Columbia University Invitational
2022 — NSDA Campus, NY/US
Varsity LD Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideBackground:
I am a Princeton High School parent volunteer judge and an elected public official well-versed in campaign speaking and real-life policy deliberation.
Preferences:
I have a low toleration for speed (do not like spreading) and value clear, concise and audible arguments, delivered with courtesy and respect for all participants. Look me in the eye and explain why your value is most important and make your case. Remember, I haven't been studying your topic for weeks -- bring me along with your arguments. Fewer, well-supported contentions preferred. Debate jargon is annoying.
Paradigm:
Please give me a clear way to vote for you. I will not intervene in the round unless you give me a reason to. Other than that, have fun and convince me of your position.
Pronouns: he/him/his
History:
- Policy @ Montgomery Bell Academy: 2018-2020
- APDA @ Columbia University: 2021-Present
Email:
- Always (always) add me to the email chain!
General:
- I'm cool with spreading if you're debating in a format that spreads. I've debated policy. I reserve the right to say "clear" if I can't understand what you're saying, though—and to dock speaks if I have to do it more than once.
- Have fun with the debate! Debate is a game—an educational game, but a game nonetheless. I'm not going to decide rounds on "fun" (as some K debaters would have me do), but do remember that this is something that's meant to be enjoyable for all of us.
- Signpost during speeches. Throw in an "and" between cards. If you're moving on to a new topic, make it known. Messy flows mean I'll probably end up overlooking something you don't want me to overlook.
- Framework is everything. Your job is to give me something through which I should evaluate the round. In the absence of any really compelling argumentation (absolutely the worst case scenario) I'm going to fall back on framework.
- In any format, I'm cool with most args. Explain it well enough and I'll weigh it.
- BUT I'm iffy on tech > truth. If an argument just doesn't make sense—even if you have cards—it's getting weighed after everything else.
- (If you're in a format that uses cards): use your cards! Refer back to them, cite specific lines later, etc.; the more you engage with and explain your evidence, the more convincing it's going to be.
Theory:
- I really do not enjoy theory debates. Unless your opponent(s) engaged in some absolutely egregious violation of debate conduct, there's a very low chance I vote on your theory args.
- I'm not going to "automatically err Neg/Opp on theory" just because you say "automatically err Neg/Opp on theory." You have to give me a substantive reason to prefer your argument.
- If you read disclosure theory, and your opponent pulls up screenshots of the disclosure, I'm voting you down. Yes, this has happened.
I would like the debaters to do the following while in round:
1. Be courteous - no profanity
2. Please sign post in your round
3. Make clear arguments that are well warranted and have clear impacts
4. No spreading. I am a parent judge. If I do not understand, I will not follow you. So please go slow and make yourself clear.
5. Please give me clear reasons of why I should vote for you.
6. I am not familiar with any debate philosophy (e.g. Kant) hence I would prefer util.
7. Finally, have fun. I believe debate is an educational activity - you learn when you lose or win!
Hi! I am a parent judge for LD, but I have been judging tournaments for a while. I heavily prefer traditional cases (no theory, K's, etc.); counterplans are fine. No spreading, do not be condescending, racist, homophobic, sexist, or anything that attacks a debater's personal beliefs or identification, else I will drop you. I flow crossx, as it is binding. I do not appreciate post rounding, unless you are truly confused and want to understand the outcome better.
Tech>Truth
Good luck and have fun!
Yes I want to be on the email chain--feel free to email regarding decisions or any random debate questions or thoughts--I love talking about debate because I'm a nerd and this is my life.
Please add this email to the chain and send any questions here: Jack.A.Seraph@gmail.com
I am a third year George Mason University, a Varsity Debater. I've been a 2A and a 2N. Cleared at two nationals. Still debating. I go for framework and read a plan, but will vote for whatever(no seriously I'll vote for almost anything).
TL;DR: Spreading is literally preferred just don't gargle marbles. I'll vote on anything. Tech over truth. Framework vs. K affs is either way but maybe 55% neg on the question.
Spreading: Not only do I think spreading is fine, I think it's one of the best things to happen to debate. It's a very useful communicative and competitive tool. That being said, don't take this as a green light to be unintelligible. Yes I can flow a clear 450 wpm. NO I will not be able to flow 300 words per minute that sounds like you're brushing your teeth and gargling water.
Policy vs. K:
A few thoughts.
1. My understanding of K debate and respective critical theorization comes from the perspective of answering the K from a policy perspective. This means that what I look for in deciding these debates is assessing what each team needs to win in the context of the strategies that were deployed, and whether those arguments were won by each team.
2. Framework is the most important part of these debates hands down. Many judges usually say something like 'the aff gets the plan and the neg gets the K.' I take objection to this because usually neither team gives this as an option for me to resolve the debate. The logical conclusion to an aff team saying 'weigh the plan's consequences' and a neg team saying something like 'the 1AC is a narrative or scholarship etc.' being debated out nearly equally is not for me to contrive some sort of compromise. Also how can the aff team 'get the plan' and the neg 'get the K' it literally makes no sense and is totally amorphous. If the debate were about a DA vs. Case, I'd interpret risk and competing claims on a sliding scale, whether I should consider the plan's consequences MUST be a yes/no dichotomous choice though. Most important part. It's much harder for me to conclude that a nuclear war or extinction doesn't outweigh something about the status quo being messed up or some of their assumptions being problematic than otherwise. On the other hand, if the neg is killing the aff on framework, I'll vote on a non-unique reps link.
3. This is also about framework but it deserves its own number -- I think if the neg says 'the aff should defend their reps' or 'the aff is a research project' the aff should make an argument that if they win the plan is a good idea and their impacts outweigh, their research project is net beneficial so who cares about these link args that don't turn the case.
4. The neg should make args about how the links turn the case
5. The neg should criticize the aff's framing of extinction or big stick impacts very heavily. Make this plus framework basically most of your position.
6. I can be convinced of anything so long as it has a warrant. That means death can be good.
Framework vs. K affs:
1. I'll vote either way -- I know that debate is a game, therefore it makes sense that affirmative teams might say that it is not in order to win. This paradox does not make me always vote neg.
2. TVA and SSD can be very critical in mitigating aff offense. That being said, sometimes people are anti-topical and you just need to win that they should be topical and defend a topical plan.
3. Fairness is usually an impact either directly or residually. It's a better impact than 'we'll be advocates and save the world' because we all know that's kind of non-sense. Clash can be an impact that turns the case if the case tries to actually forward scholarship/do something.
4. Fairness should always be impact turned by the aff and I am amenable to voting for 'fairness is bad' or 'fairness impossible.'
5. Kritikal teams are usually correct that the negative's debating in framework debates is usually phenomenal on the link and internal link level, and atrocious on the impact level. Everyone keep this in mind.
6. I prefer affs that think debate is good and try to do something productive/forward scholarship/are close to the topic and try to mitigate neg offense. If an aff basically does nothing or is a sort of self-care argument, I will definitely be amenable to voting aff on those impact turns, but the neg's strategy then should just be a hardcore 'be topical, you're anti-topical, ballot does nothing, fairness good.' The aff should just impact turn fairness.
7. If you don't read any of the above or choose not to take my advice, you'll still be able to win just or close to just as easily.
T: Limits and Ground I'm good for both. 'You have ground' isn't a sufficient answer to 'limits DA.' Affs should have contextual ev to their interp obviously. Aff should impact turn the debates that the neg's interp would produce. Caselist important. Don't make caselist too big -- you might link to your own limits DA and that would be amusing yet unfortunate.
CPs: I'll usually judge kick unless the aff argues otherwise. The neg still needs to justify why I should judge kick if the aff gives me a reason I shouldn't. Love advantage CPs. Love PICs if they're actually testing something substantive. Agent CPs are meh -- really depends on who does the better debating on the competition portion of the debate. Textual vs. functional competition or both being necessary is a debate and you should debate it out. I can be convinced either way.
Condo: I typically am good for unlimited condo/negation theory. I think the neg still has to not blow off condo and can definitely vote aff given a great 2AR on it and bad neg debating on the question. 2AC skew is the best argument. Contradictions isn't a great arg 99% of the time because either the neg has double turned themselves, or they're just testing different portions of the aff.
Other theory: Reject the argument not the team answers every other theory arg if you don't plan on going for the counterplan/position.
Style: I love aggression and sass in debate--but be weary for that is a line that can be difficult to tow. Also don't be sassy or indignant if you're losing--that's just painful. Don't be overtly, or covertly for that matter, racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.
Hello :)
I’m Faizaan Dossani. He/Him. Add me to the email chain: faizaan.dossani@gmail.com
Westlake (TX) 2017-2021, I also coached here for the 2021-2022 season.
General/Introductions
I don't really have any disposition to any particular style of debate and will simply vote for whichever argument is winning the highest layer of the flow. I also have a low tolerance of being disrespectful to your opponents; just be nice please.
I competed in LD on the local and nat circuit in which I cleared at TFA and a sizable chunk of nat circuit tourneys. I also taught at ODI for its past two sessions. I think debate is a game with educational value and freedom. This basically means that I am tech>truth, but still care about maintaining the pedagogical value and accessibility that debate should have. I try to do everything possible to not intervene in my decisions, so navigate my ballot for me.
Kritiks + K Affs
I primarily read these arguments, as my go-to strat junior and senior year was 1-off K. I mainly read Settler Colonialism, Baudrillard, Wynter, Anthro, Berardi, Derrida, cap stuff, and Islamophobia lit but am extremely familiar with a lot of k lit (disability lit, most black scholars, and most identity politics). I have an extremely basic understanding of high theory (Deleuze, Nietzsche, etc.), but as long as you do the proper explanation, I can probably evaluate any literature you throw at me.
- Overviews are appreciated but good line by line is usually more compelling for my ballot
- I think reading pess args when you don't identify with that certain group is bad.
- Give trigger warnings. If you forget and remember midway through the speech, pause your timer and just ask everyone; safety is the most important.
LARP
I read/cut many larp positions and it was also the style of debate I hit the most, so I'm pretty comfortable evaluating these debates. I haven't done much research into the topic literature so please explain your positions to me very clearly!
- DO WEIGHING or I won't know which impacts you want me to evaluate first which means I have to intervene :(
- Evidence comparison is a must have in competing claims over the same argument
- I think reading like 6+ off and then just going for the one the aff had like 10 seconds to respond is a lazy strat, but I guess I will vote off it
Tricks
I have a love/hate relationship with tricks. I don’t mind an underview with some spikes scattered in, but I don’t understand most of the paradoxes. (Spark, GCB, Zenos, etc.) I think a lot of the tricks are stupid in nature, but I guess I will evaluate them.
- Don't be sketchy!
