Policy Debate Judge Paradigm

What school(s) are you affiliated with? Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH)

Were you a competitor when in school? No.

How often do you judge policy debate? Just started this year.

Speaking

How fast can students speak during speeches? Fast is fine

If a student is speaking too fast or unclear, will you give any cues to them? Yes, I will get their attention and press both hands downward towards the floor.

List stylistic items you like debaters to do. For example, do you like debaters that do line-by-line (e.g. respond to arguments in the order they were presented)?

1. I appreciate speakers giving a roadmap.

2. I appreciate line-by-line, but ultimately that is the speaker’s choice.

List stylistic items you do not like debaters to do. For example, do you dislike it when debaters answer their partner’s cross ex questions or hand their partner papers?

1. I do not like excessive volume, nor insufficient volume. I need to be able to hear you clearly.

Arguments

List types of arguments you prefer to listen to/evaluate. For example, do you like disadvantages? Kritiks? Topicality?

1. These are tactical considerations for the speakers and their coach, not my preferences.

List types of arguments that you prefer not to listen to. For example, are you less familiar with politics DA’s? Do you dislike philosophical arguments?

1. These are tactical considerations for the speakers and their coach, not my preferences.

Other Notes

In a few sentences, describe the type of debate you would like most to hear or any other things debaters/coaches should know about your judging style.

I prefer when references are clear and precise so that all participants know exactly where we are in the evidence and what is being claimed. Following that, I feel it is important to remember to attack the evidence, not the speaker.

I am so very sorry but I am a Mom judge....but it might not be that bad. I did debate policy in High school and coached for Brookfield Central. However, I haven't been around debate for 15 years.

To make things easy on me and you, just please make things clear and tell me how to vote.

Speed: I was never that fast but I can handle moderate speed. I give pretty clear non verbals, if you look up you can see if I am comprehending

I work for MPS - Rufus King High School

I did 4 years of policy debates in high school, what is now called "traditional debate".

I've judged mostly novice debate for a few years.

Speaking

How fast can students speak during speeches? Medium Speed

If a student is speaking too fast or unclear, will you give any cues to them? Usually I will say slow/slow down or clear

List stylistic items you like debaters to do.

1. Debaters should start with a roadmap and include signposts during their speech.

2. Debaters should do a line by line refuting the opponents arguments

3. Debaters should include an impact calc in the final speeches

List stylistic items you do not like debaters to do.

1. I do not like rudeness

2. I do not like partners to talk to the speaker during their partners speech excessively

Arguments

List types of arguments you prefer to listen to/evaluate.

1. Disadvantages are important to the negative attack

2. I’m open to inherency and solvency attacks

3. I’m open to counter plans

List types of arguments that you prefer not to listen to.

1. I do not understand kritiks very well, it will probably be hard to get me to vote on this for you. I come from the more traditional debate mindset.

2. I rarely vote neg on topicality, it would need to be the full shell with voters that make sense. And the neg must give this sufficient time in the round but I will be swayed aff by them being reasonably topical.

Other Notes

I love clash, I love line by line. I really want debaters to take apart each other’s arguments. This is best accomplished by listening to each other.

I want the last speeches to include an impact analysis that shows why their position leads to be a better world.