I have quite a bit of experience in debate (a couple years of high school and one in middle school), and have mainly done public forum debate. In a debate round I judge based off of your ability to both create strong arguments, and refute your opponent's case. I appreciate it when you tie your contentions and your refutations back to the weighing mechanism throughout the debate, especially at the end. In speech rounds structure is really important, along with signposting. If you are doing impromptu I really want to see your three main points, and in all forms of speech and debate I need to know what you are talking about. Pace and body language are also really important for speaker points. Most importantly, be nice! I will mark you down speaker points if you are rude to me or any of your opponents. And finally, make sure to have fun!

I am a current high school speech and debater with experience in parliamentary debate, interp, impromptu, and am familiar with most events.

DEBATE PARADIGMS:

Off-time roadmaps are appreciated, and I am fine with mild spreading. I want to hear logical contentions, and for you to explain the reasoning behind your contentions with as much context as possible. I should not be confused by your standpoint or by what you are addressing. In other words, explain your arguments to me like I'm a five-year-old.

I value tech over truth arguments. Regardless of whatever you say in your point (unless it's offensive), I will go along with it! I believe that in the case of such arguments, it's up to the other side to disprove any claims made.

SPEECH PARADIGMS:

I look for speeches with minimal filler words/hesitations, and meaningful body language. To me, having an engaging speech is what matters most. For interp, I look for pieces with significant blocking, vocal variety, and skillful emotional portrayal.

SOME GENERAL DETAILS:

Timing: I would recommend that you time yourself, but I'm more than happy to provide time signals if needed.

Conduct: I expect you to be respectful to your opponents. I will reduce speaker points if you are disrespectful to anyone.

+0.5 speaker points for any time you make a reference to rubber duckies when speaking.

Most importantly, I want you to have fun! Good luck with your rounds!

Hi Guys!

This is my first year of high school Speech and Debate. I compete in Radio Commentary, Dramatic Interp, and Oratory. I'm also familiar with ADS and Impromptu. I don't do debate, so if your a debate kid, ignore my paradigm haha.

Now, as to how I will rank you all in your rounds, there are many criteria that are put into thought when I judge your speeches. The criteria I follow are listed:

1. Please Enunciate. I need to understand what your saying & must be able to follow along
2. Voice Variation. Sitting in a room to hear 45 minutes of the same voice throughout all speeches doesn't set you apart from other competitors. Having voice variation makes me want to listen to your speech and I will be able to understand as to why your speech is important.
3. Blocking & Eye Contact. Making regular eye contact with your audience and I shows that you are confident. Blocking shows me when you are moving to another point and makes it easier for me to follow along.
4. Roadmap. When you tell the audience your roadmap in the intro of your speech, please stick to it

General Info:

• I don't tolerate disrespect. If I hear any negative comments about anyone or see any negative gestures, you will be ranked last, no matter how good your speech was.
• I would really like if you all could time yourselves. I will also be timing, but if you need time signals, I'm more than happy to give them :))
• Have fun!

Good Luck! I know you all will do amazing :)

- Chandsi

Have questions about your ballot? Please email 499637@bsd48.org

Hello!

My name is Jenny Gu. I have been doing speech and debate for around two years now and have competed in a variety of different events, mainly I.Es.

I appreciate when a debate/speech has organization and fluidity, but mainly just enjoy yourselves and have fun.

Thank you and good luck! :)

Hello. I'm a member of the Sunset High School Speech & Debate team. I participate mainly in debate events, specifically Congressional and Parliamentary debate. While I have not competed in any speech events, I do have some experience with After Dinner Speaking. I'm looking for clear debates and speeches, and I will enjoy your speech more if you add humor into it (you won't be marked down for not including this though, it's just a personal preference).

Debate

When judging any form of debate, the main thing for me is that your points are clear and your speech is structured well. A speech that jumps around different points and is hard to follow will get fewer points. As for rebuttals, I want to see debaters address all of their opponent's points, and also be able to counter-argue well. In any case, do not try to use up more time by saying unimportant information. If you're done giving your points and rebuttals, you're done with your speech. I would like you to avoid speaking fast since it's my first time judging, and while I will understand any debate terms that you wish to use, I would prefer if you didn't use them too much.

Speech

I don't have a lot of expertise in speech events, so I would prefer if you kept your speech to a moderate speed and spoke loudly so that I can clearly understand your speech. In most events, I would like some emphasis on body language, hand movements, etc. Just don't overdo it. Again, I don't know much about speech events, so if this isn't part of your event or is not allowed, then ignore that part.

