looking for reasons to vote against you. There are more important things in life than winning while also being mean to other human beings. We're all trying to partake in something that we enjoy/makes us happy. Don't be the reason someone has a terrible day.

I am a pretty straightforward judge. I do not have hand‘s on forensic experience, however I do understand the core of speech and debate, and have judges multiple rounds of speech and debate divisions.

I am a parent judge, and have been judging for the last three years, mostly congressional debate and most recently public forum.

I value research, strong and creative cases, and expect professionalism and respectful behavior throughout the entire round.

I am open to any arguments as long as burdens are being met.

I value strong evidence ably applied.

Spreading,I am comfortable with some speed however pronunciation must be coherent. In many cases debaters speak so fast that the mumble and almost whisper their words. Making it practically impossible to understand. There truly is not a need to rush, a well though out framework and argument can be done within the given time. A strong debater is one that can make the most of heir given time.

My general preferences are for you to be kind and respectful. If you start yelling or are overly aggressive it will not be to your benefit.

I flow by listening, and do not follow your written speech. Keep that in consideration.

You may send it to me for reference after the round has completed, and before I submit final comments.
Substance is important- defend your points clearly.

Please watch your times, I will only give :30 above time limit.

Also I do not give live feedback, prefer to take my time in providing detailed and useful comments on the ballot.

Good luck!

Vivian Perez
vmestevez@bellsouth.net

I've judged rounds of: Public Forum, Congress, Lincoln-Douglas, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, Interpretation of Literature, and Impromptu Speaking.

Strong debaters have a balance of facts, statistics, engaging rhetoric and clear delivery. Help me flow! I like lots of taglines and signposting, even during cross ex. If you're speaking fast, make sure you're not sacrificing clarity. Although I don't prefer when competitors spread, I can understand what they are saying (during the cross examination sessions). If you're interrupting your opponent habitually, it may count against you.

The winning team / debater is able to deliver and extend strong, well-supported, and prepared arguments while pointing out and breaking down flaws in the opponent's arguments.

I'm by all means a mommy judge, i've been in around 7-10 tournaments in the past, including Nat Quals last year so I do have a certain grasp of how I judge my rounds.

I primarily judge on 3 aspects: Content, Presentation, and Time management

Content:

• I value structure highly in your speech, I want to be able to mentally follow through your content and not feel lost on what you are talking about
• Include sources! If you have interesting statistics tell me where you got them from, whether that be an Organization, a Study, or University I want to know.

Presentation:

• Walk with purpose! I can't stress this enoughI get hysteric watching competitors walk around aimlessly and it distracts me which has cost competitors the round. Yes movement is essential but do it with purpose, so 3 point walk techniques and things like that I like but if you're moving unnecessarily I will dock points
• Eye contact. It's not as essential as purposeful movements, but it's nice to see and it's those little things that take you to the next level
• Be engaging! Good speeches need to be engaging for me, if theres no voice inflection or you're too monotone, you're going to lose me in the first 2 minutes and it's going to be very hard to get me back

Time Management:

• I have no issue with giving time signals I don't see it as unprofessional at all, just let me know before your piece and i'll be happy to help
• Time management is essential. The saddest thing is seeing competitors have incredible pieces and do amazing for 90% of it, and then ruin it at the end because they're speeding up to make up for time

For Interpretation Events:

My biggest thing for Interpretation events like Duo, HI, or DI, is that I need to understand who's doing what.

If you have 3 different characters, I need something that tells me who's who. If everyone sounds the same, talks the same, and even moves the same, it will going to cost you the round.

Fun stuff:

- I like knowing my competitors read my paradigms, so if before beginning your piece you tell me your House or favorite Harry Potter Character i'll judge you in a better mood and more optimistically! (don't just say Harry Potter is your favorite thats lame)

Congress - Argument is well-organized, points are clearly developed and supported by a variety of credible sources, evidence is analyzed, compelling language, smooth transition between points, movements are purposeful and signal a new point, easy to follow your argument, introduction and conclusion are clearly connected, purpose is established throughout your argument. Responds to questions with confidence and clarity, responds to previous speakers' points to either refute or affirm with new arguments and evidence, speaks clearly, is active in questioning throughout the round

Have been an assistant coach for several years and has recently taken on the responsibility of head coach, has been active in speech and debate since 2009, have judged numerous local tournaments, invitational tournaments, and national tournaments.

Completed the National Speech and Debate Association Adjudicating Speech and Debate course.