- Make sure that all of your tricks are on the doc. Even if you say "im extempting x" in the speech you still should send a doc of whatever analytics you read. In tricks debates, I heavily rely on the doc compared to other debates.
T + Theory
Usually wasn’t an off in my strats, but I think good theory debate can be fun. Bad theory debate means that you are just regurgitating the shell and not actually explaining how I should evaluate the abuse story on a framing level.
- I won't default any paradigm issues; please just make the implications yourself
- The more frivolous the violation, the more likely I will lower the threshold for response
- I think some form of disclosure is probably a good idea, but I also think that can be up for debate
Phil/FW
I barely read any complex framing other than Mouffe. However, I have judged a lot of phil debates so I feel that I can probably handle whatever you read as long as it is properly explained.
- Explain your complex buzzwords to me, examples will boost speaks
- I think framing hijacks/proving why your framework precludes their moral theory can be extremely compelling in these debates
Traditional Debate
I never really partook in any traditional style of debate (VC or definitional stuff) but I did debate traditional debaters a lot and feel that I can confidently evaluate these debates.
- I think the extra attention to ethos is nice in these debates, but at the end of the day I will still evaluate your arguments on a technical level first
- I'd rather you spend more of your time focusing on the substance of the debate instead of value/VC. I often find that most values are kinda the same thing but just worded differently, which makes evaluating weighing between different values kinda futile.
PF Paradigm
I never actually competed in PF but going to Westlake allowed me to drill/prep with a lot of our PFrs so I have been heavily exposed to the argumentation style and evolving nature of PF. The people that I have worked with that I have pretty similar takes on debate are Cale McCrary, Zain Syed, Jawad Bataneih, Jason Luo, and Cherie Wang.
- You can debate as tech or lay as you want in front of me. Doing LD broadened the styles of debate I partook in, so I can handle whatever progressive arguments you throw at me. Speed is fine as well, but be clear.
- I will give both teams plus 0.2 in speaks if yall just flash cases before constructive, we all know your calling for evidence just to steal prep which wastes everyones' time
Speaks + Misc.
I give speaks based off efficiency, argument quality, and just your general attitude in round. I try to be as consistent as possible with speaks, so you will most likely get between a 28-29.6 unless you do something exceedingly bad/good.
- Please record your speeches, especially if you have a history of laggy wifi
- Throwing in jokes during your speeches is always a plus
- For evidence ethics, I'd rather you form the argument into some type of theory shell instead of staking the round and allowing me to decide, but I will try to default on whatever rules the tournament is following
I know debate can be stressful and toxic; just do your best and have fun cause at the end of the day we are just some losers yelling at each other on NSDA campus :)
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
FSU '25
Bio: Hi everyone, I'm Fabrice and I debated for Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida where I debated in LD for four years. The last two years of my debate career I spent debating on the national circuit where I broke at most of the tournaments that I attend during my Senior Year. Also, my pronouns are he/him/his, and my email is Fabriceetienne830@gmail.com for the email chain.
Basic Stuff:
1. I'm definitely Tech > Truth, which means I have no problem voting for any argument with a warrant and an implication, as long as it isn't repugnant and justifiably makes debate unsafe. If I find an argument to be nonsensical in a way then most likely it does not have a warrant behind it and has no implication in terms of who I voted for in the round.
2. Don't be blatantly anti-black, xenophobic, racist, misogynistic, anti-queer, ableist, etc. Also, if your opponent calls you out for one of the actions that are listed above I will drop you.
3. I do disclose speaks, but I will only disclose if both debaters are fine to have their speaker points disclose at the end of the round.
4. Please show up during the tech time the tournament has given. If you're ten minutes past the tech time then I will start docking speaks, so show up on time.
5. If you're debating a novice or person you are way better than just read what you would normally read but a little slower than usual. The whole point of debate is for people to build their knowledge of the world by learning new arguments from different competitors. This most likely won't happen if you're spreading as fast as can against someone that can't even pick up a word you're saying just because they have no experience in tech debate.
6. For online debate purposes, it is probably best that you record your speeches in case someone gets disconnected or cuts out for a split second during their speech.
Quick Pref Sheet:
K - 1
LARP/T - 2
Framework/ Theory - 3
Tricks - 4
General Stuff:
Ks/K affs: I spend the most time thinking about this type of debate and I feel most comfortable adjudicating it as well. Some authors that I am familiar with when it comes to K debates are Wilderson, Warren, Sexton, Hartman, Baudrillard, and Tuck and Yang. I also have a little bit of knowledge of Eldeman, Beradi, and Lacan. One thing I should note is that just because I like K debate does not mean I am going to hack for you if you read one in front of me, especially if you do not know what you are talking about. Also, I expect that your K has a link or links that are specific to the aff and the alternative should resolve it in some way. Another thing I would like to add is that I am not a big fan of big and long overviews, for that, it is probably better to line by line what is necessary. Now, in terms of K affs, I am fine with whatever you read since this was what I mostly read during my time on the circuit. My only concern with K affs is that you need to make sure that you link your aff to the resolution or why talking about the res is inherently bad. The last thing that I have to add is that if you are reading a non-T aff you need to answer the question of what you do? If that answer is not answered by the end of the 2AR I probably won't vote you up.
LARP (Policy Args): I am fine with LARP since it was the first type of debate that I started with once I was starting to debate on the circuit. Affs with a creative/unique plan text is always fun and if you have one, by all means, run it. The same goes for Neg and any unique CPs and DAs. In these kinds of debates, weighing is gonna be key in front of me.
T/Theory: Obviously if theory is called for because of in-round abuse, don't be afraid to run it. That being said, loading up on as many T shells as possible probably isn't the best strategy for me. This also applies to topicality as well. One thing that I would like to add is that I am not fond of voting for an RVI, but if it is warranted then it fair game.
Framework/Phil: I am fine with this as well even though I barely think about this type of debate at all. Some philosophers that I am familiar with are Kant, Levinas, Deleuze, and Lacan. Philosophers that are not the ones that I listed above might need a little bit more explanation when it comes to articulating their philosophy and how it relates to the res. Also, if this is your style then you need to win why your framework is ethically relevant, and then be able to win offense or defense underneath that framing mechanism.
Tricks: This type of debate is probably my weakest place in terms of adjudicating, but that doesn't mean I won't try. If you want to pref me and reading tricks is your thing then just make sure you err on over-explanation and implicating whatever you are reading and I'll try my best to judge accordingly.
Performance: I am cool with this type of debate as well, but you need to make sure why your specific performance relates to the resolution in some way or why talking about the resolution is inherently bad in debate whether you are the affirmation or the negation.
Extra Stuff:
1. Since debate is online again for this season, it would probably be best to not speak as fast as you can from the jump. It would probably be best to start at 50% of your usual speed and then work your way up as the debate goes on so that I can get accustomed to your voice.
2. If you're white and/or a non-black POC reading afro pessimism or black nihilism, you won't get higher than a 28.5 from me. The more it sounds or shows that you read the argument specifically for me and don't know the literature, the lower your speaks will go.
3. If you are accused of an evidence ethics violation/clipping/cross-reading I will stop the debate and confirm with the accuser on whether they want to stake the round on the violation. After that, I will render a decision based on the guilt of the accused.
4. I don’t mind you post rounding me, for that, I believe it makes judges learn sometimes too and it can be good to keep judges accountable. However, if you start to be aggressive while you are post rounding I will meet that energy as well.
he/him
email: bennettfees@berkeley.edu
I debated for 2 years at Brophy College Preparatory in LD. I did NPDA at Berkeley.
General Stuff:
- I’ll vote on any argument that’s warranted
- Speed is fine, just be clear.
- If you’re going to do an analytics dump just slow down so I can catch them and if you are reading multiple responses to an arg please number how many points there are before you spread through them (i.e. 4 points…)
- Speaks boost if you flash analytics and disclose open source.
Tech -------X-----------------------------------Truth
Flows the doc ----------------------------------------X--Flow what I hear
Fairness/clash/research impacts on T --------X----------------------------------Movements?
Offense/defense on T -------------------------X-----------------Impact turns
Extinction outweighs vs K ---------------------------------------X---- Link level args/perm
Conditionality bad -------------------------X--------------------Infinite and good
Aff-leaning on T vs Policy Affs --------------------X----------------------Neg-leaning on T vs Policy Affs
Internal Link Answers ----X--------------------------------------Impact Defense
Actually extending arguments ----X--------------------------------------- Shadow Extensions
Policy: Love these. Please know the evidence and the internal link story well and extend arguments not just authors during cross applications. As always, weighing is ultra-important. Affs should have inherency and weighing should start in the 1AR. For CP’s you should say "condo -> judge kick" if you want me to judge kick. For DA’s quality over quantity- a couple well-cut cards with warrants that says what you want it to say > seven one-liners
Phil: I know a lot of phil as it was actually written by the author and I’m very comfortable judging these types of debates. Be sure to make comparative fw answers as well as line by line their framework. In debate I think phil gets used as a cop-out in favor of hiding tricks which I’m not a fan of. I’m fine with independent voters justified by the fw just be clear about them. If you must read tricks then be upfront about them and they should be grouped at the top or the bottom of the doc
Theory/T: Great. I think that line-by-line is especially important in these kinds of debates and value as many specific ties to the topic as possible. Weighing between standards is also a must that is too often overlooked. I default competing interps, DTA, no RVI, and fairness as a voter; however, I can be easily persuaded otherwise. Semantic heavy shells like nebel can be ok if it's cut right. I have a low tolerance for friv theory shells. Also, if you have a saucy justification or explanation of a standard that is unique from what most people would read SLOW DOWN so I can flow that independent of the stock stuff.
K: While I didn't run many kritikal positions in high school, I do it much more now and enjoy these types of debates. I’m comfortable with Baudrillard, Warren, Deleuze, Bataille and stock Ks, anything else I approach through how you explain the thesis of the K so be sure to describe what exactly your K is/does and why that means I should vote for you (clear overviews that explain the framing > extending obscure terminology) . I tend to buy “non-falsifiable” evidence versus most psychoanalytic theories, provided they’re warranted. I don’t like Floating PIKs and think the K needs to win its thesis of the world to win the round. I always appreciate a good link wall. For K affs v Topicality you need to explain how the process of debate functions under your model and should do more than just impact turn the voters. I think most K ROB don’t make much sense and the analysis of why certain impacts come first should just be included in the framing.
What’s important to me:
Use your voice well. On a written text, I see periods, commas, colons, capital letters, paragraph breaks, headings, underlined material, and so on. In a debate, what replaces all this is your voice. For example, a written text with no punctuation and no spacing is largely unintelligible; an oral argument with no pauses between clauses, sentences, or paragraphs is equally meaningless—regardless of all the points that you think you are making or all of your opponent’s points that you think you are refuting.
