Polished presentations include clearly articulated or annunciated language, points, and, when applicable, accessible evidence for review. I appreciate intentional movement that has a purpose for impacting information delivery. Thank you for all your dedication and effort! It is an honor for me to be a small part of your professional track, and I wish you all the best!

Hey, I'm Maryam!

Here's some info for all you novice competitors:

-LIMITED PREP: I'll look favorably upon competitors who use up all their time, even if you aren't completely sure about what you're saying. Remember: Confidence/Delivery is KEY!

-OTHER SPEECH EVENTS: Make sure you make your theme/message clear. Why should I care about the topic you chose to perform?

-Please let me know if you would like specific time signals before you begin! Don't stress, you got this ;)

Mere Morrison, junior at Montgomery Academy

Paradigm tbd (if I ever judge debate).

Goo!

Hi! I'm Irene, and this is my second year of Speech and Debate. I specialize in Oratory events and will be judging speech.

My email is 51387@stu.mps-al.org. If you have any questions or requests for feedback regarding previous tournaments, please feel free to email.

Novice

* The most important thing is the point of your speech: why should I care? By the end of your presentation, I should know what you talked about and why it matters. Be passionate! Also, novice tournaments are here for you to step into the kiddy pool of speech and debate competitions. Take this chance to put yourself out there, and be confident in your delivery.

* (OO/INFO) After your message and delivery, I prioritize memorization. It shows me that you put in the effort to prepare sufficiently for competition, and while it's not everything, it will play a factor in how I rank.

* (Limited Prep) Unless your speech is extremely short, I don't mind the specific amount of time you use to prep. Try to use all of your time, and I'll be looking for cohesiveness. Your speech loses weight if you finish by trailing off... Do your best to be coherent and complete!

More Notes

* Let me know if you need time signals, and I will be happy to provide.

* Please be respectful to your fellow competitors. This includes not making (lots of) noise and moving frequently while someone else is talking. Good sportsmanship is an expectation.

* Also, I find nervous movements (shuffling, swaying, excessive and unnecessary hand motions) very distracting! I completely understand how anxiety-inducing competitions can be, but appearing confident (even if it's just a bluff) adds so much to your presentation.

Get out there, and act like you're going to tell me about the most important thing known to man. Every one of you is more than capable. More than anything, enjoy yourself! :)

Hi! My name is Prachi Patel, and I am a junior at LAMP High School. I have competed in PF debate for about a year now.

My email is prachipatel3170@gmail.comif you want to share your speech docs with me.

As this is a novice tournament, I expect traditional rounds with substantive arguments. Please speak at an understandable pace and NO SPREADING!

Do not assume I know everything about this topic and fully flesh out your arguments.

I will not flow cross so anything important should be extended into your speeches.

I will most likely make my decision based on impact weighing and expect it to be in every speech summary-onwards (if not second rebuttal).

Try to give an off-time map and signpost as this will help make my life easier and help me stay organized. IF I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I CAN'T VOTE FOR YOU!

While I will time you, please keep time for yourselves as well and try to talk for the entirety of the length of the speech.

Most importantly, be respectful to everyone in the round. No homophobia, sexism, racism, etc., or personal criticism of your opponent--that will be an automatic drop.

I will give speaks based on speaking quality (tone, intonation, and clarity) and your overall presence in the round.

Remember that this is a learning experience for everyone, so do your best and have fun!!

Hello!

My name is Nikhil Pochana. I'm a junior at LAMP High School. I've done speech and debate for almost 2 years. I've competed regularly in different events across the speech and debate spectrum, including LD.

My email is npochana0417@gmail.com if you want to share your speech docs with me.

Ria Shah Novice Tournament:

This is a novice tournament. As such, I automatically prefer traditional rounds. This means focus on framework and the substantive arguments of the round. I don't really want to see any complex progressive or policy args; please be mindful of the purpose of the tournament and of the experience levels of your opponent. Above anything, the round should serve as a learning opportunity for everyone. Do your part to keep it that way.

