I am a former attorney and former assistant debate coach for LD. In all cases of judging, however, I prefer sound arguments that are clearly and concisely communicated.

I'm a volunteer judge affiliated with Mountain Brook High School that has been on and off the circuit for 4 years (mainly in policy and public forum).

Debate how you want to but I have a few preferences:

1. Speed is fine just don't spread. I'll take notes on the round but if it's going to be important later say it clearly.

2. Evidence ethics is extremely important. If a card is grossly misconstrued it will be hard for you to win the round.

3. I like to see strategic questions and answers in cross. Obviously, still bring up anything important in cross in later speeches if you want me to vote off of it.

4. I'm more likely to sign my ballot on a clear narrative than poorly explained extensions.

The Betty Gunn will be my first tournament as a Judge. I am an attorney and am generally familiar with debate but I am not experienced as a Judge. Please do not spread. Slow down and be clear. I appreciate clarity and designating your position and points. Please summarize and outline all of your topics and positions before final focus. Where possible, please be specific in citations to your supporting arguments and evidence. Above all be courteuos and show respect to your opponent.

Current Public Forum Diagram

Don't speak too fast

Stand for cross fire

Make sure you sign post for everything

Off time road maps are okay, but don't take too long

State Update: I'm sick, please don't get mad at me for coughing and sneezing.

Vestavia Hills High School '18

Auburn University '22

Email Chain: joeycompton17@gmail.com

Judge Philosophy: I feel like my job as a judge is to be as objective as possible and evaluate the round solely on the merits of the arguments presented.

General Debate Predilections/Requests That You'll Inevitably Ignore:

-I like debates about the topic. The stupider your interp is, the more annoyed I get.

-Tech over truth. Notwithstanding, if your "technical concession" took two seconds it probably doesn't matter.

-I really, really enjoy impact turn debates. They will be rewarded with higher speaks if done correctly.

-I hate, hate, hate long overviews. Just do it on the line by line.

-I care a lot about evidence. More on that below.

-You don't have to shake my hand, lol.

PF:

-You can have a framework debate if you want. I really don't care. That being said, if it's useless, your speaks will go down. Strategy, and using your time wisely, is key. Also, I need effective warrant analysis to evaluate voters under the framework - so, please do that.

-I don't care about speed. If you are *actually* going to spread, I'm cool with an email chain (email is below). If you are incomprehensible, I'll yell "clear" twice. After that, I'm done.

-I don't care whether you read the card straight up or summarize. But keep in mind, if you get called out for miscutting, I will call for the card at the end of the round. If I find you have grossly misrepresented the evidence, I'll probs drop you. It's up to you. I used to summarize, and it helped with the flow of the case, but if you want to play it safe, just read the card.

-I like effective warrant analysis. I will be sad if you don't do this. If you want to concede links for strategic purposes, I'm completely fine with it, just make sure you do it in the immediate speech from which the turn was read.

-I don't flow crossfire, but I really enjoy it. Ask strategic, nuanced questions and you will potentially be rewarded with higher speaks. Don't make arguments - that's for your speeches. Don't be rude.

-I think it's advantageous for the second-speaking team (2) to cover the first-speaking team's (1) offense on Team 2's case. It won't hurt your chances at winning my ballot and I won't require it, but it could potentially hurt your speaks. I like this because it makes for a cleaner summary and somewhat evens the playing field between Team 1 and Team 2.

-I hope you have your evidence! I used to call for a lot of cards, and I think it's cool when debaters actually try to directly interact with the evidence. As soon as you receive the evidence, I'll start prep. After a significant portion of time, if a team can't find a card or evidence, I will just start your prep until you concede the argument. You should have your evidence - no excuses. If a team or debater asks me to call for a card, I'll look at it after the round. I also reserve the right to call for cards even if I am not prompted to. I often do this if I'm making my decision off of one or two pieces of evidence. If I call for a card, I will never insert argument into the debate based on what the evidence implies, but I do reserve the right to drop you if it is miscut or you misread/misinterpreted it.

-As of recent, I've gotten really tired of keeping time. I've decided the best way to deal with this, as a judge, is to give lower speaks to teams who irresponsibly keep time. It's not that hard and it bothers me a lot. C'mon.

