JW Patterson HS Invitational
2024 — Oklahoma City, OK/US
Policy Debate Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideI debated at Blue Valley North (2020-2024) and I'm currently a freshman debating at KU.
email: claireelizabethain@gmail.com -- prep does not stop until you hit send on the email.
I care more about your ability to speak clearly and refute arguments in a quality manner than the type of arguments you choose to read. I will vote on any argument on my flow as long as it's articulated at a high technical level. That being said, I am a better judge for topic-specific, evidence based arguments that rely on the ability to prove an undesirable effect of the affirmative.There is an increasing trend in negative teams trying to find more convoluted ways to avoid disproving the desirability of a plan, but obviously that's a debate to be had.
I am not a fan of scouring my flow to piece together arguments and think that it is a form of judge intervention. If you read evidence with a purpose, speak clearly, and use your flow (if you are not flowing, I don't understand why I should flow you) to refute arguments, you will receive high speaks from me. Judge instruction is an important part of final rebuttals and you should clearly explain what earns you the ballot.
It feels as though less debates I've watched or been apart of have actually talked about the affirmative. I don't think most negative teams utilize case enough. The best 2NR in front of me is typically the core topic disad and robust case debating -- although I am aware that barely exists for this topic.
There is no difference between being incoherent and clipping. If I can't understand the argument you are making do not be surprised when it does not make it onto my flow. I will clear you twice, if you remain unclear I will stop flowing your speech.
On this note, I have hospitalizing migraines that make me somewhat sensitive to sound. All I ask is that you don't literally scream at me while you're speaking.
Evidence you read must make an argument. Highlighting three buzzwords and explaining something in the tag will make me give the opposing team more leeway in their responses. I believe that internal link cards have become especially outrageous and are under utilized when comparing impacts.
In almost every instance of a DA or a K the link matters most. I probably look at link specificity more than most judges. If I have a hard time pinpointing something specifically bad about the affirmative, I will have a hard time voting for you. It's very convincing to me if you explain how the link (or the entire) argument disproves the case or makes the aff advantages irrelevant.
please at me to the email chain: madelyn.atkins.debate@gmail.com
pronouns: she/her
expericence:
Debated at Lansing High School for 4 years
Coaching:
Lansing (2021-2022)
Shawnee Mission South (2023-current)
top level:
- tech over truth but arguments must be warranted
- Read whatever aff/neg strategy that you are the most comfortable with and I will do my best to adapt and be unbiased
- Judge instruction is important and often underutilized
topicality:
- I went for t a lot my senior year and I think it is a good strategy that more teams should go for
- I default to competing interpretations
- Explain what your model means for the topic, case lists can be helpful for this
k affs:
- framework - I think that fairness and clash can both be both impacts (but that's also up to the debaters to prove). Don't just read generic framework blocks - try to contextualize them to the aff. Specific evidence can be helpful for a TVA but isn't absolutely necessary
disads:
- make turns case args and impact calc is helpful
counterplans:
- process counterplans are okay, but I probably err aff on theory
- delay counterplans are cheating
- textual and functional is always good
- err neg on condo but can be convinced otherwise
- all theory args except for condo I default to reject the arg not the team
- I will only judge kick if the neg makes the argument and the aff doesn't contest it, best to start this debate before the 2nr/2ar
kritiks:
- answer arguments on the line by line instead of in a long overview
- specific links are better than generic ones
- clearly explain the link, impact, and alt
case:
- neg should utilize case debates more - could definitely win on presumption
Katie Baxter-Kauf (she/her pronouns)
2024-2025 Notes
St. Paul Central / Minnesota Urban Debate League
Chain emails: katebaxterkauf@gmail.com, stpaulcentralcxdebate@gmail.com
Past useful info: I debated in high school in Kansas (Shawnee Mission East, 1995-1998), and in college for Macalester (1998-2001) (all policy plus a semester of HS LD and rogue college parli tournaments). I coached at Blaine High School (2000-2002), then the Blake School (2002-2003), some freelancing for Mankato West, Shawnee Mission East, and others (2003-2007), then for Como Park briefly when I came back to work for the UDL (2007-2008) and some side helping as needed at St. Paul Central. I coached college at the University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester (2003-2007). I ran logistics for the MNUDL from 2007-2011, when I graduated from law school and became a lawyer. I have judged 5-10 middle school or high school debates a year since 2011, and judged 25 policy debates in 2022-2023, and 50+ rounds in 2023-2024. I also serve as the Vice Chair of the Minnesota Urban Debate League Advisory Board.
General notes and TLDR version: (1) don't be a jerk; (2) I don't care about tag-team cross-ex, just don't yell at each other; (3) don't steal prep; (4) debates are public and that means that everyone is welcome, I will always defend what I do, people should feel safe, and I'll answer whatever questions anyone has afterwards; (5) fundamentally do what you want and I'll follow along; and (6) debate is fun and I'm so glad you get to experience doing it, and I'm honored to get to participate with you.
Argument notes after a couple years judging/coaching policy debate after a dozen years off: Debates are fundamentally the same as the way they were when I last coached and if anything I am surprised at how little argument and structure have evolved. I have no problem keeping up with you all and I have an exceptionally good memory. I at least sort of read along with speech docs and that seems to make it so that I filter my fundamental feeling that tech comes before truth through a lens of the quality of your evidence. I find the practice of interspersing theory arguments with substantive arguments a little hard to follow at times, especially when you put the substance parts in your speech docs but not the fast theory parts. If you want me to actually vote on these arguments or use them as direction on how to evaluate other arguments, like a permutation or a CP (instead of just using them for the time tradeoff or to make sure you don't drop something) you would be well served to make sure I can understand you. I have a fairly expressive face and am fairly chatty.
If someone who knew me a long time ago is giving you advice on how to debate in front of me, I will say that I am fundamentally the same person I have been since my very first day of debate practice but that the main way I have probably changed is that I have a higher voting threshold on arguments that are either blippy theory or fundamentally stupid (and recognized by all parties as such). I am a hard sell, for example, on the concept that the cap kritik that people read when I was in high school is still cheating 25+ years later, or that dumb unexplained voters mean that teams should lose absent some compelling justification. I also think that framework and conditionality debates are, at their core, boring, though I understand both the necessity and utility. If push comes to shove, I would always rather people talk about substance.
2024-2025 Topic Notes: I am a practicing litigator, primarily doing plaintiffs' side complex class action work (mostly data breach/cybersecurity/privacy, antitrust, and consumer protection). I am not an IP lawyer. What this means for you: I understand legal concepts and especially the process of litigation exceptionally well and I will know if you describe it incorrectly (and will probably tell you). This should not affect whether I vote for your incorrect argument, and I know more than anyone that a lot of these concepts are pretty esoteric, but accuracy will certainly get you higher points.
BUT, and MOST CRITICALLY: Fundamentally, I don't care what arguments you read. I want you to do what you think you do best and have a good time doing it. I would DRAMATICALLY prefer to watch a good debate on your preferred argument than a bad one on stuff you think I'd like. I am generally very well read and aware of stuff going on in the world, but have a humanities/literature/law school and not a realist foreign policy/science/economics background. I am fine in a heg/DA/CP debate. I have read a lot more of the critical literature than you think I have. I have general proclivities and stuff I know better than other stuff or literature I've actually read (and I have a fairly low threshold for gendered/racist/hate-filled/exclusionary behavior and/or language), but it's your debate, and I will do my absolute best only to evaluate the arguments that get made in the debate round. If you have questions about specific arguments, I'm happy to answer them.
POINTS: SORRY, I KNOW MY POINTS ARE TOO LOW. Am going to try adjusting up the half point I seem to be behind at circuit tournaments for the rest of the year and see how it goes. I follow instructions from Jake Swede at UDL tournaments. PLEASE don't take this personally - I think you're all great. Edit 1/6/25: this seems to have worked? Will keep doing it.
I am the debate coach at Blue Valley North HS. I was an NDT/CEDA debater at Wichita State University (2012) and a graduate assistant at the University of Kansas. I have taught camp at Michigan or Kansas every year since I graduated. I typically judge 50-80 policy rounds per year, plus some pf/ld/speech.
email: brianbox4@gmail.com
As of November 2024, I am actively working to increase my speaker points to match inflation. I will reward better points to well-researched teams who demonstrate command of topic literature in CX and their speeches. If a tournament gives 10 minutes of prep, I will increase your points for taking less prep.
I really, really enjoy judging good debates. I really, really dislike judging debates that take two hours, lack clash and mostly involve unclearly reading a document into the screen. I care far more about your ability to speak clearly and refute arguments than the type of arguments you read. Good debate good, bad debate bad. I have found that most high school debates are such clear technical victories that my argument specific thoughts aren't terribly relevant. I will vote for any argument you win.
Ultimately, the debate is not about me, and I will do my best to evaluate whichever strategy you pursue, but I am bored by negative strategies that do not demonstrate an undesirable effect of the affirmative. There is a time and a place for most strategies, and I firmly believe there is no one right way to debate, but I wish more of the debates I judged were about core topic arguments and less about non-competitive counterplans (obviously debatable), generic critiques of fiat, poorly supported politics disads, ridiculous impact turns, etc.
At some level, this is just another old guy "be clear and flow!" paradigm, but I really mean it! Here are a few important things to consider when debating in front of me.
Use your flow to answer the other team's arguments. Don't read into your computer screen from start to finish.
Evidence matters a lot. I read lots of evidence and it heavily factors into my decision. Cross-ex is important and the best ones focus on the evidence. Highlighting is important. Definitely willing to lower the prioritization of an argument or ignore it entirely if it's highlighted nonsensically. Author qualifications, histories, intentions, purpose, funding, etc. matter. The application of meaningful indicits evidence mean more to me than many judges. I find myself more than willing to ignore poorly supported arguments.
I cannot emphasize enough how important clarity is. I can't believe how often I see judges transcribing the speech document. If I can't understand the argument, it doesn't count.
Go for theory? I will never be the judge who views all sides of any theory debate to be equal, but am far more likely than I once was to vote for an argument about the scope of negative fiat. Affirmatives should be extending theory arguments that say a type of counterplan or category of fiat is bad more often. Establishing a clear interpretation is important. "Process bad" doesn't mean much to me.
The link comes first.The first thing I look at is the link. When in conflict, it is more important to contest the link than the impact.
CX is huge. This is where you separate debaters who have researched their argument and can intentionally execute a strategy from debaters who have practiced reading unclearly as fast as possible. I don't flow CX, but I am very attentive and you should treat me like a lay judge because these moments will be impactful.
Put me on the chain email: mrkainecherry@gmail.com
Updated as of 11/09/24
Things to know off the top:
1 )Please don’t call me judge. Additionally, I don't really evaluate debates in away that necessarily result in being the most neutral. That performance of neutrality does not serve me and I'd rather present myself authentically and in a way that is dynamic. I like to have fun so I tend to be rather laid back when it comes to judging rounds and it shows.
This is just a fancy way of saying that I'm really emotive and have terrible poker face, if you say something thats funny to me I will laugh, if you say something that is not persuasive then it'll show on my face(doesn't mean I won't vote for it because it happens) etc. tbh it makes the game a bit more interactive for all involved. While debate can be a competitive activity it is also a communicative one and figuring out how to speak to and across difference is a necessary part of that model and considering the outcome of America's latest season that might be a thing worth prioritizing.
If you are looking for someone to evaluate your debate in a way in which winners and losers are determined in an "objective" way with little or no external interference then I might not be the person for you (debate doesn't shape subjectivity arguments aren't super persuasive to me), but that doesn't mean I won't evaluate the debate in front of me. I spent a fair amount of time around Daryl Burch as a teenager so the philosophy of "my ballot is my ballot" is something I have taken to heart.
I'm not the best person to ask time efficiency questions for feedback I still flow on paper, so I'm not actively checking time I'm better at isolating moments of redundancy and inefficiency. Also much like Saul Willams Sha-Clack-Clack I am a being lost in time so you will get vibes based feedback when asking about how much time you've allocated in any given part of the debate.
Speaking of flowing on paper, I. Need. Pen. Time.Folks have gotten notorious about spreading through tags, analytics, important distinctions and various framing issues in the debate and its becoming increasingly frustrating to evaluate speeches because few folks are actively checking to make sure my pen is following your speech. Please do not hesitate to slow down a bit(doesn't necessarily have to be conversational pace) and create clear transitions as you move throughout your speeches.
2) On Speeches: Maybe its time, maybe its going to a bunch of rap shows without earplugs from 2017-2021/22 but my hearing is not what it used to be and processing large chunks of information at a speed where there is little syllable spacing is getting harder.
I recommend that you A) go slower on tags and other things you want to absolutely guarantee are on my flow—see the flowing on paper section above. B) Build to your top speed over the first 30-45 seconds of your speech so my ear has time to "tune" itself to your voice. C) be extra mindful of those things for the first and last debates of the day. I appreciate hearing peoples voices and personalities in debates, so the more vocal inflection, emphasis, style you have the better.
3) Going For Framework on the neg: Maybe it’s “burn out” maybe it’s attempting to play fighting games at a semi competitive level(if you wanna learn how to play or run a set during downtime holla) but fairness as an impact for the neg going for framework is becoming less and less persuasive to me. I’ve found myself gravitating towards and more persuaded by clash+limits and the impacts that has on the quality of debates in terms of what we gain from the process of debating, the research that comes from all styles of debate and the value of balancing those two interests.
4) I recommend finding another way to phrase your “materialism”/“material change” arguments: We are not transmuting copper to gold and the number of anticapitalists with fidelity to Marx are on the verge of becoming extinct(in debate). I say this because the more i judge debate's use the word material the less I understand what a) it means and b) the way it’s being explained messes up my understanding of what materialism is and I’m beginning to feel gaslit in my own knowledge as a result. I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that when folks say "material change" it is becoming a euphemism for pragmatism.
5) Presumption > Ballot "PIC/K" no seriously stop making you desire the ballot style arguments(in front of me, panel is fair game I guess probably won't be the place where I decide my ballot) its gotten to a point where its becoming terminally unwindable in front of me. Its way easier to persuade me that the aff might not produce a thing distinct from the squo than that the aff subject itself to the evaluation of others that's tied to competitive incentives and thats bad.
---Other Stuff---
I've been in the activity since 2006 and competed both in High School(UDL and nationally for Baltimore City College HS) and College (2-time NDT Octofinalist/10th Place Speaker(2015), 2015 CEDA Semifinalist) So I'm generally comfortable judging all styles of debate.
I do not consistently type up my ballots(sorry coaches) but feel free to write down my feedback or ask if you can record the rfd.
Theory: I can be persuaded that condo is bad, Process CP's can be broken, PIC/K's can be good or bad. As someone who generally plays games I am interested in trying to produce some semblance of balance and on some level treat theory arguments(and potentially non FW T args) like patch justifications for debate made real time, which makes idea of theory debates interesting. I am not generally persuaded by new affs bad theory arguments, and while I appreciate open source and disclosure those things are norms that are practiced by the community, not rights guaranteed by the activity though that theory argument can be persuasive in certain circumstances.
K stuff: Generally familiar with most lit bases with the most time spent in Black Studies(Afropessimism with a splash of Moten and Hartman) and French Post Structuralism(Deleuze & Guattari, Baudrillard, Foucault and Bataille). You still gotta explain stuff and contextualize the your links to the aff in a way that is offensive. Links of omission to me sound like "aff doesn't do x so y structural thing gets stronger/worse" imo those and "state links" are kinda boring but I will still vote on them if there's little interaction by the aff. Link arguments in the style of "the aff does x that mystifies/intensifies/scales up y structural thing" and explains how that link expresses itself in the aff. Academy K's should develop their links beyond you are in debate=academy and university.
While old the information below is still mostly relevant and the most important things have been updated above, if you need me to clarify anything else either shoot an email or ask before the round.
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**Highschool Stuff- Regardless of debate styles I evaluate what happens between the students, I have start to judge more policy v policy debates since coming back to college policy debate even if its not what I debated when I competed. Please keep track of your time, it's a resource in the game of debate and youth should start to learn time management skills. If you are a novice I will gladly time with you to help you get into groove of things. Open/Varsity you are on your own. I'm not a particularly formal person so please don't call me judge(see #1) and I won't dock speaker points for using particular words etc. The more relaxed everyone is the better the round will go for everyone :3
Online Debate Stuff: While I will try to do my best to listen and follow along with the round, if you insist on spreading, I would like it if you include analytics in the speech doc(I watch everything with subtitles. I've noticed slight audio processing/latency issues listening to people talk fast in the few online debates I have either watched or judged. If you choose not to do so, I will in no way hold it against you. But "YMMV" in terms of what I get on my flow ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Feel free to debate, just make it interesting although I specialize in critical arguments I am familiar with the fundamentals of debate across styles. Don’t call me judge, Kaine is fine.
