NORTH AMERICAN DEBATE CIRCUIT Wildcard Round
2023 — NSDA Campus, US
PF Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HidePublic Forum paradigm
A few remarks:
- If it's important to my RFD, it needs to be in both summary and final focus, especially if it's offense. A few exceptions to this rule:
- Rebuttal responses are "sticky". If there's a rebuttal response that was unaddressed, even if it wasn't in your opponents' summary or FF, I will still consider it against you.
- If a central idea is seemingly conceded by both teams, it is true in the round. For example, if most of the debate is on the warrant level, and the impacts are conceded, I will extend the impacts for you even if you don't explicitly, because this allows you time to more adequately analyze the clash of the debate.
- Especially on framework, you have to do the work for me. I won't evaluate arguments under a framework, even if you win the framework; you have to do the evaluation/weighing.
- Warrants are extremely important; you don't get access to your evidence unless you give me warrants.
- If you are non-responsive, I am fine with your opponents "extending through ink" -- in order to get defense, you need to be responsive.
- Feel free to make whatever arguments you want.
I can be interventionist when it comes to evidence; I will call for it in three scenarios:
- You read evidence that I have also read, and I think you misrepresented the evidence.
- Your evidence is called into question/indicted.
- You read evidence that sounds really sketchy.
Speaker Points
What matters, in rough order of importance:
- Ethical treatment of evidence, both yours and your opponents'. (I have given 20s to teams misusing evidence in the past, and I'll gladly do so again--don't tempt me.)
- The presence of weighing/narrative.
- Nuanced, well-warranted analytical argumentation.
- Well-organized speeches. (Road maps optional; Signposting non-optional)
- Appealing rhetorical style.
- In-round courtesy and professionalism.
Hello, my name is Beck Arnold (they/them). I'm a former Lincoln-Douglas debater, Siena College graduate, and current Public Forum debate coach.
Email Address: arnoldr898@gmail.com
General:
- Debate is, first and foremost, about having fun!
- Please keep track of time, as I will be doing the same.
- In virtual debate tournaments, please keep your camera on as much as possible. Wifi and connection issues are understandable.
- Speak clearly, at whichever speed feels most comfortable to you.
- Please be polite to everyone in the round.
- If you express beliefs which are racist, homophobic, sexist, or otherwise bigoted during a round, that is a huge loss of speaker points and an automatic loss.
- If you plan to discuss heavy content, please be considerate and give a content warning. I am comfortable hearing about heavy topics, but I also believe it is basic politeness to warn before discussing potentially triggering content.
- I do not disclose, but I will provide constructive feedback at the end of the round.
Public Forum:
- In public forum debate, please crystalize at the end of the round. Tell me why you won the round.
- I do not like when cross ex is dominated by one side. Please do not talk over or interrupt the other speakers. Please ask questions which poke holes in your opponent's case. Answers should be concise.
- Signposting and numbering your arguments is greatly appreciated.
- Please have cards ready in the event that someone calls for it. Paraphrasing is acceptable but you need to have text evidence ready to go if necessary. Send evidence quickly!
- Your cards should have effective highlighting.
- Email chains are not necessary, but if you share evidence with your opponent via email, add my email so I can view the evidence as well.
- Do not introduce new arguments in the Final Focus; you will lose points.
- Weigh your impacts, harms, etc throughout the round, not just at the very end.
Speaker Points:
25: You were rude and unprofessional.
26: Below average. You were unprepared, or did not have a cohesive argument at all.
27: Average. You're a pretty good debater! You made a cohesive argument, spoke clearly, and were prepared.
28: Above average. You're an excellent debater, and likely beat most of the teams you come across. You'd probably beat me in a debate.
29: You're probably one of the best debaters out there. You have a strong set of arguments, you weighed impact effectively, you were prepared with strong cards, etc.
30: Very rare level of debate skill. You went above and beyond.
Last Substantially Updated 04/03/24
"There can be no give up" - Martin Osborn
secondnegativeconstructive@gmail.com
Firstly - all the stories you've heard are greatly exaggerated.
