Hi debaters,

I have three years of judging experience and have been very active in the speech and debate circuit this year. If I am judging you in public forum, please don't speak very quickly- I won't get everything you say if you spread. I am a flow judge and use it when making decisions in PF. Please don't speak over your opponents in crossfire in a rude or unreasonable way. When asking a question, please give your opponent an opportunity to answer.

During the debate, you should make your main arguments clear, and make it clear what you want me to vote off of. Weigh in summary and final focus, and if you want something to be a voting issue, put it in both summary and final focus. I am a fan of clear and smart frameworks.

Thank you and good luck! Enjoy the tournament.

Add me to your email chain- aubreyjkevin@gmail.com

Former Policy debater @ Samford University

I am ok with judging straight up policy rounds. I enjoy listening to the different ways people interpret and deploy their arguments. I vote for the team with the better argument even if the other team's position is more interesting.

***Policy and LD***

Top level things

Roadmap-give me an order before you start speaking. I dock speaks for not following the road map given

Always have impact calculus (timeframe, magnitude, and probability).

Introduction:

Hey y'all,

I am now in my seventh year of coaching Public Forum. Although I am more experienced than a lay judge, I still like a good narrative explanation of the round with less focus on technicality and more focus on clash.

Pronouns: He / Him / His

Speaking:

Clarity and Speed are my two biggest concerns. Speak clearly and, for all that is good in this world, do not spread (I will try to make exceptions for LD and Policy judging, but if I stop taking notes and just start staring at you, you should probably slow down).

Evidence:

In the event of an argument concerning the validity of a piece of evidence, I will require the evidence and any contrary evidence if available. Any evidence which does not have an accessible citation will be thrown out. Any evidence which bears marks of intentional tampering or distortion will be grounds for an immediate loss for the offending party.

Argument:

Basic style - Claim, Warrant, Impact. Make sure to evaluate impacts on both sides of the debate. A comparative debate with clash between arguments makes it easy for me to determine who won the round. For Policy and LD, I will not judge Kritiks* (Ks), so please do not run them in front of me. My personal belief (and you may disagree with this) is that Ks defeat the educational purpose of debate by eliding the resolution. For example, if I am expecting to learn about the merits and drawbacks of deep sea exploration, I will be disappointed if the focus is on whether capitalism is evil. I apologize for being a debate norms Luddite, but consider this fair warning.

*NOTE: I will make exceptions for teams that only have Kritiks as cases, but they must be incredibly compelling.

Etiquette:

Please don't be rude (i.e. snarkiness, frequent interruption, and condescension). Repeated rudeness, despite quality of speeches, will result in lower speaker points. Do not attempt to race-bait, gender-bait, or villainize your opponents. It is not your opponents' faults that they may have to argue justifiable but morally-bankrupt positions (for example, political realism and state security over humanitarianism). Unless your opponent is arguing something intrinsically heinous like eco-fascism or colonialism, you will hemorrhage speaker points for engaging in this behavior.

Addendum:

If you have any questions not clarified in the paradigm, please ask before the round. I will be more than happy to answer any questions, comments, or concerns.

I am an English teacher and former IE competitor.

While judging, I focus on rhetoric and your ability to effectively persuade.

I appreciate being able to understand your arguments, so spreading and speeding are discouraged.

Background: I debated policy, PF, and extemp at the Woodlands, TX on Houston local circuit. also picked up a few things following my best friend Abbey Chapman around on LD nat circuit for three years. Graduated from The Woodlands in 2015 and attended Loyola and University of Houston. I will be at Tulane in the spring. If you have any questions I didn't address below, please ask me before the round or at cchris3@tulane.edu

LD

Ks/skep/theory/fw/plans/cp/da etc-
theory, k's, fw, plans etc are fine as long as they aren't super dense, but please keep in mind that running super technical and convoluted positions in front of me would not be strategic. if you're going to read theory, i default to a question of competing interps.

