Wisconsin State Debate Tournament
2024 — West Bend, WI/US
Varsity LD Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideHi, my name is Bri and my pronouns are they/she :)
I'm currently a student at UWM
I debated in high school for 2 years: I briefly debated PF before I switched to LD.
I didn't have a full 4 years of debate experience due to the pandemic. Because of this, I was a very traditional debater and that has carried over to my judging style. I love a good clash between cases! Make sure you thoroughly argue against the other side.
Speed is fine, if you spread just make sure your opponent and myself can actually understand what you're saying. If I can't understand you, I will not flow it.
Cross X is for asking questions and I will not flow arguments during that time.
Racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. will NOT be tolerated and I will automatically drop you.
email: bribano98@gmail.com
General Stuff:
Experience: I debated for three years in Policy Debate for Neenah High School (WI) and I have been judging LD, PF, and Policy since I graduated.
Paradigm: Tabs, unless there's no F/W in which case I default to Util. I will vote for anything well run in a debate round. Tech/Truth.
Timing: I will be timing prep, cross and rounds, but I expect you to time yourself. I will let you know when you are going over.
Pacing: I am very comfortable with speed but speaking fast should not make you incomprehensible. Both myself and your opponent should be able to hear tags, warrants, and analytical arguments.
General:
- Make sure to stay organized — clear roadmaps and signposting is really helpful with making a clear and concise argument.
PF
Extensions: Please extend arguments, not just authors. Anything not extended in summary won't factor into my decision at end of round except defense extended from first rebuttal to first final focus
Rebuttal: Turns that aren't answered in second rebuttal are de facto dropped. Second rebuttal doesn't need to answer weighting that's in the first rebuttal, it can wait until second summary.
Weighing: Weighing is good, it is the first thing I will vote on. Scope means nothing without magnitude.
Cross: Statements made in cross are not inherently binding.
Policy/LD:
Non-Traditional Affirmatives: I will vote for anything well-run. You need a clear ROB so I know what I’m voting for at the end of the round. Come into the round prepared for T and arguments that the K is not compelling within the debate framework.
CPs: I have no problem with a CP, but they require a clear net benefit over the affirmative plan and there should be a good defense on a permutation if one is argued by the affirmative.
T: Topicality can be a voter, but it requires standards and voters as well as a clear violation of in round abuse.
Ks: Kritiks are good when they have a proper link chain, impact and alt. Make sure that if you choose to run a Kritik, you understand what the alt is and can explain how the alt solves.
Theory: I am comfortable with high level theory debates. If you choose to make theory arguments, make sure you focus on arguing how your interpretation is better than your opponent and argue comparative offense calculus.
If you have any questions about my paradigm, my ballot, or want to include me in email chains (please do), my email is willclark813@outlook.com
Hi, I’m Amanjot (uh-mUHn-joht)! I use she/her pronouns and I’m a student at UW-Madison majoring in Political Science and Legal Studies with a certificate in Political Economy, Philosophy, and Politics.
Debate experience: Brookfield East graduate, 4 years competing in LD (2018-2022), one year in Congress (2021-2022), Wisconsin locals, 3 years competing at NSDAs/NCFLs, and limited experience with national circuit. This is my second year judging.
This paradigm is mostly for my LD folks. If you're in PF or Policy, apply this info as you can. I'll do my best to be a good judge for your categories.
Alright, enough about me.
Ks = trad/phil = larp > theory > tricks
Please always send your case. Good for accountability and keeping things clear.
I don’t have a lot of rules but I will drop you if
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you clearly create an uncomfortable space for your opponent (being rude, intimidating, personal attacks, etc.)
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you are using harmful prejudiced rhetoric (racism/sexism/homophobia/xenophobia). I am going to hope you know what this means and it won’t even be an issue.
Argumentation: run whatever you want! I love hearing wild, unique arguments and I thoroughly enjoy philosophy, political theory, and diving deep into obscure topics. Debate should be an opportunity to explore, learn, and share your excitement for certain arguments, so please run what you have a passion for!