Secondly - I'm 16, I haven't earned the right to write out a multi-paragraph explanation of my thoughts on debate. Just know I love the activity and I love hard-working debaters and will try my hardest to make a useful and helpful RFD. I'll vote for any argument and would prefer to see a team do a good job going for an argument I don't like/think is dumb than see a team do a bad job going for an argument I like/think is smart. I've never understood saying "I don't like X debate" because, at the end of the day, all debate that we do is policy debate and I believe you should be encouraged to engage in "X" style if that's what you want to do. Do your best and have fun. (You have common sense and obviously know where the line is drawn. No isms or phobias, don’t be stupid).
Lastly - If you so desperately need to know my thoughts here is a list of the paradigms of people who have influenced my view of the game and have helped to form my ideological predispositions. I will try to judge in a similar fashion to them -
Geoff Lundeen (his paradigm isn’t very helpful so I haven’t linked it, but if you know him you would be right to assume I share a lot of the same thoughts and opinions about debate that he does).
James "My name is Layton stop calling me James" Braziel (pronounced Bruh-Zil)
I really like aspec :)
My background: I am a former CEDA debater (1987-89) and CEDA coach (1990-93) from East Tennessee State University. Upon my retirement in August 2021 I've judged numerous at numerous debate tournaments for PF, LD, IDPA, Parli, and Big Questions (mostly PF and LD). (FYI, when I participated in CEDA it was quasi-policy, not true policy like it is today.)
Speed: I can keep up with a quick-ish speed - enunciation is very important! Pre round I can do a "speed test" and let you know what I think of a participant's speech speed if anyone wants to. I was never a super speed debater and didn’t encourage my students to speed.
Theory: I am familiar with topicality and if other theory is introduced, I could probably understand it. (I also used to run hasty generalization but not sure if that’s still a thing or not.) Theory is best used when it’s pertinent to a round, not added for filler and needs to be well developed if I am expected to vote on it. If you are debating topicality on the neg you need to provide a counter definition and why I should prefer it to the aff.
The rounds: Racism/sexism etc. will not be tolerated. Rudeness isn’t appreciated either. I do not interject my own thoughts/opinions/judgements to make a decision, I only look at what is provided in the round itself. Re: criteria, I want to hear what the debaters bring forward and not have to come up with my own criteria to judge the round. My default criteria is cost/benefit analysis. I reserve the right to call in evidence. (Once I won a round that came down to a call for evidence, so, it can be important!) As far as overall judging, I always liked what my coach used to say – “write the ballot for me”. Debaters need to point out impacts and make solid, logical arguments. I appreciate good weighing but I will weigh the arguments that carried through to the end of the round more heavily than arguments that are not. Let me know what is important to vote on in your round and why. Sign posting/numbering arguments is appreciated and is VERY important to me; let me know where you plan to go at the top of your speech and also refer back to your roadmap as you go along.
Cross Examination: a good CX that advances the round is always valued. If someone asks a question, please don’t interrupt the debater answering the question. I don’t like to see a cross ex dominated by one side.
In most rounds I will keep back up speaking time and prep time.
I hope to see enjoyable and educational rounds. You will learn so many valuable skills being a debater! Good luck to all participants!
Judge Paradigm for Tabroom: Quality over Quantity
Dear debaters,
As a judge, I firmly believe in evaluating the quality of arguments rather than the sheer quantity presented. I value well-reasoned and logically sound arguments that are supported by evidence and analysis. While I respect different debate styles, it is important to note that I have a strong aversion to spreading. However, if spreading is your preferred debate style, I will not ask you to change it. Nevertheless, I must mention that I tend to scrutinize arguments delivered at a high speed due to the increased volume.
In terms of cross-examination, I appreciate a fast-paced and engaging exchange. However, it is crucial that you maintain respect for your opponents and refrain from being overly aggressive or disrespectful during this period. A healthy and intellectually stimulating cross-examination can enhance the overall quality of the debate.
To ensure that I can closely follow your arguments and properly evaluate them, I request to be included in the email chain. This will enable me to refer back to your evidence and review the content as needed, thus facilitating a more accurate assessment.
Ultimately, my primary focus as a judge is on the quality of your arguments, the strength of your evidence, and the coherence of your analysis. I will carefully consider the substance and logical coherence of your position, weighing it against that of your opponent. I like to see how points clearly connect to each other. Line-by-line rebuttals or big-picture are fine, but they must make sense.
