PF: Pro should advocate for the resolution’s worthiness while the Con should show the disadvantages of the resolution and why it should not be adopted. In the 1st speech, both teams should have an introduction to frame the team’s case. The summary needs to be a line by line comparison between both worlds where the differences exist and are clear and the issues need to be prioritized. Final focus needs to be a big picture concept. I will evaluate your evidence and expect you to do the research accordingly but also understand how to analyze and synthesize it. Countering back with a card is not debating. I can't vote on what I don't hear or can't understand. So watch rate of delivery. PLEASE weigh your arguments and make it clear how I should evaluate this round and what really matters. Explain why those reasons are preferable to your opponent’s. I do not form part of the email chain.

IEs: I've judged all IEs for over 30 years for different circuits and at different levels (including state and nationals). On EXTEMPT/INF/OO, make sure to speak clearly avoiding excessive word crutches and cite your sources. Follow the standard speech outline for each event and approach topic creatively. Make sure to actually answer the question (topic chosen) clearly and that the points discussed in the body of the speech support the answer. Use time wisely/effectively to fully develop the speech. If you are using props (for speech events), make sure they go with the topic and are easily handled. They don't need to be complicated. The simpler the better. On INTERP, I look at who transported me into the story and kept me there. Make sure all movements (gestures, head, and other body movements) are done with purpose and should not distract from the selection being presented. Characterization is also very important to keep me in the story. Use the whole "stage" for your presentation if the event allows it. It's your performance. Entertain me! POI: You can incorporate the binder as a prop if you want making sure it isn't so distracting that it takes away from your program.

LD: I am a traditional LD judge. This means the debate should be a value debate. Framework of the debate is of the utmost importance because it will force me to evaluate your impacts before the other team’s impacts and nullifies most, if not all, of the other team’s offense. The contentions should be used to demonstrate a real-world example of the framework in action. For any claim made during the entire debate (constructive and rebuttal speeches), you should have evidential support. PLEASE weigh your arguments, make it clear how I should flow and evaluate what is said, and show me what really matters in the round. Explain clearly why those reasons are preferable to your opponent’s. There is no need for spreading. I can't vote on what I don't hear or can't understand. So watch rate of delivery. I do not form part of the email chain. If it's important, make sure to explain it clearly during your speeches.

Congress: When preparing a speech, make sure to follow standard speech outline and cite your sources. Approach legislation creatively. If you speak later in the session, do not rehash old arguments already brought up by previous representatives. Bring in new arguments to advance the debate. Also, you must clash with opponents. Don't just give your speech. It's a debate after all. Bring up points mentioned by opposing side, show your view point and not just say they are wrong or you don't agree. Give specific reasons why you don't agree and provide the evidence to prove your point. Have your speech so well prepared that you will be able to defend it during cross and not stumble during questioning. As Parliamentarian, I will make sure correct parliamentary procedure is followed.

WSD: Since arguments should be based in reality and each team is fighting on behalf of their respective worlds, the debate should show which world is more likely and/or better and how it will be actualized in the big picture rather than the individual arguments being made. Provide specific world (not just U.S.) examples to your claims. Burdens and mechanism/model should be clear. On the reply speeches, crystallize the round highlighting the main points of contention (2 or 3 key points) and tell me why your team won those points therefore winning the debate. Make sure there is clash on both sides and watch rate of delivery.

CX: As a stock issues judge, I expect the affirmative team’s plan to retain all stock issues and should label them clearly during the debate. The negative needs to prove that the affirmative fails to meet at least one issue in order to win. I require both sides to provide offense. Sufficient evidence is needed for any claim made during the entire debate. All debaters must speak clearly in order for me to hear all of their points and must watch rate of delivery. I can't vote on what I don't hear or can't understand. I do not intervene, so the debaters must tell me what is important, how I should flow and evaluate what is said, and why I should vote for them. I do not form part of an email chain since I don't want to read speeches. I want to hear them. If it's important, make sure to express it clearly. New on case arguments are ok in 2NC, but not off case.

• I focus on solid storytelling. The most important piece of the puzzle is the script, please don't forget to hold true the story as a whole even though we are only seeing ten minutes of it. Connecting to the audience, it's about telling the story to us, so a solid connection to the audience is important. We want to laugh and cry with you.

• Clean pantomime and connection with off stage characters
• Take us on the journey with you.
• Take a deep breath and have fun!!! Leave it all out there and take your seat feeling like there was nothing else you could have done.
• Don't forget you are not speaking FOR them, you are speaking AS them. It is an ownership that you should take seriously. If you don't tell the story, how will they continue to live?
• Be honest. These are real people sharing real stories of their lives. Breath through their struggle and be honest.

• Be you, you're enough.

• Believe in the story you are telling, be confident, be bold, own your time in front of us.
• Make sure everything you do has a purpose. If it doesn't have a reason, it begs the question of why do it?

Debated CX at Winston Churchill. Please add me to the email chain; my email is galcala0530@gmail.com

You can run anything as long as you can explain it. Don't expect me to know every acronym or specifics about any lit. That being said as long as you are clear and explain arguments I'm fine with it.

T- I default competing interps

CP/DA- Don't stress as long as you have a clear story as to whats going on.

K- I enjoy K debates, but i'm not an expert at every literature base so take time to explain these arguments. That's mainly for any funky K's, but cap or set col don't need a step by step explanation I understand those lmao.

FW- I evaluate it like normal.

General- Don't be rude. Your speaker points will reflect your behavior if this is a problem and I will really not want to vote for you.

if you have any more questions you can just ask me :)

Hello everyone!

A little bit about me: My name is Alek Zabel Araguz and I have been competing in speech and debate for about 7-8 years. In my time in High School, I was a 3x NSDA National Finalist, NIETOC Finalist, 3x TFA State Finalist, 2x UIL State Congress Finalist, and have dipped my toes in every event speech and debate has to offer. I now am a freshman at UT and compete on the UT Speech team. I love speech and debate with all my heart, and it makes me so happy to help grow this activity!

My rankings in round depends on a lot of factors, however, there are some overall sections that I look for when judging any type of round!

For I.E.'s, I look for:

• Characterization: Who is the person you are playing, what makes them unique? If you have multiple characters, what is distinct to each character that makes them distinguishable?

• Plot: Is the plot understandable? Is there a beginning, middle, and end? Does it highlight/show us change as the piece progresses? What about this story is different from others?

• Delivery: Is there variation in your delivery? Do we have uses of pauses, emphasis on words, silence, onomatopoeia, and how is it purposeful to your piece? If there are multiple characters, how are their voices different, what is their speed when talking, do they have any speech impediments?

• Blocking: Is the blocking you have PURPOSEFUL? These characters are people, so how do we make these characters multi-dimensional? How do you show us what you are doing when talking/not talking? Does the blocking you have help the message you are trying to convey?

• Confidence: When performing, do you exude confidence? Do you seem familiar with your piece? How connected are you to the message/piece you are doing? Are you confident in your abilities to tell your story? Why does this matter to you and especially to us listening?

• Professionalism: In a round, are you maintaining professionalism? How do you treat your judges and other competitors? Are you being distracting to other competitors? Are you respectful to those performing/ those watching? Do you keep composure when something goes wrong in a round?

For OO, Info, Extemp (and Congress), I look for:

• Structure: Does the structure of your speech enhance the topics you are discussing? Do you provide some sort of claim, evidence, and reasoning for each of your arguments? Does your speech flow make sense? Do your points work hand in hand with each other?

• Information: Is the info provided relevant to what you are saying? Is the article used out-dated? What makes this info different from most other statistics? How revolutionary is this article?

• Delivery: Is there variation in your delivery? Do we have uses of pauses, emphasis on words, silence, onomatopoeia, and how is it purposeful to your speech? Do you incorporate humor or any other devices to appeal to your audience/judge? If you use VAs, how are they purposefully used?

• Confidence: When performing, do you exude confidence? Do you seem familiar with your speech? How connected are you to the message/piece you are doing? Are you confident in your abilities to tell your story? Why does this matter to you and especially to us listening?

• Professionalism: In a round, are you maintaining professionalism? How do you treat your judges and other competitors? Are you being distracting to other competitors? Are you respectful to those performing/ those watching? Do you keep composure when something goes wrong in a round?

Things like these allow people to set themselves apart from their other fellow competitors and are super essential in any event you perform! If you have any questions, please don't be afraid to ask, I would be more than happy to clarify anything you all may need! Good luck and I hope y'all slay all your rounds!!

Hey! My name is Sneha Bhale (she/her) and I did 4 years of Speech and Debate at Westwood High School. I competed in extemp as my main event both locally and nationally and I did some congress. I currently attend UT Austin.

debate events- please add me to the email chain- snehabhale21@gmail.com

Extemp- I prioritize content over fluency. I give the 1 to whoever answers the question adequately and addresses every actor mentioned. The substructure needs to be easy to follow and your impacts need to be realistic and topical. For fluency, fluency errors should not impede my ability to understand you and humor can go a long way. As for sources, please do not make them up and try to diversify your sources (use think tanks and academic journals). As for time, I don't care a whole lot but make sure it's evenly spaced out for every point. Overall, your content should make sense and should have sources, and having humor incorporated and a conversational tone will go a long way with ranks.