I am much more familiar with larp, Ks, and traditional/framework-based debate than I am with theory and tricks. I love Ks and phil; that's what I would consider my bread and butter when I was in debate. And I will be honest, I have never liked tricks, so unless you’re good at convincing me to care about your argument and vote based on it, I’m not the judge for people who like tricks. If you want to talk to me about this, feel free to do so before the round.
Speed and clarity: I can handle spreading up to a certain extent, at which point I will probably just say “clear/slow” to let you know that I can’t really keep up. But more likely than not, I won’t have issues with your speed.
(Side note, don’t feel the need to spread if you don’t feel comfortable spreading/don’t really know how to. I’d rather you don’t hurt your vocal cords trying to speak as loud and fast as possible.)
If you are going to spread, please be considerate of your opponent. If you’re going against a first-time novice debater, maybe don’t spread. (Hint, this might impact your speaker points.)
Lastly, always include me on the email chain. My email is amanjot.kaur.sagar@gmail.com.
Tips that will benefit you:
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Use your time wisely and efficiently. Don’t go over, don’t end your speech a minute early.
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Make sure your taglines/cites/whatever you wanna call em are clear and refer to arguments by tagline in your speeches.
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Weigh throughout the entire debate whenever you can.
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If you get a major concession in cx, you have to bring it up in your following speech if you want me to put it on the flow.
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Extending is more than just saying “extend this arg”. Tell me why I should. Tell me why the opponent’s response was inefficient and why your point stands.
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Quality over quantity. I don’t care if you have a case with 1 or 5 off, I care about the quality of your argumentation and the strength of your case.
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Use good quality evidence. Gimme that good .org, .edu stuff, give me peer-reviewed studies, gimme stats and data, gimme that well-thought-out academic and philosophical debate. The standards for cards seem to get lower every year so break the norms and use good evidence, and you will see my approval in your speaks :)
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This is LD, so if you do anything with framework/phil debate, that will help you a ton. Plus philosophy is just cool, so like… be cool.
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Collapsing in your 2NR/2AR, basically keeping things efficient by sticking to the arguments you want me to pay attention to most.
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Delivering good voters is also a bonus in my books.
If you have any other questions, feel free to hit me up via my email.
Good luck! I have full faith in you. :)
Hi everyone, my name is Chanel Kreuser. I did PF debate at West Bend all four years of high school, and I occasionally did congress. I was decently successful and attended a few national competitions. I graduated in 2020, and I now attend MSOE.
I talked quite fast in debate, so don't worry about that, however, I do not join in on link chains or look at your blocks. I shouldn't need to to make a decision. Everything I need to know about why you should win should be in your speeches.
Off time road maps are always good.
I do not flow cross fire, if you believe something important was brought up, bring it up in your next speech.
I love a good summary speech, especially if your team is going second. To me, it is necessary that you pull any important arguments through every speech. If it was brought up in rebuttal, but not summary, then I'll drop that argument. If it was not brought up in your constructive and summary but not your rebuttal, it will not hold much weight in the round for me.
I like to hear voters in your final focus. It makes it much easier to know what I should be voting on and why your team should win.
Please be polite and respectful in the round, it makes your team look more intelligent. Have fun and good luck! (:
- School Affiliation: Verona Area High School
- Competitor Experience:N/A
- Judging Frequency: A few times.
- Speaking Speed:Students can speak at a moderate pace.
- Cues for Speaking:Yes, I will give cues if a student is speaking too fast or unclear. I will raise my hand to signal for them to slow down or speak more clearly.
Evaluating the Round:
- Framework Evaluation: I prioritize evaluating the round based on the clarity and consistency of the framework presented by debaters. A strong framework is crucial for understanding the arguments.
Expectation of Value and Value Criterion:
- I expect debaters to clearly define their value and value criterion. The value should align with the framework, and the criterion should provide a measurable standard for achieving the value.