A few things to note:

1) Please watch your speed. Personally, I'm fine with spreading as long as I have a speech doc. But you're competing in a novice tournament, so remember that. Speak at a normally understandable pace.

2) I like framework. I don't care if that makes me weird. I like it. So debate it. Explain why I should vote on your fw and why I shouldn't vote on your opponent's. Make sure that you tie your impacts to the fw as you weigh.

3) Weighing is particularly important in traditional rounds--it's how I determine who won the round. Please weigh!!!!!!!!!!!

4) The 2nd half of the round (end of 1ar forward) is where the round is won. Use it wisely. Start focusing on key points of clash and explain why I should vote your side on that issue over your opponent.

5) Use your final speech to give voters. The 2nr/2ar should be a prewritten RFD--it needs to explicitly explain why you won.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prefs:

tech > truth

Extend it if you want me to evaluate it

Please do not assume that I know everything about the topic--explain and flush out your arguments.

I do not flow cx, so extend whatever was said in your speeches if you want me to flow it

Give an off-time roadmap and ask if everyone is ready before beginning your speech.

Signpost. If I don't understand it, I can't flow it. So tell me where you are in your speech (Ex.: On contention 1, they said....)

Just b/c the arg is conceded doesn't necessarily mean I'll vote on it/it'll give you offense. You need to explain the implications the concession has on your position--explain why it benefits you and what it means for the round.

Above all, be respectful of everyone in the round. No homophobia, sexism, racism, etc., or personal criticism of your opponent--that will be an automatic drop.

Speaks will be given based on speaking quality (tone, intonation, clarity) and your overall presence in the round.

Remember, this tournament is a learning experience for everyone. Do your best and have fun!

The best way to my ballot is to weigh. Weighing is inherently comparative, warrant your weighing and compare links/impacts to your opponents'. If both teams have offense left by the end of the round, I need to know why yours matters more. This is also true with weighing mechanisms themselves (I appreciate meta-weighing). The earlier you start weighing, the better.

Run whatever you want. Theory should be used to check abuses. I won't auto-drop the K, but I wouldn't call myself the most qualified in K-debate. I don't see this a whole lot in PF, so the more progressive your debate becomes, the more you need to explain it to me.

Any speed is good, just be clear.

Please don't give me a soliloquy for your "off-time roadmap." Just tell me which side of the flow you're starting on.

Signpost in every speech following the constructive. If I look lost, I probably am.

I don’t pay attention to cross. If something important happens, then bring it up in your next speech.

For the love of god, give me warrants and extend the warranting throughout the round. Literally everything needs warranting (case, responses, weighing, framing, evidence weighing, theory, etc.). I do not understand why more teams do not spend more time at the warrant-level.

Evidence clash is good. Tell me why your evidence is better/more important.

Collapse. The. Flow.

If you don't frontline, it will be incredibly hard to win my ballot. Not impossible, just very difficult.

If you want it in the final focus, it needs to be in the summary. This is true for extensions, weighing, framing, etc. If you drop it, you will be hard pressed to find me evaluating it by the end of the round.

I vote neg on presumption.

If we are on a virtual platform, please don’t spread. Some speed is okay, but I really value clarity when online.

Add me to the email chain: crhoades2002@gmail.com

Hello all! I am a second year competitor for The Montgomery Academy. In my first year I did mostly limited preparation events.

Format and structure are very important to me in individual events. This is not to say you can not use an alternate structure, but there should be a clear structure. I also want to believe you are interested in the topic(s) you're speaking about, even if you aren't.

And finally, break a leg, and don't worry. Even if this is not your forever event, the novice tournament is a lot of fun and a great experience to have going forward in speech and debate

Heyy!! I did pf for about two years but I switched to speech and have been doing it for a year. Last year, I won Alabama State in Original Oratory and broke in Poetry at Nationals. Speech is supposed to be fun, so try don't stress out about it too much (I know it's easier said than done :)). Good luck, you're going to kill it!!