Congressional Debate:

I competed in Congressional debate for four years. I don't think it would be very productive for me to tell you how to do Congressional debate because you probably know how to speak clearly, signpost, and refute. I place a lot of value on clear warrants, impacts, and weighing. I’ve judged PF and LD for years - I flow, and I don’t mind speed. Please do not spread or run theory on me.

I studied Public Policy and Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill. During my studies, I published a chapter exploring the intersection of politics and Islam in France, and an article detailing how the video game Old School RuneScape critically supports the economy of Venezuela.

I have seen every Liam Neeson action movie and have studied this topic very deeply. In 4,000 words, I have laid out the case that all of these movies, from The Commuter and Non-Stop to Unknown and the glorious Taken trilogy, exist in the same cinematic universe in which Liam plays one character. A tragic but brave life it is.

I now work in the tobacco industry.

Do your best. Good luck.

Second time judging congress…

Don’t speak too quickly or be dismissive of other competitor's questions and/or comments.

I LOVE big personalities, eye contact, thoughtfulness, creativity, and fresh ideas. Remember that only dead fish swim with the stream!

Happy debating!

I have over twenty years experience working for the NC Department of Public Safety. I teach a Law and Justice elective at Cuthbertson HS. I enjoyed working in the criminal court system and appreciate those of you that have the skills to make good oral arguments. I place a value on respecting other opinions and proper decorum. It is much harder to make a good point about an unpopular opinion, therefore I take notice the level of difficulty. Lastly, I feel it is very important to be able to adapt to the current debate.

Second year parent judge.

CONGRESS:

My Congress comments should have speech/PO criteria ratings based on National Forensic League training guidance between 3-6, entered as you're speaking so you have some minimal feedback on how I decided on final score for individual speech and eventual ranking. 3=Mediocre, 4=Proficient, 5=Excellent, 6=Superior

Examples: Originality of Thought, Organization and Unity, Evidence and Logic, Delivery.

I also attempt to score (in comments) how you handle questioning of your speech.

If time allows, I attempt to give constructive written feedback in the comments as well. Overall rankings take into account your entire performance in the round.

SPEECH:

Second year judging speech. The most polished student in a round with an easy to follow and interesting presentation (while also satisfying rules/objective/criteria of particular event) generally rises to the top of the rankings in my rounds. Please don't rush your introductions/teasers as it really helps me follow the rest of the piece.

I've also decided to try and assign speaker points to three main categories in your feedback depending on the speech event. This is to hopefully give you some minimal feedback indicating the elements of your piece that may have room for improvement. I always attempt to give detailed comments as well, but time doesn't always allow for this.

Points listed in comments do not necessarily average or add up to your final speaker point score.

27=Average, 28=Above Average, 29=Excellent, 30=Superior

From the National Forensic League:

INTERPRETATION (DI, DUO, HI)

Characterization

Is each character well-developed? Is each character relatable? Does a character’s response seem believable given the situation being portrayed?

Blocking

Can you tell what the performer is doing in the scene? Is it clear what character(s) they are playing? Is the movement motivated?

Cutting

Do you understand what is happening? Is the story line easy to follow? Does the sequence of events make sense?

PROGRAM ORAL INTERPRETATION

Programming
Were at least two of the three genresof literature (Poetry/Prose/Drama)used in the program? Did all of theliterature contribute to the theme orargument? Did the flow of theperformance make sense? Was therea balance among genres in theperformance?

Blocking
Can you tell what the performer wasdoing in each scene? Was it clearwhat selection the performer wasusing in each section? Did theperformer maintain control of themanuscript at all times? Was themovement motivated in theperformance?

Characterization
Did each selection have distinct andengaging characters? Did theperformance match the genre (e.g.,did the performer emphasize poeticelements when performing a Poetryselection)? Was the performancedynamic?

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING

Relevance:

Is the topic timely? Is the thesis clearly established? Does the delivery assist in establishing the importance of the topic?

Relatability:

Can the audience relate to the topic? Is the delivery personable? Does the speaker establish how others are impacted by the topic? Does the speaker do a good job informing?

Originality:

Does the speaker address the topic in a unique, inventive way? Are the supporting examples new and interesting?

EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING

Argumentation and Analysis

Is the student directly answering the question? Does the student develop justifications for their ideas and establish the significance of their points? Have they established a clear understanding of the topic area?

Source Consideration

Does the speaker offer a variety of sources? Are the sources provided credible? Are appropriate citations used when citing a source?

Delivery

Is the student using voice, movement, and expression effectively? Is the speaker confident? Is there consistent eye contact? Is the volume appropriate?

ORIGINAL ORATORY

Importance

Is the topic significant? Is the thesis clearly established? Does the delivery assist in establishing the importance of the topic?

Relatability

Can the audience relate to the topic? Is the delivery personable? Does the speaker establish how others are impacted by their topic? Is the rhetoric of the speech inclusive?

Originality

Does the speaker address the topic in a unique, inventive way? Are the supporting examples new and interesting?

STORYTELLING

Tone
Does the performer's voice alignwith the type of story they'vechosen to tell? Is it clear this storywould be suitable for children tohear?

Expressiveness
Does the presenter bring thewords to life using effectivetechniques to convey appropriateemotion? Do the presenter’sfacial expressions aid the overalldelivery of the presentation?Does the presenter seem engagedin the literature?

Relatability
Is the presenter delivering thestory in a manner that wouldengage young children? Does thepresenter effectively establish aconnection to the audience? Iseye contact used to engage theaudience?