TL;DR

• Be kind in all that you do.

• I flow but not particularly well (especially the back half) and generally will not evaluate arguments that I don't understand, so please collapse and make sure you clearly extend your warranting.

• I am generally okay with spreading as long as I get a speech doc.

• I have a slight preference for truth over tech. My brightline here isn’t totally clear so you’re probably best playing it safe.

• Under no circumstances will I vote for a "death good" argument and under very few circumstances will I vote for an "oppression good" argument. Pretty much every other type of argument is fine.

• Theory should only be run for legitimate norms and legitimate violations. Running stuff like “tall people theory” or “formal clothes theory” almost guarantees a loss.

• For email chain purposes: thadhsmith13@gmail.com

Background

I’ve been a member of the debating world for about eight years now. As a competitor, I saw some success at the state and national level in Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and World Schools, qualifying for the state championship four times and placing 10th at Nats in 2019. I also competed in BP debate at the university level in England. I am currently an assistant coach for American Heritage School - Broward.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, & Race Studies. I have a Master’s degree in Theory and Practice of Human Rights. You can expect me to have more than the average level of knowledge in those areas. I like to think that I know about as much as the average person on most other things, but for economic arguments (or anything involving math) I get lost easily. Do with that what you will!

Evidence ethics

I have voted on evidence ethics violations in the past, both with and without competitors calling them out in round. Straw arguments, aggressive ellipses, and brackets could all be round-enders.

Don't paraphrase! I will be very open to cut cards theory, direct quotes theory, or anything else like that. If you do paraphrase, you need to be able to provide a cut card or the exact quote you're referencing if evidence is called. It's not a reasonable expectation for your opponents or I to have to scrub through a webpage or a long document searching for your evidence.

Public Forum

I find myself leaning more and more truth > tech, especially with the state of evidence ethics these days. It's really important for you to explain the link chain and somewhat important for you to explain things like author credibility/study methodology, especially for big impact contentions.

Line-by-line rebuttal is really important in the front half of the round. That means you should be frontlining in second rebuttal, respond to arguments in an order that makes logical sense, and actively extend your own arguments. For an extension to be effective you need to tell me what the argument is, how it works, and why it's important. You can almost always do this in three sentences or less. These pieces are important - I don't flow evidence names, so saying something like "Hendrickson solves" without an explanation does nothing for you.

Fiat is pretty much always a thing - There's a reason Public Forum topics usually ask "is this policy a good idea" and not "will this thing happen." My view of fiat is that it lets the debate take place on a principles level and creates a "comparative" between a world with a policy and a world without a policy. That said, politics arguments can work, but only if they relate to a political consequence of a policy being enacted and not if they try and say a policy will never happen in the first place.

Kritiks and theory are fine in PF. Be mindful of your time constraints. For kritiks, focus on explaining how your cards work and what the alternative is. For theory, make sure there's a legitimate violation and that it's something you're willing to bet the round on. Theory exists to create norms. I won’t vote on frivolous theory and I won’t vote on your shell if you aren’t actively embodying the norm you’re proposing.

Flex prep does not exist. “Open” crossfires don’t exist. As a whole, crossfire doesn’t matter that much but you still shouldn’t contradict yourself between cross and speech.

Lincoln-Douglas

I really enjoy a good framework debate and it’s something that I find is missing from a lot of modern LD rounds. One of the best parts of LD is getting to see how different philosophies engage with each other, and we’re gonna see that thru framing. I do my best to evaluate the framework debate at the very top and use it as my primary decision-making mechanism. Framing doesn't have to be done with a value/criterion if you'd rather run a K or Theory or something else, but you need to five me a role of the ballot if you don't use a value/criterion.

Please don’t spread philosophy or theory if you want me to flow it - I read and write it all the time and I still barely understand it, so I’m not going to understand what you’re saying if you’re going 500 words per minute. If you must spread your framework or K, send me the case or be prepared to explain it again next speech.

I’m fine with condo, fiat, and counterplans. Please don’t paraphrase and don't rehighlight.

"Debate bad" arguments are pretty weird. I probably won't vote on them because, at the most fundamental level, you're still participating in a debate round and perpetuating whatever core "harm" of debate that you're talking about. If your alternative is a reasonable alternative or reform instead of just "don't do debate", I could be persuaded, but you've got an uphill battle.