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Fun fact the section below has remained the same since around 2013-2014
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Speaking: General Clarity over speed paradigm that most people have, It is a good determinate of speaker points and important for effective communication. When you make an argument clearly I'm more likely to follow its development and depending on how the round goes works well for you. Versus If I miss and important argument and it costs you the round and then you ask "What about x argument" then people are sad.
Style: Is also very important and I think that can become lost in debate rounds, although some people shoot arguments as if they are a machine they still have personalities that I believe should be shown in a debate round. If you are funny, show it, if you can make being "assertive" work more power to you, if you are a geek I'll probably get your references, and so on. Style is not mandatory and should come naturally, but if shown will definitely improve your speaker's points.
Cross-X: Can be a very useful tool and can be both a fun and entertaining experience for me as a judge and a place for people to express some aspects of "style". Cross-X belongs to the person asking questions, so if it seems like someone isn't asking a question let them ramble it really isn't your concern. Of course, there is a threshold that will become really clear, in that I'll probably stop paying attention and start finding something else interesting to pay attention to.
Evidence: Pieces of evidence are like a bullets to a gun. They can be devastating only when aimed properly, I think evidence is a tool to support your arguments and the way you articulate them. So if you extend evidence with little to no explanation to how it functions you are shooting blanks that can probably be easily refuted, evidence comparison is also really important in this regard as it allows you to control the framing of the debate which leads us into. . .
Macro-level issues and Framing: I think these are very important in both debate as they ultimately determine how i look at the flow(s) and situate who is controlling the direction of the debate. So if someone has an overview that contains an impact calculus,framework, "politics" or frontloads an argument on the flow and it doesn't get answered either directly or somewhere else on the flow then it becomes damming to the other team. This is even more essential in the last two speeches that ultimately determine how i should look at the round. Good framing also should happen on the line-by line as well and will also help me write the ballot.
Theory: As someone who's into competitive games I've grown to like theory a lot. It's probably something that should be argued in a CLEAR and COHERENT manner, which means you probably shouldn't speed through your condo bad and agent cp blocks as if you are reading cards, I'll vote on dropped theory arguments as long as there is a clear impact to it when extended. Otherwise, it should be developed throughout the debate. General question that should be resolved in theory debate for me is "What does it mean?" i.e If you say best policy option, what does that mean in terms of what a policy option is and how does it work in terms of debate?
Specific Stuff
Topicality: Its very situational depending on the violation and how the definitions play out. I think a lot of T interpretations can be contrived especially if they are not grounded in codified law or precedent. Interpretations that come from legal academics serve to help lawyers in the event in which they feel they must argue a certain interpretation in front of a particular judge and may not necessarily good for debate(although a certain level of spin and framing could convince me otherwise). Topicality comes down to clash and ground, and is normally resolved by several questions for me; "Is there clash in round?" "What ground does BOTH sides have?" and "How does ground function to create educational debates?" I tend to have a very high threshold for fairness. Just because a K Aff makes a no link argument to you politics disad doesn't mean that it's unfair, negative ground isn't something that is so clearly drawn out. I think there are better arguments that can be made in those situations. That being said I am very sympathetic to aft weighing their case against topicality and see k's of topicality as substantial arguments on the flow.
Just saying you are reasonability topical isn't an argument and makes their competing interpretation claims all the more legitimate. Like all things you have to make a warrant to why you are reasonably topical, may it be that you are germane to the resolution or that you still allow for alternative ways for the neg to engage the aft.
Counter Plans, PICs, and DA's: Not really a generic counterplan person, I think counter plans when researched properly and specific to the aff with a good net-benifit can become a good interesting debate that I would love to see. I don't really like silly "PIC/Ks" and think people can make very convincing, smart arguments about how stupid they are, but I'll still vote for them. It's a question of how the counterplan competes with the aff and makes better room for theory arguments on the aff. I really don't like the politics DA and generally think the link arguments are contrived, strong attacks on the link story of the DA are very convincing and will probably help you on the CP debate.
"Performance": **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_n1FHX3mBw** Just do your thing- by this I mean I'm in no way hostile to performance debate, but that does not mean negatives can't make arguments as to why that performance is potentially bad or problematic.
K's: I would love seeing a good critique debate more than seeing a bad one that does surface-level work. A good K debate includes specific links to the aff that go beyond " you do state action dats bad judge" or "you sed observation= ablest discourse" as it allows affs to use simple questions to make your links seem stupid and their framing arguments stronger. A strong defense of the alternative, and realistic impacts that are explained and benefit the neg. I really like K's that deal with politics and how we formulate political action and agency in relation to institutions or the State, a good framing of the alternative politics and how that politics can function through the debate round and the ballot is very. Smart questions and simplification of the alt/ K will probably allow it to be more persuasive and stop the k from becoming the blob it normally becomes.
Have fun!
~Kaine
Wake Forest University 2025
Debated In College and HS
Yes Email Chain: lcandersoncx@gmail.com -- please format the subject As “Tournament Name -- Round # -- Aff School [team code] vs Neg School [team code]. Example: “Berkeley -- Dubs -- AFF Archbishop Mitty DR vs NEG Interlake GQ”
Conflicts: Barstow, LC Anderson, Oakridge, Archbishop Mitty
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* Updated for Shirley*
Although I largely debated more critically in college, I have coached and have a background across a swath of styles of debates.
At the end of the rebuttals -- I start by looking at what the teams have flagged as the most important pieces of offense. 2NRs and 2ARs rarely do enough judge instruction. The best type of RFD is where I don't have to do too much work and I can parrot back to you what the rebuttals said.
I want to see and will reward with increased speaks the following: argument innovation, specificity, quality ev, jokes/good vibes, good cx, examples, and judge instruction.
Call Tab is a silly argument in framework blocks
Note: Please send out all interp texts and perm texts in the email chain
Insert or Read: All portions of evidence that has already been introduced into the debate get to be inserted. This is a way to provide an incentive for in depth evidence comparison while also creating a strategic incentive to read good quality cards. Any portions of evidence that hasn’t already been introduced into debate should be read.
K Affs:Pretty agnostic here. My one pet peeve are affirmatives that define solvency mechanisms solely around not doing something ie. vote affirmative because we have refused the rez. The easiest way to lose reading a K aff in front of me is just saying buzzwords in the overview without unpacking what the aff does -- I am not scared to say I vote neg on presumption because I don’t know what the aff does.
I think that in debates vs FW both the counterinterp or pure impact turn strategy are viable. I think counterinterp debating is vastly undervalued and if done right can severely mitigate their internal links while providing uniqueness for aff offense on framework. Usually ev defining what the core controversy ought to be provides these strategies with more traction. My hesitancy with impact turn strategies is that it gives the full weight to their limits + predictability horror story. In my mind these strategies make the most sense when you have a good ballot proximity argument and against heavy debate doesn't shape subjectivity + fairness is axiomatically good debates. In debates where I end up voting neg in impact turn debates is when the 2AR does not package how the ballot resolves the impact turn.
Love good K V K debates!
FW vs K affs:Despite my reputation, I have found myself increasingly voting for framework while judging. I think that teams that deploy framework the must successfully are ones that engage the most with the affirmative teams offense explicitly rather than filling in blanks from generic blocks. I think its less valuable now to say is fairness an impact yes or no than how fairness is packaged. It is an impact that requires impact comparison with the affirmatives impact that they have gone for. When teams win on fairness in front of me it is usually coupled with a big push about why its the only thing my ballot can resolve and mitigatory defense to the affirmative's solvency claim for the scope of its impact. For clash debates the question of ballot solvency matters significantly less to me than about questions of models of debate. In these debates, internal link debating matters more about the specifics of their counter interp why is it unlimiting and unpredictable and why does a preclusion of that clash turn the ability for their model to access the benefits. I think on a climate topic, there is additional room for clash to be externalized to an impact about climate ethics and how organizers should navigate the climate debates they inevitably get into.
Topicality: I think a lot of teams do not put enough practice into debating T, making it one of the most strategic arguments for neg teams. I probably lean towards competing interps -- reasonability is a defensive argument for filtering how I evaluate interps. 2NR’s and 2AR’s shouldn’t go for every argument on the T page but collapse to one impact and do thorough weighing. I am a huge sucker for a precision 2NR/2AR.
Counterplans: Love em -- go for em. Cheaty Counterplans are cheaty only if you lose the theory debate. Having a solvency advocate or core of topic cards will go a long way to helping you win that debate. No strong predispositions on counterplan theory -- its up to the debaters.
Disads: Yes -- Do them. Teams don’t do enough of link turns case analysis.
Kritiks: My decisions tend to start from the framework debate and this guides how I evaluate the other parts of the flow. This determines the threshold needed for link UQ, whether the aff gets to be weighed, etc.. Always extend an alt -- it doesn't need to be always like "movements solve" or "fiated" but needs to frame both my ballot and how I should frame the debate.K teams should do more link turns case analysis. If not make sure you make persuasive framing arguments about why the case doesn’t outweigh. Aff teams benefit from spending less time on framework (unless they are one-tricking the fiat k) and more time engaging with the links + thesis of the K.
Debated 4 years at Dowling HS in Des Moines, Iowa (09-12, Energy, Poverty, Military, Space)
Debated at KU (13-15, Energy, War Powers, Legalization)
Previously Coached: Ast. Coach Shawnee Mission Northwest, Lansing High School.
Currently Coaching: Ast. Coach Washburn Rural High School
UPDATE 10/1: CX is closed and lasts three minutes after constructive. I won't listen to questions or answers outside of those three minutes or made by people that aren't designated for that CX. I think it's a bummer that a lot of CXs get taken over by one person on each team. It doesn't give me the opportunity to evaluate debaters or for debaters to grow in areas where they might struggle. I'm going to start using my rounds to curb that.
Top Level
Do whatever you need to win rounds. I have arguments that I like / don't like, but I'd rather see you do whatever you do best, than do what I like badly. Have fun. I love this activity, and I hope that everyone in it does as well. Don't be unnecessarily rude, I get that some rudeness happens, but you don't want me to not like you. Last top level note. If you lose my ballot, it's your fault as a debater for not convincing me that you won. Both teams walk into the room with an equal chance to win, and if you disagree with my decision, it's because you didn't do enough to take the debate out of my hands.
Carrot and Stick
Carrot - every correctly identified dropped argument will be rewarded with .1 speaks (max .5 boost)
Stick - every incorrectly identified dropped argument will be punished with -.2 speaks (no max, do not do this)
General
DAs - please. Impact calc/ turns case stuff great, and I've seen plenty of debates (read *bad debates) where that analysis is dropped by the 1ar. Make sure to answer these args if you're aff.
Impact turns - love these debates. I'll even go so far as to reward these debates with an extra .2 speaker points. By impact turns I mean heg bag to answer heg good, not wipeout. Wipeout will not be rewarded. It will make me sad.
CPs - I ran a lot of the CPs that get a bad rep like consult. I see these as strategically beneficial. I also see them as unfair. The aff will not beat a consult/ condition CP without a perm and/or theory. That's not to say that by extending those the aff autowins, but it's likely the only way to win. I lean neg on most questions of CP competition and legitimacy, but that doesn't mean you can't win things like aff doesn't need to be immediate and unconditional, or that something like international actors are illegit.
Theory - Almost always a reason to reject the arg, not the team. Obviously conditionality is the exception to that rule.
T - Default competing interps. Will vote on potential abuse. Topical version of the aff is good and case lists are must haves. "X" o.w. T args are silly to me.
Ks - dropping k tricks will lose you the debate. I'm fine with Ks, do what you want to. Make sure that what you're running is relevant for that round. If you only run security every round, if you hit a structural violence aff, your security K will not compel me. Make sure to challenge the alternative on the aff. Make sure to have a defense of your epistemology/ontology/reps or that these things aren't important, losing this will usually result in you losing the round.
K affs - a fiat'd aff with critical advantages is obviously fine. A plan text you don't defend: less fine, but still viable. Forget the topic affs are a hard sell in front of me. It can happen, but odds are you're going to want someone else higher up on your sheet. I believe debate is good, not perfect, but getting better. I don't think the debate round is the best place to resolve the issues in the community.
Speaker points.
I don't really have a set system. Obviously the carrot and stick above apply. It's mostly based on how well you did technically, with modifications for style and presentation. If you do something that upsets me (you're unnecessarily rude, offensive, do something shady), your points will reflect that.
Background
First, and most importantly, I am a Black man. I competed in policy for three years in high school at Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School; I did an additional year at the University of Kentucky. I am now on the coaching staff at Little Rock Central High School. I have a bachelor's and a master's in Communication Studies and a master's in Secondary Education. I said that not to sound pompous but so that you will understand that my lack of exposure to an argument will not preclude me from evaluating it; I know how to analyze argumentation. I have represented Arkansas at the Debate Topic Selection for the past few years (I authored the Middle East paper in 2018 and the Criminal Justice paper in 2019) and that has altered how I view both the topic process and debates, in a good way. I think this makes me a more informed, balanced judge. Summer '22 I chaired the Wording Committee for NFHS Policy Debate Topic Selection; do with this information what you want.
Include me on all email chains at cgdebate1906@gmail.com. If it’s a policy round then ALSO includelrchdebatedocs@gmail.com,If it’s an LD round then ALSO include lrc.lddocs@gmail.com please and thank you
Randoms
I find that many teams are rude and obnoxious in round and don’t see the need to treat their opponents with dignity. I find this mode of thinking offensive and disrespectful to the activity as a whole
I consider myself an open slate person but that doesn’t mean that you can pull the most obscure argument from your backfiles and run it in front of me. Debate is an intellectual game. Because of this I find it offensive when debaters run arguments just run them.
I don’t mind speed and consider myself an exceptional flower. That being said, I think that it helps us judges when debaters slow down on important things like plan/CP texts, perms, theory arguments, and anything else that will require me to get what you said verbatim. I flow on a computer so I need typing time. Your speed will always outpace my ability to type; please be conscious of this.
Intentionally saying anything remotely racist, ableist, transphobic, etc will get you an auto loss in front of me. If that means you need to strike me then do us both a favor and strike me. That being said, I’m sure most people would prefer to win straight up and not because a person was rhetorically problematic, in round.
Judge Commitments
I’m SO sick and tired of circuit-level teams/competitors providing NON-circuit/lay judges to cover their commitment. Debaters spend a LOT of time crafting/drafting arguments and deserve to come to tournaments and have judges who will work equally as hard, when it comes to evaluating debates. If I am judging you and your school did/does NOT provide quality judging then expect me to be more arbitrary in judging debates than I would normally; if you are unwilling to provide others with a quality judge experience then I have no qualms giving bad, arbitrary, or other non-flow based decisions. IF you want me to provide you with a quality judging experience then you should populate the pool with similar-minded people. If you are unsure of what constitutes non-quality judging then see the non-comprehensive list below:
- parent judges
- lay judges
- judges who refuse to listen to certain arguments because they don’t like them (excluding tricks)
- judges who would prefer high school kids capitulate to what THEY want and not what the kids want to discuss
We as a community understand that some people cannot hire out judges and maybe only their parent is available but the lack of training that they give to those parents/certain questionable ways that they teach them to judge are still not good. In short, if you want me to be the best version of myself then provide other judges who are willing to work equally as hard.
Update for Online Debate
Asking "is anyone not ready" before an online speech an excise in futility; if someone's computer is glitching they have no way of telling you they aren’t ready. Wait for verbal/nonverbal confirmation that all individuals are ready before beginning your speech, please. If my camera is off, I am not ready for your speech. Online debate makes speed a problem for all of us. Anything above 75% of your top speed ensures I will miss something; govern yourselves accordingly.
Please make sure I can see your face/mouth when you are speaking if at all possible. I would really prefer that you kept your camera on. I understand how invasive of an ask this is. If you CANNOT for reasons (tech, personal reasons, etc.) I am completely ok with going on with the camera off. Debate is inherently an exclusive activity, if the camera on is a problem I would rather not even broach the issue.
I would strongly suggest recording your own speeches in case someone's internet cuts out. When this issue arises, a local recording is a life saver. Do not record other people's speeches without their consent; that is a quick way to earn a one-way trip to L town sponsored by my ballot.
Lastly, if the round is scheduled to start at 2, don’t show up to the room asking for my email at 1:58. Be in the room by tech time (it’s there for a reason) so that you can take care of everything in preparation for the round. 2 o’clock start time means the 1ac is being read at 2, not the email chain being set up at 2. Timeliness, or lack thereof, is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. Too often debaters are too cavalier with time. Two things to keep in mind: 1) it shortens my decision time and 2) it’s a quick way to short yourself on speaks (I’m real get-off-my-lawn about this).