Thoughts on Plan Texts, Counterplans, or Kritiks:
- I approach plan texts, counterplans, and kritiks with an open mind. I appreciate well-structured plans, innovative counterplans, and thoughtful kritiks. Clear and logical presentation of these arguments is essential.
Decision Criteria:
- My decision criteria are based on the overall strength of the arguments presented, adherence to the established framework, effective use of evidence, and the ability to respond to opponent's points. I value clarity, coherence, and strategic thinking in making my decision.
Daniel Montalvo - Ronald Reagan HS head coach
AFF/NEG split - 2/12
Quick Facts:
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Speed is fine, just be clear and enunciate (I’ll only allot 2 “clears” before I stop flowing)
- No such thing as a tabs judge, you know this, but I will keep it close
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Do what you do best. I’ll vote on anything just tell me why (impact calc, analysis, what outweighs what, etc.)
- Most of my background is in policy until recently. Fairly newer to LD but still pretty progressive and can appreciate a clash heavy and meaningful debate
Long Version
Background: I debated policy for Ronald Reagan all four years at the city/state/national level. Currently studying hospitality + revenue management at Cornell and head coach for Ronald Reagan HS. I’ve seen all sorts of arguments and am pretty well-versed with policy strats and arguments all around.
P O L I C Y
Case: “What is left on both sides? Is there enough to move on to off case positions if the case is held?” is usually my line of thinking.
DA’s: Go for it. Not a fan of base/politics disads but I’ll vote on them.
CP’s: Make sure they are competitive. Don’t be abusive. Consult CP’s are not my favorite...
Topicality: I like T. Author debates, counter-interps, reasonability, K-T, and framing all play their roles and can make great argumentation if executed well. Ensure there is in-round abuse and do the work to get me to vote on it. If you aren't going 5 minutes of T in the 2nr that means it was probably a time suck and not well developed enough for the ballot.
K’s: My personal favorite, go for it. I’m well versed in cap, abolition, and race/identity K’s, but I will not do the work for you. I love the idea of epistemological dangers the aff may overlook or perpetuate. Don't assume I know what you're talking about, though. I will be as objective as possible and still expect decent analysis and contextualization of your arguments.
K Affs/Performance: K affs/performance have been dying down on the Wisconsin circuits but I have seen them at nat circuit tournaments. Not my area of expertise so do enough work on the aff and display why your advocacy, performance, and/or negation of the resolution effectively challenges the implications you argue for.
Theory: Blow it up. If the other team does something inherently damaging or abusive in the round, you have every right to point it out for the ballot. I can handle high level theory, though these debates can get muddy in their development so please keep them as organized as possible. I won’t vote your way just because you shout “that was abusive!”
L D
** most of my judging philosophies from policy apply to LD. some key things to note:
FWK/VC: I understand a ton of framework shells get reused as topics change but there can be dozens of the same ideology/epistemology shells with key nuances that differentiate between sides and can make for a very intricate flow. Always evaluate these differences before collapsing into your opponent's framework to maintain clash on the flow.
M I S C
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Keep the round clean and organized. Poor/sloppy structure that impacts my flow will be reflected on your speaker points
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Loud/gaspy spreading gets really annoying, especially in smaller classrooms and through computer audio so be cautious before you do it
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Any -isms or -phobias “good” arguments and I’ll drop you
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You know the drill -- have fun and don’t stop learning!