Good luck, and have fun!

-Sahit

Hey, I am Anusha Jeyakumar, a freshman at Sunset High School! I started doing speech and debate at Tumwater Middle School when I was in 7th grade, so this would be my third year competing. I have competed in PF, Prose, and Radio in middle school, and I am currently competing in DUO Interp and Poetry at high school. Here is what I look for:

Debate -

• A little bit of spreading is ok, but try to talk in a pace where everyone can understand
• Make sure your points are clear and explain your reasoning

Speech -

• Try to develop a good storyline so that your audience can follow through
• Put emotion and dedication into the character or speech that you are presenting so that the audience can really connect with you

General -

• Be confident in what you do, it will show me that you know exactly what you're doing!
• Make sure to be kind and respectful to your fellow competitors and judges, it can never hurt to say thank you or good job

I know that all of you have put a tremendous amount of effort into making your speeches (or debate cases :D). But always remember that no matter how you do, it's the experience that counts. Most of all have fun with these experiences and try to meet new friends. I know you will do an awesome job! Have fun and good luck!

In general:

-I expect every person to make speech and debate accessible. I will dock speaker points if you are mean or rude to your competitors, judges, or audience. The whole purpose of speech and debate is to have a forum to respectfully debate our ideas, so please stay respectful.

For debate:

-Talking fast is ok with me, but if your opponent tells you to slow down, I expect you to do so.

-I am fairlytabula rasa(blank state), meaning that I will try not to take into account my outside knowledge on the round. If your opponent says something that isn't true, please tell me why it isn't in round.

-Roadmaps are appreciated.

Speeches:

For memorized speeches, please memorize them! However, I am completely fine with you taking quick breaks if you need to.

For interps: Please block your speeches, but not to the point where they distract me from the actual speech. Also, please enunciate.

Hello! My name is Sahana Muthaiya and I am a student at Sunset High School.

I have experience in prose(interp), radio, and public forum debate.

Debate:I am fine with spreading as long as it is still understandable. I would prefer that you provide context for any argument made so that I can weigh in on all factors before making a decision. Be respectful to everyone in round(it will affect your speaker points).

Speech:I value good eye contact, little-to-no hesitation, and a confident tone. While doing interp, make sure to have a variety of emotions and embody your character well.

Good luck!

Hi fellow competitors! I'm a high school speech and debater, well mostly speech, but I enjoy watching debate as well! I'm a sophmore, so probably not much older than you! I admire competitors with unique points and ideas, as well as strong speakers, who are charismatic and persuasive!

For debate (speech kids, skip over this),

I would enjoy a strong debate with good points on both sides. I hope both sides can be respectful of one another and to the judge. As for speaking, please no spreading. I admire speakers who are concise, but are persuasive as to their points.

Just as a warning, I may make mistakes, as I am a Congressional debate kid, and have little to no experience in PF, Parli, or LD. If you could respectfully correct me and make sure you are clear as to your actions, I would be very grateful!

To all you brave souls, you have far more courage than me. I know you'll do great!

For speech (debate kids don't need this),

I enjoy watching speeches with emotional, charismatic, and clear storytellers and presenters. Good posture and a loud voice are a must, as I can only judge you if I can hear you! I would like a moderate speed (I know it's hard, I struggle with it too!), and a varied voice.

For interpers, please make your storyline and different characters varied. I will give extra points to those speakers who are creative with different voices (accents, lower/higher pitch, etc.), however, if you are adding an accent, keep it respectful please.

For platform speakers, be persuasive. Don't be afraid to turn on the charm! ;) And make sure to convince me why your topic is relevant and important. You need to sound as interested in it as me!

For everyone,

I'm so proud of you for getting this far! You're going to compete! The nerves may be a lot, but don't worry. You have a supporter right here! Unless you are mean to judges and other competitors. So please, be respectful, and enjoy yourselves. Good job, speakers and debaters. And both! Good job! I hope you have a great tournament!

Anjali (Uhn-juh-lee)

(Yes, I know my name is hard.)

Hello! My name is Sharanya Sannidhi, a junior here at Sunset High and also a speech and debater. I have competed in interp events and platform (impromptu, radio) events.

For speech:

I look for a stable voice, characterizations if applicable, hand gestures, and movements. Additional points or swaying factors: unique topic selection, facial expressions, vocalizations, engaging speech.

