i normally debate LD and IPDA and nothing really else.

i’m 2024-2025 BWHS debate chairwoman

please be respectful and calm during round, if your rude or start sassing me or your opponent your speaks will be droppedsubstantially.

i do not like spreading but can tolerate it, please warn me beforehand.

i prefer clear linking and line by line analysis so its easier to flow for me, but as long as you signpost you should be fine.

project and tell me why i should care, in most rounds i start out as someone who will not know or pretend to know nothing about the topic. make it clear why it affects me and matters to me, or im more likely to lose your speech.

Hi guys! I am in my second year of debate and I have competed in IPDA and Public Forum. I am looking for confident speakers when judging. I want you to sound like you know what you’re talking about even if you don’t. If I am judging your debate round I would like to hear more sources than opinion depending on the topic. Make sure you know your case. If your topic requires it and try to be clear and slow when speaking. Overall I just want you guys to do your best and be comfortable and confident when speaking.

Hi my name is Annika and I am a Junior at Bentonville West High School. I am mainly a debate student, but I have done a little bit of competing in forensics. For debate I normally compete in Lincoln-Douglas and was State Runner-Up in Lincoln-Douglas last year, so that is definitely my style and what I know the most about. Here is what I'm looking for in rounds :

First and foremost, please please please be REPESCTFUL! If at any time during the round you are rude and gain an attitude with me our your oppenent I will dock your speaks. If you are truly a good debater you should be able to when while remaining entirely respectful. Second of all your speed, I do not mind speed at all, I tend to talk at a quick speed when I am debating myself. But if you cannot talk clearly at the rate you are speaking, you do not need to be speaking that fast. I would much rather be able to understand what you are saying and miss a few pieces of evidence than you talk so unclear that I can't get anything you say down on my flow. If I can't understand what you are saying it is not going to make it on my flow, therefore lowering your chances of winning. Third, please connect your framework. If you keep repeating your evidence but don't connect it to your framework it lowers your argument, same with refuting your opponents. You have to say why the framework makes your case better not just state that it's better.

If there is anything else you want to know feel free to ask me before we start our round! I look forward to seeing some great rounds!

Hi! My name is Evy (eh-vee)

I've done a lot of Congress and never fail to go back to it, but I also very much enjoy PF and World Schools. Besides this, I have done Policy a few times and often to Impromptu.

my email:

personal- evygclark@gmail.com

school- clarkev@bentonvillek12.org

How I judge

MAKE DEBATE INTERESTING

I want clash, passion, relevance and rebuttal

Don't keep repeating your contentions without bringing anything new to debate

Speak passionately and confidently

Bring some heat to the debate but keep it civil

Make things lighthearted as well, add some humor- make me want to be here!!!

I'm not too strict on timing but do not overly abuse it or it will hurt you

Congress:

Use your time and speech wisely, this is not a race to spit out at much as information as possible, deliver the speech in a way that convinces your audience.

Parli:

Point of order to keep debate flowing, not to disrupt it. If you are point of ordering unnecessarily just to receive your parli points I WILL rank you lower.

Will rank based off of interaction and relevance in the round and how well you use Roberts Rules of Order.

PF/IPDA:

I will only judge you on what you say or don't say. If your opponent drops your point but you don't tell me that then I will ignore it.

Lets go into round and have fun, be nice to each other and have an enjoyable debate. Feel free to ask me any questions about anything- and if i'm wrong (to an extent, and more about technical things) do not be afraid to politely correct me, just do not argue with my decisions at the end of the round. Good luck everyone!

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General:

I am a varsity debater and do not judge often, so please be patient with me.

Voters: I value logic and argumentation. I will weigh evidence on relevance and quality, not on quantity. I value both scientific and philosophical evidence, however, if you link out your case with more probable or evident examples, this will give you an advantage. I expect well thought out argumentation and refutation. Please spell it out for me, make your links and argumentation clear and easy to understand. If your opponent's argumentation has holes, point them out to me or I may not take that into account when making a decision. Setting burdens will be helpful to you.

Speaks: I will almost never award points under 25 unless you are demonstrating blatant prejudice, disrespect, or discrimination against the opponent, judge, or any group of individuals (any exhibition of racism, sexism, ect., will cost you the round.) Please do not spread. How well you speak will be weighed in my decision, however, it is not the most important factor. If you speak well but your argument is weak, you are not likely to win.

