The Dulles Classic
2021 — NSDA Campus, TX/US
Lincoln Douglas Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideTab judge so run anything you’d like as long as its nothing offensive ie impact turns to oppression. I don’t default to anything so all arguments must be communicated clearly in the round including the implications of those arguments. Spreading is fine but slow down and be extra clear on tag lines and author names. If you have any specific questions just ask me before the round.
New cosponsor of Elkins High School debate team.
Parent judge:
Hello all, I am a parent judge and I have been judging LD, PF, and other individual events for the last 6 years.
My email israjran@gmail.complease use it for pre-round questions and for the email chain. Sending me your cases will help me flow and adjudicate your round better.
FLOWING: I will flow a line-by-line analysis. Please start out with specific arguments and then summarize at the end. I am tolerant of going slightly over time limits. I am fine with moderate spreading and persuasive speeds. in the case of persuasive debate, I will weigh the argumentation, and will consider intonation, inflection, diction, clarity, and truth of the arguments in question.
DECISION: I evaluate framework, arguments, reasoning and evidence. Please have a clear framework that's well explained, I default to Util but explain how your impacts function under that FW.
OTHER PREFERENCES: For speaking, please speak clearly and speak to the point. In terms of speed, please do NOT SPREAD. Speaking marginally fast is okay as long as you slow down at the impactful parts, tags, numbers you want me to flow, etc. Do NOT RUN THEORY . If I do flow part of your theory argument , it will not be a major evaluation in the debate. Pleasedon't read Kritiksor dense philosophical fws. Counter-plans are fine if you explain them well and show why they are preferable to the aff.
*Parent Judge*
In terms of speaking preference I would appreciate the delivery of speeches to not be rushed but rather clear and concise.
DO NOT SPREAD!!!
You will be keeping track of your own time.
GOOD LUCK!
I am a parent judge and judged mostly PF since 2020 including some TOC bid tournaments this year. But please strike me if you don’t want deal with lay judge
1) I am OK with above average speed but please don’t speak too fast
2) Key points clear and well supported
3) Make good and logical arguments
4) Be respectful to your opponents and try to not interrupt too much during crossfire.
Have fun and good luck!
My paradigm is simple- be good.
When it comes to debate, I won't reward "debate tricks"... you need to do a better job with your case than the opponent, not Reductio Ad Absurdum.
I have a background as a History and Government & Economics instructor; getting simple statistics, historical precedent, and overall facts incorrect will hurt you. I don't judge that way to "gotcha"- I judge that way because winning debate requires you to be "the expert in the room."
I can adjust to different styles of debate but spreading is likely to hurt you more than help you.
With speech, I want to believe the character(s) you create. With humorous pieces, I want to be entertained (and maybe even smile). With dramatic pieces, create the scene for me... you do not advance/place because you have the "saddest" piece.
Hi! My name is Abby and I debated in PF all four years of high school and dabbled a little in congress as well! I have competed on the local circuit in New York and Iowa as well as the national circuit, so I have been exposed to many different styles of debate.
I am 100% Tech > truth. I will vote for completely bogus arguments if they are not properly refuted, but I will be sad so please don’t make me do that.
Add me to the email chain: abbybonat@gmail.com
Speed: I can handle fast paced rounds but if you are going to spread I expect you to send a speech doc to everyone in the room/zoom call.
Framework: I don’t really like framework because it limits the possibility for an interesting weighing debate, but that’s just my opinion. I will not penalize you for running it as long as you warrant it. Don’t just state your framework without telling me why I should prefer it over util.
**Please tell me which side of the flow you are starting on before giving your speech! With that being said, do not give a 5 minute off time roadmap.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE signpost clearly!!
First Rebuttal: just use this time to respond to your opponent’s case and weigh if time permits. You do not need to go back and extend your case since there is no ink on it yet.
Second Rebuttal: you should always frontline in second rebuttal (especially turns!) i also think it's strategic to collapse here! If there are turns on a contention you MUST either concede to any delinks or frontline the turn. Dropping the contention does not drop the turn!
DO NOT EXTEND THROUGH INK
Summary: I do not require defense in first summary but I do think it is strategic to extend turns! You should also start weighing here if you haven’t already!
Weighing: Your weighing must be comparative! I will be very sad if you just say “we outweigh on magnitude” without any further explanation. Thats not weighing!! I will be very pleased to see metaweighing or at least see you respond to your opponents’ weighing and tell me why I should prefer your’s. Also, I would really like to see evidence weighing. If there are two pieces of conflicting evidence in the debate you must tell me why to prefer your's instead of just repeating your evidence over again.
I have ZERO tolerance for any sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. If i see anyone behaving inappropriately or overall making the debate space uncomfortable i will drop you and report to tab without hesitation.
Cross fire: I will not flow but I will listen. If something important happens it must be brought up in a speech. Mentioning in cross fire does not equal extending!
Please keep a consistent narrative through the round! Do not decide to collapse on a contention and then change your mind. This means your final focus should follow the same format as your partner’s summary.
I will not call for evidence that is not refuted in the round. However, if i read your evidence and it does not say what you say it says, I will be less likely to buy anything else you read. If you feel your opponent is practicing bad evidence ethics, feel free to use that as a voter in the round. Nothing makes me more mad than power tagged evidence!!
Extend claim, warrant, and impact! Do not just extend your impact evidence and expect me to vote off it.
*my email is babbonnete@gmail.com*
LD- I'm fine with speed. run whatever you want.
PF- Steps to getting my vote: extend, line by line rebuttal, collapse in summary, if you're speaking second then I expect your summary to address attacks made in last rebuttal. Also: weigh in EVERY SPEECH.
Policy-
Here are some of my personal preferences: I like K's. Signpost. I don't expect the 1AR to respond to a 13 paged card dump, just do your best by grouping arguments and responding in a way that allows you enough time to save your 1AC from falling into LOTR fire pit.
Aight this’ll probably change throughout the course of my like judging career but yeah, here we go for now.
edit for grapevine: pls don't go at ur top speed, school is already scrambling my brain and its the first tournament of the year. 70-90% is good but above that I'm def gonna miss arguments
ADD ME TO THE CHAIN: sbraithwaite@guilford.edu
***If you're addressing me call me X. I will doc your speaks by 0.5 if you call me anything else but judge or X***
I’m X, aka Newark Science SB (she/they), i’ve done LD debate since I was a freshman and policy debate a couple of times since I was a junior. I qualled twice to the TOC (2019 & 2020) and took two tourneys my junior year, Byram Hills and Ridge, and got to bid rounds of policy tournaments with 3 different partners. I almost exclusively read identity-based arguments from the time I was a sophomore until my senior year. My literature base consists of Alexis P. Gumbs, Saidiya Hartman, Nadia Brown, Lisa Young, etc. This should tell you a little bit about my stance towards Ks
A few paradigm issues (aka TLDR):
1. Ks/K affs/Performance/Non-T>K Theory>T>Theory>Policy>Tricks
2. YOUR 2NR/2AR SHOULD BE WRITING MY BALLOT FOR ME- The best way to get high speaks/my ballot is for my RFD to sound damn near like those 2 speeches. closing the debate is reallllly important, especially in close rounds. I won't do the work for you.
Things I default to-
1. Truth > Tech: Techy arguments make it so that important conversations about race, sex, positionality, etc. get drown out by things that don’t matter like a debater dropping subpoint A8 of impact 35. By truth I mean, big picture debate, not claims that are literally true. Ex: The aff says that black women should sacrifice themselves to save the entire world. The neg should engage with this idea, it’s clearly a bad one. The way tech is used against K debaters is unable to hold them accountable for the ways in which they add to a violent debate space. That brings me to my second point.
2. Debate is not a game. Debate has material impacts for those who engage in it, especially POC. Please be mindful that debate is sometimes some debater’s only option when it comes to funding college or having a platform to speak freely. Also it’s just not unreasonable to consider how it can be a game for some and not for others. You have a high threshold to prove to me why it is (hint: maybe find better, more strategic T shells, friend)
3. Word PICs against K affs are not a good look whatsoever. Unless they do something OVERTLY wrong, like saying the N-word without being black, etc. don’t read it infront of me. It’s violent and abstracts from infinite violence against the group of people they’re talking about. So you’re telling me changing the ‘e’ to an ‘x’ in women will change discourse about black women in gender studies? Yeah aight. Anyways, it’s a form of infinite policing and promotes a bad model of debate. But if you feel like there’s a legit reason to read a PIC go for it! I exclusively read PIKs in the latter half of my senior year.
4. Util framing is kinda ridiculous and anti-black. Not saying I won’t evaluate it, but if your opponent warrants why it is, given that the claim is literally just true, you’re gonna be held at a higher threshold to prove why it’s not. Just saying.
Now the fun stuff:
Ks/Ks affs/Performance: This is what I LIVE for. But only if you know what you’re talking about. If you’re just doing just to do it or for my ballot and execute it poorly, I won’t hack for you. K debate takes work, dedication and reading. If you think that you can override all three layers, read some K off the Wake backfiles and get my ballot, it’s gon be a sad day for you.
Theory/Tricks: Friv theory belongs with tricks, don’t like it, it’s violent, will not even flow it. Disclosure theory is fine EXCEPT when you are debating a black person or you are one. 1. Niggas don’t have to disclose to you 2. Disclose to niggas. Besides that, theory can be really creative and fun and actually substantive/responsive.
T: Traumatizing, mentally exhausting and often times whiney. Fairness isn’t a voter, read it and I will not flow it as an impact. T is often used against black debaters to get out of hard convos. Also like if we being REAL right now, I think theres probably like one or two completely untopical affs per year. Y’all like to run T against K affs to silence their relation to the topic because it’s “too hard to engage with”. Boo-Hoo for you. Ask your coach how to engage. It’s what they’re paid for.
***EDIT AS OF 1/1/2021: I do like a good T debate but please please please don’t read from some K aff block. make it nuanced. make it relevant. make it meaningful.
Policy: This is lowkey an unknown for me if i’m being honest. Never debated in a policy way, it’s towards the bottom because I don’t trust myself to judge policy, but if you do, hey, go off.
*Speaker points for me aren’t based off of aesthetics of debate norms, but big picture debate. Meaning if I vote you up on T USFG or something like it, it’ll be a low point win.
Legal Studies teacher and Debate Coach at Westside High School
Email: benjamin.campagna@houstonisd.org. You can email me for an explanation of these paradigms or with debate questions in general.
As with all aspects of our lives, our lived experiences influence our biases, priorities, and preferences. This is true for judging paradigms as well as anything else. I have been involved with debate in one capacity or another for over 20 years, first as a high school debater who did both LD and CX, then as a mentor and judge for many years after that, and finally as a debate coach since 2017. I am also a practicing attorney and a teacher. Ultimately, I believe that debate serves three main purposes: 1) education, 2) competition, and 3) fun. My judging paradigms flow from those purposes and my experiences in both the academic and "real" worlds.
I am a tabula rasa judge. I believe that debate is a curricular game and the participants should use whatever legal tools are at their disposal to try to win. Therefore, I believe in tech over truth (but logical inconsistency in argumentation is bad tech, as described below). Tell me how you want to play the game, and I will adapt to you.
Keep in mind, though, that I believe that games are only educational, fun, and fair when everyone plays by the same rules. Unlike most games, the rules for debate are flexible, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I expect all of the participants in the round to understand the handbook/hard rules and the norms common for whatever circuit we're in (HUDL, UIL, TFA, NSDA, etc.), and if you are arguing that the rules or norms should be different than expected, you need to be convincing. If the debaters in the round do not convincingly argue why we should be playing by different rules, I will default to the standard rules of the game and the typical judging paradigms (framework arguments and impact calculus). I will vote on anything if the team can clearly explain why I should care about that issue or give weight to that argument, so there are no arguments I will refuse to consider. However, there are some arguments that will have an easier or harder time moving the needle for me, as described below.
Before diving into specific argument preferences, a brief note about speaking style. I view debate as, first and foremost, an educational activity for the participants in the round. The main skill I think debaters should be learning is how to effectively persuade a third party observing an argument. It's not enough that the third party thinks you execute technical argumentation well; it's more important that the third party understands you and believes what you say. Therefore, I take the evaluation of speaker points seriously. I am fine with speed and can follow spreading, but I ask that you give detailed roadmaps and follow them well, slow down to emphasize your taglines, and tell me where you are on the flow when you move on to a new argument.
POLICY
In cross-examination debate, I ultimately want to know what the problem is, what the Affirmative proposes to do about it, and why the Affirmative plan is a net-positive to implement. I have no reason to vote for the Affirmative if they do not clear this burden first. A K-Aff will need to advocate for a strong alternative that relates to the resolution.
The Negative's responsibility is to tell me why we should not implement the Affirmative advocacy (solvency deficit, disadvantages, counterplans, Kritiks, etc.). I am especially persuaded by impact calculus in deciding whether or not the Affirmative plan is worth implementing.
Burdens:
Generally speaking, I care a lot about burdens. If both sides make good arguments and no one argues why the other side's arguments are bad (lack of competition), then Aff wins because Neg has not upheld its burden of clash. I don't care how much better the Neg's position is, if the Affirmative still looks like a net benefit over the status quo at the end of the round, they win. On the other hand, if both sides tear each other apart and by the end of the round no one has made any good arguments, then Neg wins because the Aff has not upheld their burden of proof. It doesn't matter how bad Neg's arguments are, Aff can't win if it doesn't support a position that is better than the status quo at the end of the round.
Analytics:
Obviously, certain claims require carded evidence, and I will usually weigh carded evidence over contradicting analytics. However, I am absolutely fine with arguments based on logic and analysis. Only empirical claims that cannot be reasonably derived from common knowledge or an analysis of the evidence that has been presented in the round need to be carded.
