IMPORTANT I talk loud. Im not yelling at you. I have diagnosed hearing loss and I don't hear how loud I am. If it is too loud or you think I am mad at you please ask. I will not be offended. I use a transcribe app to help me hear the speeches. I am not recording you, I am using it to help myself here you better

If you are not from Nebraska feel free to read through or scroll to the bottom for other information.

I am a Hastings High graduate and for those that know Hastings know that we are very traditional in style. For those that do not know, here is what that means for me.

1 - I don't like speed. The speed that was going on when I was debating is nothing like the speed now a days. I do not follow speed very well. If I look at you with a confused or with a blank look and I am not flowing then you need to slow down. I can't vote for a side that was given so fast I can't even hear it. This is my second job and a hobby of mine, which means I am not going to listen to speed on my downtime to try to keep up with you. Besides, nothing about speed is going to prepare you for your future. In the adult world the content matters not how many words per minute you can speak. Debate is a educational experience. No one gets education with speed.

2 - Do not be so focused on your side and your case that you do not clash with your opponent. Clashes are a good thing.

3 - If you are doing LD then do LD. Do not give me policy in LD! Same with PF. If you like policy that much then go do policy. There are different types of debate for a reason so there is no need to combine them. I will never vote for a crazy everything leads to nuclear war and the end of the world with the exception of the opponent dropping the contention. Again debate is to be educational and if you take away from that education by running a bizarre case you will not be voted for.

4 - I am not ok with flex prep time. If you want to ask questions then ask during CX, not prep. The exception to this is if you are asking to see evidence.

5 - Unless there is a medical condition preventing you from standing then you need to be standing during speeches and CX. The exception to this is grand cross in PF.

6 - Debate prepares you for your future. For many of your futures, you will need to be able to act and look professional. Please start doing so now. This includes professional vocabulary.

7 - If you are using a computer/desk on top of desk/stand/etc.then make sure you are not hiding behind it. I want to see you not just look at the back of the computer/stand/desk/etc,.

8 - Give me clear concise voters. State voter one, voter two, and so on.

9 - I want to know impacts and big pictures. I like it when you show why this matters, what will happen in the scenarios you are presenting, and why I should care.

10 - I will buy almost any argument as long as it is logical, and not an argument mentioned in #3. Do not be portraying tax cuts lead the end of the world. No amount of links you can have will ever convince me of this. Keep common sense in mind.

11 - I do not discount any theory just because in the real world it is not 100% achievable. If you can explain your theory well enough and it is logical and considers real-world possibilities then I will not be opposed to it.

12 - I am not focused on 100% solvency. So if that is your only voter you might not win.

13 - I do prefer cases with both a criterion and a value instead of single standard. I have not seen a single standard run well so far. I do not automatically discredit single standard; but if you would look at the Lincoln Douglas textbook on the NSDA website, it talks about cases being formed with a value and a criterion. Please keep that in mind.

14 - Do not argue after the round with me. I will drop your speaker points as it is very rude and offensive to the me as your judge, your opponent, and to any observers. You can ask me questions about the round and why I decided the way I did, but arguing with me over it will not change my decision ever. I will also be reporting any rudeness and arguing with me to your coach. Be mindful of this.

15 - Congress - I like clear contentions and knowing when you are going from one contention to another. I also like clash and want to hear you directly refute other people.

CO -

I don't have much for CO on here. I haven't judged much for CO so as I get more experience judging in your state I will add more. My paradigm does update as I judge more rounds and are more familiar with how it is ran in your circuit.

RoadMap everything. Signpost everything. If you don't know how to do so then ask your coaches.

Give me voters. votes is something that isn't just LD its something that PF needs to have as well. Tell me why I should vote for you. Give concise voter 1, voter 2, etc.

PF- PF is all about current events. its about the real world and what will actually help change the real world. I want to know big pictures. I want to know what the impact of what you want to do or not do is. How will this effect the world we live in. I want logic and no huge jumps in logic. If you cant reasonably tell me how one thing will lead to another don't waste our time. I also want to know how this will work with current laws and current political situations. is this partisan or will it work on its own?

LD- LD needs to have a value and a criterion. your value is what you uphold as the most important thing ever, your criterion is your roadmap to how you will achieve your value. You need to have both. One does not work well without the other.

Current Position -- I have been the head debate coach at Lincoln Southwest High School for the past 20 years. In that time I have coached and judged PF, LD and congressional debate.

Background -- I have been coaching speech and debate for the last 28 years. I have been coaching pubic forum since its inception 20 years ago. I was a high school and college competitor in speech and competed in LD in high school.

PF Paradigm --

1. I believe that PF is a communication event with special emphasis on the narrative quality of the arguments. The story is important to me. Blippy argumentation or incessant reading of cards with no analysis or link back to the resolution does not hold much weight in my decision. Do the work in round -- do not make me intervene.

2. Weighing mechanisms should be fully explained -- if you want me to vote using your weighing mechanism, it is your duty to actually tell me why it is a good mechanism for the round and how your side/case/argument does a better job achieving the mechanism.

3. Presentation of arguments should be clear. I am not a fan of unbridled speed in this event. You need to speak clearly with a persuasive tone.

4. Reading cards > paraphrasing cards

5. If you must ask for cards or if you are asked for cards, you need to be prepared to ask for and present these cards in an efficient manner.

6. Don’t be rude.

I'm a fourth year judge. Speed is acceptable. Make sure that you flow through, or I won't consider it. If you make an assertion, mostly likely I'm going to need some evidence that that is true unless you can find a logic that would make your analysis true.

