CSU Fullerton High School Middle School Invitational
2018 — Fullerton, CA/US
Public Forum Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideHi,
My name is Milan Amritraj and I'm writing this paradigm specifically for the 2022 NPDL TOC.
By way of Parli experience, I was a 2 time California state semi-finalist while competing for Campbell Hall. To the extent that World Schools Debate is similar to parli, I was also a two year member of NSDA's Team USA and captained the team during my senior year of high school. For further general background, I competed in LD, Congress and a variety of extemporaneous speech events. I've also served as assistant coach of the Campbell Hall team since graduating high school in 2016.
My paradigm is not particularly complicated, and I really don't think it should be for Parli debate. This text is not exhaustive, so feel free to ask me any questions before the round starts if you'd like specific clarification. Below are the most important points.
I'm pretty open to any arguments, theory and K's included, so feel free to run whatever you'd like so long as its well articulated. That being said, I heavily value weighing and crystallization in the rebuttal speeches, so please do a good amount of work to help clarify how you think I should be weighing these different arguments. Otherwise you run the risk of me having to enter the debate to resolve any ambiguities.
Speed shouldn't be an issue. Clarity, however, might very well be. I'll call out clear if theres an issue, but please try to avoid making that happen.
Finally, please avoid any funny business with prep or evidence if those sorts of things come up in round. I have a zero tolerance policy for foul play.
I have two years of debate experience on the college level, and I've been judging highschool speech and debate for four years now.
The best way to convince me as your judge is to be very clear on your impact calculus. Tell me why exactly your impacts are the most important thing in the round, make me understand why I care more about your arguments than your opponents.
Even though I was a debater for a while, I'd rather not have to deal with speed, unless I have your doc. In any form of debate where I don't have your doc, I don't want to start calling slow, but I will if I need to. If you lose a judge because I can't understand you, that's on you.
There is nothing I love more than well-structured debate. So, tell me where we are on the flow, and keep everything clean. Please signpost, I’ll be really happy if you signpost.
I have zero tolerance for any level of disrespect towards opponents. If you are being rude, making sly comments, yelling at someone, making faces, anything along those lines I will drop you, or your speaker points. There is a distinct difference between being passionate and confident in your arguments or questioning their logic, and being downright disrespectful.
Tl:dr, keep the debate space clean, respectful and accessible to everyone = we will get along just fine.
bonus points if you can guess my favorite animal crossing villager
Send docs to: tuggdb (at) gmail (dot) com
Debated:
East Los Angeles College 2009 - 2011
California State University, Fullerton 2011 - 2013
Coached:
Assistant Debate Coach: Fresno 2013 - 2016
Assistant Debate Coach: Fullerton 2016 - 2019
Assistant Director of Forensics @ CSU - Fullerton: 2019 - Present
// Fall 2024, again //
Once Human!
// Fall 2024 //
CS2 OUT HERE.
// Fall 2022 //
just_waiting_for_mw2
update mw2 is out fr
// Spring 2021 // We still in COVID mode
COLD WAR
Offense matters.
Still your debate and your choice.
Plans and topics exist. Tell me why they don't.
Like and subscribe.
// Fall 2020 // COVID EDITION
Call of Duty Warzone tbh.
Offense offense offense.
your debate. your choice.
audio quality matters. read the zoom room.
// Fall 2019 //
World of Warcraft (CLASSIC)
// Spring 2019//
Apex >
//Fall 2018//
like and subscribe
- team comp matters (2/2/2, 3/3)
- stay on the payload!
- definitely need a shield
- dps flex
//Fall 2017//
IDGAFOS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JmNKGfFj7w
Peninsula, Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton BW
Bakersfield BB
Previously Coached by: Shanara Reid-Brinkley, LaToya Green, Travis Cochrain, Lee Thach, Max Bugrov, Anthony Joseph, and Parker Coon
Other people who influence my debate thoughts: Vontrez White and Jonathan Meza
Emails
HS: jaredburkey99@gmail.com
College: debatecsuf@gmail.com jaredburkey99@gmail.com
2024-25 Update:
IPR: 0
Energy: 0
LD Total: 0
College: Going to be coaching Cal State Fullerton more so I expect to be judging college, have a depth of topic knowledge, and be doing more research for the team.
HS: Mostly will be in LD this year, I imagine I will be judgeing policy teams a few times this year and help out with the Pen policy kids from time to time.
Cliff Notes:
1. Clash of Civs are my favorite type of debates.
2. Who controls uniqueness - that comes 1st
3. on T most times default to reasonability
4. Clash of Civs - (K vs FW) - I think this is most of the debates I have judged and it's probably my favorite type of debates to be in both as a debater and as a judge. I would like to implore policy teams to invest in substantive strategies this is not to say that T is not an option in these debates, but most of these critical affs defend some things that I know there is a disad to and most times 2AC just is flat-footed on the disad. 2As fail to answer PICs most times. 2ACs overinvestment on T happens a bunch and the 2NR ends up being T when it should have been the disad or the PIC. All of this is to say that T as your first option in the 2NR is probably the right one, but capitalize on 2AC mistakes
5. No plan no perm is not an argument --- win a link pls
6. Speaker Points: I try to stay in the 28-29.9 range, better debate obviously better speaker points.
7. Theory debates are boring --- conditionality good --- judge kick is a logical extension of conditionality
Specifics:
K --- The lack of link debating that has occurred for the K in recent years is concerning, the popularization of exclusive-based FW has diminished the value of the link debate. That being said I understand the strategic utility of the argument, but the argument less and less convinces me. I will not default to plan focus, weigh the aff, or assume weigh the aff when each team is going for exclusive fw. This is all to say that the link argument is the predominant argument and the K of fiat as a link argument is not convincing at all. Smart 2Ns that rehighlight 1AC cards and use their link arguments to internal link turn/impact turn the aff should win 9/10 in front of me. All to say that good K debating is good case debating.
FW--- Fairness its an impact but also is an internal link to just about everything --- role of the negative as a frame for impacts with a TVA is very convincing to me - only this debate matters is not a good argument, these debates should be a question about models of debate - carded TVAs are better than non-carded TVAs and are a sure fire way to win these debates for the negative --- I would describe myself as a clash truther most times, debate is net good maximizing clash preserves the value of debate --- 2As whose strategy is to impact turn everything with a CI is much more convincing to me than attempts to use the counterinterp as defense to T, although can be persuaded by the counterinterp being defense to T
DA--- Fast DAs are more convincing, turns case arguments good, any DA is fair game as long as its debated well
CP --- Must know what the CP does with an explanation --- good for functional competition only, not the biggest fan of text and function or textual only.
T --- Boring.
LD Specific:
1. Larp/K
2. K affs
3. Theory
4. Phil - Been convinced more and more about Phil thanks to Danielle Dosch, I would still say I am not the best for Phil
5. Tricks
Online Debate: Don’t be classist, I have hardware that can support online debate, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does. Let’s not make online debate more difficult by giving people a hard time for not having the proper equipment in a pandemic that nobody expected. If your audio cuts out, I’ll stop your time so we can resolve connection issues. I’ll either ask you to start from where you first cut out or summarize what you said, depending on the length of the outage. It takes all of us to make this work.
About me:
He/Him/His
Yes, add me to the email chain: s.cardenas00@yahoo.com
Debated policy 2 1/2 yrs for South Gate HS under LAMDL
Debated for 2 years with California State University, Northridge
Coached 2 years with South Gate High School
Here's the TL;DR. There's no argument I wouldn't listen to - run arguments you're comfortable with. That being said, I do have more experience with critical arguments. Lately, I've found myself really enjoying framework debates with clash on education/skills impacts. If you have any questions, please ask me. Argumentation and debate is a fluid activity with ever-changing circumstances; therefore I believe paradigms should be fluid as well. My paradigm will always change depending on debate norms.
I will NEVER vote for a "racism/homophobia/misogyny/etc... good" impact turn. I will instantly downvote you and give zero speaks.