Short Version
My previous paradigm had a thorough explanation of how I evaluate most arguments. For the sake of prefs and pre round prep I have decided to amend it. When I debated, I was mostly a T/CP/DA debater. That being said, I am open to just about any form of argumentation you want to make. If it is a high theory argument don’t take for granted that I understand most of the terminology your author(s) use.
I will prioritize my ballot around what the 2NR/2AR highlights as the key issues in the debate. I try to start with the last two speeches and work my way back through the debate evaluating the arguments that the debaters are making. I don’t have to personally agree with an argument to vote for it.
T-USfg
Yes I coach primarily K teams but I have voted for T/framework quite often; win the argument and you win my ballot. Too often debaters read a lot of blocks and don’t do enough engaging in these kinds of debates. The “Role of the Ballot” needs to be explicit and there needs to be a discussion of how your ROB is accessible by both teams. If you want to skirt the issue of accessibility then you need to articulate why the impact(s) of the aff outweigh whatever arguments the neg is going for.
I am less persuaded by fairness arguments; I think fairness is more of an internal link to a more concrete impact (e.g., truth testing, argument refinement). Affs should be able to articulate what the role of the negative is under their model. If the aff is in the direction of the topic, I tend to give them some leeway in responding to a lot of the neg claims. Central to convincing me to vote for a non-resolutionally based affirmative is their ability to describe to me what the role of the negative would be under their model of debate. The aff should spend time on impact turning framework while simultaneously using their aff to short circuit some of the impact claims advanced by the neg.
When aff teams lose my ballot in these debates it’s often because they neglect to articulate why the claims they make in the 1ac implicate/inform the neg’s interp and impacts here. A lot of times they go for a poorly explained, barely extended impact turn without doing the necessary work of using the aff to implicate the neg’s standards.
When neg teams lose my ballot in these debates it’s often because they don’t engage the aff. Often times, I find myself having a low bar for presumption when the aff is poorly explained (both in speeches and CX) yet neg teams rarely use this to their advantage. A good framework-centered 2NR versus most k affs involves some type of engagement on case (solvency deficit, presumption, case turn, etc.) and your framework claims; I think too often the neg gives the aff full risk of their aff and solvency which gives them more weight on impact turns than they should have. If you don’t answer the aff AT ALL in the 2NR I will have a hard time voting for you; 2AR’s would be smart to point this out and leverage this on the impact debate.
If you want toread a kritik of debate,I have no problems with that. While, in a vacuum, I think debate is an intrinsic good, we too often forget we exist in a bubble. We must be introspective (as an activity) about the part(s) we like and the part(s) we don't like; if that starts with this prelim round or elim debate then so be it. As structured, debate is super exclusionary if we don't allow internal criticism, we risk extinction in such a fragile world.
LD
If you don't read a "plan" then all the neg has to do is win a link to the resolution. For instance, if you read an aff that's 6 minutes of “whole rez” but you don't defend a specific action then the neg just needs to win a link based on the resolution OR your impact scenario(s). If you don't like it then write better affs that FORCE the neg to get more creative on the link debate.
If theory is your go-to strategy, on either side, please strike me. I am sick and tired debaters refusing to engage substance and only read frivolous theory arguments you barely understand. If you spend your time in the 1AR going for theory don’t you dare fix your lips to go for substance over theory and expect my ballot in the 2AR. LD, in its current state, is violent, racist, and upholds white supremacy; if you disagree do us both a favor and strike me (see above). Always expecting people to open source disclose is what is driving a lot of non-white people from the activity. I spend most of my time judging policy so an LD round that mimics a policy debate is what I would prefer to hear.
I’m sick of debaters not flowing then thinking they can ask what was read “before” CX starts. Once you start asking questions, THAT IS CX TIME. I have gotten to the point that I WILL DOCK YOUR SPEAKS if you do this; I keep an exceptional flow and you should as well. If you go over time, I will stop you and your opponent will not be required to answer questions. You are eating into decision time but not only that it shows a blatant lack of respect for the "rules" of activity. If this happens and you go for some kind of "fairness good" claim I'm not voting for it; enjoy your Hot L (shoutout to Chris Randall and Shunta Jordan). Lastly, most of these philosophers y’all love quoting were violently racist to minorities. If you want me (a black man) to pick you up while you defend a racist you better be very compelling and leave no room for misunderstandings.
Parting Thoughts
I came into this activity as a fierce competitor, at this juncture in my life I’m in it solely for the education of the debaters involved; I am less concerned with who I am judging and more concerned with the content of what I debate. I am an educator and a lover of learning things; what I say is how I view debate and not a roadmap to my ballot. Don’t manipulate what you are best at to fit into my paradigm of viewing debate. Do what you do best and I will do what I do best in evaluating the debate.
Me
(she/they) - mariannegriffithdb8@gmail.com
Debated 4 years at Maize ---> 1st year debating at Wichita State
Coaching at Maize
2a for 3 years, now a 2n
Pro-small schools and programs always and forever yall don’t get enough credit for the work you do to be able to compete
----
Overview
I have read all types of arguments in debate - i really don't care what you do - I've read a k aff, policy aff, framework, adv cp, dumb impact turns
Tech>Truth
good for speed, but you should obv be clear
debate is a game.
read rehighlightings
scrappy debate is the best debate
I will read evidence if it is challenged by a team. Otherwise, if you say a piece of evidence says X and the other team doesn’t say anything, I will just assume it says X.
my predispositions here don't mean I won't vote for an argument if you're winning it. they are just my preferences - debaters should be able to say whatever they want in a debate -
K affs
I've read both k affs and policy affs - I've also gone for multiple types of arguments against k affs - framework, pics, turns, ks
I do have lots of experience with the different literature bases [see ks on the neg] so I'll definitely be able to understand how your k aff works and its method - this doesn't mean you should lack explanation though
I think K affs should be in the direction of the topic and have an explainable theory of power that can be used against the neg's offense - I think solvency is really important - having a useable/explainable mechanism is the only way to hedge against presumption
2nrs that are too defensive and don't get to at least a little on case will probably lose
Clash and fairness can be impacts, but they also don't have to be and will vote on no impact and impact turns if they're won - I think fairness is the better of the impacts - but i feel like there has been a mass forgetting about how to articulate fairness as a terminal impact and people just say the word fairness and think that's enough
For any framework debate - it's about models both teams should be able to explain there's and why it's better for debate or any other reason
I think neg teams need to be creative vs these affs then just framework - think about piks, impact turns, disads, etc
I've seen a lot of k aff teams drop tvas and SSD - to me this is almost always a tko
the tvas options on this topic are so good please use them
[see k's on the neg for state bad vs good stuff]
K v K
good for these debates
I think that root cause and ontology debating is probably the most important in these rounds
probably lean towards the aff getting perms
Ks on the neg
I've gone for the k a good chunk of times - cap, fem, biopolitics, security
Over all, I have lots of experience with k lit including [afropess and its other variations, queer ks, orientalism, set col, cap, biopolitics, fem] - but i will need more explanation on [pscyhoanalysis, baudrillard, bataille, deleuze, heidegger] - overall probably down with anything you want to read
Good for any type of framework debating I did a ton of it - wish I would see more interaction on these flows except block reading
links of omission and to the status quo are not real links - so i'll definitely be swayed if the aff team goes for this type of argument
if your k relies on ontology then you have to win this debate or else you'll probably lose - ontology examples are definitely quality over quantity - you should use examples to implicate the K and how the world works (whether you're aff or neg)
state good vs state bad is very important to me - the more examples the better for both sides - I hate when teams just say the state is bad for "insert group" or the state is good for "insert group" without any actual discussion of how the state has harmed or helped that group
I went for the floating pik a lot but, they're usually bad and it doesn't mean i like them- unless you say the words "it solves the entirety of the aff and circumvents the links" or articulate it as that i'm probably not going to weigh it as actually solving - blippy explanations are not real arguments to how it would work - if you barely mention it in the block and then it becomes the 2nr it will prob not factor into my decision
Case
Impact turns please and thank you - does this mean wipeout? I know a lot of judges have a moral dilemma with it but I don’t really care
I pretty much love all impact turns and have gone for a whole bunch heg bad, democracy bad, disease good, warming good, nuke terror good, taiwan war good, china war good, etc
impact defense is heavily underutilized
soft left affs are almost always the worst affs I've ever seen
Topicality
i'll default to competing interps
reasonability is a solid arg and mishandled a lot of the time by the neg - substance crowdout as an impact is almost always dropped and can turn and outweigh lots of impacts the neg might bring up
I will really really not want to vote on bad interps these things include [t-increase, insert thing is not included in the plan text, not a big fan of vagueness/aspec args - vagueness favors the aff]
you should explain the vision of the topic under your interp - these include things like caselists and tvas
ptiav is fine
Theory
most theory is a reason to reject the arg and not the team, except for condo, but hey if you impact it well enough then sure
Unless the amount of condo is egregious then I probably lean condo good - going for condo bad if you give a bad 2ac isn't going to be persuasive unless you can spot me the reason it was bad was because of condo
I'm not the biggest fan of theory debates - I probably will not like if you kick the aff in the 1ar and decide to go for condo unless they like dropped it
Counterplans
counterplans are good
I will judge kick when told to
probably not the best for competition debates
adv cps - fine - a million planks not so much… multiplank cps bad is pretty persuasive on the condo debate
DAs
fav is ptx <3
link debates are important. low risk of link = low chance of ballot
Top of any neg speech with a DA after the 1NC should start with something like, "DA outweighs and turns case."
2as should be more offensive when it makes sense - impact turns, straight turns, link turns
Clipping
I follow along in the doc. Meeting my minimum standard for clipping will result in a loss, with minimum speaks to the individual who does it
(stolen from Nathan Glancy)
1. Speaker skips a paragraph of a card in a speech
2. Speaker skips a sentence that is 10 or more words in a speech
3. Speakers skips 3-5 words 5 times within a speech
4. Speaker systematically skips 1-2 words throughout a speech
if you want to accuse the other team of clipping then you need to stake the round on it
Misc
people that have shaped the way I debate and judge: Phillip Samuels, Thomas Babcock, and Nate Glancy
I flow cx - it's binding
I've noticed an increasing amount of debaters just not letting the other team talk AT ALL in cross x and so i have a very low threshold for this because it's annoying and your speaks will probably get lowered
Disclosure is ALWAYS good (except if you're breaking a new aff) but anyway people are getting increasingly worse at it - i will most definitely vote on a disclosure interp if a team doesn't open source any of their docs and just uses cites. +.3 speaks if you tell me opensource (i will check) - more teams should be losing for not disclosing idc
cross x is always open
pointing out author quals is good
http://www.policydebate.net/points-scale.html
I agree with this statement below
"This isn't super important, but I think it's really funny and wrong when teams of a certain ethnicity read from a literature base that does not "belong to them". I think there are potential justifications that can be made for this but, considering the privilege that lies in voyeurism, I'm highly sympathetic to someone saying you can't read black nihilism as an Indian kid from the 'burbs. I'm sorry buddy but the optics are not in your favor, I don't make the rules."
Currently a coach and PhD student at The University of Kansas.
Add me to the chain plz and thank you DerekHilligoss@gmail.com
if you have any questions or want something clarified feel free to reach out!
for college add rockchalkdebate@gmail.com as well
TL;DR do what you do and do it well. Don't let my preferences/career/coaching record sway you away from doing what you want.
The only thing I ever wanted from a judge, both as a debater and coach, is someone who will try hard and vote no matter who the teams are or what the arguments are. Those are the qualities I try and emulate if given the chance to judge you.
The biggest thing for me is that I value good impact framing/calc. If you aren't explaining why your impacts matter more then your opponents you are leaving it up for me or the other team to decide.
This is greatly influenced by Jarrod Atchison's paradigm as I've come to realize that I care less and less about what argument you go for but more HOW you go for that argument/explain that argument/impact that argument matters.
How I flow----
I will flow on paper in a line-by-line format with my computer near by to look at evidence during cx (i.e. will look at a card that is under subject of cx otherwise will be watching the debate).
Otherwise, my goal as a judge is to only flow and evaluate the arguments presented verbally in the debate. I enjoy watching debater's arguments clash not their documents.
How I come to make a decision----
I take a sheet of paper and write down a few things
First, what are the big issues?
---- typically these come through top level framing and "even if" statements but typically want to get an idea of the "big picture" of the debate.
---- I usually work top down from the flow--- i.e. most of your important framing/big issues will be framed near the top of the flows--- unlikely happening in the last 30 seconds but could!
Second is a list of questions for the big issue/question---- for example---
--- if all arguments are won by both sides who wins?
--- execution errors?
--- where do the arguments interact? on the flow and across flows?
--- impact framing arguments/framing in general for how I should decide?
Third is to create the "mini-debates" that are occurring under or around these big questions attempting to resolve these questions. I.e. link vs link turn debate looking at the third and fourth level of arguments and thinking through that.
Fourth is evidence. In most cases I will probably never ask for a card doc. But I look at questions of evidence last so as to not influence the other parts of my decision. I.e. I want to evaluate your explanation vs the opponents before being influence by my reading of the evidence.
Fifth and finally I will write a short draft ballot and play devil’s advocate with myself--- this can look like "I vote negative because the link on the disad turns and outweighs the aff plus risk of case defense"
and then pretend I'm the aff and ask the "what about?" questions--- my goal is to try and answer most/all of your questions by end of my RFD and doing this ensures I'm thinking through all of your arguments as best I can with what is presented.
I will then type most if not all of this up on the tabroom notes section--- this is 1) to let your go back (with coaches) and review during redoes and 2) to prevent me from rambling, which I tend to do quite often. This means I take some time during the decision time.
Random other things:
I wander around the room during prep to think about the debate as it's occurring/sitting in a room for that long is annoying--- if I'm not back when prep is done just poke your head outside and I'm probably there.
I'll put my headphones on while I write my RFD to block out the noise. If you want to walk around after the debate please feel free.
I tend to have a blank face while judging--- don't take that as I'm annoyed at yall or your arguments--- I'm actually excited and love judging but tend to make tons of face regularly that can be overinterpreted. I will nod at times when something "makes sense" (doesn't mean you are winning just means makes sense to me) or if you can genuinely get me to laugh I will but... don't force it lol.
thing's I'm bad for (read: not impossible but either lack of knowledge or desire make it harder for me to want to vote on them)--- LD tricks/shenanigans, debate theory, "fairness paradox" as an answer to K affs, arguments about things that occurred outside of the round,
a note on Theory--- I think people tend to have these so blocked out and memorized they don't explain things--- mostly true of process theory debates where I tend to lend towards the aff on the perm--- so if this is your strategy just be sure you are breaking down the theory concepts because I don't think as deeply about this part of debate as yall do.
