Olathe West Novice Tournament
2022 — Olathe, KS/US
Judges Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideKaitlyn Atkins (she/they)
add me to email chain Knatkins12@gmail.com
run what you want but explain arguments and give impact calc
speed is fine
disclosure is good
don't be problematic.
Hi! My Name is Mackenzie Leece. (Pronouns- She/her) I am a 4th-year debater at Blue Valley West High school. Make sure to include me in the email chain: mjleece@bluevalleyk12.net
General: Make sure to always debate with a positive attitude and demonstrate good sportsmanship. Also, be aware of your audience/components in regard to how your argument might affect them. Bullying, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. will not be tolerated in the round and will result in you losing the round. So just remember to be nice!
Performance: I tend to vote for teams that confidently present their plan in a clear and enthusiastic manner. Make sure to read your plan with emotion so I understand the urgency of your plan. Also make sure to give roadmaps, overviews/under-views, and consistently make eye contact with me so you aren't just reading a bunch of info. Speed is not the most important thing to me when considering the winning team. It is more compelling to me if you can read a speech at a good pace with clarity and emotion.
Voting: I generally vote for the team that answers and combats all arguments brought up during the round. I vote for the team that efficiently presents/counters the plan with confidence and emotion. I don't vote for teams that are rude or clearly don't know the information that they are reading.
If you have any information that you think I should know please let me know. I will do what I can to make you feel comfortable in the round!
Email (For Email chains): natalieriggs05@gmail.com
Pronouns: They/Them
Policy Debate
I am mostly going to be judging based on knowledge of your resolution, speaking skills, and ability to answer arguments. I have done both debate and forensics throughout High School.
I did policy debate all 4 years of high school.
I like:
- conversational dynamic speaking
- when debaters don't drop arguments in the flow
- good clash
I dislike:
- kritikas
- spreading
- counter plans
Politeness in rounds is very important to me, especially during cross examination (rudeness is different than assertiveness). Additionally, please do not tell me that I have to vote for your team due to debate rules. It has a tendency to come off as demeaning.
bvw '25
she/her/hers
either email chain or speechdrop is good - kripagauba@gmail.com (feel free to email me after the round if you have questions!)
overall: be nice to your partner and opponents, run whatever you're most comfortable with, and have fun during the round. debate should be an educational activity and i think people get to be too competitive sometimes and forget the whole point of it. do not be racist, homophobic, sexist, etc. - it will result in an automatic loss. additionally, if you plan to run any potentially triggering or sensitive arguments you MUST give a cw/tw before the round and ensure that everyone has a chance to opt out if they aren't comfortable with it.
*btw i think rehighlighting and evidence indicts are very compelling.
if you're funny or make an avatar reference i will increase your speaks :)
***
topicality:
i don't usually run this as a debater, but i think i will mostly default to competing interpretations unless you tell me otherwise. explain why your definition is best for your standards and voters and how it impacts the round.
theory:
again, i don't usually run theory but definitely do impact calc if you choose to go for this. for lay debate i tend to lean condo bad, but if you do enough impact work i am open to changing my mind.
counterplans:
explain why the cp is mutually exclusive to the aff and make sure to reiterate the net benefits (net ben should be more than just "we don't trigger the da").
disadvantages:
i personally think generic links are not fun to watch or go against because it's not specific to the round and you don't gain much education out of it. explain the entire story of the da and weigh the impact of the da vs the aff.
kritiks:
i love watching kritiks. i think it's really important in this activity to speak about what you are most passionate about and how it applies to the real-world policies that we're discussing. if you're reading something outside of cap, militarism (maybe), imperialism, or set col, chances are it might take some explaining when you're introducing it. also make sure you truly understand what you're arguing - i think in novice debate people tend to go for the k to scare the other team but they don't understand the alt or the links itself (which is not strategic for you)!
speed:
speed is fine with me as long as it's fine with everyone in the round. however, i do think quality > quantity and i would much rather hear well thought-out arguments that are slower as opposed to speeding through something you don't understand.
but once again, prioritize whatever you want to run and think you can defend the best!
i hope you all enjoy the round!
I am fairly new to debate so I am still learning some of the fundamentals of debate. I prefer debates that are reasonably slower pace with a bent towards flow policymaking.
Hi! I’m Reagan (she/her)
Add me to the email chain (3087178@smsd.org)
Generally idrc what you run as long as you can run it well. I do not tolerate any racist/sexist/homophopic behavior and I will sign and submit my ballot for the opposing team immediately. I do not do speed pls don’t spread I’ll cry. T is good and I will vote on it if you run it right. Don’t run a K I’ll cry. Extend stuff or I won’t weigh it. Tell me how to vote in rebuttals. If you’re funny I’ll give you higher speaks.
Ana-Sofia Lahovary (she/they)
SME '21
KU'24/5
Assistant Coach for Shawnee Mission East High School
lahovarya@gmail.com add me to the chain:) email > speech drop
About me: Currently a Sophomore at KU Honors studying Political Science and Global&International Studies with minors in Public Policy and Latin American&Carribean Studies. This is my second year coaching for Shawnee Mission East High School (graduated in '21). I debated at SME for four years and three on the TOC circuit. As for my argumentative history, I read both kritikal (Abolition, afro-pess, cap) and big stick policy affirmatives in high school and look forward to judging debates in both areas. I am also currently coaching teams who read both types of arguments.
Research interests: Russian foreign policy, Latin American Politics, and environmental policy.