PF- Treat me as a flay (maybe a little more flow) judge. I will flow the round and have some exposure to PF. I'm not too fond of spreading but if you speak fast, I would like a speech doc. My flow shouldn't be all over the place and easy to follow. I think weighing is extremely important as well as the continuation of arguments in the summary and final focus. I also would prefer to be added to the email chain and will call for evidence so make sure there is no paraphrasing or twisting of information. During cross-ex, please be patient and polite. Speaks will be assigned based on clarity and overall demeanor within a round. I'm not too familiar with progressive arguments but I will evaluate them. Overall, I like a clean flow, slow speaking, weighing, roadmaps, warrants, and proper evidence protocols.

Cong- The PO should know proper procedures and keep track of precedence and recency well. The PO should also ensure voting happens fairly and keep track of everything efficiently. I will keep my precedence and recency sharts and will double-check. As for the competitors, congress is a matter of participation so make sure you pay attention. Try to pay attention the whole round and ask questions. I'm not too fond of pre-prepared speeches. Speeches that follow the debate and clash go a long way. Rehash is also a no go and I will dock points for it- please bring in new evidence and new points. If you are speaking later in the round, please bring in new evidence and use Clash rather than rephrasing previous speeches. The questioning period should be respectful to all competitors. As a personal preference, I prefer precedence and recency to be tracked online. It gets very messy when it is on paper. Overall, I like clashes in speeches, effective questioning, proper use of sources, and clear speaking.

And most importantly, have fun with it! Please let me know if I can do anything to make the round a safe place or a better experience for you. Also, feel free to ask questions/clarification on my paradigm or for any feedback after the round.

I am a very traditional judge with many years of coaching experience. I am not a fan of speed, and I prefer traditional arguments. That is my preference; it does not mean that I won't listen to the arguments made and weigh the evidence.

I am a policy maker and want to follow the argumentation and see the flow of the debate clearly. I can't outweigh one side over another if I don't know why I should because the argument itself was either made too quickly to catch or does not have a clear link. What I do want to hear is the Plan and any counter-plans the Neg offers; I need to see how and why the policy works/outweighs, etc.

I do not want to be included on an email chain, but for the sake of time, you may go ahead and do so. The email address is bonnie.bonnette@fortbendisd.com. First of all, I think that makes tournaments run very long; second, I want to SEE the flow of the debate. If I don't hear you say it and don't flow it, it doesn't count. However, just because I don't want that doesn't mean I will refuse the evidence. I will accept the email and read the shared evidence. No flash drives, however, please.

I rarely vote on Topicality arguments, and I don't like the Neg strategy of throwing out half a dozen arguments to see which one or two will actually "stick". I would rather hear a full development of two or three off-case arguments that clearly apply to the topic and to the Affirmative case. Kritiks are okay as long as they are not "off the wall" arguments. I said that I rarely vote on Topicality, but I have done so in the past.

i have been judging CX for over twenty years. Please don't treat me like I am stupid, but also don't assume I can (or will) judge like the college kids do.

Content warnings are appreciated when appropriate.

Teasers should set the mood for the piece and not be too lengthy.

Intros need to continue to prepare the audience for the piece by setting the appropriate tone as well as to give important exposition. A sharp or clever intro that is well constructed can be the determining factor in scoring among two equally done pieces.

Blocking and movement should be clear, well defined, and motivated. Clever or creative staging is appreciated. Unclear or unspecific pantomime, upstaging, or weird angles that prevent seeing the actor's faces should be avoided.

Characterization should be consistent and easy to follow if performing multiple characters. Pops should be clean. Vocal characterization should be suggestive of the character and not an opportunity to showcase cartoon voices/cliche characters (the surfer, the New Yorker, the Brit, the Aussie, etc.) unless warranted by the script/story.

The binder is NOT a prop other than in POI. Movement below the waist (steps) should be clear and motivated as well as minimal.

Author's Intent and/or Appropriateness of Literature- How do I feel about an HI of Miracle Worker (author's intent) or a student performing mature material (appropriateness)? That's a big NO for me if it's offensive more than it is creative. (Miracle Worker as an HI, or The Lovely Bones, or anything like that is offensive to me. The topics in those pieces aren't meant to be funny and do go against the author's intent.) Mature content if it's handled well and suits the piece doesn't bother me- if it's excessive or for shock value, then I may not like it. It really depends on the piece and the performer; I'm not really conservative but I've seen some material that I definitely wouldn't coach or have ranked down because I felt like it was too much.

For Speech Events OO/INFO– I love that Orator’s Triangle! It helps me follow the structure of your speech. I weigh the written speech (construction/logic/novelty/grammar/humor) equally with the presentation of the speech. I personally don’t like laminated stuff on Info boards (because of the glare.) I loooove creative/inventive Info props!

Hi Y'all!!!

Some stuff about me... My name is Jake Broyles and I have been competing in speech and debate for 7 years. In my time in High School, I was a 2x TFA State finalist (2023 POI State Champion), Harvard Finalist, NIETOC Finalist, TOC Finalist, and more. I am now a Freshman at University of Texas on the UT Speech Team. I'm so excited to judge y'all and I can't wait to see some great stuff!!

My rankings depends on many things but here are some main things I look for when deciding my rankings-

INTERP!

Script selection: Make sure the literature in your performance provides a unique and exciting perspective on your argument. If we have seen your script on the circuit many times, are you providing an original interpretation? Or are you just recycling someone else interpretation from past seasons? Performance plagiarism is a thing... and it becomes really easy to do when using a recycled script.

Characterization: commit to the bit- thats it. Don't be afraid to make strong character decisions, but if you do make sure you take that decision all the way there in the performance. Also, make sure the decisions you make are intentional and provide logical sense with your character.

Blocking: I loveeeee some good blocking! Just make sure it is intentional! Don't block a big moment just for the fun and gagginess of it- do it because it takes the audience even further into your performance.

Some questions to think about specifically for Programs, does your cutting make since? do you have a clear build into a climax? Can we follow your characters through the weaving of your literature? Does the literature you provide encapsulate your argument?

Overall confidence is key!! and just make sure you are having fun while doing it!

hi y’all,

my name is david. i’m a sophomore at ut austin and on texas speech.

most of my experience is in PA’s. loved info in high school, but still can judge the interps and extemp. every performance should have an argument/have a purpose.

be confident in your performance. you already up there, so might as well give us a show!

be kind to each other, yourselves and remember speech is supposed to be fun, so have it!!!

if you have a question about a comment on your ballot, email me at dmcervantes2003@icloud.com

I competed in the San Antonio high school speech circuit from 2013 to 2016.

I value professionalism and respect. Any instance of rudeness/bigotry/disrespect in any form will be weighed heavily in my decision making process. Besides these preferences, I am very open to any and all forms and interpretations of speech. Perform the way you perform best.

Info/Oratory: In oratory, I look for a persuasive argument that convinces me about something I may have never considered. In informative, I simply look to learn something new. I am someone who highly values an evidence based argument. I will pay attention to the sources you cite and will verify that they relate to your argument in the way you suggest. That said, your argument should not be a mere recanting of your evidence, it should be only supported by it.

Interp events: I look for genuine and entertaining story telling. While I expect to laugh a lot in humorous, I also prefer performances that tell an entire story. Your HI should not feel like a standup routine. In dramatic interpretation, I look for a character arc that develops throughout the performance. While I am open to any and all kinds of acting choices, I will say that even the most arduous of emotions are often best conveyed with subtlety, rather than in-your-face intensity. I am very lenient when it comes to profane language. As long as the language you choose to use adds to the story and doesn't feel out of place, go for it. That said, don't try to use profane language just to be funny. I find profane things funny all the time, but I won't laugh at something just because it is profane. Also, no slurs. I will not tolerate any form of slur, no matter the context.

Teasers: I prefer brief, attention catching teasers. I don't necessarily need a summary of what's to come, but rather just a sneak peek. Feel free to use your teaser to connect your piece to your personal life, but don't try and take it too far (i.e. "My grandfather's friend once had a barber that also went through a similar experience...). In other words, you are welcome to tell stories that are different from your own, but if that's the case then don't try to make it personal in your teasers.

Congress

I appreciate competitors who are knowledgeable enough to speak extemporaneously while addressing information and speakers that have already participated. Students should participate actively in the chamber's motions and show leadership even when not presiding. Questions should lead to potential arguments.

LD

I tend to be fairly progressive and will listen to any arguments you run. I am fine with condo and collapsing. Winning framing is important and will influence my decision in the round BUT will not be a skate to a ballot. I don't mind LARPING or any other strat you may make use of, provided you do it well and convince me of your positions. I am fine with speed and will want to be on the email chain. I prefer philosophical debates but don't mind whatever you want to throw at me.

