Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament
2018 — Northbrook and Glenview, IL/US
Junior Varsity Lincoln Douglas Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideJudging Philosophy - Tim Alderete -The Meadows School - timalderete@yahoo.com
I've tried to make this much shorter:
-It's either Aff prep or Neg prep - No one preps for free.
-Text, from a debater I just judged to their coach, who is a friend of mine: “What is your friend on? He started my timer early because I took a deep breath.” Me: I'm gonna put that in my Paradigm!
-I do want to be on the email chain, but I won't be reading along with your speech doc - timalderete@yahoo.com
-I am cantankerous about Prep time - for me, it ends when you hit Send on the Email.
-The majority of my decisions will revolve around a lack of flowing or line by line structure.
-I will vote for most any coherent argument. A "coherent" argument must be one that I can defend to the team or debater who lost. Many think this makes me interventionist, but you don't pref me anyway.
-I not the best judge for bad arguments, the Politics Disad, or dumb theory. I will try to take them as seriously as you do, but everyone has their limits. (For example, I have never voted for disclosure theory, because I have never heard an intelligent argument defending it.)
-I do not vote for unethical arguments. The "Contact Information Disclosure" argument is dangerous and unethical because it abets online predators. It will receive a loss and minimum points.
-I don't give great speaker points. To compensate, if you show me decent flows you can get up to an extra point. Please do this Before I enter the ballot.
-I "can handle" your "speed" and I will only call "Clearer" once or twice if you are unclear.
-I have judged and coached a lot of LD rounds – I like philosophical arguments more than you may expect.
-I have judged and coached a lot of Policy rounds – I tend to think like a Policy debater.
Grant Brown (He/Him/His)
Millard North '17, currently a PhD student in Philosophy at Villanova University^
Head of Debate at the Brearley School
^ [I am more than happy to discuss studying philosophy or pursuing graduate school with you!]
Email: grantbrowndebate@gmail.com
Conflicts: Brearley School, Lake Highland Preparatory
Last Updates: 9/26/2023
Scroll to the bottom for Public Forum
The Short Version
As a student when I considered a judge I usually looked for a few specific items, I will address those here:
1. What are their qualifications?
I learned debate in Omaha, Nebraska before moving to the East Coast where I have gained most of my coaching experience. I qualified to both NSDA Nationals and the TOC in my time as a student. I have taught numerous weeks at a number of debate summer camps and have been an assistant and head coach at Lake Highland and Brearley respectively.
2. What will they listen to?
Anything (besides practices which exclude other participants) - but I increasingly prefer substantive engagement over evasive tactics, tricks, and theory cheap shots.
3. What are they experienced in?
I coach a wide variety of arguments and styles and am comfortable adjudicating any approach to debate. However, I spend most of my time thinking about kritik and framework arguments, especially Spinoza, Kant, Hegel, and Deleuze.
4. What do they like?
I don’t have many preconceived notions of what debate should look, act, feel, or sound like and I greatly enjoy when debaters experiment within the space of the activity. In general, if you communicate clearly, are well researched, show depth of understanding in the literature you are reading, and bring passion to the debate I will enjoy whatever you have to present.
5. How do they adjudicate debates?
I try to evaluate debates systematically. I begin by working to discern the priority of the layers of arguments presented, such as impact weighing mechanisms, kritiks, theory arguments, etc. Once I have settled on a priority of layers, I evaluate the different arguments on each, looking for an offensive reason to vote, accounting for defense, bringing in other necessary layers, and try to find an adequate resolution to the debate.
The Longer Version
At bottom debate is an activity aimed at education. As a result, I understand myself as having in some sense an educational obligation in my role as a judge. While that doesn't mean I aim to impose my own ideological preferences, it does mean I will hold the line on actions and arguments which undermine these values.
I no longer spend time thinking about the minutia of circuit debate arguments, nor am I as proficient as I once was at flowing short and quickly delivered arguments. Take this into consideration when choosing your strategy.
Kritiks
I like them. I very much value clarity of explanation and stepping outside of the literature's jargon. The most common concern I find myself raising to debaters is a lack of through development of a worldview. Working through the way that your understanding of the world operates, be it through the alternative resolving the links, your theory of violence explaining a root-cause, or otherwise is crucial to convey what I should be voting for in the debate.
I am a receptive judge to critical approaches to the topic from the affirmative. I don't really care what your plan is; you should advocate for what you can justify and defend. It is usually shiftiness in conjunction with a lack of clear story from the affirmative that results in sympathy for procedurals such as topicality.
Theory
I really have no interest in judging ridiculous tricks and/or theory arguments which are presented in bad faith and/or with willfully ignorant or silly justifications and premises. Please just do not - I will lower your speaker points and am receptive to many of the intuitive responses. I do however enjoy legitimate abuse stories and/or topicality arguments based on topic research.
Policy Arguments
I really like these debates when debaters step outside of the jargon and explain their scenarios fully as they would happen in the real world. For similar reasons, good analytics can be more effective than bad evidence - I am a strong judge for spin and smart extrapolation. I tend to like more thorough extensions in the later speeches than most judges in these debates.
Ethical Frameworks
I greatly enjoy these debates and I spend pretty much all of my time thinking about, discussing, and applying philosophy. I would implore you to give overview explanations of your theory and the main points of clash between competing premises in later speeches.
If your version of an ethical framework involves arguments which you would describe as "tricks," or any claim which is demonstrably misrepresenting the conclusions of your author, I am not the judge for you.
Public Forum
I usually judge Lincoln Douglas but am fairly familiar with the community norms of Public Forum and how the event works. I will try to accommodate those norms and standards when I judge, but inevitably many of my opinions above and my background remain part of my perception.
Debaters must cite evidence in a way which is representative of its claims and be able to present that evidence in full when asked by their opponents. In addition, you should be timely and reasonable in your asking for, and receiving of, said evidence. I would prefer cases and arguments in the style of long form carded evidence with underlining and/or highlighting. I am fairly skeptical of paraphrasing as it is currently practiced in PF.
Speaks and Ethics Violations
If accusations of clipping/cross-reading are made I will a) stop the debate b) confirm the accuser wishes to stake the round on this question c) render a decision based on the guilt of the accused. If I notice an ethics violation I will skip A and B and proceed unilaterally to C. However, less serious accusations of misrepresentation, misciting, or miscutting, should be addressed in the round in whatever format you determine to be best.
Put me on the email chain please. Ask me for my email
Kingwood High School 2017
University of Minnesota 2020
Update for 23-24 seaason:
I judge/coach for the University of Minnesota very occassionally in my spare time. I'm not actively involved with college debate other than judging, so I'm not doing topic research or anything. But I've debated NFU on ESR and have been involved in debate before, so I'm generally familiar with the topic.
I've judged 7 rounds on the nuclear weapons topic so far.
If you misuse terms of art from the federal appropriations process in your counterplan text, I will dock your speaker points. Pointing out and compentently explaining that flaw is probably a good way to take out that counterplan's solvency.
Update post Gonzaga 2022:
I guess I should clarify how I feel about evidence ethics challenges. Absent tournament rule instructing otherwise, here is how I evauluate evidence ethics challenges. If I determine the evidence ethics violation granted the violating team a competetive advantage, then I will stop the round and award the violating team a loss. Examples of violations that would grant a competetive advantage include, but are not limited to, egregious clipping, misrepresenting the author to appear more qualified, misrepresenting a date to appear more recent in a situation where recency matters (i.e. ptx UQ). If I determine that the violation did not grant a competetive advantage, then the evidence will be struck from the flow, and the debate will continue. If you choose to stake the round on it, but I do not conclude that it granted the other team a competetive advantage, you will be awarded a loss.
I don't think teams should lose for harmless mistakes and believe granting a win for any minor technical evidence error creates a bad incentive structure for debaters.
I think I should also adress independent voting issues/new sheets/whatever the kids are calling it these days. I think all arguments should have a claim, warrant, and impact. My default is punishing a poor speech act with appropriately poor speaker points, and to convince me otherwise requires winning an uphill battle to convince me that my ballot matters or changes people's behavior. I'm increasingly skeptical of strategies that involve avoiding engaging with the substance of the debate (and fwiw, 'substance' doesn't just mean the hypothetical implementation of a plan text).
Everything below this point is old and under construction.
I try to do my best to be patient with virtual debating, but I'm kinda hoping we have figured things out by now.
TLDR: I’m fine with condo (including yes judge kick) and Ks on the aff and neg. That probably covers most of what you were checking this paradigm for.