Use good transitional expressions. You may know where you are going, but your listener does not. Say where you plan to go, and then on your journey regularly tell your listeners when you are going to turn right or left. The alternative, which is to present a torrent of impressive sounding facts and figures that are hard to follow, tilts this judge against you.
Avoid bossiness. I regularly spend time in courtrooms, and I notice that attorneys who instruct judges and juries about what to do end up hurting their own cases. Also, argue the merits of your position, and be careful with theory debating. Sometimes I consider it smoke and mirrors, and it may work against you—unless, of course, you can use your voice well, use good transitional expressions, and convince me of the reasonableness of your position. A jury wants reasonableness. So do I.
send the email chain to jonahgentleman@gmail.com
Hi, I'm Jonah (he/him). I regularly competed in both LD and policy at Advanced Technologies Academy and now attend Rutgers University. My guiding philosophy when judging is that I will evaluate any argument, as long as it is properly warranted and does not make the round unsafe for anyone involved.
Policy
These are the rounds I am the most comfortable judging. I like 1NCs that spend a good bit of time on case and really engage with the aff (rehighlightings, smart analytics, things like that). I think impact turns are cool too. I think impact weighing is extremely important, and robust disad turns case explanations make me happy. I enjoy hearing smart advantage CPs. Nebel T is boring but if you read it I think going for limits offense is much smarter than semantics.
Kritiks/K Affs
I am probably the least comfortable judging these debates. I think policy vs. K debates can be cool, but they often feel overly confusing. I get really annoyed by super long 2NR overviews that don't make things any clearer. If I can understand what the K's thesis is, why the aff links, and why that's bad coming out of the debate - that's perfect. But I find that does not happen often. I have the most experience with cap, security, setcol, and queerpess, but anything beyond that might require more explanation than you're used to. For K affs, if I come out of the 2AR clearly understanding what your model of debate is and why that’s good, I will be very inclined to vote for you. Framework is probably the best strategy to go for in front of me, because K vs. K debates get very confusing quick.
Theory/Phil/Tricks
I'm all for it. I only ask for two things: make sure that your arguments are warranted and that you do weighing!! I notice 1AR theory debates become super hard to resolve when standards aren't responded to or weighed. Also it would be great if you go just a bit slower than usual because I am bad at flowing. I recently found out that I think phil debate is pretty cool. Feel free to read any philosopher you are comfortable with as long as you can explain it. I guess I'm fine with whatever tricky arguments you want to read BUT the sillier these args get the lower speaks you will get.
Traditional
I did a lot of traditional debate in high school am fine with judging it. I think that the value criterion is very important and should be very prevalent in every speech when it comes to weighing. Circuit competitors should be inclusive as possible to traditional debaters.
Public Forum
Adding this here because I occasionally judge this. Hopefully knowing that I have a policy background should be enough for you, but the two most important things to consider is that I evaluate rounds very technically and I won't listen to paraphrased evidence. Disclosure is also not really a norm yet in this event so I'm not very persuaded by related arguments.
Update for TOC Digital (12/2-12/4): I don't believe in sticky defense. Extend your arguments in every speech.
Speaker Points
I used to have a somewhat in-depth system here but I realize I really don't follow it. I think most rounds I judge I give speaks from 28.5 to 29. If I think you collapsed well and liked your strategy you'll get 29-29.5. If you are a super duper awesome debater you'll get above that, but it's somewhat rare for me.
Misc.
- Prep time ends when the doc is sent.
- I'll disclose speaks if you ask.
- I really really really don't like evaluating death good arguments.
- Misgendering is obviously very bad and if you do it repeatedly your speaks (and potentially my decision) will reflect that.
- It would be very cool if you slowed down on analytics, because I can't vote on something I didn't hear. This is compounded by my slightly below average flowing skills.
- If you couldn’t already tell, I lean tech over truth.
- If you are annoying in CX I will get annoyed.
- Accessibility is really important to me. Don’t bully novices and don’t be elitist toward traditional debaters.
- Accusations of clipping/violating ev ethics will stop the round. I think evidence is miscut if it is plagiarized, incorrectly cited (author/date), skips paragraphs, or starts or ends in the middle of a paragraph (where the skipped part of the text changes the meaning). I require a recording to verify clipping. If the accuser is correct, the other team loses with minimum speaks. If the accuser is wrong, they lose with minimum speaks.
Kayla Graham
I've coached and competed in Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate. I've judged Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, SPAR debates, Extemp, Declamation, and Oral Interpretation. You don't have to speak slow for me to understand your speeches but please enunciate so I can still hear your arguments clearly. If you can keep your own prep time that would be really helpful but I would like to keep your speech times to make sure that nobody abuses their talking privileges.
Eric He -
Dartmouth '23
eric.he1240@gmail.com
Better than most for cp theory
Slightly neg on condo when equally debated
Kritiks are ok
Affs should probably be topical but will still vote for affs that do not have a plan text - I belive fairness is an impact
Wipeout and/or spark is :(
for LD -
really quickly - CP/DA or DA or CP+some net benefit = good, K = good, T/Condo = good, phil = eh, tricks = bad
I am a policy debater. That means I am ok with speed, and I much prefer progressive debate over traditional LD. Bad theory arguments are :( - that means stuff like no neg fiat
Offense defense risk analysis will be used
solvency is necessary
T is not a rvi
yes zero risk is a thing
please be clear
please do line by line
stop asking if i disclose speaks
also speed reading blocks at blazing speed will get you low speaker points, debating off your flow will get you good speaker points
if i have to decide another round on disclosure theory i will scream
email: colter.heirigs@gmail.com
POLICY PARADIGM:
I have been coaching Policy Debate full time since 2014. Arms sales is my 7th year of coaching.
I view my primary objective in evaluating the round to be coming to a decision that requires the least “judge intervention.”
If debaters do not give me instructions on how to evaluate the debate, and/or leave portions of the debate unresolved, they should not expect to get my ballot. My decision will end up being arbitrary, and (while I will likely still try to make my arbitrary decision less arbitrary than not) I will not feel bad.
In the final rebuttals, debaters should be giving me a “big picture” assessment of what’s going on in the debate to give them the best chance to get my ballot. Extending 25 arguments in the rebuttals doesn’t do much for me if you’re not explaining how they interact with the other team’s arguments and/or why they mean you win the round. In my ideal debate round, both 2NR and 2AR have given me at least a 45 second overview explaining why they’ve won the debate where they dictate the first paragraph of my ballot for me.
Important things to note:
-I don’t ever think Topicality is an RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-If you don’t signpost AND slow down for tags, assume that I am missing at least 50% of your tags. This means saying a number or a letter or “AND” or “NEXT” prior to the tag of your card, and preferably telling me which of your opponents arguments I should flow it next to. Speech docs are not substitutes for clarity and signposting.
-I'm probably a 7 on speed, but please see above ^^^^
-High-theory will be an uphill battle.
-I would prefer not to call for cards, I believe it’s the debaters job to clearly communicate their arguments; if you tell me they’re misrepresenting their cards – I will probably call for them. But if I call for it and they’re not misrepresenting their evidence you’ll lose a lot of credibility with me and my cognitive biases will likely run amuck. Don’t let this deter you from calling out bad evidence.
-You can win the line-by-line debate in the 2AR but still lose the debate if you fail to explain what any of it means and especially how it interacts with the 2NR's args.
-Don’t assume I have any familiarity with your Acronyms, Aff, or K literature
-Swearing is probably word inefficient
-You’re in a bad spot if you’re reading new cards in the final rebuttals, very low propensity for me to evaluate them
-CPs that result in the aff are typically going to be a very hard sell, so are most other artificially competitive CPs. Perms are cool, so are time tradeoffs for the aff when this happens. If you really think you've got a sick techy CP make sure to go out of your way to win questions of competition/superior solvency / a specific link to the aff plan alone for your NB
-I think debate is a competition.
-the best “framework” arguments are probably “Topicality” arguments and almost probably don’t rely on cards from debate coaches and definitely don’t rely on me reading them after the round
-Impact everything out... Offense and Defense... I want to hear you telling me why your argument is more pressing and important than the other team's. I hate having to intervene... "Magnitude," "Probability," and "Timeframe" are not obscenities, please use them.
Arguments you shouldn’t waste your time on with me:
-Topicality = RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-Consult CPs
I am going to have the easiest time evaluating rounds where:
-warrant and evidence comparison is made
-weighing mechanisms and impact calculus guiding how I evaluate micro & macro level args are utilized
-the aff advocates a topical plan
-the DA turns and Outweighs the Case, or the CP solves most of the case and there's a clear net benefit that the perm doesn't solve for
-the negative has a well-researched neg strategy
-I am not expected to sort through high-theory
-the 2NR/2AR doesn't go for everything and makes strategic argument selection
Presumptions I bring into the round that probably cannot be changed:
-I’m voting Neg on presumption until the aff reads the 1AC
-Topicality is never an RVI (*this is distinct from kritiks of the neg’s interp/use of topicality*)
-There is no 3NR
-Oppression of humans = bad (note: I do not know how this compares to the end of the planet/human race, debaters are going to have to provide weighing mechanisms for me.)
-Earth existing = good (note: I do not know how this compares to other impacts like oppression of humans, debaters are going to have to provide some weighing mechanisms for me.)
-I will have a very difficult time bringing myself to vote for any sort of Consult CP if the aff even mumbles some type of “PERM”
-Once the 2AC perms, presumption goes to the neg to prove the perm unworkable or undesirable if the CP/Alt is not textually/functionally competitive
Unimportant things to note:
-Plz read your plan before you read solvency – I will be annoyed and lost if you don’t
-I really enjoy author indicts if/when they’re specific – it shows a team has worked hard and done their research
-I really enjoy case specific strategies – I enjoy it when a team can demonstrate that they've worked hard to prepare a case specific strategy
-I enjoy GOOD topicality debates
-I’ve been involved in policy debate in some capacity for 11 years now – Education is my 5th topic coaching.
-I put my heart and soul into policy debate for four years on high school. I worked tirelessly to put out specific strategies for specific affirmatives and I like to see debaters who I can tell have done the same and are having fun. So, show me you know your case better than anyone else if you're affirmative, or on the neg, show me specific links and answers to the affirmative... I tend to reward this in speaker points. ...That being said, generics are fun, fine, and essential for the negative team. Feel free to run them, you will not be penalized in any way.
Specific Arguments
I'm good for just about anything that is well debated: T, Theory, DAs, CPs, Ks... I can even be persuaded to vote solely on inherency if it is well debated - if the plan has literally already happened, for the love of god please punish the aff.