DAs:
Most rounds are decided in the impact calculus, so be sure to emphasize this in the round. Explain why I should care about what you're saying and why the other side's position is less weighty than yours. I care less that you won the DA and more about what it means for my ballot that you won the DA. Many teams have won arguments and still lost the round because I didn't think that them winning that particular argument was very important to the outcome of the round.
In weighing advantages and disadvantages, uniqueness carries a lot of weight with me, especially on political DAs. Convince me that we're on the brink and it's the plan that pushes us over the edge.
Please avoid logically-inconsistent DAs. For example, it's hard for me to reconcile that the plan crashes the economy but also helps the president win reelection.
CPs:
For a counterplan, the Negative has the burden of proving that the counterplan is a net-positive over both the status quo and the Affirmative plan.
I am generally fine with any number of conditional counterplans; in the real world, if someone comes up with seven alternatives to a plan that are mutually exclusive with that plan, defending any one of those alternatives is a valid reason to not implement the plan. If it turns out that none of those alternatives was good, but the plan itself is worse than the status quo, that's also a valid reason to not implement the plan. I don't have a problem with the Neg team making both arguments. However, I am not a fan of topical counterplans as I believe that encroaches on Aff ground and blurs the burdens discussed above.
Ks:
If I am convinced of the framework/role-of-the-ballot argument, then I will weigh the Kritik above any other consideration (except theory, see below). If I am not convinced of the framework argument, then I will weigh the Kritik like a disadvantage along with the other advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, don't rush past the framework argument, it's an important part of winning the K.
The K team has the burden of proof. I think most Ks are susceptible to permutation ("do the plan on the way to reforming the system"). Unlike counterplans, I am generally not persuaded by conditional Ks: if you think the status quo is so broken that it warranted a departure from traditional debate and the topic we came here to discuss, then I want you to commit to it. If you also run an argument contradicting your K, then I doubt your advocacy and you should lose the K.
I am not in favor of any argument that precludes a debater from making an argument because of that debater's identity. "You can't say that, you're [whatever identity]!" is not a winning argument. Also, it is your burden to explain your position in a way that your opponents and judge can understand. If you argue that your opponent (or judge) just doesn't understand (or care about) your K because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or any other personal quality, then you have failed in your advocacy and you will not win that K.
Theory:
We've all had those moments playing games that devolve into an argument over the rules of the game. At the end of that game, people are miserable and no one feels good about winning or losing. That's how I feel about theory arguments in debate. Theory obviously goes toward the fairness of the game itself, and a successful theory argument is my highest priority in the round. However, I don't like frivolous theory arguments and I will be heavily biased against you if you argue that something is abusive when it is generally considered within the usual norms of the circuit. I won't do it for you, but I am easily swayed that frivolous theory is a reverse voting issue. That doesn't mean a theory team can't win, but it does mean you better bring your A-game.
I will vote on topicality if the Affirmative plan is clearly abusive or burdensome for the Negative or outside the scope of what the resolution is most commonly understood to mean. I am almost never persuaded by topicality arguments when the Negative was clearly prepped for the Affirmative case, or when there are very few reasonable Affirmative plans that can be topical under the Negative's proposed definitions.
Conditionality is generally fine for CPs, but not Ks (see those sections above). I'm not going to do the work for you: you still have to argue condo-good or condo-bad. But I'm much more sympathetic to condo-bad on Ks than CPs.
I am fine with new arguments in either second constructive speech (i.e., I don't consider "new in the two" to be a problem generally), EXCEPT that I am not really ok with new advocacies (new plan text, counterplans, new Ks) after the 1NC. New theory arguments should be brought up at the first available opportunity after the violation occurred. If the 1AC was problematic, abusive, or non-topical, that should be the first thing I hear about in the 1NC; I'm going to have a hard time buying it in the 2NC if you spent the 1NC arguing solvency and disadvantages.
Basically, save theory for when it's necessary; it's a scalpel for cutting out those cancerous debaters and debate tactics, not an axe for bludgeoning fair opponents.
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS
The spirit of everything I said above about burdens, analytics, Kritiks, and theory also apply generally to LD. Specific to LD:
Framework:
I believe that the framework debate is at the heart of LD, and therefore am especially receptive to arguments linking back to the framework. I can be convinced that something else is more important, but few ever try. I also feel like many debaters don't use their framework enough in their argumentation. In LD specifically, the framework debate is more important than the impact calculus. Please spend some time here!
Plans:
The existence or non-existence of a plan will not sway me one way or the other. There are strategic advantages and disadvantages to running a plan, but neither side has a burden to present or defend a plan. I therefore do not consider the existence of a plan to be a voting issue. A strong theory argument on this issue could change my mind, but it will be an uphill battle for whoever is making that argument.
Hello, my name is Ray Chacko.
I believe how we say is as important as to what we say. Teams, during debates, ignore the fact that their facial expression, tone and respect for the rules are delivering a subtle message about the team. They may have empirical arguments with supporting evidence but I believe in order to create a solid impression on the judge, each team member needs to adhere to the ground rules of respect, display a pleasant demeanor and be willing to express their opinion without argument or insults. I believe they also should take criticism of the opponents creatively and be willing to adjust the tone/message accordingly.
I am a parent volunteer judge with children doing debate for many years. I have been judging debate for a few times already. I judge the debate based on who persuades me of their side more with facts and logic. With speed, I am comfortable with slower and clear speaking. In LD I understand the importance of value and criterion so please make sure you have both and that your arguments center around them.
speed is fine as long as you make an email chain/speech drop - email is obinnadennar@gmail.com
im fine with all types of debate. i love critical arguments/case positions that engage with various types of philosophy. k debate is my favorite. cool with everything else.
one note on theory: i do not like frivolous theory (i.e. down my opponent since they are wearing socks - yes, i have seen this shell). if your opponent gets up in the next speech and says this is stupid and don't pay attention to it. i will discard it and i will not see it as a voting issues. that being said, if there is actual abuse in the round, theory is not only fine but welcomed. competing interps over reasonability.
please feel free to ask any questions before the round. ill be more than happy to answer them
I have been a local parent judge in 2 events in this school year, I do not prefer spreading. I vote based on mainly on evidence and cross. I also will consider theory in deciding who I vote for. I give more importance to cross as it gives me a chance to know how prepared both sides are.
Update fall 2024:I've coached for the last few years but have otherwise been somewhat removed from debate. Below information is still correct; in addition, I spend most of my time now thinking about psychoanalysis, Deleuze, and aesthetics.
Hi, I'm Ben! I debated at Strake Jesuit for 4 years on the TFA and TOC circuits, qualling to TOC sophomore, junior, and senior year. For quick prefs, below are types of args based on how much I feel comfortable judging them. I'm happy to judge anything, and the list isn't meant to be limiting at all!
1. Kritiks, policy stuff
2. Theory, T, phil
3. Tricks
I won't vote on any argument that makes debate unsafe, and, generally, please don't be sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.
More specific stuff (I hope to add to this as I judge more and realize my specific thoughts on debate):
Theory and T:
I default competing interps, drop the debater, and no RVIs for shells that indict advocacies or entire positions (e.g., condo) and drop the arg for other shells (e.g., aff definition choice). Those aren't hard and fast rules, and I'd much rather that you introduce paradigms if you're reading theory.
I'm not opposed to the semantics 2NR at all, but I find that I have trouble flowing the dense grammar stuff at full speed. As such, I really appreciate examples and clarity here!
Policy stuff/LARP:
I'll judge kick if you ask me to, but I won't default judge kick on advocacies the 2NR extends without asking me to do so.
Kritiks:
I enjoy kritik debates where the 1NC makes an effort to contextualize links to the plan's discourse and action. I don't think links to the topic are absolutely necessary to achieve this, but they certainly don't hurt.
I don't often find myself persuaded by collapses against kritiks that are defensive, particularly against reps Ks. Generate offense!
Lots of kritiks, especially pessimistic ones, are read as if they are afropessimism - if your cards don't say ontological death, then you shouldn't either! Please please read and debate the kritik in a way that is consistent with your literature instead of explicitly parasitic on Black debate.
Phil:
I am more familiar with Kant, Pettit, Hobbes, and Levinas and less so with other theories. Happy to hear them, just explain well!
Tricks:
Please signpost effectively or I will not be able to flow these debates.
Miscellaneous stuff:
I'll default to tournament rules for evidence ethics, but I generally think violations like misrepresenting the author's intent or violating tournament rules are sufficient for you to stop the round. I'd rather you introduce violations like missing a few words at the end of a card as a theory argument so I don't have to use my own predispositions to determine if it constitutes losing the round, but you do you.
Prep ends when you finish compiling the doc.
Speaks are a reflection of your strategy, efficiency, and argument quality. I generally think speaks tend to be biased and inflated/deflated depending on the tournament, so I'll keep that in mind
(she/they) Email: lauren.gilli03@gmail.com
(Pre-Round Skimming=Bold)
I have 4-years' debating experience in VPF (mainly trad/lay), various IEs, and 3 years at NSDA Nats for PF/Extemp (once somehow). If you have any questions before/after the round, ask! I like giving help and will give critiques when I can.
~Decorum~
- Don't be an [expletive] in round. If bad enough, give you the lowest speaks possible or the L :)
- I will not stand for prejudiced arguments/rhetoric. I will give opposing team the opportunity to continue, otherwise I will end the round with a fun chat and an L for the offending team, along with lowest possible speaks and a talk with coaches.
- Use trigger/content warnings please. If you have enough foresight to do that, I expect an alt prepared.
- Please no descriptions of sexual assault/in-depth anecdotes of such.
Basics
- Your job is to make my job easy.
- Keep a clear narrative throughout the round- overviews are nice and I love them done well.
- Speak clearly :)- stumbling is fine, I feel you. It doesn't mean you're any less confident.
- In PF, it's not policy- and in LD, stay understandable. No spreading please. If y'all are going way too fast, I will raise my hand.
- For Congress, spreading is absolutely contradictory to the point of the event. Please don't <3
- If, for some god-forsaken reason, you decide to spread against my warning, please send me a case doc. Email above.
- Debate is a competition, yes, but also respect the origins. The point of debate is to persuade, and you can't perform if you are spreading. If you are going too fast, I signal, and you don't slow down... I will flow what I can understand. You have been warned.
- - - I have four points about spreading. That is a sign.
- EVERYONE: SIGNPOST PLEASE <3
- Weigh for me, otherwise I'll do it myself (and that is a threat...mwahaha).
- I generally don't vote on obviously false args. Opposition, at least tell me it's clearly false, give a quick reason before moving on.
- As long as an argument is warranted, have fun with it! I like wacky args if the links are there.
First Speakers (PF)
- Please don't state Cost-Benefit Analysis (a la common sense) as FW in your case. It is useless unless it is used as a response to your opponent's FW.
- Give me (preferably only) voters in summary (collapsing/crystallizing) - again, makes my job easier - line-by-line is rarely summarizing and I will die on this hill. At least throw in voters at the end if you decide to not summarize in your summary
Second Speakers (PF)
- Your success in rebuttal rests on signposting. Tell me where you are! Please!
- For your partner's sake (and your own), start weighing in rebuttal
- Have fun with final focus because it doesn't matter much- The round is won in Rebuttal and Summary! Be sassy but stick to your guns- keep your narrative cohesive w summary
Crossfire/Ex
- It doesn't matter. Keep it clean, no punching. I don't flow during this time unless there is a mic-drop moment. If there is said mic-drop moment, bring it through in later speeches.
- I'm only here for the quotable moments
- finish answer if timer beeps, but not question
Evidence
- I have absolutely no tolerance when it comes to evidence violations. I have had bad experiences in round and will not let an abusive team win. If you want me to call for your/the opp's evi at end of round, tell me. Don't be afraid to stop the round and call a violation if they continue insisting on their evidence being something it's not.
Theory
Very limited experience, outside of a few rounds re: disclosure in LD and one in PF. If you run theory, be clear about your narrative and make it obvious why it should be preferred over substance.
Lincoln-Douglas
I am sorry, I have limited experience in LD judging. I'm teaching myself as much as I can starting '21. but please treat me as a lay judge. Spell it out please. I know next to nothing about LD, so be clear and explain thoroughly. Limit jargon- I competed a lot, but in a very traditional circuit. Glean what you can from the PF paradigm <3
_________________________________
This is debate! The point is to learn and meet people! In the words of my former debate coach, "Do your best. Have fun."
- Arguments: I'm most comfortable and prefer traditional arguments but will always hear you out and weigh things to the best of my ability. I’m more likely to appreciate arguments that engage directly with the topic, rather than abstract meta-debates, so it must be said; If you prefer more "creative" or less traditional arguments, maybe don't pref me.
- Quality over Quantity: I value well-developed, high-quality arguments more than the sheer number of points and evidence. I’m looking for depth, clarity, and logical consistency in your case. I want a focus on your argument rather than countless cards.
- Respect Between Competitors: Debate should be a respectful exchange of ideas. Personal attacks, condescension, or a lack of decorum will reflect poorly on you. Maintain a professional tone throughout the round.
- Spreading: I’m not the biggest fan of spreading. Don't get me wrong, speed is a natural thing, but I'm not comfortable with someone speaking fast to the point of super human. Keep your arguments clear and to the point. I want to understand your points without feeling overwhelmed or needing to ask for speech docs.
- Framework and Weighing: A strong framework is essential. Clearly establish how I should evaluate the round, and be sure to weigh your arguments against your opponent's case. Demonstrating why your impacts outweigh is crucial.
- Presentation: Effective delivery, including eye contact, tone, and composure, matters to me. Signposting is always welcome in your speech as it helps with the flow of the debate. I usually expect competitors to know timing of rounds and to time themselves.
- Disclosing: I typically do not disclose decisions in preliminary rounds. I like to move things quickly and put in feedback after in order to get going to a next round.