I think all arguments should have a warrant, including theory/other procedurals. If I can't explain the warrant in the RFD for why I voted on an argument, than I'm probably not going to vote on it.
I flow on my laptop. This makes my physical ability to write things down slower than if I was on paper. As a result, I appreciate clear labels for arguments. You probably should be doing that anyway. I’m not a big fan of debates that have long pre-written overviews, especially because they make debates hard to flow.
I usually read evidence after the round. If you request in the 2NR/2AR that I should go back and read a card, I almost certainly will do it. Evidence quality>quantity.
Don’t use racist/misogynistic/homophobic/transphobic/ableist/etc language or misgender anyone. My default is to tank your speaks, but if your opponents instruct me to or its particularly egregious I'll vote you down for it.
My default is looking pretty bored/tired the entire debate which is not your fault, but I tend to be pretty expressive when important things are happening in the debate. If I'm nodding at something you say in the rebuttal, then you are doing something right. If I give you a weird look, then its probably because you made a weird argument.
My biggest pet peeve is when debaters assert that an argument was dropped when it wasn't. I would recommend flowing better.
Tech>Truth most times.
Kritiks (both aff/neg): I have a passable knowledge of most common K arguments, but you should assume I haven’t read your literature in depth. The farther I get out from having being actively involved with debate prep, the more I feel "head empty" when it comes to kritik literature. I'll probably remember what you are talking about after you explain it, but don't take it as a given I'll know every bit of your knowledge base without prompting. The more your overviews don't take my familiarity with your lit for granted, the better you'll probably do.
I’ve been a 2a for most of my life, so I’m predisposed to let the aff weigh their impacts versus a K. However, I can be persuaded not to. I find myself unpersuaded by ROBs that are "vote for the team that did whatever we did." I think ROBs are important for framing my decision, but I would rather have something that is more generally applicable to debate and then you explain why whatever you advocate for is that. In general, I'm increasingly unconvinced that the ballot means anything outside the activity, so do with that what you will. If your argument relies on me personally endorsing and agreeing with your position, you may be disapointed.
When I don't vote for a K, its usually because the negative has not convinced me of a specific link to something the aff actually did. When I vote for a K (on the aff or neg), it is often because the other side failed to substantively answer their arguments.
For T/Framework vs K affs, I am unsure if fairness is a real impact, but I've been suprised at how persuasive some (but certaintly not all) explanations that I've heard for why fairness is an impact. I'm increasingly convinced that skills are what debaters gain the most from this activity, but I am agnostic on what model of debate would be best for that. Its unclear to me why the activity of debate is key to any specific content, regardless of whether it is policy or kritik content, but I remain open to be persuaded on this point.
For me TVAs, are key point of defense against the aff's best offensive arguments, but TVAs don’t have to meet the burden of solving 100% of the aff. Otherwise, I tend to dislike interpretations that exclude marginalized community’s arguments from debate. I've judged relatively few of these debates, but I'm currently 50/50 on voting for this arg. What I've found I want to hear more of is impact comparison between each sides best impacts, rather than that presuming that your side's argument is obviously more important than your opponents.
For T vs Policy affs, I haven’t done much T research, so I don’t know whatever the community consensus is on the meaning of the words in the resolution or T arguments are good. I am probably not the best judge for arguments that rely on wacky/counterintuitive interpretations of the topic (whether it be a new aff or a new 1NC interp). Despite being a 2A, I think T vs affs with a plan should be debated more and is a more strategic 2NR option than most teams tend to believe. My predisposition is that T debates are fun, so aff appeals to T debates being a waste of time are unpersuasive to me. I also think that the existence of an evidence packet is an unpersuasive argument against T (this is mostly for high school debate).
Aff specific DA>Topic DA>Politics DA>Nonsense DA whose internal links doesn’t hold up to even the tiniest amount of scrutiny.
Impact Turns*>everything else
*don't impact turn warming plz. This is not a joke.
CP:My preference for counterplans is that they have a solvency advocate in the 1NC. That solvency advocate may be found in the aff’s evidence, and therefore does not necessarily have to be a card. But a card would be preferable.
Condo: I am increasingly convinced that allowing the neg to have a large number of conditional CPs results in interesting neg strats that test the aff more in depth. However, my faith in the goodness of condo assumes CPs that meet the above solvency advocate prefence. If your strat relies on dumping a bunch of CP texts without a warrant in the 1NC. (see the top of my paradigm), then it will be easy to convince me that maybe condo was a mistake. I was a 2a long enough to consider voting on condo, so negs have to answer the argument sufficiently. It's near impossible to convince me that one condo is bad.
Judge kick makes intuitive sense to me, but I need to be instructed to do so (“status quo is always an option” counts). But I can be persuaded not to.
99% of theory arguments other than condo are reasons to reject the argument not the team. I have a relatively high burden to be convinced otherwise. I'd prefer not to vote on cheap theory shots, especially ones that are just one sentence assertions of a claim without a warrant (see the top of my paradigm). I also don't understand why neg teams are so affronted by suspicious perms that they think I should vote a team down because of it.
I generally don't think disclosure norm violations justify voting a team down, but it doesn't do you any favors in my eyes to be sketchy about disclosure. As a 2a at heart, I find find "new affs bad" to be relatively unpersuasive, but I can be convinced that it is a justification for the neg to do otherwise theoricially suspicious things.
I have been head coach at Bradley Tech High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 17 years, and just now semi retired. but still helping out with the team for the last two. I have been influential in having students qualify for our State Tournament in all debate categories, and Nationals in Policy Debate. We have focused on Lincoln-Douglas the last 6 years however.
SPEED:
Not a fan of speaking so fast that you pass out in the round. I can usually flow a decently fast speaker as long a you are clear. I will let you know if you are too fast or I can't understand you.
TOPICALITY:
I love topicality! I'm biased because that is how I used to win my negative rounds. HOWEVER, a bad T violation will not persuade me to vote for your side. T violations should be well constructed and given weight, as well as how it impacts the negative adversely. For Aff, definitely give justifiable reasons why you should win the T debate; not just with theory arguments.
DISADVANTAGES:
RUN THEM! Just make sure the impact is strong.
COUNTERPLANS:
RUN THEM! HOWEVER, for the purpose of LD, theory might not completely persuade me to vote against a counterplan, unless the neg side drops it, then I will vote on it.
KRITIKS:
RUN THEM! But you don't automatically win them if you do not understand them yourself. If you run it, run it well!
KRITIKAL AFFS:
Not very clear on these. I understand Kritiks, so if they are run in this manner, I'm on board.
THEORY:
This is my weakest area. Still I will listen, if you are very knowledgeable and can convince me.
Overall, I am very tabula rasa when it comes to debate, and I love to learn from the debates I judge. Which is why I am not too much a fan of extremely high speed debates. So I will listen to pretty much ANYTHING if you can persuade me how you win. I look forward to judging you.
Traditional judge. I like theory, philosophy, and logic. Very big on value/value criterion. If you are going to run theory shell or a K, there better be a compelling reason and you need to tell me that reason. If running theory shell, do not waste more than 3 mins time discussing it. You should have other substantive arguments as well.
DO NOT SPEED READ EVIDENCE TO ME!
I'd rather you summarize the evidence in your own words and tell me why its relevant and should be valued. You should only be quoting blocks of evidence when absolutely necessary.
You MUST tell me the impact of your argument for me to give it any weight.
I am a third year parent judge. I have judged at a local and national level, mostly in Novice. I will flow and keep track of arguments and vote for the best arguments. I prefer a conversational speed and it is your responsibility to make sure that your speech is clear and understandable. If you are speaking too fast, I will ask you to slow down. I prefer quality over quantity.
I expect people to be respectful and I do not appreciate bully tactics during rounds. I consider constant interruptions to be rude. I love well-constructed arguments with well-supported evidence; I prefer to evaluate arguments based on the specific resolution and value/criterion.
I love judging. Have fun and be yourself!
General: Graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2021 with a double-major in computer science and anthropology and now work as a product manager in the tech industry.
My email is amoghden@gmail.com - please add me to the email chain and/or reach out with any questions!
Debate Background: 4 years of circuit policy debate at Milpitas High School (2013-17). 3 years of NPDA Parliamentary and NFA-LD at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2018-21).
During my time in college, I coached a handful of high school policy/LD teams and worked as a lab leader (leading labs focused on K arguments) at the University of Texas National Institute of Forensics. Since I graduated and started working, I have been completely removed from debate.
GENERAL VIEWS:
DISCLAIMER: This paradigm was originally written for policy debate but is pretty consistent with how I evaluate ANY style of debate. Let's be real, every debate event seems to slowly adopts new "progressive" norms that make it closer and closer to policy anyway.
