My name is Sarah. I am currently a debate public forum and was a parley debater when I was in middle school. I don't mind spreading but make sure you speak clearly and that everyone can understand. Please address and look at me when speaking, not your opponents or teammates. I like arguments that have strong evidence and logic; please make sure that you cite your sources.

First speaker- Look at me, make sure you speak clearly, have logical, evidence-backed points.

Second speaker- Refute every point that the other team makes, extend and continue your own points.

Third speaker- Weigh, extend your teams points.

For all- Do not POI or heckle aggressively. You do not need to accept all of you POIs, but you will get a higher speaker score if you take one or ask one. Please be respectful; I will dock points if I feel as though you do not treat you opponents in a respectful manner. Finally, have fun and do you best.

Be confident in what you are saying. You make much better points while self-assured than if you are hesitant. Please POI and heckle, but don't make it pointless or be obnoxious. It's not a moment for you to make your own case. Be respectful and civil, don't laugh at oponents or degrade them, even if they are less experienced than you or your opinions differ. I don't really care how long you've been debating. If you failed to sufficiently adress the oponents points, and you end up talking past each other, it will not go well for you.

Hi I'm Sophie and I debate for Hackley School.

please make sure you don't speak too quickly, I understand that there's a time limit but the slower you speak, the more I will be able to flow about your argument(s).

weigh as much as possible as I will be able to really see your impacts and why they are better than the opposing side

have fun! debate is great way to improve public speaking skills and learn how to research constructively.

I'm a coach with experience in public forum debate, parliamentary debate, and extemporaneous debates. Some general notes:

ALL STYLES

- Arguments only matter if they extend across the flow. If you raise a contention in the first speech, then drop it for the bulk of the round, I won't count it.

- I'm generally quite literal with frameworks. You tell me something is important, it will show up on your ballot as part of your reason for decision. An extra speaker point to both debaters on any team who successfully uses frameworks OTHER than utilitarianism or net benefits.

- Impacting your contentions matter, but your links (i.e. how you connect steps of your contention together) matter more. Don't foresake one for the other.

- I'm not impressed by use of hyper-specific debate jargon. Use of jargon that I don't understand OR replacing actual refutation with jargon will result in deduction of speaker points. Assuming I'm a lay judge will serve you well.

- I do not find roadmaps useful. If you need to do it to keep yourself organized, that's fine, but I will probably disregard them.

- Definitional debaters are normally not useful or compelling unless they have a high impact outside of the debate itself. I have almost never awarded a round on the argument that a definition is "tight" or unfair to one side, but have rewarded rounds based on substantial definition debates that have practical or philosophical impacts. (E.g. debates over the nature of justice.)

- I rarely vote in favor of kritiks. I find it's rare that the issues raised in kritiks are impactful enough that they justify derailing the debate as traditionally presented. Their impacts often require judge intervention into the round that is independent of actual arguments being made, which I do not feel comfortable with. If you wish to make a kritik, you should make it with the assumption that you're likely to lose the round and that that is worth it for you.

- There are no silver bullets in debate. These are general guidelines, but following these will not guarantee you a win and should not be treated as such.

FOR PUBLIC FORUM

- Quoting cards will not win you debates; how you explain your cards matters.

- I'm more impressed by speakers who speak using their own words and paraphrasing of evidence rather than quoting from pre-written cases.

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

- POIs strongly encouraged. Debaters who refuse to take any POIs (especially if multiple are offered) will find their speaker points severely docked.

- It's hard to win on the OPP block. GOV teams who start weighing arguments in the MG and lay out a clear framework for why they're winning the round are more likely to win. In addition, GOV teams who call dropped args by their opponents will go far.

EXTEMPORANEOUS DEBATE

- BEWARE THE HALF AFF! A lot of CDA teams spend their round encouraging me that they are actually just like their opponents only without the bad stuff. This won't win you rounds with me. The debate has given you a side; stick to it!

I listen carefully and try not to bring my own opinions on a topic to judging. The way you present your arguments should be structured and with clear signposting--for example, enumerating contentions and directly addressing the other side in rebuttal. I look for arguments are about the most direct and significant points related to your side,, the largest or most vulnerable groups, or have the most significant and relevant impacts. It would be better if you could respond/rebut your opponents' arguments. When both sides reach similar levels in argumentation, I expect you to compare and weigh your arguments for me.

short and sweet: flow judge, don’t spread, be equitable, don't make me think too hard. good luck!

extended version:

hello debaters! my name is emma, and i am a flow judge, high school debater, and junior at dalton. no matter your skill level, I am absolutely honored to be judging you and to have the privilege to share this experience with you. this is my third year of both pf and parli, and this activity means the world to me, so i hope to make each round the best possible experience for everyone involved.

in-round:

1. equity: debate should be a safe space where everyone feels welcome and wanted. be respectful to yourself, your partners, your opponents, and our environment. two things under this. first, we are operating under the assumption that everyone in the round is trying their best, so please do not laugh at or mock your opponents and/or partner. it’s incredibly disrespectful and just frankly disheartening to see. second, don’t run racist, misogynistic, homophobic, or any other form of potentially offensive argumentation. providing a safe and equitable space for all of our debaters is my first priority, and if you are offensive, disrespectful, or make your opponents feel unsafe in round, expect the L and <23 speaks. all this being said, please feel free to come to me if you feel uncomfortable in any way. I want to work to make debate a better space, and I promise I will do all I can in terms of supporting you to make you feel most comfortable and make the debate space accessible to everyone. If you are competing in an NYPDL tournament, the league also has an amazing equity team who can work with you if you feel equity violations have occurred. this is the link to their equity violation form.

2. speed: don’t spread. i'm a relatively fast typer but if i can’t flow it, i can’t count it.

3. tech > truth

4. organization: try your best to signpost as much as possible. an organized flow is going to help me vote most clearly in the round, and significantly decrease the possibility I accidentally drop something you say.

5. abusive defs: don’t set them. it’s bad debate etiquette and makes the round less fun for all of us. if you feel your opponents set an abusive definition or framework, i encourage you to call them out on it!
   
   

final notes:

1. because of the nature of high school debate and high school judges, I know plenty of you are going to be older, better debaters than i am. i have a lot i am still learning, both as a judge, as a debater, and just as a person. i ask you to be patient with me, but also, feel free to reach out if you have suggestions on how i can better serve you and other debaters in the future! i am always open to hearing how i can improve.
   
   

2. i know how scary and anxiety-inducing public speaking and debate can be. i have struggled and still sometimes continue to struggle with a giant fear of public speaking. i don’t expect you to be the best debater ever, and so long as you’re trying your best, you’re doing amazing. i believe in every one of you and I think you each can do great things. you got this!
   
   

3. here’s my number (917-708-3038) and email (c26ez@dalton.org) if you have any questions or concerns at all! please don’t hesitate to reach out.