2023 Southeast Winter Joust
2023 — Lincoln, NE/US
Public Forum Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideAnton Angeletti - he/him/his - aangelettidebate@gmail.com
Background: In high school, I competed in public forum for Lincoln Southwest, mostly on the Nebraska circuit. Graduated in 2022, currently a Computer Science + Mathematics major at UNL.
Don't be disrespectful. Safety and inclusivity come before everything else in debate.
GENERAL
I don't coach, so it's best to assume I know very little about the topic
I evaluate on the flow. If you want me to vote on an argument, it has to be in both summary and final focus.
Rebuild/frontline in 2nd rebuttal, you don't need to in 1st
Summary is the most important speech. I'd recommend collapsing on important arguments instead of trying to bring everything through, but I don't care what structure or strategy you go for as long as it's consistent in the latter half of the round.
Extending evidence: don't just tell me the author's name, tell me what they say and why it matters
If you want something from cross to matter in the round, bring it up in a speech
Signposting is more important than offtime roadmaps (but both are nice)
Tech > truth, unless you're straight up lying
Do the weighing for me, impacts matter more and more as the round progresses
Clash is super important. Make sure you're debating at each other, not past each other
Defense isn't sticky, extend your responses or I won't evaluate them
If you control the narrative for the round, you win the round
The messier an argument gets, the more likely I am to ignore it completely.
Procedural stuff:
Email chains are the best way to share evidence
I won't flow off speech docs, barring tech issues
Time yourselves, as well as each other
If you make an effort to keep the round running quickly, I'll bump speaks
Theory: I'd much rather judge substance than theory/other progressive arguments (doesn't mean I won't vote on it though). Feel free to ask me about it if you're thinking about running an off.
Any questions, just ask me before/after round or email me at aangelettidebate@gmail.com.
Debated PF for 4 years at Millard North
Speech docs are wonderful (ikamilp@gmail.com).
Flay judge. Appreciate clear weighing. It's really that simple weigh if you want a ballot.
I am really nice with speaks unless you do something problematic.
She/her
Assistant Coach at Lincoln Southwest
Debated for 3 years on NE circuit
I don’t like speed so please slow down
I don't like theory and progressive arguments but I will evaluate it as best as I can
I especially don't like theory in PF :)
As a Black judge please do not have any kumbaya (easy solvency) racism arguments. If you run racism, you need have clear links & warrants
Assume that I am not well versed in the topic so explain everything.
USE MUST TAKE PREP TIME TO READ EVIDENCE!
If you don't have a clear link, you don't get access to your impacts
I prefer if second speaker rebuilds in their rebuttal, but if you have good coverage/ cross analysis/ rebuild in summary you won't be penalized
I am not huge on card dumps and numbers being thrown around; if you want me to buy into your card/argument, I expect you to explain what the number or card means. Tell me why I should be voting for you based on your evidence (you need to do more than cite the name). Please do not misconstrue your evidence
(!!!) IMPACT- some of the best rounds are lost because teams do not impact (weighing is equally as important, make the decision for me). I absolutely hate lazy impacts such as extinction, climate change, & recession (having big numbers doesn't mean you'll win the round). Be creative!
I am here to make sure everyone has a fun, safe and exciting experience with debate. Any hateful or blatantly racist, transphobic/homophobic, sexist, etc arguments will not be weighed in the round.
If you have any questions at all, just ask! I am open to helping anyone with their debate skills and ideas, no matter your success or failure. You can reach out any time, regardless if I have judged you or not :)
Good luck!
