Memorial Mustang Spring Woods Tiger Swing
2024 — Houston, TX/US
Debate Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideContact Info
Email: joshadebateemail@gmail.com (please add me to the email chain) w/ Tournament Name: School Name (Aff) vs School Name (Neg)
Pronouns: He/Him
Background (Updated For 2024-2025 Season)
I am a current Sophmore at Rice University & I graduated from Challenge Early College High School w/an extremely small and underfunded debate program.I've been part of the activity for a while and want to give back to the community. I've tried every format at least once, and I am a progressive debater who started off traditional who has made it to a few BID Rounds, including Emory & Stanford, qualified to TFA State 2x and made it octos, qualed to UIL State for Congress and LD a bunch of times, etc.
I have taught at camps such as TDC, NSD, & VBI
*I Specialize in Non-T Afropess, Afro Opt, Afro-Futurism, Performance, Cap, Security, etc. (pretty much any K literature) but started off stock/lay/traditional and understand Policy args well.
Conflicts
Institutions: Frank Black Middle School; Heights HS; Challenge Early College HS; Dulles HS
Individual Debaters: Carnegie Vanguard KF; Garland LA; & St John TI
TLDR: What I don't like
1) If you are running identity args and you don't identify with that identity i.e afropess, queerpess, feminism and you say "I" and "We" when you don't know the struggle
2) Promoting racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, lack of necessary content warnings, etc.
3) Rudeness- I understand aggression, but I am not a big fan if you are mean to others in the round. Debate rounds can cause anxiety, and people are human... remember that. Rudeness will not lose you the round, but I will tank your speaks- and if someone runs an IVI or a DTD warrant because of something said I will evaluate it.
LD & CX Specific
DA's, Larp, Stock, Lay, Stock, General Debate =)
This is what I started with. I'm cool with it! Just make sure to do the important things like:
[A] Weigh impacts and clearly delineate what arguments you are gaining offense from- if you are Aff my vote is dependent on offense, while for the Neg if the DA's/Disadvantages are great or the offense o/w the Aff- then you get my vote-pretty straightforward
[B] Defense is not sticky- please extend down the flow. I'm a lot more lenient for novices, but if your opponent does it proficiently, I will address
[C] I love evidence comparison- if you indict the author or what the card is saying, I am less likely to evaluate that card in the round- which will severely harm their link chain.
[D] Run whatever args you want and have fun- I'll vote on anything. I will evaluate extinction first and against K Affs I think its a good strat to go for.
Theory:
I default to competing interps, no rvi's and drop the debater on shells read against advocacies/entire positions and drop the argument, reasonability against all other types or friv shells.
I'm ok with using theory as a strategic tool but the sillier the shell the lower the threshold I have for responses. Please weigh and slow down for interps and short analytic arguments.
I personally did not disclose on the wiki because I believe it to be AB, thus, my threshold for disclosure is a lot lower. That being said, I have read different forms of disclosure and lost rounds to it where I have agreed with the RFD. I won't rule out disclosure and have no issue voting on it; just know I won't vote off of like a "small school prep" arg as a gg issue right away unless conceded.
Theory v Theory: Metaweighing is extremely important here and I have a good understanding of these debates- but they were never my prime strat. Please do the work for me-but I will my best to evaluate.
Kritiks & TFW/Topicality
K vs. Framework (TFW) - I don't default any way. I will buy debate bad args and impact turns. P-Fox & Chao helped me out a lot with this- so review their paradigm to understand how I lean
K vs Anything Else- Again, love the K! But just know that I will not hack for them. I did a lot of work with the K's, but also a lot of workIN ROUNDfor my wins with the K. Also, I personally enjoyed spectating other rounds that were not the K, as they were more interesting for me- thus I love the K, but will not hesitate to give people who think I'm a K hack the L
Non T Aff's/K Affs- LOVE THEM! Be careful though, as running Non-T Aff's against really young, inexperienced debaters will get me frustrated. Also, as a person who ran a lot of Non-T Aff's and watches a lot of Non-T performance rounds, I would be careful being lazy around me in regards to this.
*Also if you are running a K or a K Aff please LBL TFW and extinction first warrants. Its okay to impact turn and give top-level/an overview on these arguments- but I've noticed that debaters drop key warranting on TFW and extinction first that controls the IL to Aff offense or just indicts the reading of the K in the first place
**Please do not spread/blitz through your long pre-written overviews. While they do extend offense I often find them very incoherent and if they are not extrapolated to anything on the flow then it makes it hard to include and integrate them into the RFD. If you are reading an overview explain why its key (which I assume you already do) and contextualize it to the important things in the round.
Phil
I do not have the most experience going for Phil, but I have read a decent amount of it and have found myself in the back of many rounds for it.
Be sure to explain the syllogisms as I have a limited understanding of different Phil Authors (especially ones that have similar but slightly different theories to other more universal Phil authors).
Explain the TJFs- I also think that Permissibility negates but be sure to warrant it in the 1N.
Tricks (LD Specific)
I am personally not the biggest fan- I think they're a bad model of debate and are AB, but I will consider them if they are warranted and explained EXTREMELY WELL THROUGHOUT THE ROUND.
[A] Again- I will evaluate tricks but my threshold for responding to them is extremely low
[B] When I say explain it well- I don't mean just spend like 10 secs on it. You probably need to spend a solid 20-30 secs on it and why its a voting issue
[C] Tricks are ever-evolving and you honestly can make them out of any concept. Thus, don't expect me to know what the trick is
[D] I have thought about this and I WILL NOT BUY "EVAL AFTER X Speech"- I find this really dumb and I just refuse to vote on it.
[E] Identity Tricks- My threshold for evaluating them are similar to my threshold to regular tricks- make sure you warrant out the trick and give it offense independent of the AC/NC. If it is not, then I will by any takeouts of substance and cross apply it to the trick. (i.e., IF "X" Identity Trick is similar to "Y" Argument like Case ontology/thesis- then if you end up losing Case ontology/thesis, then you lose the trick).
Round Logistics
[1] Rehighlites- If you are re-highlighting, please read the highlighted text of the card
[2] Speaks IVI's- I have thought about this for a bit and came to a conclusion- If you ask for 30 speaks and you did not do anything to deserve the 30 speaks in round... you will not get it. I am sympathetic to certain situations, and if you give me a good reason for 30 speaks and have a clean round- then you got yourself a deal.
[3] Hitting a Novice- If you are hitting a Novice, here's my advice- run what you want to run (you shouldn't be limited on running certain arguments, just BCS of skill level), but don't be excessive and abusive. I think 1-2 offs (maybe 3 depending on event and skill level) is more than sufficient and you should take to time to explain arguments that they might not understand. Being abusive in round will not give you an L- but will make me super happy to TANK YOUR SPEAKS.
General Strategy:
I will slightly pay attention to Cross, but will not flow it (probably just take some notes for clarification). If it is important just make sure to flag me and BRING IT UP IN THE SPEECH.
Speaker Points: will start at 29 and will move up or down depending on your strategy- if you ask, I probably will disclose speaks and if you have any questions on how it could've improved just ask.
If you are below a 29- (28.7-28.9) Then I think the round was pretty good- but you might go 3-3 at a tournament
If they are 29.1-29.3 Then I think you did a good job and have a decent shot at breaking
If you are a 29.4-29.7 Then I enjoyed the round, thought it was good, but some strategic things had to be fixed
If you are 29.8-30 Then I thought it was a really good debate- and your strat was either extremely good or peerfect
Personal Belief:
I agree with people such as Zion Dixon, Leah Yeshitila, Patrick Fox, Issac Chao, Becca Traber, & Chris Castillo.
Taken from Leah: https://www.tabroom.com/index/paradigm.mhtml?judge_person_id=155571
Debate is not a game. Debate has material impacts on those who engage in it, especially POC. Please be mindful that debate is sometimes some debater’s only option when it comes to funding college or having a platform to speak freely. Also, it’s just not unreasonable to consider how it can be a game for some and not for others. You have a high threshold to prove to me why it is (hint: maybe find better, more strategic T shells, friend)
World Schools Specific
A] Make sure to defend your burdens and clearly explain to me why you have won the round based on those burdens
B] I will be keeping track of POI(s) so make sure to reasonably answer about 2 each speech if you are hit with POIs
C] My speaks are somewhat generous. First Speakers- just offer persuasion with the speech; Second Speakers- Make sure to clearly restate your burdens and how you are gaining offense from them as well as offer strong responses; Third Speaker- clearly crystalize the round and what lens I should be looking at it from; Reply Speaker- Please don't offer new points as that will most likely not persuade my vote in any way- just bring it home and if the speakers before did their job it should be all good.
Public Forum Specific
Weigh and clearly delineate what offense you are garnering coming out of each speech. I am a big fan of evidence comparison, weighing, and uplayering. If you do a huge Ethos push in your last speeches and you are not contextualizing the claims to any args in the round then I probably will still down you.
If you wondering if you can run any other args like K's, Theory, etc (More Policy and LD-specific things), reference the above things on my paradigm.
If you decide to run any progressive args (K, Theory, Etc. and your opponent has no idea what it is (In PF)- my threshold for them answering it is a lot lower and if you are extremely abusive with it- i.e running 2 or 3 off when you don't have to- then I will probably tank your speaks.
Speaking Events (Specific)
Just speak good- I had a lot of teammates participate in speaking events and while I have never done them I sat with them at practice and had a coach who heavily focused on speech. I know what good speeches look like and will know what rushed/no-practice speeches look like.
Congress Specific
Just do your thing. As of now I have only judged one congress round at UT but it was a fun experience. I am fine with creative intros as long as they are clever and relate to the topic. Otherwise do your thing and please attempt to create clash (especially if you are later speeches into the cycle)
Do not spread, I cannot vote for you if I don't understand what you are saying. If I feel you are speaking to fast, I will only give one verbal warning to slow down.
Disclosing is at my discretion unless otherwise stated by tournament rules.
Please be respectful of your teammates/opponents.
My Paradigm are as follows
- NO SPREADING
- I DON'T DISCLOSE
- YOU WILL FIND MY CRITIQUE ON THE BALLOT
- BE RESPECTFUL
- AUDIENCE ARE ALLOWED BUT THEY MUST BE RESPECTFUL AND MAINTAIN DECORUM
Forensics is a speaking competition in which the art of rhetoric is utilized - speaking effectively to persuade or influence [the judge].
Socrates' remarks in Plato's Apology is the basis of my judging: "...when I do not know, neither do I think I know...I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think I know when I do not know" (Ap. 21d-e).
My paradigm of any round is derived from: CLARITY!!!
All things said in the round need to be clear! Whatever it is you want me to comprehend, vote on, and so forth, needs to be clearly articulated, while one is speaking. This stipulation should not be interpreted as: I am ignorant about debate; contrarily, I am placing the burden on the debater to debate - it is the responsibility of the debater to explain arguments presented. Arguments have a criteria; therefore, clash, at the substantive level, is a must!
1) I follow each debate league's constitution, per the tournament.
2) General information, for any debate types:
A) Speed: As long as I can understand you well enough to flow the round, since I vote per the flow!, then you can speak as slow or fast as you deem necessary. I do not yell clear, for we are not in practice round, and that's judge interference.
B) Case: I am a tab judge; I will vote the way in which you explain to me to do so; thus I do not have a preference, or any predispositions, to arguments.
Set a metric in the round, then tell me why you/y'all have won your metric, while your opponent(s) has lost their metric and/or you/y'all have absorbed their metric.
The job of any debater is to persuade the judge, by way of logical reasoning, to vote in his or her favor, while maintaining one's position, and discrediting his or her opponent's position. Good luck to all!
Ask any other clarification questions before the round.
***UPDATED FOR STATE***
"Win a no win situation by rewriting the rules” - Harvey Specter
For questions and email chains --asad.ahmed0987@gmail.com
About me: I did LD and graduated in 2019, TFA qualled, and coached a few people as well
Debate
First and foremost, debate on the circuit is a game - don't take anything personal
How to win a round
I'm tech over truth however, you still need to warrant out your arguments, this means explain it tell me why your argument is true.
Do not read a card that with a tagline that says "No nuclear war" then don't explain. I won't vote off it. Always explain the why to your card.
IE. AFF says econ collapse causes nuclear war. The neg should say "there won't be a nuclear war, mutually assured destruction protects war from happening."
After this weighing is your best bet to win that argument. "O/W on probability it won't happen." Guarantee you're winning if you do this
Speaks
Sit or stand, I could care less. This isn't a speech event. I believe speaks are based on strats, the arguments made, order of the R's, etc...
Post round
Feel free to do it but do not be rude. Take everything I say and use it as advice
Speed
I think debate has changed throughout the years where people don't use their critical thinking skills anymore and just docbot. If you're reading a million words per minplease send a doc or else I can't flow it. I'm very decent with speed but no judge can flow that fast (atleast not me)
Argumentation
First and foremost I can and have judged everything
I prefer a very good KvT or KvK debate however that's just my preference
(1)Identity K's
-I'm familiar with most common lit (fem, ableism, afropess, queer, etc...) however you still have to do the work!
- My specialization was in Islamo so running non T was my go-to strat
(1)T/Theory
- I don't default to anything, it's your job to tell me what to do in the round
- The best shell debates I've seen are the ones where you go LBL
- 1AR restarts? do it. It's the best strat for negs with 3+ offs.
(2/3)POMO
- Not a fan of judging it but judged a lot of it recently
- Specialized in haunto but must do a lot of work for me depending on the author (familiar with common lit like Foucault, Baudrillard, etc...)
(1)LARP
- Every judge should be able to judge larp it's just.... boring
(5/strike)Phil/Trix
- I can judge trix however I don't believe that's debate at all. It just means you're looking for an easy win. I'll still flow it and put it in consideration but my threshold for trix is super low and it'll tank your speaks
Just for a quick background, I have competed in Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, and Public Forum for debate. For speech events I have competed in Extemp and Impromptu.
FOR DEBATE:
Don't ask me if I'm ready, I am ALWAYS ready.
If I hear an extinction argument in any event I judge I will visually cringe and immediately circle the other team’s name on the ballot. (Who can care if everyone dies). I feel that Util is overused so if you are creative in framework, that will appeal to me more.
I am a flow judge so performance will have the majority factor of the outcome in the debate. Speed is fine... to an extent, however I also prefer to have cases shared with me via Tabroom SpeechDrop. In cross-examination I want to see clash, and debaters utilizing strategic questioning to their advantage.
FOR SPEECH:
I want to see good eye contact and fluid foot/body movements throughout your speech.
Try not to bring in personal examples, however I will not take off points for them. (I don’t care about you) I love hearing dark humor jokes, and I don’t care if you show political bias. (What happens in the room, stays in the room)
Bringing food in the room is fine, as long as you share with me. However any drink other than water is not allowed.
My email for a chain would be: sahilalamonly@gmail.com
** side notes from judge
DEBATE:
Speed
I do not like speed I do prefer a pace where all judges and contestants can understand as well, I think it allows for a more involved, persuasive and all-around better style of speaking and debating. It is your burden to make sure that your speech is clear and understandable and the faster you want to speak, the more clearly you must speak. If I miss an argument, then you did not make it to the ballot, however I will still try to keep up. Therefore, keep in mind mumbling the word is NOT saying the word so if I say CLEAR -> it means that make sure that each word is being pronounced correctly. The word LOUD means speech a bit louder to hear you.
Build the value that is not overly complicated and should be relatable, and criterion should not be over technical. Critical argument should provide substantial evidence for their support. Make sure all claims are supported with specific, defined examples, no paraphrasing. Rebuttals should provide voters to address the important issues advanced in constructive speeches and extend arguments individually. As for speed, I do not mind (pretty open minded) as long as each word is understandable and clear for hearing. Please remember that mumbling words can be hard for your judge to evaluate you. However, it is safe to ask the judge at the beginning of the round just to be on the safe side. The focus should be winning the debate (more like convincing your judge), not just attacking a person's style or flaws of method. Remember that in order to win a round, respect towards your opponent is paramount. It is hard to find in favor of debaters who belittle or berate their opponent in or out of round. Graceful winners are as important as the one that did not win.
Speaker Points
25 is a terrible round, with massive flaws in speeches, huge amounts of time left unused, blatantly offensive things said or other glaring rhetorical issues.
26 is a bad round. The debater had consistent issues with clarity, time management, or fluency which make understanding or believing the case more difficult.
27 is average. Speaker made no large, consistent mistakes, but nevertheless had persistent smaller errors in fluency, clarity or other areas of rhetoric.
28 is above average. Speaker made very few mistakes, which largely weren't consistent or repeated. Speaker was compelling, used rhetorical devices well.
29-30 is perfect. No breaks in fluency, no issues with clarity regardless of speed, very strong use of rhetorical devices and strategies. 30 usually goes to the contestant that kept it professional from the beginning to the end of the round
**Argumentation does not impact how I give speaker points. You could have an innovative, well-developed case with strong evidence that is totally un-responded to but still get a 26 if your speaking is bad.
Good luck Contestants.
Email Chain: alejojaz000@gmail.com
I am a former policy debater for Barbers Hill High School
I'm was flex debater so run whatever you want it's your round I just decide who win's (unless it's racist, sexist, ableist, etc.). Because like obviously
Skip down to the ld section for my pref thing but most of the policy stuff still applies
Overall having a fun debate experience is the ultimate goal so strive to do so, and good luck!
For email chains, my email is nbdebate06@gmail.com
If I feel as though you are stealing prep, I will warn you first and then penalize you if it continues. Please don't steal prep, it's pretty annoying.