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Also, put me on the email chain and feel free to contact me if you have any questions montalvodaniel51@gmail.com
he/him, appleton east ‘19, wisconsin ‘23
wsdt update -
i am excited to judge your debates, please just do the following:
a. read my paradigm and please ask me questions if you have any - i would much rather be transparent than leave you with concerns over your strategy
b. share the evidence you will be reading to your opponent and myself before your speech starts - evidence quality matters and your opponents have a right to analyze the evidence you read
c. do impact calculus - rounds without good argument interaction require me to intervene which is always bad, the more work you do to write my decision for me = the better your decision will be
d. be nice, enjoy yourself, treat everyone with respect, and focus on improving every round instead - ballots aren't everything and you should take every round as a new opportunity to learn something new, take notes afterwards and ask questions about my decision if anything is unclear
paradigm proper -
1. tl;dr - not formally involved in debate anymore but judging is a privilege and i am plenty qualified to judge your round, i care about good debating and really nothing else, don't worry too much about tailoring towards my ideology from when i was a debater/coach
2. background - did ld and dabbled in policy at appleton east in wisconsin, i broke at the toc in 2019, led 3 summer labs, and have coached state champions and toc qualifiers - my main experience is with policy-style debate and kritiks, but i have extensive experience coaching, debating, and judging every style of debate at national and local levels
3. hard and fast rules - strike me if you don't disclose/flash your evidence or i will rigorously tank speaks, an arguments' risk starts at 0% and goes up based on the quality of it's warrant, evidence quality matters so i will read cards you reference in the 2nr/2ar, yes judge kicks but tell me to, won't vote for stuff i can't explain back to you which means winning arguments require a ballot implication, arguments that demonstrate your work put into debate are always better than cheap shots you grabbed from backfiles or had your coach explain to you pre-round
4. for high speaks - my avg range is 28.2-29.4, biggest boosts for ending the debate early/speeding things up and being casual/personable - have fun, make jokes, be technical, and write my rfd
TL;DR: I'm cool with whatever as long as you understand it and explain it so that I do too. If you run something complex and don't explain it well, that's your fault because I won't understand it either. I've got a decent background with progressive debate so it should be fine, but if it's super philosophical pls explain it well. I don't particularly like theory or t unless there's a valid reason for running it. Don't run anything offensive or I'll automatically drop you. Provide a trigger warning (if needed) out of respect for everyone in the round. Speed is fine.
put me on the email chain!: kmperez555@gmail.com
Background: I debated for Golda Meir for four years in LD. I am a current student at UW-Madison majoring in Legal Studies and Chicane/Latine Studies, with certificates in Public Policy and Criminal Justice. My debate experience ranges from local circuit to national circuit tournaments. I've judged a multiple of tournaments, so please treat me like any other past debater! I don't judge that frequently anymore so I might ask what the resolution is.
General In-Round Things:
Speed: Speed is fine. Slow down on tags and anything else important that you really want on my flow. I'll say clear as much as I can. Be mindful and do it with purpose.
Framework: You should have at least some form of it. Whether that's a value/value criterion or a role of the ballot, there should be something telling me from what lense I should look at for what you're saying. If you end up running a very philosophical fw, articulate it well for me in round. Do not just say that both of your fw's are a wash, that's not true. You still need to evaluate it and stress it within case.
Theory/T: I'll evaluate it only if I need to and only if there is something inherently abusive in round. Don't just run it because you think its fun or want to do for time constraints. I'm not a big fan of T but if it's necessary I'll evaluate it!
Kritiks: These are great, but be sure to explain it well for me especially if it is super philosophical/technical or out of the box. Be sure to tell me how the alt solves!
Performance: I have not heard this in a long time, but I love this! Explain in round impacts clearly!
Plans/CPs/PICS: I'll listen to them but I just don't there is enough time to really go through it. I'll vote for it but you have to do a really good job at explaining why the rest is bad/how the resolution is a worse alternative. I think CPs only work if there's a plan but I will evaluate them!
DAs: These are great, but just be clear and explain in round impacts well!
Other things: Clear voters. Tell me exactly what I need to vote on and why. Please and I can not stress this enough but please tell me why your impacts matter and weigh them throughout the round, not just at the end. Tell me why your competitor's world is innately bad. Don't just extend your warrants but explain to me why they matter in your world or how you do it better than your opponents world. If I had to evaluate the round on my own and you leave room for me to analyze it, then it puts a ton of work on my end, so please weigh everything.
Miscellaneous:
- I typically time each speech but I do forget so please time yourselves. Open prep is fine with me as long as both debaters agree with it.
