I will judge you how I want to, you will play by my rules buster. Period. If you are in Congress, when passing a bill you need to say the line “Pass this legislation for two reasons” if you’re neg, say “Fail this bill, for 2 reasons”, if you say anything else I WILL DOWN YOU. Speak clearly and confidently, if you’re quiet and timid and submissive that does not bode well in my rounds. If you’re in OO you should be funny, if you have a bad joke I WILL down you. However, you need to also be able to convey how your topic is an issue

Hi! I’m a speech judge, this is my second year in Speech! Have Fun!

Hello!! My name is Haleema, and I am currently a junior at Jordan High School. My main events are Original Oratory and Program of Oral Interpretation, so I may know a thing or two about speech and interp ;)

I will judge based on speaker confidence/presentation, quality of content/story, and emotional appeal. Convince me the issue you are presenting is important!! Tug on my heartstrings, show me how much your message means to you and why others should care about it as well.

If I've learned anything in the 3 years I've done Speech and Debate, it's that the best speeches/performances are the ones that you are personally connected to and passionate about, as it will help you make others feel the same way. Speech is about more than just speaking, it's about using your words to change the world.

1st Alternate to Nationals and District Finalist for PF

PF/ LD

I lean more towards Tech, but please back up your arguments effectively. No vague link chains please. Focus a lot on weighing and not dropping your arguments, this is almost an automatic vote for the other team. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for clarity from me, I will not mark you down for it. I can understand spreading for the most part but please keep it to an understandable pace so I can fairly and effectively judge your arguments. I do listen to cross, but I don’t cross apply it to your arguments made during speeches so if something is said during cross make sure to touch on it or it will not be counted.

I am ok with spectators but keep in mind that they are your responsibility and will reflect on your speaks. They should be absolutely quiet throughout the entire round, including prep time. Aggression is ok, but please remember to keep it respectful. There is a fine line between debating and just being plain rude.

Speech Events

I pay attention to variation in tone, fluctuation in movements, appropriate changes in volume. Avoid taking excessively long pauses and remaining monotone throughout your entire speech. Keep movements understandable and relevant.I am ok with spectators, but you are responsible for making sure that they are quiet throughout the entire round and it will reflect on your points. I rank you higher based on the believability of your performance.

Good luck in your rounds!

Don’t be annoying, don’t be mean, Don’t be stupid. Just be good!

expecting clear speaking and effective in making/getting to the point. a unique, real representation of character. overall enjoyment and focus in the task.

SLHS Speech and Debate

Speech:

Not looking for much just focus on these things

1.Focus on fluency

2. Body Language and eye contact

3.Volume

4.Rhetoric

Congress:

1. Refutation
2. Don't rehash arguments
3. Good speech
4. Be respectful to other speakers

GL and have fun

Joseph Joy

OTHS congress and extemp

if you did well you probably did well

Congress-

Refutation is necessary

Warrant all your arguments

I will down you if you don't come prepared

pretend I'm a 5-year-old who doesn't know anything

Extemp-

7 sources 3 points and impacts

Speech-

Confidence is key, no fluency breaks, and try to be funny - I can't promise I won't fall asleep during your speech if you don't put some jokes in there.

Good Luck and Have Fun!

overall-

Be respectful, to the judge and other competitors, being rude or disrespectful is automatically going to make me down. Additionally I don’t condone any hateful language or discriminatory behavior. Im probably not going to check evidence unless it really sounds absurd so do what you will. Clarity is important, don’t make me think too hard. Lastly, have fun :)

Extemp-

a good agd is really important, especially when it’s followed through the whole speech. Overall I like entertaining speeches that still provide an understanding of what you’re saying.
please read the question fully and answer the question head on, don’t dance around the question.
Extemp is about presentation so be sure to use effective gestures and communicate your points clearly, please don’t make your speech confusing. I shouldn’t have to think very hard to know what you’re telling me.

congress-

try to stand out as much as possible, often times people repeat the same points over and over, try not to.
engage in the debate. Congress isn’t a room of speeches one after the other, they’re supposed to clash. Try to make your arguments relevant to everyone in the chamber.
overall be as relevant as possible, and be entertaining to a respectful extent, congress is long.