PF/LD

speed

-speed is fine

-fine with speed in PF only if your opponents are ok with it

-try your best to be articulate; I will yell "clear" 2x before I dock speaks

-if you see me not flowing and just staring at you then I don't know what you're saying and you should probably slow down

-slow down on author names, tag lines, and technical positions. 

misc

-be very clear and tell me where to vote

-weigh your impacts well 

-please keep your own time

-debate however is most comfortable for you

- don't tell me extinction, oppression etc is good i wont vote on it 

-if you read a position that is potentially triggering please give trigger warnings. if you're not completely sure what you're reading necessitates a trigger warning just give one anyway. if someone in the room has an objection to your position the expectation is that the debater won't read that position and adjust accordingly. if you read a triggering position and don't give trigger warnings, I will dock speaker points and we both won't be happy 

-i will drop u immediately if you're racist/sexist/homophobic/ in round

-i will tank ur speaks if you're clearly a more experienced debater mercilessly destroying a novice in round. no one likes to watch that. do not be that person who is spreading and reading 5 theory shells against a novice debater. im also probably not the judge u should be reading a lot of theory in front of anyways. If your opponent seems utterly lost in cx please try to continue to engage as much as possible. The worst rounds for me to sit in front of are rounds with no clash

Speaking:

Clarity and Speed are my two biggest concerns. Speak clearly and definitely do not spread.

Argument:

Basic style - Claim, Warrant, Impact. Make sure to evaluate impacts on both sides of the debate. A comparative debate with clash between arguments makes it easy for me to determine who won the round.

Etiquette:

Respect your opponent.

Put me in email chains or feel free to email me questions: JamieSuzDavenport@Gmail.com

I probably need to do an overhaul of my paradigm; it will likely not happen until I'm out of grad school. Seriously just AMA if it will help you going into the round.

Experience:

MPA-MSES @ IU Dec ’23, hoo hoo hoo Hoosiers. GA since '21. Please note this is an environmental science degree. I have a very low tolerance for climate denial or global warming good and would recommend not going for those args.

BA: IR, Fr, Arabic @ Samford, May ’20, ruff ‘em, CX and novice coaching

HS: LD in GA, ‘16

Misc

A note: I won't read cards unless instructed or seeking clarity (and if this is the case, I will be grumpy). All comments will be typed in the ballot and am open to questions immediately following the round and via email afterward. I do my best not to intervene or let personal biases cloud my judgment. I do have a deep appreciation for friendly competition and will generally be happier while giving out speaks or making decisions if I think the people in the round embodied that spirit. Conversely, am not afraid to have a come-to-Jesus meeting for unnecessary antagonism.

For eTournaments: I'll need a little more time than normal to adjust to your style of speaking/spreading because online anything gets tricky. Try to keep that in mind for your speeches so my ears can adjust. I'll default to having my camera on.

Zoom debate: PLEASE double-check your mic settings so that background noise suppression is not on. Zoom decides that spreading is background noise and it messes with the audio.

Overall:

Do what you want. I'm pretty go-with-the-flow and will try to adapt to what the round is versus making you adapt to me. The main thing to consider with me is my personal debate experience and potential knowledge gaps because of it. I'm not a great judge for high theory because I simply don't get it and it takes more explaining for me to understand and take it seriously (@ Baudrillard, semio-cap, etc.). There's some k lit that I'm not fully versed in but I try to keep current on major issues. Otherwise go nuts but make good choices.

2AR/NR: I more and more find myself telling debaters to tell me a story so I think I should put it in here. Whether you're going for a K, FW, DAs, extinction - whatever - start the speech telling me what your scenario is and why it's preferable to the other team. This is especially true if going for a perm or in a KvK debate, having a nuanced explanation clearly at the top of the speech frames the rest of the lbl and interactions you go for.

This was formerly organized by each event that I judge but that was getting unmanageable and ugly. If you have specific questions about anything event-specific or otherwise, just email or ask before the round starts.

Theory

Topicality/FW - I'll default that fairness is k2 education – if you want a different standard to be my primary metric, just tell me to do the thing. Might need more explanation of how I can apply the standard but that’s mostly for the atypical ones. Err on the side of over-explaining everything. Please please please explain your (counter)interp and what standards I should apply to favor yours - if there are a bunch of standards, which one do I evaluate first? Why? To reiterate: err on the side of over-explaining everything.