-Strategy, competitiveness, and good crystallization will get you good speaks. +.5 if you say Kanye lyrics, exclaim "War Eagle," or say a funny joke/pun during the round. Both teams can do it. UPDATE: Quite a good bit of debaters have been saying "War Eagle" to me. That's great and all, but the sentence above says "during the round" - thus, it should be in a speech.

-Rudeness, offensive behavior, wasted time/inefficiency, etc. will give you low speaks.

-I'm good with progressive args. I like disad-esque arguments with solid links. If you think it's necessary to run theory, please run it in shell form. I've never been too high on K debate. I'll vote on them, but I'm unfamiliar with most of the literature. I never really ran these when I debated, but if you feel as if you can explain it well, go for it. Don't pref me too high if this is what you do - I wouldn't be able to give you due diligence. It's not you, it's me.

-I'm more tech over truth. I'm willing to vote on a bad argument if it is won on the flow. I'm going to hate myself for doing it, but as much as I dislike dumb arguments, I dislike arbitrary judge intervention more.

-Meme cases? I'm listening. Don't throw away the round and run these if you can break, though. I don't want to take this opportunity away from you like John Scanlon did with me. You probably won't win, but it'll be fun.

-No matter your record, keep your head up and your mind open. Every tournament, and every round, is a learning experience. Don't let your record define you. Have fun with it, and don't be afraid to come talk to me before/after the round or over email if you have any questions.

-Email: joeycompton17@gmail.com.

LD:

-I'm open to really anything in a round, and I'm generally familiar with most styles of argumentation. I've only judged one LD tournament this year, so, depending on how good you are, I may be a tad rusty.

-I feel like my job as a judge is to be as objective as possible and evaluate the round solely on the merits of the arguments presented. I will vote on anything as long as it is: A) clearly explained, B) well defended, and C) weighed against other arguments. Basically: you do you.

-I'll vote on less-than-stellar args like NIBs or frivolous theory. You can definitely pick up my ballot if you do that, but I probably won't give you good speaks. As much as I dislike dumb arguments, I dislike arbitrary judge intervention more.

-Speed is fine, slow down for tags and authors, though. If you're going too fast, I'll yell "clear" twice. After that, I'm done. Keep in mind, if I can't understand you, I can't vote for you.

-I may call for cards after the round if need be.

-I won't flow cross but make it enjoyable - I was a huge cross guy. Make sure you're asking strategic questions. I don't want to be bored.

-I'm fine with progressive strategies such as Theory, DAs, T, etc.

-I'll vote on disclosure theory but your speaks will reflect how upset I am about voting on it.

-If you're gonna have an email chain, add me to it.

-Adding stuff to a speech doc counts as prep, but the physical act of emailing or giving a flash-drive to your opponent does not.

-I'm usually glued to my flow during the round, so if I'm not looking at you don't panic.

-Don't pref me high if you're a K debater. I'm unfamiliar with most of the literature and never really ran these when I debated. I wouldn't be able to give you due diligence. It's not you, it's me.

-Speaks: I'll dock points if you're obscenely rude or do cheap/tricky args. If you say a funny joke, drop some Kanye lyrics, or exclaim "War Eagle" during the round or cross I'll add .5 points to your speaks - both debaters can do it.

-Email me before the round (or after idc) if you have any questions: joeycompton17@gmail.com

....

Things I default to (not my preferences, just what I'll default to if you fail to address the issue).

-Competing interps

-No RVIs

-Drop the arg

-The resolution is a statement that is to be proven true by the Aff

-Theory comes before Ks and T

-Fairness / education are theoretically legitimate reasons to exclude certain practices

Big Questions Preferences:

Lol.

Add me to the Email chain: mhc1721@gmail.com

Judging Preference:

1.LARP

2.Topical K’s

3.Nontopical K’s

4.Theory

5.Phil

6.Spikes/Tricks

I'm a tech judge, I will be judging off the flow, I can understand almost everything and will vote for almost anything but if you do go for tricks I will tank speaks.

Just be nice and have fun!

Dr. Carrie Crenshaw

Director, SpeakFirst

Birmingham, AL

24 Years of Debate Experience at Middle School, High School and Collegiate Debate Level

Philosophy:
I love debate. My high school coach Patti Edwards first gave me the gift of debate in 1979. I am happy to be here to listen to your arguments and will carefully consider all you have to say. I appreciate your hard work and courage in speaking out and learning to argue well and think critically.

