You can refer to me as judge or Mr. Cruz.

My experience: Current Debate and Speech coach

I have judged LD, Policy, OO, Prose, Poetry, and Extemp.

Rate of Delivery Preference: Controlled, conversational style to typical conversational. Spreading is highly discouraged for UIL Lincoln-Douglas.

Criterion Priority: It may be a factor in my evaluation depending on its use in the round. Should not be redundancy of value.

Rebuttals: Encourage to follow the flow of the opponent's argument, potentially including a line-by-line analysis, statement of voting issues, or both.

Deciding on a Winner: I decide who is the winner of the key, most impactful arguments in the round, not necessarily who has the most. Did the opponent drop a contention? Do the contentions support the value? Did you thoroughly analyze how an opponent didnot have a properly line of reasoning for their contentions supporting their value? Eloquent speaking skills are encouraged, but will not be the sole source of evaluation for the round.

Evidence: Always necessary. Hypotheticals should be evaluated thoroughly with appropriate philosophical application or analogous situations.

Note-Taking: I outline the important arguments of each debater's case as they support the value, key arguments presented in the rebuttals, and responses to CX.

I did cx, extemp, and interp in both the UIL, TFA, and NSDA circuits.

Debate: I’ve mainly done cx in my high school experience so that’s what I am most suited to, but I easily pick up on any form of debate. I am okay with spreading. Make sure to roadmap. Remember always to be respectful to everyone or else it could drop your speaks. I'm a policy judge. Have fun and do your best!

Speech: I love interp it’s truly my happy place (or sad). Make sure to be clear and enunciated. If you’re in extemp make sure to clarify your points and why it’s important. I always need to know the why for your speech.

Debate

I have a more traditional background in debate. However, I evaluate what is presented in the round. I like to hear in rebuttals why you believe you're winning the round (how there's a path to vote for you). Explain how you access impacts and weigh those for me.

Speech

In interp, I look for a clear storyline and development of characters. I expect to see a teaser and an intro that justifies the selection/tells me why the performance matters.

In platform and limited prep, I listen for effective speech construction, meaningful content, and smooth yet conversational delivery. I like the use of humor and other elements to add personality to the speech.

Hello,

I am a UIL Science coach assisting in judging. I am looking for words to be clearly enunciated and tone emphasized. Body language and facial expressions should mirror the tone as well. I need to see a clear and defined path for your story and sources cited. Timing is everything! If humor fits, do it! If sadness or anger is the way to go, show it! I keep a straight face during the rounds as to not lead any person on to how I am feeling. Good luck!!

I'm pretty open, but debaters need to cover stock issues. I'm ok with speed, but I don't have the best hearing, so try to be clear and loud. Definitely slow down and emphasize taglines. I've been coaching since 2018.

My name is Dr. Michael Mattis and I am the Director of Theater and Debate at Grand Saline High School in Grand Saline, Texas. I have been a coach for 23 years and I am an NSDA Three-Diamond Coach who has coached Multiple National Qualifiers and State Champions.

I am very tab. I would much rather you do what you do best and I will adjust to you, rather than you adjust to me.

LD Debate

Aff has the convince me to support the resolution. Neg has an obligation to provide clash, and if either fail in their respective roles, then the win falls to the one that does it correctly.

Presenting arguments/speeches should be in an easy, digestible way.

Congress

-The main thing I'm looking for as a judge is how much of an overall impact you're making throughout the round--actively listening is key. Are you bringing up new arguments/evidence or are you just repeating things that have already been said? Are you asking questions that continue to develop the debate through the different rhetorical appeals?

-Quality > Quantity

-The more you embrace the nature of the debate + the event overall, the better you'll do in my eyes.

Hello,

I am a husband, father of five kids, and supervisor in the insurance industry. I enjoy reading and applying contract language, hearing arbitration disputes, and coaching my direct reports on how to achieve their greatest potential. When I was in high-school I enjoyed dabbling in both debate and theatre. Now that I have high-school aged children, I'm excited to see them (and you) practice the valuable skills of critical thinking and communication. I am fairly new to judging these tournaments, but I'm excited to share in this journey with you.

A final note: as you communicate, please remember the dignity of those you interact with. Failure to treat others with dignity will lose you ethos points with me.

Sincerely,

Justin Sterenberg

As an educator, I aim to ensure debaters learn skills that prepare them for the future. Here are three principles to keep in mind for your round with me:

Have fun. Speak and argue in a way that you can keep your cool. Don't stress out - it's all good. We're just throwing some ideas around to see what sticks, something philosophers have been doing forever.

Learn lots. Speak and argue in a way that shows you have learned something valuable.

In debate, I want to hear clear, concise, thoughtful arguments with effective and logical counters to your opponent. Please note that I have a hearing impairment that makes it difficult for me to follow spreading. I appreciate clear signposting. Overall, I prefer quality over quantity, and if you do a better job of making your case and defending it, you win.

Be good. Speak and argue in a way that shows respect for your audience, including your opponent, if you have one. No one at this competition deserves to be treated disrespectfully.

That's it! Have fun, learn lots, be good!