Spring Hill Tournament: This is my first time judging online so please be patient. Additionally, this is my first tournament on this topic so please don't assume I'm in the topic literature like you are. Please explain acronyms, etc.

Background: I did four years of policy in HS in Missouri. I then did mostly parli in college for SIU

then Washburn.

General: I hate it when people don't start with a strategy. I'm ok with people initially deploying two or

three potential strategies but the collapse has to happen and happen early. Likewise I enjoy the aff

building offensive answers into the aff and using them. Argument interaction has to happen. Clash is

good. I probably shouldn't have to say that, but I do. I am open to any argument, but as with anyone

else I do have particular biases.

Specifics:

Counterplans- pretty much the only thing that should be said here is that I prefer unconditional

counterplans, but if nobody checks the status, feel free to kick it. If you do go for condi good, you

better be damn good on theory. However, this does not mean I want to hear you say condi bad as some sort of pre-empt

Kritiks/performance- I am down. Biggest problem I have with these debates is when someone just tries

to buzz through the debate. This means I probably won't give much weight to “x leads to dehum”

unless you explain the process in which a person is stripped of human status, and why that is likely to

outweigh something. Dehum justifies all violence isn't good enough. Also, I believe if someone reads a

procedural that says you should not have access to your K you should not be able to justify the K using

the K. If you want to k the procedural on different grounds, that’s fine but I am very very very

susceptible to “your answers to our procedural are illogical and beg the question”.

T- I default competing interps, but I'm open for anything. Please impact your standards debate.

Disads- please explain interaction between the disad and case. Be strategic. Read the disad to get

somewhere more than just an impact.

Case debates that actually clash on a warrant level (not just the tags)are the key to my heart.

Don't be rude. Your speaks will be dramatically affected.

I know this philosophy doesn't really give a super amount of insight. If you have questions, please ask.

I would rather let you know I'm not a fan of an argument instead of listening to too much of it. Once

again, do anything you want to in the debate round. Its just a game.

Clint "C.J." Clevenger
School: None
Years Judging: 10+
Rounds on Topic: 0
Last Updated 2023

ImportantUpdate: For those who don't know, I have stopped officially coaching and judging at this point, which means that I have stopped cutting cards and keeping a detailed account of the topic, I might not even know the topic at this point. For those of you filling out prefs who might recognize my name from years ago (you are probably a coach now) who have had me previously as a judge and were accustomed to me being deeply on top of the topic, consider this fair warning.

General:I enjoy watching very technical debates with good strategies. This guide is to get you to a point to win the debate with the best speaker points possible. Arguments need to pass the common sense test (i.e. the use of logic)…There are 3 parts of an argument Claim, Warrant, and Data, your arguments need to use all 3, otherwise they cease to be arguments. It helps to point out missing items of these if you are the opposing team. FLOW!FLOW! FLOW! FLOW! My flow is a written account of the debate and how I make my decision. You should be flowing the debate and use the line by line to answer arguments that the other team is making.

Clarity: SLOW DOWN!!! You are not as clear as you think you are! I don’t call for many cards (read almost zero) unless I need them to clarify and argument or compare the warrants that were discussed by teams. I don’t think it is my job to read your evidence to determine what it says. I do think it is YOUR job as a debater to communicate both with me and the other team what that evidence says and means. Speech docs are not an alternative to your spoken word. I expect to be able to understand every word that you say. The text of the evidence that you read is the most important thing you read in debate because it is what gives you the warrants to win debates in front of me. I think debaters would be well advised to slow down to 85% of their top speed, because you are not as clear as you think you are. Important notes: I will call clear if I can’t understand you twice. After that I will give non-verbal signals like putting my pen down and staring at you. You should take this as a clue that I have quit flowing your arguments and they at that point cease to be arguments in my mind in the round. Your speaker points will suffer if I am yelling clear. Debaters should feel free to make arguments during their speech about the clarity of an argument that the other team made, I will give non-verbals if I agree or not. This is a good way to show me two things: 1. that you are listening to the speech and not just reading the speech doc and 2. that you are probably flowing. Both of which are likely to help your speaker points.