Top Level: Be kind to each other and read whatever you like! I think condo and pics are generally good and theory-based arguments are a reason to reject the argument, not the team. Detailed impact calc is very important, contextualize it to the round. I value well-explained internal link chains, quirky disad/cp debates, and just overall efficient speeches. Judge instruction is important and use cross x to your advantage. Also just do what you want I do not have huge preferences, my job as a judge is to adapt.
Pet peeves: "3,2,1 starting NOW", talking over your partner, wasting time, not logging into wifi until round start time and then taking forever <3
- Let me know how I can be helpful to you, judging is a privilege.
- Evidence comparison and ethos are good and will be rewarded
- ORGANIZATION
- Clipping/cheating/any type of bigotry will guarantee a loss
- Disclosure is good (pls do)
- I will not vote on things that happen outside the round
- I like quirky disads and efficient impact calc
- Tech > Truth
- Pretty neg biased on most theory - reject the arg not the team
- Keep track of your own prep, although I will also keep track and keep teams accountable
- Framework should be contextualized to the round - don't just speed through general blocks
- Have fun! Debate is a super competitive space and I hope I can be helpful to you! Always happy to chat after! <3
T
- I'll default on competing interps
- TVA's = good
- predictability >
DAs
- good
- the more specific the links the better
CPs
- condo is good
- pics good process meh
- impacts of solvency deficits
Ks
- slay
- err on the side of over-explaining
- engage with them!! - generic blocks with no contextualization to the debate will not win you the round especially if your fw arg boils down "k affs are bad for debate"
- roj args are valuable
- cite specific parts of the 1ac that link
- go for whatever impact you prefer
- planless affs - I'll vote for you, prove that your model of debate is the better one
- How does your lit base interact with others? How does your discourse better the debate space?
- only need to extend a couple of links in the 2nr
Feel free to email me if you have any questions always happy to help the best I can!
Quinn Largent pronouns: ????? Let’s just go with They/Them for now
Debate history: Olathe East Debate 2020-2023 KCKCC 2024 - present
Email: largentquinn@gmail.com
Email me questions, please. (paradigm last updated 5/8/24)
Trad,LD,PFD,Congress,IEs paradigms all below
Tech > Truth. unless told to evaluate arguments diffrently.
I'm comfortable in any type of debate. I adapt to you not the other way around. Email me if anything doesn't make sense in the paradigm I'm horrible at typing.
post-rounding is chill you deserve to question my decision while I reserve the right to make one and I am glad to answer any questions you have.
All debates are performances. how you perform is up to you. (this is one of the few things I can't be convinced of otherwise)
Args that I will not vote for becuase i beleive they are morally wrong and don't deserve a spot in debate: any ist and phobic good arg OBVI, Israel good, cops good, Inequality good. (updating as I see more i wont punish you if its not on this list but will add)
TLDR:
Do what you want
there are no rules of debate just guidelines break as many as you want just have reason and win the debate on why you should and I'll vote for it. everything is always up for debate. (do not do this to novices or people that you are just leagues above speaks will be affected but won't change if u win or lose)
I want debate to be a safe space but I KNOW it's not so I will vote on out-of-round issues as long as there is proof because I can't vote on just he said she said scenario.
Specifics for adapting in the round:
----- Logistics/Presentation -----
extend your arguments this means you have a claim and warrant and what that means for the round
Call me whatever I don’t care.
Put me on the email chain or whatever ur using.
I will also auto-vote for the other team if they ask for accommodations for their disability and you don’t listen to them. That is messed up and shouldn’t be rewarded. I have a 1 strike policy if it's an honest mistake and the other team doesn't notice. but they can run theory at any mistake
Speaks
30 - literally perfect i have zero things I would change (I don't think I'll give these out like ever)
29.5+ - go win the tourney
29+ - go break
28.5 - average
below this is just below average for the tourney
yes speaks change depending on skill of tourney (the 30 doesnt)
If i can tell you who won ask me questions.
----- Plan AFFs -----
I have experience reading soft-left AFFs (native water rights on water), big stick AFFs (OCOs on NATO FJG on Fiscal redistribution), and both (UBI on Fiscal redistribution)
just explain why what arguments you are winning mean you win the round.
I will vote on presumption (or other defensive stock issues). There is zero risk of case, especially with how bad plan texts are getting.
JUST SAYING WORDS FROM THE RESOLUTION IS NOT A PLAN TEXT. ur plan text should tell me what the aff is and does. i wont auto vote for it but vaugness is a real argument. (this is amplified even harder after the fiscal topic because holy christ)
By the end of the round i should be able to tell you what the aff does and how it solves the impacts if i cant i wont vote aff. (The burden of explanation does not change no matter what happened in the round idc how little they have responded)
----- K AFFs -----
have experience reading them (deluze queer aff on nato and set col/ablism on fiscal redistrubution).
K aff vs FW: K affs are good for debate. the aff should be using the aff to do some sort of turn against fw. Fairness is an IL. just yelling the round is unfair means nothing to me what does it being unfair mean does it means its harder for you to win if so tell me why. --- i think a lot of aff and neg teams don't do enough turns case analysis against both sides. doing that will make my ballot a lot less frustrating.
how negs should go for FW: it should have impacts based on actions of the round exaberated by what the spefic sytle of the aff or lit basis of the aff does to debate or the round. Good TVA is sick. if identity related explain how being untopical affects that said identity. more spec FW is the more likley i might like voting on it.
ROB/ROJ: these are diffrent to me they arent the same(If the round makes them the same tho ill evaulate it as such) ROB means what my ballot should be doing when i vote. ROJ is how i weigh and view the round that is taking place
KvK: more spec the link the better. im not just looking at the method im looking for how the link implicates the aff and what it means for the method.
explain the jargon and then use the jargon in the round. Dont just use jargon for the sake of jargon.
