I am the Director of Interp and Oratory/Assistant Director of Forensics at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. I did speech in high school in Texas, and I am also a thespian -- I have a BFA in acting and I was a theatre director prior to specializing in Speech and Debate.

Conflicts: Seven Lakes (TX), Wimberley (TX)

First and foremost, I am a theatre person and a speech coach by training and by trade.

Congress

Don't speed through your speeches, speed matters to me. Style matters to me as well, I am looking for structured arguments with clean rhetoric that comes in a polished package. Introduce new arguments. In questioning, I look for fully answering questions while also furthering your argument. I notice posture and gestures -- and they do matter to me. Evidence should be relevant and (for the most part) recent. Evidence is pretty important to me, and outweighs clean delivery if used properly. A clean analysis will rank you up on my ballot as well. Don't yell at each other. Overall, be respectful of one another. If I don't see respect for your fellow competitors, it can be reflected on my ballot. Don't rehash arguments. An extra speech with something I have already heard that round is likely to bump you down when I go to rank. As far as PO's go, I typically start them at 4 or 5, and they will go up or down depending on how clean the round runs. A clean PO in a room full of really good speakers will likely be ranked lower on my ballot. As far as delivery goes...as it says above, I am a speech coach. Your volume, rate, diction, etc are important. Make sure you are staying engaged and talking to the chamber, not at the chamber -- I want to be able to tell that you care about what you are speaking on.

Interp:

I am looking for honest connection to character and to text. Blocking should be motivated by the text and make sense for the character. I look for using vocal variety to add to the text and really paint a picture. I want you to really connect and tell the story. I also look for an overall arc of the story, clear beat changes, and clear emotion. I also look for clean diction and an appropriate rate of speech. Additionally, environment should be clear and blocking should be clean. In single events, I want to see the connection to your “other” (who are you sharing this with in the context of the story). In partner events, I want to see you really connect to each other. If you play more than one character, I am looking for clear and clean differences between the characters. Overall, tell your story. Connect to character, and share that with the audience.

Public Speaking:

Delivery is very important to me. Be careful of overusing gestures, make sure they have a purpose and enhance what you say. I want to see you connected to sharing your speech, not simply reciting something you memorized. While I do tend to notice style before content, it is important that your content is accurate and adequately supported. The content of the speech and the way it flows is important. I also look at diction and rate of delivery. In info, I do like fun interactive visuals—but they need to enhance your speech, not be there just to fill space. Overall, I want you to be excited about your speech and to have fun delivering it.

PF:

• I try to flow, but please make sure you reiterate important points as they become useful to your argument.

• Speed is okay, as long as I can understand you.

• Articulation matters to me. I would rather you speak a little slower and not get caught up in what you are saying.

• I really look for you to answer each other’s attacks on cases, not just repeat what you have already told me if it doesn't address the opposing case.

• Giving me a clear road map and sticking to it always helps.

• If a team is misrepresenting evidence, make it clear to me and tell me how they are doing so.

• Overall, I want you to tell me why you are right AND why they are wrong. Make sure you are backing up your claims with evidence and statistics.

Background: Coach/Sponsor of Cinco Ranch HS (Katy ISD in Texas). 2nd year as Coach/Sponsor, 9th year as an educator. Did not participate in Speech & Debate in school. Honors/AP level English teacher, so assume that I know how to structure an argument and can follow your rationales.

IE Paradigm

Your event should dictate how you're approaching it: be funny for Humorous, weepy for Dramatic, emotive for Poetry/Prose, factual for Extemp, informative for... Informative. Just make sure you stay within the rules of your event (eye/physical contact, movement, etc.).

PF/LD Paradigm

- My students say that I am more of a Trad judge than Prog. Take that for what you will.

- Please keep the spread to a minimum. Even though I'm a coach, please treat me like I am a lay judge when it comes to speed. Don't spread like peanut butter and jelly.

- I do not know about theories/kritiks nor do I wish to. Personally I find that their usage takes away from the actual debating itself. Please save these tactics for a Tech judge that understands them. They will go totally over my head.

- Impacts matter more than just stating facts. Link the effect of your information instead of giving me a bunch of data and statistics without context.

- Don't get lost in arguing over the definition of a specific word vs debating over the topic as a whole. Remember that you should have prepped cases on a topic, not on the wording of it.

