I'm a parent judge and would prefer if you spoke more slowly.

Robert Doran is Professor of French and Comparative Literature and an Affiliate Faculty member of the Music Theory Department of the Eastman School of Music. He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Stanford University and a PhD in General and Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne Nouvelle-University of Paris 3.

He is the author or editor of eight books, including the monographsThe Theory of the Sublime from Longinus to Kant(Cambridge University Press, 2015/2017), which was translated into Spanish in 2021, andThe Ethics of Theory: Philosophy, History, Literature(Bloomsbury, 2017). Most recently, he has editedLiszt and Virtuosity(University of Rochester Press, 2020) and two volumes of Hayden White’s late essays under the titleThe Ethics of Narrativefor Cornell University Press (vol. 1, 2022; vol. 2, forthcoming 2023). His current book projects areRevolutionary Aesthetics: The Sublime in Nineteenth-Century FranceandShakespeare in Paris: Reinventing Nineteenth-Century French Theater.

His teaching focuses on nineteenth- and early twentieth-century French literature and culture, in particular on the novel, romanticism, theater, Napoleon, and Paris. He also regularly teaches courses on continental philosophy, aesthetics, and twentieth-century French thought.

I like to see content backed by sources, as well as clean debate. Do not personally attack your opponent, and I do not like spreading - nor will I vote for your side if I can't understand a word you're saying. Vocal intonation, vocal modulation, dynamic voice, appropriate pacing and pausing, clear enunciation, eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures are all tools that can support your presentation. Spreading and gish galloping in my opinion are NOT tools. Be honest and respectful in your presentation. Focus on framework and the value. Not one to disclose.

Jeremy Samek

I participated in policy debate for three years as a college student at Liberty University many years ago.

2023-24 is my first season as a high school speech and debate coach.

I have more experience as a speech judge, so I prefer clear arguments that are communicated effectively. Spreading is likely to cause me to lose track of the argument and is discouraged. I value impacts, clarity, and evidence.

In debate, please ensure that I can understand the words you are speaking. If you are speaking too rapidly for me to understand you, I will ask you to slow down. If you continue to be difficult to understand, that hurts your chances of winning the round, as I won't give you credit for arguments you make, but I cannot decipher. If you're speaking rapidly and your diction is sharp, all is well. Slurring or mumbling hurt you.

To the degree to which it is possible, I strive for mens rea. I will judge the round based on what is actually said in the round. I may comment on lost opportunities, but the decision comes from the arguments presented, not from anything I fill in from my own experience.