==================================================================
Preferences
Burden of Rejoinder vs. Burden of Persuasion: I feel that both are necessary. Personally, I think our activity has placed so much emphasis on the burden of rejoinder that we have lost almost all emphasis on the burden of persuasion. Teams will string together dozens of internal links to create an astronomically improbable scenario and treat it as truth. Truth be told, the probability of the average “big stick” advantage/disad is less than 1% and that’s just real talk. Fast teams read a disad that was never very probable to begin with and because the 2AC is not fast enough to poke holes in every layer of the disad the judge treats those internal links as conceded (and thus 100% probable). Somehow, through no work of their own the neg’s disad went from being a steaming pile of non-sense to a more or less perfectly reasonable description of reality. The takeaway is… that when i judge, I try (imperfectly to be sure) to balance my expectations that students meet both the burden of rejoinder and the burden of persuasion. Does this require judge intervention? Perhaps, to some degree, but isn't that what it means to “allow ones self to be persuaded?” To be clear, I do not think it is my job to be the sole arbiter of whether a claim was true or false, probable or unlikely, significant or insignificant. I do think about these things constantly though and i think it is both impossible and undesirable for me to ignore those thoughts in the moment of decision. It would behoove anyone I judge to take this into account and actively argue in favor of a particular balance between the burdens or rejoinder and persuasion in a particular round.
Case: Obviously, case is important. I've felt that in recent years case has often been shoved aside and forgotten.
T/FW: Probably the most important flow for me. I really value education/skills impacts.
CP's: I find that cp's are best when they're original and have solid solvency literature.
DA's: Similar to the cp's, I think DA's are best when they're original and have solid link/impact chains. Our interpretation of a solid internal link chain may differ, however. See "Burden of Rejoinder vs Burden of Persuasion" for an explanation.
K's: The takeaway is … I would say I am more friendly to critical arguments than some judges, but that also means I require a higher level of explanation and depth for those arguments. For instance, it is not sufficient to argue that the aff’s reps/epistemology/ontology/whatever is bad and these questions come first. You have to tell me in what way the aff’s methodology is flawed and how exactly would this result in flawed thinking/policy/ect. Unlike disads, individual links to kritiks have to have impacts to be meaningful. In general, I think people read too many cards when running kritiks at the expense of doing a lot textual and comparative work.
K Aff's: Similarly, on what I said about neg k’s, I need you to explain your methods and their material consequences.
*** I've really only written the most essential stuff. Im still working on this***
I have 5 years of debate experience. I did two years of policy and two years of public forum, and I now do British parliamentary at the University of Laverne. If you make me laugh or smile, I'll be more willing to give you better speaks, but don't fish for votes, make it natural.
I'm good with speed
If you're debating policy try to have some original thoughts, I think the activity becomes boring when all you do is read other people's stuff.
If you have any questions, my email is: colin.coppock@laverne.edu
Freeman, William Oak Park High School
Background:
I am a commercial litigator in a large, national law firm. I have 6 years’ experience judging Lincoln Douglas and other debate formats. I recognize that Stanford’s debate competitors are neither attorneys nor college students, but I expect that they will understand and comply with all rules, format, and approved tactics of Lincoln Douglas debate.
Approach to Judging/Preferences:
I understand all of the rules, tactics and subtleties typically arising in a Lincoln Douglas tournament, and expect the debaters to do so as well. I will endeavor not to impose my beliefs, pre-conceptions or knowledge of the topic on the competitors. Similarly, my approach is not to impose my preferences on your debate competition. If you are complying with all applicable rules and tactics, I will adjust to you. This includes spreading, theory arguments, blocks, etc., etc.
I do expect that participants at all times to act courteously towards their opponents.
I have been judging Speech and Debate for over three years, primarily in Public Forum. I take judging seriously and though I am a lay judge, I flow and take notes, pay attention and I don't play on my phone during the round. I make every effort to leave my biases at the door and to listen to your case. I look for CLEAR contentions followed by sourced support. Reading from your case at rapid speed is NOT helpful. You know your case. I do not. I appreciate the hard work you have put into your case and do my best to fairly judge which side had the stronger case.
Have some experience in judging policy.
I'm fine with everything except for Kritiks.
Please go slow and make sure to be clear.
Hi, I'm Julie Guilfoy (she/her), I have been working with the Bishop O'Dowd debate team for the past 4 years as a coach and judge.
Give content warnings before the speeches start please. I'll disclose and do a verbal RFD and feedback if time and tournament rules permit. I welcome fast speaking and evaluate on what is on the flow and evaluate on the strongest case. I appreciate debaters that sign post their case well and go beyond citing warrants; that is, tying their claims and evidence to unified story. Pet peeve of mine is debaters that try to win on overzealous POO's. Be aggressive, not abusive. I welcome debaters running a critical theory based argument as long as they are explained well and don't exclude any debaters from the round. Make sure to engage in the standards, debates and talk about fairness and education.
Hello! I am the mom of 2 debaters, one in Public Forum currently and the other was in Congress. However, I do not have much experience with judging .
Rules:
1. Spreading is around 350 wpm or more. However, in general, please don't speak fast. If you do, chances are I will drop your speaker points and not catch your arguments.
2. I buy quantifiable impacts that could or already do affect me in my lifetime. I will weigh those higher.
3. IMPACTS, IMPACTS, IMPACTS. Outweigh on impacts and you are more likely to win.
4. Play nice.
5. Don't make up evidence or empirics. I can ask for evidence and if you can't cite it, then I will drop the argument.
I am an experienced Public Forum and Policy debater. I competed for 2 years at CSUF before graduating. I've been coaching the Public Forum and Novice Policy team for CSUF from 2015-2019. I'm also the head coach for Assurance Learning Academy - Harbor City.
AFFs: I like traditional and nontraditional affirmatives. I think it keeps everyone on their toes.
Framework: Have an interpretation that allows you to be competitive for both the AFF and NEG. Tell me how you want me to vote.
Counter Plans: I love a good counter plan. But coming up with a good CP comes with great responsibility. Coming up with a CP puts the burden of proof on you to prove why your plan is better. AFF, tell me why I should reject the CP.
Impacts: Make sure all your claims have impacts. This tells me why your argument is important. If there is no impact, then why does your argument matter? Tell me why your impact is more significant than your opponents impact.
If you want my ballot make sure your arguments are consistent across the flow. Tell me why I should vote for you clearly in the 2NR/2AR.
Thank you for letting me judge. I'll do my best to explain why I'm voting a certain way. I tend to favor arguments that are clearly organized and have some emotional resonancy. It's great if you can lay out the framework and tell me how the arguments should be weighed.
Harut Kejejyan ( kejejyanharut@gmail.com) - add me to the email chain.
Highschool Debate - Bravo Medical Magnet High School for 2 years: LAMDL Alumni
College Debate - Fullerton College - 2 Years
Currently Debating for CAL State Fullerton
HealthCare Topic - Bernie Sanders Counterfactual
Executive Power - D&G
Space - Techno-Ableism Aff
I am currently majoring in Communication Studies and Sociology.
Speaker Scale
29.5 - 30 - One of the best speakers at the Tournament. Most likely going to be in Elims.
29 - 29.4 - Very good speaker, clear, and easy to flow. Unique arguments.
28- 29 - Good Speaker, Needs Improvement on Tech Debate, I will highlight what I believe you need to do Improve on during RFD
< 28 - I usually refrain from giving anything below a 28 unless you have done/said something problematic (ie. Card Clipping,
Paradigm Last Updated 9/19/2020 - Jack Howe
Prefer Spreading to be clear and understandable, I will tell you to slow down if you become unclear (Clarity First)
If you have any problems during the debate PLEASE! Notify Me so we can resolve the issue. If at any point in the debate you feel uncomfortable once again bring it to my attention, Debate rounds should be a safe space where ideas can be discussed openly without judgment. Respect! Comes first, if you are rude or inconsiderate on more than one occasion I will deduct speaker points, you don't have to be rude to get your point across.
Evidence Matters!!! God please use and extend your evidence, arguments that are just read and never talked about are really confusing, and frankly, you wasted your time if you're reading evidence you're not using.
CX
I love a good CX, even if it gets a little heated but DONT attack your opponent during CX
Overall: I love a good debate! The round should be a place where you give everything you got because if you don't your arguments will suffer. I want to see you express everything you been prepping for. Don't panic just breathe and you'll be fine the worst that can happen is you lose, even you win in some sense. Can't wait to see everyone debate.