I have always considered myself an argument critic. I will vote for the team who makes the best arguments backed by high quality reasoning and evidence. I expect you to be tight in the line by line meeting your burden of rejoinder while also weighing the arguments, issues and evidence in a solid explanation of why you win the debate as a whole.

Do
-Speak clearly and persuasively. I don't mind a rapid rate of speaking but I have found that very few are actually able to speak rapidly and clearly at the same time.
-Use high quality evidence and make clear arguments about why your evidence is good.
-Be strategic and smart.
-Be kind.

Don't
-Be obnoxious or rude. I expect everyone to be treated with respect.
-Expect me to read volumes of evidence after the debate is over. If a card is highly contested, I may occasionally ask to see it but, in general, I expect you to clearly read and refer to your evidence in your speeches.
-Speak fast if you can't do it clearly.

I did debate in high school, but I have been out of it for a while now so please excuse me if I am not totally up to date on everything. I am open to pretty much any argument and speed as well (but I prefer a conversational speed in Public Forum). I also request that competitors time their own speeches and prep time, and I'm ok if you go a little over time to finish your sentence but anything more than 5 seconds and I stop flowing.

Can't stress this enough: IMPACT WEIGHING, IMPACT WEIGHING, and IMPACT WEIGHING. Start in the summary continue with it in the Final Focus. If you don't present me with impacts to vote on it's a tough path for you to win my ballot. Impact calc is a HUGE plus so please include it in your speeches, especially if you have time left on the clock.

While framework isn't something that is a must for PF, I do love to see it. Framework is something that can give you that little edge and come in clutch in the end, especially if you know how to use it. However, please don't spend a ton of time arguing about framework and then barely mention it at the end of the round.

Keep cross civil and treat your opponents with respect. Other than that try to speak as clearly as possible and please give an offtime road map before you begin speaking.

I debated PF and LD for one year in high school.

LD Paradigms:

I can handle a 7 on the scale of 1-10 in flowing. However, if you see me during a round and I'm not flowing you, it means you are going too fast for me. Don't be afraid to slow down and hit your best points the hardest.

That being said, I am familiar with maybe half of the terms in LD. If there is a term you use that you know many people don't know, explain it to me because I probably don't either. Be sure to link your value and value-criterion, and how they outweigh that of your opponents. And go over the biggest impacts your side may have in a round. I love to weigh impacts in a round.

Do not bully your opponent. I have seen this happen the most in LD and I don't know why, but you lose a lot of credibility if you attack your opponent rather than their points. Be concise, well-worded, and have intelligent arguments and make it a good round.

The Betty Gun tournament will be my first time judging a debate. I have a nephew who in involved with a focus on PF. I understand that speed is important to presenting all of your ideas on the topic, however, speed without clarity may lead to confusion or my inability to evaluate the argument. I also feel like all competitions should reflect good sportsmanship and be civil in nature. I prefer to have factual information to substantiate your case and support your argument. Please weigh in summary and final focus and make sure to present all of your arguments and analysis prior to the final focus. See you in round!

I flow rounds. Alerting me to clear contentions and off time road maps assists me in completing my flows. I am absolutely not capable of flowing if you SPREAD, in fact, if you choose to SPREAD, I will stop flowing and listen. I prefer to hear you present your arguments verses reading your prepared material. The documents will provide me the name of your source when I review before making a final decision. I favor up to date resources as changes happen daily, when presenting your argument I focus on the year of the evidence to include in my flow. Cross fires should be civil. I generally look to typical speech characteristics when determining speaker points, such as speaking with clarity and articulation. I also consider the general characteristics of giving a speech such as how you present yourself through your demeanor both individually and as a team, as well as with your opponents.

Email: willhaynes11@gmail.com

Background: I debated for four years at Spain Park High School in Hoover, AL: national circuit LD my first two years and national circuit PF for the remainder. I recently graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Biomedical Sciences and minors in Spanish and Philosophy. I am currently a first year medical student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I spent 4 years coaching and judging PF for Auburn High School, mostly on the local Alabama circuit.

Lincoln-Douglass Paradigm

I typically judge PF, but as I stated above, do have experience debating circuit LD. Therefore, I'm pretty flexible when it comes to how you would like to debate. Traditional is probably your safest bet, but I'm not going to disregard your arguments because they are too progressive. Just recognize that since I am a PF coach, I may not evaluate all of your arguments in the same way as an LD circuit judge would.