Policy - see above

I am a tab judge and am open to hearing your positions. I will not advocate on the flow. I am open to collapse strats and prefer non-generic arguments that have a real link. I wish we would stop arguing end of world impacts but will vote on them

hi! I'm looking forward to judging and getting more involved with participating in tournaments from the judging perspective rather than the competitor one. I'll go into a little bit about myself and my experience in Speech and Debate and then my specific preferences whenever it comes to all of the events that I may judge! I competed in Speech and Debate all four years of high school and primarily focused on speech and interpretation events, however, there was a lengthy period of time that I participated in policy debate. In policy debate I broke to outrounds at Harvard and mainly competed in the TFA and UIL circuits. In speech/interpretation events I mostly competed into Domestic Extemp and Humorous Interpretation on both the national and TFA circuits- breaking to outrounds at tournaments like the Longhorn Classic, TFA State, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and the NIETOC. Here are my specific preferences when it comes to judging debate rounds:

Debate-

Policy: I'm a tab judge, so I really don't care what you run and I will vote on whatever arguments are made during the round. I really enjoy listening to k arguments but please please don't just say a bunch of random stuff, make sure that there is actually a connection to the topic. Topicality is the main thing that I really am not the biggest fan of, but I love k affs and theory a lot because they provide a lot of meta debate. In regards to the flow, I think that I'm pretty good at it, but I don't think that extremely fast spreading is good for debate even if you're getting more information in-- it almost defeats the purpose in my opinion. The job of the affirmative is to propose a plan or advocacy that either proves the topic or frames why rejecting it is important is better than the status quo/neg cp or alt. The job of the neg is to prove the status quo/cp or alt is better than the affirmative advocacy or plan. This applies to theory and T in the sense that if you prove how they access the topic or utilize an argument is worse for the debate space going forward, it still weighs.

LD: I'm pretty cool with any type of argument that could be run in LD debate and I don't really have any preferences. Speed is fine just make sure that you still complete cards and are at least somewhat comprehendible. I don't really care about being on an email chain if the tournament is in person, however, I'd like to be on one for an asynchronous tournament if one is made. If any evidence is called into question, I'll ask to see it at the end of the round to determine its validity. My email is elicraddockk@gmail.com

PF: I think that it is extremely important that PF stays as a simple event that anyone can be able to easily follow and understand. With that in mind, I would like it if arguments were kept simple and speed at a normal, or slightly quicker, speed in order to stay true to PF's purpose. Putting me on an email chain shouldn't be necessary. If any evidence is called into question, I'll ask to see it at the end of the round to determine its validity.

Extemps: I like a very structured speech that is very formulaic. I will rarely give someone the 1 if they don't follow a standard extemp speech format. In extemp I also think that it is very important that you are not speaking at your judges and that it feels more like a conversation rather than a complete presentation. Humor works great whenever you try and establish that personable connection and you will definitely get bonus points if you're funny or have references to pop culture. Also ensure that you are using 5-7 sources within your speech, 4 is okay, however, more than 4 really cements that you know what you're talking about. Additionally, for me in particular, you don't have to have a day associated with your dates if you prefer to keep it to "the New York Times notes within January 2022"- year and month is cool w me. Try to be as fluent as possible, but if there are a couple of stumbles that more than likely won't play into my decision if your content is really strong. Also, try to stick to the exact wording of the question as much as possible, but if you're a word or two off that's okay!

Interp-

This is just a general note, but I will absolutely not tolerate anyone taking pieces from another person. If I can google your piece on youtube and it is extremely similar to a preexisting one, I will rank you last in the round immediately. Interp is literally short for interpretation and it is supposed to be your own interpretation of a piece of literature, not another's interpretation.

DI: I never did DI, however, I did end up watching countless rounds of it, so I have a fairly decent idea of what distinguishes good DIs. I personally prefer a more subtle take towards DI, however, ones with a louder, more powerful climax can still be better whenever it comes to rankings. I look for unique characterization and distinction and I try to see if there is some sort of discernable growth or degrowth in the progression of the story. I think that it is also important that your DI is unique to yourself. Unique topics or piece selections will get bonus points! I really enjoy listening to all kinds of stories whenever it comes to DI and I will try my best to equally evaluate all pieces even if I cannot personally relate to the topic.

HI: I love HI so much!! The three pieces that I competed with in high school for HI were Dear Evan Hansen, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Gossip Girl. I really appreciate HIs that have a super unique sense to them. This can manifest itself through taking a popular piece of media or literature and adding your own unique twist to it or just choosing something completely unexpected as your lit. Whenever it comes to HI, I genuinely value actual humor over tech because I think that's what distinguishes a good HI. Humor is extremely subjective, however, even if I don't find whatever you're doing funny, if you're creating a personable connection through the humor that YOU enjoy then you will still be ranked highly. In regards to preliminary rounds of locals/larger tournaments I'll probably vote in favor of tech, however, if you are not funny or if you don't seem to be enjoying your piece in outrounds I will rank you down- you need to be funny or at least be trying to convey the type of humor you like or else you shouldn't be doing HI. Additionally, please please please be a good sport and laugh at other competitors even if you personally don't find it funny. Being polite towards other people is another part of competition and if you are rude or disrespectful during round to other people I will drop you immediately.

PO/PRO: Same comments whenever it comes to DI and HI. For Poetry, I like there to be an appropriate mix of literature that crafts a unique story that takes into account different perspectives. This is the same thing with Prose. I like super interesting and engaging blocking as well as long as it doesn't take away from the important of the story.

Please let me know if you have any questions before or after round!!:)

In speaking events, it is extremely important that you always keep the interest of your audience with relatability, organization and good vehicle. Delivery should feel conversational with a good pace and easy to understand. Speeches should have good organizational structure that makes it easy for the audience to follow along and sources that help build credibility. Lastly, speaking events should include motivated gestures, facial expressions and a variety of vocal expression.

In interpretation I appreciate natural acting and blocking with a purpose and feeling the real emotion. The audience should feel the emotions of the characters. I also look for believability of the characters.

In debate, I should be able to follow along with the story created which means you should have clear explanations. I do not appreciate being rude or aggressive towards your opponent and I do not appreciate excessvie spreading. If I cannot understand what you are saying, it makes it hard for me to take in your arguments. It is not how many arguments you can get in, it is who has the strongest case.

If you plan on emailing the case to your opponent, please include me in email: cassy_molina@yahoo.com

Hello Contestants! Your hard work and preparation will be appreciated by me as your Judge.

Claims w/o evidence carries little to no weight. Presenting your evidence in a clear way with a reasonable pace will assure a strong argument.

Watch your time and enjoy the journey!

Hello all!

I was a middle school speech competitor, a TFA competitor all 4 years of high school, a NIETOC Champion and Top Speaker, as well as a member of the University of Texas at Austin Individual Events team. I did speech for 11 years of my life, so it is fair to say, I have seen my fair share of performances. I am now the coach of a program in San Antonio, Texas and I coach my students in the same way that I want to see other students perform their events: high quality content, thought-provoking ideas, and, most importantly, trauma-informed or better yet, trauma-free storytelling. My question to you: whatever happened to performing pieces about joy? Where are those pieces?

Things I like: new material, weird or interesting conceptual styles of performance, literature I have not seen 1000 times, clever arguments, care for the time given to you (only 10 minutes), attention to detail, new sources, unique literature, pieces about trauma that don’t actually depict graphic elements of that trauma, clear Oratory structure (whatever it is, make sure I can follow along), clean visual aid boards that make sense and are not just for the sake of the event, humorous pieces that are actually funny and can make me laugh (try your hardest).

Things I do not like: lack of trigger warnings for graphic content, violence for violence sake, homophobic violence enacted in pieces ie gaybashing, showing or portraying violence without any reasoning as to why that violence is being shown to an entire audience, pieces about school shootings that offer no solution or aid to end the crisis our country is facing, POI’s that I cannot follow along with that have zero clear characterization, speeches about speech, pieces about speech, and did I mention that I really don’t like to watch violence enacted in performance?

Thank you to all who are reading this. I appreciate the value that each of you brings to this activity. It is easy to think that speech is solely for the self, but since we are putting on performances for audiences and people, we must MUST think about the messages and impact that your audience is seeing and taking with them as soon as they leave the room. What do you want them to remember when your time is up? That you were violent for no reason, or that you stood up for something that was bigger than yourself and changed their mind?

I am, at heart, a traditional judge, though I welcome innovative choices that make for effective storytelling in all events.

In extemp, I will be looking for a focus on the given question, clear points that support the speaker's answer, credible supporting sources, relaxed gestures that help emphasize important ideas, and a clear and smooth speaking style.

In Oratory and Informative, I will be looking for a speech that fulfills the purpose of the events - I should feel persuaded to some sort of action in oratory and I should learn something new and unexpected in Informative. The speeches should be supported with multiple, credible sources of different types. The speaker should be conversational in their delivery - formal enough to honor the topic, but casual enough to relate to the audience. Gestures should feel natural and flow from the requirements of the speech.