Good luck everyone! Make sure to have fun with your speeches!

Hi everyone!

My name is Aahana, and I'm currently a sophomore at Sunset High School. I've been doing speech and debate for the past two years and have experience in Public Forum, Congress, and Duo Interpretation. Here's what I'm going to be looking for from you:

Debate:

• I value organization/signposting, so make sure it's clear what your points are and that your explanations are logical.
• Make sure to annunciate your words and speak clearly. Remember, quality over quantity; there's no point in saying words if they aren't comprehendible.
• I'm okay with spreading and jargon, but keep it at a minimum.

Speech:

• Points are easy to follow, and there are good transitions between them.
• Use facial expressions and body gestures (blocking) to aid your storytelling.
• Intonation: your voice is an instrument, so make sure you use it.
• Fluency: it's okay if you mess up, but try to get back on track as quickly as possible!
• Don't be afraid to maintain eye contact!
• If possible (and appropriate), humor is a great addition to any speech to make it more engaging and interesting.

General:

• Be confident in yourself and have good body language.
• Be respectful to other competitors, judges, and spectators.
• Most importantly, have fun!

Good luck!

Aahana Sapra

a little bit about me:

-I go to Lakeridge High School, class of '25 and I use he/him pronouns. My main events are Lincoln-Douglas, impromptu, extemporaneous speaking. I have dabbled a bit in parli but am by no stretch of the imagination an expert. Feel free to email me before or after a round if you any questions at stuck26529@loswego.k12.or.us.

non-negotiables:

-I expect every person to make speech and debate an inclusive and accessible place. I will dock speaker points if you are mean or rude to your competitors, judges, or audience. The whole purpose of speech and debate is to have a forum to respectfully debate our ideas or talk about important issues, not a place to shame others out of competing (especially regarding those who are less experienced).

debate (parli, policy, PF, LD, congress):

-I can, in general, keep up with some level of spreading, but as stated above, if your opponent calls "clear", I expect you to make an effort to slow down or enunciate better. If you choose to spread, you are doing so at your own risk; if I can't hear what you're saying, I can't flow it.

-I am fairly tabula rasa which means that I will try to limit the amount of influence my outside knowledge has on the round. If your opponent says something that you believe is incorrect, point that out to me and tell me why that is incorrect.

-I really appreciate roadmaps, whether on-time or off-time, so I know where you're going!

-Your value and value criterion/weighing mechanism are there for a reason and I expect you to use them. In your voters speech, be sure to tell me why you have won the round, specifically by using the value and value criterion/weighing mechanism.

-Specifically for PF and policy: Full disclosure, I have never judged a round, written a case for, or competed in PF or policy. I know the basics, but because of this, please do not expect me to understand all of the jargon; please find another way to explain it to me other than with words I may not understand.

-Overall, be good people. Debate is supposed to be civil where you are attacking the argumentation, not the person. If you choose the latter, that's a great way to not win my ballot.

speech (impromptu, extemp, HI, DI, duo, POI, poetry, prose, interp, ADS, oratory, radio, inform):

-For interps:

-I really appreciate enunciation; it's easier to get your point across if I know what you're saying :).

-I also appreciate it if you have some blocking with your speech, but please don't overdo it to a point where it is distracting.

-Don't worry about memorizing your speech in its entirety, I'd rather have a speech that's fluid while occasionally looking at your speech then one that's choppy if you try to do the full thing by memory.

-Also, I'd enjoy it if your speech had some analysis of or tie in to the real world.

-For platforms:

-I would really like for you to have a roadmap in your speech to tell me where you're taking me.

- I would also love it if you had some sort of thesis or main idea for your speech that you stated explicitly.

-It would be fantastic if you had your speech completely memorized, but I won't mark you down for having a few slip ups. Feel free, if you need, to take a few seconds, breathe, and pick up where you left off. It will always better than trying frantically to recover from a mistake (speaking from experience).

-Please have jokes! Jokes keep your audience entertained, myself entertained, and you entertained as well. That being said, my same rules still go: do not be discriminatory, offensive, or rude when making jokes (this is a great way to be ranked last!).

Overall, have fun. You're here to have fun and so am I! Do not use your time to be rude to others or put them down. Enjoy this time you have while you still have it. Finally, believe in yourself, you're going to do amazing!

Background:

I am currently a Hight school student competing in Open Public Forum and Prose for Sunset High School. I've been a debater for 5 years and counting. I started competing in Open Public Forum at the beginning of 2018 and I did speech events throughout these last three years, but debate is my focus. My pronouns are He, Him, and His

Enough about me...