IDC abt being post rounded I get it just don't be dumb abt it
Also speed, go as fast as you want just put me on the chain - When i say go as fast as you want just make it to where you are still clear odds are i'll understand you but i mean you'll probably sound better if you aren't mumbling every word in your speech I'll also say clear i doubt i'll need to but i will- Just maybe slow down a wee bit in rebuttals and online
Pref short cut --- (IK this prolly doesn't apply but just use this as you will:))
Policy ---1
K (cap/security)--- 1
K (identity)---2-3
K aff --- 2-3
K (pomo) --- 4-5
Phil & tricks --- lol
Don't make me intervene (i only forgot an 'e' bryce it wasn't horrible) in the round if the 2NR makes a dumb decision, but the 2AR doesn't capitalize or touch on it and loses anyways, why wouldn't I punish the 2AR for fumbling? and etc.
--- Online Debate
I'm fine with your camera being off when you speak just turn it on at the beginning.
Slow down a bit no need to run a dozen or so off
I would prefer we do email chain at all times but if it is imperative that we need to do file share then so be it this goes for in person too
T/FW
Explain to me what abuse has occurred or explain why I should vote against a non-t aff
I really like these debates i feel like the aff should be built around T/FW
I believe the aff should have really good impact turns to procedural fairness and topic education if you want to win my ballot on the aff in these rounds have good DA’s on T/FW
For the neg odds are they aren’t T so go for procedural fairness & topic education and why it matters so much.
I lean more neg when it comes to TVA’s so if you want to win a T/FW debate in front of me a TVA would be much appreciated
T
Try and have a definition contextual to the aff
Answer extra T or fx T because i'll vote on it if you drop it and have competing interps but i'm not going to do the work for you so call it out in the block
DA's
I love good disad debates but the thing I look for most in a debate is the link debate and the disad turns case. Don't be afraid to run generic disadvantages; however, your success with those arguments is entirely dependent on your ability to contextualize the link for me. After the link is clear, provide me with a tool for comparing your impacts to the affirmative's impacts. I'm not picky about how impact calculus is done, but it needs to have a turns case arg if you want to win the ballot because I feel like the turns case argument is really underrated.
Please have all parts of the DA it would really suck if you have no internal link :(
Have good uniqueness that's up to date
I don't know how strong the links are for IP but if there are string links please use them over generics
Counter plans
While case-specific counter plans are more interesting for me to listen to, I don't evaluate them more favorable than generic counter plans. Just contextualize your generic solvency evidence if you choose that route.
Don't assume I kick the CP (or anything for that matter) from the flow unless you instruct me to. My flow will look exactly how you tell me for it to look.
If you are running a PIC, be prepared for a theory debate and the perm debate. I don't default a certain way most of the time, but I think both of those arguments are important barriers for you to overcome if you want to win my ballot. I do however err aff when it comes to obscure pics of the aff because I feel like it’s just unfair and impossible to predict.
If I didn't cover anything feel free to ask me before the round! I don't have much to say, because I feel like CP's shouldn't really be controversial.
Also go to the theory section for how I look at that on CP's
K
Run'em
just paint a picture for me to understand what the world of the alt looks like
links of omissions/thesis links are cool just say how the alt changes it, i prefer you also have links descriptive to the aff and pull lines from there cards that's how you'll win me on the link debate.
Also don't be afraid to kick an alt and go for link turns case because if you're having alt solvency deficits your best way out of it is to just go for link turns case.
Also I know for novice rounds you probably won't be running Baudrillard but if you running high theory K just let me know what it is and what it means i more a traditional K judge(Cap, Security, AfroPess/Wilderson, Imperialism, And so on)
Please say why the alt solves the link their is never enough work done on this for most of the time.
Theory
I'll evaluate any flow you put on the page besides ASPEC/OSPEC unless it's to get a link to a DA but if it's something abscure that you are trying to win on i will audiby yawn at you
I lean aff on process cp's, consult cp's, 50 states, and multi actor fiat. I lean Neg on international fiat & condo
As I said above I think condo's not really a great argument but i mean if the neg his running like 8 conditional advocates Then i would have no problem giving an aff ballot if they don't fumble
Case
I'm always ready for a good case debate and I'm cool with any case turns etc.
I love case debate where the 2NR goes for a case turn, I feel like a case turn debate goes really underutilized it would be cool if we have a lot of offense on case to go for in the 2NR
But if you want to win my ballot easily you need to be doing internal link debate on the aff. If you win that odds are you’re getting my ballot.
Have new case defense or at least up to date stuff
In debate now i feel like we don't spend enough time on case like the 2nr only doing 30 seconds of it i get how if you are winning it you feel like you should go for more offense but i mean make sure you get to all the key points on the case flow
Misc.
I don't care if you cuss etc.
I start at 28.5 speaks and I'll go up or down depending on strategy, speaking, and argument development.
I have been told I am rude in debate and where I feel some of that is right I feel like some of it is misinterpreted let's just try to have a fun round where we don't get a heated round
Please be more than a debate robot I want people to engage in the activity and inject it with their personality unless you're boring then just stick to be a robot.
LD:
I don't necessarily like trad debate but i'm cool with wtv you run just
Most of the policy stuff from above still applies just do you tho
don't run tricks though because i'll most likely sit in the back laughing and then vote you down because i hate tricks, but they're funny
PF:
lol
Please just clash like it's one of the only things i care about and want in a PF debate
Also have good offense and defense
I really don't judge PF that often so just try and have judge instruction for the love of god (or wtv you believe in)
INTERP Specific: DO NOT SCREAM in your performance. I understand being loud for emotional reasons, but you do not need to scream at the top of your lungs. I hear a fair bit of screaming my day to day and it genuinely bothers me more than any uncomfortable social issue/topic. I will rank you lower for screaming.
Truth over tech: I don't think abusing link chains makes you a good debater. I'm willing to buy more abstract arguments to an extent I have solid general knowledge of most things political. The more complicated your argument the more clear your link chain should be. That being said as long as your argument isn't based around a lie or fatal mistake on your part I still require the other team to do the work and refute it.
Congress: I love clash, funny AGD's, and good analysis. Please refute the other competitors asap ,and directly reference who you are refuting. Everyone has a piece of paper with their name on it, it shouldn't be difficult to remember the representative your refuting's name. Please be cordial with your fellow competitors, sportsmanship is big virtue in my opinion. I expect you to be active in the chamber and ask good questions. 3 minute speeches are short make good use of your time. A good sponsorship should really contextualize what the legislation does.If your going to PO I expect you to be efficient, and quick. But if you are inexperienced in a prelims round and still doing a good enough job that its not an issue I will not rank you down.
Debate: I am a traditional judge. In every Debate event I like a more lay round. Feel free to run theory if something is actually super abusive, but I've only vote on two theory arguments. I do not like fast speed, it's one of the things I write most on speech round ballots. However if I can understand you and a doc isn't needed you can still get 30 speaks. However if you spread you can expect at most a low-point win.I consider myself to mostly be a policy-maker style judge.I will not intervene and down you if you go against my preferences. But please take it as a guideline for what I understand, and feel comfortable voting for. No hard feelings if your style is better suited to the 2 other judges in the room :)
In LD: Value criterion is extremely important to me. I need to understand how different contentions/cards tie into your value criterion and why your VC outweighs.
In PF: I value more of a big picture voters speech than a line by line, the speech is 2 minutes so if you drop unimportant parts of the debate here you can win. With that said in PF I really prefer slower speaking even more than LD
Extemp: Have strong analysis and strong speaking skills, your time should be around 6:30. I like a good AGD, trust me I want to laugh out loud sometimes but I can't. I really like it when you understand why an extemp question is an extemp question. A good extemp question is about a bigger picture and if your analysis reflects great topic knowledge and I am typically going to be more interested/engaged and rank you higher.
Platform/Interp: Delivery is critical especially for jokes, practice practice practice. If your unsure of how you are saying a joke ask someone before giving it to me as a judge. Moreover in Interp please don't scream/yell super loud especially if you are standing right next to me.
Judging Experience: 7+ years
Debate:
Please record your own time
Please be respectful I do not tolerate any disrespect to me or your opponent
Clear logic, Solid evidence , and confident rhetoric will secure your win
Speak at a regular pace and as audible as possible for full comprehension
I flow key arguments/ evidence to help me better determine who upheld the resolve
please keep Cameras on during online rounds if you need to turn your camera off for an ample amount of time please take permission from me or notify me so I am aware.
Be respectful during CX. if you ask a question be fair and let opp reply and vise versa if your asking a question and you had a fair chance to reply allow opp yo move on with further question
Interp
clear characterizations both physically and vocally. Establish setting with blocking and business. Pantomime should be realistic and establish object permanence.
Every performance must tell a story. You must convey the who, what, when, where, and why.
If you need time signals please let me know your preference
"Debate well. Don't go fast. Don't make frivolous or untrue arguments. You have a prescribed debate topic for a reason, so debate the topic."
That is my "grumpy old man" paradigm.
In reality, I am open to considering lots of arguments from a wide variety of philosophical and practical perspectives. My biggest issue is that I am not great with speed. I don't love it, and even if I did, I don't handle it well in a debate round. I am willing to listen to pretty much any argument a debater wants to make, but I won't evaluate the argument particularly well if its fast. Also, the more critical the argument and the more dense the literature, the slower you will need to go for me to follow you.
I do have a few pet peeves.
1) No Tricks. Tricks are for kids - I'll absolutely intervene and toss out an "I win, you lose" extension of a random sentence from the framework or an underview. Don't make it a voter or it will likely be you that loses the ballot. Debate the round, don't just try to escape with the W.
2) No EXTENSIONS THROUGH INK - if you are going to extend something, you better have answered the arguments that sit right next to them on the flow BEFORE you extend them. You have to be responsive the attacks before you can claim victory on an argument.
3) Don't shoehorn EXTINCTION impacts into topics that are clearly NOT going to link to extinction. For example, there was a topic on standardized testing a few years back. Policy style impacts of cases and disads should have been about the effectiveness on standardized testing in terms of educational outcomes, college outcomes, and overall productive individuals and societies. Instead, debaters went for the cheap impact and tried to claim that keeping standardized tests will cause nuclear war and extinction. The syllogism had about 7-8 moving parts and at least three skipped steps. It was a bad argument that sometimes won because the opponent wasn't good enough to challenge the link chain or sometimes lost because smarter debaters beat it back pretty soundly. Either way, the debate was poor, the argument selection was poor, and I was not inclined to give those debaters good speaks even if they won.
4) Only read THEORY because there is an honest-to-God violation of a pretty established norm in debate, not because it's your "A-strat" and you just like theory. I like Fruit Loops, but I don't eat them at every meal. Use theory when appropriate and be prepared to go all-in on it if you do. If the norm you are claiming is so important and the violation is so egregious, then you should be willing to be the farm on your theory argument to keep your opponent from winning the debate.
I want to see good debate. I think the four things listed above tend to make debate bad and boilerplate. If you disagree, you are welcome to strike me.
I’m open to questions before and after the round via my email.
”I refuse to answer that on the grounds that I don’t want to.”
~ H. Specter
I’m mostly pref’d on K, Th, Phil, Tricks. Probably expect that if you got me in the back, I guess.
**Conflicted to Clear Lake High School and Woodlands AH
The easiest path to my ballot (DEBATE)
Clear final speeches. Voters that link back into the way I should frame the round, be that through theory, a ROB, criterion, etc.
Not extending case fully can lead to a presumption ballot if content isn’t extended or permissibility if a way to frame the round isn’t extended. This means If you don’t extend your framework, you could lose even if you’re winning!!!
Judge adaptations and predispositions
I am a computer and will vote off anything. I do not need to fully understand something to vote on it, I just need to have a reason why.
Due to resolvability concerns, I have a few ‘default settings'. If these even get brought up in round, I become a blank slate and give no favor based on these defaults.
a. Presumption negates, permissibility affirms.
b. If an argument is conceded in the following speech, it will be treated as objectively true.
c. CX is binding.
d. Every argument is permitted.
e. If an argument is not extended, it is no longer on the flow. I do not shadow-extend.
Accommodations
If there’s a specific request given to me for anything pertaining to disability or comfort, I will do my best to comply.
If both debaters agree in wanting me to change my paradigm to fit their debate preferences, I will. My paradigm is not a set of my beliefs, but just my best attempt at being a blank slate that gives every argument a fair trial. Sometimes, even I do not like my paradigm, which is why I include this bit.
Speaks
Starting at a 29. I give a lot of 30s. I judge speaks off strategy. I am prone to boosting speaks to debaters that can make me laugh(I have a pretty crude sense of humor; my mind is a deep dark and cryptic place). If you send analytics for all speeches, I’ll give you a 29.5 minimum no matter what, no matter where.
Post-rounding
Do it, but please keep it to under 5 minutes per person. Everything else can be handled via email. I will ‘match your energy’. Private coaches count as part of the “person” of their debater, lol.
I think it’s good to have these conversations to make sure debaters can truly learn and get better after a round with me. I’m also more than happy to give a brief analysis of how I would have done things (differently), and why.
Comfortability/Experience
1 - K (All, from non-t k aff to idpol to cap or psycho. I used to debate non-t k affs and k negs a lot. Good for all your pess and performance K needs.)
1 - Trad (Every judge can judge trad, it's just a little boring. I do not like "subpoints".)
1 - T/Th (Comfortable, did it a bit, fan of judging it.)
1 - LARP (I LARP'd mostly for the first half of my debate career... then debated Ks... most ‘LARPers’ give me a 2 or 3 which only makes me a little sad, but I get it.)
1 - Kant/Korsgaard/Rawls/Butler (been judging it a lot, kind of a fan.)
2 - POMO (judged it a lot in late 2023 and early 2024.)
3 - Tricks (I have a good amount of experience with 'em. They're objectively dumb, but I don't really care. I have recently made this go from 2 —> 3 due to judging some traumatic tricks debates that got way too messy, blippy, and unintelligible. If I do not hear it, and there isn’t a doc, it DOES NOT EXIST. I’m a 1 if there’s less than 5 tricks, and 2 if less than 10. Else, 3. Some of y’all are ruining the fun of these for me.
2 - Other Phil (Deleuze, Derrida, Locke, whomever. I’ve started writing Phil prep for people. I mostly get it now, they’re just a bit annoying.)
For traditional/lay rounds
For LD, any arguments made after the 1AR, if new, will not be evaluated.
For PF, any completely new arguments made after both sides give their rebuttal will not be evaluated.
For CX, any new arguments made after the 1AR will not be evaluated.
Speech
Make me laugh, make me cry. I would much rather laugh, but those are the reactions I most value in a speech round of any kind. I care a lot less about proper form or movements or the little triangle dance thingy.
World Schools “Debate”
I end up evaluating it like traditional debate. I value the things in my speech paradigm for "speaker points". Just be clear and tell me exactly why I should vote for you. Heck, give me a "first, vote on x. Second, vote on y".
Congress
I should not be here. If I am here, refer to my speech paradigm. I'm sorry for myself and you, but I will evaluate the round to the best of my ability. I value engagement and should be treated like a parent judge.
My paradigm is simple- be good.
When it comes to debate, I won't reward "debate tricks"... you need to do a better job with your case than the opponent, not Reductio Ad Absurdum.
I have a background as a History and Government & Economics instructor; getting simple statistics, historical precedent, and overall facts incorrect will hurt you. I don't judge that way to "gotcha"- I judge that way because winning debate requires you to be "the expert in the room."
I can adjust to different styles of debate but spreading is likely to hurt you more than help you.
With speech, I want to believe the character(s) you create. With humorous pieces, I want to be entertained (and maybe even smile). With dramatic pieces, create the scene for me... you do not advance/place because you have the "saddest" piece.
CX- 1) no excessive speed. 2) K's must apply to aff, have impact, must provide a weighing mechanism. I don't vote for a K that simply reflects a wrong in SQ- Aff needs to have caused it. Ultimately weighing adv , disads is critical. I WILL NOT VOTE ON DISCLOSURE THEORY!!!
LD- !) Value/ crit can be critical, but often depends on the topic. When topics are policy oriented, I can vote on policy. Regardless, I find standards to be important, especially how debaters respond.
I prefer all debate styles, whether CX, LD or PF to have a structure that makes it easy for me to flow. I like 1's, 2's 3's or A B C.
PF 1. obviously clash is a must. I prefer all debaters take part in grand cross fire, but will judge on case by case. Clear impacts and weighing mechanism.
Extemps
1. Make sure your address the topic.
2. While number of sources cited isn't terribly critical, I do expect facts, etc. to be supported with sources. One two sources is not enough.
3. i liked good, creative intros. Not a fan of the 'extended metaphor' intro.
4. I prefer a natural delivery to a more forced, stilted one.
Oratory
1. Good unique topics appreciated. Substance, significance of topic takes a slight edge over delivery, but only slight. A little humor along the way is always good.
POI
1. I prefer a POI that recognizes a manuscript is being used. At least a little, please. A variety of emotional appeals works best.
HI, DI
1. HI should make me laugh or smile really hard. I look for development of characters, if possible. Not a big fan of R rated selections.
2. DI should build to climax, both in selection and performance.
Prose, Poetry
1. As with POI, I like to see a manuscript being used at least a little. Something unique is always nice to hear, but nothing wrong with the classics. Again, build to the climax.