- I do not need to be included on any email chain. That's for you and your teams to set up before we start the round. Please don't take up time in the round to set it up. Rounds are long enough as it is.

- Keep discussions focused on the topic. Deviation from the stated resolution will hurt your side, as will irrelevant arguments and thoughts. I will be flowing your case as you talk.

- Be civil and respectful of each other. Articulate thoughts and counterpoints without making it personal. Don't just browbeat each other for the sake of your argument. Let opponents actually finish a point or thought before responding.

- Bullying your opponents will not yield positive results on the ballot. I will not hesitate to stop you mid-round to address any potential instances of disrespect or negativity, dock your speaker points, and address egregious incidents with your coaches later. Your coaches would do the same for you (I hope).

- While not necessary, do your best to reiterate your team's position at the end of your time (aff/neg, pro/con). Nothing more embarrassing than laying out a brilliant argument for your own side... and then telling me to vote for your opponent.

- Novices, feel free to ask me what you can do to improve as a competitor after the round is over. I'll do my best to teach you something.

I am a lay judge. Please speak in a moderate speed and be respectful of each other. I would prefer a roadmap to know what I should expect. I am not a tech judge.

I am a lay judge, I will take notes on the round but I will only flow what I can hear and understand so please slow down. I encourage clear articulation and arguments.

Hi! im Alia and I debate for Bellaire (my events: Congress, foreign extemp)

lay in all events other than congress and extemp:)

Congress:

Speech

• dont be monotone, variation is important
• engaging intro
• signposting is my preference but if u dont do it, its not a biggie
• i like humor, but if ur not funny dont try to be funny
• plz dont speak too fast, ill bump you down
• Clash is super important, this is congressional debate not congressional speaking
• don't just tell me "Rep X is wrong" that's not clash, tell me their claim, why its wrong, and importance of it
• weighing: tell me why I should vote on your side and what the other side is lacking
• please please do not rehash
• if you negate a bill - do NOT do a counterplan arg, that defeats the whole purpose of the debate

Questioning

• point out rep X's flaws and be clear. youre asking the questions and you only have 30 seconds, make the most of it!
• if you scream during cx you will be downed, youre supposed to be members of congress and i value my eardrums :)
• dont talk over each other, you accomplish literally nothing

PO:

• i will judge you harsher than than those actually debating (tbh, i think its unfair for a po to get ranked a 1 when they pretty much keep time and update a spreadsheet, i will rank debaters higher)
• minimal to no mistakes
• if you run the chamber efficiently and quickly, you will almost always rank well enough to break for me

Extemp:

• Speak clearly, not too fast, voice modulation
• publication AND date when citing sources
• please wrap up once u hit 7 min (dont go past 10 seconds of grace)
• allot an appropriate amount of time for each point (I don't want a 3 min arg & the others 45 seconds)
• ****signpost!!
• engaging intro
• ensure you are actually answering the question
• restate the question in both the intro and conclusion

PF:

• DO NOT SPREAD (If I can't understand you, you will lose the round)
• No Ks or theory please--I'll down
• I flow basic notes but make sure to signpost otherwise I'll get lost
• Don't scream during cross examination, I'll bump you down, take turns asking questions and be respectful
• Explain links and how they connect to impacts, extend points instead of just repeating them over and over
• Impact weighing and votes (esp in FF) is important
• ill give a 10 second grace but wont flow anything over that
• base 27 spks

LD:

• DON'T SPREAD (If I can't understand you, you will lose the round)
• ill give a 10 second grace period, anything over that I won't flow
• no K's or theory --> I'll down
• Be respectful in cx please
• base 27 spks

Have fun, do your best, and good luck!!

Hi I’m Sakshee!

Note: I've been off the circuit for quite some time so be mindful.

Mayde Creek ‘24

- Please keep the spread to a minimum. Treat the speed like a lay judge.

- I do not know about theories & kritiks.

-I flow basic notes but make sure to signpost otherwise I'll get lost

- Impacts matter more than just stating facts. Please extend during the debate rather than repeating.

- Keep discussions focused on the topic.

- While not necessary, do your best to reiterate your team's position at the end of your time (aff/neg, pro/con).

Good luck!

put the public back in public forum

ask me in round

Hi everyone! My name is Sydney and I am currently a debater at Bellaire HS.