That being said, I enjoy seeing a strategy in argument selection, and appreciate when arguments don't blatantly contradict each other (i.e. the DA linking to the CP, or Cap Bad and an Econ Impact on politics). Especially in the 2NR.
********************************************************
LD Paradigm
I am pretty tab when it comes to LD. My goal is to reach a decision that requires the least amount of judge intervention.
Signpost and slow down on tags. Slow down even more for theory args. Spreading through tags and theory interps is absolutely not the move if you want me to be flowing your speech. I will not be flowing from the doc.
Slow down. No, you don’t have to be slow and you should certainly feel free to read the body of your cards at whatever max speed you are comprehensible at. If you’ve used signposting, slowed down on tags and pre-written analytics, you’re golden. It's inexcusable and unforgivable to not have signposting in the 1ac.
I come into the round presuming:
-the aff should be defending the resolution
-the aff is defending the entirety of the resolution
-my ballot answers the resolutional question
-debate is a game
These presumptions can likely be changed.
Stylistically agnostic, but probably not your best judge for:
-dense phil that you’re spreading through
-undisclosed affs that don’t defend the entirety of the resolution
-process CPs that result in the aff
-more than 2 condo
-friv theory - I ❤️ substance
-Probably not interested in hearing condo if it’s just 2 condo positions
-theory interps that require me to ignore other speeches
I think that I have a low propensity to vote for most arguments regarding things that happen outside of the round or prior to the 1ac. I am not interested in adjudicating arguments that rely on screenshots of chats, wikis, or discord servers.
Questions, or interested in my thoughts on particular subjects not covered in my LD paradigm? Check out my POLICY PARADIGM above!
Public Forum Paradigm:
First speakers get to ask the first question in crossfire. If you ask about the status of this in round, expect to get one less speakerpoint than you would have otherwise.
File Share > e-mail chain.
Depth > Breadth. You only have four minutes to construct your position, would far prefer to hear 2 well-developed contentions rather than 3-4 blippy ones unless they are incredibly straight-forward. Much less interested in adjudicating “argument checkers” than most.
Hello, if you are reading I want to wish you the best of luck at the tournament today. My name is Javier Hernandez. I did LD for 3 years. I graduated with a B.A. in history and political science from UCF. Currently, I teach English and am starting a debate program for St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School. If yow will be spreading at the tournament today, please email me at jhernandez@stmacs.org. For the most part, I care less about what you run and more that it's run well and relevant to the topic. K's and theory are fine as long as they don't feel superfluous, but I feel less comfortable evaluating them than I do CP's or DA's. I want a clear voter's in round as I've seen many close rounds where debaters fumble crystallization and it causes them to lose my ballot.
As far as speaks are concerned, don't worry too much. They are somewhat arbitrary and for that reason I take a relaxed approach. You start at 28 and go up or down based on what arguments you present and how they are presented.
If you have any questions PLEASE feel free to ask me any questions about things not included in my paradigm before the round.
H.H. Dow High 2020 - Debated LD for 3 years and Policy fir 1
Hockemeyertyler@gmail.com - Please add me to the email chain
I am not a fan of spreading and mainly did trad debate. I'm perfectly fine to vote for theory and k's however you must explain it well.
School affiliations - none
Hired - yes (work with the USA debate program)
Graduated from Mira Loma High School in California recently.
Currently enrolled in college -- Columbia University
Have competed in APDA in college.
This is my first year of judging/coaching. I have one year of experience judging.
I occasionally judge WS Debate.
I have not judged any other format this year.
I have not chaired a WS round before but I understand it involves calling up the speakers, running the round logistically, and delivering an OA (if within the majority).
I would describe WS Debate as a parliamentary format of debate that is very focused on logical warranting.
I usually flow on my computer while judging.
I don't go into any round presuming the principle or practical is more important. It's up to the debaters to do the weigh up.
I evaluate strategy by looking at how arguments are developed down the bench, how consistent each team is with their argumentation, and the narrative each team is able to advance throughout the round.
I'm generally ok with speed but if the speaker is going fast enough that it's no longer accessible to their opponents, I will doc style.
Competing claims will be evaluated off of warranting and weighing. Walk me through the logical links and weigh between claims if you think I am not convinced.
Prop gets to set model as long as it's reasonable. If there's a model quibble, I don't want it to encompass the entire debate, but I will evaluate based off of what the debaters tell me and what I believe is aligned with the spirit of the motion.
Countermodels should be mutually exclusive or else they're a waste of time -- I'm open to reminders at the top of the 1 though ie. remember we can still utilize current welfare infrastructure or something along those lines.
Contact info -- email me at jh4338@columbia.edu
I am a lay parent judge, and I prefer more traditional debates. I am pretty familiar with the topic.
I like debaters who are organized and have well-warranted arguments. Please make sure your arguments make logical sense. I also like debaters who take advantage of their prep time; don't stop speaking with a significant amount of time left.
I am not very familiar with more tech debate with kritiks, theory, etc, but I will still evaluate it but make sure you are overexplaining everything if you do read those. I am also not very good at evaluating spreading, and make sure you are clear in your speech.
Please email me the cases at jianhuny@gmail.com
My email is chasiaj@gmail.com Please include me in any email chains
If your go-to strategy before even seeing who you're paired against is T/Theory please don't pref me. I do understand theory args, but look first to reasonability. If I feel no in round abuse occurred, I will most probably ignore the shell. If abuse did occur, I will consider competing interps if args are made for them. You won't like me as a theory-heavy judge, and I won't enjoy judging your theory-heavy round.
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Hi y’all! My name is Chasia (she/they) and I’m currently a PhD student in Culture and Theory at UC Irvine. I received my BA in Law, History & Culture with a minor in Gender & Social Justice from the University of Southern California in May 2021 and attended Harvard Westlake for High School where I competed in Lincoln Douglas Debate for four years. I also competed in Parli debate in middle school and coached and judged middle school parli during my high school career. My graduate research utilizes Black feminist theory, critical race theory, affect theory, poetic theory, legal theory, disability theory to study the narratives and experiences of Black women, resistance, community, and ideas of irrationality.
It would be a lie to say my life experiences as a low-income, chronically, and mentally ill, Black woman don’t affect my judging. However, I will do my best to evaluate the debate round based solely on the arguments made in the room. That being said, tell me how you want me to evaluate your arguments and why. I generally look to a comparative worlds standard and don't vote on presumption.
Before I get into specifics of arguments, please don’t be a jerk. I don’t care how many bids you have, you can and should still be a kind person. While I won’t necessarily vote against you for being a jerk, I will dock speaker points and won’t feel bad about it. If you are obviously more advanced than your opponent, please don’t make my round the place where you crush someone’s debate dreams. Be kind and hopefully it can be a positive (maybe even fun!) learning experience for everyone. Please respect one another.
That being said after the round if you have questions about your arguments or performance, I would be happy to discuss (given tournament rules allow). However, this kindness rule extends to me. I’m a sensitive human. As soon as I feel disrespected, I will not engage with you anymore. There are respectful and kind ways to disagree.
While I do understand “spreading” and did spread when competing. I am hard of hearing so please, speak up. I will say clear, slow, or louder, but if I miss something, and it isn’t on my flow, I won’t consider it when evaluating the debate. The issue is usually the volume rather than the speed as many debaters mumble or whisper when spreading.
I'm fine with flex prep. I don't care if you sit or stand. I don't care where you sit. You can time on your phone. You can read a poem as your case, etc.. Just debate how you are comfortable debating. Do what you think you can do best.
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I will evaluate nearly any argument granted that it is not completely illogical and doesn’t dehumanize anyone inside or outside of the debate space. Don't be sexist, ableist, racist, transphobic, homophobic, etc. Otherwise, If it makes sense in the round, and you tell me how I should evaluate the argument, I will most probably evaluate and accept the argument. It’s your opponent’s job to convince me not to accept the argument. I will do my best not to intervene/use my own outside knowledge to evaluate the round. The sky is green until your opponent tells me it’s not. Your opponent dropping an argument is not sufficient for you to win the debate. Tell me why that dropped argument is so important that you have won.
Run whatever you want as long as you defend it well under whatever framework/ROB is determined in the round, unless it is morally repulsive (racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.) or you're a jerk in round. However, if your arguments are dehumanizing and offensive to marginalized folks I will not accept them. Don’t waste your time making them. In this case, I will vote for the other debater, make up an "educational" RFD for why you lost, and not think anything of it. You can be passionate and aggressive without being mean. Otherwise, as long as you’re being a decent human being, read whatever you want. Read what you can argue best, not what I like best.
I will vote off of what you tell me to, even if I know something is factually wrong, etc. If both debaters agree to a FW/ROB I will evaluate the round off of that, not who has more turns or more unanswered arguments. If no one agrees on a FW/ROB, I'll just pick one that holistically encompasses the round. I actually do care about what you are saying and will flow, but I'm ill and usually hungry and sleepy, and hate hurting people's feelings unless I already have a vendetta against you (in which case I would just conflict you), so please tell me exactly how to vote. Write my RFD for me, paint a picture in the 2AR/NR, wrap the debate like a pretty present, whatever metaphor floats your boat. Please tell me where to vote and what to look to.
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Traditional Arguments: Sure.
Plans/CP/DAs: Go for it.
Ks & K Affs: I LOVE THESE! I ran these all the time! Please make me an anti-ethical decision maker if you want, I'm pretty good at it. I understand a lot of critical literature/positions fairly well. Don't run a K unless the other case actually links and unless you know what you are doing. Don't run it just because I'm your judge. Please don't just add a police brutality tag to your case because I'm your judge. If you are going to run these types of arguments, you should have been running them anyways and know what you're talking about. They should be important to you. You should be passionate about it. The only thing worse than a bad K is theory. However, if you don’t understand/like K debate, please don’t run a K just because I’m judging you. I understand other arguments well. Also, you can definitely win on other layers of the debate even if a K is run.
T/Theory: I understand these arguments but I really don’t like them. Usually, they are jerk moves to not engage in the issue of the topic/debate at hand. If the argument applies, run it. If it’s frivolous, I would prefer you didn’t but go ahead and run it. That being said your speaker points might suffer. I will vote off of reasonability and then competing interps. So, basically, if I deem that there is actual in round abuse, then I will look to competing interps, but most theory nowadays is frivolous and annoying. That is how I am going to evaluate the theory debate should I have to. If they are actually being a buttface, then go for it, I will probably think they are a buttface too and vote off of it. Also, please don't make the entire round theory. If you run theory please tell me how it relates to the arguments being made and how I should evaluate it in the debate. Please don’t leave me alone with a T/Theory case. Spikes in the underview about how you want the round to function are fine.
