Educating and keeping the round safe are what matter most to me. My vote goes to the team with the shortest mitigated chain of links into the best weighed impact. Read anything on Tab, but be prepared to justify why you're winning that argument and ultimately why it matters in the greater context of the round.

The debaters also need to be more firm and persuasive when they deliver their arguments.

I am looking to see your ability to clearly articulate your points, use positive body language, a strong voice, and eye contact. Speakers should work to persuade/inform with confidence. Convince with facts and persuade with information and genuine, clear arguments.

I am a drama teacher who has a love for the speech and debate realm.

I am new to judging, but I am not new to understanding the complexities of speech and debate tournaments. Here is what I am looking for with each type of competition:

For Debate, I am looking for solid reasoning and proof of contentions given. Speak clearly and make a sound argument. If you are yelling you will lose me and the evidence you are presenting in any given round. Emotional arguments will not move me as much as empirical evidence and preparation.

For speech, speak to the drama director in me. I want clear solid characters, engaging stories, and a presentation that you know your audience and your story well.

Overall, do not be rude. I can deal with assertive, but screaming, belittling opponents, eye rolling, head shaking and showing general contempt is not acceptable. Give the respect you want when you are in the same performance and debate.

I'm a first-time judge but excited to be here!
I will be looking for well-researched and well-supported arguments. Make sure to back up your claims with evidence and sound reasoning.
Please show respect to your fellow competitors, and maintain a positive and sportsmanlike attitude throughout the time.
I encourage questions after your speeches or debates. Be ready to respond to questions and engage in a constructive discussion.
Remember, it's not just about winning; it's about learning and respecting your competitors.

Hello!

I value clear communication, soundly researched arguments, and a strong sense of professionalism amongst participants. A strong team, for me, will be one that balances advanced public speaking skills with building their arguments. I have a low tolerance for teams to make personal attacks against their opponents during their debates.

I am excited to hear what you have to share, today. The most proficient speakers have a good and original use of rhetoric, appropriate pacing, and grounded explanations.

I have never judged before but I value communication, beautiful structure, and provoking tone.

Greetings, participants, I'm Nicolas Fish, and I'm not only a passionate educator but also an advocate for clever and innovative ideas. I have a strong belief in the importance of caring about people's well being and their positive integration into society.

My role as a judge is to provide an objective evaluation of your arguments. I will be impartial and consider the quality of your content, the relevance of your ideas to the topic, and how effectively you communicate your thoughts. I will not let personal biases influence my judgment.

I expect all participants to engage respectfully and constructively with one another. In this round, I encourage you to not only present your ideas but also consider their potential impact on individuals' happiness and well-being within society. Additionally, I welcome creative and innovative approaches to the topic.

About me:

I am a 6th grade English teacher so I have lots of experience hearing students express their opinions.

Basics:

Avoid speaking too quickly and focus on clearly expressing your argument.

I value communication and clear explanations and evidence.

Argument preference:

I will vote for an argument that is explained well and warranted.

I like when an argument is entertaining as well as persuasive.

This is my first time judging a debate. I value clear explanations and respectful debating.

When it comes to debate, I look for well prepared students who speak clearly and use things like varied volume, changes in pace, pausing for emphasis, and use of rhetorical strategies in their speaking as markers of good debaters. I do not like speed-talking (spreading). Please do not do that.

A good debater is someone who shows that they have listened to the other team while they have spoken and responds to what's being said in a way that shows knowledge of the topic and the ability to use logic and reason to adapt their own argument.

Good luck to all of you! Win or lose, participating in speech and debate teaches you skills that will benefit you greatly!

Please be loud and clear when speaking. Use hand gestures and intonation to keep me engaged. I want to be able to feel your passion, but your emotions should not seem forced. It should come out naturally. The speaker should be confident and well-prepared. Proper use of ethos, logos, and pathos is key. Make sure your contentions are clearly outlined. Make sure your rebuttals clearly address the contentions of your opponent. Make sure to be aggressive but respectful during the crossfires.

For speech I am looking for good flow from start to finish. That your speech follows a logical structure that supports the topic you are speaking on. Clear articulation, pace of voice, and use of body language to support your speech goes a long way. For interp I am looking at how you bring your characters to life and we've it into your speech.

For debates I value clear communication and delivery of arguments. I am looking for logical arguments and rebuttals with reasonably paced speaking and clear evidence. Focus on your argument and maintain good sportsmanship throughout the rounds. Having judged debate in the past one of the difficulties is competitors speaking to quickly causing me to miss out on important information they are trying to deliver. If the judge misses your point it can cause them to become lost in your argument and miss key information.

I come to the debate with a clear slate and imagine I have no prior knowledge on the topic, I expect debaters to be able to allow me to understand the topic by the end of the debate to make a clear choice.

In my opinion debate is used to look at both sides of the argument and perspectives of a topic

I expect debaters to provide logical arguments and back them up with evidence.

I want debaters to explain why topics are important and a step-by-step process in their argument leading to a conclusion.