Neg teams reads counterplans and DAs there normally are pretty good against some k affs
----- T -----
EXTNED YOUR INTERP OR YOU DO NOT HAVE ONE. LIKE EXTEND IT EXPLICITY
I have experience reading and going for T pretty consistently (T – Article V against most NATO AFFs). (T - Prexisting/T - Redistrubutiuon against all Fiscal redistrubution Affs)
You dont need a defenition for T just an interpertation. You dont need it because the interp is the model of debate you have chosen. You need a defenition for predicability and precison tho. this would also open u up to ur interp being unpredictable and impossible to prep
case list makes your life easier. but isnt neccasary. TVA on how affs can still solve their impacts a topical way is always appresciated
i default to competing interps.
Affs extned your actual aff in the 2ar when awnsering T just wining your case is topical doesnt win you the round you still need to solve an impact. i will vote neg on presumption if the 2ar is just 5 minutes of you saying u are topical
Its your burden to prove that the aff is topical and a good idea just winning its topical doesnt mean you win the aff is a good idea.
----- CPs -----
(if sending counterplan docs dont title it CP please god i dont need that being saved in my computer)
Condo: ill vote if u win it. i went for it a lot senior year
Neg: have a net benefit.
ill be honest i ran a counterplan very few times and the times i went for it is even less. ill probably think about it very similary to a alt on a K because thats something im used to
Judge kick: TBH never done this in a round never ran against it and tbh I think its bad because it means I'm making a strategic decision for the negative for them. i mean if the neg tells me to judge kick ig I will unless the aff tells me not to for some reason.
IDK WHAT JUDGE KICK IS THE LOGICAL EXTENSION OF CONDO MEANS LIKE THAT DOESNT HAVE A WARRANT HOW IS IT LOGICAL EXPLAIN THAT TO ME.
theory: im good for all types of counterplans consult delay etc. but im just as good for theory saying why these are bads. ill vote for it all. most theory prolly ends up at the level of just reject the argument but can easily be reject the team
----- DAs -----
NEG: do whatever you want. dont just spew random econ theory at me tho i have no clue what most of that means. Spec link > Generic links. if link is generic i need contextualzation in the block please. do case turns anyasis thats alwasys cool.
Politics DA: most ptx DAs are missing actual ev saying anything. Have good U ev that says PC high low now or wtv or that trump wins now or something like that. have the link actually say the X thing causes PC to die or biden to lose. like I don't need it super spec if the other team concedes it but ill be very convinced by the aff just going this is to broad to possibly link paired with a thumper that would fit the broad link and yeah its hard to come back from that.
There is such thing as zero risk of a DA. This can be mitigated by framing arguments about what parts of the DA control other parts of it.
------ Ks -----
More teams should be making link back arguments to supercharge Condo IMO.
I am decently well versed in K literature. I have read biopower, capitalism, Deleuze, feminism, Nietzsche, psychoanalysis, statecrafting, decolozation, Setller colonialism,anthro and queer theory. However, it seems that the way authors are read in debate varies from the source material, and from round-to-round, so explain your theory the way you want me to understand it in the context of the round.
Link: after doing K debate a while good K teams will devolpe more links in the block based off the actions taken and said by the affirmative and start to frame this as independent reject teams/links because they cause the impact of the K within debate. generic link is fine if explained i defenitly prefer links that are more specfic but generics dont upset me. and anyatic links are good and real links if explained well enough like i may not have a card on it but if someone calls something "idiotic" that can easily be explained as a link for a disability K
Impact: should be explained in how it implicates the aff.
ALT: for me to vote neg on the alt i need a couple things the first is how it solves the impacts of the K. second is why it competes. things i love but arent needed: why it solves the aff. and how it works in the implication of the round or what it looks like in the post fiat world of the neg.
You dont gotta have an alt for me to vote neg just have a link and impact and good root cause work creates a pretty easy presumption ballot. link can also be used offensilvey like a DA
If the blocks makes it clear you haven’t thought about how your theory relates to the topic, or it becomes apparent you don’t know your theory at all, your speaks will probably reflect it poorly.
K FW: extend your interp otherwise you dont have you a FW. Ur fw should have an offensive reason for me to prefer it. FW can be used to get links to the K
LD paradigm
------ Trad LD -----
i think in trad round V/VC matters a decent amount obvi as it decides literally what impacts i care about everything is filtered through that so to win the round do a lot about how ur impacts fit under the V/VC so i dont have to judge intervene about which impacts mean what in context of the value if i have to do that i will be sad and speaks will be affected :(
Defenitions also are cool what do certain words mean in the context of the round and how do they shift how i vote in the round i alwasy love LD teams that can do this.
------ Prog LD -----
Look at policy stuff.
Tricks: tech > truth when I began debate I thought these were bad and hated them. now i realize teams should just win the debate against them on 1 of two levels.
Theory: they shouldn't be in debate and why
Debate them: why the theory is untrue bad etc.
PFD paradigm
just debate ill flow and ill vote on offense. i don't really see how this is much different then policy minus a few things. Tech>truth ill vote on anything
Congress paradigm
I understand there are people who like this event. Im not one of them. if I'm ur judge in the back of the room ill do my best to match ur effort into the round if you make a mockery of congress :) ill join you when I'm writing of the ballot if you take it serious ill do it
how ill elavulate speeches. is 3 sections the first is ur content how good is ur facts and what ur saying second is your analysis of the debate this means responding to past people who have spoke or how well you can predict future points made against you. and finally style this can be funny jokes passionate speaking etc.