Fiat - I'll imagine it's real for policy v policy debates but more than willing to be sus of it, just tell me why.

Condo – dispo is an archaic interp and I think you can get better offense from other brightlines (2, what they did minus 1, etc.). I’ll vote on dispo but it’ll take more for you to win it than you need to do. Generally, think condo gets to its extremes when in the 3-4+ area, but new affs could change that yadda yadda, do what you want.

Other theory – whatever, just make the interp/counter-interp clear and tell me what to do with it.

RVI’s – please strike me or pref me real real low if this is your thing. I just don’t like it. This is one of if not the only hard-line I draw on content. They’re a time suck to play weird chess instead of engaging in the substance of the debate. Also, the majority of the time, horribly explained/extended.

Content

No huge preferences here

Cross-ex - I don’t flow cx unless something spicy grabs my attention and it’s usually obvious when that happens based on my reaction. Bring it up in a speech to remind me. Open cross, flex prep, is fine – I for real check out for flex prep.

Card clipping – you’ll lose. Might report it to tab/your coach if I’m feeling zesty that day.

Silliness

Love a good joke, wordplay, or reference. I currently am trying to incorporate “slay”, “yeehaw”, “gaslight gatekeep girlboss” and more into my regular debate vernacular. Feel free to also use these and I’ll at least laugh, maybe boost speaks, who knows – depends on how much of a silly goofy mood I’m in.

About me:

I debated LD for one year in high school, and Policy for a year with the Samford Debate Team.

I prefer policy over kritiks, but I'll listen to anything if you present it well and explain your argument. It is super important to me that you explain how arguments interact with each other, and not just extend them.

Topicality- if you're going for T your entire 2NR should be T

Kritiks- I will listen to them, but I need you to explain to me the literature, don't just assume that I know it.

Framework is fine as long as its not offensive

Disads- Overviews are good, put them on top and let me know that they're coming.

For the Novices- time your speeches, make sure you're flowing, Cross X is a speech so make sure you're flowing that as well. Clarity over speed please. Please extend your Aff.

Katelyn Dodd, Vanderbilt University, Class of 2015

I coordinate a middle school debate league, but am relatively new to judging high school PF debate. Please no spreading. I appreciate well-organized and warranted arguments.

I competed in college in Policy Debate [so long ago- melting polar ice caps was an unlikely impact :(] and was a DSR*TKA National Champion in Duo. I was a litigation attorney for 14 years. Since 2011 I have coached high school speech and debate for Christ Episcopal School. We primarily compete on our local circuit.

Please clash directly with your opponent's argument, tell me what is at stake, what I am weighing, and impact your case out. I prefer "calm and fast" to a rapid- fire breathless diatribe; in other words, speed is fine IF I can understand you AND take a few notes. If I am not writing during the constructives- you are going too fast. I like clear voters with a good summary.

I try to come to the debate as a blank slate and will consider anything, but I have heard few kritiks that impressed me; maybe I just don't get them. I am more open to topicality/ fairness because I am primarily interested in reasoned debate on the topic than in gamesmanship.

I like respectful debate, especially when the round is lopsided; points for graciousness. Kill with kindness and be ethical with your evidence and in stating what was/wasn't said/dropped by your opponent.

The quality of the evidence matters to me, but you have to make it an issue. If you want me to vote off of a dropped argument, tell me why it matters.

Be prepared, be ethical, have fun-

i have coached LD for 24 years, so am a more traditional judge. I believe in the importance of value / criterion debate. I don't mind speed.

I will be flowing your cases. I don't mind fast delivery, but I don't appreciate spreading. You will have a hard time getting my vote if I could not flow your case due to unintelligible speech.

Weigh your arguments, especially in final focus (I appreciate voters). I expect to hear well-developed pro and con cases about the resolution. I appreciate traditional cases.

History: I am a parent judge and this will be my 4th year judging Speech and Debate. I have judged at our local tournaments, Blue Key, Isidore Newman, and at State.