P.S: Have some emotion when you're reading the evidence, makes a big difference.
Former coach. Current debate boomer. Put me on the email chain, leokiminardo@gmail.com.
Please standardize the title of the email chain as [Tournament Name] [Round x] [Aff] v [Neg].
Zoom
1. I will say "slower" twice, and if it becomes more incoherent, I'll stop flowing.
2. I'll have my camera on during your speeches and my RFD.
Kindness
1. If a team asks you to not spread, please make the accommodation. If you don't, you can still win the debate, but I'll dunk your speaks.
2. If your arguments discuss sensitive issues, talk about it before the round. If there aren't any alternatives, please be thoughtful moving forward.
K Affs
1. I personally lean 80/20 in favor of reading a plan. I end up voting 50/50.
2. Debates should be about competing scholarship or literature, not about ones self.
3. DA/CP debate makes as many good people as it does bad people.
Speaks
1. I'm tough on speaker points.
2. I'm very expressive, so you'll know whether I vibe with what you're saying or not.
3. Technical, well organized policy debates make smooth brain feel good.
4. DA + Case or T 2NRs are always impressive and brilliant.
5. Copy/pasting cards into the body will drop your speaks .1 every time it happens.
Have fun!
Background
I have no personal speech and debate competition experience. I began judging in early 2014; I have been involved in the community ever since and have attended/judged/run tournaments at a rate of 30 tournaments per year give or take. The onset of online in early 2020 has only pushed that number higher. I began coaching in 2016 starting in Congressional Debate and currently act as my program's Public Forum Coach.
General Expectations of Me (Things for You to Consider)
Consider me "flay" on average, "flow" on a good day. Here is a list of things NOT to expect from me:
- Don't make assumptions about my knowledge. Do not expect me to know the things you know. Always make the choice to explain things fully.
- Post-round me if you want, I don't care. If you want to post-round me, I'll sit there and take it. Don't think I'll change my mind though. All things that should influence my decision need to occur in the debate and if I didn’t catch it, that’s too bad.
- Regarding Disclosures/Decisions. Do not expect me to disclose in prelims unless the tournament explicitly tells me to. I will disclose all elim rounds unless explicitly told not to.
- Clarity > Speed. I flow on paper, meaning I most likely won't be looking at either competitor/team too often during the round. Please don't take that as a discouraging signal, I'm simply trying to keep up. This also means I flow more slowly than my digital counterparts, so there may be occasions that I miss something if you speak too quickly.
- Defense is not sticky in PF. Coverage is important in debate; it allows for a sensible narrative to be established over the course of the round. Summary, not Rebuttal, is the setup for Final Focus.
Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.
General Debate Philosophy
I am tech > truth by the slimmest of margins. I am here to identify a winner of a debate, not choose one. Will I fail at this? At times yes. But I believe that the participants in the round should be the sole factors in determining who wins and loses a debate. At its most extreme, I will vote (and have voted) for a competitor/team who lies IF AND ONLY IF those lies are not called out/identified by the opposing competitor/team. If I am to practice tabula rasa, then I must adopt this line of reasoning. Will I identify in my ballot that a lie was told? Absolutely.
Why take this hard line? Because debate is a space where we can practice an open exchange of information. This means it is also a space where we can practice calling out nonsense in a respectful manner. The conversations of the world beyond debate will not be limited by time constraints or speaker order nor will there be an authority or ombudsman to determine what is truth. We must do that on our own. If you hear something false, investigate it. Bring it to my attention. Explain the falsehood. Take the time to set the record straight.
Public Forum / Lincoln Douglas Paradigm
Regarding speaker points:
I judge on the standard tabroom scale. 27.5 is average; 30 is the second coming manifested in speech form; and 20 and under is if you stabbed someone in the round. Everyone starts at a 27.5 and depending on how the round goes, that score will fluctuate. I expect clarity, fluidity, confidence and decorum in all speeches. Being able to convey those facets to me in your speech will boost your score; a lack in any will negatively affect speaker points. I judge harshly: 29+ scores are rare and 30 is a unicorn. DO NOT think you can eschew etiquette and good speaking ability simply due to the rationale that "this is debate and W's and L's are what matter."
Do not yell at your opponent(s) in cross. Avoid eye contact with them during cross as much as possible to keep the debate as civil as it can be. If it helps, look at me; at the very least, I won’t be antagonistic. I understand that debate can get heated and emotional; please utilize the appropriate coping mechanisms to ensure that proper decorum is upheld. Do not leave in the middle of round to go to the bathroom or any other reason outside of emergency, at which point alert me to that emergency.
Structure/Organization:
Please signpost. I cannot stress this enough without using caps and larger font. If you do not signpost or provide some way for me to follow along your case/refutations, I will be lost and you will be in trouble. Not actual trouble, but debate trouble. You know what I mean.
Framework (FW):
In Public Forum, I default to Cost-Benefit Analysis unless a different FW is given. Net-Benefit and Risk-Benefit are also common FWs that I do not require explanation for. Broader FWs, like Lives and Econ, also do not require explanation. Anything else, give me some warranting.
In Lincoln Douglas, I need a Value and Value Criterion (or something equivalent to those two) in order to know how to weigh the round. Without them, I am unable to judge effectively because I have not been told what should be valued as most important. Please engage in Value Debates: FWs are the rules under which you win the debate, so make sure your rules and not your opponent's get used in order to swing the debate in your favor. Otherwise, find methods to win under your opponent's FW.
Do not take this to mean that if you win the FW debate, you win the round. That's the beauty of LD: there is no dominant value or value criterion, but there is persuasive interpretation and application of them.
Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.
Regarding the decision (RFD):
I judge tabula rasa, or as close to it as possible. I walk in with no knowledge of the topic, just the basic learning I have gained through my public school education. I have a wide breadth of common knowledge, so I will not be requiring cards/evidence for things such as the strength of the US military or the percentage of volcanos that exist underwater. For matters that are strictly factual, I will rarely ask for evidence unless it is something I don’t know, in which case it may be presented in round regardless. What this means is that I am pledging to judge ONLY on what I hear in round. As difficult as this is, and as horrible as it feels to give W’s to teams whom I know didn’t deserve it based on my actual knowledge, that is the burden I uphold. This is the way I reduce my involvement in the round and is to me the best way for each team to have the greatest impact over their debate.
A few exceptions to this rule:
- Regarding dropped points and extensions across flow: I flow ONLY what I hear; if points don’t get brought up, I don’t write them. A clear example would be a contention read in Constructive, having it dropped in Summary, and being revived in Final Focus. I will personally drop it should that occur; I will not need to be prompted to do so, although notification will give me a clearer picture on how well each team is paying attention. Therefore, it does not hurt to alert me. The reason why I do this is simple: if a point is important, it should be brought up consistently. If it is not discussed, I can only assume that it simply does not matter.
- Regarding extensions through ink: This phrase means that arguments were flowed through refutations without addressing the refutations or the full scope of the refutations. I imagine it being like words slamming into a brick wall, but one side thinks it's a fence with gaping holes and moves on with life. I will notice if this happens, especially if both sides are signposting. I will be more likely to drop the arguments if this is brought to my attention by your opponents. Never pretend an attack/defense didn't happen. It will not go your way.
- Regarding links/internal links: I need things to just make sense. Make sure things are decently connected. If I’m listening to an argument and all I can think is “What is happening?” then you have lost me. I will just not buy arguments at that point and this position will be further reinforced should an opposing team point out the lack of or poor quality of the link.
I do not flow cross-examination. It is your time for clarification and identifying clash. Should something arise from it, it is your job to bring it up in your/team’s next speech.
Regarding Progressive: I'm not an expert on this. I am a content debate traditionalist who has through necessity picked up some things over time when it comes to progressive tech.
A) On Ks: As long as it's well structured and it's clear to me why I need to prioritize it over case, then I'm good. If not, then I'll judge on case.
B) On CPs: Don't run them in PF. Try not to run them in LD.
C) On theory: I have no idea how to judge this. Don't bother running it on me; I will simply ignore it.
