Anderson Debate Paradigm

4 years NFA-LD.

please include on speechdrop or file share of choice

Offense/Defense Paradigm

Fine with speed.

Theory:

Will vote on potential abuse.

Condo- I personally think the negative should be allowed as many counterplans as the AFF has adv(s) + 1 (like an agent CP and *number of Advantages* CP(s). I’ll have a very low threshold on condo bad theory if more that are run. To me, at the end of the round only one counterplan should be gone for/squo defended. I don't want to kick an alt for you and vote for the status quo. If the AFF wins that condo is bad then I’d vote aff. If you outtech the AFF on why multiple counterplans are good, then I won’t vote on condo bad. I don’t think “drop the arg not the debater” is persuasive in condo theory debates.

Topicality- I default to competing interpretations, but I’ll vote on reasonability if it’s won. To me, limits is the most important standard, but I think precision or others can be persuasive if the T-interp creates an undue burden for the AFF. The AFF rebuttal would ideally explain why the AFF is a fair parametrization of the resolution and how the AFFs justified are good for x,y,z theoretical reason(s).

SPEC Args- I think most of these are just defensive solvency arguments.

RVI's- no thanks.

Disclosure- I would vote on disclosure theory against either negs/affs. I do not think new affs need to be disclosed. Otherwise, If you’ve done goofed and haven’t disclosed, then you should read a counterinterpretation as to why you shouldn’t have to disclose for X,Y,Z reason and then win offense in favor of that interp. i.e. “Debaters don’t have to disclose if the positions they read are on their team’s wiki/until after the tournament is over” or something like that. Still probably an uphill battle, but if the other debater isn’t that good on the disclosure theory collapse then you could still win the round.

I could vote on Framework against Ks/K AFFs, provided the debater actually wins the FW flow. If the negative is just “They don’t defend the resolution and that’s against the rules,” that's not very persuasive. To me, FW debate is about why limits are good vs why the inclusion of the AFF and the AFFs justified by the AFF’s interp are necessary for X,Y,Z reason.

K

I’d like to know why the worldview promoted by other debater is wrong (link work), why it’s important to reject/stop that kind of thinking (impact work), and how the alternative in some way resolves that worldview.

CP

I’m interested in the extent to which the CP solves the AFF and if an accompanying DA/other source of offense is a bigger deal than any potential solvency deficits/turns on the counterplan.

DA

PTX-Not super persuaded by “my card is from the next day” arguments on uniqueness. I find warrant comparison between the cards on why X,Y,Z political thing will/will not happen to be more persuasive than spamming three UNQ/nonunq cards.

Impact Turns: They often seem strategic to me.

I'm a lay judge, please adapt.

Effective communication matters to me. Slow down. Weigh your arguments. 

Good luck!

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My personal speaker point scale starts at 28 for an average performance.

30 Almost perfect, amazing.

29.5 Outstanding

29 Very good, some outstanding aspects

28.5 Good, no big problems

28 Average

27.5 Needs significant work

27 Needs lots of work

26.5  Serious problems

Below 26: offensive, inappropriate

I am an 8th year parent judge. I started with Public Forum, dabbled in speech and LD and am back. I enjoy Public Forum and appreciate well laid out cases argued in a lively manner that doesn’t cross the line. I would like to be convinced of your case and if I cannot understand it I cannot vote for it. Please debate accordingly, if you speak too fast or are unclear I will not be able to vote for you because I just won’t understand your case.

I also appreciate it when you do not simply read your case off your computer. I’d like to see that you know something about what you’re presenting rather than just having something typed out. I come into each round leaving all my knowledge behind so assume I know nothing about the topic except what I’ll learn from you.

good luck!

I am a lay judge and have been judging speech and debate for about 6 years. I believe that debate should include a clear presentation of your arguments and evidence. I also believe your speeches should be well organized. In the end, I will value argument over style, but the way you present your arguments is important to my understanding of those arguments. If you call for evidence, please have a legitimate reason for it. I don't like spending a lot of prep time on it. I expect you to time yourselves, but I will be timing too. I like clear, organized flows with clear voters at the end. I weigh heavily on impacts so compare your impacts and convince me that yours are stronger. Please be civil and respectful to your partner and competitors.