-run theory on me and see what happens. actually idk what would happen
-Medical Student at University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska Lincoln 2020 graduate with bachelor's in Biochemistry
-Debated 4 years in Nebraska circuit PF, competed at NSDA nationals, 7th year judging PF
-Speak as fast as you want to but I can only type so fast
-Run whatever i don't care but I am not knowledgable on progressive debate
-I usually browse the internet/shut my brain off during crossfires
-Second rebuttal does not have to rebuild if they don't want to but obviously respond to arguments at some point
-I don't write down card names
-Any evidence/analysis that wants to be extended must be mentioned in all speeches post rebuttal. So extend defense from rebuttal to summary
-I don't want to see your cards after the round
-Asking for evidence in round is fine but the bane of my existence is when teams take 5 minutes to find one card
-Links, impacts, and weighing please and not just card dumps
-I reserve 30s for genuinely amazing performances, but I will probably give most solid debaters 29.5
-You can ask me before round if there's anything else you should know about my judging style that was not written in my paradigm - the answer is no. You can ask me specific questions about my judging style but I have no substantive answers for broad questions
tonyleaiy1997@gmail.com for any questions
General
- Don't be rude to your opponents during, before, or after the round.
- I have some difficulty hearing, so I would appreciate it if you send speech docs! I will also bump speaking points if you send speech docs.
- I do not understand K's or Theory, unless it is it is disclosure theory, trigger warnings theory, or paraphrasing theory. I flow it, but it may not weigh heavy in my decision.
- Email: blmeints1@gmail.com or bmeints@lps.org
PF
I can handle some speed however (within reason, i.e. no spreading), I am out of practice, so if you are going to talk fast make sure you are speaking clear and you are more in-depth in your arguments.
All evidence used in the round should be accessible for both sides. Failure to provide evidence in a timely manner when requested will result in either reduced speaker points or an auto loss (depending on the severity of the offense).
I prefer the final focus to be focused on framing, impact weighing, and round story. Second rebuttal should extend their case. Lastly, not sure this is still a thing anywhere but I want to mention it still. The team that speaks first does not need to extend their own case in their first rebuttal since nothing has been said against it yet.
Congress
In Congress I like to see sound use of evidence and non-repetitive speeches. I appreciate congress folks who flow other speeches and respond to them. I also like to see extension and elaboration on arguments, referencing the congressperson who initially made the argument. Questioning is also important, because I want to make sure that you are able to defend your arguments!
Name
Jacob Moore
Where I'm from
Papillion, Nebraska
What I judge
LD
Paradigm
Your standards debate is the first thing I view as it is my lens within the round. I am a traditional judge. Be able to clearly explain your standards and don't make me connect the dots on what you are trying to say.
I don't care how fast you read, but realize if you spread so fast it hurts your pace, I will take off from your speaking points
25-26 Poor
26-27 Below Average
27-28 Average
29-30 Above Average
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-Impacts are a must in Varsity. Probability and magnitude are major weights for this.
-I allow Flex Prep, but I don't expect the opponent to answer the questions.
-Any argument you run, I roll with it. As long as you can defend your argument.
-As always, Signpost/Roadmap! Too many debaters forget this!
-Don't expect me to be an expert, even on the topic! Your job is to easily explain your philosophy to anyone, especially a judge. I cannot become an expert in Kantian Ethics from one speech after all!
-Don't be afraid to ask questions before or after the round!
Hi all! My name is Loc Nguyen (he/him/his) and I am a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Computer Science & Math.
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Experience:
Competing
2018-2022: Public Forum Debate at Lincoln Southwest High School
2023-Present: NFA-LD (and some NDT/CEDA) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln [Nuclear Posture, Artificial Intelligence]
Coaching
2022: Lab Instructor at NDF
2022-Present: Assistant Coach for Lincoln Southwest High School
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IMPORTANT:
The most important thing within the debate round is the safety and inclusion of all debaters. If you plan on running something sensitive, please have a content warning and an anonymous opt-out with a backup case or contention. I am okay with most arguments, but be mindful of your opponents.
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General:
Top-Shelf: I view debate as a game and my job is to evaluate who wins the game. I am normally tech over truth, however, I'm pretty stupid most of the time so judge instruction is key. I will try my best to evaluate what I have on the flow, but please also convince me. I will most generally vote on an argument that has the better warranting and explanation as well as weighing implication. Unless the tournament expressly forbids disclosing, I will disclose the round's result and give an oral RFD with any and all arguments relevant to my decision.