I have been judging Public Forum debate for around 4 years now.

Some speed is okay with me, but do not make it obnoxious.  If you are speaking quickly make sure to make it clear when you are moving on to a different point so I can flow easily.

Make sure to extend clear voting issues into summaries.  I like to see you narrow your focus as you go, bringing the most important impacts into final speeches rather than trying to extend everything. Extending specific cards without any explanation is too hard to follow and likely won't make it on my flow.

General: 

-No spreading 

-I don't appreciate aggression 

-Always signpost, but no cliches 

-I don't recognize arguments composed of lengthy and convoluted link chains 

-I only call for evidence if I have reason to believe it is being misconstrued 

-Do not ask me what it takes to get a 30. A 30 means you were perfect. I have only given a 30 three times throughout my years of judging.

-I really appreciate a clear framework 

At the end of the round, the winner of the debate is the team that sustains their arguments, meaning that, I expect anything you want me to vote on to be in summary and final focus. I think that frontlines should be made as early as rebuttal (if speaking second), but will be accepted in summary. Lastly, weighing is very important to me. Please begin to weigh in summary, but seal the deal in final focus. Even if you are only winning on one argument, but you extend it into summary and final focus and explain why the impacts of that argument are the most important in that round; you will receive my ballot.  

Rachel Mauchline

Durham Academy, Assistant Director of Speech and Debate

Previously the Director of Forensics and Debate for Cabot

she/her pronouns

TL;DR

Put me on the email chain @ rachelmauchline@gmail.com

speed is fine (but online lag is a thing)

tech over truth

Policy

I typically get preferred for more policy-oriented debate. I gravitated to more plan focused affirmatives and t/cp/da debate. I would consider myself overall to be a more technically driven and line by line organized debater. My ideal round would be a policy affirmative with a plan text and three-seven off. Take that as you wish though.

Lincoln Douglas

I've judged a variety of traditional and progressive debates. I prefer more progressive debate. But you do you... I am happy to judge anything as long as you defend the position well. Refer to my specific preferences below about progressive arguments. In regards to traditional debates, it's important to clearly articulate framework.

Public Forum

weighing.... weighing.... weighing.

I like rebuttals to have clear line by line with numbered responses. 2nd rebuttal should frontline responses in rebuttal. Summary should extend terminal defense and offense OR really anything that you want in final focus. Final focus should have substantial weighing and a clear way for me to write my ballot. It's important to have legitimate evidence... don't completely skew the evidence.

Here are my specific preferences on specific arguments if you have more than 5 mins to read this paradigm...

Topicality

I enjoy a well-articulated t debate. In fact, a good t debate is my favorite type of debate to judge. Both sides need to have a clear interpretation. Make sure it’s clearly impacted out. Be clear to how you want me to evaluate and consider arguments like the tva, switch side debate, procedural fairness, limits, etc.

Disadvantages/Counterplans

This was my fav strat in high school. I’m a big fan of case-specific disadvantages but also absolutely love judging politics debates- be sure to have up to date uniqueness evidence in these debates though. It’s critical that the disad have some form of weighing by either the affirmative or negative in the context of the affirmative. Counterplans need to be functionally or textually competitive and also should have a net benefit. Slow down for CP texts and permutations- y’all be racing thru six technical perms in 10 seconds. Affirmative teams need to utilize the permutation more in order to test the competition of the counterplan. I don’t have any bias against any specific type of counterplans like consult or delay, but also I’m just waiting for that theory debate to happen.

Case

I believe that case debate is under-covered in many debates by both teams. I love watching a case debate with turns and defense instead of the aff being untouched for the entire debate until last ditch move by the 2AR. The affirmative needs to continue to weigh the aff against the negative strat. Don't assume the 1AC will be carried across for you throughout the round. You need to be doing that work on the o/v and the line by line. It confuses me when the negative strat is a CP and then there are no arguments on the case; that guarantees aff 100% chance of solvency which makes the negative take the path of most resistance to prove the CP solves best.