- Speech Rounds- Really the biggest thing I look for in speeches is the significance of what you have to say and can someone connect and relate to your message.
PREF SHORTLIST: Ks > Policy >>>>>> everything else and if ur a trad debater pls strike me thank u in advance
Disclaimer: writing this completely from scratch as of 9/26/22 bc the other one was long & outdated & I didn’t feel like updating it.
anyways hi I’m James, if you don’t know me call me J. SFA ’21 & UT Austin ’25. I debated in cx/ld for 5(ish) years total & competed locally/nationally for all of those
Other disclaimers:
- I start at a 28 & go up/down from there
- +0.2 speaks for pet reveals in the doc
- my verbal rfds are usually pretty long but please don't let me keep you, if you're hungry or if you have a team meeting or if you're competing in another event or if you literally just want to leave you're more than welcome to. everything actually important is written on the ballot anyway
In a nutshell:
- Yes chain: 27offlol@gmail.com
- Any pronouns
- Tech = truth
- speed is good
- theory is cool
- t-usfg is cringe & non-t affs are based (as long as they don't just lose to presumption)
- minus .2 speaks for each off in the 1nc that makes me use >6 sheets (LD) or >7 sheets (Policy)
- meme rounds are cool just make sure y’all are all in on it
- do not annoy me. Annoy me = nuked speaks. Things that annoy me:
o postrounding (please just email me after the round you can be as rude as you want just let me get food lol)
o being toxic to ur opponent
o not disclosing. New affs included. Brightline = if it requires a new tag then disclose that tag/cite. Idc about open-source but I will hack for any new theory in either cx or ld rebuttals regarding an arg that was presumably undisclosed for a strategic edge
o stealing prep. Yes I will notice
o reading things besides a k or policy, and this is the only categorical imperative I’m willing to entertain
- do not piss me off. Piss me off = L25 and I tell tab that you pissed me off. Things that piss me off:
o Being prejudiced/violent or reading args that attempt to justify it
o Evidence ethics violations
o Telling a group of people what to do when you don’t identify with said group of people (e.g. nonblack debaters who read afropess)
o Edelman. I don't have/want to elaborate further just don't lol
Questions? Comments? Smart-aleck remarks? Email me. K thanks glhf
Strake Jesuit Class of 2020
Fordham 2024
Email - hatfieldwyatt@gmail.com
Debate is a game, first and foremost.
I qualified for the TOC Junior and Senior years and came into contact with virtually every type of argument
Please note that I have strong opinions on what debate should be, but I will not believe them automatically every round they have to be won just like any other argument. Tech>truth no exceptions.
I am not a fan of identity-based arguments. Please don't run arguments that are only valid based on your or your opponent's identity.
Additionally do not swear in round or use profanities it will effect speaker points.
Styles of Debate -
I will vote on all of them if I see your winning them
Tricks - 1
Larp - 2
Phil - 1
K - 3
Theory - 1
K performance - 5
EMAIL CHAIN: mavsdebate@gmail.com
Name
Please do not call me judge - Henderson - no Mr/Ms just Henderson. This is what I am most comfortable with. I will do my best to offer you the same consideration.
Doc Sharing
Please share speech docs with me, your opponent in a timely manner. If it get long, your speaks drop.
Speed
I am old - likely 10 years older than you think if not more - this impacts debaters in two ways 1. I get the more triggered when someone spreads unnecessarily. If you are using speed to increase clash - awesome! If you are using it to outspread your opponent then I am not your judge. I can understand for the AC but I think a pre-round conversation with your opponent is both helpful and something as a community we should attempt to do at all time. If you do not adjust or adapt accordingly I will give you the lowest speech possible. If this is a local, I am likely to vote against you - TOC/State - you will likely get the ballot but again lowest speaks possible. 2. I just cannot keep up as well anymore and I refuse to flow off a doc. I only have four functional fingers on one hand and both hands likely 65% what they used to be. This is especially true as the season moves along and at any tournament where I judge lot of rounds.
General Principle
I am an educator first. This means that I am concerned about the what happens in the debate more than I do about what the debate claims to achieve. This does not lessen my focus on argumentation, rather it is to say that I am sensitive to the issues that concern the debaters as individuals before I am my concern about various claimed link stories. Be honest, fair and considerate to each other. This manifests itself in my judging when I pay particular attention to the division of prep time. Debater who try to steal prep or are not considerate of their opponents prep will irritate me quickly (read: very bad speaks).
Speaker Points
This is a common question given I tend to be critical on points. Basically, If you deserve to break then you should be getting no less than a 28.5. Speaker points are about speaking up to the point that I can understand your spread/read. Do not docbot. If you do not intonate you are not debating you are reading and that is just frustrating to me. Beyond that there are mostly about argumentation. Argumentation includes strategy, crystallization, and structuring of speeches. If you have a creative strat you will do well. If you are reading generics you will do less well. If you tell a full story on the implication of your strat you will do well. If I have to read cards to figure out what you are advocating you will not. If you collapse well and convene the method and meaning of your approach you will do well. If you go for everything (neg) or a small trick you will not. Finally, if you ask specific questions about how I might feel about your strat you will do well. If you ask, "What's your paradigm?" because you did not take the time to look you will not. Previously, I had a no speaker point disclosure rule. I have changed. So ask, if you care to talk about why; not if you do not want to discuss the reasoning, but only want the number.
Policy
Theory
I truly like a good theory debate. I went for T often as a debater and typically ran quasi topical cases so that I could engage in theory debates. This being said, what you read should be related to the topic. If the words of the topic do not occur in what you read you are in an uphill battle, unless you have a true justification as to why. I am very persuaded that we should learn about certain topics outside of the debate topic, but that just means you should create a forum or propose a topic to the NSDA, or create a book club. Typical theory questions: Reasonability is defense, competing interps are offense. Some spec is generally encouraged to increase clash and more nuance, too much should be debated. Disclosure theory is not very persuasive too me, unless debated very well and should only be used after you sought to have an actual conversation with your opponent prior to the debate. I am very persuaded by contact info at national tournaments - put up contact info and any accomodations you need - it makes for a safer space.
Kritiks
A kritik is a disad with a counterplan, typically to me. This means I should understand the link, the impact and the alternative as much as I would if you read a disad and counterplan. I vote against kritik most often because I have no idea what the alt does. This happens when the aff fails to engage and you think that you now just need to extend tags on the alt and assume that is enough. I need a clear picture of the link and the alt most importantly regardless of how much the aff has engaged or not. Gut check is a real thing. If your kritik is death good you are working uphill. If you are reading "high theory" know that I have not read the literature, but I will do my best. In the 1890s, when I debated, I was really into Cap and Gender based positions. My debaters like Deleuze and Cap (probably my influence, if I possession such).
Performance/Pre-Fiat
If you are trying to convince me that what you are doing matters and can change people in some way I really need to know how. If your claim is simply that this method is more approachable, well that is generally not true to me and given there is only audiences beyond me in elim.s you are really working up hill. Access trumps all! If you do not make the method clear you are not doing well. If your method somehow interrogates something, what does it interrogate? how does that change things for us and why is that meaningful? And most important you should be initiating this interrogation in round. Tell me that people outside the debate space should do this is not an interrogation. That is just a plan with a specific mechanism. Pre-fiat claims are fine, but again I need to understand the implication. Telling me that I read gender discrimination arguments and thus that is a pre-fiat voter is not only not persuasive it is not an argument at all. Please know that I truly love a good method debate, I do not enjoy people who present methods that are not explicit and full of nothing but buzzwords.
Competition
Arguments should be competitive otherwise they are just FYI. This means kritikal argument should likely be doing more than simply reading a topic link and moving on. All forms are perms are testable - I do not default to a view on severance/intrinsic - it's all debatable. I do default on perms being a test of competition. If you want to advocate the perm this should be clear from the get. A perm should have a text, and a net benefit in the opening delivery otherwise it is a warrantless argument.
Condo
In policy, (LD its all debatable) a few layers are fine - 4+ you are testing the limits and a persuasive condo bad argument is something I would listen to for sure. What I am absolute about is the default. All advocacy are unconditional unless you state in your speech otherwise. No this is not a CX question. You should be saying, I present the following conditional CP or the like, explicitly. Not doing this and then attempting to kick it means an advocacy shift and is thus debatable on theory.
Lincoln Douglas
See above
Theory - FOR LD
I note above that I cannot keep up as much anymore. If your approach is to spam theory (which is increasing a norm in LD) I am not capable of making coherent decisions. I will likely be behind on the flow. I am trying to conceptualize your last blip in a manner to flow and you are making the 3rd or 4th. Then I try to play catch up, but argument is in the wrong place on the flow and it is written as a partial argument. I am not against theory - I loved theory as a debater, but your best approach is to go for a couple shell at most in the NC and likely no more than 1 in the 1AR if you want me to be in the game at all. This is not to say I would not vote on potential abuse/norm setting rather keep your theory to something you want to debate and not using it just a strategic gamesmanship is best approach if you want a coherent RFD.
Disads/CPs/NCs
I was a policy debater, so disads and counterplans are perfectly acceptable and generally denote good strat (read: better speaks). This does not means a solid NC is not just as acceptable, but an NC that you read every debate for every case that does not offer real clash or nuance will make me want to take a nap. PIC are debatable, but I default to say they are acceptable. Utopian fiat is generally not without a clear method story. Politics disad seem mostly silly in LD without an explicit agent announcement by the AC. If you do not read a perm against a counterplan I will be very confused (read: bad speaks). If you do not read uniqueness then your link turns are just defense.
Philosophy/Framework Debate
I really enjoy good framework debate, but I really despise bad framework debate. If you know what a normative ethic is and how to explain it and how to explain your philosophical basis, awesome. If that is uncomfortable language default to larp. Please, avoid cliche descriptors. I like good framework debate but I am not as versed on every philosophy that you might read and there is inevitable coded language within those scholarship fields that might be unfamiliar to me. Most importantly, if you are into phil debating do it well. Bad phil debates are painful to me (read: bad speaks). Finally, a traditional framework should have a value (something awesome) and a value criteria/standard (something to weigh or test the achievement of the value). Values do not have much function, whereas standards/criterion have a significant function and place. These should be far more than a single word or phrase that come with justification.
Public Forum
I have very frustrated feelings about PF as a form of debate. Thus, I see my judging position as one of two things.
1. Debate
If this is a debate event then I will evaluate the requirements of clash and the burden of rejoinder. Arguments must have a claim and warrant as a minimum, otherwise it is just an assertion and equal to any other assertion. If it is an argument then evidence based proof where evidence is read from a qualified sources is ideal. Unqualified but published evidence would follow and a summary of someone's words without reading from them would be equal to you saying it. When any of these presentation of arguments fails to have a warrant in the final focus it would again be an assertion and equal to all other assertions.
Synthesis
- Paragraph - you lose. This does not need to be an argument in the debate.
- Read tags that is some like ….” Therefore.” I won’t flow it
- Read a card that does not include a read warrant. This is meaningless in the debate.
- Claiming a card says something that it clearing does not 25 spk loss. This does not need to be an argument in the debate. I will intervene period as you have no ethics for an activity that I care deeply about.
2. Speech
If neither debate team adheres to any discernible standard of argumentation then I will evaluate the round as a speaking event similar to extemp. The content of what you say is important in the sense that it should be on face logical and follow basic rules of logic, but equally to your poise, vocal variation and rhetorical skills will be considered. To be clear, sharing doc.s would allow me to obviously discern your approach. Beyond this clear discernible moment I will do my best to continue to consider the round in my manners until I reach the point where I realize that both teams are assume that their claims, summaries etc... are equally important as any substantiated evidence read. The team that distinguishes that they are taking one approach and the opponent is not is always best. I will always to default to evaluate the round as debate in these situation as that is were I have the capacity to be a better critic and could provide the best educational feedback.
If you adhering to a debate model as described above these are other notes of clarity.
Theory
I’m very resistant to theory debates in Public Forum. However, if you can prove in round abuse and you feel that going for a procedural position is your best path to the ballot I will flow it. Contrary to my paradigm for LD, I default to reasonability in PF.
Framework
I think the function of framework is to determine what sort of arguments take precedence when deciding the round. To be clear, a team won’t win the debate exclusively by winning framework, but they can pick up by winning framework and winning a piece of offense that has the best link to the established framework. Absent framework from either side, I default utilitarianism.
Finally Word for All
I am sure this is filled with error, as I am. I am sure this leaves more questions than answers, life has. I will do my best, as like you I care.
2016-2018 Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League
2018- present CSU Fullerton
email chain- javierh319@gmail.com
Frame the ballot by the 2AR/2NR and don't leave me shooting darts please.
Overviews really help me/you out unless they're longer than the debate proper-be concise.
Prep- Prep ends when doc is sent out or the equivalent of that. Let me know if there are any technical difficulties.
Spreading- speed is fine-go at it if thats ur thing. this shouldn't be exchanged for clarity/emphasis, and ultimately, persuasion. My face tends to be pretty expressive so use that to ur advantage.
Cross Ex- Humor is much appreciated so long as it doesn't offend ur opponent. Attack the argument not the debater.
I generally err on the side of tech over truth. However, too many buzzwords are kinda annoying and don't mean anything if you dont impact/flesh them out. I won't evaluate concessions for you unless you do it first.
Policy Affs- Spent most of hs reading these- read them at will. Internal link work and framing is crucial.
Performance/K Affs- Have a clear explanation of what the advocacy does and why it should precede a traditional endorsement of the resolution (vs framework). Presumption arguments are some of my favorite arguments. Being untopical for the sake of being untopical is sooooo not the move. Even if i think that ur aff is the most interesting/entertaining thing in the world, I can resolve that with speaker points. Offense. Offense. Offense.