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Evidence Exchanges:
I think debaters need todo some form of evidence exchange; I've sat through enough rounds of evidence ethics violations. Please send speech docs before you speak and, at a minimum, send all pieces of evidence you plan on introducing in your speech AND make sure that your cards are actually cut. I personally preferSpeechDrop over email chains. If we have to do an email chain, the subject of the email should have the following format, or something close to it: "Tournament Name - Round # Flight A/B - Team Code (side/order) v Team Code (side/order)" Please add BOTH nlocdebate@gmail.com and lincolnsouthwestpublicforum@gmail.com to the email chain.
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PF:
Rebuttal: Number your responses, they're pretty helpful. Second rebuttals should frontline arguments they want to collapse on, and interact with first rebuttal responses.
Summary/Final Focus: Please do not extend every single argument possible; collapse on arguments you know you're winning (refined and implicated arguments over mass card dumping). Defense isn't sticky; you have to extend it in first summary and I'll flow the responses through, or I don't evaluate it for the rest of the round. Don't just give me author names and expect me to know what you're talking about; extend your warrants specifically and give me reasons to prefer over your opponents. Please weigh and weigh comparatively. Anything in Final Focus should be in Summary.
Prep: You must take prep time if you are reading or calling for evidence.
Speed: I'm okay with speed, however, that doesn't mean I always enjoy fast rounds. I won’t be flowing off of the speech doc barring tech issues. Enunciate and be clear.
"Progressive" PF:
1) Theory: Perhaps my views will change as I continue to judge more debates or once PF reaches more clear-cut norms for the event. I believe theory has its place in debate. My general thoughts are that disclosure is good as well as open-sourcing and paraphrasing is bad.
2) K's: I have limited experience listening to and judging K’s as well as debating them in college. I'll be willing to listen to them in PF, however, time constraints in PF would probably limit you from engaging in good K debate. Err on the side of over-explanation if you are pursuing this route; I probably don't know your literature. Some kind of material action in the alt is probably good, but I'll leave K articulations and the debate up to you.
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LD:
Pref Sheet
LARP/Policy - 1
K - 2
Phil - 4
Tricks - Strike
I occasionally judge high school LD, but I don't coach LD. Don’t expect me to always be up to date on circuit norms since I don't judge the event frequently. Defer (mostly) to my PF paradigm if you want to get more of a sense of how I’ll probably evaluate the round, but I’ll be receptive to whatever. In high school I was exposed to a lot more traditional LD from my teammates, but my competition experience in NFA leans policy. Take that as you will. That being said, I’m willing to listen to anything as long as it’s well warranted and implicated and explained well enough for me to vote on it. If I don’t understand it well enough to vote on it, I won’t.
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If you have any further questions ask me before the round starts, find me around the tournament, or email me at nlocdebate@gmail.com before and after tournaments, and I would be happy to answer them.
My name is Nancy. This is my paradigm.
I want to see your value throughout your case and I want you to emphasize how you will get to your value by explaining and utilizing your criterion. I would like to see your value and criterion be interconnected to your contentions. I would like to see that your contentions are related to your value and criterion and that it is not just floating by itself. If you have a single standard, please make sure you are expanding and defining your single standard and flowing the standard through each of your contentions.
I also like to see people practice good time utilization.
I also think it is very important to treat your opponent with respect at all times regardless of how heated the round may get.
Please road map before you speak and use signposts during your speech to help with the flowing of the round.
Please do not speed read, it makes it hard for me to process what you are saying when you are speed reading and it makes it hard for me to flow the round.
Please also remember that I try to make each round fair by not researching anything about each topic when presented. So please do not assume that I already understand everything about the topic and keep that in mind when expanding on your case.
I'm a second-year judge (graduated Millard South in 2022) and did congress for all four years of high school; As such I judge Congress primarily but have been getting experience with PF.
I believe that your goal during a debate is to present your position in the best light possible, so I'll be looking at whether your arguments are good advocacy for your overall contentions as well as if they're properly substantiated.