Congress
1. Be an active member of the session.
2. The least effective position to take is one that has already been given by a previous speaker.
3. Congressional debate requires debate. Rebuttal points, naming specific other speaker, gets the most positive judging response.
4. Don't be afraid to be PO. I appreciate, a good PO, and will take that into account when ranking.
I've been judging and coaching various forms of speech and debate events on local, state and national levels since 2013. Head coach of St. John's School since 2020.
Don't assume I know anything, explain as if you were talking to someone non-specialized in whatever topic you're speaking on. That isn't to say that you should treat me as a lay person but rather you should not expect me to know the intricate literature on complicated topics that you have been doing massive research on.
Ask before round any further questions you might have. I prioritize fairness and transparency as much as possible.
If you're curious as to what kind of judge I am: the PF Discord says that I am tech, flay, fake tech, a worlds coach, and a hack. I'm not purposefully sandbagging my paradigm but I will say that I am human and I won't get it right every time.
If you're curious as to whether or not I'm a good judge: the people I voted for would say yes, and the people I voted against would say I'm a goober behind my back.
Predominately, I just try my best with the information given to me and try to keep any personal bias or prior information out of the round and I like to have things implicated within the speeches.
I have voted on everything you can think of - but they must be run well and correctly.
Most importantly, the reason why I don't try to preclude specific types of arguments is because I think everyone should be able to debate how they want - whatever you want to run in front of me, do it! The activity gets stagnant and exclusionary if everyone just did the same thing every time; there is no one way to debate and no one way to judge a round.
Feel free to challenge me and my perceptions, to educate and entertain me, and to have fun and enjoy the activity that we all have dedicated countless hours in doing.
Try to be kind to each other, stop calling each other lazy or adding quippy personal attacks to refutations; please don't speak loudly while another competitor is speaking and try to maintain decorum when you're not speaking [ie keep the over the top reactions, eye rolls, and laughter down while your opponent is giving a speech].
(she/they)
Who am I?
I am a social studies teacher the assistant debate coach. I mainly judge public forum and believe it is a positive space for open and healthy rhetoric. I hope you agree with my view that public forum is an event for the common person.
I am hard of hearing
I will be using a transcription aid on my phone to follow the round. It is not recording the speech and the transcript is deleted after 24 hours. Please, speak loudly and clearly for me and the transcription.
How I evaluate debate.
Treat me like a lay person who can flow. Use email chains, cut cards rather than paraphrasing, and avoid the use of debate jargon. I want to see clear defense, impacts, and links. I am a social studies teacher, so focus on your ability to use evidence and real-world understanding. I will vote on understanding of the issue, evidence, and explanation.
### Speeches
If you don't talk about it in summary, I'm not evaluating it in final focus.
### Cross
Don't use crossfire as an opportunity to bicker. I don’t pay attention to cross. In my opinion, cross is meant to examine your opponent’s case and clarify any questions. Seeing people using cross just to dunk on the opponent is not useful.
### Spreading
I am new to debate and English is not my first language so I cannot judge spreading - nor do I believe it has a place in *public* forum. I need to understand your argument and your ability to adapt to your audience will be judged.
### Theory
If your opponent does any of the Big Oofs and you read theory about it, I'm inclined to think you're in the right.
I don't want to listen to K debate - I will be honest and admit I do not know enough about debate to evaluate them fairly (except for the aforementioned exception)
Big Oofs
These are things that will make a W or high speaks an uphill battle. If you read theory against any of these (when applicable), I’m inclined to side with you. Avoid at all costs.
1. Misuse Evidence. Know the evidence and cut rather than paraphrase. Use evidence that is relevant, timely, trustworthy, and accurate. Use SpeechDoc or an email chain to keep each other accountable and save time.
2. Be late to round. Especially for Flight 2. I understand the first round of the day, but please try your best to be in your room on time. Punctuality is a skill and impressions are important.
3. Taking too long to ‘get ready’ or holding up the round. Have cards cut, flows setup, and laptops ready to go before the round. Especially if you’re going to be late.
4. Not timing yourself. Self-explanatory.
5. Not using trigger warnings. Debate is better when it’s accessible. Introducing any possibly triggering topics or references without consent is inaccessible.
6. Doing any of the 2023 no-no’s. Homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, racism, ableism, etc. is a one-way free ticket to a 25 speak and an L for the round.
The Respect Amendment
This section was added for minor offensives that rub me the wrong way. No, I will not vote on these. I might dock speaks for not following these - depending on severity.
I want to forward a respectful, fair, and accessible environment for debate. The Big Oofs are a good place to start. But I hope that every debater would…
1. **Respect their partner.** Trust that they know what they’re doing.
2. **Respect their opponent.** Don’t belittle them or talk down to them. Aim to understand and give critiques on their argument, not to one-up them on something small.
3. **Respect the judge.** All judges make mistakes and lousy calls - especially me. We can respectfully disagree, and that’s okay. However, not a single judge has changed their mind because you were a bad sportsperson.
*EMORY NOTE: No PDFs or cards in the body; Word docs only.*
Coach at Bellaire High School (TX)
Separately conflicted with: Heights High School, Archbishop Mitty SM, Cypress Ranch KH, Woodlands SP
Set up the email chain before the round starts and add me.
If I'm judging you in PF: bellairedocs.pf@gmail.com
If I'm judging you in LD: bellairedocs.ld@gmail.com
If I'm judging you in Policy: bellairedocs.policy@gmail.com
I debated for Timothy Christian School in New Jersey for four years. I graduated from Rice University, spent 10 years coaching LD, Policy, and WS at Heights High School, am currently a teacher at Bellaire, and coach a variety of debate formats: my program competes through the Texas Forensic Association and the Houston Urban Debate League.
Pref Shortcuts
- Policy: 1
- T/Theory: 1-2
- Phil: 2
- Kritik (identity): 2
- Kritik (pomo): 3
- Tricks: Strike; I can and will cap your speaks at a 27, and if I'm on a panel I will be looking for a way to vote against you.
General
- Absent tricks or arguments that are morally objectionable, you should do what you are best at rather than over-adapting to my paradigm.
- Tech > Truth
- I will try to be tab and dislike intervening so please weigh arguments and compare evidence. It is in your advantage to write my ballot for me by explaining which layers come first and why you win those layers.
- I won't vote on anything that's not on my flow. I also won't vote on any arguments that I can't explain back to your opponent in the oral.
- Not the judge for cowardice. That includes but is not limited to questionable disclosure practices, taking prep to delete analytics, dodgy CX answers, and strategies rooted in argument avoidance.
- It is unlikely that I will vote on a blip in the 2NR/2AR, even if it is conceded. If you want an argument to be instrumental to my ballot, you should commit to it. Split 2NR/2ARs are generally bad. Although, hot take, in the right circumstances a 2NR split between 1:00 of case and the rest on T can be strategic.
- I presume neg; in the absence of offense in either direction, I am compelled by the Change Disad to the plan. However, presumption flips if the 2NR goes for a counter-advocacy that is a greater change from the status quo than the aff. It is unlikely, however, that I will try to justify a ballot in this way; I almost always err towards voting on risk of offense rather than presumption in the absence of presumption arguments made by debaters.
- If you want to ask your opponent what was or was not read, you need to take prep or CX time for it.
- I'm colorblind so speech docs that are highlighted in light blue/gray are difficult for me to read; yellow would be ideal because it's easiest for me to see. Also, if you're re-highlighting your opponent's evidence and the two colors are in the same area of the color wheel, I probably won't be able to differentiate between them.Please don't send cards in the body of emails; Word docs only. Don't read a shell on your opponent if they don't follow these instructions though - it's not that serious.
- You don't get to insert rehighlighting (or anything else, really); if you want me to evaluate it, you have to read it. Obviously doesn't apply to inserts of case cards that were already read in the 1AC for context on an off-case flow.
- Not fond of embedded clash; it's a recipe for judge intervention. I'll flow overviews and you should read them when you're extending a position, but long (0:30+) overviews that trade-off against substantive line-by-line work increase the probability that I'll either forget about an argument or misunderstand its implication.
Policy
- I spent much of my career coaching policy debate, so I am probably most comfortable adjudicating these rounds, but this is your space so you should make the arguments that you want to make in the style that you prefer.
- You should be cutting updates and the more specific the counterplan and the links on the disad the happier I'll be. The size/probability of the impact is a function of the strength/specificity of the link.
- Terminal defense is possible and more common than people seem to think.
- I think impact turns (dedev, cap good/bad, heg good/bad, wipeout, etc.) are underutilized and can make for interesting strategies.
- If a conditional advocacy makes it into the 2NR and you want me to kick it, you have to tell me. Also, I will not judge kick unless the negative wins an argument for why I should, and it will not be difficult for the affirmative to convince me otherwise.
Theory
- I default to competing interpretations.
- I default to no RVIs.
- You need to give me an impact/ballot story when you read a procedural, and the blippier/less-developed the argument is, the higher my threshold is for fleshing this out. Labeling something an "independent voter" or "is a voting issue" is rarely sufficient. These arguments generally implicate into an unjustified, background framework and don't operate at a higher layer absent an explicit warrant explaining why. You still have to answer these arguments if your opponent reads them - it's just that my threshold for voting for underdeveloped independent voters is higher.
- Because I am not a particularly good flower, theory rounds in my experience are challenging to follow because of the quantity of blippy analytical arguments. Please slow down for these debates, clearly label the shell, and number the arguments.
- Disclosure is good. I am largely unimpressed with counterinterpretations positing that some subset of debaters do not have to disclose, with the exception of novices or teams who are genuinely unaware of the wiki.
- "If you read theory against someone who is obviously a novice or a traditional debater who doesn't know how to answer it, I will not evaluate it under competing interps."
- I will not evaluate the debate after any speech that is not the 2AR.
Kritiks
- I have a solid conceptual understanding of kritks, given that I teach the structure and introductory literature to novices every year, but don't presume that I'll recognize the vocabulary from your specific literature base. I am not especially well-read in kritikal literature.
- Pretty good for policy v k debates, or phil v k. Less good for k v k debates.
- I appreciate kritikal debates which are heavy on case-specific link analysis paired with a comprehensive explanation of the alternative.
- I don't judge a terribly large number of clash debates, but I've also coached both non-T performative and pure policy teams and so do not have strong ideological leanings here. Pretty middle of the road and could go either way depending on technical execution.
Philosphical Frameworks
- I believe that impacts are relevant insofar as they implicate to a framework, preferably one which is syllogistically warranted. My typical decision calculus, then, goes through the steps of a. determining which layer is the highest/most significant, b. identifying the framework through which offense is funneled through on that layer, and c. adjudicating the pieces of legitimate offense to that framework.
- You should assume if you're reading a philosophically dense position that I do not have a deep familiarity with your literature base; as such, you should probably moderate your speed and over-explain rather than under.
- I default to epistemic confidence.
- Better than many policy judges for phil strategies; I have no especial attachment to consequentialism, given that you are doing technical work on the line-by-line.
Speed
- Speed is generally fine, so long as its clear. I'd place my threshold for speed at a 9 out of 10 where a 10 is the fastest debater on the circuit, although that varies (+/- 1) depending on the type of argument being read.
- Slow down for and enunciate short analytics, taglines, and card authors; it would be especially helpful if you say "and" or "next" as you switch from one card to the next. I am not a particularly good flower so take that into account if you're reading a lot of analytical arguments. If you're reading at top-speed through a dump of blippy uncarded arguments I'll likely miss some. I won't backflow for you, so spread through blips on different flows without pausing at your own risk.
- If you push me after the RFD with "but how did you evaluate THIS analytic embedded in my 10-point dump?" I have no problem telling you that I a. forgot about it, b. missed it, or c. didn't have enough of an implication flowed/understood to draw lines to other flows for you.
Speaker Points
- A 28.5 or above means I think you're good enough to clear. I generally won't give below a 27; lower means I think you did something offensive, although depending on my general level of annoyance, it's possible I'll go under if the round is so bad it makes me want to go home.
- I award speaks based on quality of argumentation and strategic decision-making.
- I don't disclose speaks.
- I give out approximately one 30 a season, so it's probably not going to be you. If you're looking for a speaks fairy, pref someone else. Here are a few ways to get higher speaks in front of me, however:
- I routinely make mental predictions during prep time about what the optimal 2NR/2AR is. Give a different version of the speech than my prediction and convince me that my original projection was strategically inferior. Or, seamlessly execute on my prediction.
- Read a case-specific CP/Disad/PIC that I haven't seen before.
- Teach me something new that doesn't make me want to go home.
- Be kind to an opponent that you are more experienced than.
- If you have a speech impediment, please feel free to tell me. I debated with a lisp and am very sympathetic to debaters who have challenges with clarity. In this context, I will do my best to avoid awarding speaks on the basis of clarity.
- As a teacher and coach, I am committed to the value of debate as an educational activity. Please don't be rude, particularly if you're clearly better than your opponent. I won't hack against you if you go 5-off against someone you're substantively better than, but I don't have any objections to tanking your speaks if you intentionally exclude your opponent in this way.
I am a parent judge but I have some experience judging LD debate, I will be evaluating all debate events like an LD debate. For all events, please time yourself.
For speech events, I will be evaluating off of confidence and how you present yourself along with the quality and delivery of your arguments.
LD SPECIFIC:
I prefer a traditional case and may not fully understand the technical aspect of progressive arguments. However, I will still vote for a progressive argument if its impacts are clear and well-explained.
Make sure all of your arguments come back to your framework/value criterion.
I prefer a slower speed of speaking, but will accept quicker paces as long as you remain clear and understandable for me and your opponent. I do flow, so I will not flow anything I cannot hear or understand. Spreading is fine, but you need to speak clearly and send the speech.
Please don’t skip around in rebuttals, follow the flow.
Delivery is big! Being unclear with many fluency errors won’t get you good speaker points. I won’t give low speaker point unless you are being disrespectful or discriminatory.
Remember that debate is a learning experience, so have fun with it!
Hi! I am a new parent judge. Please explain your arguments clearly and slowly. I like to hear well thought out answers that can be backed up with real examples. Examples that are logical and relate to an everyday person mean a lot to me. I will try to jot down the overall points of the debate, so reinforcement of your points helps me ensure I do not miss anything. I will do my best to judge on the information provided. Good luck!
-NO EMAIL CHAINS AT ALL.
-If you are FLIGHT 2, I expect you to be ready the second you walk into the room. Pre-flows, bathrooms, coin-flips, and such should be done beforehand since you have ample time before your flight.
Prep time: I will use my timer on Tabroom when you take prep to ensure integrity in the round. If someone asks for cards, please be quick about it because if you start taking too much time or wasting time, I will run your prep.
- I will not disclose decisions unless I say I will. After the round is done I will let you know if everything is on the ballot or if I will be giving general comments.
LD: Old school traditional: Framework debates are paramount. Conceding framework, to me, undermines the validity of LD debate.Be specific with impacts and why they weigh over the opposing sides impacts. Absolutely NO SPREADING, speech score will be dropped. I don't understand progressive debates like K's, shells, etc. Adapt or strike me.
PF: Truth > Tech. I will vote for a moral argument and whether it is reasonable and cohesive. Again, NO SPREADING. Second rebuttal Must respond to first rebuttal.
Debate Paradigm:
I am about as traditional as traditional can be. I typically won't disclose, please don't ask about it.
I am not a fan of:
-the k debate
-plans/counterplans in debates other than CX
-not standing when you are speaking or during CX
-disclosing before the debate starts
-talking fast unnecessarily
-being a part of email chains, I shouldn't have to read your evidence, I should be able to hear it and understand within the confines of your speech
-the only tricks I like is the cereal
I prefer:
-a slower more methodical debate
-actual discussion on the topic/resolution
-standing up when speaking
-understanding what the debater is saying
Hey, I debated PF all four years of my High School so I am a flow judge but I value pretty speaking as well. Sneak in some clean rhetoric that'll make the speech more enjoyable and I'll award good speaks. I love listening to rhetoric lol but don't fill up your entire speech with it. (you can still get 30 speaks w/o rhetoric so dw)
I hate theory and any style of debate that extends out of the normal scope of PF, I prefer to hear a normal debate. If you read theories, Ks, or anything like that with me, I am likely to down you. I despise spreading more than anything. If I can't understand you, I can't up you. I also flow all rounds so make sure you are signposting.
Rebuttals can either be line by line or grouped- if you are grouping just say what your grouping. Both summaries have to mention and extend cards from rebuttal if you want to use them in ff, if they are not mentioned I will not flow them and they will be dropped in ff.
Weighing and impact calc are super important, show me why I should vote for you and explain why your impact is more important than the other team's. Give me a clear voters.
If you guys want to share evidence in the middle of round, set it up before round- I'll look at cards at the end of the round if you ask me to. I'll probably give oral critiques if time permits and disclose at end of round.
also time yourselves and time your own prep I won't be doing any of that.
These days I only do this as a favor to people, so I do not judge these events nearly as much as I once did. As a result, do not assume that I possess specialized knowledge about the topic.
My background is in policy debate, though I've judged pretty much everything at this point, having done this since the 1990s. Specifically, I competed in CX debate in high school and debated at UT-Austin before the NDT-CEDA merger. I've also done some informal coaching over the years-- at one point in my life judging nearly every week, travelling with teams to national circuit tournaments, cutting evidence, etc., but it's been a number of years since I was that involved in the activity. In general, you can assume that I'm reasonably competent and can accurately flow arguments better than most judges you're likely to encounter on the local circuit. As long as you are clear, I should be able to keep up with virtually any level of speed, though you probably don't want to push the envelope in debates over Zoom.