Framework- Go for it. Slow down just a tad. Procedural fairness and education are impacts, I'm usually more persuaded by education but fairness is fine too.While I'm usually more persuaded by fairness as an internal link to something else, enough impact comparison can resolve that if ur not down with the former.
Theory/Procedurals- Go for it. I'm not one to love hearing theory debates but will vote on it if you do the work. These can get really petty. Usually not in a good way. Condo is probably good PICs probably aren't. Don't let that dissuade you from saying otherwise because I also love hearing pics and multiple advocacies. I'm a 2N if that is relevant for you.
DAs- Make sure to flesh out the internal links. Winning uniqueness wins direction of link debate. I prefer hearing isolated impact scenario(s) rather than a generic nuclear war/extinction claim although u can totally claim that as ur terminal one. The more specific the link the less spinning the aff can do, the less intervention I have to do, the higher ur chances of winning are. I find it hard to believe that there can ever be 100% risk probability but if the CP solves 100% of the aff you're in a much better spot.
CPs-Resolve questions like how does this solve the case and is this theoretically legitimate if it becomes about that. If you wanna be noncompetitive, you do you but be ready to justify that.
Ks- Tbh I would much rather judge a robust debate about the intricacies/consequences of a traditionally political action vs a less-than fleshed out k debate. Links to the status quo and not the aff are awkward. Generally speaking, im probably down for ur thing. Regardless of me being familiar with ur authors or not-do the work. Framing is super important. Does the alt solve the aff? let me know. You don't need to go for the alt to win
Random/Misc
-a claim with no warrant is a pen with no ink
-know where u are losing but make it fashion
-dont be a jerk
If I call for a card, send it to my email and send the cut card. This includes PF.
This is not about the stats you have, if you are not making an analysis with your stats, that is reason enough to vote on presumption (please don't make me). Just having bigger numbers, doesn't mean the round is a clear win.
UNLESS IT IS A GAME CHANGER please for the love of whoever you pray to, do not try to win a debate round on recency of evidence. It becomes a moot point and a waste of your breath.
I debated for Barbers Hill HS for four years. In both LD and CX. Qualifying for TFA state my junior and Senior year. I did IPDA- public debate- with during undergrad until Spring 2020. I now consult in disability advocacy and DEI development.
TLDR (1 = best):
LARP/Stock: 1
K: 1
Framework: 2
Theory: 2
Tricks: 5
Generic: 3-4
General: I'm fairly open to seeing what you're most comfortable doing as long as it creates good debate. Many times I have seen rounds where it was like two ships passing in the night because someone read something so off the wall there was no way to respond to it, or maybe there is a way but no one knows it but you. That's not cool. I will yell slow, clear or loud. Sit, stand or float. I don't mind one way or another. I always stood, but because my coach didn't afford the option-- do what makes you happy!
Taken from Megan Nubel’s paradigm- “Please do not use derogatory or exclusionary language, including but certainly not limited to referring to arguments as ‘retarded,’ saying that you ‘raped’ someone on a particular argument, or using ‘gay’ as synonymous with stupid, etc.” On that note, definitely don’t impact turn something like racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.; things like cap and extinction, though, I’m fine with. If you do something morally repugnant, I’ll drop you with 0 speaks."
Speed:
You do you. I will yell slow or clear if need be. Please, though, for the love of debate, slow down for author names or tags at least. If you get an unnecessary amount of "clear" warnings, I'll probably deduct speaker points or stop flowing altogether. You need to be aware of your threshold of what is clear and what is not clear.
LARP:
I've always been a Util debater but will listen to the best you have. Having done policy before, buying extinction impacts are more difficult for me (I say this because I had a judge say they were totally cool with it all, I read an extinction impact and then was told I read the one thing they wouldn't ever vote on), but I won't vote on it. You just need to make it very clear to me why it's such a big issue. Tip: the longer the chain the less buy-able the extinction impact is. If you want an easier way to my heart and my ballot, read short chains with more plausible impacts.
Ks:
I fell in love with the K debate at the end of my junior year and tried to read them as much as possible in my senior year. While I wasn't necessarily a K debater all of high school, I've read plenty to know generally where you're probably going to be trying to go. But do not assume I know everything about your K. I don't appreciate backfile Ks just to have something to read-- I feel like that errs on the said of the bad debate. Taken from Cameron McConway's paradigm- " I’m willing to listen to critical affirmatives but am also willing to listen to framework and cede the political style arguments against non-T affs. I also will default to evaluating the K the way it is articulated in round, not based on how I understand the literature. I do think incorrect interpretations of literature are fair game for lower speaks, though."
T/Theory :
Flesh it out if you expect me to buy it. I’ll listen to it for sure, but it needs to be done well. I’ve had my butt kicked by too many good debaters with very good T/Theory strats to just be okay with you reading something and not doing something effective with it. If you read it to try to spread the aff out of the 1A, it's strategy, but I’m not a huge fan of kicking something like that. I was taught it was the top layer of debate, so I wouldn’t kick out of the top layer of debate. I will just you (get it because I have the ballot lol). I don’t want to feel like I should be defaulting to anything, but if I have to not only will I draw a sad face on the ballot but I’ll only to it to drop the argument and competing interps. I also believe it’s a very good strat when faced with these arguments, to go ahead and read RVIS. I will for sure evaluate them if you do it correctly.
Phil/Framework:
I have high expectations when it comes to framework debates because that’s one thing I prided myself in doing fairly effectively. If you’re going to do it, be sure you can do it well in front of me. I’m not proud to say, but I feel fairly underread in phil to be able to judge it if you’re not fleshing out the arguments for me, but if you can flesh it out, I’ll listen. Just don’t fly through these arguments because I’m going to need a little bit more time to catch them and comprehend them than I normally would.
Tricks:
I’ve never been a fan, but if it's what you do and you do it well enough for it to get my ballot then by all means. I wasn’t sure what else to say, so I did some searching and Cameron McConway put it perfectly. “ I think burden affs can be interesting and strategic, and I am willing to listen to scepticism to contest frameworks or justify frameworks because it is the grounding of most normative ethics and important in philosophy, but please do not read skep to answer oppression arguments. [...] I’m not going to be thrilled if there are arguments that change function or trigger something in the next speech either; I think the function of arguments should be clear from the time they are read (not saying you cannot use something to take out another argument that it doesn’t appear to interact with- this is about contingent standards).”
Things that will kill your chance at my ballot:
-Racism, sexism or anything that is offensive to anyone
-Belittling someone in round-- also called ad hominems
-Reading things that link back to the idea of oppressive situations being acceptable
-Making the room uncomfortable or unsafe.
-Not reading a trigger warning on something that clearly needs one
Please always remember: debate is a safe space and should be treated as one
Things I appreciate:
-Kindness
-Politeness
-Assertiveness (there is a difference between being assertive and aggressive)
-Trigger warnings
-Being true to yourself as an individual, a debater, and an advocate
-Having fun
Speaks:
I was once, told, “if you ever get a ‘WIN-30’ you should quit debate because that means you were perfect and you no longer need the activity.” I do not believe this is true to an extent, I will give you a 30 if you deserve it. Speaks are about clarity, strategy, and ability to adapt to the room. If you’re a seasoned debater and you go five off on someone who got thrown into varsity, your speaker points may hurt a little, but not enough to hurt you from breaking if I feel like you deserve to break. I average a 27.5-28. If you get a 25 from me then you did something horribly egregious in round, and you should expect it to be on the ballot with some way for your coaching faculty to contact me to discuss it in depth, if they so, please. A 29 means that you did very well, but you made some easily fixable errors.
PS:
I hope you find yourself in debate to grow as a person. Be an advocate for something you care about, be true to yourself, and be comfortable saying the important things. Remember, it isn’t always about the ballot, but the message you bring in and out of the round.
PPS:
A couple of times, I have had people ask if I would be okay with them trying out an unorthodox or new strategy in round. I, always, feel like there has to be a spot for it. I think that if you want to try something out and you want feedback beyond the ballot back, just let me know and I'll be sure to be super extensive and let you know. I want debate to be a learning experience before anything else.
Any other questions feel free to:
Email me: sage.e.hooks@gmail.com
Text me 7..133...14..62......30
Or ask me before the round
Topicality/FW vs. Non-T Affs
- Affs probably should be topical, I’m just as willing to vote for impact turns against framework.
- I view most of these debates like a checklist. Affs probably need some answer to the following (and negs should be making these args): limits turns the aff, switch side solves, topical version of the aff. I have trouble voting aff if these are not answered. Similarly, I have trouble voting neg if these arguments are not made.
- The best affs generate their impact turns to framework from the aff itself. A bunch of random external criticisms of framework like just reading Antonio 95 or Delgado and calling it a day is not persuasive to me
- The debater that best defends their model of debate is the one that tends to win. Aff debaters who win their model of engagement/debate/education is better than the neg's will win more often than random impact turns to framework
- Should you read a non-topical aff in front of me? You can check my judging record, I think I have voted for and against these non-t affs about equal amounts.
- If you're going for FW: answer k tricks, don't drop thesis level criticisms of T, reading extensions for more than 3 min of the 2nr is an easy way to lose in front of me
- If you're answering FW: you need answers to the args I listed above, I think defense on the neg's args are just as important as development your offense against T, less is more when it comes to developing offense against T
Topicality/Theory/Tricks
- Defaults: Competing interpretations, drop the arguments, RVIs justifiable, not voting on risk of offense to theory
- Weighing standards is the most important to me
- I will miss something if you blaze through your theory dumps
- I’m probably a better judge for tricks than you might think. I’m just as willing to say “these theory arguments are silly” as I am to say “you conceded that skep takes out fairness.” If you go for tricks, go for tricks hard.
- I will vote on 1 condo bad in LD
Phil
- I think frameworks are usually artificially impact exclusive where they preclude all other arguments for virtually no reason. I'm inclined to believe in epistemic modesty but you can win confidence in front of me.
- I default comparative worlds, but it's not hard to convince me to become a truth-tester. What truth-testing means, you will have to explain it to me.
Ks
- I’m slightly more convinced by the state being good than bad, but don’t mind on voting on state bad
- I’m a little better read on identity type arguments as opposed to high theory arguments
- I’m not afraid to say I didn’t understand your K if you can’t explain it to me
- I don’t know why negs don’t have a prewritten perm block given that I vote on the perm a lot
- Specific link analysis is better than generics
- There has to be a lot of weighing done in the 2nr
- Case defense is underrated in these debates
- Case K overviews that aren't entirely pre-scripted are undervalued
- Performance is fine
- There should be more debate about the alternative
- The aff gets to weigh their aff, what that means is up for debate
Email: jjenningscrosby@gmail.com
Last updated: 10/4/20
General:
Summary - Read basically anything you want, go for what you're good at, try new things if you want, Don't be rude.
About me - I debated at Crosby highschool and middle school for a collective 6 years and I debated policy at University of Houston for 3 years. I used to help as an assistant coach for The Kinkaid School for about 3 years.
I am fine with almost any argument, so if you want to read it I'll listen, unless it's things like racism or patriarchy good.
Speed - Go for it. I will not say clear if you're partially unclear, unless its egregious.
Edit for online: remember, not all microphones are created equal, so make sure your microphone can adequately pick up how fast you’re going (maybe record you practicing a block to test it), because your mic may only be able to pick up about half of the syllables you say if you’re going too fast for it.
Cx: (LD is below this)
On topicality and theory, I default reasonability if there is no discussion of this in the debate because it's much less of a risk for the neg. Make sure to make it very clear what your interpretation is and exactly what portion of the plan violates that and explicitly apply what ground/predictability/education/etc you lose from their specific interp compared to yours. A lot of T debates get lost in the impacts of standards/voters and don't contextualize it vs the counterinterp.
On kritiks, You HAVE TO explain the alternative, in debate people get away with not doing that too much, which is annoying as a judge. The only exception to "not explaining the alt" is when you kick it and go for just the k as a k of policy framework/policy debate itself (I don't think is applicable to every kritik, but it is to some). I like when the link is contextualized to the aff (give specific analysis about how the aff makes the system of oppression worse or prevents it from changing).
On Counterplans, I love good counterplans, as long as your story on the world of the cp is clear and you're winning a net benefit that you solve, you should be fine. Do clear solvency/net benefit comparison.
On Disads, have a logical story as to why the aff links and how that causes the impact. Do impact comparison.
Non-traditional Affs - I will evaluate any affirmative even if it's non-policy, just make sure if you're untopical, you have a reason to be untopical.
Framework – I am not afraid to vote on this, I think there are benefits and disadvantages to policy debate and benefits and disadvantages to kritik aff debates. Make sure you weigh the Interp vs the counter Interp because a lot of people weigh the debate in terms of there being no counterinterp.
For LD:
I’ve judged a lot of LD debates. I have coached a few students in LD as well. I am a CX coach/judge/debater normally so do what you want with that info.
I will evaluate almost any argument, I tend to think of the debate round on the bigger picture focus (mainly because the 1ar I feel is rough and it allows better debates for LD), although I have no real predisposition against technical debate, the debaters should tell me how to frame the debate in the context they desire.
Framework: I'm fine with policy, whole resolutional or k debates, just debate out how I should evaluate who wins.
Topicality: I will evaluate T, I default to reasonability if no arguments are made but I will evaluate it either way. Make sure to make it very clear what your interpretation is and exactly what portion of the plan violates that and explicitly apply what ground/predictability/education/etc you lose from their specific interp compared to yours. A lot of T debates get lost in the impacts of standards/voters and don't contextualize it vs the counterinterp.