This is my third year doing Congress, and I am also in Domestic Extemp.

Congress:

Speaking

• Voice modulation and variation is important, don't be monotone
• Speak clearly, not too fast (If I can't understand you, I will dock you)
• Clash is important, this is congressional debate not congressional speaking
• When it comes to weighing, tell me why I should vote on your side and what the other side is lacking
• Please try not to go past 3 minutes

Questioning

• Please don't scream at each other during questioning, remember to be respectful
• DO NOT INTERRUPT EACH OTHER DURING QUESTIONING, you don't accomplish anything by talking over one another
• Don't just say a question for the sake of saying a question, quality questioning please
• When your question time elapses, please stop talking

Extemp:

• When you enter the room, please tell me what time signals you prefer
• Speak clearly, not too fast, voice modulation
• When you hit 7 minutes, please wrap up (I will dock you if you go more than 5 seconds beyond 7 minutes, WRAP IT UP)

PF:

• DO NOT SPREAD (If I can't understand you, you will lose the round)
• No Ks or theory please--I'll down
• I flow basic notes but make sure to signpost otherwise I'll get lost
• Don't scream during cross examination, I'll bump you down, take turns asking questions and be respectful
• Explain your links and how they connect to impacts, extend your points instead of just repeating them over and over
• I'll be timing speeches so try your best to stay in the times (I'll give a 10-second grace period, anything over that I won't flow)
• Impact weighing and votes (esp in FF) is important

LD:

• PLEASE DON'T SPREAD
• Have some vocal variety
• Try not to go over your speech time
• When the time is up for cross-examination, please STOP
• Regardless of whether or not you time your speeches and cx, I also keep time.
• Please let me know if you are not timing yourself so I can verbally stop you if you go over.
• I do flow your arguments, just keep that in mind.
• Be respectful in cx please

All other events:I'm lay:)

Have fun, do your best, and best of luck!!

Experience:

I primarily competed in Impromptu speaking and Humorous Interpretation at Ridge Point High School. I made it to TFA state twice in my Junior and Senior year.

Impromptu:

It is important to have a structure to your speech, regardless of whether the topic is humorous or serious in nature. Blocking is also very important, as movement can add weight to each talking point but it needs to be purposeful otherwise it's unnecessary. Talk with confidence even if you are nervous and emphasize an important point.

HI:
Humor is subjective. Relax and let your piece speak for itself. Move (A LOT), have voices, be creative, and most importantly don't run out of breath (I did a lot).

Other Events:
DI:

Put weight into EVERYTHING you do and make your movements matter.

Prose/Poetry:
Look up and use your emotions to your advantage, keep the binder at hand, and only use it not only to look at but to emote as well

Lincoln-Douglas Debate/Policy Debate/ Other Debate: Don't talk too fast, if I can't understand what you are saying I won't be able to judge you on it.

4th year in debate (congress), im lay with all events except congress

Congress:

• vocal variety, not too fast
• CLASH (don't just tell me "rep x is wrong", tell me what their claim was, why they're wrong, and why that's important)
• quality question (the whole point is to hurt your opponen's case), don't talk over one another

LD and PF:

• DO NOT SPREAD (I'll down)
• No K's or theory --> I'll down
• I'll give you a 10 second grace for speeches, anything over that I won't flow
• respectful during cx, take turns asking questions

Speech Events:

• stay in the time (10 second grace, won't flow anything over)

Parent Judge

Hey everyone! I am a parent judge who has been judging for over a year now, I judge both speech and debate. You should treat me like an average lay judge.

Debate preferences-

• PLEASE NO SPREADING
• I like clash and calling out
• Please be respectful to each other
• Humor is good if purposefully used
• READ THIS EARLY ON- DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT MY PARADIGM IN ROUND

Speech preferences-

• I care about both presentation and content
• I will be checking sources- do not lie
• Please make sure your voice can be heard

Debate is supposed to be a friendly and respectful place. No disrespect will be tolerated.

Hi! I'm Abhinav Tiruveedhula, CS + Polymath Honors @ UT. I competed primarily in Congress at Tompkins High School where I qualified for TFA State twice and NSDA nats once. This paradigm isn't all-inclusive; feel free to ask about any specifics before round starts.

email - ranjaniabhinav@gmail.com

General Stuff - Scroll for event-specific preferences.