Kritiks

I’ll vote for the k. From my observations, I think teams end up just reading their prewritten blocks instead of directly engaging with the k specific to the affirmative. Be sure you understand what you are reading and not just read a backfile or an argument that you don’t understand. The negative needs to be sure to explain what the alt actually is and more importantly how the alt engages with the affirmative. I judge more K rounds than I expect to, but if you are reading a specific author that isn’t super well known in the community, but sure to do a little more work on the analysis

Theory

I’ll vote for whatever theory; I don’t usually intervene much in theory debates but I do think it’s important to flesh out clear impacts instead of reading short blips in order to get a ballot. Saying “pics bad” and then moving on without any articulation of in round/post fiat impacts isn’t going to give you much leverage on the impact level. You can c/a a lot of the analysis above on T to this section. It’s important that you have a clear interp/counter interp- that you meet- on a theory debate.

SIGNPOST(x1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)

Please weigh impacts and give voters. Otherwise, I will create my own voters, and you don't want that.

If it is not on the flow, I will not look to it. That being said, I will not extend things for you. If you want it to be important, it needs to be extended all the way through all speeches you give.

I don't adore speed, but I can listen to it and flow it. Be strategic about it.

If it seems a little out of the box as an argument, please break it down for me.

Also, unnecessary yelling is not really something I vibe with. I get it, passion good, but if It's the first round of the day and you make a conscious effort to not give me a headache, I will be much nicer on speaks and ballot comments.

If you want to run theory, either put it in a shell or make sure that you talk about all the important parts of the theory. If it isn't impacted or accompanied by how I should change my vote, it has wasted round time

I'm pretty unbiased. There aren't any big red flags in my paradigms; don't worry. Just make sure you:

A)  Make Sense. Consider me a lay judge. Explain everything thoroughly, in a way that I can understand. If I haven't been exposed to your argument before and you don't explain it in a way that I can understand, then I won't consider the argument.

II)  Are Respectful. Don't be excessively abusive, and don't disrespect your opponent (that goes for your partner, too). This includes Cross-X. Be nice; nobody likes a shouting match. Stay professional.

3.1)  Are Topical. I don't appreciate you going outside of the resolution. While my vote will be largely situational (depends on your execution of the argument), just know that you're less likely to win.

Speed is okay, but no spreading. If you are going too fast, or are incomprehensible, I will try to flow as best I can and tell you to slow down in your future speeches (I may not get all of your arguments down, though).

I like OnCase arguments; generally don't like Kritikal arguments. However, that won't be solely what I vote on. I'll evaluate them on a case-by-case basis.

Love,

G. McLaughlin, BHS Honorary President

I did PF for three years at Columbus High School and am now a junior at Emory University. Im probably not very different than any standard flow judge. For specifics:

1. I try to vote on whatever offense is cleanest in the round, whether it be dropped turns or something from case. This basically just means that the easiest way to get my ballot is collapsing and weighing as early as possible.

2. I like consistency between summary and final focus, so if you plan on going heavily for something in ff, structure the summary accordingly. I'm not against 1st speaking teams extending defense from rebuttal to final assuming that it's explained well in rebuttal, but I still prefer to hear it in summary.

3. I'm not receptive to long offensive overviews in rebuttal that are basically new contentions and am very unlikely to vote on them. Second rebuttal should also address offense from 1st rebuttal - defense can be responded to in summary, but like responding earlier is still probably better

4. I don't care about speed, go as fast as you want as long as you're clear. I don't flow author names typically, so please don't extend just names.

5. for speaks: big fan of being funny and signposting. dont steal prep.

6. preflow before round!!!

I would like to be included in the email chains (hope.lana22@gmail.com). Feel free to email me with any questions post round as well.

I am a graduate student at Indiana University studying environmental management. I debated at Samford Univerisity during my undergrad.

Aff:

I am ok with critical affs but prefer that they are germane to the resolution. Frame my ballot as why I should prefer critical impacts over policy impacts or framework impacts that the neg is making.

Policy affs: If you’re not topical make sure you’re really good at debating topicality.

Neg:

Das:

Totally down with DAs just make sure you explain your link. Impact calculus is your best friend.