I don't usually get assigned to judge acting and performance events, but I've judged many such rounds over the years (including at big, important tournaments), and I usually end up ranking competitors very much like judges for whom that is their primary area of expertise.
I endeavor to let debaters define the standards for the debate, especially since I no longer do this as much as I once did. I have no problem voting based on frameworks with which I personally disagree. To the extent that I have strong prejudices, it is against frameworks that advocate punishing debaters for supposed fairness violations that are more reasonably confined to the argument in question; this is especially true when a debater deliberately over-engages a line of argumentation so as to "prove the abuse" in the final rebuttal. Generally, I feel that debaters choose their own time allocation, and strategic errors are on them-- though I'm less dogmatic about this in LD, since the way the activity has evolved sometimes pushes up against time limits designed for a style of debate from a bygone era.
I have no problem with critical arguments, and you can safely assume that I've read at least some of the primary philosophical literature from which the most popular Kritiks derive. Debaters probably understand their specific argument better than I do, but my experience is that I generally understand the broader context for the argument better than anyone in the room. This is not meant to be read as arrogant, merely as informative about my own background and interests.
I feel like this is already going on a bit, and my experience is that debaters generally ignore most information that judges give them before the round anyway, so I'll close by highlighting three important(ish) things to understand about me.
First, if you're not impacting your arguments, you're deferring to me to do it for you, and you might not like the way that I weigh the relative importance of the issues in the round.
Second, debaters sometimes assume that if they're winning an argument that this means that there is now zero implication for the argument that they're rebutting, whereas I am very loathe to assign more weight to an argument than it actually merits. The classic case of this is a debater cutting into the uniqueness of a scenario and assuming that the scenario now just goes away, but my strong inclination is to look instead at how much uniqueness is being lost (seeing uniqueness as a sliding scale, rather than as a binary). On the other hand, some arguments have more implication than debaters sometimes assume, especially on theory debates. For example, winning a competing interpretations view of topicality means that I'm looking for the best possible interpretation of the resolution (even if means that the ground division in that round is not fair), and winning a reasonability standard means that I no longer care about the best interpretation at all (so long as there is fair ground in the round for each side).
Third, I am very receptive to risk analysis that points out that there is a mismatch between the magnitude of the link and the impact that results from it. Just like I default to a view of uniqueness as a sliding scale, I feel the same way about links. This has implications for both policy issues and critical debates. Tiny links don't generally translate into much of a risk of huge impacts, and I'm more than happy to entertain challenges to the internal uniqueness or threshold of each step of a causal chain before it cascades into the worst case scenario. However, none of this should not be interpreted as a willingness on my part to dismiss arguments out of hand because they are "ridiculous" or "not real world;" I have a much higher threshold for what constitutes an actual argument than that. Instead, I want to make clear that I will take seriously attempts to poke holes in a logical chain (even if the other side has more carded evidence); not all judges do in my experience.
Congress Paradigm:
I have judged congress for over two decades, even before it became a National standardized qualifying event and have advocated for it all that time because I believe it to be the best overall, well-rounded event that we offer in forensic competition.
It encompasses the benefits of acting because you are playing a role as a representative and the more you understand the motivation of your position, the greater the performance. It is one of the purest of speaking events, because a great representative is a great orator, in life and in your chamber. The writing and interpretation of legislation is at the core of the event and illustrating your deep understanding of that legislation is paramount in your performance. Lastly, but most importantly, it is a debate event, where civil clash is necessary.
All that being said, to understand how I view the event holistically, there are specific standards I prefer.
I do believe that in a three to four minute speech the speaker should get our attention in a creative way and give us a clear call for action and preview of their arguments, coming back to that AGD at the end, time permitting. Preparing us for what you are about to argue is important. There is no actual grace, so 3:08 is abusing the time of the next speaker. I prefer fewer, well developed arguments, than many blipped ones. Sources are important and both the quantity and quality of such sources, Q2, are vital. Representatives do not just rely on periodicals, but government reports, experts in the field, think-tanks, etc. These considerations are important, not just the number of sources. Consideration and knowledge of how our government actually works and the type of legislation at hand is also vital. We are debating issues present in the real world, so take that into consideration and consider what are the real-world implications to your constituents? Know and use parliamentary procedure to benefit the progress of debate; do not abuse it.
PO's are a vital part to any chamber and I look for a strong understanding of parliamentary procedure and efficiency and fairness are of utmost importance. If you have not read "Robert's Rules." it behooves you to do so, then be aware of all NSDA guidelines in adapting them. A good PO should run an efficient chamber and be pro-active in enforcing a fair chamber. Any perception of recognizing speakers unfairly will be penalized. Make sure you are clear with your procedures from the start and follow them consistently.
Overall, consider the above standards in your performance and you will do well. Remember, you are not just speaking for yourself; you are truly representing your school, your state, and your nation. We need good role models.
Policy Debate CX Paradigm:
I have judge policy for almost three decades and prefer traditional policy making focused debates with well weighed impacts.
That being said, I can handle speed, but clarity and articulation are key. I will not say clear, so if I put down my pen and you don't adjust, it is on you. If I don't flow it, it's not on the flow; I will not just read your files. This is an oral exercise in debate, so if it's important, make sure I get it.
My teams also have had great success with progressive arguments and K's, so I'm fine with it if you really know the literature and have clear links. I don't like K's, so make sure the story, links, and alternative are clear. All types of arguments are fine, as long as you know how to run them and they are relevant to your debate. I don't vote on T often, but it must be ran and answered correctly, not "they aren't topical, or "yeah, we are topical", and there should be clear in-round abuse.
Make sure there is direct clash and not just random generic arguments with weak links and no direct weighing. I love those debating actually debating case, so don't ignore it.
Probability and meaningful impacts are a must.
Be civil and debate well and every round will be fulfilling.
For Lincoln Douglas and similar events:
- I don’t mind spreading, as but as long as the contestant is articulan in their words then its okay
- Please be respectful to each other. I don't mind clashing, as long as its paramount to your point
- I like to hear where you got certain information to sound reputable. I don’t like ad hominid
For Single acting events:
- I look for a smooth flow of words and expression in bodily language
- Being able to transition from your skit to the title, along with different characters a voices is what I look for
- voice and dictation is important as well
For Duo and similar events:
- I pay attention to good chemistry and flow with partners to the skit
- Movements and acting should compliment one another and help the flow of the story
- I love to see uniqueness and individuality
For Exempt:
- Looking forward to interesting attention getters
- Smooth and thought out expositions along with fluid transitions
- citation of sources
For Oratory:
- Would like good attention getters
- unique topics along with creative ways of execution
- fluid transitions
Judging Philosophy:I prefer a comparative worlds debate. When making my decisions, I rely heavily ongoodextensions and weighing. If you aren't telling me how arguments interact with each other, I have to decide how they do. If an argument is really important to you, make sure you're making solid extensions that link back to some standard in the round. I love counterplans, disads, plans, etc. I believe there needs to be some sort of standard in the round. Kritiks are fine, but I am not well-versed in dense K literature; please make sure you are explaining the links so it is easy for me to follow. I will not vote on a position that I don't understand, and I will not spend 30 minutes after the round re-reading your cards if you aren't explaining the information in round. I also feel there is very little argument interaction in a lot of circuit debates--please engage!
Theory/T:I think running theory is fine (and encouraged) if there is clear abuse. I will not be persuaded by silly theory arguments. If you are wanting a line by line theory debate, I'm probably not the best judge for you :)
Speaker Points:I give out speaker points based on a couple of things: clarity (both in speed and pronunciation), word economy, strategy and attitude. In saying attitude, I simply mean don't be rude. I think there's a fine line between being perceptually dominating in the round and being rude for the sake of being rude; so please, be polite to each other because that will make me happy. Being perceptually dominant is okay, but be respectful. If you give an overview in a round that is really fast with a lot of layers, I will want to give you better speaks. I will gauge my points based on what kind of tournament I'm at...getting a 30 at a Houston local is pretty easy, getting a 30 at a circuit tournament is much more difficult. If I think you should break, you'll get good speaks. Cussing in round will result in dropping your speaks.
Speed:I'd prefer a more moderate/slower debate that talks about substance than a round that is crazy fast/not about the topic. I can keep up with a moderate speed;slow down on tag lines/author names.I'll put my pen down if you're going too fast. If I can't flow it, I won't vote on it. Also, if you are going fast, an overview/big picture discussion before you go line by line in rebuttals is appreciated. Based on current speed on the circuit, you can consider me a 6 out of 10 on the speed scale. I will say "clear" "slow" "louder", etc a few times throughout the round. If you don't change anything I will stop saying it.
Miscellaneous:I don't prefer to see permissibility and skep. arguments in a round. I default to comparative worlds.
Other things...
1. I'm not likely to vote on tricks...If you decide to go for tricks, I will just be generally sad when making a decision and your speaks will be impacted. Also, don't mislabel arguments, give your opponent things out of order, or try to steal speech/prep time, etc. I am not going to vote on an extension of a one sentence argument that wasn't clear in the first speech that is extended to mean something very different.
2. Please don't run morally repugnant positions in front of me.
3. Have fun!
I am a parent judge without formal debate training. I will listen attentively to both sides with as little personal bias as possible and take notes. I will attend only to the arguments presented in the debate when making my decision. Please keep your rate of delivery conversational and avoid jargon. Arguments should be clearly extended from speech to speech, with the last speech telling me what a ballot for your side looks like and why that is a better option than a ballot for your opponent. Be kind and respectful to everyone in the room.
My email is pxd2010@gmail.com
I am a physician with neuroradiology and public health training and have been judging debate since last year. I assign 28.5 as average performance. Ballots with results will be sent to you. At the end of debate, please feel free to excuse yourself if you need. I often read my notes again before making the final decision. You can refer to me as Judge during the debate, my pronouns are her/she. Good luck!
Speech - Organized arguments, credible sources, practical solutions, relatability is probably the biggest thing for me. I love speeches where personalities show through and I can see how you are as a person.
Interp - Relatable pieces with big, distinguishable characters.
WSD - I want a conversational round with a crystallization of points at the end. Clear voters are always the way to go. POIs should be addressed consistently however not everyone needs to be taken.
Debate:
LD:
Moderate speed is fine. If I can't flow you, I'll just stare at you. I don't know why debaters assume I understand spreading. I don’t flow from the doc or really want to look at it (unless you tell me to –> ev ethics/ev comparison) but if your opponent does, then set up the email chain/speechdrop. Do this pre-start time.
I was a trad debater, so trad and larp are my pref (be mindful of the policy jargon which I guarantee I won't get). Trad: FW debate is cool. I want to see it more often. Anything else, proceed at your own risk or ask before the round.
Please line by line, signpost, and tell me the big picture. I prefer you go top down the flow, but if you don't then PLEASE tell me where you are. Saying "on the econ disad" and then reading a big block isn't doing the lbl. Extensions have claims, warrants, and impacts. I really hate hearing "extend card x" but not hearing the argument.
I dislike rebuttals that solely rely on card dumps and don't contextualize the evidence. Of course, read cards when you need to, but not every argument needs one. I highly value your ability to pick apart a link chain logically rather than read a 5-point block that partially relates to the adv/da. If you're neg, debate the case and engage with the actual warrants. Reading multiple offs to overwhelm your opp or as a time suck will cap speaks at 28 (especially when you barely touch case)
Last speeches should tell me exactly what I'm voting for. I don't want to look at my flow at the end of the round and see that you went for everything. BIG FAN OF OVERVIEWS AND VOTERS. Please weigh, do impact calc, and give judge instruction.The simpler you make the debate, the more likely I am to vote for you.
I'm a sucker for good CX, so good/strategic CX = high speaks.
Be nice to novices and to your opponents, your speaks will reflect your actions
WSD:
Content over style, but style is still important. Being overly stylistic is not going to get you very far if the other team is on the offensive
Please signpost during your speeches, even in the 3's
Weigh/Be comparative. Tell me why your world is good AND why it is better than your opponent's
Principle vs. Practical Debates: clearly establish the principle in the first speeches and make sure to extend offense under the framing. Weigh the principle against the practical
Models/Counterfactuals/Countermodels:theseare not always needed, but they make sense for some motions. I do think on some topics it's valid for the opp to argue that the prop needs one. If you have them, fully explain them in your first speeches. I don't want to hear at the end of the opp 2 that there suddenly is a countermodel.
This is debate, so clash.
IEs:
Extemp: The biggest thing for me is whether or not you answered the question. Your points should be distinct enough from each other and have in-depth reasoning. I value your ability to take a complex topic and articulate it in a way that is relatable or easy for the audience to understand.
OO/Info: Your speech should have energy and personality. Sounding passionate about your topic makes my experience more enjoyable and = higher ranks
Revision Date: 09/13/2017
Affiliation: University of Houston
It's been awhile since I've been involved in the activity, but there are some things that I still maintain:
Topicality: It's a prior question, especially for the early season. I normally view topicality through a framework of competing interpretations. Negatives who want to go for topicality should have be able to tell (1) under their interpretation what affirmatives actually are topical and (2) what arguments the negative couldn't read.
Disadvantages: What's not to like? Do the evidence comparison for me. Tell me why a disad outweighs/turns case and vice versa, or else I might impose my own worldview. Relevant sidebar: Saying "our evidence postdates" isn't enough. Make it contextual, and tell me how a sequence of events interact with one another.
Counterplans: There should probably be a solvency advocate and a well articulated net benefit.
Critiques: I used to be comfortable with critiques, but arguably far less now because I've been removed from the activity. If you want to win, your critique should be able to articulate why the critique turns case, and an alternative that resolves the links.
Framework/Topicality: I don't particularly care for these debates. That being said, I understand why they happen. Affirmatives should probably read a topical plan in front of me just to avoid these questions.
Conditionality is also probably good, unless there are 4 (arbitrary number) different positions.
I am a lay judge supporting local high school debate tournaments. Here are a few things I am based my vote on:
- Overall strength of the arguments and logics behind them.
- It's not helping to over exaggerate an argument. e.g. crossing a red traffic light somehow leads to nuclear war.
- Presentation and speaking skills.
- Team members balance if it's PF.
- Appreciate if you don't speak too fast. No spreading!
As a parent judge, I value structure, clarity, and thorough explanations of arguments. I believe that debates should be a space where competitors can present their ideas in a well-organized manner, with logical flow and appropriate analysis. I also value when the participants speak clearly. Good luck!!
Hello! I debated for four years in high school and have been judging for seven years. Currently, I am in my second year as an Assistant Coach at Blanson CTE High School.
I tend to default to a policy-making paradigm and prefer traditional debate styles. As a debater, your job is to communicate your arguments clearly and persuasively—if I can’t follow your reasoning, it’s your responsibility, not mine.
General Philosophy
I view debate as an educational activity that prioritizes critical thinking, effective communication, and strategic engagement. My role as a judge is to evaluate the arguments presented in the round fairly, without imposing personal biases.
Debates should balance technical precision with accessibility. While I appreciate strategic complexity, clarity and persuasion remain essential.
Key Aspects of Evaluation
1.Framework
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Clearly establish a framework for the debate. This helps me understand how to evaluate the round.
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If no framework is provided, I will default to weighing impacts based on magnitude, probability, and timeframe.
2. Clash
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Direct engagement with opposing arguments is essential. A good debate involves refutation and comparison of ideas.
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Merely reiterating your case without engaging with your opponent’s arguments will weaken your position.
3. Impact Analysis
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Explain why your impacts matter within the context of the debate.
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Weigh impacts explicitly (e.g., through magnitude, probability, or timeframe) to guide my decision-making process.
4. Evidence and Logic
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Evidence should be accurate, relevant, and properly cited. Misrepresenting evidence will hurt your credibility.
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Logical consistency and coherence are just as important as evidence. Make sure your arguments follow a clear and reasonable structure.
5. Clarity and Organization
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Signpost your arguments clearly so I can follow your reasoning.
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Stay organized in your delivery, especially in later speeches when crystallizing the round.
6. Speaker Etiquette and Respect
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Maintain professionalism and respect throughout the round. Disrespectful behavior or tone will affect speaker points.
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Debate should be a constructive activity. Engage in a way that fosters mutual learning and growth.
Procedural Preferences 1. Dropped Arguments
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Dropped arguments are not automatically round-winning. You must explain why the dropped argument is significant and how it impacts the round.
2. New Arguments
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New arguments introduced in the final speeches will not be evaluated unless the format explicitly allows it (e.g., Worlds School Debate).
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Extensions must be clear and consistent with earlier speeches.
3. Evidence Standards
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Be prepared to provide evidence if requested. Refusal to share evidence or misrepresenting sources will negatively impact your speaks and possibly your overall standing in the round.
4. Speed and Accessibility
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I can follow speed, but clarity is essential. If I cannot understand your arguments, I cannot evaluate them.
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Debate is a communication event; your delivery should prioritize understanding over sheer volume.
5. Framework and Weighing
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Clearly articulate your weighing mechanisms throughout the round.
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If no weighing is done, I will default to my own evaluation, but this will make your case less persuasive.
Event-Specific Preferences
I have more in depth paradigms for the events linked at the bottom of the paradigm page
1. Policy Debate
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I am comfortable with technical arguments such as kritiks, topicality, and theory, but they must be well-explained and linked to the resolution.
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Impact calculus is crucial. Make sure to compare your impacts to your opponent’s explicitly.