In the Interp events, I will be looking for an honest performance at heart. In dramatic, I should believe the emotional journey of the character(s), and should not feel overwhelmed by an overly intense interpretation. In Humorous, even when the source material is silly, the audience should feel the truth underneath the comedy. Introductions should be meaningful. If I am ever made to feel that I should not be seeing a high school student performing something (whether it is related to content or language), it takes me out of the moment and will have a negative impact on my ranking. Mature choices are fine, but it is important to maintain lines of appropriateness.

SPEECH: I look for confident, clear speakers who know how to sound and appear like they belong in the room. I love to see competitors that remind me how much I miss doing speech! Wow me with your content and keep my attention with your presentation.

INTERP: In addition to the above, I prefer performances that actually feel like performances, not just speeches. All interp events should create a cohesive story that slowly builds up to a memorable climax. Preference will also be given to pieces that have an important message, but I really dislike trauma porn and will rank you lower if I think you're abusing someone else's trauma.

DEBATE: I'm largely a speech judge, but I did do debate and am familiar with PF and WS. Treat me as a lay (and traditional) judge but know that I'll know if you're being abusive. The best way to win my ballot is through a clear comparative and even clearer speaking.

Please give trigger warnings when necessary—it's better to be safe than sorry.

Good luck! :)

*email: aud.fife@gmail.com

Hello!! My name is Chans (she/her). (John Paul Stevens HS ‘23 & UT ‘27)

You don't have to call me Judge or anything overly professional like that, Chans (pronounced chance) is fine!

I did speech and debate for two years in high school, with competition and (limited) coaching experience in Congress, competition experience in trad LD, PF, and Extemp, and judging experience in all of the above plus OO and World Schools Debate. I try to make my ballots as helpful and detailed as possible for the sake of your growth as a debater. If you have any questions about my decision or ballot, I'm more than happy to discuss and provide more insight so don't be afraid to shoot me an email! chansfrench.cf@gmail.com

If I'm your judge for an event that isn't detailed below, you're welcome to ask if I have any preferences!

Congress

This is by far my favorite event and the event I have the most experience in. I mainly use argumentation and how much you advance the debate as the way I will evaluate you as a speaker, and delivery is the last thing I consider. Next to each section, there's a rough percentage breakdown of how I will evaluate your performance.

argumentation (50%): Please don't rehash arguments, that might be obvious but to me, this looks like giving the exact same claim, warrant and/or impact as another speaker. There is a big difference between rehashing and building upon other's arguments by bringing in new warrants, impacts, or analyses. Please don't try to pawn off rehashing as building off others without adding anything fresh to the debate. If you plan on going late, make sure you’re weighing and debating, not reading a constructive without adding anything substantial to the debate. I will give you the 9 immediately if you give a constructive as the 10th speaker in a debate. Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I want to hear ARGUMENTS. I've been in my fair share of local congress rounds where every speaker is reading a different, independent, 100% prewritten speech that contributes nothing new/substantial to the flow of the round. Even I have been guilty of this. Be adaptable, it is the easiest way to stand out in a room full of 3-minute infos.

advancing the debate (40%): Whoever is doing the best job at proving that their side is winning the debate the best will generally get my top 6. This means analysis, comparatives, and weighing!!!! I also want to hear the implications that the points in your speech make to the overall flow of the round. Why is what you're saying so important to your side, how is it changing what we know about the round thus far, and why should I care as a judge (or non-congressperson if you're a true LARPer). This should seem pretty intuitive, but you would be surprised by how many people don't actually do this.

delivery (10%): I'm insanely lenient with how you choose to deliver your speech (legal pad, clipboard, laptop, iPad, sheet of paper, nothing at all), as long as YOU feel comfortable, that's all I care about. I understand being in the position of having not padded my speech and feeling like my performance will suffer because of it. Not many judges are like this, so please feel free to do whatever with your delivery. Fluency breaks are normal and are not that big of a deal, so show confidence in what you’re saying and the rest will follow.

misc/personal preferences:

1. Be respectful, yelling at each other or being aggressive during cross is one of the easiest ways to get ranked pretty low, and be mindful of each other’s pronouns, especially if they are visible on placards.
   
   

2. If you're going to give a humorous/stylized intro, please make sure the topic is appropriate, but otherwise, I love to hear some of your personality shine through!! Be warned though, I've watched an ungodly amount of congress rounds, and was in at least one every weekend for two years, so if you give a canned intro, I will most likely know and call you out on it.
   
   

3. POs will typically rank in my 3-8 depending on your performance and the performance of others in the round. You either have to be doing a really bad job as PO or it be a really good room of speakers for you to get dropped. I will generally try to make sure that PO's will always have a chance of breaking out of prelim.

Content warnings are super important and you should ALWAYS provide them if necessary, but also remember if you have content in your speech that requires a CW, your judges and PO cannot leave the room during your speech.

LD

an email chain is fine, speech drop is better though.

tech > truth, but in a trad way!

be respectful and clear and you'll get high speaks, be rude, passive-aggressive, or mean, i'm dropping your speaks. if you're experienced and hitting a novice, and way overdoing beating them, i'm dropping your speaks.

I mainly competed in trad/UIL LD, but I will evaluate any argument, as long as I can follow the argument link chain. Theory is okay, as long as it's clear what I'm supposed to be voting on. I am going to be honest, still not sure how to evaluate a K so I'd recommend not running one if I am your judge for the sake of fairness in my decision. Speed is okay as long as you have a doc that I can follow. Keep in mind though that following along to a doc while you're speaking and I'm trying to flow can become difficult for me, especially if I'm trying to catch every link.

If you can't explain your argument without relying on your evidence during cross or as a “warrant", you’ll have a hard time convincing me why you should get my ballot. Cards ≠ warrants.

PF

PLEASE don't read a K or theory (unless it is ACTUALLY conducive to a better debate space). There's not enough time and I will not know what to do with it on my flow. I prefer a good traditional PF round, with all your typical things. Weighing is one of the most important things to me in PF, as long as you're doing it, thats all I care about.

Extemp

I only competed in Extemp as a supplement to Congress, so my preferences are a lot more surface-level. Evidence is important, but I care way more that you can explain the points you are making in detail with good use of analysis. It's a snooze fest if all you're doing is telling me claims and cards. Substructure is cool, try to have fun with it. Fluency breaks happen, it's normal. Just shake it off and keep going. You won't auto 6 if you break fluency or pause for a second.

Remember to have fun and take care of yourself & good luck to all competitors!!

Congress-

Debaters- Looking for well constructed arguments that follow the main arguments in the debate round. Good responses to questions and good rebuttals to arguments.

PO- smooth round, fair spread of questions, and well managed precedence.

LD-

Debate- Looking for a value debated event, no dropped arguments, and no spreading. Whichever side upholds their value and criterion pairing the best will take the round.

Speaker Points- judged on calm speed, good tone, and eye contact with judge.

Extemp-

Persuasive and confident tone, well rounded knowledge on topic, three well constructed points, attention grabbing device is well connected to topic.

Original Oratory-

Follow the proper outline and leaves with a type of solution. Make this speech fun and passionate.

Hiii!!! My name is Rubick (or Rubi for short) and I really enjoy judging speech and debate rounds. I am more of a debater but I also enjoy a good speech/interp round. I did debate all four years of high school and mainly focused on WSD (with a side of extemp), so that is what I am the most comfortable with. If I am judging a round, there are a few things that I am looking for;

In World Schools Debate

1. Which team proves and justifies their side the most? Making sure you prove your arguments to be true is highly important as it gives me an idea of what your side looks like. It also proves that you are able to defend your side and outweigh your arguments.

2. Provide framework and characterization for your side. It helps to know what to look for in your arguments and case.

3. If you have a principle argument, explain why your argument is true and how it can be fulfilled. If you have a practical argument, make sure to give links to your argument and clear impacts. You should be able to use your arguments and compare them to your opponents. Don't tell me their argument is non-unique without telling me why. Or don't tell me your arguments are better than your opponents without telling me why. Keep in mind that there is always a WHY to an argument. Always make sure to weigh your arguments!

4. If your speech is organized and there is clear signposting then it is easy for me to follow what you are saying. With that being said, it doesn't mean I will prioritize style over content but it can help you get more points. Make sure to sound conversational and not like you are reading off a paper. Try to engage with your opponents during refutation or during POIs. It should feel consistent throughout the bench and like every speaker is doing what they are supposed to do. Should not be like speaker 3 bringing up information to salvage the round that should have been brought by speaker 2 which by then might be too late and wouldn't really count anymore.

5. Your POIs should be strategic. Make sure to try to ask POIs during every speech and try to take 1-2 throughout your speeches. A lack of POIs can look like a lack of engagement with your opponents. This doesn't mean you should be barricading your opponents with POIs, you must always be considerate.