Congress

If you have me as your parli, there are two things you need to know about me: I love Robert's Rules of Order and I hate one-sided debate. Ignore these things at your own risk. Other important things, in no particular order:

• Display courtesy to your fellow competitors and do your best to ensure that everyone in the chamber is heard. I pay attention to pre-round, in-round, and post-round politics.
• Engagement with the other speakers is important, both through questions and through in-speech references. Every speech past the author/sponsor needs to have rebuttal or extension of some kind.
• Authorships/sponsorships (there's no such thing as a "first affirmative") need to explain exactly what the bill does. Don't assume I'll read the packet.
• Good Congress rounds have a narrative arc - The first few speeches should present core arguments and frame the round, the next few speeches should be heavy on refutation and extension, and the final few speeches should crystallize the debate.
• Many things that people do in-round have no basis in either the rules or parliamentary procedure. Many motions don't exist - There are no motions to "address the chamber," "open the floor for debate," "amend the agenda," or "impeach the presiding officer." You can't rescind a seconded motion (or a second), you can't object to a motion to move the previous question, most tournaments don't have a requirement to track question recency, elections should really be handled by the parli, etc.
• At this point, I've heard every canned intro under the sun. If I hear you use the same exact intro on multiple different bills/rounds, or the same intro as a dozen other people, or the same unfunny meta-references with random names subbed in, you are getting docked speech points. It takes barely any effort to come up with an intro that's relevant to your content.

World Schools

The most important thing for you to do is to remember the purpose of your speech. Your speech should not be defined by the "line-by-line," rather, you should have a clear idea or set of ideas that you are trying to get across and I should be able to understand what those ideas were at the end of your speech. I am a big believer in the "World Schools style," meaning that I like it when debaters lean into the concept of being representatives in a global governing body, when debaters deploy flowery rhetoric about grand ideals, and when debaters spend a lot of time establishing and engaging with the framework/definitions/plan for the debate.

Theory

I'm fine with theory as long as it's a legitimate norm and a legitimate violation. Don't run frivolous theory (I'm not going to vote on something like "debaters should sit during their speeches", for example) and don't run theory if it isn't a norm you're actively doing yourself (don't run disclosure theory if you didn't disclose either). I don't have a preference on DtD vs. DtA or Competing Interpretations vs. Responsibility. I lean rather heavily towards theory being a RVI, especially in PF debates where it often becomes the only argument in the round.

I'm ambivalent about trigger warnings. I'm not going to be the arbiter of somebody else's experience and there's not much evidence that they're actually harmful in any meaningful way. Be aware that simply saying "trigger warning" tells us nothing - If you have one, be specific (but not graphic) about the potentially triggering content.

Kritiks

Kritiks are an incredibly powerful education tool that let debaters bring light to important issues. That said, you do need a link, preferably a resolutional/case one. I'm not opposed to hearing kritiks that tackle the structure of debate as a whole, but I think that it's difficult for you to justify that while also participating in the structure (especially because I've seen the same debaters participate in debate rounds without talking about these structural issues). Just like theory, you should be talking about legitimate issues, not just trying to win a round.

Death Good/Oppression Good

"Death good" is a nonstarter in front of me. I get it - I was a high school debater too, and I have vivid memories of running the most asinine arguments possible because I thought it would be a path to a technical victory. As I've stepped away from competition, entered the role of an educator, and (especially) as I've become immersed in human rights issues indirectly through my research and personally through my work, I no longer hold the same view of these arguments. I've been in rounds where judges and the audience are visibly, painfully uncomfortable with one side's advocacy. I've voted on the flow and felt sick doing it. I don't anymore. Do not run "death good" in front of me unless you want a loss and 20 speaks. It's not good education, it actively creates an unsafe space, and its often incredibly callous to actual, real-world human suffering.

"Oppression good" is also generally bad but I can at least see a potential case here, kinda? Probably best to avoid anyway.

PF: I am a parent judge, and this is my 2nd year judging PF. I have judged local tournaments and at 2023 NSDA Nationals in Phoenix.

1. Please talk at an understandable speed
2. Avoid debate jargon
3. Most importantly, remember to be polite and respectful to everyone.

Update for Sunvite 2024: This is my 2nd time judging Congress, but I will do my best to be fair. I am not familiar with parliamentary procedure, so I will focus my judging on your speeches. As mentioned above, please talk at an understandable speed. I appreciate a clear structure and signposting.

I am well-versed in the flow of arguments and generally interested in debates. Please keep your delivery concise and clear. I look at the content more than the number of words spoken, which should circle back to strengthening or weakening the topic.