I'm going to take the evidence that the Congress or the executive wants to do something on very flimsy basis unless you can show support that it is mostly likely going to pass through both branches.

I did both speech and debate for 4 years at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha Nebraska. I've also debated for the University of Sydney in Australia. I mostly have experience in PF, Congress, Extemp, Info, and BP debate.

Policy:

You're pretty much screwed... I know absolutely nothing about it and probably never will.

LD:

I don't have a strong background but I've seen enough to be able to judge a minuscule amount. Probably should treat me like a lay judge to be safe

- I am a huge fan of creativity in argumentation. I want to see nuanced argumentation with impacts that aren't basic (this applies to all forms of debate)

Speed

- I'm usually able to keep up pretty well but if you're just dumping arguments to dump them don't expect a strong speaker score or a vote for your side

- Whether you go fast or slow I really value fluidity

PF:

- In terms of argumentation as long as you can impact it back to the resolution I'm good with it. Make sure to impact all arguments though

- Please explain the impacts. Why should I care that the gold market will collapse? If you don't explain I'll just assume it means no bad impacts and the argument was just smoke

- I expect more persuasion and spin instead of spreading. If you do go faster there should be an equal ratio of analysis to justify why you needed to spread to create that extra time.

- I do listen to cross ex so use it wisely

- Be respectful. Speaking louder does not make you more right...

Speed

- refer to my LD section on this

Congress:

- This is probably where I am most experienced

- don't rehash, open wifi means that finding new arguments and evidence is so much easier.

- one of my biggest pet peeves is just a great speech with nothing else. Congress is not dueling oratories. Unless you are 1st aff or neg, I expect you to interact with what your opponents have said before you and extend.

- this is a debate so please actually debate. Sessions are long and I just like you must sit through them except I can't take personal privileges so please give me a reason to stay focused.

- Congress is the one event where speaking is so so important in terms of ability. I don't expect you to be the next Abraham Lincoln but please speak clearly and coherently. I value strong argumentation with strong impacts as well. If you give me 1 great speech that is worth 3 average ones. Someone once told me the greatest speech you can ever give is the one you don't give. This does not mean don't speak but rather don't keep speaking for the sake of speaking. Pick and choose your spots wisely.

- Puns. God do I hate basic cheesy openers. I mostly see this at nationals but please be unique and don't be stupid. Rapping will not give you the win and neither will singing your intro. I respect the theatre aspect of Congress but less is always more

If there's something I can do for you please let me know!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Hello, debaters! I'm Megan Ruby, I have been assisting and judging with the Hastings Senior High School Debate Team for about 6 years now. Congress is my favorite debate event to judge, however, I have also enjoyed learning more about PF. I have 4 simple things that really catch my attention while judging a round of Congress.

1 - Evidence - sources are PARAMOUNT. With open internet there is NO EXCUSE to not have a source.

2 - Clear speaking, please don't speed, I will space off and lose interest if I can't understand you because you're talking so fast.

3 - Congressional procedures and decorum are extremely important. Know your stuff and be professional!

4 - Questioning should have clash with class, meaning clash is a good thing, it means you're passionate about your cause or you're a great actor, however, being rude or condescending to your opponent is a good way to lose points. Let's be BETTER than the real Congress in this country.

LAST UPDATED: NOV. 4, 2023

My previous paradigm preferences are four years old at this point and likely outdated. I have deleted them for now.

I am likely much, much worse at flowing these days than I was when judging all the time. I have been a tournament tab resident for years on end now, and that likely means I'm not as up to date on new progressive developments in rounds.

Here's what I'll say:

- Don't treat me like I'm a dummy, but don't presume I understand everything you're saying. I need you to do the work of explaining arguments, articulating impacts, and explicitly weighing within the round.

- I expect that a PF team going 2nd will have a rebuttal that both answers the opponent's case and rebuilds their own. Any argument not addressed in the 2nd team's rebuttal is a conceded argument, and if the first team makes it a voter, that's likely ballgame (assuming there is offense on the argument for the 1st team).

- I'm watching everything, but if you don't make it matter, it doesn't matter.

- In PF, I'm not going to break my back to follow you at a thousand miles an hour, so if you're fast, I'll give you one verbal "CLEAR" in the round to let you know you're leaving me behind. I will not feel at all responsible for what you might think is a bad decision if the way you're speaking disregards my ability/inability to follow and flow you.

- I expect clear and explicit voters in the final speeches.

- I'm not at all impressed by debaters who are jerks to opponents. This is a community, and everyone in it should be a steward of that community. Decorum, in extreme cases, is a voting issue for me, and I do consider my ballot my greatest means of discouraging outlandish and abusive behavior.

- I want full text reading of evidence, not paraphrasing. Upon the request of the opponent, cards not provided in a reasonable timeframe will be disregarded as if they don't exist.

If you have any specific questions, ask them pre-round.

As a Congress judge, I put argumentation above everything else. Whereas good presentation and speaking style are still important in the event, I favor good argumentation – backed by solid sources that clearly and properly cited in the speech.

Refutation is also important during the round, especially in later speeches on a piece of legislation. I like rounds with a lot of clash, not hearing independent speeches on the same topic one after another.

In general, staying engaged in the debate is important too. Whether it's through relevant argumentation, questions that further the debate, or being on top of things during motions/legislative procedure, I like to see people being present in the debate beyond just giving a speech.