Overall, make sure to have fun and enjoy the debate. I expect everyone to be nice and respectful during the round at all times.

In PF/LF

Although I am no expert, I have a couple of years of experience judging and a few times participating in either event.

PF: I like to see argumentation. Which side best utilizes the most to respond to their opponents? It also means having well-developed arguments that have warrants and impact. I also look to see if there is interaction or clash. How can you explicitly respond to an argument made by your opponent? Otherwise, the unaddressed argument will take the higher ground. Keep in mind how you respond to an argument and how you discredit your opponent’s arguments. This will help me see who is advancing the most significant arguments in the round. Since this is a team event, I also look for team balance. Make sure team effort between partners is noticeable. There should be consistency between the two, make sure both bring the same rebuttal or almost the same. I should not hear new arguments during the last few speeches. Lastly, I would prefer no spreading, but if you normally talk fast, just try your best to ensure that whatever you say is understandable.

LD: I will vote based on the debater most successful in protecting their side. Regarding the structure of argumentation, I look for who is the better debater by advancing ideas while also engaging in their opponent’s argument. I enjoy good delivery, warrant, and impact. When it comes to framework-level argumentation, I want to know why your framework makes you win, and respond to the framework always; What do you value? What is your value criterion? Which framework is best to evaluate the arguments? I want you to make sure you explain your side and engage with your opponents as much as possible. At the end of the round, I am voting for the right side because of how much you tried to persuade me and how much you showed me your side outweighs the other.

In Speech/Interp events:

Extemp: Although I know you only have 30 minutes to research and memorize a speech and it can be very challenging for some, (trust me, I struggled with this event too) I want you to try your best to inform me or persuade me of whatever it is that you are speaking about. Your speech should be easy to follow. Have a beginning, middle, and end. I love a good intro that makes me want to listen to more, even better if you can tie it up with your conclusion and your arguments should help you answer the question you are given. After your speech, I want to feel like I just learned something new even if it is about an event that has been talked about for years now. First and foremost, be confident! Nothing else matters if you yourself don't feel good about what you are doing.

Others: Have fun while you are sharing a story. Make sure to feel confident and know you gave it your all. I might not know much but I know these might be stories from real-life people and you should make sure you are not just telling a story but teaching your audience why this story or moment is important. Most importantly, be yourself and stay true to who you are.

Regardless of the event, I will always enjoy a good round. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to my personal email at rubickhernandez@gmail.com

Congress-

Above all else, your arguement needs to make sense and be backed up with valid evidence. I heavily appreciate and value presentation, but it is not necessary to win. Preferably, speakers can combine strong speaking skills with intelligent and thought out claims. This includes both structural arguements and clash. If a competitor is speaking after the fourth speech of a given legislation, there needs to be clash with some arguement presented by the opposing side. This requirement only grows more important the later into a round you are. As for my PO's, the requirements to get a high rank on my ballot are to simply run the chamber efficiently. Don't mess up the rules and remain completely impartial and unbiased when at all possible.

Speech-

characterization is one of the most important elements I will focus on for things like DI and POI. Other than that note, my expectations and what I look for in speech and the usuals and fairly obvious. Speak well and pour yourself into your role or topic. For things like info, the topic should be presented as well thought out and planned as you can make it. Engagement is a pretty big deal to me, so make sure your listeners have a reason to care about what you’re saying.

Winston Churchill ‘23

TU '27

they/she

Email chain: bking2@trinity.edu

Trinity University debate has plenty of scholarships! please don't hesitate to ask me about college debate!

T/L:

- promptness >> everything. disclosure when pairings are sent and sending the doc shouldn't take more than 10 seconds

- do what you do best, I have ideological biases but nothing good debate can't overcome

- please please please don't try to over adapt! I am perfectly capable and willing to listen to your best arguments

– Tech > truth

- I take judging very seriously to provide the most amount of education to everyone and to be respectful of the time and effort you put into this activity. As a result, I will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

- Please feel free to email me with any questions you have after the round, I am more than happy to clarify, send cards, or listen to a redo! [please include the tournament name and round in emails]

LD------

if tricks or phil debate is essential to your strategy i am likely not the judge for you, that being said I still know how to evaluate these debates.

it would behoove you to do evidence comparison and impact calculus

many of my policy thoughts are applicable

from every RFD i've ever given -"do not think about cross ex as an argument with your opponent, think about it as a conversation with the judge to showcase holes in your opponents argument. you should be asking questions, not making statements. look at the judge, not your opponent."

Policy-----

Topicality:

-- yeah!! I am willing to vote for T against any aff

-- I default to competing interps

-- evidence > community consensus

-- im totally open to whatever impact you can give the best 2nr on

-- the team with the best articulation of a season of debates under their interpretation and why its uniquely good is probably going to win my ballot. TVAs/Caselists can be helpful here.

Kritikal Affs/ Framework:

-- my thoughts here are probably best summed up by natalie stone, "I’ll probably like your k aff if it has a reason why people should negate it."

-- always down for a non fwk strat but specificity is always key

-- yes I've read kritikal affs but do NOT assume I know your lit base

-- I tend to lean neg in fwk debates but I find that topic-specific aff offense is pretty compelling. I am terminally unpersuaded by debate bad args.

-- the team with the most contextual offense and thorough comparisons of a model of debate is more likely to get my ballot.

K V Policy Affs:

-- potentially my favorite debates

-- I am of the opinion that the best K debate requires great case debate.

-- im well versed in cap, set col, anti-blackness, security, realism. Anything more niche than this is cool but make sure to explain.

-- read an alt or don't, but I tend to auto-filter the link debate through the scope of alt solvency. More than happy to hear why I shouldn't though.

-- link specificity goes crazy but I will also listen to shady piks

side note for policy affs:

explain how the perm solves individual links!! it would be great if this started in the 2ac.

I adore case debates and would love to listen to 13 minutes of author indicts + case turn

Counterplans:

-- yes please!

-- CPs should be functionally and textually competitive but I have certainly been on the most abusive side of this and I've also given the 1ar on theory. I don't lean a particular way here but impact calc and comparison goes a very long way.

-- solvency advocates are a must

-- cps cut from aff solvency ev will earn you speaker points

-- we let affs get away with permutation murder and it is my moral belief that written perm texts are best policy. i would probably find myself nodding along with the 2nr telling why the 1ars bizzare extrapolation of “perm do both” is illegitimate.

Disads:

-- yeah of course

-- not much to say here but link uniqueness and uq controls the link args are quite persuasive to me

-- a dramatic reading of the link wall and a substantial amount of time spent on impact calculus will make me oh so very happy. otherwise, I will be sad sifting through this "goes nuclear" mess

Theory:

SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN

-- condo is good but i will vote on it

-- i will judge kick the cp but the threshold for the aff convincing me not to is quite low

misc:

- I am quite expressive, you will probably know how I feel about your argument

- I am flowing cx, why you would use this as prep is beyond me.

- Evidence quality is very important to me: peer-reviewed, written by people with relevant quals, from reputable sites, etc. Well-done evidence comparison will be advantageous to you. I will not evaluate evidence that lacks citation.

- Insertions = thumbs down. If you didn't say it, I didn't flow it. Inserting egregious rehighlighting may be my only exception.

- I prefer to listen to complete arguments. I will not decide a debate based on a six word perm answer

As a former competitor at both the high school and collegiate level I am looking for strong content. This includes having a clear and compelling thesis or main idea, as well as supporting evidence and analysis that effectively communicates your message to the audience. I am also looking for speeches and interpretations that are well-organized and have a logical flow from start to finish.

In addition to content, I will also be evaluating delivery. This includes factors such as eye contact, vocal variety, pace, and overall presence. I want want to see speakers and performers who are confident, engaging, and able to hold the attention of the audience throughout their presentation.

Finally, I will be looking at style. This encompasses a range of factors, from the use of rhetorical devices and figurative language to the overall tone and mood of the speech or interpretation. I want to see speakers and performers who are creative, thoughtful, and able to use language in a powerful and effective way.

Hi everyone reading this! I am really excited to be judging your rounds, remember that just by being at a tournament you are already learning and improving so good job!

A little about me: I competed in Domestic/Foreign Extemp, Congressional Debate, Informative Speaking, and Policy in high school and my main event was Extemp. I qualified for NSDA Nationals in 2022, TFA state in 2020 and 2022, and the Kentucky Tournament of champions in 2020 all in extemp. I qualified for UIL State in informative speaking in 2021 and 2022. I always loved doing public speaking and extemp really was something I cared a lot about in high school and is something I pride myself on being knowledgable about.

Extemporaneous Speaking: I really like to see speeches with fluency, and not vocal fluency but grammatical fluency. What I mean is that It's nice if you keep talking but if you keep talking and it doesn't make much grammatical sense then I will have to take that into consideration when ranking you. Hand gestures are also a very important thing in a speech and I prefer that they don't seem forced or robotic. It really draws my attention away from you as a speaker and more towards your hands. Confidence is also important! If you aren't confident then it will hinder your speaking ability. Content-wise I really like unique arguments and using sources to back your claims ALWAYS helps. Make sure your arguments make sense and you aren't just spewing out random sources with no real warrants.