Properly cited evidence from reputable sources is key, and each time I hear an empirically falsifiable claim I'd like to hear some type of data to go along with it. The way I see it, anecdotes do have a place in debates, but never as a substitution for proper evidence. An anecdote can't be used to demonstrate how often something happens, but it could be used as a powerful example for how something may happen. Always tie your sources into your impacts and try to use data responsibly within its proper context.
Tone and presentation are also important, because they play a big role in how you're perceived. Sounding confident or being hard to rattle during questioning are always good skills to refine, but I'm aware that some debaters (myself included) do the sport in order to build the presentation skills and confidence that they don't already have, so I won't be judging very harshly on this (especially for novices). As a bare minimum, just make sure that you're audible and that your presentation doesn't detract too much from your ability to argue.
Clash is very important. Come prepared to overhaul some or all of your speech in response to the speeches given by your opponents.
Be kind to your fellow debaters. Your competitors aren't your enemies and there is no reason to be disrespectful, discriminatory, or bigoted. If a speech has abusive or inappropriate behavior (racism, sexism, transphobia, or disproportionate hostility), I will not score that speech very highly. This standard is consistent with my standards for effective advocacy.
For Congress: Be genuine with your contentions and your votes. If somebody makes an amendment that would fix one of your negation arguments, you should be voting for that amendment even though it would suck for your speech for it to be passed. Because it IS noticeable if somebody points out a flaw with a bill, an amendment is presented to solve that flaw, and that same person contributes to the failure of that amendment.
Debated at LaPorte High School on the Indiana Circuit
Debated primarily Congress in the past
I value civil and clear clash in both cross examination and speeches.
I appreciate short, clear, and concise link chains with real data.
Evidence outweighs analysis.
I do not like multipart questions as it takes away from the ability of other debaters to ask questions
He/him/his or judge works
Public Forum Coach at Lincoln Southwest for the past 3 years, debated for 4 years on NE circuit, competed at NSDA Nationals
Feel free to send evidence/case chains to spethmansam@gmail.com
I prefer if second speaker rebuilds in their rebuttal, but if you have good coverage/ cross analysis/ rebuild in summary you won't be penalized.
Summary and final focus should mirror each other: be consistent in your story and impacts
I am not huge on card dumps and numbers being thrown around; if you want me to buy into your card/argument, I expect you to explain what the number or card means. Tell me why I should be voting for you based on your evidence (you need to do more than cite the name)
(!!!) IMPACT- some of the best rounds are lost because teams do not impact (weighing is equally as important, make the decision for me). At the end of the round I want to see clear voting points that have been pulled through consistently.
If you choose to run progressive arguments/theory-- please do so in a way that is accessible to all. I have limited experience with these ideas in debate but am totally willing to listen if everything is clearly explained and brought into the debate at an appropriate time. However, I am not keen on teams running theory as a tactic to confuse their opponents; I don't see it as making debate inclusive and accessible to all.
I am here to make sure everyone has a fun, safe and exciting experience with debate. Any hateful or blatantly racist, transphobic/homophobic, sexist, etc arguments will not be weighed in the round.
If you have any questions at all, just ask! I am open to helping anyone with their debate skills and ideas, no matter your success or failure. You can reach out any time, regardless if I have judged you or not :)
Good luck!
6 years of judging in PF and Congress
Overall Expectations:
Be respectful to your fellow competitors and judges. Debate is educational as well as competitive and the skills that you learn and develop within your event will serve you well later in life. I speak on this as a former debater.
Take pride in the work that you do. It can be very obvious when you are not as prepared. There is an element of debate that does require improvisation and being able to form arguments on the spot but the best arguments are still those that have an element of preparedness to it. Find that balance and I promise it will reflect well on your ballot.
Just like you, I am still learning how to be a good judge, so I ask for some patience, especially in events like PF and LD where I do not have nearly as much experience as I do with Congress.
Any kind of argument based on bigoted ideology will result in an instant loss of the round and I will be discussing it with you and your coach.