Dense Philosophy: While I understand most philosophical positions, please take the time to explain these positions well. Tell me how your FW affects how I can evaluate the round.
Skepticism/Tricks: No.
Hi y'all! I debated for Valley High School for seven years and graduated in 2020, qualifying to both NSDA Nationals and TOC.
Bronx 2022 Update: I haven't judged (or thought about) debate in a while, so just keep that in mind. Go a little bit slower please, but everything below still applies.
Email: animeshjoshi9@gmail.com
I don't flow off the doc, just a heads up.
General:
Tech > Truth.
Do what you want to do.
Here are just some miscellaneous guidelines.
1. Explanation usually matters more than argument content. As long as I can get a coherent warrant for an argument, and it's not blatantly offensive, I'm willing to vote on it.
2. I'm good with any type of debate and will evaluate every argument to the best of my ability. I read a lot of analytic philosophy as a debater, so I'm probably most comfortable with that style and would likely enjoy it when executed correctly. That being said, don't read something you're bad at just because I read it--it leads to bad debates that will make me sad. Watching debaters do what they're good at is super cool, and I think I'm comfortable adjudicating any style of debate. The one exception is probably LARP v LARP; I'm not very well versed in that. Disclosure theory is fine, but I don't like it at all, especially super tiny violations, i.e. round reports, open-source in cite box, etc.
EDIT: Also, not the biggest fan of osource being read against full text disclosure, but you do you. Also pt2, reading some sort of framing mechanism, i.e. ANY framework, is probably in your best interest.
3. Despite being from Valley, I'm not the biggest fan of tricks. Watching a bad tricks debate makes my head hurt, and they often seem like cheap shots (the way they're currently used in debate, they aren't always bad arguments). However, I do understand their strategic value and, when executed correctly, can be really enjoyable to watch. Cool and nuanced topical tricks > resolved. I'd prefer to not hear a 2AR on a garbage a priori when there's a clear substantive route to the ballot--that's all.
4. Even if things are conceded, please extend them. I have a low threshold for extensions, but there still needs to be ink on my flow with something resembling a warrant. That is, a 2AR going for defense to a 2NR on theory STILL needs to say "extend aff offense, it was conceded."
5. Independent voters need to be warranted. Tossing out a claim without any reasoning attached to it is not a coherent argument.
6. Weigh between arguments, please. Every type of debate gets messy whether it be theory, framework, or clash of civs. Weighing really helps me resolve these rounds.
7. I dislike people prescripting every speech. It seems to be happening more and more--it irks me. I will reward debaters who actually generate arguments and think of responses on their feet.
8. Have fun! Debate is super stressful and rough. Try to lighten up and enjoy some of the experience! But don't be exclusionary to somebody who isn't versed in circuit norms, is a novice, etc. Let's try to keep the space inclusive :)
If you have any other questions, let me know before round!
CHS 2020/UVA 2024
Experience:
I lone-wolfed for a school called Chantilly in Northern VA. I qualled to TOC my senior year (2020), but did not attend because of COVID. I went to six tournaments total in my career and broke at the four I went to my senior year. I am currently a physics major at the University of Virginia (Wahoowa!)
General Debate Philosophy:
I care about technical execution more than argument content. But part of good technical execution includes providing strong warrants for your arguments. I will do my best to be tabula rasa and ideologically neutral, but that doesn't mean I'll vote for an incoherent, unwarranted, blippy argument just because it was conceded and quickly extended.
That being said, I have no problem voting for things I personally do not think are true so long as they are well-supported in round. Fields like analytic philosophy, formal logic, and pure mathematics have a long history of rigorous justification for strange and counter-intuitive, seemingly paradoxical ideas. I’d say, if you can find an academic literature base for a wacky philosophical idea, go for it. I'm probably a better judge than most for the out-there stuff in debate.
Decision Philosophy:
Debate is a game. It's a game with a lot of potential educational value (depending on how you approach it), but it's a game nonetheless. At the end of the day, I have to submit a ballot and pick a winner. I don't want to do this arbitrarily, so I will vote on the flow and only on the flow unless there is an ethics issue (offensive language, evidence ethics, etc.)
Miscellaneous Stuff:
I obviously don't care if you spread but I do actually need to hear/understand your arguments. I have zero qualms about voting on arguments I don't understand and if I have to keep calling clear I'll eventually just give up. I'll give you a little more leeway for arguments that you're reading and have sent to me (can go a bit faster for 1AC/1NC offs, pre-written analytics, etc.). I also have a minor hearing disability so I'd really appreciate it if you could be louder than your baseline volume.
RFDs are cleanest when one side is winning offense on the highest layer linking to some framing mechanism. Do explicit analysis sequencing, preclusion, weighing, impact calculus, and clear interactions for maximum resolvability. The less of that you do, the more my RFD sounds like me rambling about my own intuitions. I don't like giving those RFDs because they make me feel like a bad judge. Debaters don't like those RFDs because they feel very arbitrary. Please make life easier for everyone by making the debate resolvable.
I'm not super picky but I prefer arguments to be extended by content (as opposed to label, i.e. "sub-point A"). I have a pretty low threshold for extensions if an argument is cold conceded. It can help rhetorically to re-explain a warrant in a dropped argument; if you're using it to take something out in a way that's not blindingly obvious you absolutely need to explain the interaction/implication. If you do not extend an argument I'm ignoring it in future speeches.
I try to default to paradigms implicitly accepted by both debaters because sometimes lack of extensions make debates nonsensical, unless I assume some kind of framing mechanism. For example, if both sides go for theory and no reads or extends their voters, I'm just going to assume its fairness/education or both (depending on the context
Please no new 2NR/2AR arguments. If you read RVIs bad in the 1NC and the 1AR concedes that, then the 2NR does not get to suddenly change strategy and go for RVIs good.
I did debate, and continue to participate in the debate community, because it is fun. It is not fun when people are mean and rude to each other. I really do not want to be dragged into blood feuds, so please try not to read arguments about debaters out-of-round conduct. (Disclosure shells and things like round reports are fine since theory is distinct from casting aspersions on someone's character).
I don't like blippy independent voters that are not linked to some framing mechanism. I actually think Reps Ks/Word PICs can be interesting, the impact just needs to be linked to a coherent framework, preferably of a normative nature. I really don't like voting on arguments that claim that a loss is a punitive measure against someone's behavior: I think
Speaks:
Speaks are arbitrary. Trying really hard to standardize them but I'm a human and fundamentally not programmed to think numerically. Basically I'm shooting for:
30 = no note, perfect; 29.5+ = near flawless; 29-29.4 = very good, going to break for sure; 28.5-28.9 = decent, some errors, may break; 28-28.4 = mediocre, still developing; 27.5-28 = major technical/strategic errors; 27.5 = weird/bizarre things happened that baffled me
(once watched a debate where the 1N ROB was "vote for the debater who does a TikTok dance,” and the aff conceded after the neg did a TikTok dance; that gets something around a 26.5)
Harker '21 - debated for 7 years in LD and Policy
email chain - 21akshaym@students.harker.org
Policy args > Ks >> Phil / Tricks
Policy args:
Vast majority of args I read in my career - i feel very comfortable evaluating these debates, go for it. love to see creative and well-researched strategies, which will be reflected in speaks
impact turns are some of my favorite debates - co2 ag, dedev, etc are all on the table, and good execution will be rewarded with high points.
politics probably a thing, but also probably can lose to smart analytics especially if your cards are bad. that said i'm a sucker for a good politics disad
i lean very heavily towards judge kick -- probably a really hard uphill battle for the aff to persuade me against that.
i'd be very hard pressed to vote on zero risk.
Theory
good for more stock theory args (mostly CP theory) than frivolous theory -- i am more receptive to reasonability and arbitrariness args against spec, new affs bad, etc. good for regular disclosure but not niche args like "round reports", etc
i prefer paragraph theory on the offending page (eg condo on a CP) then as a "new off"
i lean neg on most counterplan theory except for international fiat.
i find competition arguments against cheating counterplans more persuasive than theory arguments
default drop the arg (unless it's condo), competing interps, no rvis
i'll flow by ear for these debates so slow down
have warrants for your arguments beyond "vote aff for deterrence" or similar stuff
Ks:
better for these debates than you might think based on the arguments I read as a debater. I read through most literature bases during my time as a debater, and I feel comfortable evaluating these debates. 2nr link contextualization (e.g., drawing lines from 1ac/1ar evidence) factors heavily into my decision calculus.
Negs will do best by saliently dealing with the case -- either with robust link turns the case, alt solves the case, and unsustainability arguments, or with a *heavy* push on framework. the case page should make the 2nr. I find critiques of extinction impacts more persuasive than "structural violence outweighs". that said, i think most critiques have more compelling extinction impacts than a good deal of policy affs. i find aff ballots most persuasive when the negative underexplains the reasons behind their structural claims (especially regarding ontology arguments). equally debated, i think the aff generally gets access to the case, but specific framework evidence goes a long way for the negative (especially regarding epistemology claims). ROJ/ROB are silly/contrived mechanisms.
For the aff, I find 2ars on case outweighs or impact turns most compelling. impact turns are often underutilized. please explain perms -- "perm do both perm do the alt perm double bind" in one breath can be answered by a thumbs down from the neg. weighing is most important for me when judging this genre of debates.
between debaters of equal caliber, i think soft left affs would consistently lose to the critique. hard left/topical K affs (that assert a theory of power) seem extremely strategic to me *if* well-researched and germane to the topic.
line by line >>>> big overview
floating piks should be identified in the 1nc.
K affs:
Prefer affs that are within the parameters of the resolution. better for k affs that have a spin on the topic rather than impact turning every element of limits/debate. if you're negating, i mostly prefer arguments about skills or clash over fairness on framework. K affs probably get perms. the 2nr should cover the case. I think K v K debates can be incredibly interesting (and what I normally went for in these debates), but specific link and alt work by the negative is crucial.
Topicality
update: *not a good judge for nebel t - i very often vote affirmative in this debates*
probably lean towards competing interps. i'd prefer a substance debate to topicality but good T debates are enjoyable to watch and get good speaks.
i prefer topicality to be well developed in the 1nc, and I find many 2nrs to be almost completely new in explaining their standards. i dislike how prescripted these debates tend to be, especially with regards to nebel T -- I’ll lean against pre scripted nebel 2nrs and underdeveloped 1nc t arguments when pointed out by the aff.
Phil
i appreciate philosophical literature but find these debates to usually be exceedingly blippy or underwarranted -- not the judge for you if that's your style. i prefer ACs & NCs with evidence justifying the framework. slow down on dense or niche framework explanations. I did not read these arguments in high school but debated them a number of times.