Look i love debate and this community of speech and debate just because i may not enjoy this event doesn't mean i want put all my effort into judging it when i can tell the competitors love this event because i know what its like to have judges that hate the event you love so they don't try to judge that event. i will do everything in my power to not be one of those judges.
Now to hop off my soapbox. go cook and have fun because lets be honest if your reading my paradigm and scrolled to find it you are probably winning :)
IE paradigm
If I'm judging you in IE I'm sorry
------ Extemp -----
I did this event ig. use evidence and expand on that ev to develop a cool point. more recent the ev the better if you know ur ev is old try to explain to me why it should still be applicable to ur question.
Funny jokes are good don't just bore me for 7 minutes with just facts
tie ur intro back into the piece throughout all of it
------ Prose/Poetry -----
GIVE A TW I wont leave the room but it allows spectators to and it allows me to prepare myself
Once again as a prewarning sorry.
This event now allows movement so use it. you should have fluid story and characters I can differentiate.
use your book like its a prop use that fact and make it look cool
------ DI-----
GIVE A TW I wont leave the room but it allows spectators to and it allows me to prepare myself
Ive seen some really good DIs and when they are good I love this event when bad I hate it.
once again sorry.
characters should all be able to be seen apart.
check your object permanence if you have a cane you cant randomly drop it and suddenly be holding something else and just magically have a cane later on again.
have a good climax change your emotion occasionally I get its dramatic but its not all 10 minutes of just sad there should be happy moments or different types of sadness that gets portrayed throughout the piece
------ HI-----
Once again sorry
Amount of HIs I've laughed at: 3
i think a major problem in HI is that it focuses almost to much on the technical ability of the acting rather then if it is actually funny like yes the techinal matter of how well we can tell the difference between characters and how great the blocking is. but if youre piece isn't funny whats the point. you can make it funny so do it.
like if you make me laugh your prolly placing high for me.
object permance still matters (check DI for example of what i mean)
how understanding of your story is great still.
having extrandionory blocking ability is always a plus and can even lead to being funny.
OHHHH adding this after forgetting. DONT JUST LIVE IN 1 MANIC QUICK ACTION EPISODE. there should be a multitude of emotions anger happiness sadness ETC. i get its supposed to be funny but you have calm moments the funny moments BECOME SO MUCH MORE FUNNY.
------ POI-----
GIVE A TW I wont leave the room but it allows spectators to and it allows me to prepare myself
Once again sorry
What i want from a poi is 3 things 1. to be informed about whatever topic 2. great blocking and use of the book.
3. a fluid story.
if you do all of these things imma love your POI and i love poi as an event.
Object permance is great (check di for example)
TBH combine just about every section i have wrote and combine it.
------ INFO-----
GIVE A TW I wont leave the room but it allows spectators to and it allows me to prepare myself
Once again sorry
props props props. Cool ones and fun uses of the rules it allows will be amazing like that's what makes this event unique lets use it and kill it.
i judge an info using 2 main factors. 1. is how well am i informed about your topic. 2. am i also entertained during it. this can be done through cool props or just a very interesting topic and passionate speaking.
Obvi don't have a call to action but having why your piece is more important then it may seem is amazing or having something about how your topic effects the real world is always cool.
------ OO-----
GIVE A TW I wont leave the room but it allows spectators to and it allows me to prepare myself
Once again sorry
judge this through 3 things 1. is how well am i informed 2. am i entertained and 3. how likely i am to engage in your call to action.
i love seeing OOs about how their topic relates to our community or whats around us.
Updated January 2023.
Yes I want to see your docs, so include me on the email chain (if you’re using one and not just doing speechdrop which is easier IMO). savannahlegler@gmail.com
I flow on my laptop on an excel sheet so there will be significant typing
My pronouns are they/them
Policy paradigm
I recommend reading this whole thing but I know it's long so TLDR; DO NOT SPREAD I will not flow it, likes Ks and K affs but you should understand the lit and IMO they can be abusive if you're just trying to confuse the other team, prefs specific (not generic) DAs, weird CPs can be abusive, T is meh (mostly because people don't run it right), other theory is ok. Framework debates will be prioritized over my personal preferences mostly. I don’t tolerate harassment/abuse of any kind, have warranted args, don’t clip cards, flow every speech in the round. Ethics philosopher cares about ethics so be ethical please. If you need to stop the round because of mental or physical health reasons, just tell me, I've been there
Background
I did policy all four years of high school at Olathe Northwest and have coached there for two years. I am a philosophy and psychology major at KU with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies. My favored branches of philosophy are ethics, political, and metaphysics and I’m specializing in abnormal psychology. I am familiar with a lot of theory as a result of my majors and experience, but I do have trouble remembering exact details like authors. I catch on quickly to new theoretical arguments and I thoroughly enjoy k debate. I’m not very familiar with the older style of debate (plan planks and contentions).
Truth informs tech. I’m not going to be voting on warrantless arguments or blatant untruths, that’s an abusive way to try and win the round and I think judge intervention is necessary. I think this applies most frequently to theory blocks, since a lot of times there isn’t an established internal link between the structural harms you’re citing (eg. neg block side skew) and the proposed solution (eg. aff sets framework). If you establish that internal link, it should be fine. My logic here is that you wouldn’t expect me to vote on a DA without an internal link, so why would you do that with theory? Additionally, I’m a strong believer that technical nonresponses to unreasonable arguments don’t outweigh winning substantive arguments and, because debate is about clash and education and discussion, I will always prefer to see discussion of important topics rather than arguments that are just there as distractions.
Overall, explain the things you’re saying because I’m not going to vote on an argument you don’t actually make (but I also won’t vote on warrantless args).