Be nice! :) I love debate and debaters but am also a human. You are more than welcome to disagree with the decision but attempts to belittle or insult me or your opponents won't go over well for you.
they/them
please add me to chain - jamdebate@gmail.com
important stuff not directly related to my opinions about debate:
after over a year of the most public display of genocide in history i am no longer going to pretend that defending “the u.s. led liberal international order” is not morally equivalent to defending the holocaust. if you say the u.s./nato/"liberal international order" is good then strike me. i am sick of listening to that fourth reich stuff. your speaks will suffer drastically for making those arguments and i will be extremely sympathetic to criticisms of them.
climate topic update - i have done no research for it
please be honest with yourself about how fast you are going. i need pen time! i don't need you to go dramatically slower than you normally would, but please do not drone monotonously through your blocks as if they are card text or i will likely miss some arguments.
if debating online: go slower than usual, especially on theory
how i decide stuff:
i am not a judge that thinks that any argument is true until disproven in the debate. as much as some consider themselves "flow purists," i think every judge agrees with this to a degree. for example, "genocide good" or "transphobia good" etc. are obviously reprehensible arguments that are harmful to include in debate and i won't entertain. that being the case, i have kind of a hard time distinguishing those "obvious" examples from more commonly accepted ones that are, to me, just as harmful and can even be outright genocidal, like first strike counterplans, interventions good, arms sales to israel are good, increasing police funding is good, etc.
despite how the above paragraph might be interpreted, i frequently vote for arguments i don't like, including arguments i think are harmful for debate. at the end of the day, unless something i think drastically requires my intervention, i will try to judge the debate as objectively as i can based on my flow
by default i will vote for the team with the most resolved offense. a complete argument is required to generate offense, so i won't vote for an incomplete argument (e.g. "they dropped x" still needs a proper extension of x with a warrant for why it's true). judge instruction is very important for me. if there is an issue in the debate with little guidance from the debaters on how to resolve it, don't be surprised if there is some degree of intervention so i can resolve it. i will also not vote for an argument that i cannot explain
opinions on specific things:
i am willing to vote on arguments about something that happened outside of the debate, but need those arguments to be backed up with evidence/receipts. this is not because i don't/won't believe you otherwise, but because i don't want to be in the position of having to resolve a debate over something impossible for me to substantiate. i know it’s somewhat arbitrary, but it seems like the least arbitrary way for me to approach these debates without writing them off entirely, which is an approach i strongly disagree with. however, if someone i trust tells me that you are a predator or that you knowingly associate with one, i will not vote for you under any circumstances.
plan texts: if yours is written poorly or intentionally vaguely, i will likely be sympathetic to neg arguments about how to interpret what it means/does. neg teams should press this issue more often
planless affs: i enjoy judging debates where the aff does not read a plan. idc if the aff does not "fiat" something as long as it is made clear to me how to resolve the aff's offense. i am very willing to vote on presumption in these debates and i yearn for more case debating
t-usfg/fw: not my favorite debates. voting record in these debates is starting to lean more and more aff, often because the neg does a poor job of convincing me that my ballot cannot resolve the aff's offense and aff teams are getting better at generating uniqueness. i am less interested in descriptive arguments about what debateis (for example, "debate is a game") and more interested in arguments about what debate ought to be. the answer to that can still be "a game" but can just as likely be something else.
k thoughts: not very good for euro pomo stuff (deleuze, bataille, etc) but good for anything else. big fan of the cap k when it's done well (extremely rare), even bigger hater of the cap k when it's done poorly (almost every time). if reading args about queerness or transness, avoid racism. i don't mind link ev being somewhat generic if it's applied well. obviously the more specific the better, but don't be that worried if you don't have something crazy specific. i think "links of omission" can be persuasive sources of offense. for the aff, saying the text of a perm without explaining how it ameliorates links does not an argument make
theory: please make sure you're giving me pen time here. i am probably more likely than most to vote on theory arguments, but they are almost always a reason to reject the arg and not the team (obvi does not apply to condo). that being said, you need a warrant for "reject the arg not the team" rather than just saying that statement. not weirdly ideological about condo (i will vote on it)
counterplans/competition: a perm text without an explanation of how it disproves the competitiveness of the counterplan is not a complete argument. by default, i will judge kick the cp if the neg loses it and evaluate the squo as well. aff, if you don't want me to do that, tell me not to
lastly, i try to watch for clipping. if you clip, it's an auto-loss. the other team does not have to call you out on it, but i am much more comfortable voting against a team for clipping if the issue is raised by the other team with evidence provided. if i clear you multiple times and the card text you're reading is still incomprehensible, that's clipping. ethics challenges should be avoided at all costs, but if genuine academic misconduct occurs in a debate i will approach the issue seriously and carefully
avoid saying slurs you shouldn't be saying or you'll automatically lose
Put me on the email chain: Lawsonhudson10@gmail.com;baylordb8@gmail.com (college)
Cabot '19
Baylor '24 - 3x NDT Qualifier
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free
TLDR: Do what you want and do it well. Paradigms can be more dissuasive than informative so let me know if you have any questions before the round. When debating I almost exclusively read K arguments so more judge framing in policy v policy rounds is very helpful. Depth over breadth, if your strat is 8+ off Im probably not the judge for you. I'll always read ev and be engaged in the round but it's your responsibility to tell me how to evaluate the round/impacts. Debate is fundamentally a communicative activity, if you want me to evaluate your args I need you to explain your warrants rather than just extending tags/card names. If there's disputes over what a piece of evidence says I'll read evidence but I shouldn't have to sift through a card doc to resolve a debate. If there's anything I can do to make debates more accessible for you, please let me know before round either via email or a pre-round conversation. Debate well and have fun!
I want to see and will reward with increased speaks the following: argument innovation, specificity, quality ev, jokes/good vibes, good cx, examples, and judge instruction. Please give me judge instruction. Write my ballot in the beginning of your final rebuttal and make sure to resolve the offense on the flow. I want to see clash, the more you clash with your opponents, the more likely you are to get my ballot. Regardless of my background, I really don't care what you read or how you debate; do what you do best and I'll do my best to evaluate the debate at hand.
K affs
Go for it. Affs that defend doing things in the direction of the topic tend to do better in fw debates but if your aff doesn't do that, just win why not doing that is good and you'll be fine. I'm honestly down for whatever. Whether your strategy is to have a connection to the topic and a method that results in topical action, or you read your aff to impact turn fw I've done it and will evaluate anything. I tend to thing presumption is a strategic strategy against k affs that at least forces teams to explain what they are defending. Tell me what my role in these debates is, what the ballot does, and what the benefit to debating the aff is. If you do these things, you're good.
T
Go for it. I think T is especially underutilized against certain policy affs. Contrary to some belief, I will vote for fw and will evaluate it like any argument. I usually evaluate fw debates through the lens of competing models of debate but can be convinced otherwise. For the neg, I find arguments about clash and advocacy centered on the topic generally more persuasive than arguments about procedural fairness. Especially on this topic, I think having offense as to why debating climate change is good would be beneficial for the neg. TVA's probably need to have at least texts, can be convinced they need solvency advocates too. I can be convinced affs make clash impossible, but if your only idea of clash is the politics da and the states cp I'll be less persuaded (I really like politics tho). In my opinion, the best way to go for fw is to win your interp creates a model of debate that is able to solve the affs offense (either through the tva or ssd). For the aff, its usually easier to win impact turns to fw but having a solid defense of your model/counter interp goes a long way in mitigating neg offense. I enjoy creative we meet args/counter-interps. New, innovative approaches to fw are always exciting as these debates can get very stale. I want to see ~clash~.
K's
These debates are where I have the most background and feel the most comfortable judging. The two biggest issues for the negative in K debates tend to be link application and alt explanation. Focusing on these areas along with round framing i.e. fw (for both the aff and the neg) will largely determine the direction of my ballot in these debates. Affs needs to explain how the permutation functions in the context of the alternative rather than simply extending a perm text as well as net benefits to the perm while the negative should equally spend sufficient time explaining why the aff and the alt are mutually exclusive. I don’t think the neg necessarily needs to go for an alt but if that's your thing you need to make sure you win the framework debate. Affs tend to do better when they engage with the actual content of the K and extend offense in addition to the case. If your aff obviously links to the K i.e. cap vs an innovation aff, you're probably in a better position impact turning the K than going for the no link/perm strategy in front of me. Aff teams would benefit from spending less time on framework/reading endless cards and more time engaging with the links/thesis of the K.
CPs/DA's
Make sure to explain how the counterplan is mutually exclusive with the aff and what the net benefit is. When going for the disad the negative needs to have a clear link, preferably reasons why the disad turns the case, and Impact Framing. Both the 2nr and the 2ar need to explain to me why your impacts outweigh theirs because I don't want to do that work for you.
LD:
While I've done LD, I have done exclusively progressive LD so I'm not familiar with some of the traditional LD norms. I'm fine with general theory arguments like conditionality and disclosure theory but if your strat relies on your opponent conceding a bunch of blippy, unwarranted statements that don't mean anything I'm probably not the judge for you. I'd much rather you see you win on the content of the debate than extending a blippy 1ar theory argument so you don't have to debate the substance of the case. Go as fast as you want as long as you are clear. I'm not likely to vote on tricks/spikes and long underviews in 1acs are annoying. If the 1ac involves reading 5 minutes of preempts with 1 minute of content I’m probably not the judge for you. I'm a policy debater at heart. I ultimately don't care what you do or say in round as long as it's not racist, sexist, ableist, or transphobic. Just make arguments - claim, warrant, impact - and tell me why you're winning the debate in the rebuttal speeches. I judge LD rounds slightly differently - I flow on my laptop. I first evaluate the fw debate which only ends up mattering when it does I guess? I then evaluate the 2nr/2ar to resolve key points of offense. I find LD debaters are often too defensive in their rebuttals and if that's you its not likely to work in your favor. Have offense. Be willing to impact turn your opponents position. I want to see ~clash~.
Paradigm
Email: Krousekevin1@gmail.com
Background:
Coaching:
Olathe North Assistant Debate Coach (2024-present) - Policy Debate
Simpson College Assistant Debate Coach (2024-present) - LD focus
Olathe East Assistant Debate and Forensics Coach (2017-2024) - Policy and LD focus
Debate experience:
4 years competing in Policy and LD in High School
3 years competing in College Parli debate (NPTE/NPDA circuit)
If you only read one thing on this paradigm, it should be my thoughts below on extending arguments:
Extend your arguments. Extend your arguments. EXTEND YOUR ARGUMENTS! (THIS IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME THAN WHAT TYPE OF ARGUMENT YOU READ) Some of the debates I've watched this year have me so frustrated cuz you'll just be absolutely crushing in parts of the debate but just not extend other parts needed to make it relevant. For example, I've seen so many teams going for framework this year where the last rebuttals are 5 minutes of standards and voters and just no extension of an interp that resolves them. Or 2ARs that do so much impact calc and impact-turns-the-DA stuff that they never explain how their aff resolves these impacts so I'm left intervening and extending key warrants for you that OR intervening and voting on a presumption argument that the other team doesn't necessarily make. So err on the side of over extending arguments and take advantage of my high threshold and call out other teams bad argument extension to make me feel less interventionist pulling the trigger on it. What does this mean? Arguments extended should have a claim and a warrant that supports that claim. If your argument extension is just name dropping a lot of authors sited in previous speeches, you're gonna have a bad time during my RFD. The key parts of the "story" of the argument need to be explicitly extended in each speech. For example, if you're going for T in the 2NR then the interp, violation, the standard you're going for, and why it's a voter should be present in every neg speech. Whatever advantage the 2AR is going for should include each part of of the 'story' of aff advantage (uniqueness, solvency, internal link, impact) and I should be able to follow that back on my flow from the 1AR and 2AC. If the 2AR is only impact outweighs and doesn't say anything about how the aff solves it, I'm partial to voting neg on a presumption ballot
Ways to get good speaks in front of me:
-Extend your arguments adequately (see above paragraph) and callout other teams for insufficient extensions
-Framing the round correctly (identifying the most relevant nexus point of the debate, explain why you're winning it, explain why it wins you the round)
-Doc is sent by the time prep ends
-One partner doesn't dominate every CX
-Send pre-written analytics in your doc
-At least pretend to be having fun lol
-Clash! Your blocks are fine but debates are SOOO much more enjoyable to watch when you get off your blocks and contextualize links/args to the round
-Flow. If you respond to args that were in a doc but weren't actually read, it will hurt your speaks
-Utilize powerful CX moments later in the debate
-If you have a performative component to your kritital argument, explain it's function and utilize it as offense. So many times I see some really cool poetry or something in 1ACs but never get told why poetry is cool/offense and it feels like the aff forgets about it after the 2AC. If it's just in the 1AC to look cool, you were probably better off reading ev or making arguments. If it's there for more than that, USE IT!
Speed:
I can keep up for the most part. Some teams in the national circuit are too fast for me but doesn't happen often. If you think you're one of those teams, go like an 8/10. Slow down for interps and nuanced theory blocks (ESPEICALLY IF THEY ARENT IN THE DOC). 10 off rounds are not fun to watch but you do you.
Argument preferences:
In high school, I preferred traditional policy debate. In college I read mostly Ks. I studied philosophy but don't assume I know everything about your author or their argument. Something that annoys me in these debates is when teams so caught up in buzzwords that they forget to extend warrants. EXTEND YOUR ARGUMENTS. Not just author names, but extend the actual argument. Often teams get so caught up in line by line or responding to the other team that they don't extend their aff or interp or something else necessary for you to win. This will make me sad and you disappointed in the RFD.
I'd rather you debate arguments you enjoy and are comfortable with as opposed to adapting to my preferences. A good debate on my least favorite argument is far more preferable than a bad debate on my favorite argument. I'm open to however you'd like to debate, but you must tell me how to evaluate the round and justify it. Justify your methodology and isolate your offense.
I don't judge kick CPs or Alts, the 2NR should either kick it or go for it. I'm probably not understanding something, but I don't know what "judge kick is the logical extension of condo" means. Condo means you can either go for the advocacy in the 2nr or not. Condo does not mean that the judge will make argumentative selection on your behalf, like judge kicking entails.
K affs- I don't think an affirmative needs to defend the resolution if they can justify their advocacy/methodology appropriately and generate offense against the resolution. I wish negs going for framework did more work explaining how the TVA articulated is sufficient instead of just reading their blocks with random TVAs v K aff, these debates are often shallow and too generic. I think being in the direction of the resolution makes the debate considerably easier for the aff as opposed to a full rejection of the topic, but I've voted for both a decent amount. I wish more negs would engage with the substance of the aff or innovated beyond the basic cap/fw/presumption 1nc but I've vote for this plenty too. I have recently been convinced that fairness can be impacted out well, but most time this isn't done so it usually functions as an internal link to education.
Document sharing:
I have no preference on email chain or speechdrop, but it does irritate me when debaters wait until the round is supposed to be started before trying to figure this stuff out.
Ev Quality:
I'm of the opinion that one good card can be more effective if utilized and analyzed well than 10 bad/mediocre cards that are just read. At the same time, I think a mediocre card utilized strategically can be more useful than a good card under-analyzed. I don't go back and thoroughly re-read every piece of evidence after the round unless it is a card that has become a key point of contestation.
Any other questions, feel free to ask before the round.
LD Paradigm:
I've coached progressive and traditional LD teams and am happy to judge either. You do you. I don't think these debates need a value/criterion, but the debates I watch that do have them usually don't utilize them well. I'm of the opinion that High School LD time structure is busted. The 1AR is simply not enough time. The NFA-LD circuit in college fixed this with an extra 2 minutes in the 1AR but I haven't judged a ton on this circuit so how that implicates when arguments get deployed or interacts with nuanced theory arguments isn't something I've spent much time thinking about. To make up for this bad time structure in High School LD, smart affs should have prempts in their 1AC to try and avoid reading new cards in the 1AR. Smart negs will diversify neg offense to be able to collapse and exploit 1AR mistakes. Pretty much everything applies from my policy paradigm but Imma say it in bold again because most people ignore it anyways: EXTEND YOUR ARGUMENTS. Not just author names, but extend the actual claim and warrant. Often teams get so caught up in line by line or responding to the other team that they don't extend their aff or interp or something else necessary for you to win. This will make me sad and you disappointed in the RFD.
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EMAIL FOR SPEECH DOCS: leigha.debate@gmail.com
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Policy Debater at Moore High School, Moore, OK: 2008-2011
Policy Debater at the University of Oklahoma: 2011-2015
Assistant Policy Debate Coach at Moore High School, Moore, OK: 2012 - 2015; 2018 - 2020
Assistant Coach at University of Central Oklahoma: Dec. 2019 - May 2021
Assistant Coach at Heritage Hall High School, Oklahoma City, OK: Sept. 2023 - Current
I also judge on-and-off for either the University of Oklahoma or the University of Central Oklahoma, so you may see me at NDT-CEDA tournaments occasionally.
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Stylistic:
For virtual debates:
Give me pen-time between arguments - and a second to move from one flow to the next. As one of the last practitioners of paper-debate and as judge who flows on paper, the cleaner and more organized the debate can be on my end, the more satisfying a decision I can give both teams.
I'm okay with observers in debates I judge, if you have affirmative consent from the teams debating. If you observe while recording, I also need to affirmatively consent to you doing so. Just ask me in the chat, that works.
I'll try to record prep time in the chat, if you end up losing your time.
- When the flash drive exits the computer, prep time is over. If using an email chain, verbally announce when you're sending the speech document out, and prep stops.
- I am fine with spreading, but I do want to hear a tag, citation, and the internals of the card. I will yell "clear" if I need.
- Let me know if you're going to have a long overview and I'll flow it on another sheet. My threshold for what I consider a "long" overview is very low, so keep that in mind. Play it safe and tell me to get another sheet, if you're on the fence about if this applies to you.
Argument Execution:
- Analysis needs a claim, a warrant, and an impact. "Extend our argument" is not an extension to me.
- Extending a piece of evidence by name and giving shallow analysis - ie: "Ext. our [blank] card here - means we turn the aff," and moving on. Without some explanation of the how and why that's true within the context of the evidence and the argument it's answering, I'm more reluctant to put in that work for you.
- I value debates where arguments are made with descriptive consistency in warrant extensions and analysis. Being able to trace the development of an argument from its introduction in evidence to the 2NR or 2AR is important to me - keep the key thesis of your argument alive in the debate. The same applies to application of warrants from a piece of evidence.
- It's awesome to see arguments that challenge the aff on a substantive level using nuanced arguments. Specific links are great and encouraged. But, I also reward specific application and contextualization to the aff when using a more generic piece of evidence. Especially in critical debates.
- In rebuttals, especially in the 1AR and 2NR, cleaning up the debate and making larger explanations of strategic, technical decisions or concessions on the flow framing-level is rewarded by me. Consider this me asking you to "write my ballot for me" in the last stages of the debate. I value analysis that not only explains to me the thesis of your advantages, disad, counterplan, or kritik in terms of substance, but also what arguments you are winning and key questions on individual flows you're going for.