Tricks
just read a disad please
"underview" of more than a minute caps your speaks at a 27. please debate the topic.
presumption always flips neg, unless the 2nr includes an advocacy.
Other things --
fine with inserting rehighlightings
i will definitely read your evidence. i'll reward good ev with good speaks, and punish bad ev with bad speaks. evidence quality caps your truth claims, even if they're dropped -- please reference ev quality in your speeches in general (this shouldn't substitute for explanation though). good topic knowledge is also good for speaks
smart analytics can beat bad cards
"independent voters" are usually not independent voters -- i am unlikely to vote for args flagged as such without a theoretical justification for doing so
dropped arguments are still influenced by how true they are -- e.g., dropping no neg arguments is not an issue. i won't be too interventionist/this is more aimed at tricks but dont prioritize lots of terrible blippy offcase or arguments in favor of a smaller more substantive strategy
good humor/sarcasm is very good for speaks
With a cumulative 13+ years of experience across multiple formats (CX, LD, PF, WSDC, Congress, BP, AP, etc) and across multiple circuits (5 continents), I like to think that I've seen it all, so I'll keep it simple.
I value and reward consistency in logic. The less logical leaps in your argument, the better.
Analyze everything, don't make assumptions.
Rebuttals should be thorough.
Don't make up evidence, I wouldn't hesitate to call for cards if something doesn't add up.
Cross (or POI in WSDC/BP) is also part of the debate, take it very seriously.
Be kind and respect your opponents.
Hi I'm Ananya! I debated LD in high school, so I understand the nuances and norms of the structure. Don't expect me to be an excellent judge for a highly nuanced technical debate. However, I will try my very best to evaluate any type of debate you'd like to have.
theory, Ks, etc are fine, just explain them very thoroughly. Spreading is fine and I'll call clear/slow if needed.
if u have further questions abt my judging preferences, feel free to ask before round or email me (ananyanatchukuri@gmail.com)
**Updated October 31, 2023
Hello everyone!
My judging history will show that I’ve primarily tabbed at tournaments since the pandemic started. However, I’ve been keeping up with topic discussions across LD, PF, and Policy and am looking forward to judging you all!
I’ve been in the debate world for over a decade now, and have been coaching with Lexington since 2016. Starting this academic year, I also teach Varsity LD and Novice PF at LHS. I was trained in policy debate but have also judged mainly policy and LD since 2016. I also judge PF at some tournaments along with practice debates on every topic.
TLDR: I want you to debate what you’re best at unless it’s offensive or exclusionary. I try to have very limited intervention and rely on framing and weighing in the round to frame my ballot. Telling me how to vote and keeping my flow clean is the fastest way to my ballot. Please have fun and be kind to one another.
Email: debatejn@gmail.com
ONLINE DEBATE NOTES
In an online world, you should reduce your speed to about 75%-80%. It’s difficult for me to say clear in a way that doesn’t totally disrupt your speech and throw you off, so focusing on clarity and efficiency are especially important.
I usually use two monitors, with my flow on the second monitor, so when I’m looking to the side, I’m looking at the flow or my ballot.
MORE IN DEPTH GENERAL NOTES
If your argument isn’t on my flow, I can’t evaluate it. Keeping my flow clean, repeating important points, and being clear can decide the round. I flow by ear and have your speech doc primarily for author names, so make sure your tags/arguments/analytics are clear. I default to tech over truth and debate being a competitive and educational activity. That being said, how I evaluate a debate is up for debate. The threshold for answering arguments without warrants is low, and I don’t find blippy arguments to be particularly persuasive.
LD PARADIGM
In general: Please also look at my policy paradigm for argument specific information! I take my flow seriously but am really not a fan of blippy arguments. I’m fine with speed and theoretical debates. I am not the best judge for affs with tricks. I don’t like when theory is spread through and need it to be well-articulated and impacted. I have a decent philosophy background, but please assume that I do not know and err on over-explaining your lit.
On Framework: In LD, I default to framework as a lens to evaluate impacts in the round. However, I am willing to (and will) evaluate framework as the only impact to the round. Framework debates tend to get really messy, so I ask that you try to go top-down when possible. Please try to collapse arguments when you can and get as much clash on the flow as possible.
A note on fairness as a voter: I am willing to vote on fairness, but I tend to think of fairness as more of an internal link to an impact.
On T: I default to competing interpretations. If you’re going for T, please make sure that you’re weighing your standards against your opponent’s. In evaluating debates, I default to T before theory.
On Theory: I lean towards granting 1AR theory for abusive strats. However, I am not a fan of frivolous theory and would prefer clash on substantive areas of the debate. In general, I do not feel that I can adjudicate something that happened outside of the round.
On RVIs: I think RVIs have morphed into a way of saying "I'm fair but having to prove that I'm being fair means that I should win", which I don't particularly enjoy. If you’re going for an RVI, make sure it’s convincing and reasonable. Further, please make sure that if you’re going for an RVI that you spend sufficient time on it.
On Ks: I think that the NR is a difficult speech - answering the first indicts on a K and then having to collapse and go for the K is tricky. Please make sure that you're using your time effectively - what is the world of the alt and why is my ballot key to resolving the impacts that you outline?
PF PARADIGM
In general: I rely on my flow to decide the round. Keeping my flow clean is the best path to my ballot, so please make sure that your speeches are organized and weigh your arguments against your opponents.
On Paraphrasing: I would also prefer that you do not paraphrase evidence. However, if you must, please slow down on your analytical blocks so that I can effectively flow your arguments - if you read 25 words straight that you want on my flow, I can't type quickly enough to do that, even when I'm a pretty fast typer in general. Please also make sure that you take care to not misrepresent your evidence.
General Comments On LD/Policy Arguments: While I will evaluate the round based on my flow, I want PF to be PF. Please do not feel that you need to adapt to my LD/Policy background when I’m in the back of the room.
On PF Theory: It's a thing, now. I don't particularly love it, but I do judge based off of my flow, so I will vote on it. However, I really, really, really dislike frivolous theory (feel free to look at my LD and Policy paradigms on this subject), so please make sure that if you're reading theory in a round, you are making it relevant to the debate at hand.
POLICY PARADIGM
On Framework: ROBs and ROJs should be extended and explained within the context of the round. Interpretations and framing how I need to evaluate the round are the easiest path to my ballot. Please weigh your standards against your opponent’s and tell me why your model of debate works best. While I will vote on fairness as a voter, I tend to default to it as an internal link to another impact, i.e. education.
One off FW: These rounds tend to get messy. Please slow down for the analytics. The best path to my ballot is creating fewer, well-articulated arguments that directly clash with your opponent’s.
On Theory and T: Make sure you make it a priority if you want me to vote on it. If you’re going for T, it should be the majority of your 2NR. Please have clearly articulated standards and voters. I typically default to competing interpretations, so make sure you clearly articulate why your interpretation is best for debate. In general, I do not feel that I can adjudicate something that happened outside of the round.
On DA/CP: Explain why your evidence outweighs their evidence and please use impact calc.
On K-Affs: Make sure you’re weighing the impacts of your aff against tech stuff the neg articulates. Coming from the 1AC, I need a clear articulation of your solvency mechanism and the role of ballot / judge.
Hitting K-Affs on neg: PLEASE give me clash on the aff flow
On Ks: Make sure that you’re winning framing for these arguments. I really enjoy well-articulated link walls and think that they can take you far. I’m maybe not the best judge for high theory debates, but I have some experience with most authors you will read in most cases and should be able to hold my own if it’s well articulated. I need to understand the world of the alt, how it outweighs case impacts, and what the ballot resolves.
One off Ks: These rounds tend to get very nuanced, especially if it’s a K v K debate. Please have me put framework on another flow and go line by line.
Hi,
My name is Jayesh Patel. I am a lay parent judge. Please speak slowly and clearly.
Good Luck!
Jay
email: vandanpatel202@gmail.com
tldr: I will evaluate every argument and attempt to be as impartial as possible. I am fine with speed, theory, Kritiks(although I haven't read much lit other than antiblackness/afropess), and virtually any other argument. I am a firm believer that debate is a game so if an argument brought by your opponent is morally repugnant you will have to prove why this is the case as I will not intervene.
T: I love good T debates, don't go for blip T args please. If your gonna read T explain why the definitions are important to the context of the round and give me reasons to prefer. I also evaluate T before K but can change if you tell me why.
Util: read a lot of this in high school. am cool with util and LARP args, will default to extinction outweighs unless told otherwise.
Theory: went for this a lot in high school. I will vote on pretty much any theory arg as long as it is well warranted. I am a firm believer in disclosure, but will vote against disclosure theory if provided with reason to do so.
RVIs - default to RVIs
Default to CIs, can do reasonability if convinced otherwise.
Ks - am fine with them, although the only Ks I'm really familiar with are cap and antiblackness/afropess. Please explain what the alt means and how it solves the aff if it does, often times debaters through buzzwords and hope that I know what the alt means. I am fine with alts that require a rejection of the aff as long as there is a pedagogical reason to do so.
Lexington High School '20
McGill University '24
email: andrea.reier@mail.mcgill.ca
------
Background: I was an LD debater for 3 years in high school and primarily ran fem critical theory. I also dabbled a bit in policy as well. I lean truth > tech, but I will evaluate most arguments in a debate. Just please crystallize and clearly delineate a ballot for me in the 2A/2N. Don't just extend arguments, explain why they're important to the round and weigh.
Tabula rasa (minus tricks, do not read these args.) But please be clear and do not speak super fast, I am not used to the high-tech jargon anymore.
Debate PREFS: PHIL > Ks > LARP > Theory* (In order of how well I evaluate these debates)
* = Good at evaluating as long as it's not frivolous theory & the round is arguably unfair.
Other stuff:
Low-point win (risk): reading off the doc the entirety of the debate i.e your 2N is 100% pre-written (you should know how to exempt args and contextualize them within the round)
**IMPORTANT** - I expect debaters to give trigger warnings before reading material with graphic and/or sensitive content (sexual assault, graphic descriptions/images of racial violence, etc.). If you defend not giving a trigger warning on very sensitive content, I will auto drop you and give zero speaks.
"also pls don't use racist/sexist/ableist language because i will tank your speaks/will not hesitate to vote on discourse. Also, please be polite to your opponents- do not be rude in the name of being assertive." - Shweta's paradigm.
have fun and good luck! :)
Duval '21
Wake Forest '25
Conflicts: Duval, Cho Prep Group, and Stocksdale.
Email: Yes please - Justindoesdebate@gmail.com
Subject on the email: What tourney, round#, team v team would be helpful.