Regarding RFD in Public Forum: I vote on well-defined and appropriately linked impacts. All impacts must be extended across the flow to be considered. If your Summary speaker drops an impact, I’m sorry but I will not consider it if brought up in Final Focus. What can influence which impacts I deem more important is Framework and weighing. I don’t vote off Framework, but it can determine key impacts which can force a decision.
Regarding RFD in Lincoln Douglas: FW is essential to help me determine which impacts weigh more heavily in the round. Once the FW is determined, the voters are how well each side fulfills the FW and various impacts extending from that. This is similar to how I vote in PF, but with greater emphasis on competing FWs.
SPEED:
I am a paper flow judge; I do not flow on computer. I’m a dinosaur that way. This means if you go through points too quickly, there is a higher likelihood that I may miss things in my haste to write them down. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, SPREAD OR SPEED READ. I do not care for it as I see it as a disrespectful form of communication, if even a form of communication at all. Nowhere in life, outside of progressive circuit debate and ad disclaimers, have I had to endure spreading. Regardless of its practical application within meta-debate, I believe it possesses little to no value elsewhere. If you see spreading as a means to an end, that end being recognized as a top debater, then you and I have very different perspectives regarding this activity. Communication is the one facet that will be constantly utilized in your life until the day you die. I would hope that one would train their abilities in a manner that best optimizes that skill for everyday use.
Irrational Paradigm
This section is meant for things that simply anger me beyond rational thought. Do not do them.
- No puns. No pun tagline, no pun arguments, no pun anything. No puns or I drop you.
Should other things arise, I will add them to this list at that time.
Traditional judge - Ask me in round.
I am a current APDA debater at Georgetown University and did Congress locally at Campbell Hall.
I am okay at flowing faster speeds, but the faster you go, the greater the possibility I don't flow something because you're speaking too fast, at which point I won't consider it in my RFD because it isn't on my flow. If you want to make sure I have it on my flow, probably speak in a "lay" style. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give strong flow content; I want to vote based on the flow, not based on my intuitions after the round.
I vote based on the clearest RFD given in the round, based on an offensive argument with the clearest warranting that leads to the clearest impact. The arguments should also be weighed against the opponent's impacts. Basically, you gotta show why an argument is true, why it's important, and why it's more important than your opponent's. Doing all three probably means you win the round cleanly. If you don't do this, I will be forced to intervene. You don't want me to do this because I have weird intuitions about what is a bigger impact.
When extending cards, don't just say "extend X card" because there is a good chance I didn't write down the name for the evidence. If you want me to understand the extension, explain what the card argues/responds.
I consider analytics a valid response to evidence, as long as the logic makes sense. Further, just responding to the logic by saying "but there's no evidence" isn't a response.
I won't call for evidence unless there is a dispute over it or I find it important for the RFD.
I probably won't be flowing during cross, but I'll be paying attention. If something important is brought up, I'll write it down.
My speaks depend more on substance and how you contributed to the round. I don't weigh rhetoric as much compared to those two, although it never hurts to have it.
Please no spreading. I can flow debates;however, when speaking extremely fast it becomes hard to follow and as such I will probably miss some of your points and impacts which can affect my decision.
Email: timothy.matt.meyer@gmail.com
1/21/23
I am getting back into circuit/progressive debate this year, though the last time I was considerably involved was 2020. When running advanced arguments do your best to make it clear what my role is and why it matters. Speedwise, I'm still a bit rusty, and don't like being overly reliant on docs (self rating of 7.5).
RVI's
My default position is against RVI's, with the only exception being extreme quantity (of legitimate violations) or severity of a single one.
Slightly tech over truth
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Experience /Qualifications:
I've been a part of forensics for almost 10 years, competed in multiple IE's and both Lincoln Douglas and Parliamentary debate. Qualified and broke at nationals. Coached state and national finalists and extremely competitive PF and Parli teams at the state level.
Preferences
All forms of debate:
Make sure you signpost effectively and clearly convey your arguments. Also clearly illustrate any links and impacts you have.
I have a fair understanding of the active topics (and am always interested to learn more in these rounds) but it is against my principles to make arguments for you. I won't connect your links/impacts to something you haven't said in round, so don't assume that I will.
I'm fine with speed for whatever is reasonable for your event (policy-✓✓✓, LD-✓✓, PF-✓, Parli-why?). Debate is educational, nobody wants to be in a round where they are just being yelled at incomprehensibly. Respect clears and share your docs.
I have a more traditional background; if your impacts are extinction, make sure the link chain in getting there is clear. I strongly prefer impacts grounded in reality that cleanly flow through vs a shoddy push at 5 different extinction scenarios.
My most important personal preference: Manners
This activity is very competitive and confrontational. I understand that sometimes it can get heated. But at any point if anything offensive is done to the other team, I will immediately drop speaker points (and potentially the round based on the severity.) It's important to engage in discourse respectfully.
Lincoln Douglas:
Make sure to clash and subsequently defend your framework. This is the crux of your case, you shouldn't be moving over it.
Be organized, and clearly lay out how your arguments interact with your opponents.
Fairly open to progressive argumentation. I enjoy Kritiks (though I'm a bit rusty on these) and Plans. I'm not a big fan of theory but respect meaningful shells (frivolous theory). Respect the rules of the tournament as well. I really don't want to have to run to tab to figure out if your arguments are legal or not.
Public Forum:
I want clear links and impacts from both sides. Anything you think is important, emphasize. Make sure to be organized and professional.
I accept the use of Kritiks/theory when permissible, but recognize the format of PF is not conducive to the depth of kritiks in my opinion.
I pay attention during cross but won't judge on it. Make sure anything you want to be flowed is said in round.
Parliamentary:
Signpost Signpost Signpost
Signposting is more important here than in any other event. Make sure you are organized, and you are consistently signposting throughout your speeches. If I get lost, there's a good chance a main argument will be missed.
Make your links clear and stay relevant to the resolution for your arguments to flow through.
Argument wise, basically anything goes (frivolous theory).
Credentials:
I debated all 4 years when I was in high school. Currently attending UCSD.
Be polite and respectful to your opponents
Conflicts: Torrey Pines HS and Torrey Pines Independent (was Head Coach of S&D for TPHS)
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LD
Include me in the email chains: bomiao42@gmail.com
Slow down for tags/authors/analytics, I'll tell you to slow down and clear in round if necessary.
I'll vote off of most arguments, I am more familiar with Phil and case debating, make sure to explain arguments very well too
Kritiks
I evaluate the role of the ballot as the highest layer in the kritik
I'm not as familiar with K debate so please give good overviews and explanations
Perms are good for aff debaters, make sure links are specific
Theory/Topicality
I evaluate theory as the highest level of debate
Make sure to articulate your arguments, especially if you're reading analytics
Competing interps vs reasonability debate is important
Friv theory is bad, 0 speaks xd
Disads
I love disads and political args
Link debate is important
Weighing your arguments is very important
CP
Make sure the CP solves the net benefit. CP debates are good if well articulated. Explain the CP text well to me.
Floating pics are not acceptable
Philosophy
I like philosophy, I am a philosophy major.
High theory
Chance that I will not be able to understand, so if you do choose to run, please explain very well
Tricks
PLEASE DON'T PREF ME.
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PF
I'll vote off the flow. I won't flow cx so repeat important concessions in your speeches. I also take evidence ethics violations seriously, I will ask for evidence after round if it is an issue in round or if someone asks me to in a speech. If there is legitimate abuse, I will drop you and dock your speaker points.
Speed: fine with speed but don't hit spreading levels, this is PF.
Theory: I'll only vote off of it if you can explain why it's critical for the round
I take a holistic approach to judging debates - the winner will be the person/team that has the most convincing overall presentation. The quality of the reasoning and the evidence used to support contentions carries more weight than the number of contentions. I do flow and will consider the failure to refute or address a significant point to be a basis for giving the win to the other team. A minor point that flows through will rarely be a determinant of the outcome.
You will likely lose if you make unsupported assertions; make up or misrepresent facts; or abuse your opponent or the process. The likelihood of winning are greatly enhanced if you are able to clearly rebut your opponent's voters and emphatically point out why your contentions should prevail.