- I don't really care whether you sit or stand in round unless it's like an elim round. If its a virtual tournament, I have no preference for having your cameras on. Do what's most comfortable to you.
- I love when competitors clash especially during CX, so just generally clash but don't be rude about it. It will ruin your speaks if you are out-right rude to your opponent.
- I will listen to outrageous (out of the box cases) and I find them fun. So if you are willing to do it and take the risk, go for it!
- Any -phobias or -isms will absolutely not be tolerated. You'll get the lowest speaks I can give and I'll automatically drop you. Debate is meant to be inclusive, not hurtful.
- I'll give you pretty high speaks unless you're rude or offensive. Just don't be a dick please especially when competing with opponents that have a lower skill difference.
- Have fun. If you have any questions or comments, please email me! (same one as above)
Congressional Debate
TL;DR: I value the overall content of the speech and your points, rather than the quality. However, since it is a Speech activity, I do like it when debaters are very clear about their points following a long list of extensions as to why one should or should not be able to pass/fail a particular bill. It provides a ton of clash! Don't run or say anything offensive, or I'll give you the lowest speaks I can give! Any further questions, just ask me before session!
Email for cards, cases and what you need to send me: emma.sasser9@gmail.com
This makes it very easy for me to follow along in your case! Please send me your stuff!
I don't know prog debate, so if you choose a prog case run at your own risk. I am a trad judge.
I never did debate in High school or college.
Do not spread, its hard for me to follow.
Be passionate!! If you disagree with your position in your debate I should not be able to tell. Please make sure that there is clash in your debates.
You are able to time yourself, I will be timing you as well.
I do not care if you sit or stand, do what is comfortable for you.
Please be respectful during the debate, only use your phone when it is pertinent to the debate/timing, and then just use your common sense and be respectful in general.
Background
Hey there, I'm Jack (He/Him).
Head Debate Coach @ Ronald Reagan.
I was a PF debater for 4 years and did Congressional Debate for 3 years; I competed in local and nat circuit so I will generally know what you are talking about. I have judged PF, LD, And Congress locally and nat circuit.
*Online Debate*
For any online tournaments this year (if we have any) we all have tech issues so if you/your opponent drops out from the call please be respectful as we wait for them to rejoin. Please make sure to have hard copies of at least your constructive, cards if possible, it saves a lot of time if internet goes out.
Also, please be mindful of your speed/clarity online. Audio quality over the computer is not always the greatest. I won't stop you but if I can't understand you, I won't flow it.
All Debate
I do not flow CX, I am listening to it but it is a place for you to question and receive answers, not make arguments. If your opponent makes a concession in CX and you want it flowed, you must tell me.
I will more than likely know what you are talking about but present it to me as if I don't. Your debates should be able to boil down to arguments that can easily be understood by a parent judge or someone of the general public. It is not a major voting factor of mine but clarity in arguments and good voters will aid my decision and help your speaks.
Speaker Points: Some judges like them, some do not. I treat them as if everyone starts at 30 points and get detracted for things like clarity, decorum, full use of speech times, etc. Keep in mind that they are not a major factor in the decision and only truly matter for tiebreakers AND they are subjective. Overall, I aire on the high side of speaker points and rarely award less than a 27.5.
Policy
This is my first year coaching and judging policy so please bear with me as I learn.
Most of my preferences carry over from other forms of debate; present to me as if I am a lay judge. This means please be mindful of your speed; I come from a PF/LD background so if I am spread out, I won't be able to flow you. Given the fast-paced nature of the event I will give you one callout: "Speed" and/or "Clear" in the round, after that I will put my pen down.
Signposting and clearly indicated arguments are crucial to make sure I am getting everything you want on the flow.
If you are unsure of anything in my preferences, please ask me before round and I'll do my best to clarify.
PF
I am ok with speed but if it sounds like you can't breathe that's bad (air is good for you) and I probably won't understand you.