I think the idea that debate is a game and the goal is to win is extremely harmful. Just trying to dump cards on your opponent to make them slip up and not respond to something is slimy, same with running stuff and banking on the fact that the other team just won't understand what you're arguing. You're not helping yourself get better at analysis and argumentation by avoiding clash to win on technicalities and misunderstandings. I view debate as a space to have conversations and expand knowledge bases, a place for high schoolers to engage in political philosophy, and that requires everyone understanding what's going on and everyone operating fairly. Winning is nice, but unethical strategy in the name of winning is a major problem in debate. If this comes up as a meta argument in round, know I will not buy your debate as a game good theory, I simply won't budge on this one area.
Evidence
Don’t clip. It’s pretty simple to say “cut the card there” and send out a marked copy once your speech is done (I recommend spamming tab on your laptop to mark where you stopped because it can be easily done mid speech and makes sure your marked doc is correct and sent in a timely manner after your speech). I realize that, especially since I’m asking you not to spread, that you’re going to need to cut things off, but just take the two seconds to make me aware of it so I don’t have to get you disqualified for clipping (I really don’t want to have to do that). If your evidence is fraudulent or altered in any way, I will probably find out, and it will cost you the round and maybe the tournament, and I’ll chat with your coach about it. Just don’t do it, there’s plenty of evidence out there and it’s unethical to be making your own.
Aff burden
Aff has the burden to relate to the resolution, but this doesn’t exclude k affs. Obviously, the easiest way to do this is to do a policy aff, but that’s not always what people go with. Relating to the res in an abstract way is valid if you can explain that. Be prepared to defend why your approach is best for debate and why your take on the resolution is necessary. If the debate ends and I’m unclear what an aff ballot means, I’ll vote neg on presumption.
Neg burden
A neg ballot is usually whatever you pull through to the 2NR. If you want to argue judge kick for a CP to also have the squo as an option, you’re going to have to do some theory lifting in order to get me there because I lean toward multiple worlds existing on the neg ballot being inherently abusive. Explain why it’s not. K alts and CPs are functionally the same to me, the difference is in the complexity, so just make sure your alt and what it means for the ballot is clear. If you're running a k with no alt you're gonna have to explain why you don't need one.
Speaking
Do not spread. I will not flow your arguments if I cannot understand them. I have an auditory processing disorder. You don't need to spread to win. I get that you may find it annoying, but you need to be able to adapt to judge preferences and this is what I’m asking of you. I’m asking for speech docs for accessibility and to monitor for clipping, not to fill in gaps on my flow. You have to make connections and read off the args for them to get on there.
Keep track of what you read and what you don’t read and where you’re marking cards. Sending impossibly long speech docs (like whole camp files) that you know are more than you can read is bad practice. Essentially, trying to trick your opponent/the judge into believing you read a card you didn’t read is extremely unethical and over the line where I start to find ways to vote against you. Explicitly falsely claiming to have read a card in a previous speech is a round loss. You should be flowing your own speeches to avoid this happening.
Argument choices
You need to be running full arguments in your speeches. Starting a DA or T in one speech and saving the impact/voters for the block is abusive and not having those things at all means that you've wasted your own time because I can't vote on that argument. DAs need uniqueness, a link, and an impact (sometimes and an internal link). T needs an interpretation, violation, standards, and voters.
I love kritiks. This is probably not surprising as a philosophy major, and I do a lot of theory in my classes (I don’t just take major related classes so I’m familiar with economic oriented theory as well). I probably won’t have read exactly what you’re reading, but I’m familiar with a wide range of concepts and am comfortable with my ability to understand complicated arguments. The stuff I’m most familiar with is queer theory, biopower, settler colonialism, afro-pessimism, feminism, and anything relating to ethics. However, this is not a freebee to just run something because you think it'll confuse the other team. Philosophical discussions go both ways and I'm going to like your K a lot more if you're being diplomatic and helping the other team get your point so they can actually respond. In K debates you should be focusing on having a productive, fair philosophical debate with your opponent and that gets really muddled when all anyone cares about is the W. A fair warning about Ks, I will probably understand your lit better than you do, 9 times out of 10 this is the case, and this means I will notice if you don't understand the argument you're running, so best to run Ks you're comfortable with and not just something you pulled from open ev just for this round.
I will vote on topicality, but I think running it when you know an aff is topical is tacky (in a roll my eyes kind of way not a vote you down kind of way). However, I get that sometimes you don’t have anything else to run because you’re not a k team. Reasonability to me is more about there being multiple acceptable interpretations of a word, so if you’re not meeting any definition in the round, you’re probably not reasonably topical. I’m less lenient to obscure policy affs than to k affs on t and that’s a personal preference that you should be aware of (this is based on how useful I think each are to debate; the former not at all and the latter extremely). I’m probably not going to buy into t isn’t apriori to my decision but if you think you can convince me, go for it by all means. You don’t need 5 minutes of t in the 2NR for it to be convincing, but sometimes you need that five minutes to cover everything that’s happened on the t flow, so play it by ear. I don’t really enjoy t debates, they get really reductive a lot of times because it devolves into semantics for semantics' sake. I know some people are really into them, but I personally think there’s more important discussions to be had and throwaway t args are a waste of time. However, recall that I will vote on t because it is important.
DAs and CPs aren’t super interesting unless you have something that’s not generic. You can win on them, like everything, but I find big stick, low probability impacts dull and they’re one of my least favorite parts of debate. Politics DAs need to be updated to be relevant and even then, they’re a lot of speculation and fear mongering so be careful how you’re arguing. CPs are a whole can of worms and can easily be annoying to judge and abusive to the aff. PICs are iffy for me since the aff isn’t just coming up with the best possible plan, it’s the best possible plan and fitting in the resolution, but if you can argue theory for them then, as with most things, be my guest.