Voting Speed:I have been told that I vote very quickly. Most of the time I already know what the nexus issues in the debate are that I have to resolve for me to make a decision, once I have identified these, decisions come quickly. If you want to win, I would recommend you start to identify them as well. Often times I do not call for cards. This is because I am not going to sort through your evidence to find the warrants in it to support your arguments. You should be doing this work not me. If you are not doing it, that is probably a reason that you will lose the debate. This is a spoken activity; I listen to all of the speech, not just the tags. I do this because I want to list to what your evidence actually says (you know the warrants you are supposedly reading that you have not highlighted out of them). I expect clarity through the entire speech, if you are not able to perform this, then you are wasting your breath. I flow warrants of evidence and I also flow the Cross-X.

Topicality:Competing interpretations really make sense to me. Reasonability seems pretty circular. I am a judge will to vote on T. The biggest problem that I see in T debates is the lack of internal link and impact work in the standards debate. Painting a picture for me of what the topic looks like under your interpretation (usually large or small) and WHY that interpretation is best for debate is the simplest that I can break it down. Too often teams just say, here is our interp and we/they are in/out of it. That is not enough, because the inclusion/exclusion of one case does not make a topic. It is all of the other things that your interp allows/excludes that make the topic, it is really just happenstance that it excludes/includes the affirmative.

Kirtiks:I am getting there. I have read some lit now, I am coming along slowly. Still think I am not the best judge for the K, but there is not an ideological predisposition for voting against it. Read more below on the "performance" debate section about teams that want to pref me who go for the K. I think the same things apply here as well. Sometimes I get lost, once I am lost, like most people I tend to seek ground in debates that I am familiar with, this probably means aff arguments like No V2L without Life and case outweighs or permutation arguments.

Performance/Non-Resolution Engaging AFFs: In my ideal world I think the Affirmative should defend some form of engagement of the resolution. My predisposition does not require the defending of a "plan" but does incline me to believe that the AFF should certainly engage the idea that there should be an (insert action of the resolution here) Now, saying that I think the AFF should engage the resolution does not mean they have to, nor do I have a predesignated will to vote against teams that choose not to. I will and have listened to debates about the state of debate and other things. The difference in my comfort has to do with a level of understanding of arguments. I will be honest. The more often I am prefed into these debates and watch them I think the better understanding I will have for the arguments, allowing me to develop a better skill set as a judge. If you are a team chooses to debate in this style, I understand the perceived risk in prefing me, I will definitely say I am not a perfect judge for this style of debate right now, but to be clear - this is a statement of a willingness to learn and expand upon my capabilities as a judge. So on that note - I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to both broaden and sharpen my skills.


Theory:Still have yet to hear a good reason that makes sense for conditionality, especially when used in conjunction with contradictory arguments. I spend a lot of time coaching and thinking about theory. I actually don’t mind theory debates. I give 2ARs and 1ARs a little more leeway in going for theory, but the argument still needs to be there for the 2AR from the 1AR. I want to hear a warrant for your argument not 7 points of blip. I think 3 good warranted arguments are better than 7 sentences about 7 different things. That being said, plenty of people run conditional arguments in front of me, and it still takes the right arguments from the AFF to win conditionality debates. That being said I think I voted AFF on condo bad when the AFF went for it in the 2AR (does not need to be the whole speech, but you need to invest some time to get it done) probably around 80% of the time. Most of the other theory questions you have about CPs will be answered below.

Counter-Plans:I think most CPs are legit. You should have some form of solvency advocate for your CP. Evidence about the link to the net-benefit is not a solvency advocate. In these instances lit checks abuse for the most part. Be willing to spend time talking about the impact. So be willing to do an impact comparison that "if I reject the argument not the team, then they d/n have a cp to solve case, which was conceded by the 2NR and it outweighs their net-benefit without a CP" This will get you a very long way. NEG read the inverse if you think you are schooling them on the rest of the debate and this is their only way out, a little preempt will go a long way to better speaks. Consult CPs/Condition CPs/PICs are a different monster. AFFs too often fail to debate or understand the normal means, that can get them out of a lot of the consult debates. PICs out of words are probably not the best strat in front of me. There are a TON of CPs on this topic, and there is zero reason why we should not debate them. International fiat is a risky endeavor. I can be sold either way.