• Speak at a speed where the other competitors and I can hear you. I will try my best to keep flowing but I may miss stuff if you go too fast.
• Fake/misappropriated evidence will result in an immediate L/6/last if it's caught and proven. I know from my time that this is sometimes a big issue and don't want it in the round.
• This should go without saying but please be good people. Rudeness, ignorance, homophobia, sexism, racism, etc. will negatively affect your ballot.

Congress Paradigm (Updated through TFA State '24)

• Author/sponsor should explain the bill and set a good foundation for the rest of the round.
• CLASH. Anyone other than the 1st aff should be spending significant time refuting the other side's specific arguments.
• Speeches towards the end of the bill's debate should crystal and weigh the various arguments made during round instead of bringing up new arguments.
• I highly dislike a one-sided debate if no new information is being brought up. If you have a speech thats the 2nd or 3rd in a row on the same side, consider making it a crystal, flipping to the other side, or just speaking on the next item.
• On a similar note, don't rehash the same arguments over and over. If the same arguments are being brought up over and over, move to previous question and go on to another item.
• Don't just read off your pad. Speak somewhat extemporaneously. Looking at the chamber, hand motions, vocal inflection, etc are all expected in every speech.
• Questions: Ask good questions; don't ask just for the sake of getting questions in. In addition, ask concise questions; aka, not spending half the questioning block phrasing the question in a certain way. While asking questions to a speaker on the same side isn't necessarily bad, avoid it unless it is extremely critical or brings something very important up.
• Be an active member of the chamber, whether with motions or just taking a leadership role in the chamber. At the same time, don't overdo it with excessive motions just to show off your knowledge.
• If time prevents you from giving as many speeches as others, I'll take that into account when doing ranks. Not having both sides prepped isn't a valid excuse for not speaking on an item ESPECIALLY with a preset docket.
• POing: I used to PO all the time when I competed, so I'm pretty familiar with it. I appreciate a PO who is willing to do it when no one else wants to and will take that into account when ranking. The thing I value most for POs is getting through as many speeches as possible with no big mistakes. Small mistakes may not harm you much but big ones (i.e. multiple precedence mistakes, round being run very slow, etc.) will push you down on the ballot. A good PO is one who can get through 11+ speeches an hour with little-to-no mistakes.

IE Paradigm (Updated through TFA State '24)

• All events - I'm fine if you want to time yourself. Otherwise, I'll give you 3 down, fist at grace unless otherwise asked. Style is also important to me. Fluency, hand signals, eye contact, etc should all be present throughout the speech.
• Extemp - I like extemps that are structured well, clear intro, 3 points, and conclusion. An AGD isn't completely necessary to me; I would rather you get right into your speech than use a canned AGD. The 3 points should be relatively unique and contain a roughly similar amount of sources and content. Make sure that your analysis ties into the answer to your question. Sources should have publication/author along with the date (month and year at the minimum). The conclusion should effectively wrap up the speech by summarizing your key points and the answer to your question.
• OO/INFO - Since this is one of the only events where your whole performance is memorized, fluency should be great. Original topics are appreciated and may make you stand out in a room of great speakers. The speech should persuade/inform me throughly, using evidence/anecdotes sprinkled throughout. I will rank based on a mix of originality, content, and presentation/style.
• Interp - I never competed in interp, but have judged a bit of it this year. I like pieces that have clear characters and good acting. If I'm your judge for an interp event, I'll rank mostly based on overall enjoyment and originality.

Debate Paradigm (Updated through Mayde Creek '24)

• Try to go at a speed where everyone can understand. I can only flow what I hear. If you insist on spreading, send the speech doc.
• If you decide to run any kind of theory, make sure to explain it very very well. In addition, links should be very strong if the end argument is extinction.
• I never did LD/PF/CX at a high level, so don't expect me to understand every trick, K, specific jargon.
• Keep track of your own time.
• Tech > Truth most of the time.
• Don't cut cards in a way where the author's words are being misrepresented. If this comes to light, you are very likely to get an automatic L.
• Treat me like I know the basics of the topic but don't assume I know everything about it.

Note: I've been off the circuit for quite some time so be mindful. Not familiar with current topic literature.

