Policy:

I am looking, ultimately, for proof that you understand your own case. That means having a clear warrant and backing up your case with logic. Don’t spread. I’m okay with theory debate as long as it is run alongside other arguments. So you can keep your k’s, as long as you also address inherency and uniqueness/solvency and topicality/impact debate. Keep things civil and polite as we are here to grow, learn, and educate.

LD:

Value/Criterion are essential. You’ll be ranked primarily on how well you handle values. Theory debate/plans are okay, but not my favorite, so ground your debate in the essentials if you run those. I flow cx, though if you’d rather I not, then that’s just fine.

BQ and PF:

I will be looking for clear, simple debate and a mastery of the flow. I flow cx.

I do not have a background in speech and debate, other than judging over the last two years. However, I have always been a good listener and am willing to hear people out on any given subject without getting too riled up. I have always been able to see from many points of view on many subjects, and appreciate well thought out, factual, and calm responses to any argument. I don't mind some speed when talking, as long as words still come out clear. I do enjoy judging and look forward to learning even more as I go.

I am mostly a Communications Judge, though I am open to new styles of speaking and debating. I don't understand most of the jargon of debate and I still would consider myself a new judge, especially to debate.

My partner of 5 years was a highly awarded debater in high school and college, so I am used to the quick speaking and some debate-world lingo. Not only that, but my roommate is a high school debate teacher!

I respect and look for clear-speaking voices, strong arguments, a great thesis, and charisma in my debates/speeches.

I graduated from Idaho State University in Spring 2023 and have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. I am now an elementary music teacher. I have worked with all ages of students and I love teaching. I am 24 years old and I have judged speech and debate for my roommate several times since 2020, so I am not brand new.

(And yes- I do handshakes!)

Cheers! :)

First and foremost, I still consider myself to be a new judge. I have been judging since November 2021. I didn't do debate or speech in high school but my son does Policy and that's why I'm here.

I always ask that you speak clearly and at a speed that I am able to hear and note all your arguments. You DO NOT have to go slow but if you are going so fast I cannot understand you, then I am not hearing your side. I do enjoy a good argument as long as you have the evidence to back it up. Tag teaming is ok, as long as it's done respectfully and is not a distraction.

I do flow the rounds, sometimes on paper, sometimes on my laptop. All I ask for is quality arguments and if you bring something up, you better be ready to defend it. Don't go evidence dumping just to do it, remember we do have time limits.

Please have respect towards your opponent(s) and show professionalism throughout the debate. I will not vote in your favor if you are rude or disrespectful to each other, your opponent or to me or the judges.

I look forward to hearing all your speeches and debates. Remember to have fun and never stop being an inspiration!

I’m a communications judge. Please speak clearly enough that I can understand your ideas. I can handle a faster pace but make sure you're not speaking quickly so you can repeat yourself. Give me voters at the end. I ask that you maintain professionalism and that you're respectful to your opponent's and judges.

Policy: Don't argue the Neg begins at a disadvantage or there is an uneven playing field. I will take that to mean you believe you can't beat any of the Aff arguments.

For basic background, I'm a first-year judge and three-year speech and debater with heavy experience in Lincoln Douglas and interpretation events. My paradigm is not a one-size-fits-all for every event, so they break down as follows:

Congress- The first thing I look for in a speaker is their ability to relate their ideas to the topic at hand. Relevancy is huge and so is presentation; grab your audience and let them know what you're saying is important. Etiquette is a given during a round, respect and constraint are key to gaining my vote. I'm huge on quality over quantity in Congress. Overall, I don't look for the number of speeches, but rather the content of what you're saying and asking during your time. Use it wisely.

Speech Events:

Interp Events- I look for the ability to create your presentation out of given materials. Being creative and unique will gain my vote, along with the actual ability to relate your ideas together. Making a piece that coherently flows together will do competitors well in my eyes. Overall, I like pieces that feel like I'm watching a small show, that pulls me in and fully intrigues me.

Other events:

Keeping your audience engaged is a key point in these events, along with keeping your information relevant and entertaining. For sales, radio, and similar events, creating a character-audience dynamic will do well for me. For impromptu and extemp, building a solid speech with good structure and captivation is a key aspect. Overall structure and good content are what I'm looking for here.