LD/PF+ other event of that format-

I know these are debate events but I do like a clear presentation even though it’s not nearly as important as the argument presented.
I’m not a fan of spreading, but if you choose to do so please disclose your case with at least me so I can understand what you’re talking about.
it’s important for everyone in the room, judges and competitors to understand your argument. Even if the argument is good if I cannot wrap my head around it then you probably need to explain with more depth.
don’t abuse your time
weigh in the round, make it clear why I should vote for you. Refutation is important, if you don’t respond to an opponents argument or theirs upon yours I’m going to see un-refuted arguments as standing+don’t bring up new Arguments too late in round
do not be rude, or interrupt the other side. civil please

speech-

I love a speech with a good structure, though it doesn’t have to be traditional per se.
I should know what you’re talking about, be sure to provide good explanations.
overall I like a speech that’s entertaining and funny, but still has that element of importance to the real world. if I’m falling asleep during your speech theres probably something to fix. Presentation is very important, use effective gestures, and communicate properly. Try to appear smooth and natural, a little laid back.
intros are usually the way to hook me in, a strong start is always a indicator of how the speech will go.

have fun guys :)

I am currently a sophomore at Jordan High School, captain in extemp.

Speech: For extemp a good tone variation is key when speaking, I don't like monotonous voices, include your personality in your speech. For topic analysis, make sure to answer the question to the best of your ability, and make sure your points are cohesive and tie together. First place is for the speakers who incorporate all of these in your speech.

Varsity Interp and Platform Speaking

• Be respectful of everyone!
• Delivery is important! Make sure to be confident (fake it till you make it)!
• PUBLIC SPEAKING: Well structured, shows personality, humors also always a great bonus!
• INTERP: Varied vocal deliver, emotion in both both voice and face, purposeful blocking (I should be able to a have a good idea of what you’re trying to convey), and reacting to your environment and the people your character(s) interact with— not just acting.
• Feel free to ask questions before or after round :)
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: Have fun, and make sure to enjoy yourself!

DEBATE EVENTS -

Make sure your speech flows and each point connects to the last and the next.

SPEECH EVENTS -

Confidence + Uniqueness is key, the more passionate you are about the topic, the higher you will be ranked, thus vice versa.

PS: HAVE FUN and RELAX!

"Do not fear, Judge Tala is here."

Speech Kid with experience in PF, LD, Congress, OO, INFO, and Extemp.

LD/PF:

Weigh please, clear summaries that show you understand the arguments in round, final focus is key: tell me WHY you win the round.

Congress:

Focus on logical arguments with evidence, speaking style matters

Extemp:

7 sources, 3 points, give impacts for each point and make sure your speech answers the question

OO/INFO:

confidence is key!, eye contact, no stutters or breaks, fluency. also for info, interactive boards. funny agds are the way to go :)

Hello! My name is Nirav Mandhani, I'm currently a Sophomore at the Village High School and I've been competing in the Speech and Debate circuit for over 2 years and have been competing in MUN for over 4 years. Throughout my Speech and Debate career, I've competed primarily in Extemporaneous Speaking and Congressional Debate.

While my judging experience is inherently limited in all events, I am quite familiar with the events below as to how the events are run and what to look for in rounds.

Here's what I want to see from YOU:

Extemporaneous Speaking: I always look for a good well-rounded speaker. This means someone who can balance giving a speech that informs AND persuades the judge about their side on the topic. I will have a very, very high standard on your delivery so please give me good delivery in your speeches since if it comes down to two speakers with good content but one has better delivery, I will always choose delivery as your tiebreaker. PLEASE define your stance on the question at the end of your intro. I expect a well-structured speech (AGD - SOS - Background - Preview/Signposting - Question - Body - Conclusion - Preview/Signposting to wrap it up) but some changes to this expected structure is all good as long as your speech still has a complex structure format, your content makes sense (isn't absurd), and your delivery is rock solid, you should be able to break. Please note that I value quality over quantity. This means that please always focus on giving me quality sources from reputable news sources or think-tanks that have a lack of bias on the issue at hand unless it specifically fits that use case need, like a statistic. If you provide less sources, but provide the date of your source/article, that's preferable!(eg: As The Brookings Institute tells us on June 17th of 2023...) I won't care about minor mistakes that are made in an extemp speech as long as all other substance is included.

Congressional Debate: I always love to see good content, good source use,passionate delivery and of course congressional rhetoric ;). Congress is, in essence, a role-play event in which you as a competitor act as members of Congress. Therefore, you must be able to have speaking skills and style to match those expectations. Please ENGAGE in the topic of discussion! It is also imperative that I see clash! However, going from early round to mid round, minimal clash will suffice as long as you have enough new substantive information in round to substitute in. However, late round speeches MUST have clash! I also value questioning, if you pose a good question that catches my eye and stumps the speaker answering, I will consider that in ranking. Please be courteous to others in round and respect your fellow competitors. Activity in round is paramount! Speak well!