Theory: I will evaluate most theory, but it has to make sense and I tend to have a higher threshold on what I think is a voter, meaning most theory I've seen in LD doesn't rise past the level of reject the argument, while some LD judges would reject the team. I will not vote on RVIs. I also probably won't vote on frivolous theory (which I think is a very subjective term), which all I really mean is make sure theory has a legitimate reason to reject the team. I default to reasonability if no arguments are made but I will evaluate it either way.
CP: I think CPs make the most sense vs plans and I can be convinced Topical Cps are illegit if you’re winning whole rez should be the focus of the debate (all up to debate).
K: On kritiks, You HAVE TO explain the alternative, in debate people get away with not doing that too much, which is annoying as a judge. The only exception to "not explaining the alt" is when you kick it and go for just the k as a k of policy framework/policy debate itself (I don't think is applicable to every kritik, but it is to some). I like when the link is contextualized to the aff (give specific analysis about how the aff makes the system of oppression worse or prevents it from changing).
I competed in public forum debate for four years at Centerville HS and have judged for the past four years. I am currently a senior at NYU. Add me to the email chain at sij233@nyu.edu.
There are a few things that I want to see in the round.
1) I think that using logic with evidence is important. Do not just dump cards and not explain the warranting behind them.
2) I like when teams give organized rebuttals and signpost.
3) Don't fight over evidence.
4) Don't run theory/K's as I am not too knowledgeable on them.
5) Use off-time roadmaps in the round so that I know where you are starting at.
6) I won't flow cross but if something major happens let me know in a speech.
If you have any questions, let me know before the round.
Good luck!
Don't speed read. If I can't understand you, I can't vote for you. Please stick to stock issues.
put me on the email chain yogitakjoshi@gmail.com
Parent Judge. Will do my best to make a fair vote.
I'm parent judge with no debate experience. Speak in a normal speed and tone. Please do not spread. At the end of the round I will vote for whichever side presents their arguments in a more persuasive and logical way.
Seven lakes High School '21 | University of Texas at Dallas '24
contact: vedaprasana@gmail.com
He/Him
Debate experience:
I mainly participated in PF debate throughout high school at both local and national tournaments
PF:
- I am a standard flow judge who evaluates tech over truth.
- Okay with any arguments along as they are not offensive, racist, homophobic, etc.
- I am fine with speed as long as everyone in the round can clearly hear the arguments. I do not like spreading.
- Evidence: Paraphrasing is fine as long as you don't blatantly misconstrue the evidence. When providing paraphrased evidence please give the specific line that you reference. Evidence ethics are important, call your opponents out for any misconstrued evidence, false claims or any lies.
- Speaker points: Speaker points are awarded based on strategy and obviously how well you speak. As mentioned above, I will dock both speaker points and drop you if you have bad evidence ethics. Moreover, i'll give bonus speaker points if the round is entertaining and respectful. Being rude and loud will only decrease your speaker points so don't do that
- Give a roadmap of the speech beforehand and signpost throughout the speech.
- To extend an argument you must extend the contention name, the name of the cards and more importantly what the card says. You can't just tell me to extend 'x card' without telling me why the card is important to both your argument and the round. Speaking of extensions, the round should flow from your constructive to the final focus. The second rebuttal should respond to all offensive arguments or I consider them as drops. First summary must extend arguments and defense if it's responded to in second rebuttal. I will more than likely be voting on both the cleanest argument.
- Weighing is great, the more you weigh throughout the round the easier it is for me to vote. Please start weighing during rebuttals. New weighing after second summary is too late and I will not evaluate that.
- Any arguments or concessions during Cross must be brought up in speeches.
- If you read a framework, read warrants. The Framework debate must include weighing.
- Final focus should have the same arguments as summary
Email me if you have any questions!
I am a parent judge. Please speak at a regular pace and do not spread. Be respectful to your opponents in speaking and in the manner of time utilization.
Please do not use phrases like "you must vote in our favor".
I am a parent/lay judge.
I will vote for whoever presents high quality arguments in a clear and coherent way and is best able to persuade me. I will evaluate arguments based on how true I think they actually are, and overall presentation will be crucial in my decision. I appreciate debaters who emphasize important points and use persuasive techniques. My decision is also heavily influenced by performance during the cross-examination period.
If you want me to vote for you, please go slow (conversational pace). If you are rushing through the debate, it will reduce my chances of voting for you and hurt your speaker points.
I will take notes, but they will be brief and only consist of things which are clearly emphasized to me and points which I thought were very good.
Hello! My name is Michael Kurian and I did Natcircuit LD for 2 years at Dulles High School in Houston, TX.
I had 5 career bids and qualled to the TOC as a junior and senior. I also did a bit of policy as a senior and qualled to NSDA in CX.
Yes, email chain me friends:
Mkdebate@gmail.com
Kritiks: 1
Phil: 1
Theory: 2-3
LARP: 2
Tricks: 3-4
Do whatever you want, some things tho
1. I will say clear and slow if you're incoherent. I have ADHD and will lose focus if the debate has 5+ shells and every single sentence refers to a specific line by line argument. Extremely dense theory debates are not good for me and I will vote on overviews and voting issues, ignoring line by line concerns sometimes. I would not recommend you debate like this infront of me.
2. I dislike theory when frivolous (you know what "frivolous" means) but will vote on it. This means yes, I will vote on it, but I give the opposing side a ton of leeway. If the aff makes a bad I meet or has marginal offense on a really dumb shell like "Link chains bad" I will err that way. I like theory when strategic, but LOVE it when there is legit especially if you use creative interps or good combo shells. My favorite theory shell is O-Spec :)
3. Lets say you read a dump of some kind and you don't flash the arguments to the room. If your opponent asks you to flash them during CX or prep, you will do so. Otherwise, I will eviscerate your speaks.
4. You're allowed to be a jerk proportionally to the amount of foolery going on in the debate
ex. If the aff has 3 NIBS, you can be a little mad. If the 1NC is racism good, you can be furious etc.
5. I dislike partial disclosure shells ie. "Must disclose Plan Text of new aff, must open source, etc."; Disclosure is simple - if you've read it, disclose it. All of it. If you haven't broken it yet, you don't owe your opponent jack. You can give them the ROB text or the plan text if you're feeling benevolent.
Exceptions:
*****I will NOT vote on ****
1) Brackets theory
2) Font theory
3) Arguments that are explicitly homophobic, racist, or otherwise bigoted.
4) Evaluate the debate at X speech (no - I will eval the whole debate regardless)
5) New affs bad (but "Must disclose plantext/framework" is fine)
6) Arguments that exclusively link to your opponents/your identity without structural warrants- ex. "White ppl should lose", "vote for me cuz im X minority group"
7) Must Disclose Round Reports
Kritik:
This is the form of debate that I did the most in high school. I will probably understand your insane postmodern nonsense as long as you understand it enough to explain the application back to me. Race and Id pol Ks are fine
1) Link work - really important.
2) Alternative explanation - I have a somewhat low threshold; I'll assume it solves case and the K's links unless that is contested by the Affirmative
3) WEIGH with the ROLE of the BALLOT - tell me why your pedagogy is important, why it belongs in debate, and how we can use it to derive the best form of praxis. If you aren't doing these things, you will probably lose to a more intuitive RoB.
Things I don't like but will still vote on:
1) Kritikal presumption arguments
2) Links of Ommission
3) Lazy, overused link arguments
4) edgy jargon that stays edgy jargon (explain ur stuff at SOME point at least)
Framework:
Love it, think its cool and underused.
.
Do lots of weighing and explain why your framework resolves meta-ethical problems -- Infinite regress, Constitutivism, Actor spec. etc. If not, tell me why it should be preferred over another framework. I don't like particularism (or rather I like it as an ethical theory, but think it is weird when used in debate); my favorite frameworks to hear are Pragmatism and Virtue Ethics.
LARP:
I prob went for a DA 2 times in my entire career lol. Just do weighing and warrant comparison. It's a relatively intuitive debate style and if it doesn't seem so, I'm not one to say, but you might be doing it wrong. I'm a sucker for good IR analysis. If you understand how States function in relation to eachother and can use concrete examples in explanations I'll be persuaded and also boost your speaks.
Theory:
Weigh. Make good arguments or make really creative bad arguments. Failure to do either will make me sad.
On the Theory vs K debate:
1. If the AC references the topic heavily, is strongly in the direction of the topic, defends implementation, and/or in some other way grants you your topic ground, don't whine and call me a K-hack when I err aff against whatever shell you read. If they're doing everything within reason to grant you your prep, and I still hear 9+ mins of crying in the 1NC and 2N about how you have LITERALLY ZERO GROUND™ I'm going to be much more likely to vote the other way. That being said, if you genuinely feel like the aff is out of the range of the topic or is straight up non-T, go for T, or T - Framework, and go as hard as you want.
2. Reading disclosure against K affs is a good strat.
Tricks:
I just evaluate it the same way I would a bs-heavy theory or framework debate, which lets be honest, is what this is.
Paradoxes, Aprioris, and presumption/skep triggers are all fine.
Things I'll boost your speaks for:
Naruto Reference in speech: +.1
Dressing like you don't give a crap: +.1
Cool Affirmatives: +.3
Solid Collapsing: +.5
Ethos: +.2
Creative arguments: +.2
Speak Breakdown:
30: straight fire
29.5-29.9: ur fire
28.6 - 29.4: You good
28.1-28.5: meh
27.1-28: oof
26.1-27: big oof
25.1-26: go to church dude lol
25: f you
Tech savvy truth telling/testing debaters who crystallize with clarity, purpose persuasion & pathos will generally win my ballot.
My email: wesleyloofbourrow@gmail.com
For CHSSA: Flow judge, please weigh impacts in rebuttals, please win line by line, please make arguments quickly and effectively, and make the largest quantity & quality of arguments that you can. Thanks.
Updated Paradigm for NDCA & TOC
My intent in doing this update is to simplify my paradigm to assist Public Forum debaters competing at the major competitions at the end of this season. COVID remote debating has had some silver linings, and this year I have uniquely had the opportunity to judge a prolific number of prestigious tournaments, so I am "in a groove" judging elite PF debates this season, having sat on at least half a dozen PF TOC bid rounds this year, and numerous Semis/Finals of tournaments like Glenbrooks, Apple Valley, Berkeley, among many others.
I am "progressive", "circuit style", "tabula rosa", "non-interventionist", completely comfortable with policy jargon and spreading, open to Kritiks/Theory/Topicality, and actively encourage Framework debates in PF. You can figure out what I mean by FW with a cursory reading of the basic wikipedia entry "policy debate: framework" -- I am encouraging, where applicable and appropriate, discussions of what types of arguments and debate positions support claims to a superior model of Public Forum debate, both in the particular round at hand and future debates. I think that PF is currently grappling as a community with a lot of Framework questions, and inherently believe that my ballot actually does have potential for some degree of Solvency in molding PF norms. Some examples of FW arguments I have heard this year include Disclosure Theory, positions that demand the first constructive speech of the team speaking second provide direct clash (rejecting the prevalent two ships passing in the night norm for the initial constructive speeches), and Evidence theory positions.
To be clear, this does not mean at all that teams who run FW in front of me automatically get my ballot. I vote all the time on basic stock issues, and in fact the vast majority of my PF decisions have been based on offense/defense within a role-playing policy-maker framework. Just like any debate position, I am completely open to anything (short of bullying, racism, blatant sexism, truly morally repugnant positions, but I like to believe that no debaters are coming into these elite rounds intending to argue stuff like this). I am open to a policy-making basic Net benefits standard, willing to accept Fiat of a policy action as necessary and justifiable, just as much as I am willing to question Fiat -- the onus is on the debaters to provide warrants justifying whatever position or its opposite they wish to defend.
I will provide further guidance and clarifications on my judging philosophy below, but I want to stress that what I have just stated should really be all you need to decide whether to pref/strike me -- if you are seeking to run Kritiks or Framework positions that you have typically found some resistance to from more traditional judges, then you want to pref me; if you want rounds that assume the only impacts that should be considered are the effects of a theoretical policy action, I am still a fine judge to have for that, but you will have to be prepared to justify those underlying assumptions, and if you don't want to have to do that, then you should probably strike me. If you have found yourself in high profile rounds a bit frustrated because your opponent ran positions that didn't "follow the rules of PF debate", I'm probably not the judge you want. If you have been frustrated because you lost high profile rounds because you "didn't follow the rules of PF debate", you probably want me as your judge.
So there is my most recent update, best of luck to all competitors as we move to the portion of the season with the highest stakes.
Here is what I previously provided as my paradigm:
Speed: Short answer = Go as fast as you want, you won't spread me out.
I view speed as merely a tool, a way to get more arguments out in less time which CAN lead to better debates (though obviously that does not bear out in every instance). My recommendations for speed: 1) Reading a Card -- light-speed + speech doc; 2) Constructives: uber-fast + slow sign posting please; 3) Rebuttals: I prefer the slow spread with powerfully efficient word economy myself, but you do you; 4) Voters: this is truly the point in a debate where I feel speed outlives its usefulness as a tool, and is actually much more likely to be a detriment (that being said, I have judged marvelous, blinding-fast 2ARs that were a thing of beauty)...err on the side of caution when you are instructing me on how to vote.
Policy -- AFFs advocating topical ethical policies with high probability to impact real people suffering right now are best in front of me. I expect K AFFs to offer solid ground and prove a highly compelling advocacy. I love Kritiks, I vote for them all the time, but the most common problem I see repeatedly is an unclear and/or ineffective Alt (If you don't know what it is and what it is supposed to be doing, then I can't know either). Give me clash: prove you can engage a policy framework as well as any other competing frameworks simultaneously, while also giving me compelling reasons to prefer your FW. Anytime you are able to demonstrate valuable portable skills or a superior model of debate you should tell me why that is a reason to vote for you. Every assumption is open for review in front of me -- I don't walk into a debate round believing anything in particular about what it means for me to cast my ballot for someone. On the one hand, that gives teams extraordinary liberty to run any position they wish; on the other, the onus is on the competitors to justify with warranted reasoning why I need to apply their interpretations. Accordingly, if you are not making ROB and ROJ arguments, you are missing ways to get wins from me.