I've been judging for more than 12 years now. I've been helping to coach for more than 3 years. I competed in speech and debate in high school. I know how to do all of the events.

Policy: I very much dislike when the debate goes off into theory arguments for policy. Most of the time they aren't even actual arguments that have been fully formed with all the necessary attributes. Those arguments will be crossed out on my flow. If you can't fully form the argument and have all the parts to it then why should I care to have it as a voting issue? I don't mind reasonable speed. If you breathe anywhere where there isn't punctuation then I will completely cross that card/argument from my flow. That is my biggest annoyance with speed. I lean very strongly towards Policy maker but I'm a stock coms judge. I will always weigh the arguments with stock issues more heavily than I will the other issues. Topicality will be weighed over it when it's actually reasonable. I want a clear shift of policy with the Aff case. IF YOU SAY THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT THEY DEFINITELY HAVE I WILL VOTE YOU DOWN FOR WHINING, INCOMPETENT FLOWING, AND BEING ANNOYING!

LD: I very much love the Value and Criterion debate. I love traditional debate. I HATE progressive debate you lose a lot of the skills you would normally learn and gain weak skills instead. Give me clear reasons why we should weight the round off of your Value. Both logic and evidence based arguments have their place in this debate. Make sure you use them accordingly. I will drop the entire argument you're making if you breathe where there isn't any punctuation. I'm fine with reasonable speed. IF YOU SAY THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT THEY DEFINITELY HAVE I WILL VOTE YOU DOWN FOR WHINING, INCOMPETENT FLOWING, AND BEING ANNOYING!

SPEECH:

So, I WILL NOT, emphasis on the NOT, judge a piece that has, or should have, a trigger warning in it. I will leave the round immediately if someone tries to run one in my round. Pieces can be very good without getting to the point where there needs to be a trigger warning. I will not judge those garbage pieces. Increase your quality of speeches by getting rid of those.

I am a flow and heavy impact judge. If your arguments don't have meaning, it doesn't have importance. I did speech and debate for 4 year, so speed isn't an issue. Just make sure that you are understandable. I don't like when people are rude to their fellow debaters, so please be respectful.

I am a communications judge. I want to hear clear speech mostly! I am mostly fine with most speeds, just try not to speed so much that you are out of breath and stumble. Tell me why you should win and why your opponent(s) should lose. Use voters as the cherry on top to get me to sway to your side. Be confident with your speeches and crossfires. Get information out of questions. Dont be rude as well. You can get points across while being calm, cool and collected!

Congress- I want to hear good speech structures, preparedness, barely reading off of computer or paper. Project to the chamber and provide emphasis on the important parts. Provide evidence!! Key thing in congress is to back up your points with evidence. If theres no evidence, its gonna bump you down. Refute points! I cannot stress this enough, it theres just repeat speeches over and over again then its boring and no one likes it.

Charlotte Reid has been teaching for 17 years, but coaching debate for only 7 of them. While she has no specific preferences towards style, she is conservative and a traditionalist. She keeps a detailed flow, weighs arguments and their impacts, she doesn't like dropped arguments, she likes medium-high speed, clash, appreciates courtesy, and prioritizes clear and concise communication skills. Thank you for engaging in a fun and moving debate round!

I have been judging speech and debate for six years now (over 60 tournaments). I never debated in high school. I got involved in the debate community when my oldest child joined the debate team. I have had four kids on the debate team, two currently. So I guess you could say I am an experienced mommy judge. I have tried my best to learn as much as I can so that I can be a competent and fair judge. With that in mind, I offer you my paradigm:

In general, I am good with speed, I flow, and I allow tag teaming, flex time, non-timed road maps and non-timed evidence exchange. I prefer tech over truth, depth over breadth, and don't mind if you group arguments. I am a big picture judge and an impact calculus junkie. I understand debate lingo. I don't mind if you want to debate progressively or traditionally. I am open to all arguments. I appreciate logical and analytical arguments as much as evidence based arguments. I don't like to set limits on how you debate because I want you to enjoy your round and try new things. I have entertained a conversation kritik (LD) and love letters to the ocean (CX) in the past. I still have my treasured flows from the Beetle Kritik (CX China Resolution). As you can see, I am up for anything, but don't assume I know everything. Remember that although I have six years of experience judging, I am still learning. If you have something you really want to run, do it, but keep me up with you and educate me on your pet argument as you debate. I also love voters because I am lazy and if if I agree with your voters, you have just filled out my ballot for me. Now for some specifics:

In Lincoln Douglas debate I allow counter plans and progressive arguments. I only value the V & C if you do. I am still trying to figure out why that is so important. But I have voted on it in the past if the debaters made a big deal about it. I am more likely to vote against you if you drop an argument, since LD is all about clash, but will allow you to group arguments in subpoints as long as you answer each contention.

In Public Forum debate I don't have any specific things you should know. Just have fun.

Policy is my favorite. So know that if I get to judge your round, I am just so glad to be here. I think I covered most of it in my general paradigm but I did want to discuss T. I have voted on T before but only if it was an obscure aff and not one of the five novice affs. I go for reasonability over competing interpretations. However, I have had some beautiful T arguments wasted on me, I am very sorry to say. If you love T arguments and are willing to risk it, then persuade me and educate me on T. I want to understand it better and be more open minded in this area. I would have to say this is the only area I am biased, but it's simply because I don't get it.

For those of you in Congress, I only have one thing to say: warrant your claims with credible evidence. I immediately drop you two ranks if you don't warrant your claims.

Bottom line: have fun and enjoy your rounds. Good luck!

I will evaluate the methodology and reputation of evidence and sources presented to back up your case. I will keep track of the flow and will take note at your speaking ability, but what makes me sign the ballot at the end of the day is how well researched your cases were, if you had any creative arguments that support your side of the flow, whether or not you were a compelling speaker, and how much critical thinking your team showcases by the end of the round. It is my core belief that critical thinking, research, creativity, and confident speaking are the skills you can get from debate. Take liberty with the kinds of arguments you run but keep these four criteria in mind. I am familiar with most of the high school debate vocabulary, and a broad scientific and quantitative background. Don’t dumb down your argument, just explain it concisely and correctly. Explain your arguments well, but I do not need you to treat me like a layperson.

Best of luck and congratulations for participating in debate, it is a transformative experience. I hope you go on to make a positive impact in the world with your future careers.

Congress: I used to do Congress. I prefer it if you speak less time with new and good arguments. Don’t repeat points or have a week speech. Stay engaged with questioning. I am ok with an informal room.

LD: VC is a weighing mechanism. Relate your contentions to it. A dominant CX and clear voting issues wins the round.

PF/Policy: this is partner debate. I want both partners to emphasize a clear story throughout and have relatively equal CX and speaking ability.

Communications and Impacts

The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane.

-Mark Twain

young.broox@gmail.com - shoot me an email if you have any questions or concerns, or if you want specific feedback post-tourney.

I’m Broox, an undergraduate student in English and philosophy. I Have been a Finals Panelist Judge in Congress at the annual Nationals Tournament and have judged Congressional Debate and other events for 5+ years.

My most important rule is to keep decorum and be respectful.

In terms of my general debate paradigm;

Go ahead and read whatever case you want—even theory if you think you can.

I like to think that I'm generally well informed but treat me as if I’m an idiot(I am.)

Absolutely do your best to write my ballot for me in the last few speeches, I will evaluate the arguments you tell me to. Unless that is, what you're telling me to evaluate is stupid, which I will probably tell you on your ballot(respectfully we hope.) If you don't tell me how to evaluate your—and/or your interlocutors'—arguments, I will not know how you want me to weigh them.

I try not to call cards often unless opposite things are being said about the same piece of evidence. Or if you tell me to call a card.

Please don’t spread I’ll probably cry, I can flow at any speed at this point, but spreading will reflect poorly on your speaks.

pleaSE signpost. I neither need nor want your off-time roadmap if you signpost effectively.

Probably most importantly; Good luck, have fun.