Specific Arguments:
I was a critical debater for most of my career but will vote on framework and policy arguments - do what makes you feel comfortable and I will do my best to evaluate the round. I'm just probably not hyper-knowledgable on the truth-claims of the literature for your hot, new Yuan devaluation scenario, so I'll read evidence for my own personal understanding of the debate when needed for a decision. A lot of my experience in debating and coaching critical arguments are in the literature areas of settler colonialism, critical race arguments, queer theory, IR Ks, and other method debates.
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- For those of you in a debate running a critical argument in front of me, this means I have a higher threshold for clarity in explanation and smart, explicit application to either affirmative or negative responses to your argument. A lot of the creativity in critical debate comes from applying specific warrants from your authors to the other team's argument - this is especially true in debates where you may not have a super-specific link argument in the 1NC and in high-theory debates that can devolve into word-salad. This is a basic requirement in you doing work for me in explaining the interaction between your argument and the other team's argument. Speeches that attempt to ground your theory with more concrete examples are good.
Being intentionally opaque about your position in cross-examination makes me roll my eyes a little bit (unless it's fundamental to the theory of your argument, as in some opacity-style method debates). I certainly become a little more sympathetic to the other team's frustrations when there's a sense you might be evasive during the explanation of your argument.
- Theory debates are not my favorite, as I feel a lot of debaters can be unclear in their explanation of and the developing a theory argument enough for me to give it much weight inside of the round. I prefer if you give me a heads up during your roadmap to grab an additional sheet for flowing, and give the order with the new sheet with whatever argument the theory concerns. (IE: "The order is T, the dis-ad, and the counterplan with a new sheet of paper.")
Theory shells are easy to bury in a flow by couching it among other arguments and spreading right through - which is a strategy! But, in my style of evaluation and for clarity's sake, I recommend clearly signposting when you're moving onto the theory argument, taking a breath so I can quickly get my clean flow, and then begin the argument. A cleaner flow for me gives you a better chance of winning your argument.
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CX:
I am fine with open CX, to a certain degree. Being rude, mean, and continually speaking over your opponents can lose you speaker points.
Along the same line, speaking for your partner during most of their cross-examination time (whether asking or answering) reflects negatively on your speaker points. I understand there is the desire to make sure that your argument is being explained correctly, but it is more persuasive to me if a team is able to have a consistent explanation of their argument between partners.
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If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask me before the round.
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2025 Revision:
I am stressing the importance of link contextualization and impact comparison to the affirmative case by the negative in critical debates. I've seen on both high school and collegiate circuits as of late a concerning lack of application of the aff within the theorization of the neg's critique.
Additionally, if your critique is being tested on a fundamental level by the other team (ie: "ontology is contingent"/"psychoanalysis isn't falsifiable"-style arguments or impact framing arguments like "utilitarianism good"/"consequentialism good"), I highly suggest answering those to win the thesis of your argument. Not only do I think it implicates your argument on a solvency level concerning the alternative, but I think it makes it much easier for me to buy the claim that the other team's impact outweighs your impact.
RE: Card Docs - Please only send me the evidence you've mentioned by name throughout the debate. I, unfortunately, do not have enough time to rebuild the debate by reading through 40 pages of evidence you've shadow-extended and articulate a good reason why you've won or lost the round. I hope this encourages extending evidence by citation when making your arguments into the rebuttals.
St. Paul Central '23
Macalester '27
Currently coaching for St. Paul Central, MN.
Hi! I’m Cayden, I use they/them pronouns, please use them! I’m generally quite a neutral judge however I think that making debate an inclusive and fun space outweighs all else.
I have bad hearing so please speak extra loud.This is mostly just that I struggle to hear a speaker if there are other noises going on so please be very quiet when speaking to your partner during a speech.
For email chains: stpaulcentralcxdebate@gmail.com
For questions/comments/concerns (i.e. anything not during a tournament): cayd3nhock3y12@gmail.com
Top Level: Please just run whatever you feel best running. I would rather have you run something well that I’m generally not partial to than something I like badly. The best debates come from people running what they know best, so do that!
Some notes:
If your args have TW/CW, let me know before the round starts please, not before the speech. I also just generally am not a good judge for death/sexism/racism/etc. good. Your speaks will thank you for not reading those in front of me.
Judge Instruction:
I'm a big fan of judge instruction (who isn't?). I will figure it out if you don't tell me but I will be happier if you tell me :)
Spreading:
See hearing note at the top. Go fast if you want just be clear. Less a question of speed, more reliant upon a breath in between points so I can physically move down the flow in time. I'm not someone who flows off the speech doc as much as possible. Yes, card doc at the end.
In round non debate stuff:
I will not tolerate being explicitly rude in round. Be respectful, that's it.
Ks:
I'm here for it. I've ran them on both sides and really like watching them. I'm also not someone who will pretend to know your k lit and i want to learn! so explain it to me! Not super huge fan of links of omission without very specific lit to back it. Down for most K args, not a fan of baudy or psycho but I'll judge em fairly, I just won't be the happiest camper. I've found myself judging an increasing number of k v k debates and enjoying them heavily.
PTX DAs:
I just want to PSA that i generally try to keep up with elections things happening IRL but sometimes fall behind so give me context for your uq claims.
Weird CPs:
Creative debate=good debate. I might fall behind on your techy strat with it but just give me like 15 secs of explanation in an ovw and we are chilling.
K Affs:
I ran one, go crazy, love a good planless debate, love a good framework debate. Some of my favorite rounds have been performance style but also some of my least favorite have been bad K affs. I am probably not your best judge for a fairness bad round w/o lit to back it, 100% if you have the lit. Also, I have only ever heard one good death of debate argument and I think nearly all of the rest are not worth it in front of me.
FWK: I go through this first if its present and it will never be a "wash" for me. I default to a policy maker but also ran basically every fw under the sun so I am happy to be convinced otherwise. Please slow down on this once you get to the rebuttals and I love techy cross applications of other flows to fw.
T:
I am down for T however my standards on T impacts are higher than the average natcir and lower than localcir. I default to models but am also more likely to happily pull the trigger on in round abuse.
Theory!:
Generally neutral on condo? I don't super care and I will just vote on the tech tbh.
I also just simply prefer a substance debate over a theory debate, i've voted on it all and so don't particularly care, I just am generally more interested in what you actually think about the question than if they dropped your defense on floating piks bad.
Also, unless the tournament rulebook specifies disclosure, please don't run disclosure theory in front of me, I believe that if you can win on disclosure theory, you can win on something else.
Anyways! feel free to ask me any questions you have before or after the round.
Ryan McFarland
Debated at KCKCC and Wichita State
Two years of coaching at Wichita State, 3 years at Hutchinson High School in Kansas, two years at Kapaun Mt. Carmel, now at Blue Valley Southwest.
email chain: remcfarland043@gmail.com, bvswdebatedocs@gmail.com
Stop reading; debate. Reading blocks is not debating. You will not get higher than a 28.3 from me if you cant look away from your computer and make an argument.
I've seen deeper debates in slow rounds than I've seen in "fast" rounds the last couple years. "Deep" does not mean quantity of arguments, but quality and explanation of arguments.
Talk about the affirmative. I've judged so many debates the last couple years where the affirmative is not considered after the 1AC. Impact defense doesn’t count. I don't remember the last time my decision included anything about impact defense that wasn't dropped.
2024-2025 things ----
I haven't done as much topic reading at this point in the year as I have in the past. I think the topic is incredibly boring and neg args are pretty bad. I think the K links are much more persuasive this year than previously. I'm not sure how I feel about being very anti-process/ridiculous advantage counterplans in a world where the best DA is court clog, but I could see myself being much more sympathetic to negative teams in this regard. That said, I still think affirmative teams should get good at theory against these arguments.
I've left my paradigm from last year below. That should still filter how you pref me, but I will likely find the K much more strategic and persuasive, which is probably the most significant change.
Old ----
I am not a fan of process counterplans. I’m not auto-vote against them, but I think they’ve produced a lazy style of debating. I don’t understand why we keep coming up with more convoluted ways to make non-competitive counterplans competitive instead of just admitting they aren’t competitive and moving on with our lives.
I'm not good for the K. I spent most of my time debating going for these arguments, have coached multiple teams to go for them, so I think I understand them well. I've been trying to decide if it's about the quality of the debating, or just the argument, but I think I just find these arguments less and less persuasive. Maybe its just the links made on this topic, but it's hard for me to believe that giving people money, or a job, doesn't materially make peoples lives better which outweighs whatever the impact to the link you're going for. I don't think I'm an auto-vote aff, but I haven't voted for a K on this topic yet.
If you decide to go for the K, I care about link contextualization much more than most judges. The more you talk about the aff, the better your chances of winning. I dislike the move to never extend an alternative, but I understand the strategic choice to go for framework + link you lose type strategies.
An affirmative winning capitalism, hegemony, revisionism true/good, etc. is a defense of the affirmatives research and negative teams will have a hard time convincing me otherwise.
I think K affirmatives, most times, don't make complete arguments. They often sacrifice solvency for framework preempts. I understand the decision, but I would probably feel better about voting for an affirmative that doesn't defend the topic if it did something.
Zero risk is real. Read things other than impact defense. Cross-ex is important for creating your strategy and should be utilized in speeches. Don’t be scared to go for theory. Conditionality is good. Argument legitimacy is not a reason to reject the team, but should be a strategic tool for affirmatives. I will not vote on something that happened outside of a debate, or an argument that requires me to make a judgement about a high school kid's character.
Don't clip. Clarity issues that make it impossible to follow in the doc is considered clipping.
About me :P
This is my fourth year debating at Wichita State University and my eighth year in the activity. From Nae Edwards' paradigm: I don't care about what you do just do it well. I can judge the 7 off CP/DA debate or the straight up clash debate. GLHF.
Obviously, every judge comes into a debate with their own preconceptions about life and the activity. I'll do my best to ignore these and vote along the instruction I've been given in-round. I will reward debaters and teams who tell me how to vote and why.
More specific thoughts:
Planless Affs
--- I love how creative they can be and love the tech of clash debates. I'll vote either way, pls be organized and don't forget your 1AC exists. Those 8 minutes of you yapping, vibing to music, etc. should always be leveraged as offense.
--- For teams reading these affs: make the debate and its impacts as in-round as possible. Give reasons as to why proximal impacts are more important and how the ballot can resolve these but not the neg's impacts. Also, get read of those minute-long solvency explanations at the top of your speeches and explain the aff through line-by-line. It's far more efficient, persuasive, and strategic.
--- For teams debating against these affs: make the debate and its impacts as out-of-round and generalizable as possible while leveraging in-round instances of abuse as links to your offense. (i.e., a no-link to a disad proves your offense on T) You'll be in a really good spot if I know why models are good and important, how the ballot resolves your offense, and how your impacts are actually proximate in the instance of this particular round.
--- I've always thought that debaters (and judges) heavily undervalue presumption. I read a planless aff for years and I'll be the first to admit that they don't do anything and can't solve their impacts 99.9% of the time. Teams tend to be really, really bad at justifying why that's okay or even debatable. I will absolutely pull the trigger on presumption and it's very, very hard to convince me that it could ever be an RVI without substantial defense as to why solving your impacts is bad somehow.
--- Fairness can be an impact but it can also be an internal link to clash/education, both routes can be persuasive. Whatever you're doing, just answer things correctly and tell me why your impact is more important and you'll probably be ahead.
--- T/FW is not your only tool to beating these affs. Put unexpected pressure on them. Smart PIKs, impact turns, DAs, or unconventional Ks can always be something of an option and can be levied to make T/FW even more persuasive. You have nothing to lose from reading more than 1 or 2 off in the 1NC. Every planless aff is built to answer your generic t/fw + cap k 1NC but very few are ready for warming good or your Japan Prolif DA.
DAs
--- The more specific the better -- this goes for links, evidence quality, and impact comparison/turns case analysis.
--- The more offensive your response to DAs, (typically) the better. Throw out link turns and impact turns when its strategic and I'll be happy. A block that has to answer impact turns on their bad food prices and econ DAs that they never intended to go for anyway is so much less fun to execute. Link turns can be applied strategically across pages, don't forget about your offense.
CPs
--- I'm persuaded by theory args against arguably cheaty CP's (multiplank, consult, etc.). This is more of a check against these CPs than an ethical gripe -- I think they're much harder to answer and the aff has far less tools to do so. I am more than happy to vote for them, just be sure to really cover your bases on the theory side of things in the 2NR.
Ks
--- I've dabbled in and read deeply from a bunch of different literature bases and feel comfortable evaluating and commenting/critiquing on whatever you want to read.
--- I've always thought of the K as a CP+DA and advise you to do the same, it makes everything so much more organized and digestible. As with planless affs, I don't need your minute long overview, the best K teams make use of line-by-line to explain and develop arguments.
--- This isn't super important, but I think it's really funny and wrong when teams of a certain ethnicity read from a literature base that does not "belong to them". I think there are potential justifications that can be made for this but, considering the privilege that lies in voyeurism, I'm highly sympathetic to someone saying you can't read black nihilism as an Indian kid from the 'burbs. I'm sorry buddy but the optics are not in your favor, I don't make the rules.
KvK
--- Either the best or the worst debates but usually messy and needlessly difficult to evaluate.
--- Implicate their theory of power in the explanation of your own. My favorite debates I've ever been in were the ones where both teams were prepared for 3rd and 4th level testing of each other's methodology and theory of power. Be as specific as possible and persuasion will follow.
--- Please, for the love of God, explain the perm. It's not a magic wand that makes the 8 minutes I spent listening to the 1NC disappear.
Theory
--- I honestly love theory debates but don't really enjoy judging them since debaters tend to get lost in the sauce and forget that offense/defense applies here as well. Just stay organized, win your offense, and you'll probably be ahead.
--- Neg-leaning on most things but can be persuaded either way.
Etc.
--- I love impact turns and will vote for anything from wipeout to warming good. I think these debates can be really funny and entertaining but also educational and I enjoy watching/participating in them. As highlighted above, read whatever you want and I will adjudicate accordingly.
--- Impact defense is the most underrated thing in debate. This applies to a DA/CP debate or a K debate -- it is so much easier to win a critique of the aff's security logics if you're winning their Chinese tech leadership scenario is doodoo. Make a concerted effort to explain exactly why their impact scenarios are non-unique, incoherent, or just wrong and you will be rewarded.
--- Always be thinking big picture and about the 2NR/2AR and most of everything will fall into place. Don't overcomplicate moving pieces and always try to have a clear understanding of how different pages interact. This is an x-factor that can get you out of tough debates and put your opponent in a disadvantageous position even when it seems they're far ahead on something damning.
--- Speaker points are about evidence comparison, organization, strategic awareness, impact calc, and judge instruction. I will also reward free food and humor, pls make me laugh.
--- If you want a few references for how I hope to evaluate debates, go read Phillip Samuel's, Thomas Babcock's, Azja Butler's, Devane Murphy's, or Lindsey Shook's paradigms. These are some of the people that have taught me what I know or that I trust having in the back of a debate regardless of context.
--- Ultimately, debate is like any other creative pursuit in that the beauty of it tends to be in how grandly elegant 3 or 4 basic elements can be. Don't make it complicated. Boil the debate down to its essentials and remember that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you are defending an advocacy, tell me what the world of that advocacy looks like and why it would be preferable to the opposing advocacy. This is likely what my RFD will sound like.
My name is pronounced loo-CHI-uh. They/ them
Email chains: serialpolicyfailure@gmail.com
If you use speech drop, email a card doc at the end of the debate. Y'all can use this nonsense, but I'm not going to.
Debating: K-State (2013-2016), Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2009-2013)
Coaching: Barstow (2018-Present), Baylor (2017-2018), Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2013-2017)
Speaks
Speaks start at 28.5 and move up or down from there. If I think you should clear, I'll give you at least a 29. 27.9 cap on speaks if any of your docs are PDFs. Like, stop. Just stop.
Tech > Truth
I have almost certainly voted on everything I say I don't like in my paradigm at some point. Might I be grumpy if I have to judge a 10 off debate with Deleuze, a Gregorian calendar procedural, an anarchy counterplan, and whatever that omnipotent AI that's going to kill us all is called? Yes. So grumpy. Will I vote on these arguments if you win the debate? Also yes. Will it affect your speaks? No. Grumpy adults shouldn't get to determine what debaters do.
Tech over truth, but the less true an argument is, the less tech you need to beat it. This is particularly true of 1NC strats the just shove a bunch of garbage non-arguments in, contrived advantages with like seven internal links, and made-up politics DAs.
I'm not going to make arguments for you. If their cards are garbage, you have to say that. If the counterplan links to the net benefit, you have to say that. If the footnoting DA is an answer to clash, you have to say that.