Debate is a game. It is influenced by (and often a microcosm of) the social, political, cultural, and libidinal constitution of what we might call the "real world", but is ultimately an argumentative testing ground for ideas.
The only thing I know to be "true" as a judge is that I have been tasked to listen, evaluate, and arrive at a decision based on the presentation and clash of ideas. The scope / nature / telos of those ideas, how I interpret and evaluate argumentation, and what influences my decision-making is entirely up for contestation. I can be compelled to vote for anything regardless of its simplicity, complexity, or absurdity without any preconceived biases as long as it is not racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, etc.
My personal debate career and involvement as a coach was primarily invested into kritikal styles of advocacy, but I do not have any fixed stylistic biases. I will not have a problem understanding and evaluating traditional arguments, but this is an area of research in debate that I did not have too much personal investment in. My policy debate background means I generally won't have a problem flowing speed.
I really do NOT care about trivial debate etiquette. Dress however you want. As long as you're not compromising the safety or access of people, say whatever you want, however you want. Call people out on their BS.
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN (GOOD) DEBATES:
- Tech > truth (but I will only evaluate arguments that I understand).
- Organization, specificity, evidence comparison and argument interaction are key to amazing debates.
- Write my ballot for me - judge instruction is the mark of a well executed rebuttal speech. Frame every part of the debate: tell me how I should be viewing and evaluating arguments and why. Leaving it up to me (or your opponents) to make assumptions or connect the dots to influence my decision may not bode well for you.
- The debate is NOT determined by evidence in a vacuum; it's up to YOU to explain (or spin) warrants, regardless of how amazing (or unfortunately terrible) your cards may be.
- Cross-x is an underutilized art. Destroy your opponents with precise and impactful questions. Be one step ahead. Be witty!
SPECIFIC ARGUMENTS:
TRADITIONAL/POLICY AFFS:
I may not be intimately familiar with topic-specific political processes or terminology, so be sure to explain things and be precise. I would much rather you read one or two well-developed and strategic contentions than several mediocre ones.
I believe that the art of nuanced technical debate is dying, but I'm hoping you prove me wrong. I've noticed a troubling trend of terrible evidence, mediocre internal link explanations, and extensions without substance in the traditional rounds I've had the opportunity to judge. Put in the effort to explain and contextually apply the arguments made in your evidence. Question the merits of bad evidence. Spend the time to frame and impact out your arguments in detail.
Well developed weighing mechanism / impact framing arguments will go a long way with me. I don't presume to know what is good and what is bad - it's up to you to tell me and justify why things are important and what my ballot ought to prioritize.
Because the traditional affirmatives I judge usually end up being versus the K, here's some specific thoughts on those debates:
- Defend your affirmative. Pivoting to spike out of offense is not as strategic as you think. Avoid resorting to vague permutations and/or shifty link defense.
- Utilize and apply your affirmative. Take the time to make specific link/impact turn arguments.
- Engage the criticism. Failing to answer the negative's theory of power is usually an instant recipe for a loss.
- I have a high standard for perm articulation from the affirmative, and link/alt explanation from the negative. Do NOT let lazy K teams get away with bad link analysis or incoherent explanations of their theory.
- Substantive 2AC framework arguments are more likely to influence my decision than whiny procedural stuff.
KRITIKAL AFFS:
I have debated against, affirmed, written, and judged a wide variety of K-Aff arguments and fully encourage you to experiment, push the boundaries of literature and debate as an activity, and ultimately use this space to advocate for things of interest or importance to you. If you're looking for an idea of literature bases with which I am most familiar, check the "Kritiks" section of my paradigm.
I will NOT uncritically vote for you because I like your choice or style of argumentation. Although kritikal affirmatives enable potentially valuable breaks in the traditional form/content of debate and the resolution, I believe that there is a level of investment with the literature and knowledge about debate as an activity necessary to successfully challenge the ideological protocols of the game itself and/or operationalize the game as a site of critical contestation.
Take the time to make smart and offensive application of your Aff's criticism, and explain the unique friction between your methodology and the Neg's argumentation. Supplement your blocks and cards with smart in-round analysis and contextual application of your theory. Going beyond the jargon and providing concrete examples in support of your theory of power and/or methodological strategy will typically go a long way.
KRITIKS:
Successful kritik debating at a minimum requires intimate familiarity with the literature, and clarity and depth in explanation. The best kritik debates happen when you generate unique links to the affirmative and are able to build intricate link-stories by strategically referencing specific warrants, lines, or moments in your opponents performance, argumentation, and evidence and tying it back to your theory of power. Going beyond the jargon and providing concrete examples in support of your theory of power and/or methodological strategy will typically go a long way. I will reward you generously with speaks if you are well versed in your literature and are able to demonstrate your knowledge by making smart and strategic analytic claims and arguments in your speeches and cross-x.
I believe form precedes and determines content: I often begin my decision-making in kritik debates by asking what the telos (or perhaps a lack thereof) of this debate is, and what interpretational lens I ought to use to understand and assess what content means in relation to the presentation of the affirmative and alternative.
I have a general understanding of most criticisms read in debate, but my personal knowledge and interest lies in criticisms pertaining to identity politics and structural positionality. Most of the scholarship I've engaged with as a former debater and coach pertains to various branches of theory speaking to Anti-blackness, South Asian identity, Settler Colonialism, Feminism, Queer/Quare/Kuaerness, and Disability. Although I'm not AS well-read up on the edgy and often unintelligible works of old white dudes, I've judged or been personally involved in a fair share of those debates too and much of the scholarship I engaged with as a debater had its ideological roots in the works of Lacan, Heidegger, Marx, Deleuze, and Baudrillard among others. If YOU understand your criticism and YOU do the work to explain and contextualize your offense, you'll probably be fine.
DISADS/COUNTER-PLANS:
The more specific and less generic your strategy is, the happier I will be. I have no pre-defined standard for what makes a CP legitimate or abusive. Absent theory arguments, I will evaluate and happily vote on any DA and/or CP strategy without any predispositions.
I may not be intimately familiar with topic-specific political processes or terminology, so be sure to explain things and be precise.
TOPICALITY/THEORY:
The path to a ballot in these debates (on either side) is to do real comparative work on the level of interpretations and standards. Dive into the nitty-gritty analysis: what type of norms do we want to set in this activity/topic? Why? Why does it matter if the violation is true? What is the threshold to meet your interpretation?
Unlike many judges, I don't mind frivolous theory arguments. This is YOUR debate. If you want to make the debate about some trivial procedural question and you do it well, I'll happily vote on it. If you see strategic value in wasting your opponent's time with frivolous theory, more power to you. Likewise, if you make a well-developed argument that frivolous theory is bad, I'll happily vote on that too.
I think innovative or unconventional topicality and theory arguments (on either side) can make for very interesting discussions about the norms of the activity: arguments about identity, body politics, performativity, agency, boredom, death, simulation, educational models etc.
Impact analysis is CRITICAL to winning T/Theory debates:
Fairness is NOT an intrinsic good. What does fairness mean? Fairness for whom? Why is fairness something we ought to preserve in debate? What is fairness an internal link to?
Education is also NOT an intrinsic good. Why should the telos of debate be to produce education? Why does your model of debate have the ability to produce "good" kinds of education? Why are the specific skills we gain from your model good, and how do we operationalize them?
FRAMEWORK (VS. K-AFFS):
I spent my entire debate career arguing against Framework, but I think there's a lot of merit to these debates (on both sides).
What does your interpretation and model of debate look like in context of the affirmative's criticism? What types of norms and rules do we want to set for the activity? You probably have to win that the affirmative's theory about the way power operates (at least within the debate space) is bad AND/OR fundamentally not testable.
Impact analysis is CRITICAL to winning framework debates:
Fairness is NOT an intrinsic good. What does fairness mean? Fairness for whom? Why is fairness something we ought to preserve in debate? What is fairness an internal link to?
Education is also NOT an intrinsic good. Why should the telos of debate be to produce education? Why does your model of debate have the ability to produce "good" kinds of education? Why are the specific skills we gain from your model good, and how do we operationalize them?
Question: Am I a bad judge?
Answer: Maybe? Probably. I'm either dumb or just slow.
Disclaimer: I have not judged since 2021. Go easy on me
Experience: I debated policy three years for Neenah High School (WI) and have been judging/coaching since 2016. I was an ok (subpar) debater with some nationals experience, but I was double 1s so evaluate that however you want. Most of my judging these days is LD but don't expect me to be an expert on the topic. I have judged maybe once this season.