Flow/Speed: I am a standard flow judge. I can tolerate a brisk pace, but please do not spread.

Theory: I'm good with anything you would like to run. Competing interps>reasonability

K's: I don't particularly like K's. I'm most sympathetic to K's that are using the round to make structural change within the debate community.

Framework: Feel free to run any fun/interesting/non-standard criterions as long as you provide solid justifications.

Public Forum Paradigm

Flow/Speed: I am a typical flow judge. In rebuttals and summaries, please make it clear what argument you're responding to. All turns must be addressed in the following speech, so if you are the second speaker, and your opponent makes a case turn in their rebuttal, you must address it in your rebuttal or else it is dropped. Frontlining can be done in either the rebuttal or summary. I can flow 8/10 on speed. Do not spread. The summary and final focus must be consistent.

Evidence: I will call for cards at the end of the round if I am unclear on the intentions of the author or I have reason to believe it is mis-cut. I will not call for evidence due to washes or lack of weighing.

Crossfire: I do not flow new arguments in crossfire, nor does it have any effect in how I judge the round unless someone is rude, in which case I will deduct speaker points.

Framework: I default to CBA unless another empirically justified framework is offered at the top of the constructive. I enjoy a good framework debate, so do not hesitate to propose a deontological value.

Offense: Under CBA, I only weigh quantifiable and empirically justified impacts as offense. If you do not quantify, there is no objective way for me to compare impacts at the end of the debate.

Fiat: If the resolution is framed in terms of a moral obligation (should, ought ect.), then I judge the debate based off the costs/benefits of the resolution actually taking effect. Therefore, I do not evaluate feasibility claims that have to do with the inabilities of laws or policies to pass through Congress or any other governmental actor unless I am provided with compelling analytical justifications for doing so.

Theory: I believe theory is the best way to correct abuse in a debate round. It is much easier for me to flow theory if it is run in the standard format (A: Interpretation, B: Violation, C:Standards, D:Voters), but I am fine with paragraph theory as long as it is clear and well justified.

Kritiks: I very rarely vote for them, mainly just because I don't believe PF is the most conducive for such arguments so just keep that in mind before you take that risk.

Presumption: In the event that the round ends up with a wash, I will default to the first speaking team.

Hello debaters! I want to wish you the very best of luck and to let you know I find it a privilege to judge your round.

As part of my background, I competed in HS as a policy debater. I'm familiar with the format, however, it has been nearly 15 years since I debated. Although I competed at state, I would not say that I ever became a die-hard debater. During law school and while working for the Indiana Senate, I gained the appreciation for well-founded logic, reasoning, and supportive evidence rather than emotional pleas and appeals to conscience. Therefore, when judging, I use a preponderance of the evidence type approach. I am looking to see who wins the most on bulk of the debate. You may have a minor individual point that you clearly won on, however if your opponent(s) excel in the rest of the debate, then they will win the day.

I will follow the debate nearly wherever you wish to make your battle ground. Debates that focus more on the resolution than minutia like definitions are more engaging, however if you find it critical to discuss definitions and the differences, between opponents, then feel free. But I'm looking to be persuaded on the big picture.

If this is not clear, let me provide you with a list of priorities in which I evaluate the debate: Topicality – Significance of Harm – Inherency – Solvency – Advantage Over Disadvantage.

Best of luck!

2 years of debate

I prefer if you time yourself

Please give offtime road maps

State your framework at the beginning

I will flow if I can understand you

I'm a senior and 5th year debater for Mountain Brook High School. I've done PF and Policy.

I can handle speed, but I will always prefer depth of analysis and clarity over speed.

Any argument you make should be warranted. A tag is not sufficient. You must explain why your evidence is true and how your argument works.

Final Focuses should be primarily impact calculus because I need to know why the arguments you are making matter and how your impacts interact with and out way your opponent's.

You must time yourselves, but I will be keeping the official time. DON'T STEAL PREP. I see too many teams do this these days. If you are talking to your partner, someone's prep should be running.

For LD: Having done Policy, I know my way around progressive LD args. I don't love Ks, so you will have to do lots of work to get me to vote on them. Honestly all of my PF paradigm applies to LD.

--- Current Varsity Public Forum Debater at Vestavia Hills High School. Forth year; Senior. ---

Speaker Point Determinants: Be respectful and kind throughout the round. Speak clearly and at a modest speed. Do not talk while the opposing team is giving their speech.