General Approach:

Civility: I will absolutely not tolerate disrespect, discrimination, rude behavior, or anything that harms down your competitors, judge, or audience. We are here for educational purposes and to have fun. I will vote you down as this behavior inherently inhibits learning and enjoyment of this sport. I welcome vigor and passion in your arguments, but that does NOT allow you to target the people in the room just because you don’t agree with them.

Role as Judge: I try to come in as a judge under the framework of tabula rasa--blank slate. I do my best to limit any interference on my part (the only exception is a violation of civility as mentioned above) as I know how frustrating it can be as a competitor. Therefore, if you want me to vote on something or make an argument with complex links, you need to tell me and explain the links of the argument. I am not going to come in with any assumed knowledge, so if you are arguing on "common sense" you still need to do the leg work of what that argument entails. I will not do the work for you in making and furthering your arguments. On your ballot, I will give suggestions of how to make your arguments better, but I will not factor that into my reason for decision. I AM A FLOW JUDGE. I will vote off of what is on the flow, and I will flow anything you say as long as you tell me where on the flow you are (look to next section).

Organization: This is key to effectively communicating your arguments. PLEASE use off-time or on-time roadmaps (I don't care which, just tell me which one you are doing), signpost, use tag-lines, list your number of responses/links/impacts, etc. This makes it easier for me to track and flow your arguments, so when I am making a decision I am looking at all of the arguments you made in comparison to your opponents.

Importance of Impacts: Impacts are the reasons your arguments matter!! Vocalize them PLEASE. Why does your argument matter? Crystalize these during your last speeches.

Speed: I don't care if you talk fast. I am comfortable with all speeds, however, if your competitor asks you to slow down please respect that and do so to the best of your abilities.

Timing: I prefer that you time yourself. I will give you time signals if needed, but I do prefer to focus on flowing. I don't mind if you go a few seconds over so that you may finish your sentence, however, please do not go over 30 seconds, I will stop you if you reach that point.

Parliamentary Debate:

* Please be mindful of what type of resolution you have (policy, value, fact) and make sure you are doing some resolution analysis so that you are making applicable arguments (i.e. don't run a plan on a value resolution).

* Respect each other time for questions. Ask the questions you need, but do not take up more than a minute or so of their speech for questions. Additionally, if you cannot get to a question that is okay, but does not say "I will get to it at the end of my speech" and then say "sorry I can't take questions now that I am in protected time" (this was an old pet peeve of mine). Also, PLEASE do not stand up for a question and try and just make a comment/argue your own points, you will have your time to argue in your own speech.

* Run whatever you want (as long as it is applicable to the resolution). I am, as a tabula rasa judge, open to any type of argument and support debaters who take risks. If you want to run a K, topicality, permutation, inherency/harms press, counter plan, etc. just please provide correct structure! Other than that, I am happy to hear any type of argument, I actually encourage it as you learn a lot from it.

Public Forum Debate:

* Please do not make your debate about "do you have a source for that?" Evidence IS important as you need substantial support for argument validity, however, if you can logically explain an argument that can be generally understood/agreed upon by the public, a source is not necessarily required. (I have been asked before if I had a source for what the First Amendment entailed...this is unnecessary and takes away from the actual debate at hand).

* Please make sure your summary speeches are crystallizing the main points of the clash. Start narrowing the entirety of the flow to the main points of the clash and why you have won them. The voter speech is best used when you actually do voters instead of doing line-by-line refutation (same goes with summary speech).

* Showing evidence is important in understanding what the source says. If the source says differently than what is paraphrased, call attention to it and I will look at the source myself if need be. I recommend having your partner look at the evidence shown during the crossfire while you continue asking questions so you can get the most out of your time. Please have evidence available for opponents or myself if called for, and be able to highlight/point to the part of the source where you are pulling from.

* I am quite open to any arguments that you want to run. As the rules state you cannot run formal plans/counter plans in Public Forum Debate as this is supposed to be an accessible form of debate, but I will of course listen to and be open to more unique arguments or approaches.

* Please adhere to my civility paradigm at the top, especially as crossfire tends to run into trouble in that area.

Policy Debate:

* My main thing for this form of debate is civility! Policy gets heated, but always remain respectful to those in the room.

* You are of course able to run any argument, just stay organized.