I like frameworks and framework debates but I won't be mad if you don't have one. If you do propose one, I weigh Framework and FW clash very highly in the round. If you don't, I assume a CBA
In your constructive, if you have any overly complicated theory or extensive link chains, please take the time to explain them. If you just spew cards at me or tell me a theory without reasoning, I don't have a reason to flow it
Summary and FF: I know everyone says it but weighing and voters!! Don't just give me cards and say your world was better, please tell me why I should prefer your card over theirs and specifically how the outcome is better in your world. In FF make sure to recap all of your partners summary points and don't spend the majority of your time attacking your opponents. Voters, Voters, Voters, breakdown exactly what you want me to vote on for the round.
LD
I expect that both debaters have a clearly laid out value and that there is good clash on which value hold higher priority.
LD is NOT Policy. Depending on your circuit Plans/Counter plans may or may not be allowed, if they are allowed I will take them into consideration (same as running K's, spreading, other policy types) but I'm not very fond of it. Your arguments should be based in value debates, not spreading out your competitors or running CPs when there is no plan in the first place. Please keep LD as "LD" as possible.
As in PF, I will not automatically flow CX, if something comes up you want flowed, tell me.
If you don't provide enough analysis, you can't expect your opponent to respond to it and neither can I. Make sure your ideas and evidence are fully explained and the links are clear.
Again if you spread me out or run things so progressive, I am probably not picking you up. I will say Speed one time if I am having trouble understanding you. If I can not understand beyond that, I will stop flowing.
Something new to me: Ideas on disclosure. I think it kind of ruins the spirit of debate, it allows you to everything on the line-by-line prepped out, and can spread 7 pages to me with no real meaning behind it (for me). I of course understand that disclosure is now common practice but if you are running T-shells on disclosure/contact disclosure you are going to be immediately dropped by me; I find it abusive and against the spirit of the event.
At the end, tell me why you win the round, what are your voters? Make it clear to me what I am voting on.
Congress
Having multiple speeches is of course important. With that said, I would much rather have you give me 1/2 really good speeches that add something to the debate rather than repeating what has been said 3 times just to get an extra speech in. Please don't give me fluff just so you are on my ballot more than your fellow Congress people.
Don't be afraid to give an opposing speech when no one else will, I'm not expecting it to be perfect but I would love to see someone step up and put new arguments in place than hear "although the chair frowns on a one sided debate" 6 times in a session.
Overall have fun though, its one of the most "free" and open for interpretation events in my opinion and the bills can lead to some very interesting discourse. Keep it respectful and structure your arguments well but feel free to have some "way-out-there" links and arguments.
I am a PF debater and Debate judge by heart so I would like to see some type of weighing or world analysis past authorship/first negation; it shows me that you as a Congress person are analysing the bill and debate, not just throwing a speech at me with no relevance to anything previously said.
Other Important Things
1) Don't be rude. To your opponent, partner, or me. I won't stand for any yelling or disrespect to each other. If you are being racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc I can guarantee you that you will not be winning the round.
2) I will time your speeches but please try and keep your own time, especially for CX. If you would like me to time anything for you and/or give time call outs/signals I will, but for the most part I do not want to intervene.
3) Don't commit evidence violations. I know that's kinda how debate is supposed to work but it's a long process that neither I nor you want to deal with so lets be smart please. With that said if your opponent does commit an evidence violation, don't be afraid to call it out. We all want things to be fair.
4) I will disclose after rounds anytime I am allowed to. I default to a brief Oral RFD with in-depth personal comments on the ballet. If you would like more explanation as to my decision in-round (time permitting), I am okay with post-rounding but please be respectful and brief if you choose to do so.
5) Have fun! Yes, debate is primarily a serious event but a little humor can break up the rounds and is appreciated.
If you have any questions/comments/concerns feel free to reach out. If you want to include me in any email chains, cool. If not that's okay too. If you ask me before round what my preferences are, I will briefly explain but be sad that you did not read my paradigm :(
email: jdsteele@uwm.edu
Good Luck and Have Fun!