I appreciate scrappy debate. If you like to use tricks to win, fine by me. People need to flow better. "This is dumb" is not an arg. -1.5 speaks.
What I don't appreciate is cowardly debate. I don't love watching rounds where the core strat seems to be defending nothing. Debate is about arguments and controversy. Embrace it. It's awesome.
My threshold for explanation on un-answered arguments is incredibly low. I don't think the 2A should have to spend time explaining the internal links of an advantage that has one impact d card on it, or the 2N should have to spend time explaining a dropped alt. You do, however, need to tell me what the IMPLICATION of those dropped arguments is in order for me to know how to evaluate them and how they interact with other flows.
Questions are not arguments. I see way too many 2NRs/2ARs that say, "What does the alt/aff even do?" instead of just explaining why it wouldn't do anything.
A double turn means you can concede both args and they become and adv/ net benefit for you. Contradictions are not necessarily double-turns. Saying "they double-turned themselves" without doing the necessary technical concessions and explaining the implication of the double-turn doesn't get you anything.
Procedurals/ Theory
I get grumpy about arbitrary interps of theoretical arguments (conditionality, ROB's, really anything). This means I do think "conditionality bad" is a better interp than "they get three conditional advocacies." Relax, I don't actually think conditionality is bad, but I also don't think there's a brightline between four vs five vs six advocacies.
With the exception of conditionality, I default to theoretical objections are reasons to reject the argument or reasons that justify you also doing some theoretically illegit thing, like "perm do the counterplan."
This includes perf con; I don't think perf con is a reason to reject the team, I just think it's a reason they don't get links off 2AC/1AR answers to the contradictory position in question. Pef con is distinct from an actual double turn.
For topicality, you need impacts. You're saying this team should lose the debate. That's a pretty steep punishment. You need to win more than just a violation here. What affs would be allowed under their interp that you shouldn't have to prepare for? What off case positions do you lose access to? Why does that matter?
I think "lit checks abuse" solves 90% of policy-based limits arguments. Aff teams should also make more arguments about why whatever ground the neg loses isn't ground they should have had in the first place. I think big topics are better than small topics provided those big topics have good neg generics. Politics and the states counterplan are not good neg generics.
Reasonability, to me, means that the neg had a reasonable amount of predictable ground, not that the aff is "reasonably topical," whatever that means. I don't think that means the aff's counter interp has to be "reasonable."
Case Debate
My favorite part of debate. I frankly like to vote neg on presumption, but the work done needs to be specific. I'm more likely to assign a low or no risk of the aff if there's a compelling internal link debate than if the 1AR dropped the third impact D card that's non-specific and two lines long.
I also think a well-leveraged aff can do a lot on other sheets of paper, especially when comparative work with the neg's offense is done.
Big pet peeve of mine is treating the aff like it's just one big page if it isn't. E.g. the 1AC had an advantage and a solvency contention, but the 1N just says "case" in their roadmap. Where on case? If it doesn't matter, you're not doing very good case debate. Same thing with the 2AC order. Why did you make the 1AC more than one page if you're not going to treat the pages as separate???
Your 2AC and 1AR advantage overviews are probably a waste of time in front of me. Overviews should frame, not merely explain.
DA's
Zero risk is a thing. Affs can beat bad disads on defense if affs explain why that defense is more important than everything the neg is saying (same goes for the neg with bad aff advantages). In terms of impact calc, I think probability is generally the most important. I default to uniqueness determines the direction of the link.
CP's
On balance, I think counterplans should be functionally and textually competitive. A 2A who's good at theory can win process counterplans just go away with enough work.
I think counterplans should have solvency advocates, especially if you've added seven planks designed to fiat out of solvency deficits.
I will not kick the counterplan unless the neg makes an actual judge kick argument.
I am willing to vote aff on zero risk of a net benefit even if the counterplan solves 100% of the aff. In that scenario, the counterplan is no longer disproves the aff.
I rarely vote on the perm alone; it usually requires a theory argument to justify a theoretically illegit perm. Unless the neg read an actually non-competitive counterplan. Then go nuts.
I really really really wish you wouldn't put all your perms at the top of the 2AC. It's so hard to flow. Spread 'em out.
K's
I don't have any preferences about lit bases; I'm not afraid of the big bad Baudrillard.
My threshold for a link is comparatively low. I think reps links are probably good if the aff gets to weigh their impacts.
My threshold for the alt is relatively high. Examples are good. Structural analysis with examples is better. Under no circumstances should the aff let the neg get away with fiating the alt. That's absurd.
Framework strats are also viable in front of me, e.g. I will vote on "any risk the 1AC is a settler project means you vote neg" assuming you are, in fact, winning the framework debate. I can be persuaded not to weigh the aff, but you really have to commit to this strategy.
I think most affs are best off going for extinction outweighs and the state is good; I think you're more likely to win that than a perm or link turn strategy.
It's tough to win a reps link without impact or internal link defense in front of me. If the threat is real, as indicated by you dropping it, then it seems like there isn't a reps link.
The floating pik you didn't catch in the block will lose you the debate. Flow.
K Affs
I think it's reasonable for K affs to say that all they have to do is prove their method is good; if the method is good, I should vote for the aff. I don't think they need to "spill out" or whatever. I am generally not persuaded by "winning is key to our method" arguments. Probably means you've got a bad method.
I think T violations that deal with substantive parts of the resolution are better than violations about the fg. I think affs should be making the argument that any education claims about the fg are non-unique; it's part of the topic every year. I think the neg should make arguments about why policy education on this specific topic is good and explain how the aff bypasses that.
Anything can be an impact if you tell me it's an impact and explain why it outweighs your opponent's impacts. I generally think, for the neg, fairness-based impacts provide the best external offense, and education-based impacts provide the best in-roads to the aff. Both the aff and the neg should be doing some comparative work about how education, fairness, and ethics implicate one another.
On balance, I think impact turn strats are better than counter interp strats for the aff in these debates. I think ethics arguments are the best offense for the aff. Affs can also internal link turn the majority of the neg's standards if they spend the time doing it instead of extending a wreck of random disads that are all basically the same.
I think the TVA and switch side are the best defense to the aff's impacts. I conceptualize TVAs as counterplans (an alternate mechanism to solve the same impacts while avoiding the net benefit, e.g. under limiting). That means I hold a TVA to similar standards; I think it should have to solve all or most of the aff and that the TVA should have a solvency advocate. Half the TVAs I hear aren't topical; not enough aff teams make this argument.
Other things:
New word Ks in the 2AR - okay, so this is tricky. I think if you do this, I think it needs to be the whole 2AR, and I think you should be held to an exceptionally high explanation standard. I think you should have to pre-empt the 3NR the neg doesn't get.
Arguments about micro-aggressions - Fine as long as you explain the implication for this debate/ perhaps the community as a whole. Tell me what you want me to do about it and what that does about the problem. You still have to answer the trivialization arguments, but they are not an auto-loss.
Arguments that compare conditionality to structural privilege - Fine as long as you warrant them. Just saying, "This is the logic of..." isn't enough; tell me why and how the reproduces that logic in debate and what the impact to that is for debaters.
So clipping. If you have somehow misrepresented what you have read/ if there is not a way to tell from the speech doc what was read, you have clipped. If I catch clipping, I will make sure I'm sure (usually during prep time), and then stop the debate. If a debater accuses someone of clipping, the debate stops right then. If the challenger is correct, they win. If they are not correct, they lose. I will give the person who clipped a 0, but everyone else is probably going to get somewhere between a 28.5 and a 29.5 depending on how much of the debate happened.
I've had some recent judging experiences that are moving me toward clarity being a clipping issue. If I can't understand any of the words in your cards, and it seems like this is to get in more cards, that's probably clipping. I've decided this means I'll never stop clearing you no matter how tired I get of it.
debatesheff@gmail.com
If policy ALSO add lcandersoncx@gmail.com
If LD ALSO add breakdocs@googlegroups.com
Policy debater at the University of Houston '26
Coach for Seven Lakes HS and Break Debate
Update for Durham (1/17): I don't judge PF a lot and a lot of the norms confuse me. That being said, everything in this paradigm applies to PF. You should make a conscious effort to label arguments and number your opponents responses on the flow. You will not win if your ff is just "aff can't solve", to win debates you require offense. Not everything is a turn. Defense is not sticky. Do judge instruction, your final focus should be telling me what parts of the debate are the most important and why you are winning them. My hands will not be on my keyboard if you make an “IVI” or read non-resolutional theory because if something so egregious happens that it makes a debater feel unsafe I will either intervene or ask you if you want to take it to tab, or the argument is bad and should not have been read in the first place.
I hate deadtime in debates. It makes me increasingly frustrated when there isn't a timer running and it seems like no one is doing anything. To reduce this please have the email chain with the speech doc sent AT START TIME.For every minute past start time without a doc sent i will deduct .2 speaks.
Stop asking for marked docs if they didn't mark any cards. Learn how to flow. Asking for what cards were and weren't read must be asked with a timer on whether it is Cross or flex prep.
Be clear, especially during cards. I should be able to hear every word. You get two warnings - after that, I will immediately stop flowing. I am not going to have docs up during your speeches, so make sure you are debating like a human and not a spreading robot.
I consider myself tab for arguments that are in Policy, but I am not great for LD shenangins outside of things like basic phil arguments. Regardless, conditoned on my biases listed below my decision will be determined based on my flow.
K affs being vague and shifty hurts you more than it helps. I'm very unsympathetic to 2AR pivots that change the way the aff has been explained. Take care to have a coherent story/explanation of your K aff that starts in the 1AC and remains consistent throughout the debate
Inserting rehighlightings is fine as long as you explain why it matters in the speech. I usually read ev while making decisions.
Condo is good and the negative can read as many as they want to. I default judge kick but that can be debated. This is not to say I will not vote on condo, but it requires substanial mistakes to be made by the negative in order for me to get even close to think 2AR on condo is a good option.
Most CP theory arguments are better made as competition arguments. I lean neg on most CP theory questions besides things like Object, private actor, or multi-actor fiat.
I will not adjudicate anything that didn't happen in the round including out of round violations.
I have a disdain for argumentative cowardice. You should not pref me if your entire strategy is based on arguments like tricks, RVIs, or frivolous theory. I will not vote for you.
Qualified authors & solid warrants in your ev are important. Evidence comparison and weighing are also important. In the absence of evidence comparison and weighing, I may make a decision that upsets you. That is fundamentally your fault.
Answering a 1NC position that wasn't read is an auto 27.5. I don’t care. Flow.
Stolen from Pat Fox: When debating an opponent of low experience, i will heavily reward giving younger debaters the dignity of a real debate they can still participate in (i.e: slower, fewer off, more forthcoming in CX). if you believe the best strategy against a novice is extending hidden aspec, i will assume you are too bad at debate to beat a novice on anything else, and speaks will reflect that. these debates are negatively educational and extremely annoying.
Experience
Currently the Director of Debate at Casady School.
Competed at the University of Oklahoma and Owasso High School.
Put me on the e-mail chain: snidert [at] casady [dot] org
On Evidence
Evidence quality and consistency is very important to me. I can easily be convinced to disregard a piece of evidence because it lacks quality, is insufficiently highlighted, or is not qualified.
Author qualifications are under debated and if a piece of evidence lacks a qualification then that should definitely be used in debate.
K Things General
One line should dictate how you approach reading the K in front of me:
“You are a debater, not a philosopher.”
This should be your guiding principle when reading and answering a kritik in front of me. Debaters seem to rely more on jargon than actually doing the work of explaining and applying their argument. Unnecessarily complex kritiks won't get good speaker points (90% of the time you could have just read the cap k).
I will not flow overviews on a separate sheet of paper.
If you plan on reading the K
I've got good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news: You are very unlikely to convince me not the weigh/evaluate the aff. I'm not persuaded much by self-serving counter interpretations on framework.
That said, the good news is that I think people give the aff too much credit and most of the reasons why I shouldn't evaluate the plan are typically offense against it. For example while I don't find the FW interpretation "Debate should be about epistemological assumptions" very convincing, I will definitely vote on "the affirmative's plan relies on a flawed epistemology that ensures serial policy failure, which turns case."
If you're answering the K
While the above may seem like good news for the aff answering the K, I tend to hold the aff to a higher threshold than most in K debates. I don't think "you need a specific link to the plan" is responsive to a K of the aff's epistemology. Likewise, aff framework interps that exclude Ks entirely are pretty much a non-starter.
Theory Issues
Condo seems to be getting a bit excessive, but no one goes for condo anymore so I'm sort of stuck with it.
Tech vs Truth
I think of this as more of a continuum as opposed to a binary. I lean more towards tech than truth, but I'm not going to pretend that I evaluate all arguments with equal legitimacy. For example, I have a higher threshold for arguments like “climate change not real” than “plan doesn’t solve climate change.” I traditionally evaluate the debate in offense/defense paradigm, but there is a such thing as a 0% risk.
K affs/T-FW
I enter every debate with the assumption that the resolution is going to play a role in the round. What role it plays, however, is up for debate. I don’t have a preference between skills or fairness standards.
Common reasons I vote aff on FW:
The neg goes for too many “standards”/"DAs"/whatever-youre-calling-them in the 2NR.
The neg doesn’t even try to engage the aff’s 2AC to FW.
Common reasons I vote neg on FW:
The aff doesn’t have an offensive reasons why the TVA is bad.
The aff doesn’t even try to engage the neg’s standards on FW.
Misc
I only flow what I hear, I won't use the doc to correct my flow. If I don't catch an argument/tag because you're too unclear then *insert shrug emoji*. That said, with online debate I will flow what I hear and use the doc to correct my flow after the speech. Including your analytics in the speech document will make correcting my flows much easier.
Guaranteed 30 if you’re paper debate team #PaperDebate
My facial reactions will probably tell you how I feel about your arg.
For the email chain: ltoro38601@gmail.com
I started debate in high school and did four years of LD. I mainly read K stuff during those four years. I continued debating in college for two years, NFA LD, and two years of college policy.
You can read anything in front of me, but I judge critical arguments better because it is what I have the most experience with. But these last three years, I have been reading and going for a few policy arguments.
-Director of Debate at Little Rock Central High School
-Yes, email chain and sure, questions. Please put BOTH of these on chains: rosalia.n.valdez@gmail.com and lrchdebatedocs@gmail.com.
Virtual Debate Updates:
I am almost always using two computers so I can watch you speak and flow/look at docs. I would prefer that you debate with your camera on so that I can watch you speak, but PLEASE do feel free to turn it off if doing so stabilizes your audio.
Do NOT start at top speed. You should start a little slower anyway to allow judges to get acclimated to your speaking style, but I think this is especially important in virtual debate.
Do I understand why you don't want to flash theory/overviews/analytics? Of course. Do you have to do it? No. Will I be mad at you if you don't? Of course not. Would it help me flow better in many virtual debates? YES.
TL;DR
Do what you do and do it well. I will vote for who wins. Over-adaptation is exhausting and I can smell your soft-left add-ons a mile away. My voting record is a pretty clear indication that I judge a wide variety of debates. Who/what I coach(ed) are generally good indications of what I am about. Update: I've found myself recently in some seven off rounds. I really hate to say I am bad for any kind of debate, but I am bad for these rounds. Late-breaking debates make me tired and grumpy, and I find myself having to do way too much work in these debates to resolve them. If seven off is your thing, and I am your judge, do what you do I guess, but know this is probably the only explicit "don't pref me" in this whole paradigm.
Evidence/Argumentation/General
I care a lot about quality of evidence. I would much rather hear you read a few well-warranted cards than a wave of under-highlighted evidence. Same goes for redundant evidence; if you need six cards that “prove” your claim with the same words interchanged in the tag, your claim is probably pretty weak. Evidence does not (alone) a (winning) argument make.
I think I flow pretty throughly. I often flow in direct quotes. I do this for me, but I feel like it helps teams understand my decision as we talk after a round. I reward organized speakers and meaningful overviews. I am easily frustrated by a messy card doc.
I listen closely to cross-ex.
Ks
Neg teams lose when they don’t demonstrate how their arguments interact with the 1AC. Winning that the affirmative is “flawed” or “problematic” does not guarantee a neg ballot. In my mind, there are two ways to win the k versus a policy aff: either win that the effects of the plan make the world significantly worse OR win framework and go for epistemology/ontology links. Know when framework is important and when it’s not. Give analysis as to how your links implicate the world of the aff. This is where case mitigation and offense on why voting affirmative is undesirable is helpful. These debates are significantly lacking in impact calculus. Also - the alt needs to solve the links, not the aff - but if it does, great! If you win framework, this burden is lessened. Don’t spread through link explanations. I am seeing more debates where teams kick the alt and go for the links as disads to the aff. This is fine, but be wary of this strategy when the alt is what provides uniqueness to the link debate.