It is also worth mentioning that I expect you to be the respectful and kind learners I know you to be. Any harmful or offensive language or behavior will not land favorably with me or the fate of your debate.
I wish you all the best in your debates, and I look forward to a thoughtful and engaging round.
Sincerely,
Gabriella Detrick
Hello my name is Cory Johnson. I am a History teacher and a debate coach.
When I am judging there are a few things I look for:
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It is extremely important that you have a clear link chain. As I am flowing, I want to be told how each point leads into the next. It is not my job to infer what you are trying to argue. You need to explicitly tell me each part of the argument, and how that creates your impact. If the impact is not made clear, I have nothing to weigh on and therefore voting for you becomes a challenge dependent on your persuasion skills alone. Please extend your cards, and your links, or I will consider them dropped. My final decision will be based on the flow, and how you interact with your opponent during the round.
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Cross is not binding. In fact I will not even flow it. Cross ex is a time to gather information to then be used in rebuttal. It is also an opportunity for clarification and filling in your flow.
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In an LD debate, the value is terminal. It is the primary voter issue, and as such must be woven into your contentions, and be present throughout the round, including your rebuttals. LD is a value debate and therefore it is not something to be mentioned briefly in your constructive and then forgotten. I am open to theory and K’s but understand if you take this route, you better be committed to it. Risking a theory to throw it away or using K’s arbitrarily does not sit well with me. It is important to weigh your argument against your opponent, while your value is the terminal issue, weighing gives me as a judge the ability to make an informed decision.
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In a PF debate, your impact is the primary voter issue. As stated above, this must be made clear. An ambiguous impact leaves very little room for me as a judge to make an informed decision. I want to be told what the result of my vote is. I want to be told how my vote affects the topic at hand. This is where weighing becomes terminal. If you do not weigh your impact against your opponents, I see little to no reason to vote for you, as a lack of weighing leads me to believe your impact is not very important to the round. Within that weighing I want to see a clear comparison between you and your opponent.
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When speaking, please be clear, and concise. I want to be impressed with your speaking ability, and this is how I decide your speaker points. DO NOT SPREAD! I prefer slower, more evocative speech, with impactful points of emphasis. I do not appreciate redundancy, especially in rebuttal. If you have to repeat yourself outside of the purpose of emphasis, it tells me you do not know what you are talking about.
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A few extra miscellaneous points to keep in mind: I am a stickler about time. I will not flow anything said after time is up. It will not be considered when voting. It is also very important that you use off-time roadmaps, so I can follow your thought process. Finally keep the card calling to a minimum. Doing this excessively wastes too much time, and becomes annoying and frustrating. If you cannot rebuttal without seeing every card your opponent uses, that most likely means you need to do more research.
I look forward to judging you. Good Luck!
Hello, I'm so excited to judge you today.
My paradigm is simple, I am entirely a lay judge. I am not okay with speed. Since English is my second language, I prefer to keep basic debate terminology. I will be keeping time but I will not be judging the flow of the debate, instead, it will be dependent on your speaking ability and how accurately you can persuade me in your favor.
Thank you!
David Levin
he/him/his
Email chain: davidlevindebate[AT]gmail.com
Coach for:Speyer Legacy School (NY)
Conflict for:Speyer Legacy School; St. Luke's School (CT)
More experience: PF and Policy
Less experience: LD, Worlds, Extemp, Parli
No experience:Interp and Oratory
Expectations:
-All evidence read will be in cut cards and sent before its respective speech (marked documents afterward is ok)
-Debaters will not clip cards or otherwise misrepresent evidence (paraphrasing is a voting issue)
-Debaters will treat their opponents, judge(s), room and partner with decency.
-Debaters will time themselves
PF NOTE FOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER (If option 1): This resolution is one of the most profound failures of the debate community that I've personally witnessed. I am a tech over truth judge, but that ends at the point where the core ground of one side of the topic is rooted in neofascist talking points. "Migrants bad" is a losing argument, and the authors/literature you bring into this space matters. Due to the brokenness of this resolution, I'm inclined to be much more lenient to the aff's competing interpretations on T. I'd much rather hear a generous interpretation of surveillance infrastructure than the Heritage Foundation's racist drivel.