My background is in theatre and speech. I love judging speech events and will typically vote for the presenter who has the strongest emotional connection to their piece and the audience. There must be an effective balance of design, style, and presentation. The pieces that showcase who you are as a performer as well as communicating something new and fresh are welcome.

Email for cards, cases and what you need to send me: emma.sasser9@gmail.com

This makes it very easy for me to follow along in your case! Please send me your stuff!

I don't know prog debate, so if you choose a prog case run at your own risk. I am a trad judge.

I never did debate in High school or college.

Do not spread, its hard for me to follow.

Be passionate!! If you disagree with your position in your debate I should not be able to tell. Please make sure that there is clash in your debates.

You are able to time yourself, I will be timing you as well.

I do not care if you sit or stand, do what is comfortable for you.

Please be respectful during the debate, only use your phone when it is pertinent to the debate/timing, and then just use your common sense and be respectful in general.

UMW '24

GBN '20

He/Him

Email: Nickremo2@gmail.com - please put me on the chain.

Given that both my high school and college lean heavily on the policy side of the spectrum, I similarly am a very policy-oriented judge.

For the water topic, I am not particularly familiar with the topic but I will try my best to understand everything.

Please flow

Don't steal prep

I place a high value on evidence but will only critique it if one side calls it out. I will not intervene after the round if neither side has emphasized the evidence quality.

Here are my general stances for different arguments:

Case

I love a good case debate, especially impact turns. I believe most affs don't solve their impacts BUT it is the burden on the negative to explain why. Internal link defense is much more convincing than impact defense.

Soft left affs are good with me. They're definitely more true, but I think 2As poorly develop the framing page. The more specific the framing evidence is to the aff, the more latitude I will give the aff. Additionally, applying framing arguments to disads (conjunction fallacy is a good example) make said arguments infinitely more appealing.

T

As someone who read very tiny and marginally topical affs at best in High School, I do lean affirmative but can be easily persuaded by the negative. Specifically, I think ground is the best internal link to education/fairness claims as I find limits for the sake of limits generally unpersuasive. If the neg can win the aff's interpretation justifies a category of affs that are impossible to answer that uniquely skirt neg ground, I can easily find myself voting neg in these instances.

DA

They're awesome, but I discourage the 1NC shell being a one or two card atrocity. I am sympathetic to 2As that don't feel the need to answer parts of a DA that weren't read in the 1NC (This is one of the few areas I agree with Scotty P on).

CP

Process counterplans are generally fine. I prefer process counterplans with a net benefit that is more a disad to the plan that the counterplan provides uniqueness for instead of a net benefit the aff doesn't really link to. For example, if an aff goes through congress and the counterplan uses the courts, I prefer a net benefit that says congress is bad rather than courts are good. I find counterplans with net benefits that actually link to the aff are better at testing the aff because there are infinite contrived processes that theoretically could be beneficial if used but there is only one process the aff uses.

Advantage counterplans are great. I think affs underutilize the efficacy of a perm in these instances, especially if the counterplan is a multiplank monstrosity.

K

Extreme Ks such as death bad are not impossible to win me over, but extremely difficult and likely not worth your time. I am fine with nearly any k, but it needs to do a few things. 1. The link MUST be contextualized to the aff. This doesn't have to be evidence, but some type of analysis of how the K's theory can account for the aff's scenarios. 2. The alt needs to be clearly articulated. Regurgitating the word salad from the 1NC tag is not going to do it for me and I'll be strongly persuaded by aff arguments on the alt failing and perms. 3. Answer case! Similar to the first requirement, some explanation of how the K means the aff doesn't solve is extremely persuasive to me.

Theory

1-2 condo I significantly lean neg on. 3 condo can go either way. More than 3 and I lean aff. Aff arguments about in round abuse are very persuasive for me (perf con basically).

All other theoretical violations are probably reasons to reject the argument and not the team.

K affs

I lean neg on framework, especially on the fairness debate but I can be persuaded otherwise. If the aff wins large swaths of the case page, I can easily vote aff on the aff outweighing fairness. I think switch side is generally a true argument and a nuanced aff explanation of how it doesn't solve their offense is likely required.

