For email chains: danbagwell@gmail.com

I was a Policy debater at Samford / GTA at Wake Forest, now an assistant coach at Mountain Brook. I’ve increasingly moved into judging PF and LD, which I enjoy the most when they don’t imitate Policy.

I’m open to most arguments in each event - feel free to read your theory, critiques, counterplans, etc., as long as they’re clearly developed and impacted. Debate is up to the debaters; I'm not here to impose my preferences on the round.

All events

• Speed is fine as long as you’re clear. Pay attention to nonverbals; you’ll know if I can’t understand you.

• Bad arguments still need answers, but dropped args are not auto-winners – you still need to extend warrants and explain why they matter.

• If prep time isn’t running, all activity by all debaters should stop.

• Debate should be fun - be nice to each other. Don’t be rude or talk over your partner.

Public Forum

• I’m pretty strongly opposed to paraphrasing evidence - I’d prefer that debaters directly read their cards, which should be readily available for opponents to see. That said, I won’t just go rogue and vote on it - it’s still up to debaters to give convincing reasons why that’s either a voting issue or a reason to reject the paraphrased evidence. Like everything else, it’s up for debate.

• Please exchange your speech docs, either through an email chain or flash drive. Efficiency matters, and I’d rather not sit through endless prep timeouts for viewing cards.

• Extend warrants, not just taglines. It’s better to collapse down to 1-2 well-developed arguments than to breeze through 10 blippy ones.

• Anything in the Final Focus should be in the Summary – stay focused on your key args.

• Too few teams debate about evidence/qualifications – that’s a good way to boost speaks and set your sources apart.

Lincoln-Douglas

• I think LD is too often a rush to imitate Policy, which results in some messy debates. Don’t change your style because of my background – if you’re not comfortable (or well-practiced) spreading 5 off-case args, then that’s not advisable.

• If your value criterion takes 2+ minutes to read, please link the substance of your case back to it. This seems to be the most under-developed part of most LD rounds.

• Theory is fine when clearly explained and consistently extended, but I’m not a fan of debaters throwing out a ton of quick voters in search of a cheap shot. Things like RVIs are tough enough to win in the first place, so you should be prepared to commit sufficient time if you want theory to be an option.

Policy

[Quick note: I've been out of practice in judging Policy for a bit, so don't take for granted my knowledge of topic jargon or ability to catch every arg at top-speed - I've definitely become a curmudgeon about clarity.]

Counterplans/theory:

• I generally think limited condo (2 positions) is okay, but I've become a bit wary on multiple contradictory positions.

• Theory means reject the arg most of the time (besides condo).

• I often find “Perm- do the CP” persuasive against consult, process, or certainty-based CPs. I don’t love CPs that result in the entire aff, but I’ll vote on them if I have to.

• Neg- tell me how I should evaluate the CP and disad. Think judge kick is true? Say it. It’s probably much better for you if I’m not left to decide this on my own.

Kritiks:

• K affs that are at least somewhat linked to the resolutional controversy will fare the best in front of me. That doesn't mean that you always need a plan text, but it does mean that I most enjoy affirmatives that defend something in the direction of the topic.

• For Ks in general: the more specific, the better - nuanced link debates will go much farther than 100 different ways to say "state bad".

• Framework args on the aff are usually just reasons to let the aff weigh their impacts.

Topicality:

• Caselists, plz.

• No preference toward reasonability or competing interps - just go in depth instead of repeating phrases like "race to the bottom" and moving on.

I graduated from The Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, AL. I competed for 4 years in PF, Congress, IX/DX, and Impromptu. PF and Congress were my main events. I competed on both local (AL) and national circuits.

General:

be civil and respect your opponents

I like any and all arguments (excluding discriminatory or offensive arguments or rhetoric). If you make a logically valid argument I can vote for it, but every argument you decide to go for needs to be well fleshed out in round.

Spreading should not happen in PF. In general speed is fine, but try to avoid speaking too quickly, especially over zoom. If I can't understand you, I will clear you and then expect you to slow down a bit. If you do not, that will be reflected in your speaker points as well as on the flow if I simply cannot flow your argument/evidence/card tag. Discuss with your opponent about comfort levels with speed before the round starts- fairness and accessibility are key. If your opponent can not understand speed, do not speed.

PF

things I like to see in a round

1. Weighing- this is most important part of the debate. I can't do this for you, so please tell me how to evaluate the round, why I should prefer your arg, etc.