I prefer structural impacts because big stick impacts feel like sensationalized news headlines IMO, but it's not a hard preference in any way.
Theory is fun but needs to be clear and have internal links, as stated above. I don’t really have much more to say than don’t use theory as a time waster because it usually means it’s argued poorly, doesn’t apply, and makes you look bad.
A lot of people assume they’re winning every flow, but you’re probably not, so I recommend using the “even if” layering of argumentation in rebuttals to have flows interact with each other. Best to not assume you’re winning and built contingencies into your speeches for me.
Flowing
You should be flowing, even if it’s from the speech doc for accessibility reasons (another reason why marked copies are important, I did this all the time). If you respond to arguments that weren’t presented, your speaks will suffer for it, and obviously, not responding to a core argument because you weren’t flowing could cost you the round.
Apparently, y’all have decided prewritten overviews are the new hip thing. It doesn’t sound like a great idea to me, mostly because overviews should be short summaries of what you’re extending in the speech in the context of the current round (exception to this is aff case extensions, go ahead and prewrite those to your heart’s content). Every round shakes out different, so you should be adapting your extensions to what’s going on in front of the judge. Line by lines are very nice but I recognize they require a lot of organization. It’s usually better to go through each individual argument rather than doing each flow as an argument, since a lot of detail can be lost. Prewritten overviews that aren’t for unaddressed, pure extensions will be affecting your speaks.
Misc
I’m not going to tolerate any harassment, abuse, insulting, or exclusion in rounds (this is for extreme cases, which do happen, unfortunately). As someone who has experienced those things and been frustrated by judge apathy in the name of intervention philosophy, the debate space has to be accessible and equitable for everyone who is participating and that is the most a priori thing in a round. If someone is having a breakdown or is uncomfortable in ways I can’t visibly recognize, let me know and we can take a break. Your mental health and sense of belonging in the debate space is the most important thing to me and I won’t let other people compromise that for you. I will not tolerate violent, bigoted rhetoric being used in round. I’ve had people say I shouldn’t be allowed to participate in debate, to vote, or to make my own decisions because of aspects of my identity and I will absolutely not allow you to make these arguments. I am hard zero tolerance about this. You do not have the right to make the debate space unsafe.
Disclosure should be reciprocal in order to be ethical. If you wiki mined the aff’s case, you should disclose negative positions. In rounds where there’s a disagreement about disclosure, it’s unlikely to be the topic of my RFD, but I will probably have some criticism if there’s clear unfairness. Hold yourselves accountable for ethical practices.
The only time I will reject a team instead of an argument is on abuse/harassment/exclusion.
Hi! I'm a fourth year debater at SME, and I mainly debate national circuit
Pronouns she/her
Pls add me to the chain - leonard.sophia.103@gmail.com
My debate philosophy is mainly influenced by Jwilk, Grayson Weber, and Trey Witt
TL:DR
I am chill with whatever you want to read as long as you clash
Mich update
my judging philosophy is comprable to the quote by joe biden- "In the good old days when I was a senator, I was my own man."
TRUTH OVER TECH!!!! da links must be to the plan text, but k links can be to squo and terminally nonuq
pls turing test!!!! there is an epidemic of robots in this activity :(((( ill send u the file
average speaks are 28.5 on a sliding scale -
lose speaks (-.1) by being annoying, if i have to clear you (after 2 clears you get a 20), having a computer with a screen over 12 inches (or double monitors), not preempting aspec in the 1ac, or your name starts with a J and you're a gemeni
*Note - if your name is Jaxson, Jackson, Jaxon, or any iteration you immediately get the L + 1 speaker point + report to tabroom
gain speaks (+.1) by reading your plan as if you were a kansan performing a dramatic interp, making a joke, bringing me a snack (if its an energy drink auto 30), starting your final rebuttal with the hail mary, and +.2 if you hide aspec (aff or neg) (jk) (maybe not)
i feel uncomfortable adjudicating any arguments about patents
General Notes
- racism, sexism, homophobia, violence is an auto loss
- Tech over truth
- If you have an accommodation request pls ask with me present - debate is your space and I want everyone to feel comfortable in it but I feel weird judging an accommodation violation argument if I didn't know there was one
- Ok with speed if you're clear
- I like open cross but prep before cross-ex will steal your speaker points
- A debate without good clash is lame. Card dumping is boring
- If you make me laugh I might boost your speaks :)
- Please don't pack up during the 2AR, it stresses me out
- I don't specifically function on a policy making paradigm, it's your job to tell me how to evaluate the round. I think debate is probably a game but not necessarily
- I don't want to judge intervene so pls frame your arguments in final rebuttals
- RVIS ARE NOT REAL
- #Bringbackwarrants2024 - extending the tag of evidence isn't compelling
AFF: whatever floats your boat, but if you’re running a k aff please make it accessible: I'm not always super familiar with the lit.
For the neg: only reading case defense is boring. Read no solvency, offense, case turns etc
For the aff: A really defensive 2ar is never a great idea and leans towards a presumptive ballot. Take advantage of the last speech because framing arguments are really compelling
T: I HATE ADJUDICATING T. If you decide to disregard this and go for T it better be at least the majority of the 2nr. I default to competing interps even if they're silly
K: I've read militarism and cap so I'm relatively familiar with those lit bases, as well as set col, security, pess, but don't assume I'm super familiar.