LD:

I do not enjoy counter plans and will not weigh the round on solvency. Lincoln Douglass is a values debate, therefore it is not weighed on how to solve a problem, rather what we as people should value and why. Impacts are helpful to your case. If you do present a counter plan, please include a value. I understand that you cannot just change your case 10 minutes before round, therefore I will do my best to set aside bias against progressive LD. That being said, you still must fulfill either a value of your own or fulfill your opponents value. Again, I will judge the round on argumentation and refutation.

Decorum:

Above all else, be respectful. Aggression is not intelligence. I do not enjoy rounds in which competitors belittle or disrespect each other, or try to insinuate that the other is of lesser character. Make it a good round and have fun!

hi ,

I haven´t been to a lot of tournaments but I have competed in PF and IPDA.

I haven´t competed in congress,but it is one of my favorite styles of debate .

When judging i´m looking for Loud confident speaking

I don ´ t mind if you speak fast, I understand that nerves can change the pace of your speech so whatever pace you need is fine ,but I prefer conversational pace.

i´m also looking for definitions, I also enjoy knowing how you Interpret the topic or resolution.

I find debates are really strong when you have lots of CREDIBLE cards/sources.

Keep debate friendly. keep a good tone between opponent , stay respectful .

I absolutely do not tolerate any form of hate speech (Racism, homophobia, Anti-Religion,etc).

FILL YOUR TIME

lastly, HAVE FUN.

Tech over truth

I am a debater who cares more about argumentation than framework debate. The framework should serve the debate not vice versa. I want to be convinced that your side is the most true.

Don't spread.

Be respectful, of course, part of being a good speaker is appealing to your audience, and being disrespectful does not. I will dock speaker points.

Hello! I have been a debater on the circuit for 4+ years and mostly compete in public forum and impromptu though I have had experience in almost every debate style and a few forensics events. I have also attended NSDA Nationals in both policy and public forum debate. I truly enjoy the speech and debate world and I hope you have a good time competing!

As far as debate goes, please make sure to state all your points clearly, be kind to your competitor, and weigh HEAVILY on impact calculus. I believe that this is what helps a team win the round the most. Also, make sure that there is linkage for everything. A weak link is the easiest way to lose a round. I do not flow crossfire but I do listen, but make sure you resay any important points that came up during crossfire in your next speech. Line by line argumentation is also a good way to go.

As far as forensics goes, make sure that you are loud, confident, and that you speak clearly. Most of all no matter what event you do, have fun!!

Hello! My name is Manvitha Narasimhan, and I'm a sophomore at Bentonville High.

TRADITIONAL DEBATE STYLES AND IPDA

Cases - Do not make claims without a foundation. I expect to hear evidence backing up every statement you make in round. However, while I will make a mental note, I also believe that it's the responsibility of the opponent to call out evidence issues, whether it's dates or credibility. Tell me if their source is unreliable!

Framework - I take framework very, very seriously as a judge. At the end of the round, my evaluation of both original cases and weighing will be based upon framework, so I fully expect you to bring it through in every single speech. Additionally, if your opponent brings up a counter-framework, I am not going to be the one evaluating the round through two different frameworks. As a judge, I expect YOU to be doing the weighing for me. If there's two different frameworks presented in a round, then I expect to hear weighing and rebuttal from both speakers addressing both frameworks. Pro's running net benefits and Con's running structural violence? Great. Pro and con rebuttal should address why you best meet BOTH frameworks. Or if you want to switch it up? Why your opponent's FW is a terrible way to frame this debate. Please don't make me weigh for you. I expect framework to be mentioned in all speeches.

Rebuttal - I'm a debate kid, I can identify flaws in arguments just fine. I will be evaluating rebuttal at the end of the round on how much of their case you addressed, rebuttal strength, how well you chose which parts of their case to address, and how much time and energy you devoted to each. I love some clash, it's what makes debate interesting for me. CARRY ALL REBUTTAL THROUGH ALL OF YOUR SPEECHES. If you make a great point in your second speech and then never bring it up again, that point is 'dropped', but more than that it makes the debate less fun. I will note dropped arguments from both sides when evaluating the round.

CX -I don't flow CX, and while I'll try to make sure you're not screaming or re-enacting the Hunger Games on the spot, I will not be paying too much attention. Your opponent cedes in CX? Cool, it's not going on my flow unless in your next speech you say "my opponent ceded in cross". Nothing that happens in there will be on my flow or factored into my decision. Be civil, but don't be afraid to push your opponent to explain what you want them to say.