I generally take a tabula rasa approach to judging. However, having experience as a former debater, I will not evaluate arguments that are blatantly incorrect or offensive. I will normally disclose but If you want a good oral critique, then be willing to get roasted.
In the round:
- I need impact calculus with comparative analysis in the final speeches, otherwise I’ll be forced to evaluate your arguments myself which will likely not be as favorable for you.
- Don’t extend through ink.
- I only weigh arguments in the final focus if they were also in your summary.
- Don’t go for everything past the rebuttal. Employ strategic issue selection and tell me what the important voters are and why you are winning them.
Arguments:
- I’m fine with most arguments but if you choose to go progressive (kritiks, theory, etc.) do it right, don’t butcher it, and stick to the procedurals.
- Framework is not an essential part of public forum. That being said if you choose to read a framework, utilize it because I will vote off it.
Delivery:
- I’ll give extra speaks for a tastefully savage remark. This is NOT an invitation to be rude which I have no tolerance for.
- When it comes to your rate of delivery, I’m fine with whatever but be sure not to sacrifice clarity for speed.
- I don’t flow cross so don’t get upset if I’m not writing while you and your opponent compete to talk over each other. This means that if you want me to account for an argument, you need to bring it up in a speech.
**UPDATED FOR TOC**
Assistant Coach for Fairmont Preparatory Academy
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications from the University of La Verne '18
Debate Experience:
University of La Verne 2014 Performance Scholarship Recipient for Speech & Debate
Competitive collegiate British Parliamentary style debater 2014 - 2018
Attended over 25 tournaments nationally & internationally: The Oxford IV 2017, WUDC Mexico 2018, CMUDE Chile 2018, USUDC Anchorage 2015, USUDC Atlanta 2016, USUDC Stanford 2018, Pan-AmericanUDC Atlanta 2018, etc.
Titles: 2017 U.S. National Debate Championship Winner (BP Debate), Spanish World's Debate Championship 2018 Finalist (CMUDE Chile 2018)
Coaching Experience:
Bonita High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, University of La Verne (Spanish BP)
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PF Paradigm 2018-2019 Season:
**UPDATED FOR TOC**
"Prep time for the requesting team will not start until evidence has been handed over to the debater requesting said cards. Teams may prep during this evidence request time, this should encourage teams to have their evidence ready and available to present immediately. Judges should discourage teams from attempting to “game the system” if evidence requests become overly burdensome or create excessive delays in the debate." - TOC rules. [KNOW THE RULES KIDDOS]
EXPLAIN UNIQUENESS. If you can't explain/link out to why something actually changes on the AFF, it's going to put you at a huge disadvantage.
CARDS. CARDS. CARDS. I know this topic isn't the crowd favorite, but this is TOC, you *especially* need to have evidence for what you run. Don't make assertions or say "it just logically makes sense" when someone asks where your evidence is in round. Have a card or you don't get access to your impact.
- I'm a flow judge at heart. I do not like spreading, if you spread: it won't win you any favor in the round and it is better for you to slow down and explain your contentions at a normal pace. Don't read theory.
- If you want offense in the final focus then extend it through the summary; everything said in final focus should have at least been mentioned in summary. Please know the difference between a team dropping a point/not engaging with a contention and a team whose response you simply did not like. Disliking a team's response to your case does not equate dropping or not refuting it.
- I don't flow crossfire but I DO listen and it can factor into my decision sometimes. However: anything super important coming out of crossfire that you want me to flow should be in one of your speeches.
- Productive crossfire: if you spend 3 minutes talking over one another/constantly interrupting/being unnecessarily rude, etc: it's a waste of time for you and will make me annoyed. I lower speaker points for this.
- I enjoy off time roadmaps so I know where you are at on the flow.
- What I want to see: flushed out link chains & arguments that have realistic impacts. I vote for teams that are closest to the truth. Truth > Tech in most circumstances. Exaggerations and half-truths will be factored into my decisions; I defer to the teams with the most realistic and honest impact when there is tie.
- Properly complete/extend your links in summary and final focus
- Weighing mechanisms :) Explain why I should defer to your side: cost benefit analysis, scope, magnitude, probability, etc. I am in huge favor of clearly explained impacts. Pre-empt this in summary, be sure to do this in final focus.
- Comparatively weigh the round. Engage with the other side and their impacts and explain why I still should defer to your side.
- What I do not want to see: 1) abuse or misuse your evidence: I will pull cards if I need to. 2) spreading 3) Unproductive crossfire: allow the other side to speak, be respectful, only interrupt if absolutely necessary. Speaker points will reflect how you treat others in round. 4) Theory. In my opinion, this should only be run if the other side is truly being abusive and you HAVE to thoroughly explain it. 5) Disrespectful Post-Rounding: If you have a question, cool. I am happy to explain my thinking calculus. But do not interrupt me while I am giving an RFD or tell me I'm wrong. You're allowed to disagree, but do so respectfully. :)
ALSO: I have a very serious face when I judge, it is not that I hate you or what you are saying: it is just my face :) If y'all have any questions about anything, feel free to ask before the round!
Lastly: I know it's TOC and y'all have a lot on the line, but don't forget to breathe & enjoy the ride. I know it's corny and cliché, but don't forget to have fun.
I am a lay judge. I will try my best to vote off of content based in the round. Presentation does still play a factor in my vote. Please have good warranting for your arguments in a way that makes sense to someone without research on the topic. There are a few things that I will immediately drop your team if you do.
-Being unnecessarily rude
-Speaking too fast under 250 wpm.
-Being abusive
-Fake evidence
I'm an experienced parent judge with three years of experience judging Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, and Parli. I will be flowing your round.
When it comes to speed, I want a debater to be clear, concise, articulate, and speaking at a reasonable, understandable pace. I despise, with a passion, spreading and the arguments that often accompany that "rhetorical" style.
Arguments: Please be rational. Links to extinction devalue reasonable debate, if you use them, you lose. This same rule accompanies K-debates, theory debates, irrelevant phil debates, and most things "circuit debate."
If you're racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. you might as well not come to round.
All of this is to tell you what not to do because the pendulum of debate seems to be swinging towards this and away from critical thinking, rational thought, and deep and poignant philosophy. This next bit is what I actually enjoy to see in a debate.
Framework: I weigh philosophy heavily, especially if it's creative, relevant, and understandable.
Arguments: Not card heavy, statistics can be overbearing (use them sparingly but effectively) Logic sprinkled with facts to back it up.
CX: Be polite and effective.
Rebuttals: Act as though you are a surgeon, systematically explain and refute your opponent's thought process one clear step at a time. Be organized.
Have Fun!
I prefer a slower rate of speech so no spreading will be tolerated. If you do I will give you no higher than a 27 in speaks. If your opponents say clear or slow make sure you listen to them so everyone can hear. Remember, it doesn’t matter what you say if nobody in the round can hear.
Puns and jokes are allowed and encouraged as long as they have pertinence to the round.
I will only flow through your argument as long as you can reason it well. Ex. I can’t flow through an impact of 10 million jobs unless you tell me why so many jobs are being lost. But even if it is a really far fetched argument I have to flow it through unless the opposition can rebut it well.
As to summary and final focus for pf I cannot extend your arguments unless I hear the argument in your summary and final focus.
For a counterplan in policy and Lincoln Douglas you have to be able to tell me what your counterplan is with evidence and reasoning, why the opponents’ plan cannot be used, and why yours is preferable.
I will Side with the weighing mechanism that proves that theirs is more preferable in the context of the round.
I have been judging Debate for about a couple of years. I am very lay. Don't go fast.
Gabe Rusk ☮️&♡
Want me to judge a practice round for you and provide feedback? Check out www.practicedebate.com
Immigration Topic UKSO:
Plx: Already heard someone mispronounce Kamala today. Doesn't bode well for your credibility on the arg. It's Comma-Lah not Kuh-mahluh. Also your polls better be from this week and you better know the methodology of your models/polls.
Background
Debate Experience: TOC Champion PF 2010, 4th at British Parli University National Championships 2014, Oxford Debate Union competitive debater 2015-2016 (won best floor speech), LGBTQIA+ Officer at the Oxford Debate Union.
