Spartan Warrior Showdown Middle School Tournament
2024 — Fulshear, TX/US
Congress Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideHey! So, speech and debate...
Speech: Idrc if you have boards btw
- good voice modulation and pacing
- appropriate hand gestures (not repetitive or stiff)
- variety of reputable sources (I might choose to fact check if it's questionable)
- keep it simple (good vocab but should be easy for everyone to understand)
- don't pause even if you forget cuz that makes it obvious (I won't know otherwise lol)
Debate: NOTE I'M NOT A DEBATER
- don't spread cuz I won't be able to keep up
- make it easy for someone like me (who doesn't know anything) to follow along
- be respectful to your opponents ofc
- BE CONFIDENT...but don't make stuff up cuz I'll prob know
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk!!
questions comments and/or concerns --> rivadesai2020@gmail.com
Yo, I’m Parham I’m a freshman at Tompkins high school and here’s going to be how I judge y’all today.
For Congress
im going to keep this as simple as possible:
- Be respectful to competitors or I will down you
- Refutation is mandatory please have it.
- On your walkup please say your name twice (helps me)
- Do NOT rehash arguments
- if you take a sacrifice for the round such as flipping and preparing a speech that will be taken into consideration during rank
- Have fun and just enjoy the round and competing
- GL
For speech
- 1. I’m a flow judge so lock in and make sure you don’t feed me false info
- Speak confidently and have tone variation
Hey guys. I'm Smaran, a debater from Tompkins High School. My main event is Congressional Debate.
For Congress:
When it comes down to who wins the debate, I will always look out for how much effort you put in.
To evaluate how well you do in round (and as to who won the round) I will judge by the following.
1. Try to break down your argument to be as simple as possible so it's easy to understand. Something that is very important to do if you want to accomplish this is warranting out everything you say step by step.
2. Do NOT Rehash someone's argument unless you are certain you are going to bring something new to the round.
3. Try to have refutation in your speech. This is definitely going to be something i look out for.
4. If you sacrifice for the betterment of the round such as flipping or preparing a speech, that will be taken into consideration when I'm ranking the chamber.
5. Make your speech engaging and try to stand out. I do NOT want to hear boring speeches all day. You can do this in multiple ways. You can be funny, extremely confident, silly, etc. It's whatever you think fits your personality and it's whatever puts a pep in your step.
6. Don't be shy. Be active in the round. Ask questions. This is extremely important.
7. Be respectful to your competitors or I will down you.
8. On your walkup please say your name twice (helps me)
And here are some general tips: Don't be nervous, it's all in your head. If you believe that you are going to do well, you will do exponentially do better. Being confident and believing in yourself is always a deadly combo.
Overall, just be yourself, have fun, and remember that this is an amazing opportunity for all of us to grow as a debater, even me. So, make sure that you guys show up being confident and TRY your best to DO your best. Also remember to ever be afraid to ask questions, just like I said, we are all here to learn so if you ever have a question in round call the appropriate motion and ask away. You can also ask me any questions before or after the round.
Good luck everyone!
For Congress:
Talk Slow and Make Sense
For PF:
Debate at seven lakes
have fun and learn
Email me for any questions: felikslin77@gmail.com
sriyanshpen@gmail.com for questions
I’m a junior from Jordan High School and have been in Speech and Debate for 2 years now. I mainly do Congress, but also do Extempt on the side. I am an East Texas District Finalist.
I highly value good speaking and presentation skills. Have good volume, tone variation, and cadence to get a good rank from me. If you are too quiet and lack much passion don’t expect me to listen too attentively. Having a lasting and impactful “personality” throughout the round is something I really value. Be present, engaging, and vocal. I also want to be constantly engaged. If you can be entertaining and genuinely keep me engaged then you’ll get far. I am especially a sucker for humor and a fun AGD might all be what it takes for me to pay attention. Structure must be easy to understand. Signpost Signpost Signpost! If your speech is all over the place and inconsistent don’t expect me to try to understand.
A good way to get upped is to bring a new or unique argument. Repeating other speakers or refusing to do refutations will hurt you. Be an essential contribution to the round that no other speaker can. You won’t get points if you cannot add anything to the overall debate.
What I look for in the sponsor/author: You must completely cover the bill and explain the important sections that I need to understand the debate that comes. If I still don’t understand the bill after your speech consider your sponsorship/authorship a failure. In the end, it doesn’t matter how good your impacts are, if I don’t know what the bill means then every impact falls flat. Talk to us like we’ve never heard the bill and make sure you know the bill! If you get questioned on the bill and can’t answer it correctly then you’ll suffer.
What I look for in late-rounders: You’ll get my point if you can successfully turn main arguments to your side or if you can clarify a confusing debate (I love when you can do the latter). Also, remember to ref continuously. If you cannot do both of these then you won’t look well.
All in all, I cannot remember every single speaker and their speech. Make a good and significant speech to make me remember you’re presence and importance to the round and it will get you a good rank.
If you have any questions or remarks please email me at justinshin06@gmail.com
Congress:
Looking for speeches that have good fluency and arguments. Rhetoric is appreciated but mainly focused on impact and statistics/analytics.
Early speeches should be constructive and lay out the major topics/arguments that will be discussed throughout the debate.
(Sponsors/Authors): Should be explaining everything the legislation is doing and how the legislation will change the problem.
Later speeches should have A LOT of clash, not as focused on what the bill is doing as earlier speeches would already explain that. Looking for late speakers who can properly weigh other debater arguments as well.
if you have any questions email me: maxta5310333@gmail.com