Congress:
Congress is probably the most unique of all of the debate events done at the NSDA level. The speed is much slower and you must be more tactical when you choose to speak. This does not make it any less debate and expect you to be paying attention to what your fellow competitors are doing in the session. I love clash and have no problem with you doing it from the beginning. Call each other out while staying as respectful as possible, we don't need this to descend into actual Congress.
Respect is paramount in Congress. While an individual event you should work together with your fellow representatives/senators to come up with strategies, set the docket, and pass legislation. This is a mock Congress and you should take into consideration the needs of the people you are supposed to be representing.
Questions are super important in debate and I consider it when making my decision. Quality is always more important than quantity. I'd rather that you be asking 1 or 2 good questions than 5 or 6 not-so-good ones.
PF:
The main element that is needed within PF is the ability to adapt. Not only to your opponent but to your judge as well. I am not a very technical judge. While keeping track of your flows your argument needs to make sense. You can't just argue that if the status quo changes it will lead to nuclear war. I need a sound argument of cause and effect. If the prompt proves to be true then it will lead to these side effects.
If your point is landing don't drag it along toward the end. Cut it out if you can't get past your opponent's refutation. The best debaters don't force through an argument but are flexible and creative enough to still get the point even when one of their points doesn't work.
During cross don't talk over one another. You are not proving a point you are just being rude. I will be paying attention during cross and will be using that to weigh into my decision. If you are talking I am listening. The first time I won't say anything but if it continues to become a problem I will say something and you don't want your team to lose a point because of it.
LD:
I am relatively new to judging LD so please bear with me.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at sky.stefanski14@gmail.com
Four years of Public Forum Debate in high school and three years of Lincoln Douglas at the University of Nebraska.
Not a fan of dumping, just tell me why you win please. Also make sure to signpost.
I use she/her/hers pronouns.
Debate Background: I did four years of PF debate at Lincoln North Star from 2016-2020 in the NE circuit, I also did a brief stint of LD and some Congress. I now assistant coach PF at Lincoln Southeast High School. This is my first year consistently judging.
Disclaimer: I won't tolerate any exclusionary or hateful rhetoric. Debate is a fun and educational experience, and should be a safe and accessible space for all students.
Debate Substance/Content: Whatever arguments you read, clearly show me how your impacts outweigh compared to your opponents. If all your args are warranted, have clear links, and are extended, that's how you'll win my ballot. I'll only weigh the topic substance that is in your case and rebuttal, so don't waste your time by bringing up a new argument halfway through the round. I don't flow extremely specific numbers/card names, just what it all means, so don't waste too much time doing this either. The better use of your time is focusing on the impact, rather than the actual numbers themselves.
***Substance Exceptions: I don't care much for disclosure/debate theory. I don't really think it has a place in PF so I wouldn't suggest running these arguments with me because I'm not going to weigh it. I won't consider disclosure theory unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm not all too familiar with progressive arguments so I wouldn't entirely suggest this either. If you run a progressive/LD-type argument, make them extremely clear.
Debate Etiquette: I can handle any speed, just make sure you enunciate. If you choose to spread though, keep in mind I can only write so fast. Clearly state your impact at the very end of your response so it's the last thing I hear/it secures its spot on my flow. I like simple off-time roadmaps, such as "aff, neg, impacts" etc. This is generally how I think the debate should go.
-Case
-Rebuttal: All your responses/blocks and rebuilding your case if time. Basically, new stuff then old stuff.
-Summary: Extending all your new and old args/impacts of the round and why you outweigh.
-Final Focus: REALLY telling me why you outweigh, with the same args/impacts from summary.
***I don't care for any rudeness, sarcasm, or dominating time during cross. I think it's really distasteful and I'll dock you speaking points. Please have your stuff organized, I get a bit annoyed when anyone takes longer than usual to find a card to exchange during prep.
RFDs: I typically only include a brief RFD when I submit my ballot, but I try my best to give extensive feedback by the end of the tournament. I'm always open to questions at the end of the round if you'd like more explanation on anything.
Good luck and have fun!