Flay <------------------*Me*------------------------------------------->Ultra Elite Tech Judge

*I'm somewhere in between Flay and Tech prob

General

E-mail chain: minhhyt@gmail.com

With that being said I am most comfortable with trad/stock/policy arguments.

DA’s - not much to say here other than case-specific stuff is always great.

CP: CP needs to be very clear and obvious, for example, net benefits need to be explicitly extended, explained, and repeated.

Theory: go slow, make sure to clearly articulate why I should vote off of any theory arguments. Winning all parts is needed. If the abuse is not really clear and you're doing something sketchy, I'll be annoyed. I have very limited experience with Theory so if you don’t dumb it down to ELI5 levels i’ll be lost :( Run at your own risk (of me not understanding). On a personal level, I actually do enjoy evaluating theory arguments and want to get better at judging them but alas, my experience is limited. I'm open to arguments about how the way we debate impacts the activity.

K- Not familiar with K literature so take time to explain. If you talk in a bunch of jargon that I don’t understand I will not evaluate it. Run at your own risk. GO SLOW. If you don’t go slow, and I mean slower than you think slow means, I will inevitably vote “wrong” cause I’ll be lost.

If you are still absolutely keen on engaging in a prog debate despite the caution, I will of course still consider evaluating the arguments given. However, please do the following and don't be annoyed if I give a, in your opinion, "wrong" RFD. If that worries you, please strike me.

1. You MUST make sequencing arguments and emphasize them (ie. opponent conceded RoB so evaluate X argument first, theory comes prior to K because X, fairness is important so let me weigh case or else entire AC is mooted). If this is 1 point in a list of 15, that's not what I mean. Specifically, call out the argument. I need to know the "hierarchy" of which level of the debate I should be evaluating first.

2. Absolutely go slow. You don't need to slow down to a conversational level, but please slow down significantly. If you read off a file with 15 different points in 20 seconds, I'm not going to absorb anything. I will not absorb file dumps, you must pick and choose which arguments to prioritize and slow down. Especially slow down when you are collapsing to round-winning points.

3. Do not go in with the assumption that you can blitz through a pre-prepared shell or file and that I will automatically understand everything. You have to dumb things down for me. This is especially true for dense K literature or complex theory args. What do I mean by this? Use more everyday language and if throughout your entire speech, you never look up and try to explain things to me from the top of your head, you're probably doing things wrong and I will absorb nothing. If you choose to blitz through a file dump, at the very very least summarize at the end and highlight your best points.

4. If any of this confuses you just clarify before round.

____________________

Other notes:

Speed is fine but as always, slow down when appropriate such as during tags, theory, analytics. Especially take time if what you’re saying is crucial to winning the round. If you’re going to rapid-fire through analytics pls include it in the speech doc because I’m a poor typer.

Assuming the debate doesn't devolve into condo good/bad, you cannot kick out of an argument by simply saying the magic words "kick" and then it disappears. This is mostly true if your opponent has read a turn that generates offense for them. Be specific about your kick. For example, if your opponent reads multiple turns and includes terminal defense, then concede the terminal defense as a way to kick out of the arg to avoid evaluating any of the turns as offense for your opponent. Of course, different situations require different kicking strats but you should get my point. At the very least you can just argue that your cleaner pieces of offense outweigh any of the turns from your kicked argument. TLDR answer any offense.

Impacts should definitely be framed so I want comparison and impact calc. I need to know how timeframe, probability, and magnitude all compare w/each other.

Overall, I really like case debates but that doesn’t mean I won’t evaluate other stuff.

Again, because of my limited experience evaluating progressive args, don't assume I'm at all familiar with any K literature, common Theory args, etc...

Open CX is okay with me.

Tech > Truth most of the time

No Tricks

ON prep time, flashing/email chain doesn’t count as prep but don’t make it ridiculously long.

PF Specific Notes

I don't have experience with super progressive arguments so run them at your own risk. I will always prefer traditional arguments. If you do decide to engage in K debates etc..., refer to my points in the general section. I am capable but not the best at judging more common theory arguments (ie. disclosure), evidence violations, and problematic author indicts, and am terrible at judging non-T Ks, High Theory, tricks, among others.