Other Preferences: Do not assume that everyone knows about something in the round. Be sure to explain EVERYTHING clearly. Give solid evidence (cards) to support your arguments. Give a road map and voters during your summary and final focus so I can follow where you are on the flow. Summary and final focus should be discussing similar topics: parallel. In the summary, I like to see weighing (why your argument is more impactful/important that your opponents). In the final focus, tell me exactly why you have won the debate, and DO NOT bring up any new arguments. EXTEND anything the opposing team did not refute.

*** Make sure connect your arguments with the FRAMEWORK that is established in the round (if there is one). Do this throughout the ENTIRE round. I will be determining the winner by the team that does that the best. ***

For Debate Rounds: PLEASE do not use time in the debate to email evidence back and forth. Research is supposed to be completed before the round starts. I want to see students who have gained some mastery of the topic at hand. Also, I will not read evidence you send me. I am here to judge how well you argue your case by giving speeches in the times given, I am not here to complete assigned reading. If you want me to know what a card says, tell me in your speeches.

MY EXPERIENCE & SKILL LEVEL: I coached PF for one year back in 2008-2009. I never did debate in high school, and have no competence for keeping up with technical debate or a rigorous flow. I know that the words flow, cross-apply, turn, etc… exist and have something to do with debate, but if you use them in the round, you will probably lose me. While I would like to be able to flow fast speech, I simply lack that ability, so if you decide to go with a technical, policy-like style, just know that I will not be able to keep up. You might make the best argument that has ever been seen in the history of the world, but I will miss it.

MY PREFERENCES: I like conversational debate that comes down to the important core issues at the heart of the resolution. I want to see that you have not only researched and learned a million facts about the topic, but that you understand what you are talking about. For me, the evidence and ideas you use in a debate aren’t mere cards to stack against other debater’s card stacks like a game of political Pokémon; these are real issues with real impacts in the real world you really live in. I want to see a sincere, good-faith debate that takes the issues seriously. If you can throw in a nice rhetorical device here and there like alliteration or a clever turn of phrase, that would probably subconsciously help win me over, too. Most of all, I want to see everyone learn from the round, get better at dealing with difficult topics, hone their speaking skills, and feel good about doing their best.

My experience in debate is primarily based in coaching. I have coached with both Middle School and High School teams in public forum. For me every part of a round is important, although I weigh the rebuttal, summary, and final focus speeches above the constructive. I particularly look for the ability to create strong clash between the strengths of your case and the weaknesses of your opponent's case throughout the round. I do not flow crossfires; however, I will note how well you defend your case or attack your opponent in crossfire.

Experience:

I debated my sophomore year in high school in Public Forum, LD, and Policy. I also participated in Youth Legislature that year. The summer before my senior year, I participated in Alabama Girls State and served as my city's Commissioner of Environmental Engineering.

Preferences:

Speed- Generally fine, but don't compromise clarity for speed. In other words, if you want to speak fast please make sure you enunciate clearly so I and your opponent can understand you.

I follow tech over truth. For example, if you argue and win that global warming is good, I will vote you won the argument even though it is actually wrong.

Evidence- Very important to an argument. Make sure to discuss authors and qualifications, but evidence is key to a strong argument.

Impacts- Very important to winning an argument. A strong impact analysis will go a long way for you to win a round, but only with a strong link. If you have an incredible impact but your link analysis is shady, it will be difficult for me to award you the impact. Links are key.

I'm a high school senior and have debated all throughout middle school and high school. For the past four years I have been a PF debater so I'm pretty familiar with all of the PF terms and whatever speed you decide to speak at. I'm going to be flowing your arguments and checking if they transition across the flow so make sure you address arguments that are dropped and arguments that should be flowed. How you conduct CX (standing or sitting) is up to you, but overpowering aggressiveness towards your opponents is not going to translate well.

Experience/Background: I coached at Columbus HS from 2013-2021, primarily Public Forum, and now coach at Carrollton HS (2021-present). I did not debate in high school or college, but I have been coaching and judging PF, a little LD, and IEs since 2013, both locally (Georgia) and on the national circuit, including TOC and NSDA Nationals. I spent several years (2017-2022) as a senior staff member with Summit Debate and previously led labs at Emory (2016-2019).