Speaks - I appreciate good speaking, I'm a Congress and WSD kid. What I will NOT do is take your speaking into consideration when evaluating the round. As long as you're comprehensible, I'll weigh your arguments. If you want to talk fast, go ahead, but remember that I will be using my flow to figure out what was said in round, so if I can't understand what you're saying, I can't decide if what you're saying is good.

Overall - Emphasize weighing and argumentation. I want to see clear signposting - "my opponent's first contention", "next is framework" helps me keep track of what is being said and adds to your speaks. Importantly, my personal philosophy is that I will not flow it if it isn't specifically said in your speech. If your opponent is wrong, concedes, or drops something, call it out or I will not count it against them. Please give me voters and weighing in your last few speeches! And most importantly, have fun! Debate should be entertaining for everyone, so try to enjoy it if you can.

Extra speaks points if you can make a Hunger Games or Survivor reference somewhere in your speech. :)

Add me to the email chain at manvitha.narasimhan@gmail.com and PLEASE email me if you have questions about decision, RFDs, speaks, or anything else.

Thanks for reading my stupidly long paradigm. Good luck and happy prepping!

Debate:

I am a logical thinker. If you can connect the dots in a logical manner then it will make more sense to me.

You can't just say that something happens. Explain why it happens and what that means. Why should I care?

That and I would prefer if you didn't spread.

If you start to stutter I won't count off or think less of your abilities. Take your time, get your thoughts together, and speak when ready.

Do not treat the opponent poorly. If you start acting maliciously or "bully" your opponent, I will start counting off. Keep things professional!

Keep on smiling!

Forensics:

Follow the rules, please. It's not that hard.

Do not talk during other people's performances. Yes, you can have people spectate but if they begin acting disruptive it will affect how I score you.

Keep on smiling!

Hey Guys! My name is Samy Vimalraj, and I am currently a debater at Bentonville High School. I have previous experience competing in BQ, Policy, Public Forum, and Congress. I have also coached and judged IPDA at the Novice level. As a judge, I will ensure that my personal biases are left out of the round, and use my skills to the best of my ability.

Feel free to email me with any questions: samyukta.vimalraj@gmail.com

The Nitty Gritty:

- First and foremost, any racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, ableist, or discriminatory/demeaning comments or arguments will result in an immediate loss. I expect all competitors in the round to be respectful, and I will not tolerate hate of any kind.

- Good argumentation and clash are super important! It really allows me to see your skills as a debater and overall makes the debate more interesting (*cough* might help with speaker points...).

- While I do understand "common sense" arguments, I expect your arguments to be backed up with proper evidence. Use solid cards to support each one of your claims.

- When it comes to cross-ex, while I will be listening, I will NOT be flowing. Any arguments made in cross-ex must be brought up within a speech in order for me to be able to weigh them within the round. Also, be respectful! I understand that it can be easy to get heated during rounds, but maintain decorum at all times because being rude or aggressive towards your opponent(s) does not make you a good debater.

- Progressive arguments are fine with me! Just remember to properly explain it and make sure you know what you are saying. They can oftentimes get confusing, but as long as you know what you are doing it can be super fun!!

- Make sure you carry your arguments throughout the debate and tell me exactly why you stand ahead in the round. Although I will be flowing, I want to hear from you on why your impacts matter, and why you should win. (Remember: If you drop an argument, I will know.)

- Most importantly, just have fun!! Debate should be an entertaining activity, so as long as you're enjoying it, so am I.

Hi everyone. I’m Jamia Woodard but most people call me mimi. Whichever one you decide to use is okay with me!

I am a Big Questions debater but I am also well versed in all styles of debate. I have competed in multiple styles of debate as well as forensics speaking events.

Please be sure not to spread unless you have gotten it approved by me before the start of your speech. Make sure you enunciate and talk at a heightened volume to ensure not only I can hear you,but also your competitor. If you are racist, sexist, homophobic or unethical, you will automatically lose the round. I want to see a clean debate.

If you choose to address definitions in the round, do not make it a definitions debate. I want to see clash on the meat of the case. Make sure your information is credible and that you address anything said in cross examination, in your speech.

Wishing you the best of luck and be confident!!