Samford Debate Institute
2018 — AL/US
LD Judges Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideAdd me to your email chain- aubreyjkevin@gmail.com
Former Policy debater @ Samford University
I am ok with judging straight up policy rounds. I enjoy listening to the different ways people interpret and deploy their arguments. I vote for the team with the better argument even if the other team's position is more interesting.
***Policy and LD***
Top level things
Roadmap-give me an order before you start speaking. I dock speaks for not following the road map given
Always have impact calculus (timeframe, magnitude, and probability).
Kiarra (Key-Era) Pronouns They/Them.
You can add me to the email chain {Kdbroadnax@gmail.com} To help me keep track of email chains. Put your team code and Round number in the subject section please and thank you.
Debated at Samford University (Policy) Currently a Coach with SpeakFirst (PF and LD)
Things to do. (Policy)
1. Signpost, do line-by-line, and use analytics.
2. Speed. Go as fast as you want. If you're unclear, I will look at you very confused because I will not know what to flow.
3. Kicking {Arguments, not other debaters} You should be kicking out of things. I will give .3 on speaks if it's creative. I LOVE a good mic drop moment.
Things to do. (PF)
1. Use analytics. they are super useful and make the debate more interesting
2. Speed. Go as fast as you want. I did do policy but If you're unclear, it will reflect in your speaker points.
3. Collapse down. You are not winning everything and we both know that.
Things to do. (LD)
1. Signpost, do line-by-line, and use analytics.
2. Speed is fine. Just be clear.
3. Put me on the email chain if you make one. If I call for cards at the end of the round and then have to wait for you to set up a chain I will doc speaker points. Please just set it up before the round starts.
4. The affirmative should defend the resolution. Yes, every time.
5. Make me think. Challenge the status quo. Run wacky K's. I won't always vote on it but I will enjoy it.
6. About number 5. If you are going to run a K or something similar. Please put a trigger warning if there is mention of sensitive topics and mention them before the round starts. It's uncommon in this climate but it would greatly be appreciated.
Please, do not do these (Policy):
1. Yelling, Being passionate about your case is super cool, but yelling at me will make me not want to vote for you.
2. Introducing Harmful Partnerships into the Debate space. I get that debate is a stress-inducing activity but your partner is there with you for a reason. You should use them. I am fine with partners interacting during a speech. Ex: Your partner handing you a card or their technology to use to read a card off of, or handing you their flow. But if your partner is spoon-feeding you, your speech.
3. Demanding a Judge Kick. Nope. No. No, thank you. if you want to kick out of something then do so.
Please, do not do these (PF):
1. Excessively call for cards. I get it. Sometimes you need to see cards but calling for 5 cards per speech is a bit much.
2. Being rude during CX. I get sassy sometimes but screaming, not letting debaters answer or name-calling is unnecessary.
3. If you send a link (only a link) when an opponent calls for evidence. I'll doc speaks. If you send ME a link. ill vote you down. There are rules to this activity. You need to have CUT cards.
Please, do not do this ( LD):
1. Don't be a jerk. Not every debater is going to get your K. Chill.
DO NOT at any point compare ANYTHING to slavery, the holocaust, genocide, rape, etc.
I will vote you down.
Yay debate!
Put me in email chains or feel free to email me questions: JamieSuzDavenport@Gmail.com
I probably need to do an overhaul of my paradigm; it will likely not happen until I'm out of grad school. Seriously just AMA if it will help you going into the round.
Experience:
MPA-MSES @ IU Dec ’23, hoo hoo hoo Hoosiers. GA since '21. Please note this is an environmental science degree. I have a very low tolerance for climate denial or global warming good and would recommend not going for those args.
BA: IR, Fr, Arabic @ Samford, May ’20, ruff ‘em, CX and novice coaching
HS: LD in GA, ‘16
Misc
A note: I won't read cards unless instructed or seeking clarity (and if this is the case, I will be grumpy). All comments will be typed in the ballot and am open to questions immediately following the round and via email afterward. I do my best not to intervene or let personal biases cloud my judgment. I do have a deep appreciation for friendly competition and will generally be happier while giving out speaks or making decisions if I think the people in the round embodied that spirit. Conversely, am not afraid to have a come-to-Jesus meeting for unnecessary antagonism.
For eTournaments: I'll need a little more time than normal to adjust to your style of speaking/spreading because online anything gets tricky. Try to keep that in mind for your speeches so my ears can adjust. I'll default to having my camera on.
Zoom debate: PLEASE double-check your mic settings so that background noise suppression is not on. Zoom decides that spreading is background noise and it messes with the audio.
Overall:
Do what you want. I'm pretty go-with-the-flow and will try to adapt to what the round is versus making you adapt to me. The main thing to consider with me is my personal debate experience and potential knowledge gaps because of it. I'm not a great judge for high theory because I simply don't get it and it takes more explaining for me to understand and take it seriously (@ Baudrillard, semio-cap, etc.). There's some k lit that I'm not fully versed in but I try to keep current on major issues. Otherwise go nuts but make good choices.
2AR/NR: I more and more find myself telling debaters to tell me a story so I think I should put it in here. Whether you're going for a K, FW, DAs, extinction - whatever - start the speech telling me what your scenario is and why it's preferable to the other team. This is especially true if going for a perm or in a KvK debate, having a nuanced explanation clearly at the top of the speech frames the rest of the lbl and interactions you go for.
This was formerly organized by each event that I judge but that was getting unmanageable and ugly. If you have specific questions about anything event-specific or otherwise, just email or ask before the round starts.