Paradigm: Tabs. I'm good with speed, if I can't understand you I guess I'll say something. I will vote for anything well run in a debate round. I am pretty good at following K proper flows. I can have a hard time with heavy theory debates. That being said, feel free to run whatever you are comfortable with.
In Round stuff: I really really really would prefer you to time your own speeches/prep/cross. I am very disorganized and absent-minded so I will probably forget to write down the prep usage or start speech times late if at all. Its also just good practice to be mindful of time in a round.
If its allowed at the tournament put me on the email chain.
Special Notes: You are responsible for the language that you use in the debate round; racist, sexist, queerphobic, ableist, or any other discriminatory speech will not be tolerated.
-Anything Else-
Feel free to ask me before a round. Chances are you know more than I do, I generally think I know what I'm talking about but I probably don't.
My email is isaacdorn@gmail.com
Email me if you have any questions about your ballot or my paradigm, I'm happy to reply!
-More Detail-
-Affirmatives-
Policy affs with a plantext: Go for it.
Plantext affs with K impacts: Go for it
Non Traditional Affs (advocacy, narratives, performance, kritikal, etc.): Go for it, but make sure to clearly extend case. Also I need a clear ROB so that I know what I'm voting for at the end of the round.
-Negatives-
DAs: Go for it.
CPs (Consult, Process, Agent, etc.): Go for it, make sure there is a clear net benefit. I tend to grant affs a bit more leeway when it comes to solvency as long as there isn't a competitive fiat debate. I also appreciate good explanations of the perm on both sides (i.e. whether there is functional severance, redundancy, works/doesn't work etc.). Some caveats; I have a history of defaulting affirmative on counterplans that I am unclear on or if the permutation debate seemed muddled to me (I am, however, beginning to shift my mindset on this towards tech>truth)
Ks (any kind): Go for it. Love em'. Like I said, I can keep up with K proper flows. Make sure your alt and link are clearly explained. While I like kritiks, I prefer for them to be educational rather than strategically ambiguous. Although I'm comfortable with my literature base, I will not do the conceptual work for you. You must adequately explain the content of your kritik.
T - Let me preface this by saying I have never voted on T. That being said, there are a few things you need to do to win a T debate in front of me. 1) Clear and present standards AND voters 2) In round abuse (which could be strategically planned) or a compelling reason for me to vote on potential abuse 3) Commitment in the 2NR, the argument is theoretically that you can't engage with a non-topical aff, if you spend half the 2NR with offense on the aff that makes your argument less compelling. IMO Topicality is a tool to keep affirmatives in check, I am much more Truth>Tech on the T flow.
-Theory-
Most of my squirreling on panels is usually because my understanding of theory. I didn't really get it as a debater, so most of my knowledge comes from my experience as a judge/coach/just thinking about it. I think my biggest problem with theory is that it is often presented as a series of quick one-liners that don't have a ton of substance. Seeing that I've never been great at flowing my preference is depth over breadth on theory.
(Update) I will not retract my previous statement, however I have developed my thought process some more. When you are engaged in a theory debate in front of me, make sure you have two things. 1) A sufficient claim that you meet your interpretation of debate better than your opponent. 2) Comparative offense calculus so that I as a judge understand why I should care about your interpretation of debate.
I will for sure vote for theory arguments in a debate, if I can understand them.
IN LD:
The WDCA requires that I add the following to my paradigm
Apply all of the above and...
Framework: Framework is an important aspect of your case and should not be neglected. Don't ignore offense on your FW.
V/VC: I don't need to see a Value/Value criterion in your case in order for me to vote for you. But you are responsible for making a cohesive argument as to why it is important for you to ignore this structure.
Plantexts: Go for it. I come from policy so honestly I would prefer a plantext.
CP: I think a CP is a fundamental part of your offensive toolkit on the negative and you should take advantage of this as much as you can.
Kritik: Kritiks are great. Don't expect me to do the legwork for you though, see above for specifics. Extend your evidence.
What I vote for in LD: Generally I will be voting for the team which understands their case more. Refer to my paradigm for what I like to see in a round.
General: I debated for four years on nat circuit at Harker. I'm open to any sort of argument, but here are my defaults:
Theory:
- If your A strat is to run a bunch of theory spikes/presumption triggers every round and do no topic prep, don't pref me :D I will not vote on frivolous theory.
- I'll still listen to any shell you read, especially if there is legit abuse in the round. Well-executed plans good/plans bad, pics good/bad, etc. are fine.
- I default to competing interpretations and drop the argument, but I'll vote on whatever is decided in the debate.
- RVIs are fine.
Fmwk/Philosophy:
- I ran mostly util and policy style arguments, but you can read whatever you want so long as you justify your framework fully and explain how you (and your opponent) can weigh under your standard clearly
- Just because you win framework or ROB doesn't mean you win the round - weigh your links
- I'm not very compelled by skep - its probably defense
Kritiks:
- Run them - I think they're the most educational part of debate, but if you read a rather uncommon K (i.e. something other than Cap, Fem, Racism, Anthro, etc.) make sure you explain them in english and not esoteric philosophical terms.
Most importantly, have fun! Debate is about learning and having fun while learning, not just trophies :D
I debated PF, did extemp for three years in high school and judged on the local circuit. I'm currently a sophomore at UChicago.
LD Preferences:
- I'm most familiar with traditional AC/NC framework/contention debates, but can also judge progressive positions if you choose to read them.
- Don't spread but feel free to speak at a brisk pace. Weigh and crystallize clearly
- I would prefer if you stuck to traditional case debate, but if you choose to read CPs/DAs/Ks, just explain more than you usually would. I've also judged normal AC/NC debates and simple theory debates.
Speaker Points: I'll try to average a 28.5. I'll give you speaks based on your strategy, explanation, and efficiency. +.1 if you bring water, +.2 if you bring a cookie.
LD:
I cannot flow spreading, so please don't do it.
In making arguments you cannot skip any steps. I know how to evaluate debates, but I am new to LD, so there are lots of arguments that most LD judges know all about that I am unfamiliar with. That does not mean you can't run them in front of me - you just have to be able to fully explain everything part of the argument, avoid jargon where possible, and be crystal clear about why you winning it matters for the round.
PF
- Please time yourselves
- I appreciate concision, but I think evidence too often gets misconstrued when it's paraphrased. I understand paraphrasing is common now, so I reserve the right to check evidence at the end of the round even if the evidence is not challenged by the debaters (I won't look for holes in the evidence - I just want to make sure what was said matches the original writing).
- I accept logical defensive responses made in crossfire as part of the flow. Cross is still not for reading cards.
- I don't think defense needs to be extended in late round speeches unless it is answered. The alternative to this would be to allow extensions through ink, which is wrong.
- I try my best to flow. I won't vote for things I don't understand. I don't want to keep you in the dark about whether or not I understand something, so my face should give away when I am confused.
- If multiple arguments flow through to the end of the round and there isn't good, explicit weighing, I will vote for the argument that was best constructed/most persuasive to me. Since how I feel about arguments is pretty nebulous, you should weigh early and often. Do not leave it for the last moment. If you can't think of anything productive to do in crossfire, set up weighing mechanisms.
I competed for four years in speech and debate at James Logan High School. I am pretty familiar with all types of debate although I only seriously competed in public forum.
When judging rounds I focus most on impact. If your impacts aren't extended through the second half of the debate I won't pay much attention to them. It is also especially important to tie the impact calculus back to the framework that you want me to judge the round on.
If arguments are left without a response I carry them through to the end.
If you're not competing in policy then I see absolutely no reason to spread. I can keep up with relatively fast speaking but if it gets too fast I will just stop flowing.
Lastly, don't be rude or obnoxious. I will drop you if your arguments are preposterous or blatantly ignorant.
National Tournament Contestant 2010
National judge 2012 & 2013
LD Debate
Congress and PF contestant
Winner of the 2010 Trinity High School Speech Award
Look for full arguments
Defend vigorously from all sides
Holistic approach
I am a Tradition LD judge.
I do not care for Theory or Kritiks. Debate the Resolution given. No funny, crazy or wild stuff.
Speech speed - I Flow along with the Debate. I suggest you do not Spread. I am semi-fast but I want to make sure I get ALL of your case. Please go slow over Author tags/cards/evidence, I don't want to miss giving an Author their due. I do not want to see your case, your job is to tell me about it. You will benefit from being well-spoken and limiting your speech speed.
I am an expressive judge, you will know if you've lost me with your speed, speech clarity or funny stuff. Take my cues and correct your actions.