PF:
-Speed is fine, just be clear
-Collapse on the argument you want written on my ballot
-Kicking an argument is distinct from not addressing an argument
-Weigh links, especially with similar terminal impacts
-Presumption defaults to the side closest to the status quo
-I flow each contention separately - keep that in mind for road maps/signposting
-Kritik and FW/T debates are my favorites - if you want feedback on a critical argument, I'm a good judge for you
Policy:
-My topic knowledge is limited - keep that in mind with regard to acronyms and terms of art
-Multiple conditional advocacies are fine, but run the risk me keeping a messier flow
-Generally, no RVIs
-K v. K and K v. FW/T debates have historically been my favorites/most intuitive to evaluate
-Signpost, Signpost, Signpost!!
Hi friends:) plz add me to the email chain if there is one @drpham1126@gmail.com
My name is Doanh Pham, but I go by Rita (she/her). Currently debating policy at University of Kansas as a 2nd year. I'm currently a double major in Political Science and East Asian Studies with a concentration in Chinese. Highschool history wise, I debated PF and did IX at Lee's Summit West Highschool for 4 years there. Was decent, was state champ and did the NSDA jazz, you can look me up at Rita Pham on NSDA. PF is my first love!
Don't be a-holes to each other. I'm a firm believer that debate is about education and pedagogy.
No matter what event, framing then tech into truth plz. Judge direction is important, you should tell me from the beginning how I should evaluate the round/on what framework. FRAMING IS TOP LEVEL. Identity politics and structural violence works well with me over extinction/econ impacts. Also evidence quality is so important to me, I will read it if you highlight its important. Below you can see events spec thoughts:
Policy: I love high theory and critical things. any flavors of Ks are welcomed and if I don't know then I'll try to keep up actively. Some of my fav is Set Col, Cap, Asian Identity/Orentialism, Academy.... I think alt is important but if you don't have one, prove to me why your link makes their aff net worse. Im very good judge for identity politics.
Stuff like wipe out and pess/death good, eh idk how I feel about it but I don't particularly love.
K aff are cool, I'm running one for the 2023-2024 season myself - but try to have it tie the resolution somehow. I'm pretty good on the FW debate, impacts like education is more convincing then fairness for the sake of fairness. This means that I'm pretty ok with seeing how the T flow interacts with K affs if that's your thing!
I am ok at policy stuff (don't run more then 4 off as a policy strat, I will be very annoyed and the args start to lose quality), T-subsets and etcs arent my thing but I will still flow. A good DA with a strong link story is always good. Extinction impacts are overrated but I will always vote on what you tell me to vote on.
Don't love PIX/PICS and stuff that steals opponents' args but justify yourself.
I usually don't cancel teams for certain args and will give them grace since I view debate as a game but you can convince me otherwise!
PF: I am very well versed in this area, and a stern believer that PF should remain like PF. Please don't try to be high theory on your opponents, otherwise go try policy.
Since rounds are only 45 min, I think CX should be binding so you can build args. Be organized, I don't care how many contention or subpoints you have, I'll keep up. I flow most things, make sure you signpost. I think since there are less arguments in PF, you should have quality evidence. Logistics are always welcomed, but if most of the round is false logic then I will decide based on evidence quality even if you did well at framing. Just because the nature of PF is more evidence based.
LD: I never did this event but I understand its about morals/ethics and a mix of pf and policy. Especially in LD, you should center around your value criteria. Ref puff stuff to know more about me but I will judge you base on how you want me to.
Howdy,
I have countless years of experience as a judge/coach for HS debate, and I was a collegiate competitor back in the day (AFA , IPDA , NFA) ... currently I'm a consultant teaching IE's at the university level (AFA)
- PLZ treat your opponent and judge the way you would want to be treated, there is no room for rudeness or hate or toxicity in debate
- have any questions? feel free to ask
- tournaments that use .5 speaks are VERY bad, .1 all THE way
- I mainly judge College IE's and HS nat circuit PF - these are my absolute fav's
- Talking fast is ok, spreading is a big NO for me ... also if its not a bid tournament I DON'T want to be on the chain / will not look at the doc
- IF USING HISTORICAL EVIDENCE (whether debate or public speaking event) , you need to address the 5 C's of historical analysis ... if not then this is for you ---> L
IE's: MS and HS level - you do you, be you and give it your all!!