2. Collapsing- Please collapse!!!! Don't try to go for everything. i don't care if you do this in the form of voters or not, just tell me where you're winning on my flow. (TLDR: I shouldn't be "signing my ballot" at every argument you made during the round. tell me what's important and then drive it home)

3. Signposting- Please signpost! Roadmaps are great too

4. Everything in FF must be in summary for both first and second FF

5. extend- If its really important, I need to see it in every speech (exception is defense in 1st summary, see below)

things I don't like to see in a round

1. Miscut evidence- you will receive under 25 speaks if the evidence turns out to be faulty

2. No warrants/links- if you have claim then impact without warrants and link you do not in fact have an impact

3. DO NOT ABUSE YOUR TIME

other stuff

1. I don't require defense extension in first summary, only offense

2. I appreciate skipping grand but it has absolutely no effect on speaks/my perception of you/the round in anyway. If both teams agree to skip that's great, but if you think it's important, PLEASE speak up and we will do it

3. I don't mind whether you sit or stand for anything, especially for online rounds

4. Overviews can be nice but if you're going to do it, get into it as early as you can. Also, your overview shouldn't take away from actual clash/responses/ or be a waste of time

Please e-mail me or find me if you have questions!! sofiebehr10@gmail.com or behrse0@sewanee.edu

Sometimes I like to disclose, sometimes I don't. It depends on the tournament rules, as well as the round itself, how much time we have left, etc. If I chose not to disclose for whatever reason or if we don't have time, I'll do my best to provide adequate feedback, but feel free to post round me by email or in person.

Have fun and enjoy yourself!

I coach debate as an extracurricular, but I teach AP Lit during the day. Your ability to clearly communicate your argument is as important as the argument itself. Speed is fine, but spreading is ineffective.

Great logic is just as important as great evidence. Avoid card dumping.

If a convincing framework is not provided, I default to cost-benefit analysis. If you have a framework, be sure to explain why it's important.

Extend your arguments, please.

I will the flow the round. Please signpost.

If you must do an off-time road map to calm your nerves before you begin your actual speech, I get it. But it's really not necessary unless you're doing something atypical.

You guys have put a lot of work into preparing for this tournament, and you're now here on a Saturday working hard and putting yourselves out there. Regardless of how the round goes, you have earned my respect.

Background: I debated PF at Auburn High School. I have a BS in Economics from Auburn University and am working on my MS in Economics at Portland State University. This is my fifth year judging. I'm a flow judge. I judge the round based almost purely off of what is left on the flow after final focus. This means that I value clear voters and good line by line very highly.

Crossfire: I do not flow crossfire. Any points made in crossfire must be brought up in a speech for me to weigh it in the round. If debaters are rude during crossfire it will be reflected in their speaker points.

Evidence: If debaters cannot produce evidence in less than a minute, I assume that they do not have the card. I will ask for cards after the round if I am not clear on the intentions of the author or believe that the card was miscut.

Tabula Rasa

- Please do not be rude

- I prefer clarity over speed

- Make sure to address important questions/answers from crossfire in your subsequent speeches

Email: Charliehartley92@gmail.com I will give everyone a .1 point speaker boost if I walk in the room and ya'll already have an email thread set up with my email in it ready to send. It looks professional and saves the tournament time.

Debate Background:

3 years of policy debate at Mountain Brook High School 2008-2011.

Policy Thoughts:

I’m not the smartest human. You’re maybe/likely smarter than me. Please do not assume I know anything you are talking about. And I would honestly love to learn some new things in a debate about arguments you invented.

Debate is a public speaking activity. Please be loud, clear, make eye contact, have good posture, and do not speak with your hands. I can give great speaker points to debaters that follow these rules. Humor is appriecated, talking down to your opppents is not. Make sure you understand the difference.

Condo. 3 against a basic/big stick aff is about my ceiling. 3 contradictory condo and I can more easily be persuaded to vote on condo.

Process/ Conditions/ consult CPs are the devil, unless you have a excellent solvency advocate specific to their plan text which can prove its predictable and important for that area of debate. But I’m persuaded that a generic/predictable aff posted on the wiki can win a theory debate against a generic process/ conditions/ consult CPs. You just need an interpretation about a world of debate that excludes these CP’s. "The" PIC maybe the worst CP of all time.