Fairness is only an internal link if you say it is :)
2nr's I find compelling are 1) Framework and link analysis or 2) links and alt especially with real analysis on causal solvency
I really love when teams impact turn one another's framework or do impact calc on FW
DA’s: Idk I'm not picky on DAs, but I do love smart impact framing arguments in the rebuttals - mitigation or prerequisite arguments are underrated. I think politics or elections on this topic is squirrely at best
CP’s: go for it but just know I’m not great for a competition debate or condo debate - I think 2nc counterplans are devious but do your thing i suppose
Theory:I'm ok for it, I like creative theory. If you wanna go for severance perms bad I would rock w that. If you hide aspec from your opponents you might accidentally hide it from me too tho
Impact Turns:the best strat in the game
Hello my name Is Josh Little, this is my fourth year of debating and I absolutely love it. I have debated on the novice, JV, and open circuits. I have qualified for state every year so far and made it again for the last time senior year.
Novice Expectations:
I know many of you are just developing a basic knowledge of debate, so take a breath I'm not expecting the best from you. But do not just look down at your computer the entire time and read cards that I know you don't understand. Make eye contact, body language, thorough explanations, and try to sell me your case.
Case:
I have loved good case arguments since I was a novice and if you successfully prove that the affirmative can't solve, they have no inherency, or their advantages don't do what they say they do, I will have a much easier time voting for the negative.
DA's:
While I do love case arguments, you can't leave out reasons that the affirmative will be bad like disadvantages. DA's are key to prove that the affirmative does more harm than good. But I like plausible DA's. I will 100% vote for crazy impacts but if you shout in my face "nuke war" and "extinction" make sure you walk me through it. I have no problem with those impacts just make them realistic. Must protect uniqueness, link, internal link, and impact. If any of them fall I won't weigh the DA.
CP's:
Better chance of me voting on the CP if it can avoid the DA or if it has a super good net benefit. Prove to me the perm won't work. There are some crazy counter plans coming up so prove to me that your counter plan is worthy of my vote and the perm is not.
T:
I will vote on topicality... but it better darn good. Hint- if your reading T against a case list affirmative, well good luck. My threshold for T is high but if it is a cheeky affirmative that is blatantly untopical I will actually be disappointed if you don't run T against it.
All speed is fine(clarity is extremely important)
All arguments are accepted
DAs and Ks should have clear links
About me
Hello! My name is Joseph but competitors can call me Joe. I am a 3rd-year debater from Olathe South Highschool, although I am more into forensics; got 5th in prose at state so the way you present your speech does matter to me. love the art of debate and I love the educational aspect of it.
Overall
- Be nice to each other
- I will be keeping track of the time
- I will be flowing
- I would like to be on the speech drop or have access to the USB drive if competitors are comfortable with that
- if you're going to do an analytical argument tell me where you're applying it, tell me what the issue is, and please don't use this type of argument to ramble and waste time.
- Unless you can somehow save it, dropped arguments mean you're going to lose on that specific piece.
Most importantly
- 1) don't ramble. Personally, I don't mind if you only use 7 minutes out of your 8-minute speech but make your points clear and concise. If you're doing analytical make sure you tell me as to why what you're saying is important
- 2) Structure of an argument is crucial, Ex) if you're going to run T I need to see your interp, violation, standards and voters.
Preferences-Aff
- Tell me how many pieces of paper I will need to flow before starting your 1A.
- I don't love spreading but I can keep up--- Please don't think you will be docked for spreading because you won't be.
- Explain your case and tell me what you're doing, the easier you make it for me to understand the better
Preference- Neg
- Again please give me a road map
- Make your arguments clear
- tell me where you're applying your evidence
- I enjoy T but Make your arguments clear and tell me where exactly they aren't topical.
- I don't mind CP's but make sure you make it clear what exactly you're doing
- the more evidence you can run the more fun I think it is
When it comes down to it. If your arguments do not make sense or you don't tell me how it applies, you won't be winning on that argument.
If you have any questions as to why you lost the round or for me to elaborate on why I believe you lost, please do email me at (Gmail put at bottom). But please note anything, after the round said or done pertaining to the debate, will not be able to change by ballot 727jwr17@students.olatheschools.com.
My name is Tyler Rosenbohm, I'm a senior at Olathe West Highschool.
I've done debate since freshman year, spreading is fine as long as its clear, You can run anything you know how to run, that includes K's
I'm a Flay judge meaning I flow and keep track of arguments but I think quality over quantity, I'm going to listen and follow along.
Be nice to each other, if there's a technical difficulty I'm okay with that I'm willing to work through
Talk loud and clear, good luck I'm excited to judge your round, if you have any questions please ask before the round starts.
I'm a third year -- i prefer speechdrop but will do what is agreed on in round
You can speak slow, mid, or fast (spread if u want).
I'm really ok with any argument, DA's, CP's, or T's (i especially like T's, but this year sucks for them so wtv), if you're gonna run a K make sure you understand it, and please make sure its not nonsense, and please for the love of everything, read slower than you would evidence.
clipping: if you clip evidence i WILL ignore it, just follow the rules please. analytic arguments are ok, but dont cite something, and then not have a card of the cited info
please flow the debate, and flow properly, dont say you read a card if you didnt.
using an opponents evidence to prove your point is wonderful, as long as the evidence actually proves your point
all in all, this is supposed to be educational, dont use this space to bully, harass, or harm your opponents in any way.
(p.s. if youre reading this you already have a head up over your opponents, ALWAYS look up paradigms, if they dont have one, i recommend asking)
Hello! I debated four years at Olathe West. Multi time state and KDC qualifier with JDI experience. My senior year, Iread aweird AFF and a lotof K's. This being said, read what you're most comfortable with and whatever speed you're best at. With this being don't try and do something you're uncomfortable with for a ballot. 55% tech and 45% truth. You'll lose if you drop the flow and the other teamproperly calls you on it.