Interp/OO/Info: Personally what matters to me in these events is evoking emotion out of me and making me care about your performance or speech. If you can get me hooked then I am hooked, take me on a journey with your interp pieces! I did theatre in high school so I know about basic things like projection/articulation and I expect those to be good. As for OO/Info, I love niche topics, topics that no one picks, or topics that are super unique. I pretty much follow the norms in these events and presentation +confidence are everything!

PF: Your arguments matter and your job is to convince me that your argument is better than the other, I can adapt to most styles of debate although I will be honest and say I am a bit slow sometimes so try not to spread toooooo fast. If I can't understand the content of your argument or I don't even understand it then I won't vote for you. High theory debate if it is done in an appropriate way is fine, but if it is just a mess then I won't vote for you. Don't run racist/sexist/homophobic arguments, I feel like this should be an obvious thing to state but it is nice to clarify. When presenting evidence I prefer if it is specific examples and not just generalities, seriously my brain works a little slow when you just say a general and not a specific thing. I also really like it when things are explained and not just thrown out and hardly ever touched again. It helps a lot for me as a judge to fully understand your argument. If I can understand the argument then great, if I can't then it will make it hard for me to vote for your side. Also Source Wars are something I frown upon ( I really do not want to hear both sides clash back and forth about why their source is better than the other with very little explanation like how the author isn't credible without providing a reason as to why they are are not credible). If you can prove however that a source is genuinely biased and is bogus then I will drop that source from the flow

Congress: What I want most in a round is for it to be dynamic, Congress is meant to be a debate-centric event so I want to see some major clash (especially during the later speeches of a round). I want to be able to leave the round and remember you, preferably in a good way. Be memorable and make me remember you, round presence is super important, especially asking meaningful questions. Please try and get creative if your speeches have generic arguments and we have heard them in that cycle of debate already and change those arguments to shake things up more. It is REALLY helpful to keep that round and cycle of debate alive.

WSD: What I look for in these rounds is for clarity in the argument you are presenting (my opinion towards arguments is similar to PF so look at that part of my paradigm). Use the unique format of WSD and use it to your advantage by finding opportunistic moments to take down your opponent's arguments or prove why your arguments are better. I want to see strategy, be creative in the best way possible and utilize the format of the debate to your advantage.

I am a speech judge who has been doing this for several years and is experienced in judging various interp events, platform events, as well as extemp. I look for clean and creative blocking for interp events and hope to see authenticity in the piece. Topics should be original with a fresh perspective and should have a cohesive argument. I appreciate preparedness including a fully memorized piece. Overall I look for performances that are fluid, easy to follow along while being captivating, and if you’ve invested time and passion into the performance!

Quick About Me:

Hello, my name is Matthew "Matty" Mandell (They/Them)! I graduated from Roosevelt H.S. in San Antonio in 2019. During my four years as a high school competitor, I did a mix of Congress, Exempt, IEs, and a bit of LD at the local, state, and national level. At the collegiate level, I competed in British and Asian Parli for 2 years.

Congress

It's been said a 1000 times already, but I need to see debate in congressional debate rounds. Basic and/or canned arguments will not resonate with me as a judge. To be clear, argumentation is not just citing evidence (even if it's "good" evidence). I want you to engage other competitors more than the literature. You should use sources to validate your arguments rather than using the source as the argument.Identify the largest arguments coming from the other side, point out holes in it, describe how your arguments outweigh theirs, and contextualize why that matters in the round.TLDR: Spend more time on links and impacts than on evidence. Tackle the substance of arguments.

I appreciate unique arguments. While I don't want to see Ks or counterplans in Congress (let's be real, there isn't enough time), I am fine with running one large argument, multiple smaller arguments (as long as they make sense), disads, or just doing clash. As long as you are moving the debate forward in a productive way, I will evaluate your argument fairly. However, if we are in the 3rd or 4th cycle and you are repeating arguments we have already heard without substantial differentiation, I will probably drop you. Also,I really, really don't like constitutional/lack of funding arguments on neg without clear impacts. In Congress, we have to have the suspension of disbelief that the bills/resolutions we are debating could exist. That being said, if the bill is absurd (and it does happen), you are probably better off not debating the item than giving a "meh" speech about why it doesn't make sense unless you can clearly explain why the absurdity has real-world consequences. Who does it negatively impact if it passes? How much does it impact them?

Regarding presentation, I really don't mind what you do. Congress is a debate event so I am mostly focusing on that. Presentation is what I use to decide ranks when argumentation is super close; however, if I cannot understand your argument because of poor presentation, that will impact your rank.

For POs - as long as you are doing your job, the round is running smoothly, and the rules are being followed, you will rank well. That being said, please make a dedicated effort to be gender inclusive in your language. Avoid "Mr," "Ms," and "Mrs." We are in Congress - please refer to everyone as representative or senator.TLDR: You're fine as long as you're not sexist/transphobic.

IEs:

I really, really pay attention to the emotional journey of characters and the overall "story" of the piece. I want to see distinctions between your characters and see them develop throughout the performance. I think an unfortunate trend in Interp is certain characters used purely as transition or as a device to move the piece forward. If you're going to have different characters, have each of them be well rounded. Whether it be HI or DI, I want to be able to tell: Who the characters are, what they want, what the conflict of the piece is, how the conflict impacts/changes the character, some sort of clear conclusion, and a message that is congruent with that conclusion/emotional journey. That being said, I appreciate when competitors intentionally break norms in Speech to do something interesting with a clear purpose.

BQ: Good delivery is essential to making you a great debater. Don't speak so fast that I miss what you say and cannot flow. Clash is very important during the entire debate. If roadmaps are used, please make them short. In your constructive speech, main points should have claim, warrant and impact. If definitions are used, show me why yours is better than your opponents counter definitions. There should be a clear link to the framework. Make sure to signpost throughout the debate. Be civil during cross fires. Do not speak over each other as nothing will be understood. Make sure to include information found in cross fire in next speech as I don't flow during that time. Extend arguments in rebuttal speech. Bring up drops and explain why they matter in the debate. Consolidation speech should solidify your framework and extend arguments against opponent. At the end, give me voters and tell me why you won.

IEs: I've judged all IEs for 13 years for different circuits and different levels. On interpretation events, I look at who transported me into the story and kept me there. Make sure all movements (gestures, head, and other body movements) are done with purpose and should not distract from the selection being presented. Characterization is also very important to keep me in the story. Use the whole "stage" for your presentation if the event allows it. POI: You can incorporate the binder as a prop if you want. For all INTERP events: It's your performance. Entertain me! For informative, if you are using props, make sure they go with the topic and are easily handled. They don't need to be complicated. The simpler the better. On EXTEMPT/INF/OO, make sure to speak clearly avoiding excessive word crutches and cite your sources. Follow standard speech outline (including hook, intro in which the topic stated, a clear answer is given, and a preview of pts to be discussed is presented; body with pts supporting your answer to the question; and a conclusion in which the topic is restated, a clear answer is given, a review of the pts discussed is provided to tie speech together, and refer back to the hook to give a note of finality) and approach topic creatively. Make sure to actually answer the question (topic chosen) clearly and that the points discussed in the body of the speech support the answer. Use time wisely/effectively to fully develop the speech.

Congress: When preparing a speech, make sure to follow standard speech outline and cite your sources. Approach legislation creatively. If you speak later on in round, do not rehash old arguments already brought up by previous representatives. Bring in new arguments to advance the debate. Also, you must clash with opponents. Don't just give your speech. It's a debate after all. Bring up points mentioned by opposing side, show your view point and not just say they are wrong or you don't agree. Give specific reasons why you don't agree and provide the evidence to prove your point. Have your speech so well prepared that you will be able to defend it during cross and not stumble during questioning.

I’ll evaluate the round in whatever framework you place me in, and I’m fine with judging whatever form of argumentation you feel like presenting. However, I strongly prefer that you make that framework explicit — tell me what to vote on and why.

I want a balance between evidence/cards and analysis, especially later in the round.

Stylistically, I’m fine with speed as long as taglines and analysis are clear. If there is a clarity issue (not just speed but diction, volume, etc.), I won’t call clear or put down my pen; I'll continue attempting to flow and what doesn’t make it onto the flow won’t be evaluated — it’s your responsibility to make sure that I can understand you. **NOTE: in an online format, I’m much more lenient about speech clarity — if I can’t understand you due to mic issues, etc. I’ll let you know in the chat. I'll follow the TFA guidelines for tech time (10 minutes of tech time) for most rounds. Beyond this time, we will start running prep.**

I like very structured speeches with clear signposting, clear organization, delineation between arguments, etc.

Add me to the email chain — my email is colbymenefee@utexas.edu. Also feel free to email me if you have any questions about your ballot, the round, etc. Do not email me paradigm questions before the round — I’m glad to discuss my paradigm further and answer specific questions in-round, where your opponent can also hear my answers.