K debate is cheating in policy. Especially K affs (fact). Krtikal literature is obviously very relevant to being educated and ethical, but in debate this lit is bastardized for polemic positions that unfairly tilt debate in their favor for a litany of obvious strategic gains.

As a 2N my favorite last speeches normally had a Disad and some form of case mitigantion either in case D or a Counterplan, but ultimately I will try to evaluate all arguements made in round. If you have any questions not answered here please feel free to ask me before the round begings.

LD Paradigm

I am policy debater at heart. I will flow every word you say. Speed is a weapon in debate. LD is often one big K debate which is fine in LD but I err towards util/consequentialism FW's. I can be persuaded pre-fiat impacts are extra-topical and can be rejected as such (likely not a reason to reject the team). But I do love me a good ol' fashioned value premise throw down from time to time, I must admit. It is the premise.

PF Paradigm

I will reward teams that prioritize evidence and tech in PF debates. I would love for a PF team to step-up to the plate and read/execute on high quality evidence. I will likely call for cards. Hyperlinking is ok, but if you have to google/search for an article after I call for a card I will not evaluate the evidence and will treat it as an analytic.

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.

Please do not spread.

I am the first year coach of Montgomery Catholic High School debate. Prior to that I was in charge of the debate club at Enterprise High School, one of the five largest schools in Alabama.

I am a graduate of the University of Alabama and have a Masters Degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University.

Although I am new new to debate judging, I have been a basketball official with the AHSAA and have worked many District and Regional High School tournaments during that time. Although debate and sports are different, they both involve judging the performance of high school students in a pressure packed environment.

I mostly work with middle school debaters but sometimes have to judge high school :-)

My ballot is awarded to the team with the best speaking skills, articulation of their arguments throughout the whole round, proper refutation of all their opponent's points, usage of evidence, and comparative argumentation.

I default to cost-benefit analysis unless told to do otherwise.

Time yourself (including prep) please.

I prefer clarity over speed.

DON'T BE RUDE

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.

tech>truth: debate is a game

the best way to my ballot is to weigh. weighing is inherently comparative, warrant your weighing and compare impacts/links to each other

run whatever you want; but the more progressive your debate becomes, the more you will have to explain it to me

any speed is good, just be clear

don't give me a soliloquy for your off-time roadmap

for the love of god, give me warrants

please signpost; if I look lost, I probably am

i don’t pay attention to cross; if something important happens, then bring it up in your following speech

do not extend the entire flow

frontline responses

defense is sticky

i vote neg on presumption

if you want it in the final focus, it needs to be in the summary

if we are on a virtual platform, please don’t spread. some speed is okay, but i really value clarity when online

add me to the email chain: crhoades2002@gmail.com

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.

Experience

Mountain Brook High School Speech and Debate Coach (2018 - Present)

Wheaton North High School Speech (2003-2007)

Wheaton North Public Forum Debater (2006)

As a judge, I want to see debaters that are:

Focused and Organized: The more thoughtful you are about how you present your contentions initially, the easier it for me to judge and for your opponents to interact with your case. Evidence should be succinct and questions during cross should be thoughtful and targeted. A PF round goes incredibly quickly, and it's important that you use each second to your advantage. In particular I appreciate when debaters weigh and discuss impact throughout the round. By the end I want to be sold on why your contentions are stronger and your impacts are more significant. Remember that as I judge I may not have seen all of the evidence that you have, and in Public Forum it is your job to talk to me as if I know nothing about the topic, even if I do.

Prepared: Nothing hurts the quality of a debate more than debaters who do not fully understand the resolution or their opponents’ claims. Good clash can only be built through understanding all facets of the resolution and the evidence available. That being said, citing a piece of evidence is never a substitution for a strong warrant. If you cannot explain your evidence and connect it logically to your argument, then I am less likely to consider it when judging. I do not like calling for evidence. It usually means that you have stopped debating the topic and started debating cards that I have not read.

Professional: Professionalism will not lose you a round with me, but it will absolutely impact the speaker points I award. Being confident and convincing me that you have won your debate is expected. Being rude, disrespectful, or condescending to the judge, your opponents, or your partner is never acceptable. Debate is an enormous undertaking, and every person’s time and commitment should be respected. It is also incredibly difficult to know what your opponents are saying if you do not give them their time to talk, or when you are overly focused on your own case.