Judging Preferences:

If you have specific questions about me as a judge that are not answered below (or need clarification), please feel free to ask them. Some general guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions are below:

1. Speed: I can flow a reasonably fast speed when I'm at the top of my game, but I am human. If it's late in the day/tournament, I am likely tired, and my capacity for speed drops accordingly. I will not be offended if you ask me about this before the round. For online rounds, I prefer that you speak at a more moderate speed. I will tell you "clear" if I need you to slow down. If I am flowing on paper, you should err on the slower side of speed than if I am flowing on my laptop.

2. Signposting and Roadmaps: Signposting is good. Please do it. It makes my job easier. Off-time roadmaps aren't really needed if you're just going "their case, our case", but do give a roadmap if there's a more complex structure to your speech.

3. Consistency of Arguments/Making Decisions: Anything you expect me to vote on should be in summary and final focus. Defense is not "sticky" -- meaning you cannot extend it from rebuttal to final focus. Please weigh. I love voters in summary, but I am fine if you do a line-by-line summary.

4. Prep (in-round and pre-round): Please pre-flow before you enter the round. Monitor your own prep time. If you and your opponents want to time each other to keep yourselves honest, go for it. Do not steal prep time - if you have called for a card and your opponents are looking for it, you should not be writing/prepping unless you are also running your prep time. (If a tournament has specific rules that state otherwise, I will defer to tournament policy.) On that note, have your evidence ready. It should not take you longer than 20-30 seconds to pull up a piece of evidence when asked. If you delay the round by taking forever to find a card, your speaker points will probably reflect it.

5. Overviews in second rebuttal: In general, I think a short observation or weighing mechanism is probably more okay than a full-fledged contention that you're trying to sneak in as an "overview". Tread lightly.

6. Frontlines: Second speaking team should answer turns and frontline in rebuttal. I don't need a 2-2 split, but I do think you need to address the speech that preceded yours.

7. Theory, Kritiks, and Progressive Arguments: I prefer not judging theory debates. Strongly prefer not judging theory debates. If you are checking back against a truly abusive practice, I will listen to and evaluate the argument. If you are using theory/Ks/etc. in a way intended to overwhelm/intimidate an opponent who has no idea what's going on, I am not going to respond well to that.

8. Crossfire: I do not flow crossfire. If it comes up in cross and you expect it to serve a role in my decision-making process, I expect you to bring it up in a later speech.

9. Speaker points: I basically never give 30s, so you should not expect them from me. My range is usually from 28-29.7.

I am a current junior at Vestavia Hills High School. I debated LD for 2 years and PF for 1 year.

Speed: I am okay with speed, but YOU MUST be clear when you are talking. This does not mean you can spread in PF.

Roadmap: Please tell me what you are addressing. I appreciate roadmaps.

Flowing: I will be flowing throughout the whole round, except CX.

Prep Time: Keep your own time. I will also keep time for both teams.

Voters/Weighing: Please weigh and give me clear voters. This allows me to know why I should pick you as the winner.

Arguments: I want to see clash in debate. EXTEND arguments. Do not be vague.

Enjoy debating! Have fun. Do not be disrespectful.

Experience: 2004 - Present - Speech and Debate director for Spain Park High School, Birmingham, AL

Events I Enjoy Coaching and Judging: Public Forum / Limited Lincoln Douglas / Most IE events

Major Concerns: If I call for a card and determine it is miscut, I will immediately drop your team. I will also report the violation to the tournament director and your coach or sponsor. All evidence should have a clearly defined DATE, author, and credentials. Sourcing on your card should be clear and wording of the text should not be altered. I should be quickly able to determine the veracity of the information presented in the round.

How I weigh PF: Standards should be clearly established. I find a framework at the top of the case useful. Please make an effort to argue your framework/standard. I will weigh all arguments based on the winning standard. Clearly compare both sides of the argument and explain why your side outweighs based on clear links to the framework. Deliver clear voters in the Final Focus. Usually, I only consider arguments cleanly extended through summary and final focus.

Kritiks/Counterplans/Theory in PF: Different tournaments have different rules on these matters. I will abide by the rules or philosophy in the tournament handbook. Public Forum should be accessible to a general audience. Please make certain that your arguments are comprehensible. If you feel like your opponent is running an argument which is unfair or against the rules, be prepared to define the violation and explain why to discount the argument in your rebuttal, summary, and final focus. If you are running these types of arguments, be prepared to establish why you are departing from the norms. Your rationale should be clear so that your opponent can adequately address your points.