Speaker points range from 27-29 usually. I rarely give a 30. Swear words or being abusive to your opponent are a no-no and will immediately go to 25 and continue to go lower if you behavior continues.
I expect you to respect your opponent and me. And my decision. I am the "worst Judge ever" to at least one debater in this round. I am OK with that.
Cover your case and your opponents. Road map, sign post and voters are always a good thing. If you feel the need to destroy or talk down to your opponent, I'm not your judge.
During cross-examination you will look at me, not at your opponent. If I write during CX, that means I missed something in your speech. CX is my favorite part of the Debate, please don't make me write. If you bring what you've learned out of CX, that makes me happy.
Flex Prep - nope. That is why you have a cross-examination.
I've found I dislike - "if you don't believe that Judge, then...," makes me feel like you are lying me.
I do not disclose.
Experience: High school LD, PF, Policy judge since 2006; LD, PF, Policy coach since 2008
Pronouns: he, him, his
Updated 11/12/2018: Add me to the chain: jimk907@gmail.com
Generally:
I can handle speed to a point but how well depends on your clarity as a speaker. Please make tags and cites clear. I never flow CX but I will pay attention. Tag team CX is okay. Be 'professional' and polite at all times, especially with me. I enjoy interesting and new kinds of arguments and like a good theory debate. Kritiks on both sides are okay as long as they are clearly explained. I am not always familiar with 'less common' critical literature so make it clear. The implications need to justify the K and the alternative, especially if the alt is simply, "reject the opponent's case" . CPs should be competitive. Topical CPs can be acceptable but I tend to look unfavorably on PICs. I will vote for severance or intrinsicness violations. I flow on paper so signpost and don't bury me.
Debate is a game. Follow the rules and remember, someone will win and someone will lose. Don't take it personally.
LD:
I will expect a value/criterion framework and will tend to weigh the value clash but am open to alternative frameworks if you can justify it. If you give KVI, save them for the end or clearly enumerate them in your speech.
Policy:
I am not a fan of T but you can win it if you give me good reason to vote for it and not just read a shell. If you run a CP I expect to flow the NB separately. If you kick any argument, please do so properly so it is clear what you are doing.
***I've only judged a couple of tournaments this year, so I won't be as used to some of your top speeds***
Kyle Kopf (He/Him/His)
West Des Moines Valley High School ‘18 || University of Iowa '22 || Iowa Law '26
I want to be on the email chain (but I do my best to not flow off of it): krkopf@gmail.com
Conflicts: Iowa City West High School, West Des Moines Valley High School
Bio: I coached Iowa City West LD for 5 years. I debated LD for Six Years. Received one bid my junior year and 3 my senior year.
I don't like long paradigms so I did my best to keep this as short as possible. My opinions on debate aren't what matters anymore. I try to be as tech as possible and not intervene.
OVERVIEW:
I won’t automatically ignore any style of argument (Phil, Theory, K, policy, T, etc), I will only drop you for offensive arguments within that style (for example, using a policy AC to say racism is good). That being said, I am more familiar with certain styles of arguments, but that does not mean I will hack for them. Shortcut for my familiarity with styles:
Phil – 1
Theory/T – 1
K - 1
Policy - 2
Tricks - 3
Online Debate:
-Please speak at like 70-80% of your top pace, I'll be much more likely to catch your arguments and therefore vote for you if you actually slow and don't rely on me shouting "slow" or "clear" a lot. Also, slow down extra on underviews, theory, and author names because I'm extra bad at flowing those.
-Please keep a local recording in case your speech cuts out to the point where I miss arguments. If you do not there is no way for me to recover what was missed.
-I find myself flowing off the doc more with online debate than I do normally
-If you think there are better norms for judging online I should consider, feel free to share before the round!
-I will always keep my camera on when debaters are speaking. Sometimes I turn my camera off during prep time. Feel free to ask me to turn my camera on if I forget.
SPEAKS:
Based on strategy, quality of discourse, fun, creativity etc. NOT based on speaking style. I will shout “clear” as needed without reducing speaks.
SPEED:
Don’t start speech at top speed, build up to it for like 10 seconds. Slow down significantly on author names and theory underviews.
IDENTITY AND SAFETY:
Firstly, I've stuttered for my entire life, including the 6 years I was in debate. Speech impediments will not impact speaks or my evaluation of the round whatsoever. I default shouting “clear” if needed (I always preferred being told to clear than losing because the judge didn’t understand me) so please tell me if you prefer otherwise.
Secondly, If there is anything else related to identity or anything else that might affect the round, please let me know if you feel comfortable doing so.
Ks:
This is what I primarily read in high school. I’m familiar with K strategy, K tricks (floating PICs need to be in some way hinted at in the 1N), etc.
Theory/T:
I read some theory although significantly less than Ks. Since I've started coaching I've become a lot more familiar with theory strategy. Assuming literally no argument is made either way, I default:
- No RVI
- Competing Interps
- Drop the debater on theory and T
- Text of interp
- Norms creation model
- “Converse of the interp/defending the violation” is sufficient
Phil:
I started reading phil in high school and I coach a lot of phil now. I'm comfortable in these debates.
Tricks:
I'll vote on just about anything with a claim warrant and impact.
Policy:
While I never debated policy arguments in high school, I've judged a lot of policy-style rounds and am much more comfortable with them now.
Postrounding:
I think post-rounding is a good norm for debate to encourage good judging, prevent hacking, etc. Always feel free to post-round me. I'll be VERY strict about starting the next flight/round, allowing debaters to be on time, etc but feel free to find me or email me later (email at top).
Misc:
*If you're kicking a CP or K, you need to explicitly say "kick the CP/K", not extending is not sufficient to kick
*All arguments must have some sort of warrant. The warrant doesn’t have to be good or true
*If an argument is new in the 2, I will disregard it even if it’s not pointed out. To clarify, you still should point it out in case I missed it.
I teach math and serve as chair of the math dept at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. I retired from coaching high school at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. I coached Policy and LD (as well as most every speech event) for over 25 years on the local and national circuit. In the spring of 2020, we started a Middle School team at Newman and have been coaching on the middle school level since then.
I judge only a handful of rounds each year. You will need to explain topic specific abbreviations, acronyms, etc. a little more than you would normally. You will also need to go slower than normal, especially for the first 30 sec of each speech so I can adjust to you.
Email chain: gregmalis@newmanschool.org
My philosophy is in three sections. Section 1 applies to both policy and LD. Section 2 is policy-specific. Section 3 is LD-specific.
Section 1: Policy and LD
Speed. Go fast or slow. However, debaters have a tendency to go faster than they are physically capable of going. Regardless of your chosen rate of delivery, it is imperative that you start your first speech at a considerably slower pace than your top speed will be. Judges need time to adjust to a student's pitch, inflection, accent/dialect. I won't read cards after the round to compensate for your lack of clarity, nor will I say "clearer" during your speech. In fact, I will only read cards after the round if there is actual debate on what a specific card may mean. Then, I may read THAT card to assess which debater is correct.
Theory. Theory should not be run for the sake of theory. I overhead another coach at a tournament tell his debaters to "always run theory." This viewpoint sickens me. If there is abuse, argue it. Be prepared to explain WHY your ground is being violated. What reasonable arguments can't be run because of what your opponent did? For example, an aff position that denies you disad or CP ground is only abusive if you are entitled to disad or CP ground. It becomes your burden to explain why you are so entitled. Theory should never be Plan A to win a round unless your opponent's interpretation, framework, or contention-level arguments really do leave you no alternative. I think reasonable people can determine whether the theory position has real merit or is just BS. If I think it's BS, I will give the alleged offender a lot of leeway.
Role of the Ballot. My ballot usually means nothing more than who won the game we were playing while all sitting in the same room. I don't believe I am sending a message to the debate community when I vote, nor do I believe that you are sending a message to the debate community when you speak, when you win, or when you lose. I don't believe that my ballot is a teaching tool even if there's an audience outside of the two debaters. I don't believe my ballot is endorsing a particular philosophy or possible action by some agent implied or explicitly stated in the resolution. Perhaps my ballot is endorsing your strategy if you win my ballot, so I am sending a message to you and your coach by voting for you, but that is about it. If you can persuade me otherwise, you are invited to try. However, if your language or conduct is found to be offensive, I will gladly use my ballot to send a message to you, your coach, and your teammates with a loss and/or fewer speaker points than desired.
Section 2: Policy only (although there are probably things in the LD section below that may interest you)
In general, I expect that Affs read a plan and be topical. K Affs or Performance Affs have a bit of an uphill climb for me to justify why the resolution ought not be debated. If a team chooses this approach, at minimum, they need to advocate some action that solves some problem, and their remedy/method must provide some reasonable negative ground.