TL;DR: Tech > truth. Theoretically will be comfortable voting for any argument you present to me, so run whatever you're best at, and don't over-adapt too much. Comfortable with speed, just include me on the email chain. My email is webb@muhs.edu.
Background: I debated policy and LD at Marquette High in WI before studying philosophy and economics at Yale, and am currently the LD coach at Marquette.
Random Argument Thoughts:
Phil: If running phil cases is your thing, great - I really enjoy philosophy as a subject, and love rounds in which a debater is clearly passionate about a thinker and knows their thought well. If, on the other hand, you're unable to coherently explain your framework in CX, I will likely tank your speaks. FWIW, I wrote my undergrad thesis on Heidegger and plan to write my master's thesis on Nietzsche.
LARP: Probably my favorite kind of arguments to judge because they provide the easiest means to substantively engage with the topic, which I think is a good thing. CPs should be competitive and have net benefits, DAs should have uniqueness, affs should have inherency, etc.
Ks: Go for it. Please just make sure you're able to explain what the links are and how they're contextual to the aff. Ideally, there will be an ROB or some framing work done to explain why the K comes first. I prefer when K affs are at least tangentially related to the topic.
Theory/T: Honestly, I get kinda bored during theory debates and am not great at flowing them if the shells/responses aren't in the doc. My least favorite debate rounds to judge are those in which one side blows up a 5 second blip that their opponent didn't flow. I have a pretty low threshold for buying responses to friv theory.
Tricks: A conceded argument is a conceded argument, so long as it is sufficiently warranted. However, this is the area of debate that I am least familiar with, so these will require you to hold my hand a little bit.
Background:
I debated PF for four years, went to NCFL three times in PF. I debated LD for a month and have primarily judged LD the previous years.
I've been judging pretty consistently since Fall 2017.
I'm currently a Political Science PhD candidate, so I have an extensive background in a lot of theories and the current events in the world. If you want to run some political theory- beautiful.
LD:
I am a mostly traditional judge. I am not a huge fan of Ks and Theory, but I will pick it up if it is run really, really well.
And by really, really well, I mean God-Tier. There is nothing worse than underdeveloped theory. Ks can be fun and interesting, but only if run right.
Honestly, I kinda hate T Shells. Debate about the topic at hand, don't debate about debate.
FOR NCFLS: LD is NOT ALLOWED to use a plan or counter-plan. I WILL be following this, as per NCFL rules.
PF:
I like weighing and cost-benefit analysis. Body count is something that I weigh heavily in rounds. Make sure you have evidence to back up your points!
Also, I'm rather strict on the rule of not being allowed to bring up new evidence or points in final focus.
Time:
I will keep track of time. Please use your time wisely. If you go over, you can finish your sentence/thought, but anything more than that I will stop flowing.
Speed:
I can handle speed, but not a fan of spreading. It doesn't belong in LD/PF. "How do you know you are spreading?" you ask. Are you hyperventilating or foaming at the mouth? Yes? That is spreading. Calm down, please. No need to die mid-debate.
How I calculate Speaks:
Organization in speeches (Line by lines or clear signposting are beautiful)
Good, thought-provoking questions in cross
Speed and annunciation are balanced (don't talk so fast that you cannot get words out properly)
Being civil (this is debate, you don't need to be your opponent's friend. But please do not yell, scream, insult, threaten, etc. Also don't be racist, homophobic, sexist, etc.)
I don't exactly care if you swear (some judges are sticklers on that), but don't drop f-bombs every other second.
Oral Critiques/Disclosing:
I will usually give oral critiques if both teams want me to. If you ask me to give you feedback, feel free to ask a question, but please don't yell at me if you disagree. Thanks.
I'll disclose if both teams want me to, unless I need more time to re-look over my flow and organize thoughts or if the tournament does not allow disclosing. If any person does not want me to disclose, I will not, unless required by the tournament directors.
FOR NCFLS: Oral critiques and disclosing are not permitted at NCFLS.