Conversely, affs typically lose these debates when there is little press on what the alternative does and little analysis of perm functions. However, some teams focus on the alt too much and leave much to be desired on the link debate (especially important for soft-left affs). Defend your reps. Your framework shell should also include a robust defense of policymaking, not just procedural fairness. The 1AR should actually answer the block’s framework answers. More impact turning rather than defensive, no-link arguments.
Also, running to the middle will not save you. Some Ks are going to get a link no matter what, and tacking on a structural impact to your otherwise straight policy aff will likely only supercharge the link. So. Read the aff you'd read in front of anybody in front of me. You're probably better at that version anyway.
K Affs vs. FW
For affs: I’m good for these although I do think that oftentimes the method is very poorly explained. Neg teams should really press on this and even consider going for presumption. Side note: I absolutely do not think that critical affs should have to win that the ballot is key for their method. Against framework, I most frequently vote aff when the aff wins impact turns that outweigh the neg’s impacts and have a counter-interp that resolves the majority of their offense. I can still vote for you if you don’t have a counter-interp in the 2AR but only if the impact work is exceptional. I prefer affs that argue that the skills and methods produced under their model inculcate more ethical subjectivities than the negative’s. The best aff teams I’ve seen are good at contextualizing their arguments, framing, and justifying why their model and not their aff is uniquely good. I am most frequently preffed for K v K debates. Judge instruction is extremely important I would rather evaluate those rounds based on whose method is most relevant to the debate rather than k tricks.
For neg teams: I like to see framework deployed as debate methodologies that are normatively good versus debate methodologies that are undesirable and should be rejected. Framework debates should center on the impact of certain methodologies on the debate space. “Your argument doesn’t belong in debate” is not the same thing as “your argument is hindered by forum” or “your argument makes it functionally impossible to be negative.” (fun fact: I read a lot of judges' paradigms/preferences..."debate is a game" does not = debate is a good game, and participation in that "game" does not = can't say the game is bad). I prefer more deliberation & skills-based framework arguments rather than procedural fairness, but I will vote on either as long as you have warrants and comparative impact analysis. If going for skills & research impacts, the internal link debate is most important. TVAs are great as defense against the aff’s impact turns. They do not have to solve the aff but should address its central controversy.
I feel similarly about theory debates in that they should focus on good/undesirable pedagogical practices. Arguments that explain the role of the ballot should not be self-serving and completely inaccessible by a particular team.
Topicality
Topicality is a voting issue and never a reverse voting issue. T debates are won and lost on the standards level. If the affirmative wins that their interpretation solves the impact of topicality, then I see no reason to vote negative. Thorough T debates are about more than fairness. The idea that you have no game on an aff in this era is just not as persuasive as the idea that the aff’s interpretation negatively impacts future debates.
Disadvantages/Counterplans
No real issues here. Specific links to case obviously preferred to generic arguments. Give me good impact analysis. As a debater, counterplans weren’t really my jam. As a judge, I can’t say that I get to vote on CPs often because they are typically kicked or are not competitive enough to survive an affirmative team well-versed in permutations. A CP should be something to which I can give thoughtful consideration. Don’t blow through a really complicated (or long) CP text. Likewise, if the permutation(s) is intricate, slow down. Pretty sure you want me to get these arguments down as you read them, not as I reconstruct them in cross. I vote for theory as much as I don’t vote for theory. No real theoretical dispositions.
Arkansas Circuit
1. I’m not going to bump your speaks for thanking me and taking forever to start the round because you’re asking “opponent ready? judge ready? partner ready? observers ready?” for the first 20 minutes.
2. If you do not take notes during my RFD, I will leave.
3. Don’t clip. Why do debaters in Arkansas clip so much? Answer: Because I don’t judge very much in Arkansas.
4. Keep your own time.
I did policy debate at Jenks for four years, now I'm debating for OU. Put me on the email chain: supersalok@gmail.com.
I read mostly policy stuff at Jenks and mostly critical stuff at OU. If you're thinking about reading a terrorism impact to me you probably shouldn't. Fairness can be a voter but I like when people frame it through debatability/iterative testing.
Donate to Rawan Hanoon, a Palestinian student who is trying to help her family in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-family-temporarily-evacuate-from-gaza
Email Chain---Hjwalawender@gmail.com, smedocs@googlegroups.com
Current KU debater, previously debated at De Soto high school, Kansas.
Assistant debate coach, Shawnee Mission East.
General.
For students doing prefs: do you assignments before the tournament. It will save you endless amounts of stress.
Debater wins rounds not cards. I am not a fan of argument styles which endlessly spam cards and request I evaluate the argument rather than making evidence comparison. I make decisions off my flow and only in circumstances when absolutely necessary I will look at evidence. This means that if the argument you have made is different from your card I will only evaluate the argument you have made. Debates where I don't have to look at evidence will have high speaks.
Judge instruction is vital. I attempt to minimize intervention as much as possible. I will not cross apply arguments to different parts of the flow without explicit instruction even if you think it might be intuitive. Framing is very very very important to me and makes giving the decision you want wayyyyy easier to me.
Good for clash debates, better for policy throwdowns.
Don't be afraid to over explain the legal jargon on this topic. I have basically no topic knowledge.
I flow CX to understand positions more clearly and occasionally as a took to check for lying.
Tech >>> Truth.
Any speed is fine. That saying a few exceptions:
1. In varsity tournaments spreading is a norm but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ask. If a team says they don't want to spread, don't. I'm very comfortable voting down teams that don't respect this.
2. Pen time. PLEASEEEEEEE. I cannot type/write the 6 perms that you said in 3 seconds. Trust me it takes way longer than you would think.
I am very comfortable clearing you. If I have to clear you multiple times I will stop flowing. Clarity also involves volume btw.
I won't judge kick unless told to. Prefer this starts in the block not the 2nr.
Non highlighted warrants aren’t warrants.
Disclosure is good and I will vote for arguments that argue such. If you believe your opponent losing 30 min of preround prep will determine the direction of the debate for you that feels like a you problem. These arguments are best when their is proof of non or mis disclosure ie put me on the disclosure email or put a screenshot of it in the doc.
Clash Debates.
Is it un or non topical? Who knows.
I enjoy thinking about these debates and I think they are great thought experiments. Despite my voting record, I am generally neg leaning.
I vote negative when the negative has disproven the viability of the affs model for a sustainable, season long stasis of debate-ability AND justified, at least at some level, their interpretation of what debate should look like.
I vote affirmative when they have justified their model of debate. To me, this is best done when there is an impact turn to a neg standard/a DA to their model, AND a counter interp that resolves, or at least attempts to resolve both teams offense. It is not impossible to win without a counter interp, frankly it might even be more easy given how limits and ground are often uncontextualized to the counter interp, but I think I proving that your offense can be accessed at the same time as fostering quality debates is what convinces me the most.
It is important to note that these are different. Neg teams which narrowly focus on the fact that the aff is un-topical and thus over invest in the impact level of the debate will lose these debates in front of me. I am generally of the opinion that clash, fairness, limits, and ground are all good, but how we get access to these arguments are where these debates often fall apart. Because of such, I believe that most of this debate should take place on the counter interp level.
Send your interps in the doc. I will juice speaks for this because it is something I believe should be a norm since the wording of these is incredibly important for these debates.
I believe debate is a game with pedagogical benefits, obviously this is not set in stone, but framing around this issue of what debate actual is and what benefits it can provide will help me judge these rounds. For instance, arguments that clearly identify debate is an innately competitive activity with benefits that can only be actualize in an environment which enables fair debates with in-depth clash help me realize that I should prioritize models which facilitate such should win the round.
I am also open to different interpretations of what debate should look like and what content it should facilitate. However, if that is your strategy, you should have a robust defense of what your interp is.
One of the most important things in these debates is clear identification of how internal links interact. Do structural factors like exhaustion of a certain group outweigh exhaustion caused by the limits DA? Questions like these are often what I ask myself when writing my decision and often they are unresolved by debaters which, to me, leaves too much in my hands when making the decision. The statement "X outweighs Y because Z," is my favorite thing to here in these debates.
TVAs are good and by the 2NR need to have explicit explanation of why they solve aff DAs. Otherwise, they are often not important in my decision because of a lack of application to the flow.
Kritical Affs.
I’ve only read a policy aff so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Presumption. I don’t think the aff needs to win spill out but they should have justifications for why reading the aff in the round is good or negation of the aff is good.
Send your interps in the doc. I will juice speaks for this because it is something I believe should be a norm since the wording of these is incredibly important for these debates.
I think Affs should have a proto-plan text or just some line in the 1AC that says what you advocate.
I dislike 3 min overviews of the aff.
Disproving the affs theory of power is presumption level offense for me. If they are wrong about why X happens then their advocacy that subscribes to X is likely not solvent.
K v Policy.
When going for framework, the 2NR needs to clearly extend their interp, a net benefit to it, and how it applies to the aff interp. I have no idea what the argument "the 1AC is an object of research" actually means. Do I weigh the aff? Do you only get links off of the 1AC? Do links have to be to the plan mechanism or plan text? If not then to what do you and don't get links to? Do you need an alt? If so why not? All of these are often questions that are vitally important to my decision that are never answered.
It is also in the interest of the aff to resolve these questions. If they get links to word 1639 in card 4, in adv 3, that makes your predictability internal link way more believable then just blanket statements about Ks being unpredictable.
Send your interps in the doc. I will juice speaks for this because it is something I believe should be a norm since the wording of these is incredibly important for these debates.
Spamming perms with no explanation is bad. Perm do both with a clear net benefit >>> 7 perms that are all functionally the same.
Fairness, education, and clash are impacts and need to be treated like a war impact when you answer case. Dropping one will probably mean game over.
Arguments that my ballot only solves fairness are persuasive. “Just join an online discussion group,” or “just research without debating,” are not.
I’m a big fan of over explaining the alt especially if it is epistemology based.
Private Actor fiat bad is persuasive. Negs don’t always need to fiat the alternative.
CPs.
You need to slow down on competition. I cannot flow 7 standards for functional competition good that are all half a sentence long when the 2NR will be neg flex and the topic is bad.
Process CPs are illegitimate to me. I think they are artificially contrived to create net benefits non germane to the case and reduce aff offense as much as possible. The worst of such are those which compete off of immediacy and certainty. Because of such I think limited functional intrinsic perms are not the abhorred argument that most believe. This does not mean I won't vote for them, and unfortunately, I vote for them often because of technical errors made by aff teams.
When going for functional competition besides justifying your theory of competition, I need a reason to prefer your interpretations of the words your counterplan competes off of. For instance, the 2NC must justify why competition off of immediacy is good and the 1AR should demonstrate it is bad. Otherwise I have no idea how to chose the more preferable definition.
Basically every judge ever would rather vote on a solvency deficit than competition. I am one of those judges. This doesn't mean I would never go for competition in front of me but If you are confident in a deficit that has an quantifiable/qualifiable impact go for it.
CPs should be legitimate and compete.
Counterplans should have a solvency advocate. Artificial competition is bad.
Competition tricks are often not persuasive.
T.
Competing interps > reasonability. Reasonability is underrated.
I will absolutely vote for "bad," horribly over limiting, or groundless interps as long as they are winning on tech. This is mostly due to a lack of offense extended by the aff in these debates.
Plan text in a vacuum is a mixed bag for me - I generally default to its bad but neg teams that have solid explanations of it versus other theories of competition can change my preference.
Buzz words are bad especially on these debates.
2ACs need to be responsive, do not drop 1NC impacts or internal links.
Best T debates give case lists for their interps AND their opponents interps (this will also give you super high speaks if done correctly).
Theory.
Besides condo and disclosure I find theory as a reason to reject the team not persuasive.
I am in my 8th year of debate. Fourth year in college at Kansas (NDT ‘24), four years prior at Lawrence Free State. I coach at Shawnee Mission East. I have judged close to 200 debates in my short 3.5 year tenure of judging.
Please add both: jwilkus1@gmail.com and smedocs@googlegroups.com. I am not a fan of SpeechDrop or Doc Share, and would prefer an email chain.
Last Updated: December 16th, 2024.
General:
Debate is a technical game. Any argument is at play as long as it is complete. This means I could care less if you go for the K, read a plan, or force me to evaluate a highly technical counterplan competition debate.
Arguments are complete when they contain a claim, warrant, and impact. I have a higher threshold for "completeness" than most. Arguments made or extended without a reason, or without comparison to your opponent's arguments, are not complete and matter less than those that are. This applies equally to "answered" and "dropped" arguments---repeating the statement "x was dropped" 50 times does not make it true, but extending it with a warrant and implicating it in the debate does.
I am a policy debater at heart---I almost always go for a DA and/or CP. I very rarely go for the K, and always defend a plan. I've been in a lot of clash debates, but that does not mean I am subject matter expert in them.
I care a lot about this activity, and know you likely do as well. That means I will try my hardest to render the most accurate decision even in debates I am the most uncomfortable. I don't care about clout, number of TOC bids, or anything in between. I do care about clear, concise, and technical debating.
That means I will try to give as thorough feedback as possible, and I implore you to ask me as many questions as you want. If you disagree with the decision, let's talk about why. If you were unsure about an argument in the debate, let's talk about how to answer it in the future.
I tend to find the link of any argument to be far more important than any other part of the debate. Whether its a DA, K, or T argument, identifying why the AFF does or does not do something tends to be central to how I write my decisions---I've made many, many decisions precisely on the link, or lack thereof.
Procedure:
I flow on paper, and will have my computer half-shut. I will not actively look at the speech document during the debate unless a card being read peaks my interest. This means pen time is a must. Spreading full speed into your computer means I will likely miss things. If you choose not to slow down, I will feel no remorse for missing things.
I will attempt to line up arguments on my flow, but will resort to flowing straight down when that becomes impossible to ensure I write down everything. Teams that make this easier will receive high speaks, those that don't will receive low speaks.
I will open my computer during CX to write down the questions and answers in a notepad document, transcribing the wording as directly as possible.
At tournaments where oral RFDs are the norm, I will write my RFD on paper and only very limited comments or notes on the Tabroom ballot, and give my RFD based on what I wrote down. At tournaments where I am unable to give an oral RFD, I will write a thorough RFD and comments on the Tabroom ballot.
In close debates, I will re-inscribe the important parts of the 2NR/2AR onto a separate piece of paper. On this paper, I will write the implications of and answers to each point, and begin to construct my decision based on each minute part of the debate and my understanding of it. I will likely take until decision time in these debates.
In all other debates, where there are pretty clear pieces of offense being dropped or there is a clear winner, I will quickly write my RFD and give it as soon as possible after the 2AR to maximize time for questions.
LD Tricks:
For some reason, these are having a surge in popularity in policy... (sigh)
I am not a philosophy major, and have never read nor been taught nor cared to learn anything about philosophy/moral skepticism/Kant/etc. You'd be best advised to read any other argument. If you choose to, prepare yourself for an absolutely horrendous decision and speaker points.
Topicality vs. Policy AFFs:
Reasonability is meaningless. Go for an interpretation that includes your AFF, and has offense that outweighs the NEG's.
Vague plans that barely modify the language of the resolution frustrate me. You can win on plan text in a vacuum, but your speaks will drastically improve if you go for something else.
Specificity matters---you shouldn't just describe your impact as "so many AFFs based on this mechanism" or "so many DAs we cannot read", but instead about specific arguments your opponent's interpretation removes. I care far more about 1-2 good pieces of NEG ground lost, or 1-2 strategic AFFs lost, than blanket statements without contextualization.
Topicality vs. Planless AFFs:
Fairness can be an impact. So can clash. I am agnostic to which is better.
I find AFF teams that go for a tricky counter-interpretation intended to solve NEG offense, with a small bit of differential offense, to be far more persuasive than broad impact turns to T.
I find NEG teams that go for a unique, contextualized TVA far more persuasive than any switch side debate argument. Just reading a TVA alone is insufficient, it must be explained in a way that both accesses an in-road to AFF discussions and attempt to solve the AFFs impacts.
I find technical concessions in these debates mattering far more than big picture, framing questions---if the NEG has dropped the "small schools DA" or the AFF has dropped "T is a procedural, means case cannot outweigh"---extend it, explain it, and implicate it to their strategy.
Disadvantages:
Turns case matters the most to me---both "impact turns case" and "link turns case". I end up finding myself concluding close debates based on mishandled turns case arguments. Likewise, I find AFF turns the DA equally persuasive.
Politics is dead, but no one acts like it. Just finding a single card about some piece of legislation, attaching a "plan decks PC" card, and a generic democracy impact does not meet the burden of proof. Politics DAs about legislation being actively debating, where the president or speaker of the house is taking an active role in negotiations, are far more persuasive.