Rebuttals (specifically 2NR/2AR):This is where you should be comparing impacts for me and explaining how I should vote. A good impact comparison does more than just magnitude, timeframe, and whatever.. it actually compares your impact risk in relation to their impact risk. Reality is you are not winning all of your arguments. You will start to lose fewer debates once you can realize what arguments that you are and are not losing. This is the speech that you have to think like a judge. The tag line in the rebuttals is not an argument, you need to be drawing distinctions between the text of your authors and theirs and giving me reasons why your evidence or analysis answers their arguments and theirs does not answer yours and what that means to me in how I should evaluate those claims. Seem like a lot to do? Really helps if you are setting this up in the block and 1AR. Just remember that if I have to do work for you, you might not like the outcome…..


Speaker Points:Some have asked me about how I assign speaker points. So the things I think about when I am assigning speaker points are (in no particular order), clarity, delivery, style, strategy, success, how bad you made my flow look (I flow unlike you. My flow is how I decide the debate, the more painful you make my life the more pain I inflict on your speaker points. Line-by-line argumentation is good, and is a dying art. Note: this is about the umpteenth reference in my judging philosophy to flowing...it might be important!

1. Debate career?

I have previous judging experience with NHSDLC the past several mothns. Judging PF online and offline tournaments.

2. Fast-talking?

Fast-talking can be impressive and effective in some cases, but it can also be overwhelming and difficult to follow for some people. As a general rule, I prefer a moderate speaking pace is preferable as it allows the debater to communicate their points clearly and ensures that I can follow along.

3. Aggressiveness?

Aggressiveness can be useful in some debates, particularly when the topic is emotionally charged or controversial. However, it's important to maintain a respectful and professional tone, even when challenging an opponent's arguments, also ensuring your points are well delivered. Personal attacks or insults or gestures like throwing hands when an opponent is speaking are never acceptable and can undermine the credibility of the debater.

4. Determining the winner of the debate?

To determine the winner of a debate, I consider several factors, including the coherence and accuracy of the arguments presented, the quality of the evidence provided, and the persuasiveness of the debater's delivery, not forgetting well argued out logical responses.

I do not admit new arguments in the summary speech. Any supplementary information included in your summary speech won't garner extra points. Your role is to consolidate the main points of conflict in this round, facilitating a better understanding of the issues that have been discussed.

In general, the debater who can provide the strongest and most well-supported argument, while also successfully rebutting their opponent's points, is likely to win the debate.

Ultimately, the goal of a debate is to engage in a respectful and informative exchange of ideas, and the winner is the one who best achieves that goal.

Darren Elliott "Chief" --Director of Debate and Forensics Kansas City KS Community College

delliott@kckcc.edu

Probably the least interventionist judge you will encounter. Will listen to and fairly consider any argument presented. (Avoid obvious racist and sexist arguments and ad Homs). For an argument to be a round winner you need to win the impact the argument has in relation to the impacts your opponent might be winning and how all of those affect/are afffected by the ballot or decision (think framework for the debate). No predispositions against any strategy be it a Disad/CP/Case or K or T/Framework on the Neg or a straight up policy or K Aff. Win what it is you do and win why that matters. I actually appreciate a good Disad/CP/Case Offense debate as much as anything (even though the arguments a number of recent KCKCC debaters might lead one to think otherwise). The beauty of debate is its innovation.

I appreciate in-depth arguments and hard work and reward that with speaker points. A debate that begins in the first couple of speeches at a depth that most debates aspire to be by the last two speeches is a work of art and shows dedication and foresight that should be rewarded. Cross-X as well, in this regard, that shows as good or better of an understanding of your opponents arguments as they do will also be rewarded. Cross-X is a lost art.

Most of all--Have Fun and Good Luck!!

Hi. I am a junior at the Barstow School.

email: kevin.gill@barstowschool.org

General Stuff: Be nice. Don't be racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. I am open to almost any argument. Let's try to keep the debate moving and hopefully avoid tech issues. I prefer open cross-x.

Topicality: Limits can be the cleanest standard for the neg to win but I also find ground loss important to provide context. I want both sides to explain the model of debate your interp and mpact out why it’s comparatively better.

K: Explain why winning the framework matters and how you still win the debate even if you lose the framework. You don't necessarily need a material alt to win if you go for framework. 2ACs should explicitly answer each of the link arguments even if it's just by explaining that it's a link to the status quo, a block that can impact out a dropped link argument well is likely to get my ballot as long as they are somewhat ahead on the framework or impact framing debate. Overall, if you NEG just make sure you fully understand the K and make sure you can answer questions about it.