2. Lincoln-Douglas Debate
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Value and criterion debates are important but should not overshadow the substantive arguments.
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Philosophical arguments are welcome but must be accessible and applied to the resolution.
3. Public Forum Debate
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Focus on clarity, big-picture analysis, and accessibility. PF is meant to be audience-friendly.
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Avoid spreading or overly technical jargon. Engage in direct clash and emphasize impact weighing.
4. World Schools Debate
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Persuasion, style, and structure are just as important as content.
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Team dynamics and strategic roles matter. Make sure your speeches complement each other.
5. Congressional Debate
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Clash is critical; reference previous arguments and specific speakers.
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Delivery, organization, and the ability to adapt to the debate are key factors in my evaluation.
Speaker Points Criteria
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Clarity: Are your arguments easy to follow and well-structured?
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Engagement: Do you interact effectively with your opponent’s arguments?
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Strategy: Are your speeches cohesive and aligned with your overall strategy?
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Delivery: Is your tone persuasive, professional, and engaging?
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Speaker points will range between 27-30, with higher points awarded for outstanding strategy, engagement, and delivery.
Final Notes
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Debate should be an enjoyable and educational activity. Focus on creating a meaningful and respectful exchange of ideas.
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My primary goal is to evaluate the arguments presented in the round, not to impose my personal beliefs or preferences.
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Have fun, and remember that the skills you develop in debate go far beyond winning individual rounds.
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DON’T BE RUDE
- I DO NOT LIKE DISCLOSURE THEORY OR TRICKS
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It’s fine if you flex prep, just don’t take advantage
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Keep your own time, I will also keep a clock running just in case there are any issues
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I do not consider flashing to be prep, but again don’t take advantage
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Do the work for me, it is your job to communicate to me as to why you are winning the debate. Do not make me figure it out myself, that will inevitably leave one of you mad at me, but it won’t be my fault.
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Discriminatory or exclusionary language is not okay and not accepted and I will vote you down if you use this language
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Ethics and Respect:
If I observe a debater exploiting a less experienced opponent to boost their ego, I will not hesitate to drop their speaks to the lowest possible, assign them a loss regardless of the flow, and inform their coach. Such behavior is unethical and detracts from the educational value of debate, which should be a space for growth and learning. Everyone deserves respect in the round, regardless of skill level or experience. -
Progressive Arguments:
While I usually prefer traditional arguments, I’m open to progressive arguments if they are well-constructed, clearly explained, and relevant. However, I’ve seen many cases where these arguments are poorly executed, unclear, or run simply for the sake of being progressive. If you choose to run progressive arguments, ensure you fully understand them and can articulate their significance effectively. Poorly run progressive cases will not be well-received. -
Expectations:
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Pre-Flowing: Do not ask me to pre-flow your case. You should know it well enough to present confidently without needing my assistance beforehand.
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Judging Style: I’m equally comfortable with big-picture overviews or line-by-line analysis. Just make sure your arguments are clear and structured.
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Weighing and Impact Calculus: Always provide impact calculus and weigh your arguments for me. This is essential for guiding my decision.
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Theory and Arguments: I dislike frivolous theory—run it only when it’s necessary and justified. Don’t present arguments you don’t fully understand or cannot defend under cross-examination.
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Case Preparation and Presentation:
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Do not ask me to pre-flow your case. You should already know it.
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I can judge rounds on either big-picture analysis or line-by-line. Choose the style that best supports your argument.
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Always include impact calculus and weigh your arguments clearly.
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I dislike frivolous theory. Only run theory if it’s necessary and justified.
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Don’t present arguments or evidence you don’t fully understand.
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Please stand when speaking
- make sure you weigh for me
- make sure you are doing the work for the judge
- don't ask me if you can skip grand cross in PF the answer is no it's a part of the round
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Spreading:
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Debate is a communication event. Even if I can understand speed, DO NOT SPREAD. I cannot flow what I cannot comprehend, and I will not rely on your speech doc unless there is an evidence-related issue.
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Integrity:
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Do not fabricate sources. If I suspect you are making up evidence, I will fact-check it and contact your coach and the tournament director.
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Educational Priority:
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I prioritize the educational value of debate over competitiveness. If you spread out a novice team, use overly vague terminology, or act dismissively, I will give you an L and minimum speaks. Debate should foster critical thinking, respect, and communication skills.
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Disclosure:
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I do not disclose decisions. All feedback will be provided on the ballot. Please do not ask me to disclose.
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Education Over Competition:
I prioritize debate as an educational activity rather than purely a competitive one. If you spread your opponent out of the round, especially a novice team, are intentionally vague with your vocabulary, or act dismissive, rude, or uncooperative, I will assign you a loss and give you the minimum speaks. Debate is about fostering critical thinking, communication, and respect, not exploiting others for a competitive edge. Local tournaments, in particular, are opportunities for growth and should nurture nuanced, thoughtful, and educated participants. -
Final Note:
Be respectful, aim for clarity, and, above all, have fun. Debate is a space to learn, challenge ideas, and grow—let’s keep it that way.
Event-Specific Preferences Policy Debate
- I’m comfortable with technical arguments (e.g., kritiks, topicality, theory) if they are well-explained and linked to the resolution.
- Impact calculus is critical—explicitly compare your impacts to your opponent’s.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
- Value and criterion debates are important but shouldn’t overshadow substantive arguments.
- Philosophical arguments are welcome but must be accessible and relevant to the resolution.
Public Forum Debate
- Clarity, big-picture analysis, and accessibility are key.
- Avoid spreading or relying on technical jargon—PF should be audience-friendly.
- Direct clash and effective impact weighing are essential.
World Schools Debate
- Persuasion, style, and structure are as important as content.
- Team dynamics and strategic roles should complement each other.
Congressional Debate
- Content>presentation, Congress is a debate event and needs to be treated as such, don't just give a speech just to give a speech.
- Clash is critical. Reference prior arguments and specific speakers directly.
- Avoid repetitive speeches; focus on adding new insights to the discussion.
- Delivery, organization, and adaptability are key factors in my evaluation.
Extemporaneous Speaking (Extemp)
- Answer the question directly—failing to do so will hurt your rank.
- Speeches should be well-organized, with a strong hook and clear structure.
- Fabricated sources will result in penalties. Integrity is non-negotiable.
Interpretation Events (Interp)
- Good blocking, clear character transitions, and distinct portrayals are essential.
- Emotion is important, but avoid overacting—subtlety and nuance are often more impactful.
Original Oratory (OO)
- A strong oratory should educate and inspire.
- Start with a catchy AGD, provide clear solutions, and end with a powerful call to action.
- Choose unique topics to stand out.
Informative Speaking (Info)
- Info is distinct from OO—do not present an OO in an Info round.
- Focus on societal implications and use creative visuals.
Expectations and Final Notes
- Debate should be an educational and respectful activity. I prioritize growth over competitiveness.
- I do not tolerate discriminatory language, fabricated evidence, or unethical behavior. Violations will result in a loss and the lowest speaks.
- Do not spread excessively. Debate is a communication event, and your delivery must prioritize clarity.
- Make my job easy—weigh your impacts and clearly explain why you’re winning the round.
Finally, have fun! Debate is a space for learning, challenging ideas, and growth. Let’s keep it that way.
Conflicts: Blanson CTE, Avalos P-TECH
I was a long-time high school coach of CX, LD, PF and Congress and was a college policy debater MANY years ago.
Debate Judging Paradigm
1. Speed (Spread):
- I prefer a moderate pace. Excessive speed detracts from the clarity and depth of the arguments, making it difficult to capture the nuances. If you choose to go fast, ensure your arguments are still clear and easy to follow.
2. Critical Arguments:
- I value critical arguments, but they need to be explained thoroughly. I am less persuaded by dense jargon without clear explanations. Focus on the depth and clarity of your analysis.
3. Topicality:
- Topicality is a prima facie issue for me only if there is demonstrated in-round abuse. Merely claiming non-topicality is insufficient; you must show how the case is unfair or disruptive to the round.
4. Argument Strategy:
- Avoid making time-suck arguments that you plan to drop later. This wastes time and detracts from the quality of the debate. If you bring up an argument, be prepared to defend it.
5. Organization:
- I pay close attention to my flow. Please clearly signpost your arguments and keep your refutation organized. This helps me track the debate and evaluate your arguments effectively.
6. LD Debate Specifics (Value and Criterion):
- In Lincoln-Douglas debate, emphasize your value and criterion. These are central to your case, and I expect you to tie your arguments back to them consistently. Make it clear how your arguments uphold your value and criterion better than your opponent’s.
7. Congressional Debate:
- Speeches in Congressional debate should be extemporaneous in nature, showing clear evidence of preparation while allowing flexibility and responsiveness to the debate as it unfolds.
- Make sure to include clash; engage directly with the arguments made by other speakers.
- Strong research is essential, but avoid excessive rehash of points that have already been made. Originality and depth of analysis are key to standing out.
In all types of debate, don’t be rude to your opponent. Respect the activity with professional demeanor.
I am a retired coach. I have judged LOTS of rounds in all formats. I consider myself traditional in my approach to all events. I have provided my paradigm for speech and debate events here.
Public Speaking Events
All speeches should have well structured introductions, fully developed body, and satisfaction for your audience thru your conclusion. Sources are key to your speech, you should use a variety of appropriate sources. I expect that your speech will include the "why do I care" - What draws your audience to want to learn more from what you have to say. In extemp, I expect you to answer the specific question you were given. I evaluate all non-verbal communication in your presentation. I accept all perspectives on all topics; however, I expect that your are aware of your audience and avoid language or statements that may be offensive.
Interp Events
First and foremost, pieces should be appropriate for the venue. While I understand that some pieces may contain some sexual innuendo, I will reject innuendo that is not a part of the original script or that is added for the "shock value" rather than the development of the performance. Your introduction should be more than telling me the storyline that you are presenting. There is a reason you chose this piece, a topic you want to discuss. Share that in your intro. Give me believable characters that I can empathize with. Be sure there is an identifiable difference in your characters.
In all debate rounds
Don’t depend on email chains or flashing briefs to include an argument in the round. If it is not spoken during your speeches, it is not in the round. I prefer a more communicative speed of delivery, especially when using online competition. I can keep up but, I think the idea of trying to spread your opponent out of the round is not in the realm of what debate should be. I would rather hear a good clash on the arguments presented.
In PF
I believe PF should be a debate with class. Interactions between opponents should be cordial. Crossfire should be used to obtain information NOT to belittle your opponent. You can not ignore your opponent's arguments and expect to win. Evidence and common sense are key.
In LD
I feel that LD should be philosophy based. Even if the topic is policy-oriented, the selection of a policy is always based on values. Therefore, you should be prepared to debate your value and criterion to support your view on the topic. If you can't support your view, how can I accept your position?
A Kritik on the topic is not an acceptable position. You have been given a topic to debate and that is what I expect to hear. If all you offer is the Kritik, you have not upheld your burden and will lose the round. Running a Kritik on the topic in addition to case arguments is a huge contradiction in your case.
If you want me to view the round from your viewpoint, you must provide voters in your final speech.
In Congress
I judge a lot of congress rounds. If you want me to rank you in the chamber there are a few things you need to remember.
This is a congressionaldebate. I expect that you do more than read a prepared speech. There should be responses to previous speeches. I want to hear more than the affirmative said, i want you to refer to the specific person that made the argument/statement
Provide sources to the house to substantiate your points. I want organization. I would like to see a preview of your points but a well organized speech is more important.
You need to be active in the chamber. Questions are an essential part of the process. With that being said, don't ask questions that do not seek to expand information. That is a waste of the chamber's time and takes time away from those with solid questions.
I want CLASH. It's important that legislators names are mentioned in clash, not just "the affirmative said" or "the negative said. I judge a lot of congress and except clarity and persuasive style. This is not policy debate so speed is a negative.
In CX
I encourage traditional debate in terms of format. That means I do not like open cx. With that being said, I accept progressive style arguments. I will listen to your arguments, but I expect you to provide warrants and logical analysis. If you are the opponent, don’t assume I will reject an argument on face, you must respond if you want to win the argument.
I DO vote on STOCK ISSUES. So Affirmative teams should be prepared to meet those standards.
Negative teams, please don’t throw out a dozen arguments only to drop the ones that don’t stick. If you bring the argument into the round plan to carry it thru to the end.
Label your arguments before you start reading your briefs!
I believe it is essential that you weigh the impacts of your argument in the round.
Hello,
I am a parent judge. I will evaluate:
1. Clarity in Speech: Please speak louder and slower than your usual conversation tempo.
2. A Strong Argument: Do you demonstrate knowledge of the topic? Is there enough logical support for your stance? What are your references or evidence? Do you present your case in a way that helps me understand your argument?
3. A Strong Refutation: Have you undermined each of your opponent's points?
4. Professional and Confident Demeanor: Please treat this time as you would a college admission or job interview. Your posture, body language, facial expression, and choice of words are important.
Thank you!
Mostly a speech judge so be sure to speak confidently because I will be taking note of that, even though it won't be a huge factor in my decision it will be a factor. I am somewhat familiar with debate but not an expert. I have competed a few times in college Parliamentary tournaments, and this is my only debate experience. No spreading and no running disclosure theory, we’re trying to make this as fair and accessible as possible. I would consider myself a truth judge, please refrain from making wild claims. Stand up while speaking, unless obviously you have a disability that prevents that. Overall, be nice because if you're especially rude to your opponents I will down you just on that.
memorial '27
put me on the chain -- erin.tt.jia@gmail.com
1 - policy
2 - t/theory, common phil, common ks
3 - other ks, other phil
4 - tricks
have fun and be respectful
Hi I'm David I debated for 4 years at Strake and have been judging for 3r
-a good standard for extending an argument in the backhalf is if a spectator came into round during summary they should be able to understand how your argument works and why its true (by true I mean a reasonable explanation for why something happens)
-weighing is important but it needs to be comparative its not enough to say ours happens first you have to explain why thats more important than whatever issue you have with their timeframe
-Ill evaluate whatever you want to read dont let me curb your enthusiasm but im not as familiar with progressive arguments so youll have to make sure you explain things well
-speed is fine but I prefer when rounds are slower the more you clear and articulate you are the better the round is
-please keep cross fire civil people are too competititve trying to get in questions and answers and people get aggressive and I dont like that I like when teams go back and forth with one question each you can follow up on your question after your opponent has the opportunity to ask you something
I dont need to be part of the email chain if yall want to do an email chain please try to get it set up before round to avoid unecessary delays
In any debate event, try not to spread too much. Some speed is fine, but I can't vote based on arguments I can't understand.
For interp events, I pay close attention to the flow of the cut, unique characterizations (including voice and body language), and transitions. Make sure those pantomimes are clean!
For speaking events, fluency is important. Make sure your ideas flow well from one point to the next. In extemp, be sure to actually answer the question, and try to connect each point back your answer as a whole.
I am an experienced judge who coached high school for 25 years at Westfield HS in Houston, TX and judge frequently on the TFA and UIL circuits. I tend to be more traditional but will accept theory and progressive arguments if they are well explained. I judge based on quality of arguments, not necessarily quantity. I look for well organized speeches in extemp, with a preview in the beginning and a review of main points in the end. In interpretation I want well established characters who are easily distinguished. Movement is good but shouldn't be to an extreme. In POI I want a clear explanation of your theme as well as distinction when you move from one genre to the next. In Informative, I also look for an overall theme that is informational (thus the name) rather than persuasive.
In congress, I want organization. I prefer a preview of points but that isn't an absolute necessity if arguments are well developed. I want CLASH. It's important that legislators names are mentioned in clash, not just "the affirmative said" or "the negative said. I judge a lot of congress and except clarity and persuasive style. This is not policy debate so speed is a negative.
I am an old school debate judge. Though I have only judged a few rounds of WSD this year, I have coached and judged WSD within the Houston Urban Debate League. I have also judged WSD, & LD at NSDA Nationals, but not recently.
In debate, as in public speaking, I believe in effective communication; that translates to No Speed in delivery. In WSD, the status quo must be viewed within any plan offered. I have heard, and voted on, the Prop’s use of stock issues. Though I am not a fan of progressive cases. I do not like Kritiks. Like in policy debate, I prefer simple language without the use of jargon. Contentions/substantives must be clear along with source citation. If the debater has a contention with multiple cards, it is recommended that sub-pts be applied to link back to the main argument / claim. I prefer the impact of the argument to be stated at the end of each contention. In the warrant(s), I like examples that can be related to. Links need to be clear and present. Depending upon the resolution, I do enjoy hearing about a moral obligation, or the desirability or undesirability of the topic. I like professional interaction between the debaters during POI. Participation in POI have an effect on ranks. I like to see everyone at least ask two and take two questions, if possible. I am more a line by line judge on the flow. Direct clash is essential. Team members working together is very important. Speech/case organization is important, and should be relatively easy to follow.
Any other questions may be asked, and are encouraged, before the round.
In L-D:
I am a traditional judge. Value & Criteria are paramount…philosophically based. If the word “ought” is present, the moral obligation must be established. The Aff & Neg must show how their value and criteria outweighs their opponent. It must be shown how the value is achieved by the criteria. Contentions must be clear and signposted. Sub-pts within contentions for multiple cards are necessary to distinguish the sub-pt claim’s significance.
L-D is not policy debate. I prefer no plans, CP’s, stock issues, kritiks, or progressive cases. Direct clash and refutation is important.
I am an opponent of speed.