Crossfire: Do not talk over your opponent. Follow up questions can be useful, but be courteous to your opponents' need to question you. Discourtesy will result in deducted speaker points.

Speaker Points: Your level of courtesy is my primary concern here. BUT ALSO - Dress professionally. Be self-aware of your demeanor. Enunciate. Signpost your arguments/rebuttals. Each speech should have evidence of organization. Use all your time.

I am okay with any speed.

Speak your contention very clearly at the beginning of your points, I prefer off time roadmaps.

Time yourself and tell me loudly when you are starting.

Keep your own prep time, inform me that you are taking prep and tell me how much time was taken after.

Know all the speech times so we can avoid confusions and get through the round fast.

If a coin flip is required, the debaters will flip and decide and inform me after which side they are on and speaking order.

No preference on desk arrangement or how CX is done.

***No prior debate experience (lay judge), however, been judging Individual Events and occasionally Public Forum for the past 4 years

- state your framework (if you have one) at the beginning of your debate

- when you state your contentions, make sure you state them clearly

- off-time roadmaps are helpful

- prefer no spreading, but keep in mind I can't flow towards you if I can't understand/hear you

- prefer you keep your own times

SPEAK SLOWLY and make eye contact!!!!!

Flay, but more lay than flow

As long as you're speaking at a normal rate and explaining everything simply, you should be fine.

I don't like long link chains or complex frameworks.

Time yourself, please.

Definitely truth over tech.

Signposting is good

I'm listening to cross but every important concession needs to come up in the speech after.

Things I don't want to see

Rudeness in cross

Speed

Any aggressive argument

(This wasn't made by her so ask any specific questions in round)

Email contact: jrr289@msstate.edu - please add me to any email chains being used in the round

Background: I competed in speech and debate for three years in high school. I primarily participated in public forum debate and international and domestic extemporaneous speaking, but I occasionally competed in LD, congress, and various other limited prep speech events. I attended the NSDA tournament twice in international extemporaneous speaking. I competed at the CFL National tournament three times: once in extemporaneous speaking, once in public forum, and once in congress. I have stayed active in speech and debate by judging a few tournaments a year and helping coach public forum debate teams on the high school level.

Speeches and case organization

I have a fundamental aversion to jargon and unexplained abbreviations or acronyms in debate. Explain and define everything.

The best constructive speeches contain at least some background information on the resolution. Many teams overlook this, perhaps due to time constraints, but this is a critical step. In other words, you need to answer this question up front: how have we arrived at the topic before us?

Organized speeches with clear signposting are an absolute must. Evidence is obviously important, but I will pay special attention to how it is woven throughout your speeches. Are you making it clear why this evidence is important? Why I should trust it? What is its impact? Do you have multiple levels of evidence to support every argument you plan on making?

Crossfire

I will pay attention to everything said during crossfire. While a debate may not be won solely by the crossfire performance, it can quickly be lost. A great debater is one who does not lose their persuasiveness even when they have to think fast on their feet. You should be able to defend all your arguments and evidence without hesitation during crossfire. What I believe to be an extremely effective communication strategy during crossfire that you may want to consider is not forgetting to make eye contact and speak to the judge. Do not limit your focus during crossfire to your opponent or your papers in front of you. Engaging me in crossfire and making me feel included will absolutely earn you some extra speaker points.

Miscellaneous

I will flow each debate carefully, but I do not consider myself a technical judge. You are free to run whatever arguments or strategies you choose; if you can sell it well, I will probably buy it. At the end of the round, my decision is usually for the team who wows me the most. Sometimes that is the team who I think wins the most number of arguments. Sometimes that is the team who wins the strongest arguments. Sometimes it is the team that had the best delivery and persuasiveness.

Please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions.

I recently graduated from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, AL. I debated at Vestavia in public forum for 4 years. I went to camp and competed locally and nationally. I’m flow. I did probably 5 Congress rounds in my entire career but I feel pretty confident in my abilities to judge it.

Here's my actual paradigm:

1. Weigh weigh weigh weigh

2. If you have claim then impact without warrants and link in between you do not in fact have an impact

3. If your evidence is miscut/power tagged/wrong the highest speaks I’ll give you is 25.

4. Time yourselves

5. I don’t require defense extension in first summary, only offense is required

6. If both teams agree to skip grand before the round, I’ll give everyone 2 extra speaks.

7. Collapse!!!! If you find yourself going for every argument in summary, you're doing this wrong. Everything in FF must also be in summary. This is true for both first and second FF.