I must admit that I do have a slight bias on Topicality -- I have noticed that I tend to do a tie goes to the runner thing, and if it ends up close on the T debate, then I will probably call it reasonably topical and proceed to hear the Aff out. it isn't fair, it isn't right, and I'm working on it, but it is what it is. I mention this because I have found it persuasive when debaters quote this exact part of my paradigm back to me during 2NRs and tell me that I need to ignore my reasonability biases and vote Neg on T because the Neg straight up won the round on T. This is a functional mechanism for checking a known bias of mine.
Oh yea -- remember that YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME.
Public Forum -- At this point, after judging a dozen PF TOC bid rounds in 2021-2022, I think it will be most helpful for me to just outright encourage everybody to run Framework when I am your judge (3 judge panels is your call, don't blame me!). I think this event as a whole desperately needs good quality FW arguments that will mold desirable norms, I might very well have an inherent bias towards the belief that any solvency reasonably expected to come from a ballot of mine will most likely implicate FW, and thus I am resolved to actively encourage PF teams to run FW in front of me. If you are not comfortable running FW, then don't -- I always want debaters to argue what matters to them. But if you think you can win a round on FW, or if you have had an itch to try it out, you should. Even if you label a position as Framework when it really isn't, I will still consider the substantive merits behind your arguments, its not like you get penalized for doing FW wrong, and you can absolutely mislabel a position but still make a fantastic argument deserving of my vote.
Other than "run FW", I need to stress one other particular -- I do not walk into a PF round placing any limitations whatsoever on what a Public Forum debate is supposed to be. People will say that I am not "traditional or lay", and am in fact "progressive", but I only consider myself a blank slate (tabula rasa). Every logical proposition and its diametric opposite is on the table in front of me, just prove your points to be true. It is never persuasive for a team to say something like "but that is a Counterplan, and that isn't allowed in PF". I don't know how to evaluate a claim like that. You are free to argue that CPs in PF are not a good model for PF debates (and lo and behold, welcome to running a FW position), or that giving students a choice between multiple styles of debate events is critical for education and so I should protect the "rules" and the "spirit" of PF as an alternative to LD and Policy -- but notice how those examples rely on WARRANTS, not mere assertions that something is "against the rules." Bottom line, if the "rules" are so great, then they probably had warrants that justified their existence, which is how they became the rules in the first place, so go make those underlying arguments and you will be fine. If the topic is supposed to be drug policy, and instead a team beats a drum for 4 minutes, ya'll should be able to articulate the underlying reasons why this is nonsense without resorting to grievances based on the alleged rules of PF.
College Parli -- Because there is a new topic every round, the threshold for depth of research is considerably lower, and debaters should be able to advocate extemporaneously; this shifts my view of the burdens associated with typical Topicality positions. Arguments that heavily weigh on the core ground intended by the topic will therefore tend to strike me as more persuasive. Additionally, Parli has a unique procedural element -- the ability to ask a question during opponent's speech time. A poignant question in the middle of an opponent's speech can single handedly manufacture clash, and create a full conversational turn that increases the educational quality of the debate; conversely, an excellent speaker can respond to the substance of a POI by adapting their speech on the spot, which also has the effect of creating a new conversational turn.
lysis. While this event has evolved considerably, I am still a firm believer that Value/Criterion is the straightest path to victory, as a strong V/C FW will either contextualize impacts to a policy/plan advocacy, or explain and justify an ethical position or moral statement functioning as that necessary advocacy. Also, V/C allows a debater to jump in and out of different worlds, advocating for their position while also demonstrating the portable skill of entering into an alternate FW and clashing with their opponent on their merits. An appropriate V/C will offer fair, reasonable, predictable, equitable, and functional Ground to both sides. I will entertain any and all theory, kritiks, T, FW. procedure, resolution-rejection/alteration, etc. -- but fair warning, positions that do not directly relate to the resolutional topic area will require a Highly Compelling warrant(s) for why. At all times, please INSTRUCT me on how I am supposed to think about the round.
So...that is my paradigm proper, intentionally left very short. I've tried the more is more approach, and I have become fond of the less is more. Below are random things I have written, usually for tournament-specific commentary.
Worlds @ Coppell:
I have taken care to educate myself on the particulars of this event, reviewing relevant official literature as well as reaching out to debate colleagues who have had more experience. My obligation as a fair, reasonable, unbiased and qualified critic requires me to adapt my normal paradigm, which I promise to do to the best of my abilities. However, this does not excuse competitive debaters from their obligation to adapt to their assigned judge. I adapt, you adapt, Fair.
To learn how I think in general about how I should go about judging debates, please review my standard Judge Paradigm posted below. Written short and sweet intentionally, for your purposes as Worlds debaters who wish to gain my ballot, look for ways to cater your strengths as debaters to the things I mention that I find generally persuasive. You will note that my standard paradigm is much shorter than this unique, particularized paradigm I drafted specifically for Worlds @ Coppell.
Wesley's Worlds Paradigm:
I am looking for which competitors perform the "better debating." As line by line and dropping of arguments are discounted in this event, those competitors who do the "better debating" will be "on balance more persuasive" than their opponents.
Style: I would liken Style to "speaker points" in other debate events. Delivery, passion, rhetoric, emotional appeal. Invariably, the power of excellent public speaking will always be anchored to the substantive arguments and authenticity of advocacy for the position the debater must affirm or negate. While I will make every effort to separate and appropriately quantify Style and Content, be warned that in my view there is an inevitable and unbreakable bond between the two, and will likely result in some spillover in my final tallies.
Content: If I have a bias, it would be in favor of overly weighting Content. I except that competitors will argue for a clear advocacy, a reason that I should feel compelled to vote for you, whether that is a plan, a value proposition, or other meaningful concept.
PAY ATTENTION HERE: Because of the rules of this event that tell me to consider the debate as a whole, to ignore extreme examples, to allow for a "reasonable majority" standard to affirm and a "significant minority" standard to negate, and particularly bearing in mind the rules regarding "reasonability" when it comes to definitions, I will expect the following:
A) Affirmatives will provide an advocacy that is clearly and obviously within the intended core ground proffered by the topic (the heart of hearts, if you will);
B) Negatives will provide an advocacy of their own that clashes directly with the AFF (while this is not completely necessary, it is difficult for me to envision myself reaching a "better debating" and "persuasion" standard from a straight refutation NEG, so consider this fair warning); what the Policy folk call a PIC (Plan-Inclusive Counterplan) will NOT be acceptable, so do not attempt on the NEG to offer a better affirmative plan that just affirms the resolution -- I expect an advocacy that fundamentally NEGATES
C) Any attempt by either side to define their opponent's position out of the round must be EXTRAORDINARILY compelling, and do so without reliance on any debate theory or framework; possibilities would include extremely superior benefits to defining a word in a certain way, or that the opponent has so missed the mark on the topic that they should be rejected. It would be best to assume that I will ultimately evaluate any merits that have a chance of reasonably fitting within the topic area. Even if a team elects to make such an argument, I still expect them to CLASH with the substance of the opponent's case, regardless of whether or not your view is that the substance is off-topic. Engage it anyways out of respect.
D) Claim-Warrant-Impact-Weighing formula still applies, as that is necessary to prove an "implication on effects in the real world". Warrants can rely on "common knowledge", "general logic", or "internal logic", as this event does not emphasize scholarly evidence, but I expect Warrants nonetheless, as you must tell me why I am supposed to believe the claim.
Strategy: While there may be a blending of Content & Style on the margins in front of me as a judge, Strategy is the element that I believe will be easy for me to keep separate and quantify unto itself. Please help me and by proxy yourselves -- MENTION in your speeches what strategies you have used, and why they were good. Debaters who explicitly state the methods they have used, and why those methods have aided them to be "on balance more persuasive" and do the "better debating" will likely impress me.
POIs: The use of Questions during opponent's speech time is a tool that involves all three elements, Content/Style/Strategy. It will be unlikely for me to vote for a team that fails to ask a question, or fails to ask any good questions. In a perfect world, I would like speakers to yield to as many questions as they are able, especially if their opponent's are asking piercing questions that advance the debate forward. You WANT to be answering tough questions, because it makes you look better for doing so. I expect the asking and answering of questions to be reciprocal -- if you ask a lot of questions, then be ready and willing to take a lot of questions in return. Please review my section on Parli debate below for final thoughts on the use of POI.
If you want to win my vote, take everything I have written above to heart, because that will be the vast majority of the standards for judging I will implement during this tournament. As always, feel free to ask me any further questions directly before the round begins. Best of luck!
I'm a parent judge. I won't understand and therefore not evaluate speaking at above a quick conversational pace. Please debate the topic, and don't run tricky positions. You can run Ks, Theory, and PIC's/CP's but you run the risk of me not understanding, so err on the side of over-explanation. I like weighing and outlining your path to the ballot. I am not great at determining the correct winner on the flow, so I will vote for the most persuasive debater, however empirics and good evidence will win you ethos. I try to give high speaks. TLDR; lay
TLDR: Standard FYO flow judge, tech>truth, must respond to offense in the next speech (lenient to dropped offense in 2nd rebuttal), warranting is essential, speed must be justified by content, don't be harmful to the debate space, weigh comparatively, have ev at the ready and don't misconstrue, don't read dedev
- For email chain: rohansnair03@gmail.com
Bio:
Paradise Valley '21 | ASU '25
Did PF all 4 years at Paradise Valley in Arizona (2017-2021), competed at local level first 3 years and almost exclusively national circuit senior year, got to a couple bid rounds, and qualled to NDCA. I was also captain senior year.
PUBLIC FORUM:
General Stuff:
**** Don’t be harmful to the debate space; absolutely zero tolerance for sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. behavior - You will get an L20 for this****
- Debate is a game, win the flow
- Collapse and weigh to clean up the debate; too many people try to win every part of the flow and it almost always hurts them because they don't give themselves the time to do the comparative analysis.
- Weighing goes a long way - as a judge I have to decide who's case is truer/more impactful - do the work for me so I do not have to intervene
- SELF TIME
- If something is dropped, call it out, it's not my job to call it out for you. Dropped evidence has 100% strength of link ONLY if you extend and flesh out the warranting for it.
- You HAVE to frontline offense in 2nd rebuttal (you SHOULD frontline everything in 2nd rebuttal but if opps dump turns on you there's only so much you can do)
- Extend in every speech after rebuttal (Don't be blippy do real extensions - If I absolutely feel there is no way to vote at all because no one extends I either defer to the NEG on policy change topics, or the 1st speaking team on "on balance" topics, etc.)
- Extending through ink is the same thing as conceding your arg
Trigger Warnings:
- If you run ANY form of argument that potentially may make your opps uncomfortable, you MUST use get ALL members' approval before the round. Ex: Use an anonymous Google Form prior to the round, make all of us fill it out, and if even one person opts out, you do not run the argument
- If you do NOT use content warnings on args that obviously warrant it, I already am inclined to vote for your opps
Weighing:
- Weighing isn't: "We outweigh on magnitude because it's more people" (nah fam i could care less if u don't do the in-depth comparative)
- Prereqs are my favorite type of weighing because it is the easiest to do the actual comparative
- If yall go for the same type of weighing, then explain why your weighing is more important. Ex: If both teams try to prereq explain why your prereq happens first or subsumes their prereq
- If you have the same impact, please please prioritize any type of weighing EXCEPT magnitude. Ex: If both teams impact extinction, win probability or TF (I genuinely don't know why people do magnitude/severity weighing when it's the same argument)
- The first time you weigh should most definitely not be in final. Personally, I've done weighing sometimes as early as first rebuttal (I obviously don't expect this, but make sure it starts in summary)
Cross Ex:
- Likely won't even be paying attention, cx is for you
- If something relevant comes up, bring it up in a later speech
- Skipping grand for a min of prep is chill if both teams agree
Evidence:
- Likely won't ever call for cards unless you tell me to
- If I read the card and it is misconstrued it will not bode well for you (PF evidence ethics is dog so gotta enforce it somehow)
- If you have clashing empirics/evidences, tell me why I prefer your evidence -- otherwise I will call for both of them and intervene towards which one I agree with more (I may call cards anyways just to be curious and see who's evidence is rly better, but won't factor that unless you give me a reason to)
- I won't start prep when looking for cards if you find it within reasonable time, otherwise I will
- Don't just send a link and just tell your opponents to ctrl + F, its lazy, you should be cutting the card for them
Speaks:
- Usually high speaks, with a base of 27, but you have to earn a 30
- If you earn lower than a 27, you likely did something unethical in the round.
Speed:
- Please, please, PLEASE do not go faster than you should be. Too many people try to speak fast so they can sneak responses in and then collapse on them(this is lowkey abusive, just don't do it). Speed is fine, but I should be able to understand it, and it should not sacrifice your clarity
Theory:
- Avoid it if you can, because I feel that too much nowadays real issues are tokenized for the sake of a ballot. However, theory can be a valuable asset in shining on a light on real issues, so use it only if you actually are trying to promote awareness about the issue you talk about.