Collegiate (AFA) - you know what to do
(MS , HS , College) - I'm a stickler for binder etiquette
Congress:
if you treat this event like its a form of entertainment or reality TV I WILL DOWN you , you are wasting your time, your competitors time and my time
POs: I'm not gonna lie, I will be judging you the harshest - you run the chamber not me and I expect nothing but the best. Please be fair with everyone , but if I feel the PO is turning a blind eye or giving preferential treatment I will document it
Competitors: Creativity, impacts, structure and fluency are a must for me.
don't just bounce off of a fellow representatives speech, be you and create your own speech - its ok to agree tho
don't lie about sources/evidence... I will fact check
best way to get high ranks is to stay active thru the round
clash can GO a long way in this event
For direct questioning please keep it civil and no steam rolling or anything harsh, much thanks.
gestures are neato, but don't go bananas
witty banter is a plus
I only judge congress in person not online
NEVER wants to Parli a round
PF:
if y'all competitors are early to the round go ahead and do the coin flip and pre flow ... this wastes too much time both online and in person
tech or truth? Usually Tech, however it all depends on what you run, if you're going to say things that are absolutely not true (holocaust never happened... etc) STRIKE ME - because if I have to go Truth I will have no problem telling you you're wrong and will make an example out of you
I better see clash
if the resolution has loose wording, take advantage of it!!
I value good strategy and refined rhetoric, if you have this you'll most likely get my ballot
I'm all about framework and sometimes turns ... occasionally links
I don't flow during cross x , but if you feel there's something important that the judge should know.. make it clear to the judge in your following speech
I LOVE evidence... but if your doc or chain is a mess I'M going no where near it!!!
Signposting - how do I feel about this? Do it, if not I will get lost and you won't like my flow/decision
FRONTLINE in second rebuttal!! (cough, cough)
Best of luck going for a Technical Knock Out ... these are as rare as unicorns
Extend and weigh your arguments, if not.. then you're gonna get a L with your name on it
I'm ok with flex prep/time but if your opponent isn't then its a no in round - if yes don't abuse it ... same goes for open cross
When it comes to PF ... I will evaluate anything (if there's proper warranting and relevance) but if its the epitome of progressive PLZZ give a little more analysis
^ Disclosure Theory: if you have a history of disclosure then do it, if not then you will get a L from me, why? Great question, if you don't have a history of promoting fairness and being active in the debate community you have no right to use this kind of T
I'll be honest I am not a fan of paraphrasing, to me it takes away the fundamentals from impacts/evidence/arguments/debate as a whole - it lowers the value of the round overall
Speaker points - I consider myself to be very generous unless you did something very off putting or disrespectful
Easiest way to get my ballot is by using the Michael Scott rule: K.I.S "Keep It Simple"
LD:
take it easy on speed , maybe send a doc
Tech > Truth (most of the time)
links can make or break you
value/criterion - cool
P/CP - cool
stock issues - cool
K - cool
LARP - can go either way tbh
Trix/Phil/Theory - PLZ noo, automatic strike
never assume I know the literature you're referencing
CX:
I don't judge a lot of CX but I prefer more traditional arguments, but I will evaluate anything
look at LD above
PLZ send a doc
Worlds:
I expect to see clash
no speed, this needs to be conversational
don't paraphrase evidence/sources
STYLE - a simple Claim , Warrant , Impact will do just fine
its ok to have a model/c.m , but don't get policy debate crazy with them - you don't have enough time in round
not taking any POI's makes you look silly , at least take 1
^ don't take on too many - it kills time
don't forget to extend, if you don't it a'int being evaluated
the framework debate can be very abusive or very fair ... abuse it and you will get downed
as a judge I value decorum, take that into consideration
Overall:
Should any debate round be too difficult to evaluate as is.... I will vote off stock issues
I like to consider myself a calm, cool and collected judge. I'm here doing something I'm passionate about and so are y'all - my personal opinions will never affect my judgement in any round and I will always uphold that.
If anyone has any questions feel free to contact me or ask before round - whether online or in person.
May all competitors have a great 2024-2025 season!!
Scroll down for trad/NCFL
I prefer to use speech drop or the tournament file share, but please feel free to email me any questions or concerns at lesliedebate2027@gmail.com. (she/her)
Progressive/Circuit
I will vote on basically anything as long as I can understand it. However, I will not vote on any argument that make the debate space unsafe, which includes but is not limited to racist/sexist/homophobic arguments.