CP:

I prefer CPs that are functionally competitive with the affirmative. I think theory should always be a response but I’m unlikely to vote on it unless it’s been dropped or you’re going all in on it. I will not kick the CP for you unless you tell me to.

Ks:

Again, fine with them just explain them well. Explain what your alt does and why I should prefer your impacts over policy impacts. Don't assume that I know/have read all the lit on your K, I probably haven't. Therefore, make sure you're explaining the warrants of the args well. I need good articulation of what the alternative actually does either within the debate or spillover claims and why is mutually exclusive with the aff.

T:

Make sure you’re engaging in the actual line by line and not just reading blocks. I need competitive arguments between the t interpretation and the affs counter interpretation. Listing what affs their interpretation excludes/allows and what ground is lost in round is good.

FW:

Make sure you’re doing good impact work and why I should prefer that in the realm of the debate space.

General:

1. Don’t be rude.

2. I’m fine with speed just make sure you’re clear. If I can’t understand you I can’t flow.

3. Respect people’s preferred pronouns.

4. I don't have time to sit through and read ever card you tell me is awesome. If a card is important to a round I'll read it after but clear articulation of the warrants of the card are important and how it functions as an argument in the debate.

I debated policy and PF at Magnolia high school and now i debate policy at the University of Houston and i work for Kinkaid. I would like to be on the email chain mnsanford@uh.edu

Do what you do best. I am most familiar with k debates but I think it's the burden of the judge to adapt to whatever the debaters want to do so i will vote on anything. ld rounds - please be very clear on the FW debate - have an explicit framing mechanism, explain what offense links etc. on theory, i don't like to default to any specific issue in this style of debate because I barely understand it. you may not like how i vote here unless you explain your argument to me like i don't know anything about debate

I use speaker points to reward smart strategies and arguments, high quality evidence, and generally making the debate an enjoyable experience. please be respectful to each other and please don't spread if you want me to understand everything you say. that being said, i rarely give points below 28.

Judging 10 years. Debated Lincoln Douglas style in high school for around three years.

Preferences for a round:

Slower debate based on good arguments with emphasis on clash and solid evidence.

Andrea Sisti

I have teams that participate in Lincoln Douglas, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate and Congressional Debate.

Public Forum Paradigm:

I enjoy a clearly organized debate. Organization is key to maintain clash throughout the round.

SPEED: From my experience, debaters that card-dump and speed through speeches sacrifice a great deal of clarity and persuasiveness that is the fundamental in nature of Public Forum debate. Typically, the amount of evidence added to the case when spreading through speeches is not worth the sacrifice. I would rather hear fewer contentions and quality arguments over quantity.

Read arguments that have a clear link to the resolution. Also, be sure to provide clear warrants for your impacts. I appreciate big impacts, but it is critical that you flesh out your impacts with strong internal links. Explain and extend and make sure that you emphasize what is most important in the round. Provide clear voters in those final speeches.

Don't be abusive with time. When the timer goes off, I stop flowing. Plan your speeches accordingly. Keep track of your own time as well as your opponent's. You and your opponent are responsible for keeping track of times, including prep.

Make sure that your cards tell the same story as what you are saying. If cards come into question and it's fundamentally important in my decision, I will call for them at the end of the debate. I do value the quality of evidence highly in the round. 1 quality card outweighs 5 poor pieces of evidence.

If you have any questions, please ask me prior to the round.

Avoid arguments that are homophobic, sexist, racist, or offensive in anyway. Be respectful to your opponent and judge.

Overall, this is your debate so have fun with it and get creative. Best of luck.

Congressional Debate Paradigm:

As a Congressional Debate coach, I enjoy rounds with a lot of clash, creative speech structures, fiery speaking, and thoughtful questions. In terms of delivery and argumentation breakdown, I value speeches as a 50/50 split in importance. Delivery and content are equally important in my mind.

I understand you may be hesitant to give speeches early on in the session for lack of clash, but I won't take that into account when ranking. However, as the session progresses, there should always be direct refutation.

Please be passionate in your speeches, but remember decorum and professionalism. Respect your opponents.

I am a lay judge.