Overall (Speech):Speech is a game of engagement with the audience, and your efforts should be towards engaging the audience with the message of your piece. My ranks are always based primarily on this. Of course, there are many tools to engage an audience, and your choice to use them and your effectiveness with them will vary.

Oral Interpretation: In interpretation events (HI, DI, DA, DUO, POI, PR, PO), I am looking for a performance that creates a significant personal or social meaning from the literature chosen. I am also looking for a performance that shows emotional and tonal complexity and a range that is both suitable for the piece and is demonstrative of the skills of the interper.

There should also be intentionality in the decisions made in the interpretation of the piece. For example, all the blocking employed in the piece should have a purpose and should not seem haphazardly included in the performance. This also goes for what is included in the cutting of the piece, for the words spoken, the emotions, sound effects, etc. conveyed should all contribute to the message you are trying to convey in your interpretation.

Public Address: In Public Address or Platform events (IX/FX, USX/DX, OO, INFO), I am looking for speeches that add novelty and insight to the topic of the speech. Making the topic relevant and understandable to a general audience is necessary for success in these speeches.

Speeches in these categories are more effective and engaging when they employ a variety of pacing and tone that convey to the audience the significance and emotional stakes of the points you make. On top of clear speaking and style, one needs to create the engagement for the audience with their voice through these tools. In general a conversation

Speeches should be well organized and easy to follow for the audience. They should have clear but original signposting to help the audience keep track of where they are in the speech.

Lincoln-Douglas:

I'm a speech coach, and this is not my preferred event. That being said, I am rather traditional when it comes to judging LD with heavy emphasis on the battle of values and achievement of the value criterion through your use of your evidence.

I have some debate experience through high school, but consider me more of a lay/UIL circuit judge.

Speed is okay if you are understandable, but I should not have to read along to understand you, if I can't flow it, it didn't happen. Elements of progressive debate such as theory and K are fine but have to be well justified within the context of the debate, otherwise, I'm not sure it'll make it to my flow.

Speaks are awarded on quality of debate based on speaking and presentation with 28 being the average debate performance, lower being, well, lower, and being among the best I've seen will be awarded a 29-29.5. If you are somewhere in between you will be awarded somewhere in between.

Hello!

My name is Valeria Najera. I graduated from Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, Texas. I am a former high school speech competitor, and currently a collegiate speech performer at The University of Texas at Austin. There I frequently compete in Interp and Public Address. I have been a competitor for 5 years and I love helping other students. This far into the year I have qualified Poetry, Dramatic Interpretation, and Communication Analysis for the national competition.

When I judge interpretation events, I look for emotional levels. It is very important to me that I see each character presented go on an emotional journey. Every character should be different from where they started. I think it is extremely important that as a judge I can tell that students have made an emotional connection to the characters they perform. I also find introductions to be important to the overall rank of the piece. I want to see a relevant and well-thought out argument. In addition, I love when performers take risks.

For Public Address I want to see a professional speech, but at the same time, I want to see you having fun! I personally loving seeing PA events where I can see performers personality shine through.

Overall, I look less for small mistakes like a stumble or an awkward page turn, but instead I look for bigger picture moments that influence the overall feeling of a piece.

Flower Mound 22 | UT 26

I did speech and debate all 4 years of high school. I qualed for all the things in info and NSDA in DUO. So I am most qualified in speaking events (Info, OO, extemp), however, I have some experience in most events.

Include me in the email chain-tanishapadhi@utexas.edu

Debate

I'm a flay judge. I will be flowing and will try my best to vote off it but don't have much technical knowledge. Speed: don't spread in PF;

OO/INFO

These events are equal parts content and delivery.

Content:Is your topic relevant and how effectively do you communicate that? If you're giving us solutions, I'm looking for something tangible, rather than some blanket statements. As for visual aids, I appreciate creativity as long as they are clean, not distracting, and complement your argument meaningfully.

Delivery: Above all I want to see you have fun with your speech. The more you care about your topic the more your audience will. Your delivery should be purposeful and mindful of the content.Your presentation as a competitor is evaluated throughout the round: the way you carry yourself, your confidence, the way you interact with other competitors.

Interp

I evaluate interps in two main categories: how clean it is and how well the performer can embody the characters. If you are playing multiple characters do you characterize them well enough for me to easily distinguish them? Is your setting well blocked and are you consistent with those blockings? Are the decisions being made in your performance motivated by the character and their story? How well can the performer follow the rising action/climax/falling action in their piece? What is the message your are telling me through this character?

-Extemporaneous Events:

I personally did not compete in these events so I'm not as well-versed in them however, I think a clear and concise speech is the best route. By plainly pointing out each of your points and then tying them all together to a clear conclusion would be best for me to understand and critique properly. Evidence is also very important, I think the best is having 1-2 sources tied to your points for a valid speech. Virtual delivery the same, just make sure to not move around too much as you maybe would in an in-person speech delivery.

-Original Oration/Informative:

Please make sure there's a distinct difference between an OO and an Info. How I was told is that Original Oration should have more persuasive and argumentative points in your speech versus Informative is just informing your audience on a specific topic of your choosing. Similar to extemp, it's best to have a clear and organized speech. If the speech is confusing and disoragnized then the topic can get a diffiult to follow.

-Intepretation Events:

I think introductions should be simple and short, if you have a personal connection to the piece that you are comfortable sharing then share it. For the virtual speeches, it can be challenging because not everyone has the same resources or space as others and that's okay! Just try to engage as much as you can with the audience, the more simple the blocking the better sometimes. Character work is very important to interp events, if trying to convey multiple characters and I, as a judge, cannot differentiate between each character then it can be confusing. If you are just conveying one character then really work out the details and mannerisms of this character. As far as appropriateness goes, I really don't mind swearing or mature content as long as it has a point (especially for cursing, do not curse just to curse.) All in all, tell a story that is what interp to me is about. If you have a story that you want other people to hear and a story that you are passionate about then that should be enough for me as a judge to see and understand.

Interp Events-

- I focus on solid storytelling. The most important piece of the puzzle is the script, please don't forget to hold true the story as a whole even though we are only seeing ten minutes of it.Connecting to the audience, it's about telling the story to us, so a solid connection to the audience is important. We want to laugh and cry with you. Cleanliness does impact my ranking, Dont forget you are not speaking FOR them, you are speaking AS them. It is an ownership that you should take seriously. If you don't tell the story, how will they continue to live?

SPEAKING EVENTS/Debate

• Be specific with the topic at hand
• Not a fan pf spreading
• please be respectfull
• I pay the most attention during cross, like a lot. So please keep that in mind

Make sure your speech flows and each point connects to the last and the next.

• - We may not know anything about the topic at hand, think of yourself as a professor sharing knowledge, teach us.
• If you stumble over your words, keep going forward, don't go back unless that information was so important you need to recover it.

- Strong supporting material is key, like any good research paper the more recent the source the better. And with that strong source material is also important to the strength and legitimacy of your speech.

- Solid confident delivery style

Hey! My Name is Conor Rice

I am one of your traditional style judges! I am an NSDA Alumni and I used to compete in the various speaking events.

What I Look for as a Judge:

Speaking Events (OO, INFO, NX, DX, FX)

I look heavy on the content side of these speeches because good content is what makes a speech truly effective. I also do expect a performance of a good content speech is pointless if it is not well presented. I want to feel that personal reason why I should care about the topic. Bring me into the topic and hit me with the facts through an engaging speech. For INFO I want to see the true connection with the audience do not let your props become an obstacle.

Acting Events (Prose, Poetry, HI, DI, POI, DUO, DUET)

I want to see the story (beginning, middle, and end) of your piece and you truly feel it. The pieces that make it the furthest are the ones where you can see the person having fun and loving it. I want to be able to tell this piece is well-rehearsed and not thrown together minutes before the round. I love good blocking and choreography and will always highlight it in the feedback I write. I also look for the small details the attention to detail in the blocking. Ex: How you hold and pick up things.

Debate Events:

LD/PF:

I am looking for a clear framework and articulated argument with a clear structure. Tell me your value and crit and side post so I know exactly where you are in the argument.

WSD:

I need to see a clear framework and structure for the speeches and arguments. In the reply speech, I really want to see you clarify your team's argument and crystalize it, don't use this time to attack the other case.

Sincerely, Conor Rice

Congress

For introductions, please try and avoid canned introductions. I want to hear what you have to say on a bill that you are passionate about, not what sounds clever.

When citing evidence, be sure to elaborate as to why that evidence is useful and actually link it to your arguments. Reading your evidence is not clash, identifying opposing arguments and using evidence to poke holes in other arguments is clash.

Be professional and polite to your fellow competitors. Debate is an educational experience where you can develop good life skills, establish connections and friendships, and speak on issues that you are passionate about. While this is a competition, it is not worth it to be hostile or disrespectful to your fellow debater who is also passionate about an issue.