BLAKE UPDATE: If you are reading this and in LD, full disclosure, it has been a minute since I have judged LD and I have yet to do so online! Just be mindful of speed so that you don't get cut off by the tech

if you're going to not read cards or you paraphrase , you should probably strike me. In addition, it shouldn't take you longer than 30 seconds to find evidence. After 30 seconds, I will begin your prep. If it takes you longer than a minute and 30 seconds, all you can bring up is a 30 page PDF, or you cannot produce the evidence at all, you will lose the round. Please send the email chain to both cricks01@hamline.edu and blakedocs@googlegroups.com

• TL;DR- I was primarily an LD debater in high school, debating for Whitefish Bay HS in Wisconsin. I am now an assistant coach at The Blake School in Minnesota. I have different paradigms for different events, so read for the event that pertains to you and all should be fine!

  LD

  Speed: Typically, I can understand most speeds. However, i have let to judge online LD, so going a bit below your top speed may be beneficial to you. Slow down for tags, CP/Plan Texts, and if you’re reading unusual kritiks or frameworks. I want to make sure I spend more time conceptualizing what you’re talking about as opposed to figuring out what you just said. I will say “clear” or “slow” three times before beginning to dock speaks.

  Plans and Counterplans: Follow your dreams. I find these debates to be very interesting and a great way for debaters to creatively attack the topic. Make sure to make your advocacy very clear though.

  Kritiks: While I do love a good Kritik, make sure you’re running it well. Understand your kritik, don’t just pull one out of your backfiles and hope for the best. Again, make your advocacy clear. If you’re kritik is weird, please explain it well.

  Theory: I will vote on theory, but I do have questions about frivolous theory. That said, use your best judgement within the context of the round.

  Philosophy: Yes please! Explain it well and you should be golden!

  PF

  • I will pretty much listen to, flow, and vote off of anything. Have fun :)

  • I do have a high threshold for extensions. Blippy extensions are not my favorite thing, so extend your warrants as well

  • The inability to produce a piece of evidence that you have introduced into the round ends the round in an L-25 for your team

  • theory is lovely. I genuinely believe disclosure is good and that paraphrasing is bad.
  • Provide impact calc throughout the round
  • I will not vote on arguments that are dropped in summary, even if you bring them up in final focus, be warned. I may consider them if the warranting is a little bit blippy in summary, and better explained in final focus, but it has to 1) have been in rebuttal as well and 2) basically the only clean place to vote
  • CLASH IS KEY

  • Please read cards. Paraphrasing is becoming a problem in debate and often leads to some kind of intellectual dishonesty. Let's just avoid that.

  • Try to avoid Grand Cross becoming Grand Chaos in which there's just yelling. It isn't at all productive.

  • 2nd rebuttal should rebuild!

  • extending over ink makes me very sad :(

• Miscellaneous:

  • Do not be a terrible person. Don’t be sexist/homophobic/racist etc. If I see this, not only will I be sad, but so will your speaker points

  • Please please please weigh your arguments.

  • Also- please please please give voters!! If you don’t tell me what you think is important in round, I’ll have to decide for myself and you may not enjoy that.

  • please please please time yourselves and your opponent. I do however have a 10 second grace period to finish arguments you are already in the process of making, but I won't evaluate entirely new args after the speech time

  • Yes- I want to be on the email chain. My email is cricks01@hamline.edu

Hi! I debated in public forum for 4 years at Ransom Everglades a long time ago at this point.

Please keep the round clear, interact with your opponent’s arguments, and weigh. Show me the easiest and cleanest way to vote for you on the flow

Second rebuttal doesn't have to frontline, but cover turns otherwise I will consider them conceded

First summary doesn't have to extend terminal defense

Don't spread- I will miss arguments

I am not familiar with policy debate, I won't understand it, and I don't like it:)

I will call for cards if you tell me to or if they are highly contested

Feel free to ask me more questions in round!

I am a Junior Diplomat based in Singapore, who recently graduated from University College London with a Master’s Degree in International Security and from Durham University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations. I have also had stints at Georgetown University (on a 1 year exchange program) and Cranbrook (High School, graduated in 2016). During my High School/University days, I have participated in both Model United Nations and Debating. Feel free to ask any clarifying questions to basanth@basanth.org if you still have any concerns after reading this paradigm.