Here's an in-depth expansion of my Round Vision: (It is highly recommended that you look at it.)

Congress Round Vision Doc

All other Speech and Debate: PLEASE TREAT ME AS A LAY JUDGE. I have very limited experience in other speech or debate events. For LD and PF, don't spread and I will NOT do an email chain. I expect your arguments to be coherent enough that there isn't in a need for one. Other than that, do as you wish. For all other events, while I may not be familiar with an event, if I end up judging your round, I will most likely evaluate it based on the following criteria:

1. Your speaking style and persuasiveness

2. Your analysis and information (However, this may take priority based on the event)

3. Your presentation skills and your ability to stay calm and concentrate on your performance.

I will ALWAYS provide feedback if I can, so please go through it. Finally, good luck!!!

General:

-Don't be disrespectful

-Im fine with you timing yourself

-Please mention if new args are mentioned in the final speech

-Enunciate and be confident when speaking

-Don't steal time, I'm fine with a few seconds over though

Speech:

- Be confident

-Try not to do use filler words

-A creative adg will make you stand out

PF:

-Clear extensions and warrant

-Strong impacts

-Clash

-I don't mind spreading, but I prefer if you don't

-CX should be for questions and answers, not just reading evidence.

- No new arguments in the Final Focus, but you can have new evidence to support prior arguments.

-Make sure to weigh

Policy:

-Im half lay

-Aff plan should have a plan text, clearly say why their plan is significant, needed, and what current problems it would solve.

-Neg clearly explain why aff's plan is bad through a cp, k, or topicality

-No new args in the rebuttle

-If you want me to consider an arg, mention it in the last speech

-Clash

LD:

-I'm lay but I'll go for the arguments that make the most sense, contribute to the framework, and are based on the philosophy

-Aff should prove why the resolution is true while neg should try to disprove affs position

-Idk special wording so please explain stuff to me

World Schools:

-Conversational round with a clear explanation of points at the end

-Engage in both the principle and practical arguments

-POI's should be addressed consistently but not everyone can be taken

-You can take a few seconds to get ready but don't steal prep

-Weigh worlds (In our world.. but in their world..)

-Both your speaking abilities and arguments are important

Hello, fellow debater!

I have many years of speech and debate experience. I would say I'm most experienced in speech. I've won many tournaments in informative speaking and extemp.

If I'm judging an interp or debate round, please take my critiques with a grain of salt. I'm a lay judge for those types of events. I have done worlds and prose so I know some stuff but you probably know a bit more than me :D

Please do not spread. Make sure you are passionate and are having fun!

Good Luck!

As someone who competes as well, I value creativity, authenticity, and effective communication. Some key aspects I'll be focusing on during your performance:

Clarity and Enunciation

Characterization

Emotional Range

Blocking (Physicality and Movement)

Use of Vocal Variety (different emotions and/or characters)

Connection with Audience

Remember, this is your opportunity to share a story, evoke emotions, and captivate the audience, I need to see that your piece means something to you. I look forward to seeing your interpretations and wish you all the best of luck!

Elia Naz

Experience: I am a varsity member of the OTHS debate team. I have officially been on the team for two years, doing oratory and exempt.

Philosophy: Based on my experience in speech events, the creative approach to speeches is what makes them unique. Also, the context of the speech is an essential factor, and how well it is presented is very important to me.

Criteria: for the requirements of the speech, first and foremost are the points on how the speech is well developed, second the presentation, third and creative approach, and lastly, how well you're addressing the issue presented in your speech.

Tips for participants: my recommendation will include the good parts of the speech and things that stood out to me. However, my ballot will also include how to make the speech better context-wise and presentation-wise.

Final thoughts: To be a good debater, you have to be able to learn from your mistakes; that's precisely what I am going to try to implement into my ballot. Explaining how the speech can be improved

Speech- don't really have experience in speech

interp/Prose/POI

be clear, have a good voice with emotion, clear actions that are meaningful

public speaking-

Same thing as interp, but emphasize

Speech Kid with experience in PF, OO, INFO

PF:

Weigh please, clear summaries that show you understand the arguments in round, final focus is key: tell me WHY you win the round.