DA: Unq/L/IL/IM: if this order isn't followed, good luck getting the ballot with it.
CP: This is how I won most of my neg rounds up until senior year, Have fun with these. Actor cp's have my heart. Please explain net benefits, this can be a DA or it can be as simple as first actor net bad second actor net better.
T: Won't vote on T unless it's blatant. My favorite AFF I ever read was Agriculture with a resolution about NATO.
K: Your alt must be better than the AFF. Novices running K's is something I support because to be a successful DCI/KDC team, K's are crucial. Prove your alt, solvency is a must. Impact should be real world.
Please Please Please ask me before the round if y'all have any questions. Im a social butterfly and am not scary. I hope y'all have fun and enjoy your novice year.
(P.S.) I goto the University of Arkansas- Woo Pig- and live in Louisburg Kansas, keep this in mind while trying to figure out the args you read me. I WILL value everything, but debates about your audience,remember this!
Good luck!
Ryan Seiter <3
Last Updated: November 2023
Speech and Debate at Olathe Northwest High School for 4 years (2014-2018)
Speech and Debate Team at Texas Christian University (2019-2021)
Email me with further questions, or just ask in the room: austin.shively@tcu.edu
POLICY DEBATE
* Put me on the email chain
* Racist/sexist/transphobic/homophobic/ableist rhetoric will lose my ballot
* Disclosure Theory: I'm not going to vote on it. Debate is an activity in critical thinking - you should be able to provide argumentation on your opponents claims whether you know their case ahead of time or you find it out in the 1AC.
*Speed:Just make sure I’m on the email chain or SpeechDrop, and that analytical arguments are clear.
*Topicality: If you genuinely think there is a violation of the resolution, go for it! Otherwise, I promise you I'm not going to be sad if I don't hear a T argument. I default to competing interpretations, but I'll accept reasonability if it's uncontested. T debates are all about the standards for me - make sure there is clash. Just because their block says "____ Good" and yours says "____ Bad," that doesn't mean you've refuted your opponents claims. Specificity and actual engagement is how you win on T.
*Theory/Framework: If you feel that a theory argument is a reason to reject a team, be very thorough in your explanation. For framework, really detail why your framework is better than your opponent's.
*DA's: I'll listen to anything. I understand the need for generic DAs, but specific links are always preferred. All DA debates should include discussions of uniqueness, links, and impacts. Strongly against terminal impacts unless you can provide a very, very realistic link story. Impact turns are always great if you can explain it.
*K's: I'm not well-versed in most of the K literature that's out there. I'm open to hearing a K if you are confident that you understand it and can explain it in detail to me. Keep it real, and explain why the K is important. Again, I'm not going to be sad if you don't run a K.
*CP's: Any CP is an acceptable CP if you can effectively prove how it solves the aff. Aff - creative perms or doesn't solve arguments are your best bet. Negative - Advantage CPs are fun.
*Other Notes: Open cross is fine if you can keep it civil. The more "real-world" you can make the debate, the better. Explanations are the key to winning - I care more about how YOU are debating, and what analysis YOU can provide. Simply reading tags, cards, and pre-made blocks will not win you the round.
...
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE
* Direct clash is very important to this event. Reference other speakers and analyze the pros/cons of what they are saying.
* If you repeat a pro or con point that is very similar to another speaker, make it meaningful and add something new to the argument. Additionally, explain why the addition you made was necessary/important to recognize.
*Presiding over a chamber is just as important as giving speeches. A nearly flawless PO, who is confident in their rulings, is one of the most impressive things in student Congress.
* Act like you're in congress. That's what the event is for. "At my school" claims and high school jokes are only going to hurt your ranking. Be creative and fun, in a professional matter, and you'll be happy with the results.
*Discrimination or bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated.
Hi! I’m Camilla (she/her)
Add me to the email chain (3087914@smsd.org)
Generally idrc what you run as long as you can run it well. I do not tolerate any racist/sexist/homophopic behavior and I will sign and submit my ballot for the opposing team immediately. I do not do speed pls don’t spread I’ll cry. T is good and I will vote on it if you run it right. Don’t run a K I’ll cry. Extend stuff or I won’t weigh it. Tell me how to vote in rebuttals. If you’re funny I’ll give you higher speaks.
bvw '25
she/her
bluevalleywestbw@gmail.com
Pronouns: She/her
Lansing '22
4 Years Lansing HS Debate & Forensics
Lansing HS Assistant Coach
KU '
i don't really care what you run as long as you are clear about it, if i don't know what you're saying then i probably won't vote for you. i have a pretty good understanding of debate and basic arguments, if you run something confusing then EXPLAIN IT, jargon should also be explained if it's not a fairly common term just in case i don't know what you're getting at. i would rather you focus on fewer good arguments than try to run 9 off and not know how to explain any of it. if you wanna run a k or anything like that i don't care but i would prefer for it to be something you can clearly convince me of, your k should basically be an alternate reality and if i'm not convinced it can exist then i won't vote for it. win me on basic stock issues before you try to win me on some off the wall argument that is only vaguely relevant to the current debate. as for speed i'm not a huge stickler about speed but i do ask that whatever speed you go that you are clear. if i am left in the dust, cannot understand you, or it's unclear of what's going on i'll probably just stop listening and i'm guess you probably don't want that. if i am judging you then i definitely want to be a part of the document sharing however that may be done, if there's an email chain that's cool: alexa.ymker@gmail.com. i also believe that the 1AC should be able to send the speech out as soon as the round starts so please make sure you are able to do that