I think K's need a solid link and a clear, viable, and competitive alt, but I best understand a negative strategy if consisting of counterplans, disads, case args.
Section 3: LD only (if you are an LDer who likes "policy" arguments in LD, you should read the above section}
Kritiks. In the end, whatever position you take still needs to resolve a conflict inherent (or explicitly stated) within the resolution. Aff's MUST affirm the resolution. Neg's MUST negate it. If your advocacy (personal or fiated action by some agent) does not actually advocate one side of the resolution over the other (as written by the framers), then you'll probably lose.
Topicality. I really do love a good T debate. I just don't hear many of them in LD. A debater will only win a T debate if (1) you read a definition and/or articulate an interpretation of specific words/phrases in the resolution being violated and (2) explain why your interp is better than your opponent's in terms of providing a fair limit - not too broad nor too narrow. I have a strong policy background (former policy debater and long-time policy debate coach). My view of T debates is the same for both.
Presumption. I don't presume aff or neg inherently. I presume the status quo. In some resolutions, it's clear as to who is advocating for change. In that case, I default to holding whoever advocates change in the status quo as having some burden of proof. If neither (or both) is advocating change, then presumption becomes debatable. However, I will work very hard to vote on something other than presumption since it seems like a copout. No debate is truly tied at the end of the game.
Plans vs Whole Res. I leave this up to the debaters to defend or challenge. I am more persuaded by your perspective if it has a resolutional basis. For example, the Sept/Oct 2016 topic has a plural agent, "countries" (which is rare for LD topics). Thus, identifying a single country to do the plan may be more of a topicality argument than a "theory" argument. In resolutions when the agent is more nebulous (e.g., "a just society"), then we're back to a question as what provides for a better debate.
EMAIL: mcgin029@gmail.com
POLICY
Slow down; pause between flows; label everything clearly; be aware that I am less familiar with policy norms, so over-explain. Otherwise I try to be more-or-less tab.
LD
I am the head coach at Valley High School and have been coaching LD debate since 1996.
I coach students on both the local and national circuits.
I can flow speed reasonably well, particularly if you speak clearly. If I can't flow you I will say "clear" or "slow" a couple of times before I give up and begin playing Pac Man.
You can debate however you like in front of me, as well as you explain your arguments clearly and do a good job of extending and weighing impacts back to whatever decision mechanism(s) have been presented.
I prefer that you not swear in round.
Email chain: k.merchant786@gmail.com
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ‘20
Background: I actually went to Glenbrook South High school and did policy my freshman year, then did LD for 3 years. I’ve also been judging at the Glenbrooks for a couple of years now.
Speed: Just be CLEAR. No insane spreading please, but if you are communicative and clear go for it.
Speaks: I will award speaks based on the arguments made as well as appropriate debate etiquette.
Tricks/Spikes: Not a huge fan
Theory: Prefer substantive theory. Don’t just call abuse on everything.
Conceded and dropped arguments will obviously not flow through.
Love impact calc, voting issues, role of the ballot: Tell me how to vote.
Das/CPS: Perfectly fine.
Poor/bad K debates are not my favorite and no long K overviews. Clear explanations of how your K works and functions!
Framework debate: Make it quick! Explain any phil args it will only help you if you end up spending time on fw debate
Prep time ends with email is sent/flash drive is out!
I'll vote on anything so long as it is justified and I can follow the logic (I do not take a sense on if the logic is truly logical, rather if there is a chain I can follow), absent anything grossly offensive (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc). Please be nice to your opponent. I give high speaks and take the time to make a decision that I can fully justify the logic of.
Especially over zoom, try to slow things down. It's been 5+ years since I competed in VLD, so not as good at keeping up with spread as I was. Dense phil Ks I'll have trouble understanding. I'll vote on them (as I'm open to any type of argument), but it will be a dangerous strat. I love theory and think the curcuit needs more of it. I also think that the general structure of theory/Ks are beneficial to judges understanding, but I make no requirement that anything be structured in a standard shell.
PF (everyone, but PF especially) - I will be highly skeptical of any cards and will probably call for them if the warrant is paraphrased. I highly recommend cutting the cards with direct quotes instead.
Include me on email chains.
andrea.peterson-longmore@neenah.k12.wi.us thats my email before you ask.
I have sections below specific to each category, so just scroll and look for the bolded section you are interested in.
Experience: I am currently the head coach for Neenah high school Speech & Debate (but currently only assisting in LD/PF... if that makes sense? I do all the other things) and have been a coach for the last 6 years. I have students who compete locally as well as nationally- we had the national champion at NSDA in Congress, and a Quarterfinalist in LD, a national competitor in Speech, middle school nats nationa runner up....so I have judged all over the place. This is my ninth year as a judge ('22-'23). I judge all categories, except varsity policy. I was not a debater in school, so I have a more basic understanding of the more obscure things that go on in debate.
"I have 5 minutes and wanted to check your paradigm quick, whats the headlines?"
*******Update for Yale- I broke my dominant hand, and can't write. I take short notes by typing, but be as clear as you can about your points since I have to do this from memory =(
Congress is my JAM. I love it and I prefer to see that level of enthusiasm/preparation from the participants.
I wasn't a debater- explain things clearly or I drop arguments I don't understand. ***note on that- I understand the terms of debate (link, turn, impact, etc), just not more niche philosophies and less popular arguments***
Be nice to each other- respect will get you far with me
Impact calc and weighing of final arguments is the best strat with me
Don't argue with me in RFD. If I drop you and you think you should have won, explain it better next time.
I can handle spreading, but if you can't... don't. It's awkward to have to tell you that you don't make sense.
Use a timer, and stick to it- I hate it when kids go over time. I stop flowing within 5 seconds of the end of your time. I will not warn you about this- you know your time limits.
Okay, I love these little things I have seen on other paradigms, so hopefully this helps.
For your pref sheets: (1 being top pref, just to be clear)
K's 1<-------------------------------X------>5 (I like them, but I feel like I am not a good judge for them)
Policy – 1<----X--------------------------------->5 /strike
Phil – 1<-------------------X------------------>5
T/Theory- 1<-------------------------------X------>5
Tricks – 1<-------------------------------------X>5 Actually... X. <== I HATE them. Please don't run them.
Trad – 1<--X----------------------------------->5
See below for more in-depth explanations divided by category
Congress
Behavior: You are acting as a member of congress- keep that in mind in how you behave! Please make sure to respect the rules of your parli and PO. For the love all that is good, please pay attention to the round. This is far more fun when everyone participates! If I see you on your phone for more than a minute at a time I will be annoyed. Obviously you can answer a text or check the time quick, but if you are disengaged I will notice and I will not be happy.
Speeches: I LOVE *actually* extemporaneous speeches. Please breathe some life into your words- you are trying to make your fellow congresspeople vote for or against the bill! Make sure you include stats, citations, and some analysis of other speaker's points. I believe that if legislation is up for debate, there is current research to be read about it, thus I expect you are only using sources from AT MOST the last 5 years. Better if they are from the last 3. A good, weird AGD is fun. Please avoid the common Taylor Swift/Disney/over used quote choices though. Bonus if you can make me a crack a smile with it! (not really a "bonus," but I remember them when I am doing my rankings- which helps your placement)
PO's: Have a CLEAR sheet for people to follow, keep it updated. If you make a mistake, fix it and move on quickly. LEARN your chamber's names. It is so awkward to hear POs continually mess up the names in the chamber. If you need it, but a phonetic pronunciation spot in your sheet and ask them to put their name in that way for you. I tend to rank PO's high, as long as they are engaged and well versed in the congress rules, (or at least learning them!) if they are not engaged and EFFICIENT, they can expect a low ranking. I can't stand it when a PO says a whole 30 second thing after every speech and questioning block.
Questioning: Ask short, clear questions. Don't have a ton of lead up. I don't mind if you need to argue with each other a bit, but keep it civil and don't cut each other off unless its clear they are wasting your time or are not answering the question. It drives me insane to have a silent room for questions and no opposition to a bill, please ask lots of questions! It plays into my ranking- great speeches will only get you so far with me! If you don't ask any questions in a bill cycle, don't expect a rank of over 6 from me. This hold true even if you didn't speak on the bill. It doesn't require research to think critically and ask thoughtful questions.
Recesses: Keep them short. Do not ask for more than 5 minutes between bills- I am not willing to extend the end of the session to accommodate the chamber wasting time during the session.