I will also be able to view your participation rate and Q&A as essential factors in my assessment. I will seek arguments with neutrality, clarity, and time management. I will also look for debaters who can steer discussions back on track if they veer off-topic and foster a respectful environment.

In my view, a successful debate should be a balanced, insightful, and structured exchange, allowing the audience to grasp diverse perspectives and make informed judgments.

It is my pleasure and honor to be a judge at high school debates. I enjoy watching and listening to the various student participants - many of whom will be the future leaders of our society and country. As I judge the participants, I will be looking for confidence and passion in their speeches, questions, and answers. I will also be looking for steady eye contact to their opponents, members of the audience, and the judges. Reputable facts and figures are, of course, important and will be noted by me. But if a participant cannot effectively present and defend their positions, my attention and vote will usually go to the participant who convinces me that their position is superior to their opponent. May the best debater win!

Hi, I’m Kyle (he/him/his)

BACKGROUND

I currently coach for Ridge High School and competed extensively in speech as a student there. I coach both speech and PF, meaning I emphasize both good delivery/style as well as clear argumentation.

PUBLIC FORUM:

Add me to the email chain or, create the Google Doc: kwatkins@bernardsboe.com

Either way, do this before round if possible.

Ask me questions post-round/over email if you want!! I'm happy to answer anything

topic specific background:

I fenced in college

GENERAL

I will flow your arguments as long as you are clearly spoken, but I heavily encourage considering me more on the lay side of debate.

I won't vote for something I don't understand/wasn't well extended

Clear weighing/voters are incredible :)

Use ff to write my ballot

If you’re speaking too fast you run the risk of me losing stuff, and I won’t knock your opponent for missing stuff cause you tried to fit too much into your case.

I love strong narratives and cohesion of arguments — simply saying “extend this” or “extend that” doesn’t explain anything to me.

All arguments should have clear warrants and impacts.

IN ROUND

Signposting is so important–y’all all want to get through a ton of content, but it doesn’t matter if I have to waste my limited brain cells trying to understand how what you said interacts with your case.

Don’t be rude? The bar is low.

Take a breath before you speak! Don’t forget how incredible and unique y’all are for the amount of work you put into this activity, and the breadth of knowledge you have. Remember, I always want to vote for you, so you have no reason to be nervous.

IMPACTS

I wanted to make a whole section for this cause I think it’s so important

Timeframe, Magnitude, Probability

How your impacts relate to your opponent's impacts

How these impacts actually happen, the full story behind them, paint a picture. ELI5

CROSS

In crossfire, don’t ask questions with long preambles that come across as you trying to have more speech time.

I don’t flow cross, but you need to extend contradictions your opponents say for me to consider it.

RULES

Do not misconstrue evidence — if you do have an issue with your opponents’ evidence, please bring it up in the round and contact tab accordingly.

Read content warnings about potentially triggering content. If you don’t like content warnings, bummer. Content warnings allow speech & debate to be inclusive.

If you have spectators from your team, I fully expect your team members to be off their technology and not communicating with you. If you’re cheating in any way, you lose the debate and get to chat with tab.

FINAL FOCUS

Gosh I love final focus.

This is your time to explain voter’s issues, weigh on the valuable args in the round, and overall just write your own ballot. FF is time for your persuasion to shine, and my favorite speech in PF :)

SPEAKS

I believe speaks are important, and the points I give you relate to what I feel you should take away from my judging.

30: Lovely speaking, no notes.

28-29.5: Good stuff, minor issues or stumbles, mostly I vary here based on comparison in round.

27.5: You have work to do on your speaking style, and I would encourage you to record yourself speaking to recognize it.

27: You have lots of work to do on your speaking style, and I would heavily encourage you to record yourself speaking to recognize it.

26.5: I felt you said something disrespectful or behaved disrespectfully in round.

26 and below: You’re gonna hear from tab.

ARE YOU IN NOVICE? READ THIS:

Time yourself. When you run out of time, finish your sentence gracefully, then stop speaking.
I will also time you. When you run out of time, I will silently stop taking notes on my flow and wait for you to finish. I will cut you off if you are egregiously over time. If I cut you off, it means I didn't listen to anything you said for the last 30-60 seconds.

I love seeing people new to debate, so I’m never going to mark you down if you don’t use conventional debate jargon, break conventional norms from inexperience, etc. I will still fairly judge, and novice-ness is no loophole to missed arguments and the like.