In Congressional Debate:
As a traditional judge, I am a huge proponent of effective persuasive speaking; no speed. I look for the fundamentals of speech structure. A speech must include, but not be limited too: An attention getter, signposting of main points, a logical and organized sequence, a summary and effective closing. Within the content of a speech, clash on previous speeches is necessary, while extending arguments. Participation in the chamber is essential. I frown on unprofessional behavior in the chamber during cross. Once a question is asked to a speaker, let the speaker answer. I do not like anyone speaking over each other.
In PF:
I am a traditional judge. My main focus centers on the word "Should," if present in the resolution. Should focuses on the desirability and undesirability of the topic. I really am not interested in Plans or Counter Plans, but I normally do not vote for them unless it is significant. Impact Calculus is beneficial. I do not weigh Kritiks. I do not like speed. Effective communication is essential, along with clash. I frown on unprofessional behavior during cross fire & Grand Crossfire. Once a question is asked to a speaker, let the speaker answer. I do not like anyone speaking over each other. Case should have the essential elements of a standard speech...No jargon. It is necessary to signpost, and beneficial to break down the main contentions into sub-pts to link sub-arguments back to the main contentions. Impacts should be stated at the end of each contention(s). It helps if debaters go line by line in the rebuttals and the final focus. Voters are necessary. PF is not CX debate. Other questions for clarification may be asked, and encouraged, before the round.
I prefer Speechdrop, but if you insist on using an email chain, add me: fedupblackgurl@gmail.com
4/12/2022 addition: The strangest thing happened to me last weekend. I have been judging since I graduated from Lamar HS in 2006. I use similar language on my ballots in every round, and a problem has never been brought to my attention. However, two coaches at an NSDA recently complained about the language used on my ballots. I am including that language here:
Comments for *the debater*
"Do you have a strategy for reading the AC? Because you sent me 35 pages and only got through like 24. Is the strat just to literally spread as much as you can? Would it not be better to structure the case in a way where you make sure to get through what is important? For example, you read the stuff about warming, but you did not even get through the "warming causes extinction" stuff, so you do not have a terminal impact for the environmental journalism subpoint.
New cards in the 1AR?! As if you do not already have enough to deal with?! This strategy is still making no sense. And then, you sent this doc with all these cards AGAIN and did not read them all. This is so weird to do in the 1AR because the strat should be really coherent because you have so little time. This was SLOPPY work."
RFD: "I negate. This was a painful/sloppy round to judge. Both debaters have this weird strat where they just read as much stuff as they can and I guess, hope that something sticks. This round could have gone either way, and I am in the rare situation where I am not even comfortable submitting my ballot. To be clear, there was no winner in this round. I just had to choose someone. So, I voted neg on climate change because it was the clearest place to vote. I buy that we need advocacy in order to solve. I buy that objectivity decreases public interest in climate change. I buy that we need advocacy to influence climate change. I buy that "objectivity" creates right-winged echo chambers that further perpetuate climate change. These args were ineffectively handled by the Aff. The other compelling line of argumentation from the neg showed how lack of advocacy on issues like climate change harm minorities more. I think neg did a good job of turning Aff FW and showing how he linked into SV better. This round was a hot mess, but I vote neg... I guess."
If I am your judge, these are the types of ballots you will get if you give me a round that it messy and hard to adjudicate. I should not have to say this because my reputation precedes me, but ASK ANYONE. LITERALLY ANYONE. I AM NICE. I AM KIND. MY BLACK MAMA RAISED ME WELL. I show up at tournaments and hug people and smile (even people on the circuit who are known to be racially problematic and even coaches who are known to be sore losers). I am literally good to everyone because as a Black woman, I do not have the luxury of raising my voice, making demands, or throwing tantrums. Actions that coaches in other bodies with other body parts are allowed to get away with are prohibited and result in career suicide for me and humans who look like me. So, if these ballots offend you, STRIKE ME NOW. Request that I not judge you/your students NOW. Do not wait until you get the ballot back and paint me into a villain. It isn't that I will not try to make my ballots less harsh. It is that IN MY QUALIFIED OPINION and in the opinion of many other qualified coaches and judges, the ballots ARE NOT HARSH. Communication styles are largely CULTURAL. And as a Black woman, I do not think that I need to overly edit myself just to make white people comfortable or happy. I have done enough to make white people love me, and my entire life, I have adjusted to their passive and overt aggression, including the white coach who most recently told me in a call that he "better not see my ass again at a tournament." I responded with an apology text.
I love students and I love debate. I am never tired of debate. I come to tournaments happy and leave fulfilled because debate is all I have loved to do since I found it. It is (or maybe was) my safe space and my happy place. *Ask me the story of how I joined Lanier debate as a 6th grader :)* Please do a Black woman a favor, and don't treat me like the world treats me. Do not read a tenor or tone into my ballots just because they are not fluffy or favorable. Unlike a lot of judges, I am flowing (on paper -- not hiding behind my computer doing God knows what), and trying to write down every single helpful comment I can come up with (and still submitting my ballot expeditiously to keep the tournament on time). As a result, I do not always do a great job of editing my ballots to make sure they don't sting a little. But students and coaches, if I say something hurtful, find me after the round. I guarantee you that it was not intentionally hurtful. You can talk to me, and I always smile when people approach me :)
Notice the parallels between how I write in my paradigm, in the "controversial" ballot, and in the new stuff I added above. If anyone would have taken the time to read my paradigm, they would know that this is how I ALWAYS communicate.
Students, TBH, a lot of the stuff I am writing on the ballots is not even your fault. Sometimes, as coaches, we do not know things or forget to tell you things, and that is ON US, not on you.
MY ACTUAL PARADIGM IS BELOW:
I don’t know everything nor will I pretend to. Please don’t hold me to such an impossible standard. But I read; I try to keep up with you kiddos as much as I can; and I’ve made speech and debate a priority in my life since 1999. So even though I don’t know everything, I know a lot.
Before you read my paradigm, hear this: Good debate is good debate. Whatever you choose to do, do it well, starting at a foundational level. At the end of the day, just know that I’m doing my very best to choose the best debater(s)/the person/team who showed up and showed out :)
General debate paradigm:
*I do not keep time in debate rounds, and I am always ready. If you ask me if I am ready, I will ignore you*
The older I get, the less I care about tech, and the more I care about truth.
1. ARGUMENTATION: Line-by-line and big picture are two sides of the same coin. It’s crucial not to drop arguments (but I won’t make the extension or fill in the impact for you. It is your job to tell me why the drop matters w/in the larger context of the debate). At the same time, the line-by-line is a lot less useful when you don’t paint the picture of what an Aff or Neg world looks like.
2. EXTENSIONS: When extending, I like for you to extend the claim, warrant, and the impact. I’m old school that way.
3. WEIGHING: Weighing is crucial to me. A bunch of args all over the flow with no one telling me how heavily they should be evaluated is a nightmare.
4. FRAMING: I understand that not all the debates have framework per se, but do tell me which impacts to prioritize. That’s helpful.
5. VOTERS: I like voters. I’m old school in that way too.
6. SPEED: I am generally fine with any level of speed and will indicate if this becomes an issue. I do appreciate that PF is designed to be a little slower, so I would like it if you respected that.
7. SPEAKS: If you cross the line from snarky to mean, I will dock your speaks, esp if your opp is being nice and you are being mean. I will also dock your speaks if you do to much unnecessary talking (e.g., constantly asking if I am ready, saying "Threeee.... twooooo....one" and "tiiiime....staaarts....now" or any similar phrase.) Basically, just run the round and make all your words count rather than just talking to hear yourself talk or nervously rambling.
LD:
1. STYLE: I’m indifferent to/comfortable with the style of debate you choose (i.e, “traditional” v. “progressive”). This means that I’m fine with value/vc framing as well as pre-fiat “framing” args (or whatever you fancy kids are calling them these days) like ROB/ROJ args. I love a good critical argument when done well. I’m also fine with all policy-style arguments and appreciate them when properly and strategically employed.
2. FRAMING: framework isn’t a voter. It’s the mechanism I use to weigh offensive arguments. To win the round, win/establish framework first; then, tell me how you weigh under it.
3. IMPACT CALCULUS: Offense wins debate rounds. I vote on offense linked back to the standard. Weigh the impacts in both rebuttals.
Policy/CX:
1. POLICY-MAKING: generally, I vote for the team who makes the best policy.
2. TOPICALITY: While I default reasonability and rarely vote on topicality, I do appreciate a good competing interp. I will vote on topicality if your interpretation blows me away, but I do need coherent standards and voters. Don’t be lazy.
3. THEORY/KRITIKS: I’m a sucker for philosophy. Give me a well-contextualized alternative, and I’ll be eating it all up.
4. IMPACTS: I respect the nature of policy debate, and I realize that hyperbolic impacts like nuclear war and extinction are par for the course. With that said, I love being able to vote on impacts that are actually probable.
5. TOPICAL CPs: No, just no.
PUBLIC FORUM: your warrants should be explicit. Your terminal impacts should be stated in-case. You should extend terminal defense and offense in summary speech. Give voters in the final focus.
HOW TO WIN MY BALLOT: I am first and foremost a black woman. I don’t believe in speech and debate existing in an academic vacuum. If you want to win my ballot, tell me how your position affects me as a black woman existing in a colonial, white supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist, heteronormative society. Show me coherently that your advocacy is good for me, and you’ll win my ballot every time.
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND INTERP:
I judge based on the ballot criteria.
I like to see binder craft in POI.
I like a good teaser with lots of energy.
I do not like ACTING in the introductions. That should be the REAL YOU. Showcase your public speaking ability.
I like pieces to fall between 9:10-10:10 time range.
EXTEMP SPECIFICALLY:
I like a good AGD.
Restate topic verbatim.
Most important thing in extemp is directly answering the prompt.
Three main points preferred.
I like at least 2 sources per main point.
Do not get tangential.
Do not be stiff, but do not be too informal.
No colloquialisms.
STRONG ORGANIZATION (Intro, 3MPs, and a Conclusion that ties back to intro.)
I LIKE ALL THE STANDARD STUFF.
Highlighted Qualifications:
I graduated high school in the spring of 2020. Throughout my 4 years, I was heavily involved in my school’s speech and debate organization. My competitive experience is in interpretation events, though I made sure to become as well-rounded as possible in order to try to keep my school’s team alive while I was a student there. I was also very involved in the school’s theatre program as an actor, participating in 10 school productions.
Moving into college, I participated in the Lone Star College Honors Research program and a Chancellor’s fellow, taking honors level speech & English courses, taking part in LSC-UP Honors National Model UN, alongside taking acting courses and acting in UP Drama Department productions.
I have been judging local high school debate tournaments since 2022.
General Paradigms:
Presentation is generally very important to me across the board, I think catering your presentation of pieces and information to be as affective as possible in your given setting is a very important skill. I also value the creation and maintenance of interest in any given presentation. Regarding content, I want it to be recent, relevant, consistent, and well summarized when needed.
Regarding debate events:
I’m not a fan of spreading or excessive speed in debate rounds because it does not show mastery of many communication skills that are applicable outside of a competitive debate context. I think part of the challenge of these debate events is being able to curate your research to the point where what you are bringing to the round is the most relevant and effective subjects on the given topic. The superior debate student is articulate enough to need only the given time in order to sway judges to their side and present detrimental information in a clear and concise manner, while maintaining good presentation practices, without the need to speak too fast to be understood.
I am also always on the look out of solid logic, lines of reasoning, and contradictions within a case.
Progressive debate strategy is fine by me, as long as it is not presented in an overly- abusive manner.
Regarding speech/ interp events:
In performance events I look for intentional choices and character building that contributes to an overarching meaning or theme of a piece. I strongly value variation of voice, emotion, and other performative elements in order to show progression throughout a piece and to keep the audiences attention.
PF Paradigm
I believe that PF is a great synthesis of the technical and presentation side of the debate. I have debated in both PF and CX, and I feel that the event should be distinct from Policy or LD, so you really shouldn't be spreading but I don't mind if you do. If you spread, make sure to send the docs through speech drop or email chain so the other team can flow. While I am a flow judge, I will not flow crossfire but will rely on crossfire to determine speaker points. Since my background is mostly in PF and CX, I use a similar lens when weighing arguments in PF. I used to think Framework in PF was unnecessary, but I think it can be interesting to explore in some rounds. I usually default to a Util framework. Deontological frameworks are welcomed but require some explanation for why it's preferred. I think running Kritik-lite arguments in PF is not particularly strategic, so I will be a little hesitant to extend those arguments for you if you're not doing the work to explain the internal links or the alternative. Most of the time, it feels lazy, for example, to run a Settler Col K shell, and then assume I will extend the links just because I am familiar with the argument is probably not the play. I dislike excessive time spent on card checking. I will not read cards after the round. I prefer cut cards and dislike paraphrasing (but I won't hold that against you). The first Summary doesn't need to extend defense, but should since it's 3 minutes.
I have a high threshold for theory arguments in general. There is not enough time in PF for theory arguments to mean much to me. If there is something abusive, make the claim, but there is no need to spend 2 minutes on it. I'm not sure if telling me the rules of debate fits with the idea of PF debate. I have noticed more and more theory arguments showing up in PF rounds and I think it's more abusive to run theory arguments than exposing potential abuse due to the time constraints.
LD Paradigm: (*updated for Glenbrooks 2023)
Treat me like a policy judge. While I do enjoy phil debates, I don’t always know how to evaluate them if I am unfamiliar with the literature. It’s far easier for me to understand policy arguments. I don’t think tech vs. truth is a good label, because I go back and forth on how I feel about policy arguments and Kritiks. I want to see creativity in debate rounds, but more importantly I want to learn something from every round I judge.
Speed is ok, but I’m usually annoyed when there are stumbles or lack of articulation. Spreading is a choice, and I assume that if you are going to utilize speed, be good at it. If you are unclear or too fast, I won’t tell you (saying “clear” or “slow” is oftentimes ignored), I will just choose to not flow. While I am relatively progressive, I don't like tricks or nibs even though my team have, in the past, used them without me knowing.
I will vote on the Kritik 7/10 times depending on clarity of link and whether the Alt has solvency. I will vote on Theory 2/10 times because judging for many years, I already have preconceived notions about debate norms, If you run multiple theory shells I am likely to vote against you so increasing the # of theory arguments won't increase your chances (sorry, but condo is bad). I tend to vote neg on presumption if there is nothing else to vote on. I enjoy LD debates that are very organized and clean line by lines. If a lot of time is spent on framework/framing, please extend them throughout the round. I need to be reminded of what the role of the ballot should be, since it tends to change round by round.
I recommend extending throughout the round and keeping track of your own time for prep and 1AC/1NC speeches.
I prefer speech drop, but email chains work too.
My email is katlyn.nguyen06@gmail.com
Debate
1.Arguments: I am generally open to all types of arguments; however,I do not vote for any arguments that I do not fully comprehend. Meaning if you are planning of running kritiq or various progressive/novel arguments, be prepared to provide clear context and explain to be why this your argument is applicable to the round.
2. Speed- Talking fast is not usually an issue for me, however, keep in mind you do run the risk of enabling key arguments slipping through the cracks. Do not spread unnecessarily. I strongly prefer rebuttals with strong analysis rather than a rushed synopsis of all your arguments. I witnessed many debaters conditioning themselves into thinking it imperative to speak fast. While sometime speed is necessary to cover your bases, it is more more impressive if you can cover the same bases using less words. Be concise.
3. Technical stuff - If you have any short and specific questions, feel free to bring them up before or after the round. Here are some things to keep in mind. When extending, make sure your arguments have warrants. If you say something like " Please extend Dugan 2020," without re-addressing what argument that card entails, I might opt to disregard that argument. Also, when responding to an opposing argument, please don't simply rephrase your the same argument in your initial case without adding anything significant. I will sometime consider this as you conceding the argument. For any type of debate, I really like it if you can set up the framework on how the round should be judge along with giving strong voters. This essentially helps you prioritize what's important throughout the round. Always weigh whenever possible.
4. Additional items.
a. When sharing or requesting case files, we be expedient. If this is during the round and prep timer is not running, no one should be working on their cases. This exchange should be very brief. Please do not abuse this.
b. For PF crossfire, I prefer it if you didn't conduct it passively where both side take turns asking basic questions regarding two different arguments. I also rather if you built on from your opponent's responses by asking probing questions. Capitalize on this chance to articulate your arguments instead of using it to ask a few question.
Add me to the e-mail chain at jennynutzman@gmail.com.
I am a lay judge - spreading will make your argument incoherent to me. Please speak clearly with your camera on. I look forward to hearing your logic and arguments and expect evidence to back up any assertions you make. Stay calm and have fun!
Please make sure to wrap up your case logically in your final speech. It is your last chance to summarize what positions you want my vote to be based upon.
Looking forward to it.
Jenny Nutzman
My name is Jose Ortuno and I am a political science major at the Univerisity of Houston. I am happy to be a part of UH's debate team and hope to compete in many rounds for them in my final year of undergrad. I am a novice debater who had no prior experience with debate until the fall semester of 2021, but I am looking forward to being able to apply my knowledge to future tournaments as both a judge and a competitor.
My email is j133ortuno5c@gmail.com for e-mail chains, document forwarding, etc.
As previously stated, I have limited experience, but I a fan of organized, well-structured arguments that are able to leave me with a strong impact. Conciseness is key to me. Thank you.
As a judge, I stress more on communication style, how its being delivered and logical reasoning behind the argument being made. I love to hear more statistics backing your position that is persuasive and compelling.