OO/INFO:

Be confident and consistent with your speech, good eye contact, and no stuttering , start with a good adg - funny or statistics

Hi,

When giving speeches make sure to

1. Articulate your words/ speak clearly
2. Don't spread or speak too fast
3. Have and keep eye contact
4. Keep in mind body language
5. Speak loudly and have confidence
6. Finally have fun and good luck

Hello! I am currently a freshman at Seven Lakes High School, and I mainly compete in Domestic Extemp and Informative Speaking, but I am fairly comfortable with the structures and purposes of Foreign Extemp, and Original Oratory.

Extemp/Impromptu: I am huge on delivery, and will focus a lot on that, so make sure you are doing your best not to stutter whenever possible. Extemp is all about coming up with things on the spot, which will determine your ranks. I am not as big on content as long as what you are saying makes sense, and you are making an effort to sound knowledgeable. Also, a big thing for me is to answer the question and all parts of it! I am not too huge on having many sources, and I will not fact-check you, but if there are two people with the same skill level and delivery, sources might be the deal breaker for you. AGDs- As long as you have good energy and don't drop right into the topic, I won't call you out on it. Speaking of AGD's, I am always impressed when you connect your conclusion back to your AGD, if you are the only one in the round to successfully do that, most likely you will get a higher rank than if you hadn't. And last but not least, your impact should be clear and persuasive. If you are giving me an entire speech and never actually tell me why it is important, and/or how it will impact more than a person or group, you will probably get a lower rank(so please add them, they are SO important!!).

Info: I love a good AGD! Try to make it funny, and engaging!!! Have a good structure of history, current events, and implications! This can be a little flexible based on the topic but try to focus on this basic structure. I also focus a lot on delivery here, so keep me engaged, or I will probably zone out fast:( Don't forget to have good, reliable sources), as it is a memorized speech, I will take into account if you have sources or not. Most importantly, DON'T TALK MONOTONE! This is one of the hardest things I have experienced while competing in this event, so if you can speak for 10 minutes without becoming monotone as much as possible, I will rank you much higher. Make sure your topic isn't cliche! If I hear you start off with something I have already heard before, I will probably not listen very attentively to your speech, and rank you lower just for that. PASSION- make sure you pick a topic you are passionate about, or it will sound boring. Passion can really put PIZAZZ into your info! Please please please tell me if you have specific time signals or I will default to 3 down fist at grace. Boards- I won't rank you lower if you don't have boards, but if you have a complex topic that can be hard to follow, boards are a great way to make sure I and the audience can understand what you are saying. I love interactive boards that are colorful! Boards are one of my favorite parts of info, and can really make a difference in your speech.

OO: Similar to what I said about INFO, except the structure should be the problem, impact, and solution. Your solutions should be as straightforward as possible. I like a little interp flair, but not to the point where it becomes too much. Please make friends! In info and OO, you will often see the same people, so it is great to make good relationships with those around you. These events are all about having fun, and choosing your own topic is one of the best things about it, so it would be great to see y'all supporting each other during the round! Otherwise, it kind of makes it awkward :)

LD/PF: LAY JUDGE!!! I have literally only done LD and PF once in my life, so please bear with me! I know the times, and the overall goal of each event, but please don't spread! I will not be able to judge fairly if I can't understand either of you. Speak AS SLOW AS YOU CAN! Speaks- Like I said earlier, I am HUGE on delivery, so speaks are going to be one of the biggest deciders for me in a round. I will dock off if you are rude, especially in cross! Please be nice to each other!!!! I can not emphasize enough how important it is to be respectful to one another! Also, I would really appreciate for each team to time the other team. I will be more focused flowing your arguments, so it would help me so much if you would time yourselves. Theory in LD- It will not make me vote for you if you say the other team "cheated" if they say one word wrong from their card! You can run theory, but again it will not be a huge decider for me. In both events, make sure you weigh! If you don't weigh, I won't know which contention is the most important for your case(I will also most likely vote for the person/team that outweighs the other). In PF, don't come up with new arguments in summary or final, I will NOT flow them! I will also most likely not disclose unless there is a CLEAR winner, because I am very indecisive, and it may take a little time for me to decide who the winner is.

Worlds/Policy: I have absolutely no experience in these events and will be pretty much lost the entire time! So, please make sure that you are making it as simple as possible for me to understand.

All Interp Events(duo, duet, prose, POI, poetry, DI, HI, etc.): I have never watched or judged any Interp events before, so I will rank y'all based on who is the most confident, and entertaining. I will rank you lower if you are boring, and sound like a robot. Also, your mood should fit the event you are competing in, so for DI, it should be dramatic, and for HI, it should be funny! I also don't mind timing you, but again, just tell me if you want specific time signals, or I will default to three down fist at grace. And lastly, and probably most importantly, please make sure I can follow your piece. Since I have very limited knowledge of these events, this would help me out a lot!