Debaters should not leave gaps in logic that need to be filled to be able to understand how they have arrived at their conclusion

It is also important for debaters to explain why their argument matters and how the implied results of their argument will effect society.

I value logical consistency. Facts are more important to me than feelings. Word quality is superior to word quantity.

I like to see civil debate. Overreliance on evidence is ineffective if you do not make explicit links between evidence and the argument. "Spitting" (talking too fast) will not win you points if it is difficult for opponents or me as the judge to understand.

Competitors should focus on practical implications of the topic at hand, weighing the impacts of their contentions versus their opponent's contentions in a logical manner.

I will reward confident, well spoken, organized and logical arguments.

Confidence: An individual who is making use of verbal and non-verbal communication. Speaking loudly, clearly, with appropriate pace, uses movement as a tool, and uses appropriate hand gestures to make their point.

Well spoken: For one to be considered well spoken you must make use of academic language. A wide variety of vocabulary will go a long way. This will also include being polite when asking questions or commenting on the opposing side.

Organized: Means that there is a clear flow to your individual speeches. An example of this could be the following:

-Introduction

-transition

-1st point

-example/statistic/etc.

-transition

-conclusion.

Logical arguments: Imply that as the speaker you are not claiming the information to be based on personal opinion or feelings. Saying things like "I think.." or "In my opinion.." would be examples of opiniated expression. Arguments are also supported by an appropriate amount of evidence such as quotes and statistics from credible sources.

I will not reward: Speakers who attempt to insult, degrade, or otherwise belittle the opposing team. Speakers who speak too quickly or unclearly in an attempt to ensure the opposing side cannot understand the argument will also not be tolerated. If I cannot understand what you are saying, your argument may be invalidated.

I personally recognize a convincing speech or debate through three elements, that is, concrete evidence, rhetorical device, and on-site appealing performance.

I am not new to judging speech and debate, but I am new to this format. I will value well-reasoned arguments supported by strong evidence. While pathos is also crucial in the art of persuasion, I will not enjoy any hints of derision or sarcasm directed at opposing teams during debate rebuttal.

For interpretive events, I will value originality and passion, while clear delivery is also important.

I am looking for debaters to be persuasive.

Using signposting is a good way to solidify your arguments.

Be prepared to justify why you're winning the argument.

Hi debaters,

As I noticed majorly I will be judging Impromptu and PuFo, so my Paradigm is basically for them.

I'm a Middle School Dean, and I prefer discipline in the room. Please be respectful while you are speaking/preparing for your speech.

You do not need to change your style of speaking for me (speed, accent, rhythm…), if I missed anything, I would reach out and ask for it. But as English is not my first language, I do prefer debaters that speak with high clarity and mid-level speed.

Don’t use too much technical stuff, if you do, explain it in short. Otherwise, the argument will be lost on me.

Be nice to your opponents. There’s a difference between being aggressive in crossfire and being mean, don’t be mean. Please let your opponent complete their thought in crossfire before interrupting.

I value heavily when debaters telling me why your evidence is better than your opponents, especially whenever they say opposite things.

Wish you all have a great experience in BBSZ!

This is my first year as a judge for speech and debate. After completion of my training and my 23 years of teaching experience, I am looking for the speaker to capture the audience, make good eye contact, use positive body language, and to show passion while delivering their speech or in a debate round.

I am interested in all speech activities, but am perhaps a little more skilled with non-interp events. My interests run to the humanities, arts, languages, and world affairs more than to science, math, and the technical. I like drama and poetry a great deal.

I am an English teacher and administrator who believes in balancing challenge and nurture for students.

I like clear main ideas and ample evidence with commentary in speech events and a blend of appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. I like strong introductions and conclusions to speeches.

I like lively speakers with great presence.

I believe I can listen to a multitude of points of view without bias or taking offense.

I have never been a judge for debate and speech but I would like to see it as an opportunity to see students' ability. I value calmness, clear expression, and simple rhetoric. I focus on the ways of delivery as well.

In my judging paradigm, I place a premium on clarity of thought, depth of analysis, and effectiveness of delivery. While content is paramount—ensuring that arguments are well-researched, substantiated, and relevant—I also value the art of communication, which means that pacing, vocal modulation, and engaging body language play significant roles in my assessment. Debaters or speakers should prioritize logical consistency, directly engage with opposing points, and, above all, maintain respect and decorum throughout their presentation. A compelling argument is a balance of ethos, pathos, and logos, and I look for that holistic approach in the speeches I judge.

My standards to evaluate an excellent performance in speech and debate includes:

1. Make strong arguement based on valid truth, evidence and logical, reasonable and clear statement.
2. Statement should be highly related to the main topic.
3. Refute your opponent's arguement in a respectful and logical way, make clear points to refute your opponent and defend your own statement.
4. Its encouraged to use simple rhetoric to enhance the persuasiveness of your arguement.
5. Speak in a nice tone, the ability to be aware of your speaking speed, and emotions and regulate it timely.
6. Be positive, and happy, and passionate during S&D and have fun.