- I personally almost never hit theory on the circuit, so make sure you explain it as well as you can. This also means don't be mad if u get screwed after running theory lol
- For theory and theory only, it'll be truth>tech, otherwise there is rly not any point in running it if u cant logically argue it
LINCOLN DOUGLAS:
- Never done this event, and don't know too much about the structure, so treat me like a lay for the most part
- I can handle speed, but it has to be justified by content, meaning don't spread unless every additional word you say helps you (SEND SPEECH DOCS)
- If you wanna know how I flow, read the PF section
MISC:
- I'll pretty much always disclose
- If you read stupid stuff like extinction good, I have a VERY low threshold for defense on it (this is literally fake PF)
- If you read like 40 turns in rebuttal and flat out response dump, I feel that is incredibly abusive and not at all inclusive to small schools who can't get the same prep (speaking from the perspective of a one entry school), so I will allow your opps to respond to them very late
- TKO rule applies
- If you find a creative way to incorporate sports references or jokes(have to be funny lol) in your speeches you get +0.5 speaks
- Don't postround me, but feel free to ask questions about my RFD
I prefer a slow debate, as it ensures more engagement with the opponent's position, so spreading will not be good.
I am only confident in my ability to understand LARP.
One could consider me as both traditional parent judge and non-traditional parent coach. When it comes to experience, I have never participated in actual LD debate myself. However, I have a strong interest in philosophy, history and political science and have formal education in these subjects, even though I work as a physician. I am very much involved with coaching my daughter who participates in varsity LD debate. It means that I have spent some time on the topic that you are debating in front of me, and I am very well familiar with most of aff and neg arguments. I leave my opinions at home. However, it is your job as a debater to convince me that your arguments are stronger than your opponent's. Everything matters. You have to explain how you derived your values and criteria from the resolution, provide a framework, construct contentions which connect and re-enforce your framework, demonstrate superiority of your values and criteria via clashes and rebuttals. Non-traditional routes such as debate theory, disclosure, tricks, etc are fine but it will not grant you victory if it is your only strength in the round. You may talk as fast as you want but I have to be able to flow your round. I do not like spreading - it puts emphasis on your ability to talk fast ( perhaps beneficial to your potential career at auction (just kidding)) but takes away the essence of an interesting and constructive debate. If, in my opinion, you are talking too fast. I will let you know. I evaluate your speech skills and ability to think on your feet. You have to present yourself professionally and be courteous to your opponent. Throwing ideological labels and calling your opponent's arguments idiotic, racist, misogynistic, leftists, right-winged, etc will not win this debate. You have to prove your side. That is the point of LD debate. It is an honor to judge your round, and I take this job very seriously. Best of luck. I am looking forward to your debate.
I am a third year out and I did CX and LD at Austin SFA from 2015-2019.
I would like to be on the email chain - anevayel@gmail.com
General:
I have 0 preference for argumentative style (traditional, “progressive” etc). Yes I’m fine with whatever speed you want to go.
Tech/Truth: I default to tech on arguments I either have personal opinions about or don’t understand but please don’t mistake tech as just having more ink on the flow. I swing more towards truth in matters where whatever is being said is like common knowledge or a fact about current events etc.
I will not disclose your speaker points and I won’t give you a 30.
Speaker points are 60% strategy and quality of argumentation and 40% how clearly you spoke and your in round etiquette. I will give you the lowest points I can if you are nasty. Don’t be.
LD/CX:
Kritiks: Fantastic. Please make sure you understand it and you explain it clearly. I’m probably familiar with whoever you are reading so I wouldn’t downvote you because I don’t know/understand the author but the burden is still on you to explain and win their argument as if I don’t know who they are.
T: Please be mindful I have not judged many rounds on this LD or policy topic so I have 0 preconceived notions of what is T and what is not. You must give me a clear violation->impact story.
Theory: If you’re in LD or PF-I don’t evaluate theory. Ask me for clarifiers if you must. CX- do your thing but please don’t just spread through a bunch of blocks someone else likely wrote
Disads and Counterplans are great! Make your link stories specific! Please, don’t forget to debate about the aff!
PF:
Please be nice to each other. Don’t quote the TFA rules at me. Run whatever arguments you want but you absolutely must tell me a coherent story that is backed by your evidence.
Not sure what to say. I have been involved in debate activities since the 1980s. I competed and coached in high school and college, predominantly policy debate. I have a PhD in Communication from Texas A&M, and have taught argumentation and debate throughout my academic career.
Time limits are nonnegotiable.
Be kind to one another.
It would be absurd to claim that anyone can be completely objective because everyone makes basic assumptions that undergird their decision making. You can argue whether those assumptions are fair or should be used or modified (John Rawls' conception of the Veil of Ignorance in A Theory of Justice comes to mind), but know that they are there. To that end:
1) Things that avoid harm and suffering to human and other life are important. I should understand that suffering. The example that comes to mind, a team once argued that government spending required by federal policy created existential angst and that this vague angst (no one argued that this angst would create adverse physical or mental health outcomes or impact mortality, just like, ouch government spending offends some people so much they become anxious) should be weighed against the more tangible benefits (actual measurable health outcomes and mortality) of that policy. I suppose it could have been explained better but just came off as silly.
2) Evidence quality matters. I don't see enough of this. The best debaters should be able to tell me why their evidence should carry more weight than the evidence provided by their opponents.
3) Claims of fact require support.
4) Just because you believe an argument should be dismissed out of hand, does not mean I will.
5) I have no expectation that you will speak at a snail's pace but intelligibility (don't make me yell clear or slow down) does matter and argument quality often trumps argumentative quantity.
6) You may assume I am a party that may potentially be impacted by proposed policy changes.
Any other questions, ask before we begin.
Emails - yes, “at the google messaging service” means @gmail.com
All rounds - esdebate93 at the google messaging service
Policy - dulles.policy.db8 at the google messaging service
LD - dulles.ld.db8 at the google messaging service
About me
I am currently the program director for Speech and Debate at Dulles High School, where I also teach AP Psychology and AP Research.I primarily judge Policy and LD. I've judge at every level from TOC finals to the novice divisions at locals; you are not likely to surprise me. I've worked at a few camps, most recently the University of Houston's Honors Debate Workshop and the Texas Debate Collective. If you are interested in attending a summer debate institute, I'd be happy to talk with you about that aspiration. My academic background is in Curriculum Development and Instruction (MEd), English (BA), and Anthropology (minor).
Top Level - (If pressed for time, read this)
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Be kind and respectful towards yourselves, each other, your judges, coaches, teammates, and the tournament staff.
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I care about this activity to the point where it's literally my job. Acting like you want to be here and care about improving goes a long way with me.
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Fundamental skills are way more important to me than the content of your arguments (barring content that violates point 1). When I say fundamentals, I mean: Clarity, efficiency, flowing, organization, ethically sourcing high quality evidence, knowing what you are talking about, and judge instruction. I will stop flowing if I can't understand you. Answering an argument that was in the doc but wasn't read caps speaks at 26.5.
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I do not enjoy cowardice. Strike me if you plan to dodge clash with tricks and other shifty nonsense.
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Disclosure is probably net good for everyone in most instances. Open to arguments as to why it is not, but absent legitimate safety concerns, this is a hard sell.
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Tech and Truth both matter, with truth determining how technically difficult an argument is to win.
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I would like to see more time devoted to debating the case. I give way too many RFDs where the negative loses because they didn't read case defense and the 2AR gets away with murder.
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Arguments you read in the 1NC should be legitimate 2NR options. Going for everything is a losing move.
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Don’t just answer arguments from the prior speech. Anticipate your opponents' next moves in the next speech and shut them down.
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Ethos (appeals to credibility), Pathos (appeals to emotion), and Kairos (timing/context) are as important as Logos. I am not a computer. I would like to be persuaded.
Policy Arguments
I love them, but I am not a topic expert, so err on the side of over-explanation of topic specific jargon, especially earlier on the topic. Case specific CPs and DA links are better than generics. Presumption almost always negates, unless the 2NR goes for a counterplan, in which case I think it goes to the side defending the more incremental change from the status quo. I am willing to judge kick if you win that it is a logical extension of conditionality and that conditionality is good, but I am not inclined to make your strategic decisions for you. 5 off is probably the sweet spot balancing quality and quantity for me, but feel free to do more or less if that's your thing.
On the aff - I prefer affs with 1-2 advantages that have multiple routes to diverse impacts over affs with 5 advantages that all end with the same impact or 1 advantage with a really long and convoluted link chain.
I am a negation theorist at heart. I think writing better 1ACs, better permutation texts, and better intrinsicness tests are better answers to the “problem” of “being aff is hard” than running to non-resolutional theory like “PICs bad”; however, I am not opposed to voting for those sorts of arguments if that is your preferred way of making the negative team’s job harder and you deploy them strategically. If you must make this sort of argument, I am much more receptive to those that privilege research and clash, like “CPs must have a solvency advocate”, than I am to arguments like “conditionality is bad”.
Please slow down and leave pen time on taglines, plan/CP text, permutation texts, intrinsicness tests, and theory arguments.
Kritikal Arguments
I love them and have probably done some amount of reading relevant to your arguments. It is still best for you to assume I know little to nothing about them though. You absolutely must have read a lot about your thesis, and you need to make your link arguments contextual to the 1AC using quotes. Know that the alt is the weakest part of your argument and be ready to defend it. Have examples for both your link arguments and the alternative. The case page should not be the K 2.0. You should have case specific uniqueness, link, internal link, and impact defense, perhaps some fun impact turns that jibe with your K. Kritik 2NRs often go for too much. Pick a couple of arguments, tell a story, and shut down 2AR spin.
On the aff - I love thinking about and coaching these strategies but am very often disappointed at the lack of thought and preparation against core negative arguments when judging. Don’t be that team. You should not only be ready to debate Framework, Cap, or the Hegemony DA, you should be stoked about it. If I don’t know how the aff solves its impacts at the end of the debate, it will be a presumption ballot.
Performance elements should relate to arguments later in the debate, they're purposeful, not just there for vibes. It should go without saying that offense predicated on some sort of performance should be paired with some performance element in the 1AC/1NC. Reading cards is not enough. I generally think that performance stuff doesn't work in LD due to lack of a 2AC or negative block.
Framework Arguments - (see topicality as well)
I prefer impact arguments about skills, research, and clash over those about fairness in these debates, but it is an impact I am more than willing to vote for. Having an interpretation for each part of the resolution they violate is super strategic and allows for more tailored explanation of your argument later in the debate.
On the aff - I prefer counter-interpretations over impact turns in these debates, but am more than willing to vote for them.
Topicality Arguments
Topicality is fundamentally a question of limits; all other standards can help make the limits push but are secondary. I default to competing interpretations.
On the aff - Reasonability is an argument for the counter-interpretation, not the aff.
Topic specific interpretations are best.
Philosophy Arguments
I love them when deployed substantively. I’ve done some reading here, but don’t assume I know your arguments. Organize and adjust your speed to ensure I get each point in the syllogism. The trickiest you should get is making arguments about various skepticisms. I'm here for non-utilitarian ethics in policy debate so long as they sensibly affirm or negate.
I am a parent volunteer and this is my third year. Students speaking slow and clear is very important for me. Please do not spread!
Please speak clear and at a medium pace. Participants to manage the clock.
Looks for clarity in arguements, promptness in rebuttals, logical prgression of thoughts while talking and in responses, and knowledge/ understanding on the subject matter.
Results and feedbacks will be posted in Tabroom.
Hello, I am a parent volunteer. Please speak loudly and clearly, but also at a normal pace, so I can understand you. Good Luck!
I am a stock issues judge. I believe that the affirmative plan must fulfill all their burdens. If the negative proves that the affirmative is lacking in any one of the issues, it is grounds for the plan to be rejected. As a stock issue judge, I generally prefer a clear, eloquent presentation of issues in round, and dislike arguments that seem to not relate to the topic on the surface.
Strake Jesuit Class of 2020 | Texas A&M Class of 2024
If there’s an email chain add mestephan20@gmail.com but if you can, use the file share (it's a lot quicker) and share a PDF instead of a .docx file.
At Strake I debated PF for 2 years and LD for roughly 2 years, predominantly on a local level.
TL;DR, I strongly prefer traditional/LARP debates, and I will judge rounds based on the flow. Don't speak fast if the tournament is held online.
Important:
-I won’t extend evidence if you don’t mention its ***author name and date***. Give a warrant’s implications and extend them throughout the round.
- It’s good to give off-the-clock roadmaps and signpost (i.e. where you are or what you are attacking) during the speech.
-Weigh arguments with metrics like magnitude, scope, timeframe, etc.
How to get good speaker points:
- Being polite (also being aggressive isn’t mutually exclusive).
- Being articulate and I can understand what you're saying.
- Don’t go over your allotted speech and prep time by much. Note that I keep track of speech times (but not prep time).
- Don't use filler words like "uh" or "um" and avoid speaking in a monotone.
Dawson '21 in Houston
Tufts University '25
Debating as a Hybrid with Harvard as Tufts
Please put me in the email chain and feel free to reach out if you have any questions about debating at Tufts: mattjstinson2003@gmail.com
TLDR:
pref me KvK>Clash> Policy and give me a card doc after the round
Please do not over adapt to my paradigm. You do you and I will adjudicate the debate to the best of my ability. I always hate when judges strongly inflict their biases into decisions so I try to be as non-intervention as possible. But inevitably, I have some preconceptions and biases about debate so look through before rounds.
In high school, I was a double two going for policy args on aff and setcol and daoism on the neg, but in college I am a 1N/2A reading primarily flex args from across the library
I am a huge fan of argument innovation - make cool and original args and Ill reward you with extra high speaks
I like reading ev but pls do the work for me - if you frame your arguments clearly and basically write the ballot for me you will be far ahead.
Im kinda of a points fairy and reward debaters who are funny and make the debate enjoyable and educational.
Im not the type of judge if your debate style is bullying your opponents or being outright aggressive to them.
Finally, please just be nice to each other. I understand debate can be competitive at times, but try your best to be respectful and kind to your opponents. Problematic behavior, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia, is completely unacceptable and will result in immediate judge intervention to ensure the safety of debaters.