I value respectful communication and expect debaters to be more concise while speaking in normal pace.
If agreed upon by both debaters, I would like to be on the email chain for documents in the round → [vriley1@kleinisd.net]
My name is Vanessa Riley or Mrs. Riley; you can call me “judge” in round.
I’ve been a sponsor for Klein Oak’s speech and debate team for around 3 years. That being said, most if not all of my experience lies in speech events like Poetry, Prose, Humorous, and other theater-adjacent events.
I am unflinching on Truth > Tech and should be treated as a parent/lay judge.
Debaters should do everything they can to make arguments that have coherent, sizeable, and well-explained impacts and defend those impacts with comparative weighing done in their rebuttals. This should be true for both your value/criterion and supporting contentions. Heavily err on the side of over-explanation if you are adamant on reading a philosophical framework that isn’t consequentialist or largely based on the premise of maximizing some sort of well-being.
I’m not well-versed on the topic or common topic arguments so keep excessive jargon to a minimum. I’m never going to be comfortable evaluating “progressive” and/or “circuit” arguments. This means no Ks, theory, obscure philosophy, or tricks. Anything you are intuitively uncertain about reading in-round is probably something you should avoid.
You need to stay under ~250 wpm. It's more important that you are clear than slow. I’m not at all accustomed to spreading. The closer you are to speaking like you’re giving a TedTalk, the better.
Speaker points should average from 28.5 to 29.5. I have zero tolerance for any “-isms” (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.); this will always result in an L25. To get higher speaker points, be persuasive, craft a simple narrative, and make the round easy to evaluate.
For debate rounds, I vote for whoever has the better argument in the round.
Background:
I did traditional LD my sophomore year of HS, and then I focused on Congress my junior and senior year. Now I'm a freshman at Rice doing Model UN.
LD:
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ❌DON'T ❌ spread.
PROGRESSIVE:
You can run a prog argument, BUT you will really have to explain it to me because I don't have much experience in prog. I'm much more comfortable evaluating trad rounds.
Preferences:
Please:
-signpost
- remember to weigh your impacts
- make clean extensions throughout your speeches
- crystalize your arguments
PF:
I basically have no experience with PF, I'll evaluate it the best I can.
Disclosure: I will disclose upon request.
Speaks:I'll be your speaker point fairy.
Congress paradigm coming soon
I am a former CX competitor from the late 80s and early 90s from a small 3A district. To that end, my experience and preference falls within the traditional range and not progressive. While I can understand the nuances of it and appreciate its overall intent, it goes well outside of the traditional realm that I prefer. I want clear line by line, clash and impacts that are meaningful and arguments that are well fleshed out. I don't need theoretical situations and kritiks of the resolution. Debate what is given to you as the framers intended it to be debated. I would rather have one or two solid arguments that are carried through a round as opposed to superfluous argumentation that ends up being kicked out of anyway or that operates in a world that is far less meaningful than traditional argumentation.
When it comes to extemp, I am also a traditionalist and expect a speech that is well balanced and that answers the prompt a contestant has been given. (Attention Getter/Hook - Thesis - Points - Conclusion that wraps up). Source variety is as important to me as is the number of sources. Fluidity is the real key. Don't make the speech choppy and don't offer so much content that you are unable to go back and analyze what you've spoken about. This is particularly true when it comes to lots of stats and numbers; don't overload a speech with content on that level that there is no real understanding of how you have synthesized the information you've given. And if you are also a debater, please remember - this is a SPEAKING event, not a debate event.
For topics that err on the side of persuasive and controversial, I DO NOT have an issue with topics that you feel could be flash-points that you think bias will impact the outcome. As long as you can substantiate and articulate what you are talking about with credible information and good analysis, we'll be good and the ballot will be free of bias.
If you have any questions for me, particularly in Congress I can be reached at nevras@yahoo.com
Individual events: in extemp, I'm looking for you to first answer the question and then answer the question with the best possible information that you can give that is factual. My expertise is more on the domestic side but I can do international extent with some basic knowledge of what it is that's going on around the world. Also what I'm looking for is a person that reads like a human encyclopedia or a human archive newspaper person who knows all the facts of the question that is being given them. I can also be flexible in terms of politics but the politics has to still come across as somewhat neutral in nature.
I will say that the key to winning in International Extemp is to immerse yourself in magazines, books and newspapers involving all things not United States. You'll get questions from areas not familiar to to normal lay person or someone that only follows domestic news. You then have to put the speeches together on non tournament days so that you are not scrambling to find the research within a half hour. Know what you want to say in advance, pick the question you have a good speech lined out and deliver. Friday night and Saturday mornings are not the time to piece together an international extemp speech. And keep in mind, more than 50% of the judges you face may not know a thing about a Morocco, a Republic of Congo or a Myanmar and somehow you have to bring that judge in to explain yourself these situations in a way that you are explaining it like a college professor while explaining it to a five year old. Only then will you see true success in International Extemp.
In drama and humor, what I look for the most is a performance that makes me forget that you are performing the peace and that you have somehow become the characters that you have portrayed. The more I get into your peace the better your chances at winning in this event.
My favorite category is original oratory. In oratory all that I look for is for you to tell me a topic and give me all the information that is there. Make sure your sources are correct and that you're not trying to be too showy and sometimes even more natural will get the job done for me.
In duo interp what I always do is that I always look at both performers I'm not looking for a performance where it's just an exchange of lines but what feels like a real dialogue. I'm also looking to see what happens when the other partner is not speaking and if they are performing their character while not being able to speak. You must be in character at all times during the performance.
In prose and poetry, it is similar to what I look for in drama and humorous. I'm looking for performance where I'm no longer seeing a person reading something and more like feeling like you are very much in character in telling a story.
In big questions, your arguments are still important but just like in public forum I look at what it is that is said during The question period. More information can be gleaned from asking questions then what it is that is said during regular arguments.
LD & CX: I will honestly say that I don't judge those debates in the traditional sense and as such I draw my decisions based on my IE and PF experiences. Like PF your cross and rebuttal speeches usually wins the day in my eyes so if you can extract good counter information in cross and use it in rebuttal, then you'll likely get the win.
PF: I put more weight on crossfire than anything else. Be efficient to get your points across and you will win the debate.
I put more emphasis on your time during crossfire because of the shared time for all four speakers. If you use the time efficiently, you should get the win.
Congress: the key to winning Congress is a simple case of taking the chamber seriously and delivering your speeches to say three things. The first thing that you're saying is that you read the bill completely and understand it. The second thing you want to say is that not only do I understand it but my position is this way because I researched it. Research means sources like Washington think tanks and other sources. And the third thing you want to say is that you want to be able to say that you put time and the effort to push the bill forward because it's the right thing to do. As long as you move the legislation and you don't bog down the debate with amendments and points of order that are unnecessary, you are going to go far.
Also, rely on Washington think tanks to use as sources to support your point. They put time into the research so you don't have to. Search top 10 think tanks to get the idea who to use.
During the question period, it's about getting answers, not taking 20 seconds giving your opinion about anything. You need to ask three questions tops and that should take up about 10 seconds of valuable time. Remember, you are asking questions to take down their arguments they put time and effort into.
If you are the presiding officer, it's almost the opposite of what has to happen because as long as you stay fair and if you keep yourself practically anonymous during the session you'll do well. Being the presiding officer means that you have to dedicate your life and your time to the speakers and make sure everybody speaks when they're supposed to. I compare being a presiding officer in a congress chamber the same way of football offensive lineman in a football game. When they barely know you, you've done your job. When you're constantly being pointed out for the mistakes that you made, then you haven't done your job. Presiding officers will always rank high and in the top half of my ballot as long as the chamber is running well and everybody seems satisfied in his or her control of the chamber and considering it's a thankless job that has you not even being able to speak.
I judge on the premise of what did you do to move legislation forward during a session.
My primary judging experience includes the Northeast and Texas regions.
Naveen Santhosh // Seven Lakes '16 // Updated 2025
TLDR: I competed in PF / qualled to TOC. I will flow all rounds. I like clash and clarity. Weigh pls. Have fun!
PF:
Does 2nd rebuttal have to respond to 1st? Yes pls.
Being nice and funny helps your scores, don't be rude. I think the best debaters don't need a laptop in front of them to win the round.
The debate space should be comfortable for everyone; do whatever works for you (sit / stand / flex prep / etc.)
My willingness to vote on theory is low in this event unless there's really, really,really serious and grave offense / abuse that is worth calling out.
LD / CX:
I will understand and flow anything outside of highly complex Ks and frivolous, nitpicky theory.
ASK ME ABOUT THE TEXAS DEBATE COLLECTIVE AND/OR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON HONORS DEBATE WORKSHOP
EMAILS - yes, “at the google messaging service” means @gmail.com
All rounds - esdebate93 at the google messaging service
Policy - dulles.policy.db8 at the google messaging service
LD - dulles.ld.db8 at the google messaging service
QUICK GUIDE- My preferences/self-assessment. You are free to decide that I am great/terrible for any given form of argument.
Policy - 1
Kritiks - 1
Topicality/Framework - 1
Philosophy - 2
Theory - 3
Tricks - Strike
ABOUT ME
I am currently the program director at Dulles High School, where I also teach AP Psychology and AP Research. I primarily judge Policy and LD. I've been in debate since 2007 and have judged at every level from TOC finals to the novice divisions at locals; you are not likely to surprise me. I have no significant preferences about the content of your arguments, except that they are not exclusionary in nature. I like research dense, content heavy strategies. As such, I am best for Policy v Policy, KvK, substantive phil debates, and Clash Debates. Quality of evidence is more important than the quantity of evidence for me. I believe that Aff teams, regardless of style choice, must identify a problem with the status quo (this can be the state of the world, the state of thought, the state of debate, or something else) and propose some method of solving that problem. I believe that Neg teams, regardless of style choice, must disagree with the viability, desirability, and/or topicality of that method.
DECISION MAKING
I am deciding between competing ballot stories in the 2NR and 2AR, evaluating their veracity and quality using my flow. Tech > Truth, but blatantly untrue things are harder to win. Spin control > me reading a card doc, but I will read evidence if the spin is roughly equal in quality. Judge instruction is the highest layer of the debate. Speaks start at 28.5 and move up or down from there. 30s should be rare, it is unlikely you earned it. Don't ask for one.
THINGS I CARE ABOUT
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Respect for Others - Don't be a jerk. Use people’s preferred pronouns, provide accommodations when they are requested, be prompt and ready to go at start time, and be mindful of the power dynamics in the room. I will defer to how the aggrieved party wants to handle the situation should an issue arise. If I’m not picking up on something, let me know.
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Investment - Apathy sucks. Caring about stuff is cool. Whether you’re more invested in saying stuff that matters or chasing competitive success, I just want to see that you care about some aspect of the thing you are giving up a significant amount of time to do. Take notes during feedback and ask questions.
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Transparency - I believe that disclosure is generally good, as it enables people to read, think and prepare better (obvious exception for when it raises safety issues). Don't be a jerk about it with people who don't know better. Shiftiness and lying are bad. If you are reading arguments that implicate the desirability of transparency, that is perfectly fine. This is just a starting point.
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Flowing - Do it. Preferably on paper. Definitely not in your opponent's speech document. If you answer a position that was in the doc but was not read, your speaks will be capped at 26.5. There is no flow clarification period. If you're asking questions, it's CX or prep time.
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Clash - Compare warrants and weigh. Rehighlights are fine, but your speech should explain why it matters. I am not sympathetic to strategies that attempt to dodge clash, like tricks. Specific links, counterplans, topicality interps, etc. are way better than generics. K links should quote the aff.
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Line by Line Organization - The negative team sets the order for arguments on the case page. The affirmative team sets the order on off case positions. Number or label your arguments as you go down the flow. Overviews are fine, but your whole speech should not be a blocked out overview with no attempt at line by line argument/evidence comparison. Jumping around between pages is extremely annoying and will impact speaker points.
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Debating the Case - Both the affirmative and negative teams should center the case. If you’re aff, the case should go first. If you’re neg, don’t treat the case page like an afterthought, and certainly don’t focus solely on the impact level. Contest uniqueness, link, internal link, and solvency claims. Making the case page K 2.0 with nothing but cross-applications is both boring and unstrategic.
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Judge Instruction - The top of the 2NR/2AR should be what you want my ballot to say. Tell me how I should be thinking about arguments and their interactions. Tell me what matters most. When Neg, anticipate 2AR arguments, prime me for skepticism, and tell me where which lines to hold. When Aff, assume I'm voting Neg, figure out why I would vote Neg, and beat that ballot.
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Complete Arguments - Arguments have a claim, warrant, and implication. I will evaluate arguments, not isolated claims. If you make a warranted claim without explaining the implication for the debate, you invite intervention.
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Projection and Enunciation - I like fast debates, but if you are unclear I am not going to pretend like I understood you and flow it.
Other than these 10 things, don’t overadapt. Do your thing, do it well. Feel free to ask any questions you have before we start, and I'll do my best to answer.
2024-2025 Season
Howdy! I've been actively judging every year since I graduated in 2018, so this will be year 7 of judging for me.
PF/LD General:
- NO EMAIL CHAINS. If you ask me to be on the email chain, this indicates you have not read my paradigms.
-If you are FLIGHT 2, I expect you to be ready the second you walk in the room. If you come in saying you need to pre-flow or take forever to get set up, I WILL doc your speaks. Pre-flows, bathroom, coin-flips, and such should be done beforehand since you have ample time before your flight.
Prep time: I will usually use my timer on Tabroom when you take prep to make sure you're not lying about how much time you have left. When someone asks for cards, please be quick about this because if you start taking too much time or wasting time, I will run your prep.
-I will not disclose. Info will be on the ballots.
-Please be respectful in round and have fun!
PF: Truth > Tech. I will vote for a more moral argument, I do not want to hear a lot cards being dumped throughout with "Judge vote us because of XYZ cards." Show me an argument that makes sense. Second rebuttal must respond to first rebuttal and please no spreading. Moderate speed is fine, it's PF, not CX.
Treat me like I don't know anything about the topic, it's not rocket science.
LD: Traditional debate is what I would like you to do. Conceding framework throws away essentially the validity of LD debate. Framework is what I value the most in a round, please uphold it throughout the round. Spreading is not allowed, moderate speed is fine. Do not ask me about K's, Tricks, etc. I'm trying my hardest to figure it out like y'all are in round.
Congress: If you author or sponsor, please EXPLAIN the bill and set a good foundation. For later speeches, I don't want to hear the same argument in different fancy words. Be unique and CLASH is NOT OPTIONAL throughout cycles.
PO's: If there is no one who can PO and you know how to, please step up. I used to PO so don't worry. If there's no one who can PO, don't be afraid to step up and try, I'll take that into consideration when I do ballots.
Remember this is DEBATE, not repetition. I don’t wanna hear the same thing for 5-6 speeches straight.
I am parent judge but has been coach/assists for many years. I am very familiar with LD/PF debate and will flow your speech.
Clarity is critical. if you speak fast but unclear, I won't be able to flow.
Tech > Truth, I will value how your opponent responds to yours. However, with that said, I won't value completely non-sense statements.
Any new evidences brought in 2 AR will be auto dropped.
Disclaimer: I will not value Disclosure Shell if you use on people who just join circuit debate.
Evaluation Criteria:
Please demonstrate understanding of current topic and build your case and evidence around it. If you are running framework or Kritiks, please make sure you have strong linkage to the topic.
Defense of your case: Make sure you understand the card and impacts you are using. When asked by your opponent on the definition of your contention, I expect you have a clear and concise answer for it.
Rebuttal: While it's important to not drop response to your opponent contentions, It's also important to give quality response. Effective rebuttal will gain great points.
Email doc before round starts. Disclosure is good.
Email Chain/Questions : lmshao98@gmail.com
I believe that everyone has a voice which needs a platform to embrace self-expression, unique personalities, and the social construct of expressive speech in a safe, nurturing environment. As long as we follow the words of Benjamin Franklin, "Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment," for ignorance shall not prevail!
It is imperative to be polite, purposeful. and punctual.
With Lincoln Douglas (LD), I prefer traditional value and criterion debate, impact calculus, solvency, and line-by-line. Speech should have obvious organization which allows me to make a well-informed decision, focusing on presentation, logic, argumentation, and conclusion with a summary to wrap up the topic presented.
With Public Forum (PF), I prefer line-by-line, impact calculus, solid evidence from valid sources, be polite, and time yourselves. There should be a pre-determined resolution based on current events and trends. I should hear valuable insights. If you are providing a "filler", this will guarantee a low score, especially if it is personally offensive to the opponent or other marginalized groups.
With World Schools, I prefer obvious teamwork, focused on the issue presented with in-depth, quality argumentation creating solves with real-world examples while challenging the opposing team on a principled level.
With Congress, I look for proper parliamentary procedures and clarity of delivery through rigor, focused on democracy and clarity of ideas, seriousness in demeanor, and effective empowerment in speaking extemporaneously about the topic. Authenticity with clear speaking points such as sentence structure, eye contact, transitions, and word choice. The standard of decorum must be met.
In terms of speaking events, be purposeful when presenting the piece(s) to the extent that I feel as if you wrote it and expressed it with rigor, intensity, and passion.
You've got this!
Sonya Smith
Do not spread unless you can send your case/cards, I cannot vote for you if I don't understand what you are saying. Give me an off the clock roadmap.
Don't get extremely technical with your arguments and reduce EXTENSIVE "debate jargon". I like quantifications and empirics for cards and analogies/comparisons for logic based arguments. Weigh the framework and impact for me.