CP: I like all CP's. If you think a CP is bad, then it's your job to beat it. Just make sure you have an impact/reason to show that you have a net-benefit.

DA: I need a compelling link story contextualized to the AFF. Impact is essential for both sides.

Don't Clip.

I like a compelling narrative, especially in the link debate. I value both technical skills and argumentative truth. Clarity and flowability will increase speaker points and chances of winning. Run whatever you feel comfortable with as long as you are mindful of what you are doing. Please don't say anything you don't understand.

If there is an ethics challenge issued and the debate is stopped, the team that is correct (about the clipping, miscut evidence, citation problem, etc.) wins the debate. Arguments about evidence ethics can be made absent an ethics challenge and without stopping the debate; for example, when connected to a citational politics argument. However, if one team says to stop the round because something is an ethics challenge, the round will stop and the team who is correct about the issue will win.

Speaker points: I usually give around a 28.6 or above

I'm a former HS and College debater... Here's what I would like to see:

Use your words - enunciate when giving speeches ESPECIALLY arguments that you want to highlight

The spread is ok... but remember quality over quantity, I'm looking for some depth in arguments

Know your stuff, or fake it well enough to make clear, concise points that are unrefutable

Beware of important dropped arguments - I can't debate for you. If you miss a moment to go in for the win- that opportunity is just lost.

Everyone needs to live, money needs to be saved.... and without your plan, the world ends. Or something to that effect. Basically, make me a believer using your plan and supporting evidence.

put me on the email chain: haddieschedler at gmail.com

email chain is superior to speech drop.

junior at Barstow

she/they

plz don't call me judge. "haddie" "you there" or anything else work fine

debate is hard. if you don't feel right abt the round for any reason plz plz lmk. novice year is supposed to be fun.

Basic things

tech>truth

im fine with spreading

i think the aff's job is to prove the status quo is bad and they can solve what is bad. i think the negative's job is to prove the aff is a bad idea (can be through case, da, cp, ks, t).

im a 1a/2n - the 2ar doesn't get new answers. sorry not sorry. you'll probably make some anyway so at least make sure its somewhat in your 1ar.

don't care what you read (as long as it's not unethical. i have no patience for racist, sexist, etc. evidence or arguments and will stop the round, give you auto Ls, and give you very low speaks)

I'll adapt to your preferences. Literally, go for whatever you want. If you win it, I'll vote on it.

+0.1 speaks for intentionally making everyone (or me) laugh (max +0.3 total)

tell me before or after the round "I am kenough" and it's an auto +0.1 boost

plz ask questions. write down the rfd. it helps.

don't care what style of cross you do

im very expressive during speeches. don't take it personally. im judging your arguments, not you.

u don't need to take prep to send out speeches, and I'm very lenient with tech issues etc. just don't steal prep or take 5 minutes to send out a speech.

tech>truth

pls send speech to alexander.schlesener@barstowschool.org

I am an assistant debate coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College. In college, I debated mostly parli, some LD and Policy, for Saint Mary’s College of California. My partner and I dropped in octos of NPDA in 2019. My debate partner and I mostly read critical arguments. So I’m cool with Ks, and a well-written K always brings me joy. Make sure you can explain how you link and how your alt solves. I also know my way around a plan debate, so read whatever you like. Make sure your Aff is inherent, and have a clear, consistent story through uniqueness, links, and impact. I think little affs with 100% solvency are underappreciated. I’m also down to hear your CP/DA and think condo is probably good. I would be equally happy to vote on a theory or framework argument if you tell me why that means you win the debate. I am good with speed, just slow down for your alt/plan and interps and don’t use it to exclude people.

mszafraniec1997@gmail.com for the email chain, or if you'd like to ask me questions about your round later.

I also reserve the right to vote teams down for being overtly oppressive (saying something racist, misogynist, homophobic, transphobic, ablest, Islamophobic, etc.), generally or directed to competitors.

Bring me a chai and you get block 30s

Overall: Read offence. Use more warrants. Do impact calc, the more work you do for me explaining how you win the better your chances are of winning. Be nice to each other.