Pronouns: He/They/Idc
TLDR: Im good for all debate, I am not afraid to pull the trigger on arguments that are not problematic, so long as there exists the basic fundamentals of an argument. I evaluate all debates through an offensive and defensive paradigm. Explain all logical/non-logical? parts of an argument that you are reading why you are good and why they are bad and you should win theoretically. Resolve arguments for me, judges will love you, also they want the fastest way out.
My role as the judge is to be an educator in the round between debaters, comfortability and safety precede education. Don't do bad things, I won't give u zero :)
Claim, warrant, and impact - weighing and evidence comparison would be beneficial for the debaters but also why the specific weighing matters.
1AR cards are fine but extend, weigh, and compare preexisting evidence.
Speed is good, clarity is better.
Ask for feedback, chances are I won't get to it ASAP as I am a little bit busy going to college.
I am not fond of buzzwords or jargon as substitutions for explanations. I may know the concept but thoroughly explaining arguments is far superior because they allow for the testing of ground and tactics on a specific issue that may be relevant to the round or strategy that you are advocating for.
Top-level
AFF's should prove their advocacy/policy proposal is a good idea. NEGs should prove why the AFF is a bad idea. The AFF and the NEG should weigh to determine what matters the most, compare evidence/claims, and resolve arguments.
Nitty-gritty:
Topic related - I am a bit familiar with both topics LD and Policy.
Speaker points - I have a tendency to give high speaks, especially when it's a crush and you explain every part of the argument. I tend to give high speaks when the round is very competitive. I like giving high speaks, do good debate and you will get high speaks.
K affs - If you win that your advocacy/model of debate is a good idea, I will vote on it.
DA's - They're fine, just explain and contextualize everything to the AFF as well as weighing and turns case at the top!
K's- I'm fine with it, I read this most of the time so chances are I probably get what you are saying. Don't just spam buzzwords explain the specific links and contextualize them with your thesis/theory of power/etc. My comments still apply here
CP- Very good, I'd use it against a soft-left aff, I'm willing to pull the trigger on small risk of a DA very easily.
T- Run whatever you want, this includes T- USFG & resolutional specific limitters. Very persuaded by comparison and resolution of arguments. If the NEG cannot prove that the AFF is unreasonably outside of the topic and does not have educational or process-based benefits to debating then I default to reasonability.
Judge kick until given a reason why not to.
Condo good until the neg can demonstrate offense being mooted and a better model of debate.
Neg against K affs - Run Framework, Cap, PICs/frame subtraction, I will vote on all of them. I am also very fond of case turns, debates are really fun when you test the AFF's explanatory power!
Death good args: Based argument, teams should lose for not responding to the arg correctly.
Theory arguments - tech>truth, whoever does the better debating, fine with anything as long as it falls in the realm of actual abuse or potential abuse. Justify whatever you're doing.
====
LD:
Need a claim, warrant, and impact. If there is not a complete argument I will not vote on it.
Good for clash debates, kvk debates, and policy v policy debates.
Not good for phil, theory, and tricks. However this is not to discourage you for going for these arguments, you should go with what strategically makes the most sense. Just walk me through (claim, warrant, impact, weighing, comparison, and resolution) the final rebuttal and I should be good.
Pratik Shah
Former LD Debater for Mountain View High School
pratikpshah230@gmail.com - email chain.
Competed in Progressive/Traditional formats
- Fine with Kritiks (ran Biopower, SetCol, Cap, MMM, Orientalism myself), CPs, Traditional, etc.
- Fine with Topicality/Theory, a high threshold to consider frivolous theory
- Fine with simple and more complex FWs
- Traditional is just as strategic as Progressive so don't be afraid of complex jargon-based cases
Speed is fine, but be coherent (I'd prefer not to just stare at a doc the whole time)
Don't like tricks
Be considerate of your language
Fine with flex prep
No preference for competing interpretations or reasonability
Any others ?s ask me before round
pratikpshah230@gmail.com
Am a lay judge. Please make sure to speak clearly and give an off-time road map
Experience
I was first introduced to debate in 9th grade where I did a little bit of public forum and went to one or two tournaments. Debate was taken out of my school during my sophomore year but returned during my junior year and I joined back. I did public forum for the entirety of my junior year and towards the end I learned about Lincoln-Douglas. I did Lincoln-Douglas for the entirety of my senior year. During my senior year I was co-captain of my high school debate team.
Speed
I am fine with normal or fast speed as long as your words are clear. If I feel like your speed is too fast I will let you know.
Argumentation
It is important to me that you give strong impacts, weigh your impacts against your opponents and defend and re-iterate your most important points throughout the round. It is also important that you extend (or simply mention) any points that went unaddressed. When you do this, you should also explain the impact of the argument and why it matters so much. This will convince me more of the value of the argument.
Feedback
I prefer to give feedback orally where I can be more detailed. This also ensures that you can ask questions about my feedback and decision (questions you cannot ask when reading an RFD after the tournament). I will normally explain my decision and give feedback after the round then write my RFD and submit the ballot.
Old paradigm, I will no longer give extra speaks for anything listed as extra speaks, but I think this paradigm is a classic: https://tinyurl.com/yyhknlsn
[Updated 3/3/2021] In fact, here is a list of things I dislike that I will probably not be giving good speaks for: https://tinyurl.com/55u4juwp
Email: conal.t.mcginnis@gmail.com
Tricks: 1*
Framework: 1
Theory: 1
K: 6
LARP: Strike
To clarify: I like K's and LARP the LEAST (as in, you should rate me a 6 if you like Ks and strike me if you LARP a lot) and I like Tricks, Framework, and Theory the MOST (you should rate me a 1 if you like Tricks, Framework, and Theory a lot).
Util is bad enough to be beaten by sneezing on it
Overall I am willing to vote on anything that isn't an instance of explicit isms (racism, sexism, etc.).
Other than that, here's a bunch of small things in a list. I add to this list as I encounter new stuff that warrants being added to the list based on having difficulty of decision in a particular round:
1. Part in parcel of me not being a great judge for LARP due to my low understanding of complex util scenarios is that I am not going to be doing a lot of work for y'all. I also will NOT be reading through a ton of cards for you after the round unless you specifically point out to me cards that I should be reading to evaluate the round properly.
2. I know it's nice to get to hide tricks in the walls of text but if you want to maximize the chances that I notice something extra special you should like slightly change the tone or speed of delivery on it or something.
3. If you have something extremely important for me to pay attention to in CX please say "Yo judge this is important" or something because I'm probably prepping or playing some dumbass game.
4. I will evaluate all speeches in a debate round.
"Evaluate after" arguments: If there are arguments that in order for me to evaluate after a certain speech I must intervene, I will do so. For example, if there is a 1N shell and a 1AR I-meet, I will have to intervene to see if the I-meet actually meets the shell.
Update: In order for me to evaluate "evaluate after" arguments, I will have to take the round at face value at the point that the speeches have stopped. However, as an extension of the paradigm item above, the issue is that many times in order for me to determine who has won at a particular point of speeches being over, I need to have some explanation of how the debaters thing those speeches play out. If either debater makes an argument for why, if the round were to stop at X speech, they would win the round (even if this argument is after X speech) I will treat it as a valid argument for clarifying how I make my decision. Assuming that the "evaluate after" argument is conceded/true, I won't allow debaters to insert arguments back in time but if they point out something like "judge, if you look at your flow for the round, if you only evaluate (for example) the AC and the NC, then the aff would win because X," then I will treat it as an argument.
Update P.S.: "Evaluate after" arguments are silly. I of course won't on face not vote on them, but please reconsider reading them.
Update P.S. 2: "Evaluate after" causes a grandfather paradox. Example: If "Evaluate after the 1NC" is read in the 1NC, it must be extended in the 2NR in order for me as the judge to recognize it as a won argument that changes the paradigmatic evaluation of the round. However, the moment that paradigmatic shift occurs, I no longer consider the 2NR to have happened or been evaluated for the purposes of the round, and thus the "Evaluate after the 1NC" argument was never extended and the paradigmatic evaluation shift never occurred.
5. "Independent voters" are not independent - they are dependent entirely on what is almost always a new framework that involves some impact that is presumed to be preclusive. I expect independent voter arguments to have strong warrants as to why their micro-frameworks actually come first. Just saying "this is morally repugnant so it's an independent voter" is not a sufficient warrant.
Also - independent voters that come in the form of construing a framework to an implication requires that you actually demonstrate that it is correct that that implication is true. For example, if you say "Kant justifies racism" and your opponent warrants why their reading of the Kantian ethical theory doesn't justify racism, then you can't win the independent voter just because it is independent.
6. I will no longer field arguments that attempt to increase speaker points. I think they are enjoyable and fun but they likely are not good long term for the activity, given that when taken to their logical conclusion, each debater could allocate a small amount of time to a warranted argument for giving them a 30, and then simply concede each others argument to guarantee they both get maximal speaks (and at that point speaker points no longer serve a purpose).
7. My understanding of unconditional advocacies is that once you claim to defend an advocacy unconditionally you are bound to defending any disadvantages or turns to that advocacy. It does not mean you are bound to spend time extending the advocacy in the 2NR, but if the aff goes for offense in the 2AR that links to this unconditional advocacy and the neg never went for that advocacy, the aff's offense on that flow still stands.
Update: Role of the Ballots are frameworks and do not have a conditionality.
8. Don't like new 2AR theory arguments.
9. I don't time! Please time yourselves and time each other. I highly recommend that you personally use a TIMER as opposed to a STOPWATCH. This will prevent you from accidentally going over time! If your opponent is going over time, interrupt them! If your opponent goes over time and you don't interrupt them, then there's not much I can do. If you are certain they went over time and your opponent agrees to some other way to reconcile the fact that they went over time, like giving you more time as well, then go ahead. I do not have a pre-determined solution to this possibility. I only have this blurb here because it just happened in a round so this is for all of the future rounds where this may happen again.
10. If you do something really inventive and interesting and I find it genuinely funny or enjoyable to listen to and give good speaks for it, don't run around and tell any teammate or friend who has me as a judge to make the same arguments. If I see the exact same arguments I will probably consider the joke to be stale or re-used. Particularly funny things MIGHT fly but like, if I can tell it's just a ploy for speaks I will be sadge.
11. In general, for online events, say "Is anyone not ready" instead of "Is everyone ready" solely because my speaking is gated by pressing unmute, which is annoying when I have my excel sheet pulled up. I'll stop you if I'm not ready, and you can assume I'm ready otherwise. (However, for in person events, say "Is everyone ready" because I'm right there!)
12. I will not vote for you if you read "The neg may not make arguments" and the neg so much as sneezes a theory shell at you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For traditional rounds: speak and argue however you want (bar racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other ism or phobia)
*WHEN YOU READ TRICKS: I PREFER BEING UP FRONT ABOUT THEM. Pretending you don't know what an a priori is is annoying. Honestly, just highlight every a priori and tell your opponent: "here are all the a prioris"**.