Disclosing will be in the notes; do not ask me at the end of the round.
Please be respectful of your teammates/opponents.
Memorial 25
Don't judge adapt so much that you change your strat - Go for what your good with
LARP>T>K>Phil>Tricks
Disads
links probably matter more than UQ, impacts will never be 0
Counterplans
condo good, judgekick default, process is probably good
Kritiks
are good when they disprove the truth of the aff. FWK K's probably bad, high bar against fwk
T
Good, Competing interps probably default, bs t's like subsets are 0, good t violation is good to hear
she/her
ill evaluate anything but tricks. pls have good weighing. have fun and be respectful!
+.5 for each good joke u make
Congress:
Looking for speeches that have good fluency and arguments. Rhetoric is appreciated but mainly focused on impact and statistics/analytics.
Early speeches should be constructive and lay out the major topics/arguments that will be discussed throughout the debate.
(Sponsors/Authors): Should be explaining everything the legislation is doing and how the legislation will change the problem.
Later speeches should have A LOT of clash, not as focused on what the bill is doing as earlier speeches would already explain that. Looking for late speakers who can properly weigh other debater arguments as well.
if you have any questions email me: maxta5310333@gmail.com
LD:
I prefer debates that have framing, weighing/magnitude, and well
as timeframe.
Truth > Tech
Spreading consent: Don't spread, I'm getting old
I highly value cx so I prefer you spend most of cross asking meaningful questions and not trying to evidence challenge
Updated: 09/10/23
Debate:
Please preflow before the round starts to expedite the round especially when it's flighted
I won't disclose unless I specifically say at the beginning of the round
LD Debate:
Argumentation:
I value your ability to communicate your arguments the most out of anything else in round. Students often have interesting arguments whether progressive or traditional but if you struggle to communicate those arguments effectively, you'll lose me. It isn't my job to fill in the gaps of arguments and make links for you, if the arguments themselves aren't fleshed out and conveyed in a manner that makes sense it isn't my job to do it for you.
!!No Frivolous Theory!! - I think this makes for a bad round, if there's legitimate abuse within round that's the only time I believe theory should be run.
Speed:
If you intend on spreading, I request a speechdrop, otherwise I won't be able to keep up.
Line-by-line vs Big Picture:
I'd prefer a balance of both, I want you to go line-by-line on the most important arguments but overall crystallize and provide the big picture for me.
Speech:
What I look for:
-Speeches that flow well from point A to B, which means ensuring you transition well and organize your ideas well
-I prefer an abundance and variety of sources to be used which I want your own analysis of as well (especially in extemp)
-I value your ability to create a speech that's informative, flows well/is organized well, and has an abundance and variety of sources over your ability to speak well - but good speech should be written well and performed well, but if I have a preference then it's: well-written speech > well-performed speech, because the first shows me depth and substance that the latter doesn't
Three main things I evaluate
1) Framework and pre-fiat arguments
2) Evidence Comparison: give me reasons to prefer your evidence especially to set the record straight about something.
3) Impact Calculus
Topicality is something I will vote on
Kritiks must have an alt. it must be clear through Cross X and Speech what the world of the alt looks like.
Hello, I am a lay judge.
I am mostly unfamiliar with all specialized terminology.
If you are doing a debate event please refrain from spreading, as I will be unable to follow. I will warn each side once with no penalty, but if you continue to talk too fast after that you will be docked. sorry for the inconvenience.
Anna Webster (she/they)
To preface: my competitive background consists of almost entirely WSD, some CX, some Extemp, and minimal IE experience. That being said, this organization is one of my passions and I'll give 100% to judging your event, regardless of my personal experience.
- NOTE: all content (debate OR speech) that reeks of any kind of homophobia, sexism, racism, ableism, xenophobia, etc....I have absolutely zero tolerance for, and I WILL judge accordingly.
- For the sake of tournament scheduling, I can give individualized feedback if you reach out to me via instagram (@annawxbster) or by email (annawebster12@yahoo.com). I'm happy to answer any and all questions!
GENERAL DEBATE
Speed = OK!
Spreading = NO!!!
Linkage shouild be clear, I should be able to flow your speeches, write my ballot for me!!
Tech > Truth
WORLD SCHOOLS
STYLE - No spreading. I totally understand a little speed, but you shouldn't be monotonous and gasping for breath after every sentence. Have a meaningful cadence, emphasize the right words to get your point across, and above all, please try to be respectful. Jokes and puns are good! I'm totally okay with being a little snarky or having some sass (honestly, I prefer it sometimes. it makes it more entertaining for me), just don't cross any lines. If your comments cross the line into disrespect for the sake of being funny, you WILL get points docked). REPLY SPEECH: use past tense. It just sounds more sophisticated.
CONTENT - I won't be too picky on how you've formatted your cases (I like roadmaps, signposting is encouraged). I think a two-sub case can be just as affective as a three-sub case; you just need to prove to me why your impacts weigh more. I like a fair amount of rebuttal in the 2 if you can help it. Now the 3 on the other hand, I'm fairly open minded; during my time competing I gave the 3, and my speeches relied heavily on a line-by-line analysis. While some judges prefer you to focus more on one or two key issues of the round, I believe that a line-by-line, when done right, can be just as effective, as long as youCRYSTALIZE!!! Give me WHY your world is better STILL; a worlds comparison is a MUST!!!!
NO NEW ARGUMENTS IN THE 4!!!!!!! This is a huge pet peeve of mine....please, pay attention and call out new arguments in the 4 if your opponent makes any.
Make sure your linkage is clear; connect the dots for me.
I don't have a preference for practical versus principle args. I think that principle args CAN be really effective given the resolution, so don't be afraid of them!
I'm like models, when applicable. If you're going to run a model/countermodel, it HAS to be pragmatic and it should not be vague.
Try to aim for at least 2 POI's in every speech. Obviously I would prefer more, but I sympathize with the time constraint, so as I see it, 2 is the minimum before I start deducting points.
POLICY
Try not to rely too heavily on statistics....this isn't a competition of who has the most cards or the most numbers. Impacts weigh more than stats, so make sure to link back to those strong impacts. I want to see genuine advocacy.
Not a fan of Condo or PICs, I think they're pretty abusive. That being said, I probably won't vote on that unless "condo bad" or "PIC bad" is read. I'll occasionally vote on Topicality. Some judges won't consider it If read after the 1NC, but I won't be too picky unless it's obviously a last ditch effort in one of the final speeches. K's are fine, just link it back to the res.
I've had judges get upset when I don't face them during cross....I could not care less, just maintain professionalism and don't be aggressive with any gestures toward your opponent.
Speechdrop or email chain is perfectly ok, I'm not picky.
SPEECH + INTERP
Content wise, I'm very open minded when it comes to topics. I love seeing unique and diverse pieces. I'll reiterate, anything that comes off as remotely bigoted WILL affect how I judge.
Honestly just do your best and have fun! I know these events are daunting, especially to newer competitors. To me, a few little slip-ups or pauses during your performance is not going to make or break your ranking (unless of course the competition is literally neck and neck). The only thing I ask is that you be cognizant of your timing. Going into your grace period does not bother me at all. If you're concerned about your timing, PLEASE ask for time signals! (I once watched a girl at TFA State semis give a 14 minute POI......don't be like her.)
English is not my first language
speak slowly please.
I am a parent judge, please be slow, and try not use too advanced strategies and keep it to simple terms.
I prefer mostly on case debate. Speed is fine as long and I can follow the spread but I would prefer it if you did not. I will not flow anything that I cannot understand. Make sure you do extensions by yourself and signpost clearly.
My email is yangsam002@gmail.com
Hi, My name is Jenny, I'm a parent judge.
No spreading and make your arguments clear.
Debate
TL;DR: If it’s not on my flow it doesn’t exist. If I can’t explain the argument to you in oral critiques/on my ballot I won’t vote on it. Disrespect, discrimination, or rudeness will cost speaks or, if severe enough, the round. Also, I agree with Brian Darby's paradigm. Go read that and come back here for specifics.
If the words "disclosure theory" are said in the round I will automatically give the team that introduced it the down.
General: I won’t do the work for you. I am tech unless the argument being run is abusively false (Ex: The Holocaust was fake; the Uyghur camps in China are #FakeNews; the sky is red; etc.). I don’t care what you run or how you run it (with a few exceptions below). You need to weigh, you need to explain why you won, you need to extend, you need to signpost. At the end of the round, I want to be able to look at my flow and be able to see clear reasons/arguments why one particular side won the round. I don’t want to have to do mental gymnastics to determine a winner and I hate intervening. Do I prefer a particular style? Sure, but it doesn’t impact my flow or my decision. If you win the argument/round (even if I don’t enjoy it) you won the argument/round.
Style Preference
Email chains/Cards
Don't put me on the chain. You should be speaking slow enough that I don't need to read the speech docs in round to keep my flow clear.
Flow Quirks
First, I still flow on paper - not the computer - keep this in mind when it comes to speed of speech. I kill the environment in Policy by flowing each argument on a different page. Be kind and let me know how many pages to prepare in each constructive and an order to put existing flows in. I flow taglines over authors so, let me know what the author said (i.e. the tag) before you give me the analysis so I can find it on the flow.
Speed
SLOW DOWN ON TAGLINES AND IMPORTANT FACTS In the physical world if you ever go too fast I will throw down my pen and cross my arms. In the virtual world, I suggest you start slow because tech and internet speed has proven to be a barrier for spreading, but I will give you two warnings when you start skipping in and out or when you become unclear. After two, unless it’s an actual tech issue, I’ll stop flowing.
Timing
Prep time ends when you press "send" for the doc OR when the flash drive leaves your computer (or in PF when you stand to speak). That being said, I don’t time in rounds. You should be holding each other accountable.
Speaks
I generally start at 28 and work my way up or down. As a coach and a teacher I recognize and am committed to the value that debate should be an educational activity. Do not be rude, discriminatory, or abusive – especially if you are clearly better than your opponent. I won’t down you for running high quantity and high tech arguments against someone you are substantively better than, but I will tank your speaks for intentionally excluding your opponent in that way. It can only benefit you to keep the round accessible to all involved.
Argumentation
PF Specific
Nothing is "sticky." If it is dropped in summary I drop it from my flow and consider it a "kicked" argument or you "collapsed" into whatever was actually discussed. Do not try to extend an argument from rebuttal into Final Focus that was not mentioned in summary. I will not evaluate it. Don't run Kritiks - more info below
Framework
If you have it, use it. Don’t make me flow a framework argument and never reference it again or drop it in your calculations. LD: Be sure to tell me why you uphold your FW better than your opponent, why it doesn’t matter, or why your FW is superior to theirs. Do not ignore it.
Kicks
I’m fine with you kicking particular arguments and won’t judge it unless your opponent explains why I should, but it won’t be difficult for you to tell me otherwise.
Kritiks
LD/CX: If you aren’t Black, do not run Afropessimism in front of me. Period. End of story. In fact, if you are running any K about minorities (LGBTQ, race, gender, disabilities, etc.) and you do not represent that population you need to be VERY careful. I will notice the performative contradiction and the language of your K (Afropessimism is a great example) may sway my vote if your opponent asks. Anything else is fair game but you need to explain it CLEARLY. Do not assume I’ve read the literature/recognize authors and their theories (I probably haven't). You decided to run it, now you can explain it.
PF: Don't run this in front of me. You don't have time to do it well, flesh out arguments, and link to the resolution. I will most likely accept a single de-link argument from your opponents or a theory that Ks in PF is bad. For your own sake, avoid that.
Structural Violence
Make sure that you understand the beliefs/positions/plights of your specified groups and that your language does not further the structural violence against them. These groups are NOT pawns for debate and I will tank your speaks if you use them as such.
Theory
You can run it (minus disclosure), but if your impact is “fairness” you better explain 1) why it outweighs their quantitative impacts and 2) how what they are doing is so grossly unfair you couldn’t possibly do anything else. If you run this I will not allow conditionality. Either they are unfair and you have no ground, or you have ground and their argument is fine. Choose. Do not run theory as a timesuck.
Tricks
Strike me. I don’t know what they are, I will probably miss them – just like your opponent – and you and I will both be wasting our time on that argument.
Speech/Platform
General:I'm looking for clear organization and relatively equal splits for the main points. I'm also looking for sourcing - minimum two sources per point of the speech with at least another source in the intro. The better speeches, in my opinion, cite at least seven sources - especially platform events. Also for platform events - originality of topic is taken into consideration (generally as a tie-breaker when two performances are equal).
Extemp:You gotta answer the question and connect each point to the answer. If your points are general and don't directly relate to your question it's gonna knock you down. Sources must be cited with at least month and year for articles in the last twelve months and year for older articles. Bonus points for a variety of publications and a hook that cleanly connects to the topic.
Informative:Visual aids should ENHANCE the speech, NOT MAKE the speech. If they are distracting me from the content of your speech then it will detract from your ranking.
Interpretation
Important Judging Quirk:I write comments as I'm watching (it's my version of flow for interp) so you're gonna get a stream-of-consciousness of what I'm thinking throughout the performance. I'm not being rude. I'm just giving you my real, raw thoughts as I watch your performance. If I'm confused you'll know I was confused. If I'm turned off by something you'll know I was turned off. If something made me feel an emotion you'll know it. If these types of ballots offend you STRIKE ME NOW. Do not wait until you get your ballot back and make me look like a bad guy because you didn't like how I took in your performance in the moment. Unlike a lot of interp judges (my kids do this event and I see their ballots) I'm trying to write down my thoughts and comments as they pop in my head, before I forget them forever. As a result (and with the number of rounds I judge) I don't always do a great job of editing these comments to make sure they won't sting. But students, coaches, if I say something you feel was unnecessarily hurtful please find me and talk to me. It was never my intention and I'd be happy to clarify my thoughts.
General:Performance needs a clear plot line (rising action, climax, falling action). No plot line? Not gonna be a good ranking. Character differentiation is key as well. If I get confused as to who is speaking when, it's gonna take me out of the performance. Blocking should make sense with the plot and remain consistent. If you create a wall, don't walk through the wall. Volume control is also considered - does the yelling make sense? Does it make me shrink away and not want to listen (not a good thing)? Is it legible? Emotions should match the scene/character as set up by previous scenes.
HI:I've become notorious for not laughing during performances. This is not me purposefully not laughing or trying to throw you off - I just don't find the humor in current HIs funny. In those cases I'm looking more at the characterization and plot line in the piece. That being said, if you see me laugh that is a genuine laugh and it'll for sure go into my considerations of rankings.
Congress
My interpretation of Congress debate is a combination of extemporaneous speaking and debate. The sponsorship/authorship and first opposition speech should be the constructive speech for the legislation. The rebuttals should build on the constructives by responding to arguments made by the opposing side. Both styles of speech should:
- Engage with the actual legislation, not the generalized concepts,
- Have clear arguments/points with supporting evidence from reputable sources
- Have a clear intro and conclusion that grabs the audience's attention and ties everything together
- Articulate and weigh impacts (be sure to explain why the cost is more important than the lives or why the lives matter more than the systemic violence, etc.)
Rebuttal speeches should clearly address previous speeches/points made in the round. With that in mind, I will look more favorably on speeches later in the cycle that directly respond to previous arguments AND that bring in new considerations - I despise rehash.
Delivery of the speech is important - I will make note of fluency breaks or distracting movements - but I am mainly a flow judge so I might not be looking directly at you.
Participation in the chamber (motions, questioning, etc.) are things I will consider in final rankings and generally serve as tie-breakers. If two people have the same speech scores, but one was better at questioning they will earn the higher rank. Some things I look for in this area:
- Are your questions targeted and making an impact on the debate of the legislation OR are they just re-affirming points already made?
- Are you able to respond to questions quickly, clearly, and calmly OR are you flustered and struggling to answer in a consistent manner with the content of your speech?
- Are you helping the chamber move along and keep the debate fresh OR are you advocating for stale debate because others still have speeches on the legislation?
- Did you volunteer to give a speech on the opposite side of the chamber to keep the debate moving OR are you breaking Prop/Opp order to give another speech on the heavy side?
Presiding Officer
To earn a high rank in the chamber as the PO you should be able to do the following:
- Follow precedence with few mistakes
- Keep the chamber moving - there should be minimal pause from speech to questioning to speech
- Follow appropriate procedures for each motions - if you incorrectly handle a motion (i.e. call for a debate on something that does not require it or mess up voting procedures) this will seriously hurt your ranking
I've competed in debate for 4 years at the local, state, and national levels. Extemp locally, Congress locally and statewide, and Big Question at the national level. I've judged in the past and have since been out for personal reasons. However, my general criteria remains the same in how I view Speech and Debate, and what defines good, strong arguments. Above all else, an emphasis on good quality research and the way it is presented is key, and that confidence is not always everything if you are unable to provide adequate proof. Style must be backed up by substance for a good balance of informative and persuasive speech. Additionally, Speech and Debate is about comradery on top of competition, so good and healthy banter should be expected. Winning is part of the experience, just as is the case with not qualifying and advancing, so do your best and have fun. Overall, as time moves forward, the next generation should improve upon the previous one, and I am excited to see what everyone has to offer.
- Jimmy Yu
I’m a parent judge, and I’m relatively new to judging debates. I may not be familiar with all the debate jargon or advanced strategies, so please make your arguments clear and explain your points thoroughly. I’ll be doing my best to judge fairly based on what’s presented. Please do not spread.