Spreading is fine, just make sure to send out speech docs. If you don't send out speech docs, I probably won't be able to keep up, so I would recommend going at about 75% of your maximum pace. If you skip or don't read more than 1 thing on the doc, please send out a marked doc after your speech is over.
I'm most comfortable with judging policy, then Ks, theory, and phil. I am unlikely to vote for a completely non-topical aff but I just need a few lines tying your case to the topic. I'm fine with ROB and IVIs.
Tricks: I'm not well-versed in tricks but if you explain it in an understandable way, I'm willing to vote on it. I would like to judge a round that comes down to a definitions argument of some kind.
Disclosure: My standard for disclosure is sending out the aff at the request of the opponent 30 minutes before the round starts. This does not apply to trad affs or completely new affs. If you are using most of the same cards even if they are used differently, that is not a new aff. If you will be running disclosure theory, please include all communication between you and your opponent in the doc and any supporting evidence. If you just say they ran this same aff in round 3 but only include a screen shot of the name of the aff from the earlier round, that is not going to be enough for me.
Frivolous Theory: Do not read friv theory. I will not vote on it. Regular theory is fine.
Miscellaneous
I will increase speaker points for interesting arguments I don't commonly hear. I try to be as tab as possible. I have voted against my own political beliefs numerous times and also for somewhat absurd arguments like trees are bad for the environment due to forest fires.
-Evidence ethics: Don't misrepresent evidence or clip cards. It's an automatic loss for me.
-I am impressed by a really good CX. I do not enjoy the Oppression Olympics so please try find another way to counter an identity K.
Traditional/NCFL
I will flow the debate and keep track of arguments, refutations, and dropped arguments. However the debater needs to bring up that the opponent has dropped a contention for me to count it.
Please include voters in your final round/speech. If I feel that round is too close to call, I will default to who won the framework debate.
Please be kind to novices or newer circuit debaters. Win the round but help them to learn something from it.
Please feel free to ask me any questions before the round begins.
TL;DR
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Be kind in all that you do.
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I flow but not particularly well (especially the back half) and generally will not evaluate arguments that I don't understand, so please collapse and make sure you clearly extend your warranting.
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I am generally okay with spreading as long as I get a speech doc.
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I have a slight preference for truth over tech. My brightline here isn’t totally clear so you’re probably best playing it safe.
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Under no circumstances will I vote for a "death good" argument and under very few circumstances will I vote for an "oppression good" argument. Pretty much every other type of argument is fine.
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Theory should only be run for legitimate norms and legitimate violations. Running stuff like “tall people theory” or “formal clothes theory” almost guarantees a loss.
- For email chain purposes: thadhsmith13@gmail.com
Background
I’ve been a member of the debating world for about eight years now. As a competitor, I saw some success at the state and national level in Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and World Schools, qualifying for the state championship four times and placing 10th at Nats in 2019. I also competed in BP debate at the university level in England. I am currently an assistant coach for American Heritage School - Broward.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, & Race Studies. I have a Master’s degree in Theory and Practice of Human Rights. You can expect me to have more than the average level of knowledge in those areas. I like to think that I know about as much as the average person on most other things, but for economic arguments (or anything involving math) I get lost easily. Do with that what you will!
Evidence ethics
I have voted on evidence ethics violations in the past, both with and without competitors calling them out in round. Straw arguments, aggressive ellipses, and brackets could all be round-enders.
Don't paraphrase! I will be very open to cut cards theory, direct quotes theory, or anything else like that. If you do paraphrase, you need to be able to provide a cut card or the exact quote you're referencing if evidence is called. It's not a reasonable expectation for your opponents or I to have to scrub through a webpage or a long document searching for your evidence.
Public Forum
I find myself leaning more and more truth > tech, especially with the state of evidence ethics these days. It's really important for you to explain the link chain and somewhat important for you to explain things like author credibility/study methodology, especially for big impact contentions.
Line-by-line rebuttal is really important in the front half of the round. That means you should be frontlining in second rebuttal, respond to arguments in an order that makes logical sense, and actively extend your own arguments. For an extension to be effective you need to tell me what the argument is, how it works, and why it's important. You can almost always do this in three sentences or less. These pieces are important - I don't flow evidence names, so saying something like "Hendrickson solves" without an explanation does nothing for you.