Overall Preferences: I can't stand it when kids want to break cycle to just give a speech. I realize this isn't your fault, but that means the debate is stale and we need to move on. Unless you are giving a whole new perspective on the bill, you are far better off moving on to a new bill and giving a speech there. I am especially critical of these speeches in terms of quality of content and sources, because if you are insisting we listen to your extra speech, it must be REALLY good and worth not moving on.
Public Forum
Preferences: Please be clear and professional in round. I hate that the attitudes and behaviors seen in other styles is seeping into PF. As noted in other sections, I was not a debater, so don't expect me to know every single term you share. Generally, if I make a somewhat confused face, define your term.
A few things I love to see: Please, collapse arguments. It's so awesome to watch a veteran team (or even a novice team) weigh arguments and determine the largest impacts and points in the round and weigh them against each other, rather than slowly increase their speed in through the debate to try and get every single argument in to the last speech. Spreading has no place in PF- stop trying to make it happen, its not going to happen.
A few things I hate in rounds: Veteran debaters being overly hard on novices- we want to keep them in the activity, don't discourage them by running super dense over the top arguments- you will probably win if you just run a standard argument simply by being more experienced. "Stealing" prep- if you need prep take it, don't make me sit for 35 seconds and then tell me you're taking prep. If you want cards, fine... but ask for them all at once and get it over with quickly. It is super annoying to go through CX and then have a 15 minute "card trade" before getting back into debate.
Lincoln Douglas
Preferences: This is what the majority of my students do. I will flow everything and I will say clear if necessary, but only once before I stop flowing you. I was not a debater, so my knowledge of really weird arguments is lacking. Let me say that again. I WAS NOT A DEBATER- EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN. It has become more and more common to use really dense philosophies in your framing- this is something I have little experience with. Make sure to explain your super specialized philosophy carefully or I can't use it as a weighing mechanism. I encourage you to run whatever you like, but explain it very well, especially if it is not something common. Err on the side of caution if you are not sure if it is common- like I said I am not well versed in most of the different arguments. In terms of speed I judge a lot of policy, so I would say I am comfortable with most speeds seen in LD.
A few things I love to see in round: Please weigh & tell me how to vote so I don’t have to intervene in any capacity. I also like to see super high respect for your opponent. This is such an underrated part of PF that is not nearly as present in LD or Policy, and it totally should be. Signpost clearly- I love hearing you tell me exactly what the "uniqueness" is, the "link" and the "impact. It makes it much easier for me to organize my flow. If you have nearly identical frames, I love to see kids recognize that and show how they can fit into each other's frame, rather than making the round about whether I should weigh using "limiting suffering" or "increasing societal welfare." Let's be honest, those are pretty similar, and if you fit in one you probably can fit in the other.
A few things I hate in rounds: Swearing- This seems like an obvious one, but is lacks professionalism if it is not needed to actually make the points. "Stealing" prep- if you need prep take it, don't make me sit for 35 seconds and then tell me you're taking prep. Veteran debaters being overly hard on novices- we want to keep them in the activity, don't discourage them by running super dense over the top arguments- you will probably win if you just run a standard argument simply by being more experienced. Last thing: if you run a "fairness" argument that you couldn't prep against your opponent and then you have a case against your opponent, expect me to completely drop your fairness argument. You just proved that you lied about the fairness since you prepped that argument. Use your time to prepare blocks and responses instead of wasteful and lazy theory shells.
Policy
Preferences: I do not like any tricks or unprofessional behavior in round, but snark is always okay. I prefer not to hear teams talking to each other while their opponents are presenting, as it is distracting to me as a judge. Open speeches are a no-go. If you don't have your own stuff ready, then take prep time. If you're out of prep time, organize yourself better next time. I generally only judge novice policy once in a while, so be aware you might be my only round this year, and I probably don't have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject area.
I am fine with spreading, (probably a 6/10 for speed) however if you are not understandable, I will only tell you clear once before I stop flowing you. Please be aware of your own speaking issues- for example, if you have braces and rubber bands, you probably should not spread, since you will be almost unintelligible. On the topic of spreading- I understand it is a strategy to get as many arguments in as possible, but be aware that a large breadth of arguments you do not understand is basically useless.
Impact calc is huge for me. If I don't clearly hear you explain why your impacts are bigger or more important, I judge completely by what is on my flow. DA's and CP's are fine in a round, and good experience for a novice/Post nov. I always flow cross x, and keep track of questions asked. I do not want to see a framework in novice policy.
Misc. Stuff for any style debate:
-I am not about speaker points- I think its a really biased system, but I do it because its required. I would not consider myself generous with points, but I try to be fair with the way the system is set up. That said, if you’re mean to your opponent I will substantially dock your speaks. If you can’t control your round without being disrespectful there is something wrong. Since I have been asked, I average about 28 for speaks.
-I don't flow things from CX unless I am told to. I find it to be one of the more telling parts of any round about who has stronger arguments and better understands the content, but if you want it to weigh in to my decision, you need to bring it up in speeches.
-Please understand whatever you’re running before you run it in front of me- it is super frustrating to hear kids hem and haw about defining terms when they didn't take time to understand what they are saying.
-I dislike timing rounds and I've found I'm extremely inaccurate. I will keep time, but it is best if we have multiple timers going to ensure accuracy. Please time yourselves and hold your opponent accountable so that I don't have to. I HATE having to cut people off because they are over time- I actually prefer if their opponent has a timer that goes off so I can hear it.
TLDR: Be respectful, know & define your stuff, use current sources, watch your time.
I debated for Glenbrook North in Policy and LD, did parli in college and coached parli at the college level for a year.
My email is juliescott1234@gmail.com
Providing it's not offensive, I will vote for whatever is on the flow. I don't prefer any type of argument to another, that being said I prefer to see comparative argumentation and impact analysis. A dropped argument is true for the round.
Also, everyone is choosing to give up their weekends to participate in an activity that is competitive, but should also be fun. Be nice to one another.
Kriti Sharma
- Presentation High School - Class of 2015 - 3 years of LD Debate, 4 years of Speech
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Class of 2019 - 2 years of Parli, LD, and Speech (Interp)
- I use they/them pronouns!
Things I Like
- Environmental & Systemic Impacts
- Plan-specific links, disads, and CPs
- Impact calculus that isn't just about magnitude
- Clever CX
- Clear roadmaps
- Good speaks
Things I Dislike
- Accidental racism, sexism, etc. that isn't corrected with an appropriate apology
- Men talking over female debaters
- Climate Change Denial
- Affs that aren't topical
- ASPEC/OSPEC
- Avoiding clash in the debate
- Both debaters speaking during the same speech outside of prompting
Things That Will Cause You To Automatically Lose
- Any kind of harassment or intentional 'isms'
- Misgendering someone repeatedly
- Referring to undocumented immigrants as "illegals"
- Clipping cards, manufacturing evidence, or otherwise cheating
Evidence
Cards should be used as logical support for your contentions. I especially respect empirical evidence and real-world examples. Evidence means nothing until you link it to your case and the resolution. Explain why the evidence brought up matters. For me, content is what counts. I am more likely to weigh evidence if the content is thoroughly covered and does have a fair impact in the round.
Topicality
If you run T, do it right. T is a question of "is the aff topical." Break it down. Read cards on it. Do not use T as a time skew. If you choose to run T, make sure that you have a version of the aff that is topical.
CP/DA
I will vote on these if they are convincing and if legitimate and compelling evidence is used and explained to back up the argument. Simply make sure that they are actually competitive against the aff, and tell me why I should vote on it. As for the aff side, please explain why I should vote accordingly with your own evidence and reasoning.
Kritik
If you use K, explain it as clearly as possible since K should never be used to make yourself, as a debater, sound more like a genius or to inflate your own ego; nor should it be used to force your opponent to respond to it even if it isn't topical (aka abusive argumentation).
Theory
If run and explained well, I will weigh it in the round. "Reject the argument, not the team" is generally sufficient, but I am familiar with some other theory if you decide to use it. That being said, still explain the theory as well as the reason why the theory argument applies; do not just name drop it or leave it underdeveloped.
Framework (Value and Value Criterion)
I love framework debate. Framework is fundamental in high school LD Debate, so while you read each contention, I expect you to outline a clear connections back to your value criterion as well as back to your value (like a link chain). Contentions should contain smaller arguments for why your V/VC is the most ideal/most pertinent/most important etc. Make your lines of reasoning explicit. I may have an idea as to where you're going with your thoughts, but I can't write down these said ideas if you don't fully elaborate on them yourself.