It frustrates me that these don't exist on the IPR topic. It equally frustrates me that we continue selecting high school debate topics without ensuring there is adequate and balanced AFF and NEG ground. If you write a DA intrinsic to the AFF or the topic, and go for it in front of me, your speaks will reflect it.
Counterplans:
Process CPs bore me, but I understand their necessity. I'd prefer if the counterplan competed off of words unique to the resolution rather than "should is immediate and certain".
I think perm do the CP is far more persuasive and defensible than an intrinsic perm---find reasons the CP is not functionally competitive, and extend those, rather than defending an arbitrary, unjustifiable argument.
Competition is not topicality, and "the AFF is certain for DAs but not for CPs" is a defensible statement. I find the question of how could the AFF be implemented to be distinct from what should AFFs look like.
Theory is usually a reason to reject the argument, not the team. That doesn't mean you shouldn't extend it if you are winning it, but it equally means you shouldn't proliferate theory arguments and go for whatever was under covered. Proliferating bad arguments does not improve your chance of victory.
Kritiks:
I find 2NRs that go for framework to be far more persuasive than those that go for the alternative. I personally believe the AFF ought to weigh the plan, but so many debaters are horrendous at defending why.
I find the link turn and permutation to be a more persuasive AFF strategy than the impact turn. I think if the AFF can be in the direction of the alternative, or can resolve portions of NEG offense, then it is likely the permutation can overcome the links to the plan.
Performative contradictions matter a lot to me---they are not reasons to reject the team, but basically zero the chance I think you can win a reps argument.
AFF specific links > topic generic links > the USFG is bad > the theory of power is a link.
Case:
The more time you spend on case, the better. My ideal 1NC is a single DA, a single CP, and 5.5 minutes of case. But this is high school policy debate so I know I will never get that.
I find case debating that is just impact defense to be woefully insufficient. Solvency deficits, internal link defense, or analytics of any kind go a long way.
Live Laugh Love Debate
Washburn Rural '22
University of Kansas '26
Assistant for Washburn Rural
General Thoughts
I’m studying math and environmental engineering. I don’t know much about intellectual property.
Debate is a technical game of strategy. If you debate more technically and more strategically, you will likely win. Read whatever and however you like. Any style or argument can win if executed well enough or if answered poorly enough. I don’t believe judges should have any predetermined biases for any argument. Dropped arguments are true.
I am operating under the assumption that you have put in considerable effort to be here and you want to win. I will try to put reciprocal effort into making an objective decision unless you have done something to indicate those assumptions are incorrect.
Nothing you say or do will offend me, but lack of respect for your opponents will not be tolerated.
My background is very policy-oriented. I strategically chose to talk about cyber-security instead of criminal justice and water resources. The best argument is always the one that wins. Do what you are best at.
My favorite part about debate is the way different arguments interact with each other across different pages. The way to beat faster and more technical teams is to make smart cross-applications and concessions.
Except for the 2AR, what is "new" is up for debate. Point out your opponent's new arguments and explain why they are not justified.
Evidence is very important. I only read cards after the debate if the issue has been contested. A dropped card is still dropped even if it is trash. Quality > Quantity. I do not see any strategic utility in reading multiple the cards that say the same thing. Card dumping is effective when each card has unique warrants.
Cross-ex is very important. Use it to set up your strategy, not to clarify what cards were skipped. I appreciate it when the final rebuttals quote lines from cross-ex/earlier speeches. Cross ex about things that will be relevant to the 2NR and 2AR.
I do not want to hear a prepped out ethics violation. Tell the team before the round.
I do not want to hear an argument about something that happened outside of the round.
Rehighlightings can be inserted as long as you explain what the rehighlighting says. I see it as more specific evidence comparison.
Argument Specific
Topicality:
Your interpretation is the tag of your definition. If there is any discrepancy between the tag and the body of the card, that is a precision indict but not a reason the aff meets.
Counterplans:
I enjoy quality competition debates. I like tricky perms. Put the text in the doc.
"Links less" makes sense to me for certain disads, but makes it harder for the net benefit to outweigh the deficit. Perm do both is probabilistic. Perm do the counterplan is binary.
If a perm has not been extended, solvency automatically becomes a net benefit.
Most theory arguments are a reason to reject the argument, not the team. I will not reject the team even on a dropped theory argument unless there is a coherent warrant for why it would not be enough to only reject the argument.
I will only judge kick (without being told) if it has been established that conditionality is good.
Advantages/Disadvantages:
Most scenarios are very construed. Logical analytical arguments can substantially mitigate them. I do not like it when the case debate in the 1NC is only impact defense.
Punish teams for reading new impacts in the 2AC and block.
Extinction means the end of the species. Most impacts do not rise to this threshold. Point it out.
"Try or die" or similar impact framing is very persuasive when executed properly. If the negative doesn't extend a counterplan or impact defense, they are likely to lose.
Zero risk is possible if your opponent has entirely dropped an argument and the implication of that argument is that the scenario is 0. However, I can be convinced that many arguments, even when dropped, do not rise to that level.
Kritiks v Policy Affs:
I will determine which framework interpretation is better and use that to evaluate the round. I will not adopt a middle ground combination of both interpretations unless someone has convinced me that is the best option (which it usually is).
Make it very explicit what the win condition is for you if you win framework. Only saying "The 1AC is an object of research" does not tell me how I determine the winner.
If the K is just one of many off case positions and the block reads a bunch of new cards, the 1AR probably gets to say any new thing they want.
Perm double bind makes a lot of sense to me. The negative needs a reason why the plan and alt are mutually exclusive, a reason why the inclusion of the plan makes the alt insolvent, or framework offense the perm can’t resolve (this is your best bet).
Planless Affs:
All affirmatives should endorse a departure from the status quo.
I do not like it when the 1AC says X is bad, the 1NC says X is good, and the 2AC says no link.
Things to boost speaks, but won't affect wins and losses
Give final rebuttals off paper.
Number/subpoint arguments.
Impact turn whenever you can. Straight turn every disad if you're brave. I love chaos, but the final rebuttals better be resolving things.
Good wiki and disclosure practices.
Don't read arguments that can be recycled every year.
Stand up for cross-ex right when the timer ends. Send docs quickly. Preferably in the last few seconds of their speech.
Make jokes. Have fun. Respect your opponents. Good-natured insults can be funny but read the room.
Pretty speech docs. I will subconsciously judge you need for bad formatting.
Debate with integrity. Boo cheapshots. It is better to lose with honor, than win by fraud.
LD
I’ve never had the privilege of sitting through an entire LD round so if there is specific vocabulary I am not in the loop. Assume I have minimal topic knowledge.
Tell me why you access their offense, why it is the most important thing, and why they don’t access their offense. Be strategic.
Answer your opponent’s arguments explicitly. I want to hear “They say x, but y because z”.
About Me
she/they
Broken Arrow HS ‘19 (LD 4 years)
Mo State '23 (NDT/CEDA + NFA LD 3 years)
Grad Student @ Wichita State
Conflicts: Pembroke Hill, Maize South, Lawrence Free State, Missouri State, Wichita State
yes email chain: lilwood010@gmail.com
Overview
These are just my random thoughts about debate collected into one place. If you do what you do well, you will be fine. I am down for almost anything.
yes open cx - yes you can sit during cx - yes flex prep
!!:) please send out analytics :)!!
Please provide trigger warnings if there is graphic descriptions of violence against fem ppl included in your arguments
Policy
K Affs/Ks
I prefer K affs that are related to the topic OR the debate space. I enjoy watching performance K affs that incorporate parts of the topic.
I believe fairness (procedurally or structurally) is not an impact. I believe it is an internal link.
I love a good TVA.
I believe perf con is bad.
I'm starting to believe I prefer movements / material alternatives over reject / thought project alternatives. I find myself easily persuaded by arguments that alternatives lack the means to resolve the links and impacts. I like when alternatives are specific in what they accomplish in the block.
I LOVE perm debates. I am a sucker for creative perms that are specific to the alternative. If you execute this strategy correctly, you will be rewarded.
CP
I think condo is good to an extent. The extent is up for debate.
I default to judge kick.
T
I LOVE T!
In round abuse should be present, but I also believe that setting a precedent for the community might be more important.
I think grounds and limits are both good arguments, but I find I am more persuaded by limits. Going for either is fine.
Misc.
I LOVE ptx.
Impact turn debates are super fun.
NFA LD
NFA LD has some norms that are different than policy so I will try to establish my thoughts on some of those in here.
yes spreading - yes disclose - yes email chain - (sigh) yes speech drop
Disclosure
TLDR: nondisclosure has to actually inhibit your pre round prep.
Will vote on disclosure theory IF it's egregious. I think empty wikis are probably bad after attending 2 tournaments. I think if every aff they've ever read is uploaded, even if not every round is, zeroes the impact. I think not disclosing an aff 15 minutes prior to the round is probably bad if no wiki entries or multiple affs on the wiki.
Condo
Kicking planks + judge kick = probably bad
Other Thoughts
Stop being scared to put offense across the pages in the 1ar.
Bad DAs can be beat with analytics and impact D.
Update your ptx UQ cards.
Call out people's crappy case cards.
Cut better case cards.
I hate underviews.
I'd like to be added to the email chain mwoodcock692@gmail.com
(he/him)
email chain >> speech drop
Experience:
Debating:
I debated at Lansing High School for 4 years
Debated two years at KU (alliances and antitrust)
Coaching:
Lansing (2020-2022)
Shawnee Mission South (current) :)
Top Level -
1. Tech over truth, the only scenario in which I may look towards truth rather than tech is as a means to break a tie in portions of debates that are extremely difficult to resolve (i.e. lack of clash)
2. Don’t let anything said in this paradigm discourage you from reading/going for any argument, the best debates are ones where people have devoted ample time in researching the argumentative positions they read. I enjoy debate and will put my best effort into my decision because of the ample work that debaters put into the activity should be seen and rewarded as such, which I believe requires judges to do the same.
3. If any arguments that are homophobic, racist, and etc. are presented you will lose the debate and be rewarded the least amount of speaks as possible. This also includes any other way that you may make the debate space less safe for people.
4. Taking CX as prep will be rewarded with lower speaks.
5. JUDGE INSTRUCTION! If you think that a portion of the debate should be the deciding factor, then tell me why that is and how I should evaluate it. The more judge instruction that you do, then the more happy you are to be with the decision I give.
Topicality -
I default to competing interpretations, if you believe I should evaluate this differently, then tell me to do so. Some big things that matter to me here is that I think both teams should have a robust explanation of what they think the topic should look like. I find limits to be more compelling than a loss of ground as internal links to the impacts that you are going for.
Impact comparison is still important here, like why does fairness outweigh education or the impacts that your opponents are going for. If the debate takes the course where both teams are going for fairness, then this should be done at the internal link level, but regardless there needs to be more impact comparison in topicality.
I think that I am pretty relaxed with my biases as to what aff's are topical and I like to think that I reward teams who invest research into these arguments and think that teams who read aff's that are perceived to be regarded as topical to the community should be punished for lazy debating on whether their aff is topical or not.
Critical Affs –
I prefer aff's have some relationship with the topic, I also want you to tell me what and how this relationship is established. I feel pretty comfortable adjudicating these debates but also believe that the more judge instruction you give me, the happier you will be. I also think that the more offense that you generate on the fw page, then the better position you put yourself in. I think if you are reading a version of an anti-cap lit based aff, then generating this offense can be more difficult, but not impossible. The ones that I have seen on this topic feel pretty defensive on fw and I think you should invest time into creating this offense.
For the neg --- I believe there is a trend where teams are choosing to read definitions that stop at Ericson, and/or some sort of evidence that is similar to it. I don't think this puts you in a position to win your limits offense and my threshold for aff defense and offense is increasingly more compelling. So, if this is your strategy, then you need to invest time into creating a vision of the topic that is actually limiting.
The 2nr should have some discussion of case, or tell me how fw interacts with the case page and give me ample judge instruction on why it should come first. Reading positions other than just framework are more enjoyable debate to watch, but fw debates can be equally as interesting as long as there is time devoted to it and your strategy.
Disads -
Not much to say here...
I think there has been a trend towards reading the least number of cards as possible, while there may be SOME cases where those cards make all the arguments needed, I will be sympathetic to new 1ar arguments should they be extended into the block.
Link specificity and spin are what I look for and reward if it is being done. Obviously, the more specific the link the better, but good spin can go a long way.
I like and reward aff strategies that straight turn disads and/or other offense generating strategies.
Counterplans –
Counterplans can make for interesting debates. I tend to side with the neg on pics and agent counterplans. I think other competition questions are typically decided on whichever team has invested more time in their strategy revolving around competition. Furthermore, I am more than happy and comfortable in adjudicating these debates, again judge instruction is important here.
With theory debates I think I am most compelled to reject the team only in context with condo but can be persuaded with other theory arguments if you are able to impact them out well enough. I enjoy watching aff teams double-down on condo and I don’t think there is a certain number of off that makes me more/less likely to vote on the argument, just win your interpretation if this is what the debate boils down to.
Kritiks –
The more specific of a link I think the better (this goes very any argument though) whether or not this is a link to the plan or the aff's performance, link spin can also go a long way. Pulling lines from evidence and contextualizing them to your link analysis is good. I do not think there must be an alternative in order to win the debate, just make sure you are wining other arguments that justify you doing this (i.e. framework). With these debates telling me what and why x matters are very important in framing my ballot.
With permutations I think the neg has to do more than just say, “all links are disads to the perm,” make sure to explain how they operate as such, and if you are going for the perm being intrinsic and/or severance make sure to explain why and tie an impact to it. On the flip side, I think that aff teams need to do a better job at answering each individual piece of offense to win a permutation (i.e. each link, disad, or solvency question) with a net benefit.
Case -
Don’t neglect case, it never hurts to extend some sort of defense or offense no matter how miniscule it may be. I think neg teams going for k’s sometimes get away with not going to the case page, if this happens make sure to use your aff.
I don’t understand the use of framing pages. They are often things that don’t matter if the neg just wins the disad or kritik that they are going for. I think the best examples of framing pages were affs written on the immigration topic and have since not seen one that was inherently offensive rather than defensive. The same goes for pre-empts. This is not to say don’t have a fed key warrant, but rather don’t just read a bunch of thumper cards or random pieces of impact defense. In this instance you should just read another advantage.
Email (please include me):
General notes about me and my ideas:
do what you do best - don't overcorrect via judge adaptation
traditional policy stuff is good - generics exist for a reason - specificity is better but making topic generics work in unique and interesting ways excites me - the way to win these debates is contextualization - if the link is just to the generic topic mechanism without mentioning the aff once that will not be conducive to victory
theory is something people should go for more and not be afraid to go for - i am 50/50 on just about every theoretical question so go for it - i have a lot more thoughts about these things but i'm too lazy to type them so feel free to ask
kritiks that both make sense and become well applied to the aff are going to do a lot for you - kritiks that are generic, generally unspecific, and noncontextualized make it a lot harder to win a 2nr on the k - don't be afraid to defend things with the k either - people oftentimes get too floaty and seek out less clash which i can respect but am not as pleased with - some k's are just bad though just like some cps and das are bad
counterplans are incredibly interesting to me and i appreciate them more than most - competition is for y'all to debate about, the cp should probably make some level of sense, and shouldn't be super contrived (well maybe it should be contrived idk and idc) but regardless you shouldn't be afraid to read them - read however many planks for your adv cp or the weird process cp that probably loses to perm do the counterplan or a recut solvency advocate from the 1ac as a cp (all of those can be defended and should be)
topicality is good and people should go for it - t should be a strategy that can be deployed in every 1nc (even if that thing is a core of the topic aff that every camp cut) - hot take but t subsets is funny and a viable strategy and so are other doofy procedurals such as aspec
k affs are gonna do whatever they want a lot of the time so read fw (or whatever you wanna call t) and impact turn their lit - go for liberalism good or managerialism good or russia is worse or t - i really don't care its up to you but everything i outlined above sounds like a pretty good strategy just make sure you touch case so the 2ar can't leverage everything against you
case neg is the best thing for you to read and do in a round - a neg strategy solely consisting of case neg would make my weekend 100 times better - tell me the aff is bad and i'll be happy
Oklahoma LD/PF (everything above is for CX):
again do what you do best but just because I'm a policy bro doesn't mean you auto-win if you say something progressive in front of me - if you're better at doing the typical and traditional stuff then do it and win it - obviously, try new things out but just don't expect it to be an auto win
people also seem to have forgotten about offense/defense and impact calculus - p.t.m. is a good thing people and so is doing turns analysis
similar to what I said above but people have seemingly forgotten what solvency is too - make smart solvency arguments and win that that implicates solvency - if someone defends substantial is 25% and reads a US imperialism aff then a smart neg that says "lol that means 75% of the US is still there how does that hurt imperialism" would be reading my mind