Fiat is pretty much always a thing - There's a reason Public Forum topics usually ask "is this policy a good idea" and not "will this thing happen." My view of fiat is that it lets the debate take place on a principles level and creates a "comparative" between a world with a policy and a world without a policy. That said, politics arguments can work, but only if they relate to a political consequence of a policy being enacted and not if they try and say a policy will never happen in the first place.
Kritiks and theory are fine in PF. Be mindful of your time constraints. For kritiks, focus on explaining how your cards work and what the alternative is. For theory, make sure there's a legitimate violation and that it's something you're willing to bet the round on. Theory exists to create norms. I won’t vote on frivolous theory and I won’t vote on your shell if you aren’t actively embodying the norm you’re proposing.
Flex prep does not exist. “Open” crossfires don’t exist. As a whole, crossfire doesn’t matter that much but you still shouldn’t contradict yourself between cross and speech.
Lincoln-Douglas
I really enjoy a good framework debate and it’s something that I find is missing from a lot of modern LD rounds. One of the best parts of LD is getting to see how different philosophies engage with each other, and we’re gonna see that thru framing. I do my best to evaluate the framework debate at the very top and use it as my primary decision-making mechanism. Framing doesn't have to be done with a value/criterion if you'd rather run a K or Theory or something else, but you need to five me a role of the ballot if you don't use a value/criterion.
Please don’t spread philosophy or theory if you want me to flow it - I read and write it all the time and I still barely understand it, so I’m not going to understand what you’re saying if you’re going 500 words per minute. If you must spread your framework or K, send me the case or be prepared to explain it again next speech.
I’m fine with condo, fiat, and counterplans. Please don’t paraphrase and don't rehighlight.
"Debate bad" arguments are pretty weird. I probably won't vote on them because, at the most fundamental level, you're still participating in a debate round and perpetuating whatever core "harm" of debate that you're talking about. If your alternative is a reasonable alternative or reform instead of just "don't do debate", I could be persuaded, but you've got an uphill battle.
Congress
If you have me as your parli, there are two things you need to know about me: I love Robert's Rules of Order and I hate one-sided debate. Ignore these things at your own risk. Other important things, in no particular order:
- Display courtesy to your fellow competitors and do your best to ensure that everyone in the chamber is heard. I pay attention to pre-round, in-round, and post-round politics.
- Engagement with the other speakers is important, both through questions and through in-speech references. Every speech past the author/sponsor needs to have rebuttal or extension of some kind.
- Authorships/sponsorships (there's no such thing as a "first affirmative") need to explain exactly what the bill does. Don't assume I'll read the packet.
- Good Congress rounds have a narrative arc - The first few speeches should present core arguments and frame the round, the next few speeches should be heavy on refutation and extension, and the final few speeches should crystallize the debate.
- Many things that people do in-round have no basis in either the rules or parliamentary procedure. Many motions don't exist - There are no motions to "address the chamber," "open the floor for debate," "amend the agenda," or "impeach the presiding officer." You can't rescind a seconded motion (or a second), you can't object to a motion to move the previous question, most tournaments don't have a requirement to track question recency, elections should really be handled by the parli, etc.
- At this point, I've heard every canned intro under the sun. If I hear you use the same exact intro on multiple different bills/rounds, or the same intro as a dozen other people, or the same unfunny meta-references with random names subbed in, you are getting docked speech points. It takes barely any effort to come up with an intro that's relevant to your content.
World Schools
The most important thing for you to do is to remember the purpose of your speech. Your speech should not be defined by the "line-by-line," rather, you should have a clear idea or set of ideas that you are trying to get across and I should be able to understand what those ideas were at the end of your speech. I am a big believer in the "World Schools style," meaning that I like it when debaters lean into the concept of being representatives in a global governing body, when debaters deploy flowery rhetoric about grand ideals, and when debaters spend a lot of time establishing and engaging with the framework/definitions/plan for the debate.