* Please don't assume I know about the topic, again, I approach debates with tabula rasa — Blank Slate.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate:

* This is the one format of debate I do not have personal experience in, but I am very familiar with the format and norms of this style. The general debate comments apply, otherwise, you are open to running the round how you would like.

Hey competitors! I'm Pushti Thakore, and currently am doing Speech and Debate at Sunset High School. I have participated in Parliamentary debate, Radio commentary, and Impromptu, but I am familiar with ADS as well.

Debate Paradigms:

In a debate I would like clear and loud talking so that I can hear you well. I want you to explain your arguments towards me as if I have no idea what you are talking about. I will also not tolerate any disrespectful behavior towards the opponents.

Speech Paradigms:

In speech I look for clear speaking skills, voice variations, confidence, minimum filler words/hesitations, and an engaging speech.

Most importantly have fun and good luck!

Hello! I am Alice Thomas, my pronouns are she/her, and I attend Lake Oswego High School.

I primarily have debate experience in parliamentary and public forum.

When judging speech I will stick to what the purpose of the event is and how well you follow through on what is required in terms of speaking skills. I value creativity and development of your topics, please make them entertaining to watch.

When judging debate I prefer to look at the skill of the debaters and team rather than just the ethical element of your first speech by itself. How persuasive can you be? Why is your case logically superior to that of your opponents? How well do you understand the purpose of the topic and the structure of the debate? If you have better arguments than your opponent but you fail to refute properly when your opponents did, I will be voting for the other side.

As a second speaker myself, I value an excellent refutation speech that brings your opponent's case down while uplifting your own. I also appreciate good teamwork with partners and sportsmanship with other teams. This should be an engaging experience to grow and develop as a public speaker, and I aim to give thorough feedback.

All in all, I hope you will have a good time at the tournament, and I wish you good luck!

Hi there! My name is Saanvi and I am a freshman at Sunset HS! This is my 2nd year of doing S&D, and I mainly compete in Radio :). I do occasionally compete in Interp events & PF but full disclosure: I can't debate to save my life! I only judge speech rounds. Below are some of my preferences when it comes to judging speech rounds :))

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email --> saanvivodapally@gmail.com

No one likes reading a long paradigm, so let's break it down:

Do's:

• Make sure to be loud enough for everyone to hear, and be expressive. I much rather prefer a performance where you are projecting your voice and enunciating every word correctly.
• I personally do not care about the topic that you choose to do your piece on - I focus more on the actual voice modulation and how well you perform it. As long are you clear about your overarching idea, you will be fine :))
• Have a clear structure in your piece! Try to have a clear thesis and overarching idea - this will help me follow along in your speech.
• Have good eye contact with the audience! This will help the audience interested in your speech (of course, this does not apply to radio)

Do Not's

• Please refrain from using filler words! This makes it very hard for me to follow your storyline/overarching idea in your piece! Filler words include: um, so, like, etc.
• Please do not be quiet! Project your voice for everyone to hear.
• If you have any discriminative/homophobic/xenophobic content or anything along those lines, I will not hesitate to mark you down.

In general, I expect all competitors to be respectful and kind to each other! A helpful tip would be to time yourself while you perform, but whatever time I record will become the official time. As for results, I will provide some feedback & the time I record. Apart from that, you got this! I am so excited to judge your round! I have full faith in you that you will do great :D. (I also apologize if this paradigm was really long!).

-Saanvi (she/her, sahn-vee)

“Stop talking, start speaking”

I compete in varsity PF and radio commentary for Sunset High School (‘26).

Debate:

• Weigh arguments for me. I will only judge what you lay down for me on the table.
• Say things because they are meaningful, not for the sake of saying them.
• I'm pretty good with speed as long as you articulate clearly. Don't eat your sentences, speak them.
• I like signposting.
• Technical debate jargon is mostly fine. Don’t overuse it.
• Don’t ask for cards in cross. Ask outside of speeches. Especially if you are first-speaking, don't wait until cross to ask.

Speech:

• You wouldn't perform a piece on something boring, so show me that it's not.
• Inflection, fluency, and gesticulation are important to me.
• Be organized and speak clearly.
• It's fine if you stumble as long as you keep yourself together and act like it never happened.

Overall:

• Let me know if you want time signals before your round begins.
• I don’t want to hear anything negative about other debaters, judges, or staff.
• Be mature and respectful.
• This is a place to learn and get support, so have fun!

Questions about my ballot? Email 461932@bsd48.org.