Theory
Topicality/FW - I'll default that fairness is k2 education – if you want a different standard to be my primary metric, just tell me to do the thing. Might need more explanation of how I can apply the standard but that’s mostly for the atypical ones. Err on the side of over-explaining everything. Please please please explain your (counter)interp and what standards I should apply to favor yours - if there are a bunch of standards, which one do I evaluate first? Why? To reiterate: err on the side of over-explaining everything.
Fiat - I'll imagine it's real for policy v policy debates but more than willing to be sus of it, just tell me why.
Condo – dispo is an archaic interp and I think you can get better offense from other brightlines (2, what they did minus 1, etc.). I’ll vote on dispo but it’ll take more for you to win it than you need to do. Generally, think condo gets to its extremes when in the 3-4+ area, but new affs could change that yadda yadda, do what you want.
Other theory – whatever, just make the interp/counter-interp clear and tell me what to do with it.
RVI’s – please strike me or pref me real real low if this is your thing. I just don’t like it. This is one of if not the only hard-line I draw on content. They’re a time suck to play weird chess instead of engaging in the substance of the debate. Also, the majority of the time, horribly explained/extended.
Content
No huge preferences here
Cross-ex - I don’t flow cx unless something spicy grabs my attention and it’s usually obvious when that happens based on my reaction. Bring it up in a speech to remind me. Open cross, flex prep, is fine – I for real check out for flex prep.
Card clipping – you’ll lose. Might report it to tab/your coach if I’m feeling zesty that day.
Silliness
Love a good joke, wordplay, or reference. I currently am trying to incorporate “slay”, “yeehaw”, “gaslight gatekeep girlboss” and more into my regular debate vernacular. Feel free to also use these and I’ll at least laugh, maybe boost speaks, who knows – depends on how much of a silly goofy mood I’m in.
Please put me on the email chain. stemdovie@gmail.com I know you didn't read my philosophy if you ask if I want to be on the chain.
I am a relatively middle of the road judge. I would rather hear you debate whatever sort of strategy you do well than have you conform to my argumentative preferences. I might have more fun listening to a case/da debate, but if your best strat or skillset is something else, go for it. I might not like an argument, but I will vote for arguments I hate if it wins the debate. I can handle speed, but you MUST be clear and I must be able to hear you- do not sacrifice your clarity for speed. If I can’t hear the argument, I will not vote for it.
I am open to listening to kritiks by either side, but I am more familiar with policy arguments, so some additional explanation would be helpful, especially on the impact and alternative level. Please slow down when going through K stuff, see the aforementioned commentary on clarity. High theory K stuff is the area where I am least well read. I generally think it is better for debate if the aff has a topical plan that is implemented, but I am open to hearing both sides. To be successful at framework debates in front of me, it is helpful to do more than articulate that your movement/project/affirmation is good, but also provide reasons why it is good to be included in debate in the format you choose. I tend to find T version of the aff a pretty persuasive argument when it is able to solve a significant portion of aff offense.
I don’t have solid preferences on most counterplan theory issues, other than that I am not crazy about consultation or conditions cps generally. Most other cp issues are questions of degree not kind (1 conditional cp and a k doesn’t seem so bad, more than that is questionable, 42 is too many, etc) and all up for debate. The above comment about doing what you do well applies here. If theory is your thing and you do it well, ok. If cp cheating with both hands is your style and you can get away with it, swell.
I have no objection to voting on “untrue” arguments, like some of the more out-there impact turns. To win on dropped arguments, you still need to do enough work that I could make a coherent decision based on your explanation of the argument. Dropped = true, but you need a claim, warrant, and impact. Such arguments also need to be identifiable in order for dropped = true to apply.
I try my best to avoid reading evidence after a debate and think debaters should take this into account. I tend to only call for evidence if a) there is a debate about what a card says and/or b) it is impossible to resolve an issue without reading the evidence myself. I prefer to let the debaters debate the quality of evidence rather than calling for a bunch of evidence and applying my own interpretations after the fact. I think that is a form of intervening. I also think it is important that you draw out the warrants in your evidence rather than relying on me to piece things together at the end of the debate. As a result, you would be better served explaining, applying, and comparing fewer really important arguments than blipping through a bunch of tag line/author name extensions. I can certainly flow you and I will be paying attention to your speeches, but if the debate comes down to a comparison between arguments articulated in these manners, I tend to reward explanation and analysis. Also, the phrase "insert re-highlighting" is meaningless to someone who isn't reading the docs on real time. Telling me what you think the evidence says is a better use of your time.
I like smart, organized debates. I tend to be frustrated by debaters who jump around or lack structure. If your debate is headed this direction (through your own doing or that of the other team), often the team that cleans things up usually benefits. This also applies to non-traditional debating styles. If you don’t want to flow, that’s ok, but it is not an excuse to lack any discernible organization. Even if you are doing the embedded clash thing, your arguments shouldn't seem like a pre-scripted set of responses with little to no attempt to engage the specific arguments made by the other team or put them in some sort of order that makes it easier for me to flow and determine if indeed arguments were made, extended dropped, etc.
It’s rarely the case that a team wins every argument in the debate, so including relevant and responsive impact assessment is super important. I’d much rather debaters resolve questions like who has presumption in the case of counterplans or what happens to counterplans that might be rendered irrelevant by 2ar choices than leaving those questions to me.At the end of the day, you should write my ballot for me. I really enjoy judging debate, please don’t make it work.
Please be nice to each other. While debate is a competitive activity, it is not an excuse to be the worst. Being sassy is acceptable, but do not cross a line that makes it personal.