NSDA PF Topic Committee Member: If you have any ideas, topic areas, or resolutions in mind for next season please send them to my email below.
Coaching Experience: Director of Debate at Fairmont Prep 2018-Current, Senior Instructor and PF Curriculum Director at ISD, La Altamont Lane 2018 TOC, GW 2010-2015. British Parli coach and lecturer for universities including DU, Oxford, and others.
Education: Masters from Oxford University '16 - Dissertation on the history of the First Amendment. Religion and Philosophy BA at DU '14. Other research areas include Buddhism, comparative religion, conlaw, First Amendment law, free speech, freedom of expression, art law, media law, & legal history.
2023 Winter Data Update: Importing my Tabroom data I've judged 651 rounds since 2014 with a 53% Pro and 47% Con vote balance. There may be a slight subconscious Aff bias it seems. My guess is that I may subconsciously give more weight to changing the status quo as that's the core motivator of debate but no statistically meaningful issues are present.
Email: gabriel.rusk@gmail.com
PF Paradigm
Judge Philosophy
I consider myself tech>truth but constantly lament the poor state of evidence ethics, power tagging, clipping, and more. Further, I know stakes can be high in a bubble, bid, or important round but let's still come out of the debate feeling as if it was a positive experience. Life is too short for needless suffering. Please be kind, compassionate, and cordial.
Big Things
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What I want to see: I'm empathetic to major technical errors in my ballots. In a perfect world I vote for the team who does best on tech and secondarily on truth. I tend to resolve clash most easily when you give explicit reasons why either a) your evidence is comparatively better but also when you tell me why b) your warranting is comparatively better. Obviously doing both compounds your chances at winning my ballot. I have recently become more sensitive to poor extensions in the back half. Please have UQ where necessary, links, internal links, and impacts. Weighing introduced earlier the better. Weighing is your means to minimize intervention.
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Weighing Unlike Things: I need to know how to weigh two comparatively unlike things. If you are weighing some economic impact against a non-economic impact like democracy how do I defer to one over the other? Scope, magnitude, probability etc. I strongly prefer impact debates on the probability/reasonability of impacts over their magnitude and scope. Obviously try to frame impacts using all available tools. I am very amicable to non-trad framing of impacts but you need to extend the warrants and evidence.
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Weighing Like Things: Please have warrants and engage comparatively between yourself and your opponent. Obviously methodological and evidentiary comparison is nice too as I mentioned earlier. I love crossfires or speech time where we discuss the warrants behind our cards and why that's another reason to prefer your arg over your opponent.
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Don't be a DocBot: I love that you're prepared and have enumerated overviews, blocks, and frontlines. I love heavy evidence and dense debates with a lot of moving parts. But if it sounds like you're just reading a doc without specific or explicit implications to your opponent's contentions you are not contributing anything meaningful to the round. Tell me why your responses interact. If they are reading an arg about the environment and just read an A2 Environment Non-Unique without explaining why your evidence or warranting is better then this debate will suffer.
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I'm comfortable if you want to take the debate down kritical, theoretical, and/or pre-fiat based roads. I think framework debates be them pre or post fiat are awesome. Voted on many K's before too. Here be dragons. I will say though, over time I've become increasingly tired of opportunistic, poor quality, and unfleshed out theory in PF. But in the coup of the century, I have been converted to the position that disclosure theory and para theory is a viable path to the ballot if you win your interp. I do have questions I am ruminating on after the summer doxxing of judges and debaters whether certain interps of disc are viable and am interested to see how that can be explored in a theory round. I would highly discourage running trigger warning theory in front of me. See thoughts below on that. All variables being equal I would prefer post-fiat stock topic-specific rounds but in principle remain as tabula rasa as I can on disc and paraphrasing theory.
Little Things
- (New Note for 2024: Speech docs have never intended to serve as an alternative to flowing a speech. They are for exchanging evidence faster and to better scrutinize evidence. Otherwise, you could send a 3000 word case and the speech itself could be as unintelligible as you would like without a harm. As a result there is an infinite regress of words you could send. Thus I will not look at a speech doc during your speech to aid with flowing and will clear you if needed. I will look at docs only when there is evidence comparison, flags, indicts etc but prefer to have it on hand. My speed threshold is very high but please be a bit louder than usual the faster you go. I know there is a trade off with loudness and speed but what can we do).
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What needs to be frontlined in second rebuttal? Turns. Not defense unless you have time. If you want offense in the final focus then extend it through the summary.
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Defense is not sticky between rebuttal and final focus. Aka if defense is not in summary you can't extend it in final focus. I've flipped on this recently. I've found the debate is hurt by the removal of the defense debate in summary and second final focus can extend whatever random defense it wants or whatever random frontlines to defense. This gives the second speaking teams a disproportionate advantage and makes the debate needlessly more messy.
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I will pull cards on two conditions. First, if it becomes a key card in the round and the other team questions the validity of the cut, paraphrasing, or explanation of the card in the round. Second, if the other team never discusses the merits of their opponents card the only time I will ever intervene and call for that evidence is if a reasonable person would know it's facially a lie.
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Calling for your opponent's cards. It should not take more than 1 minute to find case cards. Do preflows before the round. Smh y'all.
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If you spread that's fine. Just be prepared to adjust if I need to clear or provide speech docs to your opponents to allow for accessibility and accommodation.
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My favorite question in cx is: Why? For example, "No I get that's what your evidence says but why?"
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Germs are scary. I don't like to shake hands. It's not you! It's me! [Before covid times this was prophetic].
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I don't like to time because it slows my flow in fast rounds but please flag overtime responses in speechs and raise your phone. Don't interrupt or use loud timers.
Ramblings on Trigger Warning Theory
Let me explain why I am writing this. This isn't because I'm right and you're wrong. I'm not trying to convince you. Nor should you cite this formally in round to win said round. Rather, a lot of you care so much about debate and theory in particular gets pretty personal fairly quickly that I want to explain why my hesitancy isn't personal to you either. I am not opposing theory as someone who is opposed to change in Public Forum.
- First, I would highly discourage running trigger warning theory in front of me. My grad school research and longstanding work outside of debate has tracked how queer, civil rights advocates, religious minorities, and political dissidents have been extensively censored over time through structural means. The suppression and elimination of critical race theory and BLM from schools and universities is an extension of this. I have found it very difficult to be tabula rasa on this issue. TW/anonymous opt outs are welcome if you so wish to include them, that is your prerogative, but like I said the lack of one is not a debate I can be fair on. Let me be clear. I do not dismiss that "triggers" are real. I do not deny your lived experience on face nor claim all of you are, or even a a significant number of you, are acting in bad faith. This is always about balancing tests. My entire academic research for over 8 years was about how structural oppressors abuse these frameworks of "sin," "harm," "other," to squash dissidents, silence suffragettes, hose civil rights marchers, and imprison queer people because of the "present danger they presented in their conduct or speech." I also understand that some folks in the literature circles claim there is a double bind. You are opting out of trigger warning debates but you aren't letting me opt out of debates I don't want to have either. First, I will never not listen to or engage in this debate. My discouragement above is rooted in my deep fear that I will let you down because I can't be as fair as I would be on another issue. I tell students all the time tabula rasa is a myth. I still think that. It's a goal we strive for to minimize intervention because we will never eliminate it. Second, I welcome teams to still offer tw and will not penalize you for doing so. Third, discussions on SV, intersectionality, and civil rights are always about trade offs. Maybe times will change but historically more oppression, suppression, and suffering has come from the abuse of the your "speech does me harm" principle than it benefits good faith social justice champions who want to create a safe space and a better place. If you want to discuss this empirical question (because dang there are so many sources and this is an appeal to my authority) I would love to chat about it.