I am a pretty relaxed flay judge, and generally try to be flexible/accommodating to both sides during the debates. However, there are a couple of pointers you should be aware of before coming in for a VPF round with me:

1. Delivery

It is fine with me if you go fast. However, please make sure you are clear at the same time. The number of teams I have judged who prioritize speed over me actually being able to hear their words has been remarkable. If I cannot understand what you are saying or if I am not sure what word you just said, it is wrong.

2. Evidence and Cards

I am fine with the use of evidence and cards, and would recommend their use wherever needed. However, please ensure that it is actually related to what you are talking about! Ask yourself this question before running a card during this debate: How much does it strengthen my argument/ weaken the argument of the other party? If the answer to either question is "Not much", then maybe consider utilizing a different approach. I am also alright with paraphrasing. However, do ensure that the key points of your argument are still retained! Otherwise if your opponent/myself decides to call for your card, it would mean serious issues for you. Dates for these cards are also very important.

3. Structure and Delivery

Always ensure that your points are supported by evidence, and I would also recommend the use of proper signposting so that both myself and your opponents can follow your argument. In addition, please avoid delving into descriptive language when delivering your arguments (If you find yourself using a lot of connectors such as "Also", "Furthermore" etc...) this is when you know that your structure is not at its best. Essentially, arguments should be delivered as follows: Main point-Supporting Evidence- Why it is relevant/What it shows. It is also fine to quote external sources/key figures in your arguments. However, please do not turn your speeches into glorified shopping lists! I have had too many teams who simply list arguments from other sources/speakers without substantiating them with any of their own opinions/arguments. As mentioned earlier, always connect these to the wider scope of your argument using clear signposting, and you will be fine.

4. Rebuttals

This is where a lot of teams tend to lose points. It is natural to attack your opponent's points and state what is wrong about them. However, what is (consequently) right about YOUR argument? It is fine (and necessary!) to criticize your opponent's argument, but what makes yours better?

5. Final Focus Speeches/Summaries

As evidenced from their names, many teams have a tendency to re-run their previously used arguments, which is fine. However, if you are looking to raise your score by just a little bit (which could well be the difference between a W or L), highlight some of the new (if any) points which transpired during the course of the debate, as well as bring in a few of your opponent's arguments. Explain why your arguments make more sense than theirs if you can. This is evidence that you have been listening to the debate and something I appreciate a great deal. The prep time you have is the perfect opportunity to get this sorted out.

6. Conduct during debates

Nothing much to say here other than be professional, respect your opponents and by no means talk down/denigrate them during the debate. It is perfectly possible to dispute/call into question their arguments in a proper manner without coming across as a Class A jerk. If you have concerns regarding the conduct of the other team, call them out on it. Please also stay professional at all times (keep your jackets/shoes on, no loud chatter in the room before the start of the debate, and no phones to be used during the debate unless you are using it to time yourself). Feel free to come into the room early to get set up. I expect both teams to be all set up and ready to go at the start of the round. I will assist with formalities such as the coin toss so there is no need to worry about that.

7. Prep/Timing

Feel free to use your own watches/phones to time yourselves during speeches. However, please refrain from using them with sound (especially the watches which beep continuously when the timer hits zero). I will be timing you and the time on my laptop/phone will be the official time. I will start the timer as soon as you say your first word and will also give you cues when your time is about to run out (one knock on the table for 10 seconds left, two knocks which means your time is up). Do not attempt to squeeze in another sentence or two once you hear two knocks as anything you say after the timer hits zero will not be considered in your score. In addition, you will be delaying the rest of the debate (and annoying me severely)

Good luck to all of you during the tournament and I look forward to seeing you during the rounds.

Do not lie about or manipulate evidence. All arguments and rebuttals must be across my flow throughout the round. Do not make a point in rebuttal and drop it in summary and final. You must weight and you must link to impacts. I appreciate good speakers but will award low point wins in any round where the better speakers fail to cover the flow, weigh, link to impacts or address framework (when applicable).

I do not believe in judging paradigms. I don’t feel that my opinions on debate or how a round should go should affect my decision. Any paradigm-like views I should or might have should be justified by debaters in the round like a framework. Any thoughts I as the judge have on the round should come from the round, not my opinions on debate.