Please clash directly with your opponent's argument and tell me what is at stake and what I am weighing. I prefer "calm and fast" to a rapid- fire breathless diatribe. That said, I'm judging on the substance of the arguments ; it is just easier to follow your reasoning when I can take notes. If I am not writing during the constructives- you are going too fast.

I try to come to the debate as a blank slate and will consider anything, but I have heard few kritiks that impressed me; maybe I just don't get them. I am more open to topicality/ fairness because I am primarily interested in reasoned debate on the topic than in gamesmanship.

I like respectful debate, especially when the round is lopsided; you get points for graciousness. Kill with kindness and be ethical with your evidence and in stating what was/wasn't said/dropped by your opponent.

PF/LD Judging:

I will be flowing your cases. For LD, I will be looking to see how well you uphold your value. If the value is the same on both sides, I will be weighing your criterion more.

Weigh your arguments, especially in final focus.

I don't mind fast delivery, but I don't appreciate spreading. If I can't understand you, I will sit back in my chair and fold my arms. This is your signal that I am not flowing your case because you cannot be understood. You will have a hard time getting my vote if I could not flow your case due to unintelligible speech.

I expect to hear well-developed pro and con cases about the resolution. If you decide to run theory, I will expect it to be cleverly tied back to the resolution and make sense.

I expect to hear each side rebut all of the other side's arguments.

I have been judging all events (IE, Debate, Congress) for 4 years. I judge at our local tournaments, at Blue Key, at Isidore Newman, and at State.

To make it short. I was competitive in in Policy, Congress, and Extep when I was in highschool in 2017 and I was a pretty active judge afterwards until CV-19. I took a 3 year hiatus from judging and now I'm back. I know what it's like to compete but I'll definitely be a little rusty.

For debate: you win and you lose based on the flow. I default on utilitarian outcomes, but I was never given a rulebook so if you want to make a case for a different type of framework then feel free. Don't expect me to make assumptions for you or read cards for you. You have to make the case for why you are winning. I expect debaters to keep their own time. I am out of the loop when it comes to the meta, so if there is some nuanced technical argument you're running, don't assume that I'm automatically understanding what you are saying.

Speaker points consider the quality of your arguments, performance in cross exam, the structure of you speeches, style, and sportsmanship. I will tank speaker points if it feels like an experienced debater is bullying novices.

I do low scoring wins.

If you have questions after the round my email is LW4601@gmail.com

Speech:

I like structure and hate wandering feet. Talk loud enough for me to hear you. :). Theater stuff is not my strongsuit so just be good. Over enunciation drives me insane

Jon Williamson

B.A. Political Science; M.A. Political Science; J.D. & Taxation LL.M Candidate - University of Florida Levin College of Law

Experience:

Competitor: HS Policy Debate 2001 - 2005; College Policy Debate 2005-2007; College NPDA Parli Debate 2009-2010

Coach: 2007-2020: Primarily Policy and Public Forum; but coached all events

Basic Judging Paradigm Haiku:

I will judge the flow

Weigh your impacts at the end

Don't be mean at all

Public Forum: All arguments you want me to vote on in the final focus must have had a minimum of a word breathed on them in the summary speech.

Lincoln Douglas/Policy:

I attempt to be tabula rasa, but when no decision-rule calculus is provided, I default to policymaker. I tend to see the debate in an offense/defense paradigm.

I default to competing interpretations on Topicality, and reasonability on all other theory.

I am fine with speed, but clarity is key.

I particularly enjoy critical debate like Feminism, Foucault, and Security and impact turn debates like Spark & De-development. Not a fan of nihilism but I get the argument.

I tend to avoid reading evidence if it is not necessary. I would like to be on your email chain (my name @gmail.com) so I can look at cards that you reference in cross-examination.

LD Note: I tend to view the value/value criterion debate as less important than substantive arguments. Impacting your arguments is incredibly important. Cheap shots / tricks are not the way to my ballot (because: reasonability). I also will not vote for an argument I don't understand based on your explanation. I will not read your case later to make up for a lack of clarity when you spread. If I can't flow it, it's like you never made that argument.