**Seriously, I have yet to see anyone do this. Do it, it would be funny, I think.
update for hs parli:
I debated nat circuit LD in HS so I'm familiar with progressive arguments, but I never debated HS parli. I've judged a few parli rounds and have an understanding of the general structure, but I probably don't know the intricacies of the event.
updated for Columbia:
I debated for Millburn HS (graduated in 2020) and was pretty involved in high school circuit LD, attending TOC my junior year. However, I haven't judged or coached since January 2021, and I'm particularly not used to online debate, so I don't have a great idea of the norms of the community (and certainly not the topic).
pref wise:
- mostly read policy-style arguments and theory, but I'm open to all arguments that are 1] warranted and 2] not abhorrent, and I'm most impressed by debaters who engage in their opponents' arguments and know their lit base
- that being said, in order of how comfortable I am evaluating debates (not preference judging):
theory > larp = t > phil = tricks > k
she/her
I did 4 years of traditional LD in North Dakota and 2 years of APDA at Columbia. Consider me an expert in traditional debate and philosophy and as having a basic working knowledge of circuit debate.
In general, don’t do anything harmful, I will tank your speaks and vote you down. For traditional LD debates, the winner’s offense links to the winning criterion and outweighs their opponent’s offense that links. In circuit debates, I still want some sort of framework/weighing that I can use to evaluate impacts, and I will plug those impacts in accordingly. This can be basically anything, as long as it’s not harmful.
As I become less and less involved with debate, I become less interested in the technical side. I will still evaluate the round based purely on the arguments made, and will try not to intervene in any but the most egregious of cases. Nevertheless, I question the notion that we can or should be a tabula rasa in or out of debate.
In terms of speed, I’m comfortable with anything ~<200, more than that and you should send a doc.
If you are interested in my personal biases, know that I'm generally more sympathetic to ideas that fall under the "identity politics" umbrella. In high school, I ran a lot of Kant so I really like to see deontological arguments done well. I will of course do everything possible to remain impartial in spite of these biases, but they are there.
he/him
If you’re sending each other cases, add me to the email chain: winnicksteven_at_gmail
===TL;DR===
Don’t do anything harmful, I will tank your speaks and vote you down.
For traditional LD debates, the winner’s offense that links to the winning criterion, which is the “best” way to achieve the winning value, and outweighs their opponent’s offense that also links.
For national circuit LD/policy debates, feel free to skip to the section on national circuit LD below.
For PF debates, the winner’s offense outweighs their opponent’s offense.
Experience
I did 3 years of local circuit LD in Minnesota for Forest Lake High School (and occasionally competed in PF and Congress) and am currently in my second year of college debate at Columbia. I've also been an instructor at the Minnesota Debate Institute. I really like philosophy and most enjoy philosophy-heavy debates. Because I don't judge every weekend, at any given time, I’m probably not super knowledgeable on the current topic.
===Traditional/Local MN Circuit LD===
How I vote
Using the arguments I see on my flow at the end of the round, I
1. Decide the winning value
2. Decide the winning criterion (whichever is the “best” way to achieve that value)
2a. This can be combined with the value as a standard
3. Decide which evidence makes it to the end of the round
4. Weigh that evidence’s impacts through the winning criterion/standard, whichever side outweighs wins.
Speaker points
I assign speaker points based on strategy. Basically, if I think you’re spending your speaking time on the right things, you’ll get more speaker points. More specifically,
-
Signpost. If I can’t tell where on my flow I should be writing something, I probably won’t write it down, and then it won’t factor into my voting.
-
Number your responses. If you have multiple responses to a single argument, number them so that I can keep track of each one on my flow. If your opponent has numbered responses, signpost which one you are responding to. This helps keep both my flows (and therefore voting) and the debate as a whole more organized.
-
Focus on the most important arguments, don’t waste time on stuff that isn’t important.
-
Make strategic extensions
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Group related arguments
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If you’re going to make the exact same response multiple times, just signpost back to the first time you made the response and cross-apply
-
Spend more time on arguments that are impactful and require the most amount of time to win
-
I like philosophy, and the winning offense has to link through the winning criterion, so make sure you’re spending enough time on framework to win the criterion debate or link your offense to your opponent’s criterion and outweigh
Evidence
I will buy most non-harmful arguments, but I NEED to hear warrants - the reason why something is true, supported by logic or empirical evidence. If your opponent’s cards have bad warrants, that would be something great to ask about during cross-examination and important to focus on in your speeches ;).
Your evidence needs to be accessible to your opponent during the round. If your opponent wants, they should be able to follow along reading your case while you deliver your constructive, and they should be able to read your case during their prep time. Your evidence also needs to be understandable for someone without extensive background knowledge on the topic.
Author last name and year are fine (ex. “Rawls 71”) when naming cards in constructives and referring to them in rebuttals, but when extending please give at least a ½-sentence summary of the card.
Cross-Examination
I view cross-ex as time for the person asking questions to put themselves in a position to respond to their opponent’s arguments as well as possible throughout the remainder of the round. If you’re not the one asking questions, be respectful of your opponent’s time: answer all of the questions that you can, stop talking when they start, and don’t speak over them. If you are the one asking questions, don’t ask trick questions that seem unrelated to the debate round to try to get your opponent to say something they’ll later regret, you’ll lose speaker points and I won’t hold them to anything they said in response to a trick question.
Extensions
Don’t extend through ink: if your opponent responded to an argument you made, you can’t extend that argument until you’ve responded to all of their numbered responses. Once you’ve responded to all of your opponent’s responses to an argument, tell me to extend your argument. If it’s offense, you need to give me a 1-sentence explanation as to how it impacts under the winning criterion.
Crystallization
I don’t really care about voters, since I’ll vote off of whatever offense you successfully extend to the end of the round. However, I do want to see weighing: under one/both criterion/a, how do the impacts of your offense outweigh the impacts of your opponent’s? Metaweighing is great and will help your speaker points (ex. If your impacts outweigh in scope and your opponent’s outweigh in magnitude, why is scope more important than magnitude?)
Other
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Just to reiterate: I will tank your speaks and vote you down if you do something harmful in the round. If you think something might be harmful, don’t do/say it.
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I’ll say “slow” or “clear” twice if I can’t understand what you’re saying
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Please ask me before the round if you have any questions about my paradigm or anything else!
===National Circuit LD===
I’ll try my best to evaluate all arguments as objectively as I can. I’m still fairly new to this style of debate, though, so explain your arguments -- I won’t vote on things I don’t understand (ex. don’t just say things like “vote neg on presumption,” you should explain what presumption is and why it means I should vote neg). Since you should spend more time explaining arguments I’m less familiar with, here’s a ranking of how familiar I am with different types of arguments:
Traditional Case, Philosophy > Plan/CP/DA > Topicality > Theory > Kritiks >>> Tricks
Again, I’m totally cool judging Kritiks and Tricks, just make sure they’re well-explained. I think framing is really important, so please don’t make me default to Util.
Speed: I far prefer debates that happen at a speed where I can follow the warrants of individual cards as they’re being read, but I realize that spreading battles are the norm on the national circuit, so I’m okay judging those. Just make sure you’re really clear about signposting and slow way down for tags so I can flow them, and make sure to send me any cards that you spread. I will vote for the debater whose offense is best impacted and warranted, so if I can't catch and flow your reasoning because it's too fast that'll only hurt you. Speaks are still based on strategy, so if you think spreading is the winning strategy for you and you follow these rules, it won’t negatively impact your speaks.
Debating against traditional debaters at non-national circuit tournaments: Since I went to a high school that only debated on the local circuit, I’m very sympathetic to traditional debaters debating against national circuit debaters. I think that “national circuit style” debate is inaccessible to debaters from schools that don’t have well-funded debate teams, which is often linked to other structural barriers facing students at those schools. That being said, I’m totally fine with you running “national circuit style” arguments against traditional debaters, but only if you structure them in a way that makes them accessible to traditional debaters. That means:
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Either format some of your arguments into some kind of “case” or start your NC by explicitly stating “I do not have a case and will be getting all of my offense from turns on the affirmative case.” This case should start with “framework” and have at least one “contention” that impacts under the framework
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Other off-case arguments should be read as “overviews” on your opponent’s case (you can have multiple overviews) or as responses to specific arguments on their case, and you should call anything you want to get offense from a “turn”
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Slow down. In these rounds, I won’t evaluate arguments that I couldn’t flow warrants for, so don’t spread.
Here’s some other stuff that are relevant to national circuit LD debaters copy-pasted from the traditional LD section
Speaker points
I award speaker points based on strategy. Basically, if I think you’re spending your speaking time on the right things, you’ll get more speaker points. More specifically,
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Signpost. If I can’t tell where on my flow I should be writing something, I probably won’t write it down, and then it won’t factor into my voting.
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Number your responses. If you have multiple responses to a single argument, number them so that I can keep track of each one on my flow. If your opponent has numbered responses, signpost which one you are responding to. This helps keep both my flows (and therefore voting) and the debate as a whole more organized.
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Focus on the most important arguments, don’t waste time on stuff that isn’t important.
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Make strategic extensions
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Group related arguments
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If you’re going to make the exact same response multiple times, just signpost back to the first time you made the response and cross-apply
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Spend more time on arguments that are impactful and require the most amount of time to win
Cross-Examination
I view cross-ex as time for the person asking questions to put themselves in a position to respond to their opponent’s arguments as well as possible throughout the remainder of the round. If you’re not the one asking questions, be respectful of your opponent’s time: answer all of the questions that you can, stop talking when they start, and don’t speak over them. If you are the one asking questions, don’t ask trick questions that seem unrelated to the debate round to try to get your opponent to say something they’ll later regret, you’ll lose speaker points and I won’t hold them to anything they said in response to a trick question.
Crystallization
I don’t really care about voters, since I’ll vote off of whatever offense you successfully extend to the end of the round. However, I do want to see weighing in at least your final speech, and metaweighing is great and will help your speaker points.
Other
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Just to reiterate: I will tank your speaks and vote you down if you do something harmful in the round. If you think something might be harmful, don’t do/say it.
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I’ll say “slow” or “clear” twice if I can’t understand what you’re saying
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Please ask me before the round if you have any questions about my paradigm or anything else!
Hi, I'm David Wrone. I did policy debate as a teen, but it was very traditional (more similar to today's pf). I can flow but please don't speak too quickly
EMAIL: dawrone@yahoo.com
- add me to the email list I will need the doc
Ideally, don't spread. You can talk fast but it should be understandable. I'm a lay judge.