Make sure to properly weigh. If you just say, I am winning on timeframe, magnitude, scope, etc... without actually explaining anything, that is not weighing and I will be annoyed. Also meta-weigh when necessary. If both teams claim that they're winning on time-frame and don't do anything further to breakout of the gridlock it's a wash. Make sure to collapse when necessary. Smart collapsing will win you the round.

For final focus please provide clear voters and weigh your impacts. Whatever you bring up during final focus should have been extended cleanly throughout the round. The more you outline for me why you are winning, the easier it is for me to vote for you. Judge instruction is critical in this speech.I will be hesitant to vote for any 1-liner arguments that are dropped on the flow unless you spend the time to properly contextualize and implicate why that argument matters for the ballot.

Open CX/ Flex Prep is fine.

If you don't signpost properly I can't flow your argument and thus I can't vote on it.

IE

All aspects of the performance should have a purpose, whether that be body movement or the use of various rhetorical devices. In the same way, just as things can be underdone so too can things be overdone. For me, I prefer if speeches do not feel over-performative or dramatized. Though this may change depending on the event, I generally like to see more natural gestures. In all, I really want to be drawn in as a part of the audience rather than spoken at. Your speech should be able to immerse me into the topic. Part of doing that is making sure to have a clear organization (distinct points, thesis statement) and always staying on topic. As a side note, my biggest pet peeve is if you talk in a completely monotone voice for the entire presentation, so be mindful of that.

I believe that speech & debate offers an invaluable experience for students in that it provides a platform and an audience. Your voice matters, and I am honored to be but a small part in the process where you speak your truth.

I competed in LD, Extemp, Poetry & Impromptu throughout most of high school. I had a very brief relationship with Policy that left a bad taste in my mouth, and I think I tried every speech/interp event that existed at the time. I judged debate tournaments in college, began coaching a debate club about 9 years ago, and started teaching a speech & debate class two years ago. I truly believe it is THE class that most prepared me for my career in business because it improved my analysis, helped me create ideas, and gave me confidence in communication - both written and verbal.

Now for the paradigms you seek...

DEBATERS: debate is first and foremost a speaking event. I expect you to stand when you speak, make eye contact with your judge and not speak so quickly that you spit on your laptop. I also expect for you to provide evidence AND analysis for your arguments. Please do not expect me to provide the link in your justification. I am a relatively traditional flow judge- if it's not on my flow at the end of the round, then you didn't carry it over, and I don't intend to vote for dropped arguments. I also do not flow CX- if you bring up a really great question during that time, I expect that you will then mention it in your next rebuttal speech.

Specifically, I'm comfortable with LD, PF, WSD and slower/well-posted Policy rounds. If you're reading this paradigm right before you walk into a Congress round with me, let's hope I'm on a panel. :) I don't mind Kritiks or theories, but I do not like abusive arguments. If there is really NO WAY for your opponent to outsmart that idea, then it is abusive and has no place in a high school debate round. I don't have to believe your argument to buy it in the round, but you do have to sell it. If you want to put me in a box, I'm probably a Stock Issues judge with a dash of Policymaker and on some topics a bit of Tabula Rasa thrown in. But feel free to not put me in a box.

I really appreciate signposting so I know where you are in rebuttals, but I absolutely DO NOT need an off-the-clock roadmap where you just say aff/neg or neg/aff/voters. There are no times during a debate round where I am listening to you when your time is not running. Oh, and to be clear, your time starts when I press the button, which is likely to be on your first word. I do not need for you to tell me when your time starts. If you trust me to judge the outcome of the round, please trust me to press the button on my phone clock appropriately.

SPEAKERS: in speech events, I expect you to come across as the expert on the topic at hand, whether it's an Info or OO you've researched for 6 months or an Extemp topic you drew 30 minutes ago. I expect all of these to have strong research, well cited sources and solid analysis on your topics. Remember that you are conveying a message to the audience that you care about and we want to listen to. Enjoy your time in the speech!

INTERPERS: I know how difficult it is to continue performing the exact same piece over and over again for months- it's hard to keep it fresh. Think of it as a juicy piece of gossip (the good kind- don't spread bad vibes!) that you just can't wait to share. Then it stays fresher each time you say it because now you're excited to share it with THIS audience.

Who knew I had so much to say about judging in the speech and debate world? If you're still reading my paradigm, my sincere prayer is that you are enjoying this journey and wherever you are in it right now. Oh, and hurry up and get to your round! :)