Specifics:
Policy Aff vs K:
I have no strong leanings either way. These are my favorite type of debates to watch and judge. Kinda weird flow choice by me but in one off debates I prefer to flow different parts ie. FW, ontology, perms and links on different sheets so pls give me pen time
I think top level: both teams need to win an instructive claim on what the role of the ballot is and how I should weigh the aff vs the alt or the squo. Framework debating is often underutilized on the high school level and I think in a lot of debates it becomes a wash, which isnt good for both teams
I prefer for links to be to the consequences of the plan, generally, i find links of omission and reps links to not be super strategic. They are winnable but I would like some aff-specific contextualization with fleshed-out impacts and turns case analysis.
I find in a lot of fiat K ontology debates are really reductive and their isnt really explanations from either side about what the implications of their examples are and why is this the case.
I find 2AC shotgunning perms to be annoying and I give the 2NR leeway for new answers if a shotgunned perm suddenly takes on a new meaning in the 1AR. I prefer perms beyond PDB to be explained in the 2ac in like a sentence
Im not the judge for vague alt theory, use it as a solvency takeout instead
I think alt debating is usually pretty bad and isnt explained enough how the alt solves the links. Both teams need to pay heed to this and do more work on this part of the debate
Clash:
I believe FW is a legitimate form of rejoinder against non-topical advocacy. Having read a K-aff and FW consistently in college I find myself to be middle of the road in these debates with no strong leanings either way
Generally speaking, I view FW as a sliding scale. We meet affs will have an easier time while affs that dont engage with the topic theme at all will have a harder time.
My best advice is to choose an angle against FW and stick to it rather than going for a we meet, counter interp, and Impact turn all in the same 2AR.
I believe for me personally debate is a game that has some value outside of debate. I believe fairness is an external impact, but I find clash or skills to usually be more strategic against most K affs
I think for a winning 2NR in these debates I need clear impact explanation, offense on their CI/IT, and a bit on the case page to minimize case cross apps
I am also quite sympathetic to presumption and rejoinder bad arguments and I think sometimes going for case in the 2NR is quite strategic
For the 2AR to get my ballot explain your theory of power, its offensive applications on framework, and win either a counter-interp that is a better model, we meet, or an impact turn to FW
My final thoughts are I appreciate solid case debating. I think a coherent 4-5 minutes on case with both offense and defense to central claims will be way more strategic than a generic cap K
KvK
I lean on the side that the aff gets the perm, but the burden for explanation is higher than we sorta mention x or we would work in solidarity with y. Treat the perm like independent advocacy and explain why it resolves the links and explain how it would function.
I prefer as specific link contextualization as you can get, I think ontology without contextualization arent the best in front of me
Id like more impact comparison on both sides and explain how your theory of power interacts and supersedes your opponents
CPs:
Some of my favorite args in debate are clever process cps or pics. At the same time, my most hated arguments are perennial troll cps like con con or consult nato
2Ns honestly get away with murder with a lot of these shady cps. 2As hold the line on theory and call out these abusive cp texts
I tend to lean neg on condo at 4 options and below, states fiat, and process cp theory and aff on international fiat, condo above 5 options, and consult/conditions cp.
I usually judge kick unless given a reason not to
Theory is usually not a voter unless the 2nr goes for the arg in question (this excludes condo)
ill vote on condo but im also a reasonable person.
DAs:
Generally speaking, the more ev the better
Impact calc and a good cp/case push is key to get my ballot on a da
Turns case is also a good idea
Case
I have a soft spot for squirrelly affs that interpret the topic in an exciting way
Case debating is underrated - 99% of affs can get destroyed if u just do more than the bare minimum to answer them
Case turns are good and you should be reading lots of them in your 1nc
a trend im noticing with policy affs is alot of them read just god awful impact scenarios - neg pls dont drop them or ill be sad
a lot of case debating is just tagline extensions with rly no argumentative interaction - pls give warrants
go for an impact turn on case :)
T:
I tend to lean competing interps.
To easily win my ballot, treat t like a disad and have a coherent story for why your vision of the topic is better than your opponents
Im not likely to vote for bottom of the barrel args like ASPEC or disclosure
if u hide procedurals ima prob not flow it and if i do realize it ur getting a 25
Misc
I'm fine for the death K, wipeout, spark etc.
Go for memes - trolling is an underrated art in debate
I don't like when teams play music in rounds
The older the card, the better - read some ancient texts
I believe the ballot can only remedy who did the better debating- anything else is reflected in speaks
Nba references are much appreciated but don't say you're the Lebron of HS debate
LD:
K>Larp> T/Theory > Phil > Tricks
TBH i dont know how to give speaks in LD so ill prob default to 29.4 and go from there
generally speaking the closer your are to policy the better
I find phil and tricks debates make me want to slam my head into my desk
Ive noticed a lot of lders are borderline unflowable - do pen drills or slow down and be clear
Basically ditto my policy thoughts here
PF
Ditto my policy thoughts - closer you are to policy the better
i have not seen a good k debate in pf and its likely i never will
I have seen some decent theory debates but they are not fun to judge
Updated January 2024
About me:
I am currently the speech and debate coach at Theodore Roosevelt HS.
I debated policy and LD for four years at Winston Churchill HS and qualified to the TOC senior year.
I have been judging debate (mostly policy and LD) for over 5 years.
My email is benwolf8@gmail.com if you have any questions before or after rounds.
TL;DR version:
I have no preference to any sort of specific types of arguments. Sure, some debates I may find more interesting than others, but honestly the most interesting rounds to judge are ones where teams are good at what they do and they strategically execute a well planned strategy. I think link and perm analysis is good, affs should probably be topical/in the direction of the topic but I'm less convinced of the need for instrumental defense of the USFG. Everything below is insight into how I view/adjudicate debates, its questionably useful but will probably result in higher speaks.
Public Forum: Be polite and courteous during cross fire. Make sure to utilize your evidence and warrant arguments. I am open to whatever arguments you would like to make (obviously avoid racist, sexist, etc. arguments). I am open to all styles and speeds of delivery, but if your opponent is not speed reading, it would help your speaker points if you can avoid speed reading too. Everything else is more relevant to policy and LD debate, but you may find it useful for PF too.
Evidence Standards:
Share your evidence before you deliver the speech. If you ask to see multiple cards from your opponent after they have given their speech, I will start running your prep time.
Speech Drop is great, please use it. https://speechdrop.net/
You should always follow the NSDA evidence rules: https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Debate-Evidence-Guide.pdf
You should do your best to be honest with your evidence and not misconstrue evidence to say something that it clearly does not say.
Theory interpretations and violations, plan texts, and alternative advocacy statements should all be included in the speech document.
If you are reading a card and need to cut it short, you should clearly state that you are cutting the card and put a mark on your document so that you can easily find where you stopped reading that card. If you are skipping cards in the speech document, make sure to mention that and/or sign post where you are going. This should avoid the need to send a marked copy of your document after your speech if you do these things, unless you read cards that were not included in your original speech document.
Prep Time Standards:
Prep time begins after the preceding speech/cross-examination ends.
If you have not transferred your speech document to your opponent, then you are still taking prep time. Prep time ends when the flash drive leaves your computer. Prep time ends when the document is uploaded onto speech drop. Prep time ends when the email has been sent. Once the team taking prep time says they are done with prep, then both teams need to stop typing, writing, talking, etc. The speech document should then be automatically delivered to the opponents and judge as fast as technologically possible.
Speaker points: average = 27.5, I generally adjust relative to the pool when considering how I rank speakers.
-Things that will earn you speaker points: politeness, being organized, confidence, well-placed humor, well executed strategies/arguments, efficiency.
-Things that will lose you speaker points: arrogance, rudeness, humor at the expense of your opponent, stealing prep, pointless cross examination, running things you don’t understand, mumbling insults about myself or other judges who saw the round differently from you.
-Truth v Tech: I more frequently decide close debates based on questions of truth/solid evidence rather than purely technical skills. Super tech-y teams probably should be paying attention to overviews/nebulous arguments when debating teams who like to use a big overview to answer lots of arguments. I still vote on technical concessions/drops but am lenient to 2AR/2NR extrapolation of an argument made elsewhere on the flow answering a 'drop'. This also bleeds into policy v policy debates, I am much more willing to vote on probability/link analysis than magnitude/timeframe; taking claims of "policy discussions good" seriously also means we need to give probability of impacts/solvency more weight.
-Evidence v Spin: Ultimately good evidence trumps good spin. I will accept a debater’s spin until it is contested by the opposing team. I will read evidence if said evidence is contested and/or if compared/contrasted to the oppositions evidence. I will first read it through the lens of the debater’s spin but if it is apparent that the evidence has been mis-characterized spin becomes largely irrelevant. This can be easily rectified by combining good evidence with good spin. I often find this to be the case with politics, internal link, and affirmative permutation evidence for kritiks, pointing this out gets you speaks. That being said, there is always a point in which reading more evidence should take a backseat to detailed analysis, I do not need to listen to you read 10 cards about political capital being low.
-Speed vs Clarity: If I have never judged you or it is an early morning/late evening round you should probably start slower and speed up through the speech so I can get used to you speaking. When in doubt err on the side of clarity over speed. If you think things like theory or topicality will be options in the final rebuttals give me pen time so I am able to flow more than just the 'taglines' of your theory blocks.
-Permutation/Link Analysis: this is an increasingly important issue that I am noticing with kritik debates. I find that permutations that lack any discussion of what the world of the permutation would mean to be incredibly unpersuasive and you will have trouble winning a permutation unless the negative just concedes the perm. This does not mean that the 2AC needs an detailed permutation analysis but you should be able to explain your permutations if asked to in cross-x and there definitely should be analysis for whatever permutations make their way into the 1AR. Reading a slew of permutations with no explanation throughout the debate leaves the door wide open for the negative to justify strategic cross applications and the grouping of permutations since said grouping will still probably contain more analysis than the 1AR/2AR. That being said, well explained/specific permutations will earn you speaker points and often times the ballot. In the same way it benefits affirmatives to obtain alt/CP texts, it would behoove the negative to ask for permutation texts to prevent affirmatives shifting what the permutation means later in the debate.
The same goes for link/link-turn analysis I expect debaters to be able to explain the arguments that they are making beyond the taglines in their blocks. This ultimately means that on questions of permutations/links the team who is better explaining the warrants behind their argument will usually get more leeway than teams who spew multiple arguments but do not explain them.
Argument-by-argument breakdown:
Topicality/Theory: I tend to lean towards a competing interpretations framework for evaluating T, this does not mean I won't vote on reasonability but I DO think you need to have an interpretation of what is 'reasonable' otherwise it just becomes another competing interp debate. Aff teams should try and have some offense on the T flow, but I don't mean you should go for RVIs. I generally believe that affirmatives should try and be about the topic, this also applies to K affs, I think some of the best education in debate comes from learning to apply your favorite literature to the topic. This also means that I generally think that T is more strategic than FW when debating K affs. I've learned that I have a relatively high threshold for theory and that only goes up with "cheapshot" theory violations, especially in LD. Winning theory debates in front of me means picking a few solid arguments in the last rebuttal and doing some comparative analysis with the other teams arguments; a super tech-y condo 2AR where you go for 15 arguments is going to be a harder sell for me. Other default settings include: Topicality before theory, T before Aff impacts, T is probably not genocidal. These can be changed by a team making arguments, but in an effort for transparency, this is where my predispositions sit.
Kritiks: I have no problems with K's. I've read a decent amount of critical literature, there is also LOTS that I haven't read, it would be wise to not make assumptions and take the time to explain your argument; in general you should always err towards better explanation in front of me. I do not enjoy having to sift through unexplained cards after K v K rounds to find out where the actual tension is (you should be doing this work), as such I am more comfortable with not caring that I may not have understood whatever argument you were trying to go for, that lack of understanding is 9/10 times the debater's fault. Feel free to ask before the round how much I know about whatever author you may be reading, I'm generally pretty honest. I generally think that critical debates are more effective when I feel like things are explained clearly and in an academic way, blippy extensions or lack of warrants/explanation often results in me voting affirmative on permutations, framing, etc.
CP: I have no problems with counterplans, run whatever you want. I think that most counterplans are legitimate however I am pre-dispositioned to think that CP's like steal the funding, delay, and other sketchy counterplans are more suspect to theory debates. I have no preference on the textual/functional competition debate. On CP theory make sure to give me some pen time. If you are reading a multi-plank counterplan you need to either slow down or spend time in the block explaining exactly what the cp does.
DA: I dont have much to say here, disads are fine just give me a clear story on what's going on.
Performance/Other: I'm fine with these debates, I think my best advice is probably for those trying to answer these strats since those reading them already generally know whats up. I am very persuaded by two things 1) affs need to be intersectional with the topic (if we're talking about China your aff better be related to the conversation). 2) affirmatives need to be an affirmation of something, "affirming the negation of the resolution" is not what I mean by that either. These are not hard and fast rules but if you meet both of these things I will be less persuaded by framework/T arguments, if you do not meet these suggestions I will be much more persuaded by framework and topicality arguments. If you make a bunch of case arguments based on misreadings of their authors/theories I'm generally not super persuaded by those arguments.
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Public Forum: Be polite and courteous during cross fire. Make sure to utilize your evidence and author qualifications. I am open to whatever arguments you would like to make (obviously avoid racist, sexist, etc. arguments). I am open to all styles and speeds of delivery, but if your opponent is not speed reading, it would help your speaker points if you can avoid speed reading too. Everything else above is more relevant to policy and LD debate, but you may find it useful for PF too.
I am a classical debater, and I don't tolerate aggressive arguments or improper behavior. I don't like spreading and be clear with your enunciation.
As a parent volunteer, I am not a professional judge. I prefer a speed not too fast. such as not exceeding 5 if the speed scale is 1 to 10. But I have judged LD & PF for several years. I understand the requirements of PF & LD.