Congress: I will rank the person who makes the entire debate around them first(If that makes sense!). Please be nice during cross(since it is only 30 seconds, it can get a little intense, but please try to limit that.) Make sure your delivery is good! Since you have your prep, that shouldn't be such a problem, but again, I focus a lot on delivery. Make sure you have sources to prove your points! PO- If the chamber is run smoothly, I will rank you fairly high, otherwise, I will rank you lower. REMEMBER: I never competed in Congress, so I won't go into a lot of technicalities, but I do consider this a bit more of a speech event rather than a debate event(still make good arguments!).

Any Other Side Events: For any events I have not specified, I will try my best to understand it, but I would appreciate it if you gave me a run down as to what the purpose of the event is.

Overall: HAVE FUN(while also remaining professional)! Debate is a place to have fun, and express yourself, so please do just that! I will try to write the best advice in my ballot as possible, but please don't take it personally, I want you all to be the best possible! Please try to be at the round on time, and early if possible(I understand if you are cross-entered, this can be difficult, but try your best!). Also, if you have any questions about your rank, or need advice on how to get better, I would be more than happy to help!

Thank you for reading my paradigm to the end! I appreciate you taking the initiative to read it, and I hope you all have a great round!

PA- Have your speakers triangle, make sure all your points are clear and have relevance to the topic, and enunciate.

Interp- Don't be afraid to go all out, make sure your message gets across, and for binder events make sure to incorporate your binder into your blocking.

Extemp- Have your speakers triangle, state and answer the question, make sure your 3 points of analysis are different and clear, and cite all your sources.

All- enunciate, be confident, make friends, and have fun. Good luck!!

"olivia"

student from SLHS

I am a congress and extemp kid, and think LD is cool, so it has some bearing on how I view speech and debate. Overall I value fun, make sure to enjoy yourself.

Extemp: Try to fill out the 7min time and use 4-7 sources

IX/FX should focus on international topics, but don't forget that the United States interacts with other countries, and therefor still applies.

DX should sometimes include how the other countries of the world impact the topic.

Congress: first aff and neg should tell why the bill is good or bad and what it does (the first constructive in debate terms), middle speeches should focus on arguing points/giving new arguments (rebuttal and 2AC/NC speeches), last 1-2 speeches on each side should summarize the arguments on both sides and explain why the speaker's side wins (crystal/summary speech). Treat congress like other debate events where it follows Constructive - Rebuttal - Summary. Also, don't read off your pad; Congress is technically also a speech event, and as such requires good and persuasive speaking. If your speech doesn't go into the grace period (3:00-3:10), then I likely won't rate it too highly.

If you are PO, you automatically start at 3rd-4th place, and work your way up or down based on performance.

IE's: I don't know much about the respective events, but I highly value skill and good speaking, so just do your thing.

SLHS Speech and Debate:

Speech - Fluency, Volume, Body Language, Rhetoric, Content

Debate - Be respectful, Content for Debate, Clarity over Speed.

Congress - Respectful to other speakers, Good speech, Good questioning, Refutation

Spartan Warrior Showdown MS Tournament (speech): there're a bunch of events that I'm unfamiliar with (I've never heard of) but I'll do my best to judge

----------

Clara Tran (she/her)

Send docs or ask questions if you want:ngocktran2009@gmail.com

Seven Lakes HS ‘27 -- I'm doing LD and sometimes extemp (DX)

-- LD/Debate -----

◾ I will vote on anything with a warrant and impact - but must be extended throughout the round

◾ Speak clearly (idc about speed just clear), off time roadmap and signpost

◾ I will assume the FW to be util. unless you read something else

◾ Don't read Theory or K's

◾ Time your own speeches, I won't pay attention in cross so point things out if they are important

◾ Speaks start at 28.5 and go up/down

-- Speech -----

◾content>presentation in extemp, I will rank speeches with amazing analytics but no sources very high

◾ Every other events, I'll rank based on how memorable your speech/performance was, how interested I was -- overall how much I liked it (not the best way to judge ik)

The following things will interest/make me laugh/I like: 1) funny historical references/jokes (pop culture ones are hit or miss); 2) references to other nerdy subjects/things; 3) super in-depth and accurate analytics

Hello.

Take your time on your speeches. No matter what, don’t rush, don’t get too nervous, and do your best.

Hi!

Have fun, if you have any questions please ask!

Please just be nice to your opponents!