hi! I'm Mercuri (she/they). I'm a debater in DANEIS and CDA and I attend Loomis. I have debated for 4+ years and judged for 3+ years. I'm a prospective English and history major, so I value a lot of historical accuracy and flow.

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Here are things I look for when judging a round:

I. speech

be confident! debate is a safe space. if you cannot speak confidently to me, you will not be able to speak confidently to your opponents. I will not judge you if you stammer, but I will if you won't look me in the eye.

II. flow

good signposting and clearly structured arguments are key for me as both a debater and a judge. I need to know what point you're on at all times and why so I can take notes and give you feedback as your arguments develop.

III. argumentation

quality of the argument is the crux of any debate. I need to know not just your claims and your evidence, but theimpact of an argument—why does this matter and why should I care? the better a speaker is the more credence we give to their arguments, yes, but without any good foundation, even the Parthenon can end up as a pile of rubble.

what I can bring you as a judge

I. laptop charger

II. detailed notes and feedback

III. candy/a warm space for you to learn

excited to see you all in debate! if you have any questions, reach out to me at mercuri_lam@loomis.org