Next, let me explain some specific reasons why I am resistant to TW theory in debate using terms we use in the literature. There is a longstanding historical, philosophical, and queer/critical theory concern on gatekeeper shift. If we begin drawing more and more abstract lines in terms of what content causes enough or certain "harm" that power can and will be co-opted and abused by the equally more powerful. Imagine if you had control over what speech was permitted versus your polar opposite actor in values. Now imagine they, via structural means, could begin to control that power for themselves only. In the last 250 years of the US alone I can prove more instances than not where this gatekeeping power was abused by government and powerful actors alike. I am told since this has changed in the last twenty years with societal movements so should we. I don't think we have changed that significantly. Just this year MAUS, a comic about the Holocaust, was banned in a municipality in Jan 22. Toni Morrison was banned from more than a dozen school districts in 2021 alone. PEN, which is a free press and speech org, tracked more than 125 bills, policies, or resolutions alone this year that banned queer, black, feminist, material be them books, films, or even topics in classrooms, libraries, and universities. Even in some of the bills passed and proposed the language being used is under the guise of causing "discomfort." "Sexuality" and discussions of certain civil rights topics is stricken from lesson plans all together under these frameworks. These trends now and then are alarming.
I also understand this could be minimizing the trauma you relive when a specific topic or graphic description is read in round. I again do not deny your experience on face ever. I just cannot comfortably see that framework co-opted and abused to suppress the mechanisms or values of equality and equity. So are you, Gabe, saying because the other actors steal a tool and abuse that tool it shouldn't be used for our shared common goals? Yes, if the powerful abuse that tool and it does more harm to the arc of history as it bends towards justice than I am going to oppose it. This can be a Heckler's Veto, Assassin's Veto, Poisoning The Well, whatever you want to call it. Even in debate I have seen screenshots of actual men discussing how they would always pick the opt out because they don't want to "debate girls on women issues in front of a girl judge." This is of course likely an incredibly small group but I am tired of seeing queer, feminist, or critical race theory based arguments being punted because of common terms or non-graphic descriptions. Those debates can be so enriching to the community and their absence means we are structurally disadvantaged with real world consequences that I think outweigh the impacts usually levied against this arg. I will defend this line for the powerless and will do so until I die.
All of these above claims are neither syllogisms or encyclopedias of events. I am fallible and so are those arguments. Hence let us debate this but just know my thoughts.
Like in my disclaimer on the other theory shell none of these arguments are truisms just my inner and honest thoughts to help you make strategic decisions in the round.
Website: I love reading non-fiction, especially features. Check out my free website Rusk Reads for good article recs.
I debated in High School and College and am in my sixth year coaching.
I have experience in judging Policy, LD, Parli, PuFo and Congress. My primary experience is in Policy.
Address for the email chain: chris.ryan@lmusd.org
Judging Preferences:
I am big on courteous debate. A national champion or top talent must to be able remain professional under all circumstances, whether debating other top talent or a heavy mismatch. I can and will drop arrogant, superior debaters for violations of decorum. No debater should leave a round and be discouraged because of how they were treated by their opponent(s). Similarly, partners that write speeches or handle all of the CX are not "partners". When will your partner learn if they are not given the chance to succeed or fail on their own merits?
Policy Specific:
I would like a well debated round. The resolution is for conflict between the Aff and the Neg. Speed should not be at the expense of logic and well crafted arguments. Barfing cards or precanned responses is not debate. I can understand speed I just don't think that it furthers our activity. Explain why your arguments are important and how they create a narrative to capture my ballot.
I typically am a policy making critic.
LD Specific:
I prefer classic LD that warrants deep philosophical thought about a topic. I'd prefer if it not devolve into single competitor policy debate, plans, counter-plans and kritiks.
I have judged PF, Policy, and others forms of debate many times over the past few years, but I have never done debate myself.
I like a polite debate. The less cutting each other off the better especially since we are online.
It's also more important to me that you speak clearly and passionately than speaking as fast as possible.
I see debate as a space for knowledge production, where we can use our ideas about the world to transform the world or make it a better place. The debaters get to decide what the debate should be about, be that a plan text or a critical approach to the topic. There are various approaches to the resolution and I am open to listening to your particular approach. You should advocate an approach that engages/attempts to engage the resolution.
That in mind I will provide a disclaimer, do not say evil things for the sake of competition, that approach is not persuasive at all! By evil I mean saying that genocides are good/necessary or that rape is ok, this extreme is not one that will persuade me to vote for you.
Framework
NEG- If you are going to go for framework make sure that the rebuttals contextualize the framework debate to the affirmative. Specificity in these debates goes a long way because often times framework is a blanket extension of standards with no explanation as to how the 1AC in particular causes the impacts.
AFF- If you are answering framework make sure you address their interpretation or provide a counter interpretation for the debate. Alf's should attempt to address the resolution, but if you dismiss the resolution I expect there to be a defense of a non-topical approach.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
If you have any questions please feel free to email me @ jntterodriguez@gmail.com
email:
About Me: I am a former Open Debater at Cal State Fullerton. I had 3 years ~ debating in college and experience as a coach at CSUF. I have vast judging and coaching experience at the High School level. I spent a lot of my Career running mostly critiques including Settler Colonial K's, Afropessimism K's, Baudrillard K's, performance K's, as well as experience running Framework.
Aside from that my cases usually involved futurisms and storytelling.
Coaches: Toya Green, Romin Rajan, Lee Thach.
Me as a judge real talk: I can understand spreading, and I'm as good as anyone at getting this down. But Imma be honest, it is hard for me to stay organized. I joined debate in college, no high school experience.
In other words, framing is super important for me. Clarity is important to me, because I want to understand how you think we/you/ I should think, view and participate in the community, in this round, at this tournament, etc. Is debate a game? is the game good? why or why not? I'd like these question answered either implicitly or explicitly. I don't inherently work with the perception that debate is (just) a "game", but if given a good argument as to why I should take on that perspective (in this round, all the time, etc) I'll take on that perspective. I prefer not to feel like a worker in the debate factory who needs to take notes and produce a ballot, but idk maybe I should function in that way-just tell me why that's true.
Evidence Reading: I will read your cards if you urge me to look at them, or if they are contested during the round. Otherwise, I am assuming they say what you tell me they say. IF you don't mention the evidence outside of the 1ac/1nc, they most likely wont stay in the forefront of my mind during the debate. This means reading the evidence will a clear voice will give you an advantage with me, because I will most likely understand the evidence better.
Impact: Proximity and likelihood> magnitude and time frame
MISC:
Clipping Cards is an auto DQ.
I really don't care what you do as far as tag teaming, changing format, playing music, using stands, seating placement, etc. Do you, just don't make the debate go longer than it needs to. Also feel free to talk to me before, after and during prep in rounds. I generally enjoy talking about debate and like helping young peeps. Just chit chat and such.
Policy- I think that a straight up policy plan is dope. MY biggest concern is the debaters ability to explain numbers to me. ITs hard for me to do the calculations and understand why specific stats are important and win you the debate. I am pretty line by line when it comes to a policy debate. Id say with me, focus on some impact calc because thats usually where my attention is mostly at. Liklihood and proximity are more important than severity, magnitude. Time-Frame is iffy but doable.
FW- Honestly, framework is pretty cool. I think its become kind of a meme at this point about my annoyance with whiney FW debaters, so make sure you are being real with your critique. Framework says that there is a structure which needs to be followed for this activity to run efficiently. This assumes that the game of debate is good, so explain why the game is good, or why your specific version of the game is good. When you run framework you are saying that the other team is debating in a way that lessens/nullifies the benefits of debate. That is a big claim, so treat it as such. If you are just using it strategically- more power to you buuuuuuut, it makes you hella less persuasive if thats how you are coming off. Also, Fairness is not inherently a terminal impact, lol. At least mention debate is a game and tell me why the games good.
K- I love k's, but they get hella sloppy. With k's, i need to know that you are solving your impacts. seems basic but im shocked at how often debaters dont explain how their "self abolishment" solves antiblackness. Acknowledging that there is a problem isn't a solution, or plan or anything. It's just a diagnosis. I need a prescription. HAving said that, Im pretty open minded when it comes to different strats. The more weird the more fun for me.
I'm way more truth than tech.
I am a Public Forum coach. I like to see teams who are polite and respectful to their opponents, especially during crossfires. Definitely include weighing and impact calculus in your final focus, don’t leave it up to me.
zsandoval@loyolahs.edu
I competed for 4 years, primarily in PF and a bit of policy. When it comes to Public Forum I don't want you to just read evidence at me, stop trying to make PF policy! Explain your evidence and warrants, give good analysis. Also I really enjoy Framework debates, if you're going to read framework carry it through the entire round. Care about FW arguments because thats how i'm going to end up voting if i'm not given an alternative FW. Make sure there is actual clash, dont just tell me why your positions are important.