Theory
I'm fine with theory as long as it's a legitimate norm and a legitimate violation. Don't run frivolous theory (I'm not going to vote on something like "debaters should sit during their speeches", for example) and don't run theory if it isn't a norm you're actively doing yourself (don't run disclosure theory if you didn't disclose either). I don't have a preference on DtD vs. DtA or Competing Interpretations vs. Responsibility. I lean rather heavily towards theory being a RVI, especially in PF debates where it often becomes the only argument in the round.
I'm ambivalent about trigger warnings. I'm not going to be the arbiter of somebody else's experience and there's not much evidence that they're actually harmful in any meaningful way. Be aware that simply saying "trigger warning" tells us nothing - If you have one, be specific (but not graphic) about the potentially triggering content.
Kritiks
Kritiks are an incredibly powerful education tool that let debaters bring light to important issues. That said, you do need a link, preferably a resolutional/case one. I'm not opposed to hearing kritiks that tackle the structure of debate as a whole, but I think that it's difficult for you to justify that while also participating in the structure (especially because I've seen the same debaters participate in debate rounds without talking about these structural issues). Just like theory, you should be talking about legitimate issues, not just trying to win a round.
Death Good/Oppression Good
"Death good" is a nonstarter in front of me. I get it - I was a high school debater too, and I have vivid memories of running the most asinine arguments possible because I thought it would be a path to a technical victory. As I've stepped away from competition, entered the role of an educator, and (especially) as I've become immersed in human rights issues indirectly through my research and personally through my work, I no longer hold the same view of these arguments. I've been in rounds where judges and the audience are visibly, painfully uncomfortable with one side's advocacy. I've voted on the flow and felt sick doing it. I don't anymore. Do not run "death good" in front of me unless you want a loss and 20 speaks. It's not good education, it actively creates an unsafe space, and its often incredibly callous to actual, real-world human suffering.
"Oppression good" is also generally bad but I can at least see a potential case here, kinda? Probably best to avoid anyway.
First and foremost, I am a coach of a high school team. This means I judge based on how I expect my team to behave. Rudeness will cause me to score lower. This is applicable in both speech and debate. However, as long as you mind your manners in IEs, we’ll be okay. While debate can get heated, it should never get disrespectful. That said, I judge debate based on the following:
PF and LD - I am a judge who heavily favors truth. I place logic above all else. If your arguments aren’t logical and supported well, they will not flow. Additionally, you should have sufficient evidence to support your ideas. If you are throwing out arguments that aren't supported with evidence, they will be less likely to seem reasonable. I don’t flow cross. During this time, I am often writing feedback. I am not a fan of spreading during LD and PF, as I am often not on the case share and am often trying to follow your words.
Congress - Congress should not be boring. If you are not careful, congress can quickly become "boring" or less engaging for your judge. That said, the way you speak matters. You should have logic and reasoning within your speeches, but you should also be engaging. As long as you are engaging and logical, you stand a strong chance.
Fundamentally I see debate as a game. I think it is a valuable and potentially transformative game that can have real world implications, but a game none the less that requires me to choose a winner. Under that umbrella here are some specifics.
1. Comparative analysis is critical for me. You are responsible for it. I will refrain from reading every piece of evidence and reconstructing the round, but I will read relevant cards and expect the highlighting to construct actual sentences. Your words and spin matters, but this does not make your evidence immune to criticism.
2. The affirmative needs to engage the resolution.
3. Theory debates need to be clear. Might require you to down shift some on those flows. Any new, exciting theory args might need to be explained a bit for me. Impact your theory args.
4. I am not well versed in your lit. Just assume I am not a "____________" scholar. You don't need to treat me like a dullard, but you need to be prepared to explain your arg minus jargon. See comparative analysis requirement above.
Side notes:
Not answering questions in CX is not a sound strategy. I will give leeway to teams facing non responsive debaters.
Debaters should mention their opponents arguments in their speeches. Contextualize your arguments to your opponent. I am not persuaded by those reading a final rebuttal document that "answers everything" while not mentioning the aff / neg.
Civility and professionalism are expected and will be reciprocated.
Speech events. I am looking for quality sources and logic in OO and Inf. I have been teaching speech for 18 years and will evaluate fundamentals as well.
I am a neoconservative who values the power of a competitive free market and our republic's resiliency embodied by American exceptionalism. I also believe free speech is absolute. So I will act as a neutral arbiter, weighing each side's arguments and rebuttals without coloring them with outside context or personal beliefs.