Dear all,

I am Ramanathan (Ram) working for an IT company in Greenville, SC. I was born and raised in India and immigrated to the US 14 years ago.

I enjoy judging speech and debate (especially your round) and it’s great to be part of this event which not only helps to shape the life and future of the students but also for myself with a greater understanding of current issues and topics.

I’m fluent in English but I would appreciate it if you (debaters) can avoid jargon as well as speaking too fast. I remain a judge/spectator for the entire part of the debate and step in if and only there is a need (exceeding time limit, inappropriate language, etc.). Also, I keep time for the entire round just to make sure the burden is not on the debaters.

It’s great to meet you all and look forward to judging your event. All the very best!!

In the 20th century, I was a reasonably successful college debater and coach.

Written judge paradigms were just coming into use back then. My favorite was from Tuna Snider. It read as follows:

"We gather. You debate. I decide."

That seems a great place to start. Here are a few things that may be helpful.

SPEED -- Though I have debated with and against speakers as fast as you can imagine, there is NO WAY I will read/follow a document to understand you during your speech. Be audible, signpost well, and have the strategic chops to parse out a winning solution. It is up to you, not me, to make sure you're being clear -- I never say "clear." Unless you're good at it (really good at it) spreading is annoying to me. That goes double if we're in a format other than CX, and triple if you're beating up on a less experienced opponent.

STYLE -- You're giving a speech. I'm an audience. Read the room. Make me glad I showed up to hear you. Be courteous to your opponents. I understand the round may crackle with rivalry. Lean into it with grace. Most of my best friends are the people I debated with and against back in the day. I won't ask to see any of your materials unless they're verbally contested, or I'm curious. This is a speaking contest, not an essay contest.

SUBSTANCE -- When it's clear you have a solid grasp of the subject matter, that's persuasive. Next level is you hearing and understanding your opponent, and returning on-point replies, with or without evidence. Hyperdrive is when you carry all that through to the final speeches and articulate a genuine solution to the debate.

A note on evidence: If you don't identify your sources by telling me about their personal qualifications, I give those words no more substantive weight than if you'd simply said the same thing yourself. In general, a good card from a well-crafted study in a peer-reviewed journal weighs more than a well-educated opinion from an unbiased scholar or thought leader, which weighs more than an article from a reputable journalist, newspaper or magazine, and so on. A debater's ability to attack study methodology, compare internal warrants within cards, impeach testimony for bias and other factors is impressive.

THEORY/K's, etc. -- I will listen to what you have to say, if you give me sufficient reason to do so, at a pace I can digest. That said, the further you stray from simply affirming or negating the resolution, it's exponentially more likely I'll agree with your opponent's reaction. Thus, if you happen to find yourself defending against some esoteric K or theory onslaught, answer your opponent's argument as best you can. I'm likely to agree with you if you keep your composure. If your K is essentially a counterplan, it belongs in CX, or possibly LD, but not PF.

Let's learn, compete, and have fun!

My name is Tara Harris, and I'm a Myers Park High School parent. I'm a "lay" judge who is new-ish to the world of debate. Most of my judging experience has been in PF with some experience in Speech and Big Questions.

Please plan to:

-speak at a reasonable pace,

-provide enough evidence to properly support your arguments,

-be kind and respectful, and

-be clear and persuasive.

Even if I'm taking notes, I'm still fully engaged in what you're saying.

I'm unlikely to "flow" much of your crossfires and grand crossfires, but I'm very interested in these portions of the debate; of course, if something worthwhile comes out during a crossfire that merits repeating during one of your next speeches, please do so.

If you plan to give me an off-time roadmap, do it as slowly and clearly as you would a "real" speech.

Good luck on engaging in a constructive and interesting debate! And most importantly, have fun!

I prefer weighing for my decision with signposting

Clear tone with respectful behavior is a must

I am a parent so I am fairly new

Each team will be in charge of timing the round. I will not time.

I will flow; make sure you are providing links/warrants/impacts. If I'm not making eye contact it's because I'm making sure the flow enables me to be unbiased in my decision.

Speaker points will not only be based on how well you argue your case, but how you conduct yourself in terms of professionalism and the courtesy you show to your opponents.

less is more: spreading makes you look desperate. Hammer your key points and extend. I'm not a fan of the direct pleas or demands to the judge: ie "judge you must vote for us because of..."

I will always give feedback in my RFD so there is a clear understanding of the decision.

most of all: have fun! I admire all of you so much for your commitment to an extremely advanced and demanding extracurricular.

Parent judge. Trial lawyer. Please don't talk so fast I can't understand you. I always appreciate a meaningful organizational structure to arguments.

Hello,

My name is Anjali Mittal and I've judged a couple of debate competitions. I would appreciate it if you can speak slowly, clearly outline your arguments, follow the rules of debate, and respect each other while debating. Good luck!!

Please speak clearly and slowly. If I can’t track what you're saying, I won’t be able to effectively judge you. Make sure you are organized in your speeches.Be respectful and professional, especially during cross.

I will try to take a lot of notes. Please make it clear what's important to your case or detracts from your opponent's.

Do not bring up any new arguments in the second half of a round, or they will be disregarded.

I will keep time and encourage you to do the same.

I very much enjoy the competition of debate and look forward to judging your round. Good luck and have fun!

This is my fourth year judging. I appreciate a logical, good-spirited, and respectful debate. Clear speech helps me follow the argument - I will not flow what I cannot understand so please avoid spreading. I favor quality of the debate over quantity of points made. Have fun!!

Please talk slowly so that I can judge appropriately.

Please keep up the time limit

Please stick to the contentions and rebuttals.

I will be happy to leave comments

I am a lay judge. I've completed online training and watched several demo videos.

Speed: I'm okay with speed, but I really like an articulate, eloquent speaker. Prioritize clarity, be sure to signpost, don't spread, and you'll be fine.

Framework: Please make your Value and Value Criterion clear at the beginning, weave them into your case, and tell me explicitly why your input is better than your opponent's.

I prefer some scholarly philosophies in there with supportive arguments.

Finish strong and on time. Be specific.

1. I have never participated or coached speech and debate. To date I have judged 3 rounds of Public Forum.

2. For me the rate of delivery should be slow, it's better to dedicate the time to fully express 1 or 2 points effectively than it is to rush thru 4 or 5 points that lose impact in the process. Technical jargon might sound good during the research and rehearsal phase, but your goal is not to impress, your goal is to persuade.

3. My note taking all centers around the claims made in the opening statement and your ability to support and defend those. Tell me what you're going to tell me, tell me, then tell me what you told me. But don't assume I am going to believe you just because you said it, I need to be convinced, and each answer leads me to another question so always be anticipating.

4. I value argument over style, that said good style makes a good argument better so commit and execute.

5. The specific criteria I consider determining performance and winners is composure in defense and rebuttal, staying on point and ability to express reasons for the argument.

6. In my experience the most persuasive arguments I have heard were the ones that stuck to small selective, well-organized points that are continually reinforced, while avoiding speculation and opinion as much as possible.

7. My expectations for debaters in round conduct is that respect is paramount. Mostly because without it, all credibility is lost. Ultimately, the attempt to persuade is an attempt to strive for the best outcome so you are trying to persuade everyone including your opponent, if they are not respected the communication becomes near impossible and failure is imminent.

I'm a parent judge with about a few years of judging experiences, mostly in PF and some in LD.

Never done Policy before so please don't spread. If I can not catch what your arguments are, I can't vote for them.

If may be helpful if you want to share your case doc with me: zhusufeng@hotmail.com.

Be confident, respectful and have fun.