Since im fairly new to CX I dont have a ton of preferences, just dont expect me to understand super high theory off the bat, and if you do run it, make sure to explain it really well. Other than that just do your thing and be kind to each other. I am generally a laid back person, however i have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to being purposefully cruel or bigoted to your opponents or otherwise. Lets have fun and learn from each other, thats what this is all about.
Focus on clear articulation and strong final focus. Discussions during cross is important for me to understand the contentions better.
Hello Debaters!
I am volunteer/parent judge and have little background knowledge on the topic, so please do not rush through your arguments. Though I will, of course, be listening to your arguments, my assessment of the winning team will also be based on your delivery, poise, presentation of research, etc. I would like to see definitions of unfamiliar terms and explanations of the topics presented.
I debated 4 years in high school parli and PF and I’m a year into college British parli so I have a lot of experience!
Here’s a list of things that I do and do not want to see in a round!
1. Introduce yourselves and make sure that you are following proper etiquette when entering the room.
2. Don’t stall the round I’m here to judge and you are here to debate.
3. It’s extremely important that you show a good understanding of your case and the topic and you are not simply throwing out arguments that you think fit.
4. Theory debate is something that I know can be imperative for a round but please avoid at all cost and if not use it properly and not to pigeon hole a debate via some specific definition
5. Make sure you properly tag and flag rebuttal I will pick it up but I shouldn’t have to do that for you.
6. Speed is something I don’t mind when it is because you have a natural habit but if you are purposely spreading I will most likely drop my pen.
7. Rude debaters aren’t fun to watch at all so really try to not.
i weigh rounds based off of 1. Impacted out arguenents with proper explanation and linking 2. Understanding and context 3. Etiquette
GENERAL
1. Clarity > Loudness > Speed.
2. Framing > Impact > Solvency. Framing is a prior question. Don’t let me interpret the debate, interpret the debate for me.
3. Truth IS Tech. Warranting, comparative analysis, and clash structure the debate.
4. Offense vs Defense: Defense supports offense, though it's possible to win on pure defense.
5. Try or Die vs Neg on Presumption: I vote on case turns & solvency takeouts. AFF needs sufficient offense and defense for me to vote on Try or Die.
6. Theory: Inround abuse > potential abuse.
7. Debate is a simulation inside a bigger simulation.
NEGATIVE
TOPICALITY: As far as I am concerned, there is no resolution until the negative teams reads Topicality. The negative must win that their interpretation resolves their voters, while also proving abuse. The affirmative either has to win a no link we meet, a counterinterp followed up with a we meet, or just straight offense against the negative interpretation. I am more likely to vote on inround abuse over potential abuse. If you go for inround abuse, list out the lost potential for neg ground and why that resolves the voters. If you go for potential abuse, explain what precedents they set.
FRAMEWORK: When the negative runs framework, specify how you orient Fairness & Education. If your FW is about education, then explain why the affirmative is unable to access their own pedagogy, and why your framework resolves their pedagogy better and/or presents a better alternative pedagogy. If your FW is about fairness, explain why the affirmative method is unable to solve their own impacts absent a fair debate, and why your framework precedes Aff impacts and/or is an external impact.
DISADVANTAGES: Start with impact calculation by either outweighing and/or turning the case. Uniqueness sets up the timeframe, links set up probability, and the impact sets up the magnitude.
COUNTERPLANS: Specify how the CP solves the case, a DA, an independent net benefit, or just plain theory. Any net benefit to the CP can constitute as offense against the Permutation.
CASE: Case debate works best when there is comparative analysis of the evidence and a thorough dissection of the aff evidence. Sign post whether you are making terminal defense arguments or case turns.
KRITIKS: Framing is key since a Kritik is basically a Linear Disad with an Alt. When creating links, specify whether they are links to the Aff form and/or content. Links to the form should argue why inround discourse matters more than fiat education, and how the alternative provides a competing pedagogy. Links to the content should argue how the alternative provides the necessary material solutions to resolving the neg and aff impacts. If you’re a nihilist and Neg on Presumption is your game, then like, sure.
AFFIRMATIVES
TRADITIONAL AFFIRMATIVES
PLANS WITH EXTINCTION IMPACTS: If you successfully win your internal link story for your impact, then prioritize solvency so that you can weigh your impacts against any external impacts. Against other extinction level impacts, make sure to either win your probability and timeframe, or win sufficient amount of defense against the negs extinction level offense. Against structural violence impacts, explain why proximate cause is preferable over root cause, why extinction comes before value to life, and defend the epistemological, pedagogical, and ethical foundations of your affirmative. i might be an "extinction good" hack.
PLANS WITH STRUCTURAL IMPACTS: If you are facing extinction level disadvantages, then it is key that you win your value to life framing, probability/timeframe, and no link & impact defense to help substantiate why you outweigh. If you are facing a kritik, this will likely turn into a method debate about the ethics of engaging with dominant institutions, and why your method best pedagogically and materially effectuates social change.
KRITIKAL AFFIRMATIVES
As a 2A that ran K Affs, the main focus of my research was answering T/FW, and cutting answers to Ks. I have run Intersectionality, Postmodernism, Decolonization, & Afropessimism. Having fallen down that rabbit hole, I have become generally versed in (policy debate's version of) philosophy.
K AFF WITH A PLAN TEXT: Make sure to explain why the rhetoric of the plan is necessary to solve the impacts of the aff. Either the plan is fiated, leading a consequence that is philosophically consistent with the advantage, or the plan is only rhetorical, leading to an effective use of inround discourse (such as satire). The key question is, why was saying “United States Federal Government,” necessary, because it is likely that most kritikal teams will hone their energy into getting state links.
K BEING AFFS: Everything is bad. These affs incorporate structural analysis to diagnosis how oppression manifests metaphysically, materially, ideologically, and/or discursively, "We know the problem, and we have a solution." This includes Marxism, Settler Colonialism, & Afropessimism affs. Frame how the aff impact is a root cause to the negative impacts, generate offense against the alternative, and show how the perm necessitates the aff as a prior question.
K BECOMING AFFS: Truth is bad. These affs point to complex differences that destabilize the underlying metanarratives of truth and power, "We problematize the way we think about problems." This includes Postmodern, Intersectionality, & Performance affs. Adapt to turning the negative links into offense for the aff. Short story being, if you're just here to say truth is bad, then you're relying on your opponent to make truth claims before you can start generating offense.
I debated in high school and college, and I also coached both high school and college. Decades ago. I flow, and I am fine with spreading as long as you enunciate and don’t slur your words. I will judge the round based on what you argue.
Be kind. Don’t be obnoxious.
Since I’m old school, I have little patience for kritiks and theory. I expect topical debates. Don’t waste our time with arguments that have absolutely nothing to do with the resolution. Turn your argument into a disad, and you may have something I’d vote for. If both sides agree on a framework, I will likely apply it unless it is completely silly. I will not adopt a framework that asks me to vote for the team who says “banana” the most times in the round, even if both sides ask me to do so. If there is no agreement on framework, I will likely apply utilitarianism, even if nobody asks me to do so. Do not read me a poem, or tell me a story, or try to win the round by letting me know how the other side’s arguments make you “feel.” Not gonna work. High speaks go to those with great, on topic, clash.
I don’t like planless affs because I think they are abusive. The aff should always have a plan that relates to the topic.
I will of course consider voting for a counterplan. But be careful. I am voting on the resolution, not the plan. If the neg gives me a topical counterplan, I’m inclined to vote aff.
Do not speak in a monotone. Vary your pitch, pace, and volume. Make eye contact. Use cross ex wisely. If you are going to ask for cards, I expect you to do that in cross ex or using prep time. If the other side has a better argument, you will not win the round if you just repeat the argument they already blew out of the water. I only extend arguments that are unrefuted.
If I have to flow the aff arguments and the neg arguments on separate pages because they are talking about completely different things, that's not a debate. I like a round with lots of clash that forces me to weigh the arguments the aff won against the arguments the neg won. That's a good debate.