Clash is a must in late round speeches, I do not want to hear a constructive speech 8 speeches into a bill.

While questions are important and show that you are engaged in the debate, please do not waste questioning time by asking a 20 second question with no real question. Make sure questions are clear, concise, and further the debate.

I generally rank POs favorably if the round is running smoothly and you are doing your job.

In dramatic events, I am looking for clear characterization, strong emotional connections, and understanding of the piece. I want you to draw me in and let me feel with your characters.

In humorous events, I am looking for clear and concise characterizations that are easy to differentiate and follow, and a good sense of comic timing with the piece.

Duo and Duet, I am looking at the same things, but also strong interactions between the different characters.

In Informative, Oratory, and the Extemps, I am looking for a good conversational style with good use of gesture and confidence in your speeches. Know your stuff, or at least look like you know your stuff.

I am overall going to also look at technique and seek for it to be clean and clear.

Congress:

• Respectful clash is a must!
• Looking for organized speeches with some kind of evidence (real-world impacts; examples/references, context/background).
• Prefer conversational, dynamic speaking style with good eye contact.
• Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through your speeches; that keeps the round interesting!
• Make your questions count; well-thought out questions that help bolster your side of the debate could make a difference in where you are ranked.
• Always looking for speakers who respond to questions directly; Answers should demonstrate you have done your research on the topics.
• It's always good to point back to the bill or amendment during the debate; remind us of the heart or spirit of the legislation.
• Original thinking and creativity is a bonus!
• Stay engaged during the round, and demonstrate you are actively listening to the opposing side's arguments.
• Effective POs will receive a high ranking as long as they demonstrate leadership and keep the round running smoothly. Don't let the room get stuck, and help ensure everyone gets a chance to speak.

Interp Events:

• The best intros represent your own voice/perspective, provide a little background to prepare us for what we are about to watch and set up the proper mood/tone for the selection.
• Looking for well-developed characters, complete with consistent voice, stance/posture/placement, mannerisms and facial expressions.
• Multiple characters should be distinct, and transitions between characters should be polished and smooth.
• Creative blocking/movement/use of folder is definitely a bonus! But be sure the movement has purpose and does not detract from the performance.
• Please don't forget to have fun with your performance and don't be afraid to let your personality shine through the selection. That will always help bring the story to life.

I did not do debate in high school or college.

I have coached speech and debate for 20 years. I focus on speech events, PF, and WSD. I rarely judge LD (some years I have gone the entire year without judging LD), so if I am your judge in LD, please go slowly. I will attempt to evaluate every argument you provide in the round, but your ability to clearly explain the argument dictates whether or not it will actually impact my decision/be the argument that I vote off of in the round. When it comes to theory or other progressive arguments (basically arguments that may not directly link to the resolution) please do not assume that I understand completely how these arguments function in the round. You will need to explain to me why and how you are winning and why these arguments are important. When it comes to explanation, do not take anything for granted. Additionally, if you are speaking too quickly, I will simply put my pen down and say "clear."

In terms of PF, although I am not a fan of labels for judges ("tech," "lay," "flay") I would probably best be described as traditional. I really like it when debaters discuss the resolution and issues related to the resolution, rather than getting "lost in the sauce." What I mean by "lost in the sauce" is that sometimes debaters take on very complex ideas/arguments in PF and the time limits for that event make it very difficult for debaters to fully explain these complex ideas.

Argument selection is a skill. Based on the time restrictions in PF debate, you should focus on the most important arguments in the summary and final focus speeches. I believe that PF rounds function like a funnel. You should only be discussing a few arguments at the end of the round. If you are discussing a lot of arguments, you are probably speaking really quickly, and you are also probably sacrificing thoroughness of explanation. Go slowly and explain completely, please.

In cross, please be nice. Don't talk over one another. I will dock your speaks if you are rude or condescending. Also, every competitor needs to participate in grand cross. I will dock your speaks if one of the speakers does not participate.

For Worlds, I prefer a very organized approach and I believe that teams should be working together and that the speeches should compliment one another. When each student gives a completely unique speech that doesn’t acknowledge previous arguments, I often get confused as to what is most important in the round. I believe that argument selection is very important and that teams should be strategizing to determine which arguments are most important. Please keep your POIs clear and concise.

If you have any questions, please let me know after I provide my RFD. I am here to help you learn.

Pronouns: he/him

Hi there!

Most importantly, I want y'all to know that I am a parent judge, and a novice one at that, but I assure you, you'll have my full attention and respect during every round I judge.

Any homophobia, sexism, ableism, racism, etc. against your opponents or your own teammates will result in an automatic loss. I will immediately stop following the debate and will report the behavior to your coaches.

Debate is about respect. If you don’t show respect your opponents, or me, that will significantly impact your speaks and your ballot. Attempting to make your opponent feel bad about themself is not acceptable, and it will have a negative impact on your score.

Speed is ok, but please articulate and speak at a volume that I can hear from several yards away. Spreading is difficult to flow, so please avoid it whenever possible.

Please don’t present any Theory or K’s, because I don’t know how to flow those.

I most likely will not disclose after round; I like to take time to articulate my thoughts on your performance in writing out of respect for the work you've put into your debate.

If you want to send me pictures of your cats, or see pictures of my cats, my email is acwlazlowski@gmail.com :)

As a judge, and a mom, I’m always rooting for you and want you to do well! GOOD LUCK!

Speech:

First off, I’m gonna be biased here, speech is my ABSOLUTE favorite! Here are some individual things you can do to maximize your success in these events.

General:

Creativity, character, and confidence! That’s how you can impress me and get a great ranking if I’m your judge.

Being respectful during other’s speeches is absolutely necessary. If you don’t want someone texting, eating, moving whilst you’re trying to give your speech then don’t do it to others!

If you make a mistake, remember, I DON’T KNOW! I don’t have your script! Stay calm, and keep going!

Info:

If your boards fall, don’t worry! Im not going to rank you down for it, accidents happen. I look for clear speakers, with a well structured speech. Sourcing is always good, make sure the information you cite is relevant.

Oratory

Similar to info, annunciate and make sure to truly convey your message. Movements and actions are always fun and engaging!

Interp:

Y’all there is a line. Interp can be one of the absolute best events to experience as a judge, but not if the content is excessively vulgar. Im fine with swearing and vulgar pieces, but please just don’t make it nasty to where I want to leave the room. Please? This is mainly for HI but don’t abuse other people’s trauma! Make your character come to life, make it seem natural!

This is for DI specifically, I’m probably going to cry. And maybe a lot. But! Please don’t feel like you haven’t impressed me if I’m not sobbing; some pieces are more touching for personal reasons than others are. Just make your character as moving and piece as powerful as possible and you will like your rank!

Extemp:

This event is pretty easy to judge in terms of what I look for:

-structure (Intro 3 points conclusion)
-sourcing (Not just for the “I added some sources to my speech,” check box, but rather to support your point and what you’re saying”

-Hey it’s out of your control if you get a boring question, keep me interested and engaged and it won’t really matter what your question is!

-Avid supporter of Taylor Swift if you wanna use an AGD for her… (Favorite album is 1989 of course)

Other speech events:

I don’t know a whole lot about other speech events, but I love to see new events and see new styles of Speech! If you don’t see anything on here for specifics, ask me about them or maybe even tell me something useful for judging before.

Congress:

This is one of the first times that I'm judging Congressional Debate. Please be patient. I've learned how to judge it, but some of the logistics of the round may throw me off because congress is based off of role playing congressional officials.

I value not only speeches, but also the way you behave in questioning, recess, etc. If you give really great speeches, but you are disrespectful or rude in questioning, you’re not going to like your rankings.

Again, I reiterate, I'm really big on respect. You guys all work so hard to prepare so I ask that you give everyone in your chamber the same level of attention and respect you'd like to receive yourself. If you are respectful to me and most importantly, your opponents, I'm more likely to rank you higher for exhibiting the respect the round and your opponents deserve and keeping the round running smoothly.

For my PO: I appreciate you running the round and making it as efficient as possible. If you run a good chamber, I will give you a good rank. If you run a chaotic chamber with frequent mistakes and pauses, your rank will most likely be impacted. PLEASE bring it to the attention of the PO if there is a mistake in round. I want to make sure the round is running as fair as possible

In speeches I look for an equal balance of content and style. I look for people being active in the round as well. If person A gives one great speech throughout the entirety of the round, and person B gives three decent speeches but is always questioning and very active, person B will be who I most likely rank higher.

I think Congress specifically has really good potential for personality as well. I appreciate fun AGD’s, a good tone, decent volume, and smile. The point here is to have fun and be confident. Make judging fun for me as well, and your rank will affect it.

Try not to rehash, and if it reaches a point in which it’s just the same 4 points over and over, move to previous question. I want to make sure everyone gets a speech.

Recess is not for prepping a speech, it’s not fair to take time away from others because you didn’t prep. Please try to keep the chamber running!

I wish you all the best and I’m super excited to see you in round! Good luck!