Other Notes
- I'm generally okay with some speed/spreading, but I'm a stickler for clarity. If you're going too fast, I will say "Clear" so you know that you have to slow down in order for me to follow the flow.
- Follow your roadmaps. If you have to divert, be clear about where you are going on the flow. Please verbally emphasize and tag your arguments/evidence. Also, I definitely appreciate when debaters "write the flow for me"/crystallize/discuss voting issues towards the end of the round.
- I use a standard speaks system. Speak up and enunciate, but don't yell. Unless you need a lot of improvement, I wont give you less than 26. If I give you anywhere between 26-28.5, I'll explain what you need to improve. To get 29-30: As I'm also a speechie, I'll admit that I'm 5% lay judge at heart, so I definitely value confident, straightforward, eloquent, succinct, expressive delivery.
- I'm open to any argument as long as it is not offensive.
- As always, be respectful towards your opponent. That being said, I do enjoy clash/if you are clever during CX. However, try not to be too smug. Channel your inner Spock (for Trekkies - I mean TOS Spock).
- If you have any questions about your case, high school/college debate in general, or want to talk about college life, feel free to find me at the tournament or email me! :)
Affiliation: Marlborough (CA), Apple Valley (MN)
Past: Peninsula (CA), Lexington (MA)
Email: ctheis09@gmail.com — but I prefer to use speechdrop.net
Big Picture
I like substantive and engaging debates focused on the topic's core controversies. While I greatly appreciate creative strategy, I prefer deeply warranted arguments backed by solid evidence to absurd arguments made for purely tactical reasons.
I find the tech or truth construction to be reductive — both matter. I will try to evaluate claims through a more-or-less Bayesian lens. This means my knowledge of the world establishes a baseline for the plausibility of claims, and those priors are updated by the arguments made in a debate. This doesn’t mean I’ll intervene based on my preexisting beliefs; instead, it will take much more to win that 2+2=5 than to prove that grass is green.
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" — Carl Sagan
Default Paradigm
I default to viewing resolutions as normative statements that divide ground, but I’m open to arguments in favor of alternative paradigms. In general, I believe the affirmative should defend a topical policy action that's a shift from the status quo. The negative burden is generally to defend the desirability of the status quo or competitive advocacy.
Affirmatives should advocate a clearly delineated plan or advocacy, which can be the resolution itself. The aff's advocacy text is the basis for negative competition and links, and as such, it must contain any information the aff feels is relevant to those discussions. Affs cannot refuse to specify or answer questions regarding elements of their advocacy and then later make permutations or no-link arguments that depend on those elements. "Normal means" claims can be an exception but require evidence that the feature in question is assumed. Proof that some possible version of the aff could include such a feature is insufficient. Refusal to answer direct questions about a particular element of the advocacy will likely take "normal means" claims off the table.
I prefer policy/stock arguments, but I’m certainly open to critical or philosophical positions and vote for them often.
If you refer to your arguments as “tricks,” it’s a good sign that I’m not the best judge for you. Debaters should, whenever possible, advance the best arguments at their disposal. Calling your argument a "trick" implies its value lies in surprise or deception, not quality.
Note: an odd topic construction could alter these priors, but I'll do my best to make that known here if that's the case.
Topicality
Generally, affirmatives should be topical. I have and will vote for non-topical positions, but the burden is on the aff to justify why the topicality constraint shouldn't apply to them.
Topicality is a question of whether the features of the plan/advocacy itself being a good idea proves the resolution. This means I will look unfavorably on a position that is effects topical, extra-topical, or related to the topic but doesn't in and of itself prove the resolution.
In topicality debates, both semantics and pragmatic justifications are essential. However, interpretations must be "semantically eligible" before I evaluate pragmatic advantages. Pragmatic advantages are relevant in deciding between plausible interpretations of the words in the resolution; pragmatics can't make those words mean something they don't. I will err aff if topicality is a close call.
Theory Defaults
Affs nearly always must disclose 30 min before start time, and both debaters should disclose which AC they will read before elim flips.
Affirmatives should usually be topical.
Plans are good, but they need to be consistent with the wording of the topic.
Extra T is probably bad
Severance is bad
Intrinsicness is usually bad, but I'm open to intrinsic perms in response to process cps
Conditionality is OK
PICs are OK
Alt agent fiat is probably bad
Competing interpretations>reasonability, usually
Probably no RVIs
Almost certainly no RVIs on Topicality
I don't like arguments that place artificial constraints on paradigm issues based on the speech in which they are presented.
No inserting evidence. Re-highlights should be read aloud.
Kritiks
I am open to Ks and vote on them frequently. That said, I’m not intimately familiar with every critical literature base. So, clear explanation, framing, and argument interaction are essential. Likewise, the more material your impacts and alternative are, the better. Again, the more unlikely the claim, the higher the burden of proof. It will take more to convince me of the strongest claims of psychoanalysis than that capitalism results in exploitation.
Establishing clear links that generate offense is necessary. Too often, Ks try to turn fundamentally defensive claims into offense via jargon and obfuscation. A claim that the aff can’t or doesn't solve some impact is not necessarily a claim the aff is a bad idea.
It's essential that I understand the alternative and how it resolves the harms of the Kritik. I won't vote for an advocacy that I can't confidently articulate.
Arguments I will not vote for
An argument that has no normative implications, except in situations where the debater develops and wins an argument that changes my default assumptions.
Skep.
A strategy that purposely attempts to wash the debate to trigger permissibility/presumption.
A contingent framework/advocacy that is "triggered" in a later speech.
Any argument that asks me to evaluate the debate after a speech that isn't the 2AR.
Arguments/Practices I will immediately drop you for
Mis-disclosing/disclosure games. (There is an emerging practice of hiding/adding theory arguments or tricks to the AC without including them in the doc that's disclosed pre-round and/or the doc sent out in the debate. This is mis-disclosure and will result in an automatic loss.)
Clipping. (There is an emerging practice of including long descriptive tags in the docs sent out during debates but only reading truncated versions. I consider this clipping. By sending those analytics you're representing, they were read in the round.)
Any argument that concludes that every action is permissible.
Any argument that creates a hostile environment for either myself, the other debater, or anyone watching the debate.
Any argument that explicitly argues that something we all agree is awful (genocide, rape, etc.) is a good thing. This must be an argument THAT THE DEBATER AGREES implies horrible things are ok. If the other debater wins an argument that your framework justifies something terrible, but it is contested, then it may count as a reason not to accept your framework, but it will not be a reason to drop you on its own.
Public Forum
I only judge PF a few times a year, mostly at camp. Arguments are arguments regardless of the format, so most of my typical paradigm applies. The big caveat is that I strongly prefer teams read actual cards instead of paraphrasing evidence. I understand that there are differences of opinion, so I won't discount paraphrasing entirely, but I'll have a lower bar for indicts. Also, I'm not reading ten full articles at the end of the debate, so I'd appreciate it if you could prepare the paraphrased portions in advance.
i did PF in high school (2014-18) and coached for ~2 years after.
i have not thought about debate in the past 4 years, i don't have topic knowledge, and am not comfy with technical/theory-ish things in PF. please treat me like a flay judge! i like seeing lots of impact calc, meta/weighing throughout the round along w/ a clean narrative — doing all of these well will mean i give u high speaks (29+). i will lower speaker points for teams that are mean :(
you can wear whatever is comfortable for you in rounds. i don't believe in having to wear a suit for tournaments.
more importantly, i hope you are having a good day :)
sanjim@berkeley.edu
Conflicts: Minnetonka
Background:
Did mainly LD and some policy in college.
Update 11/27/20
Nat circuit debaters should try to make the round as accessible as possible for local circuit debaters. I will intervene on behalf of the local circuit debater.
Overview of Debate:
Debate is a competitive educational activity to me. I think you should be well prepared and polished in your augments regardless of the format or type of circuit you participate in. At the end of the round I expect debaters to have made a strategic and well articulated argument to win my ballot.
Better to ask questions before round.
Specifics:
K - These are good if done correctly. I do tend to vote often for ID politics
Plans/DA/CP - Good
Philo that isn't tricks - Good, I will probably understand at an intro/intermediate level
Tricks - part of the game but I don't really enjoy these and haven't voted off of them in awhile
Theory - Actual abuse will be most persuasive to me otherwise I'll probably buy the reasonability arguments
T - Probably should defend the topic but I'm not super set on it.
Quick notes:
Debate is a game.
Evidence quality matters.
I prefer if you run arguments that make sense.
I generally do not enjoy voting for tricks and have not in most rounds.
Other than that do w/e you feel.