8. Don't keep prep time for your opponents. I'll doc speaks it's a pet peeve I think it's rude

9. Roadmaps are always welcome

10. I’m good with speed but don’t spread PF is not the place for that lol

11. Framework debate is so boring plz don’t

12. If you're flight two, go ahead and flip for sides and order before the round, that way I have more time to give you feedback at the end

13. I don't require disclosure but I do appreciate it so you can add me to the e-mail chain if you feel so inclined/are not on the wiki

14. If your evidence is shady I will probably call for it. If I do call for evidence, cut card/website are both fine, but a paraphrased version of said evidence is not fine. Refer to #3

15. A 3 minute summary does not give you permission to go for all 800 arguments in the round. Spend more time weighing if you need to fill the time. Please continue to condense the round.

16. Honestly a ~saucy~ crossfire really doesn't bother me just don't be rude or degrading in cross and I won't doc your speaks

17. random but I don't shake hands I think it's gross lol

LD/IE:

uhhhh nothing in particular just time yourselves lol

Please e-mail me or find me if you have questions!! aronson0524@gmail.com or apr0023@auburn.edu

If the tournament doesn’t allow disclosure or if we’re running late and I don’t get to disclose/give feedback, feel free to post round me via e-mail or in person. Have fun y’all I love his activity don’t make me hate it after your round !

I am the debate coach at Paul W. Bryant High School. I have been coaching and judging Public Forum for 4 years.

Don't go too fast. While I am pretty good at note-taking, I cannot judge you on things if I miss them while you are speaking.

I don't care for off-time roadmaps and usually disregard them.

Decorum is very important in debate. Do not be rude to your opponents or your judge. Do not argue with the judge's decision after the round has concluded. I want to give you feedback and it is usually best received with an open mind and not while you are defensive.

Don't reveal your personal political affiliation. While I do my best to stay objective, it can put you at a disadvantage with some judges if they disagree with your political stance.

I am a current high school debater.

I don't mind spreading if you are clear and understandable. If I can not understand what you are saying I will stop flowing.

I would appreciate for all debaters to be respectful throughout the round, especially during the crossfire. I love when crossfires are heated and specific; however, you must remain respectful to your partner and opponents.

I will be flowing throughout the round, but I will not flow during any crossfire. If an important argument is made please bring it up during one of your speeches.

This will be my 5rd year serving as a judge (12th tournament). I have a child who is involved in debate with a focus on PF. I have judged mostly PF but also a number of LD rounds. I understand that speed is important to presenting all of your ideas on the topic, however, speed without clarity may lead to confusion or my inability to evaluate the argument. I also feel like all competitions should reflect good sportsmanship and be civil in nature. I prefer to have factual information to substantiate your case and support your argument. Please weigh in summary and final focus and make sure to present all of your arguments and analysis prior to the final focus. Finally, while many of these topics are serious discussions, remember to have fun. See you in round!

I debated public forum all throughout high school.

Preferences:

1. signpost!!

2. speak too fast, I will stop flowing:)

3. final focus/summary is very important. don't mess it up.

4. don't be rude.

University of South Alabama '22 (Doctorate of Audiology)

Auburn University '18 (B.S. in Communication Disorders)

Mars Hill Bible School '16

Email: Lgy291@gmail.com

A little about me: I debated PF for 3 years during high school. I earned an Academic All-American, and I also went to Nationals my senior year in World Schools Debate. I absolutely love debate, and I have judged at least one tournament a year since I graduated.

Preferences: I'm not usually picky in a debate round, but I do pay more attention to certain details. First thing you should know is that I don't flow during crossfire; therefore, make sure you bring up any big points you make during crossfire up in a speech so that it is on my flow. Secondly, I heavily weigh evidence during my rounds. As a past PF debater, I know how quickly you can win or lose a round if you or your opponent doesn't have evidence to backup the claims made. It is important to look at date and source when comparing evidence in order to prove why yours is better. Third, I can handle speed, but DO NOT spread. Lastly, be confident but not too confident to were you come off as rude or arrogant. Doing such could decrease the amount of speaker points you receive. I know that rounds can sometimes get heated, but a great debater knows how to stay calm/ focused and get their point across without being rude.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me!