Vann Berryman

vberryman@auburn.wednet.edu

Assistant Coach, Auburn High School, Auburn, WA

Coached: 6 years

Competed: 1 year in policy

Hello,

Arguments have a claim, a warrant, and a link to the ballot (impact). This is interpreted by my understanding of your explanation of the argument. If I don’t understand the argument/how it functions, I won’t vote on it.

Main items:

1. Clear arguments-I should be able to understand you. I'm cool with speed, but if I can't understand you then I can't flow it.

2. What are the impacts?-Impact calc is very important. It's the main thing I'm going to vote on as well as the actual topics being clashed.

3. Give me voters in Final Focus, give me voters in the 2AR and 2NR for policy.

4. I find myself voting a lot on de-linked arguments. You could make a sick case for your argument, but if your opponent de-links it then it's gone.

Conduct in the round should be professional-We are here to debate not get into shouting matches. Or insult the opposing team's intelligence, no matter what we may think.

in policy, please don't run garbage filler off-case. If you want to run a T or two or a decent K that's fine. If you run more than four off I'm not listening. Argue the case and cut out that wack garbage version of policy.

I don't want to see evidence/definition wars unless you can clearly prove that your evidence supplements your opponents. Also, evidence handover counts toward your prep time-not outside of it. You wanna see someone's evidence that comes out of your prep.

Speaker Points: I was asked this several times last year so I figured I would add this piece. How to get 30 speaker points from me. First of all I would say that clarity is a big helper in this, alongside that I will also say that asking good lines of questioning in crossfire can help you get better speaker points from me. Be direct, be confident. If I have to keep yelling "Clear" you won't get a 30. This is rarely an issue but be attired properly. I understand that debate attire isn't accessible to everyone, but if you come across like you don't care about the round, it'll be hard for me to give high speaks.

Things that help you win my ballot:

Unique arguments (that actually link to the resolution)

Be clever.

Be polite.

Be civil.

Make it an awesome round. Down to the wire back and forth. Keep me on the edge of my seat.

Things that hurt you:

Being abusive-either in case or in speaking. Aggressive CF and arguments are okay with me, but keep it in check.

Disregarding any or all of the above points.

Insulting an opponent personally.

Remember we're here to have fun, as am I. If your judge is telling you how many times they went to state, they're doing it wrong. If I tell you how many times I went to state (spoiler: it's 0), make fun of me.

If you want it, I’m happy to send you my flow. Just let me know.

First time parent judge. Do not run theory, do not spread, do not use a lot of jargon (delink, turns are fine), please DO off time roadmaps. Summary and FF will win you the round.

1. Experience: I have done three years of PF and extemp. I can deal with most spreading in PF; I was a second speaker.

2. Framework: If you don't say anything else, I'll assume cost/benefit. I won't like anything abusive though.

3. Extensions: I'll weigh whatever is extended through to final focus. But don't just extend, tell me why your argument is more important.

4. Evidence: I prefer authors and dates. If the evidence is self explanatory, then that's fine; it can speak for itself. If it isn't clear, then you need to link it to the resolution. I'm fine with paraphrased evidence, as long as its not abusive/misleading, and its used to sum up some non-text evidence or long essay.

5. Cross: I don't flow this, but I pay attention to what is said. It's important for clarifying what is happening.

6. Defense: extend it in summary; however, in summary, narrow it down to a few responses, not a shotgun approach.

7. Theory: In PF, I don't think we should have theory unless an abuse happens. Public forum is about the arguments, not who can argue theory that doesn't apply to the resolution, but I'm not going to vote against you for reading theory.
I honestly don't care that much about disclosure. My circuit doesn't do it.

8. Analysis and evidence: I like analysis. Not all arguments need to be based on some prewritten evidence or block if you can explain it well. However, if your analysis and response is based on something that a debater wouldn't know, then you need a card, or explain it really well.

9. Sign posting and road maps: please sign post, I can deal without road maps, but if your speech is, or will be, all over the place, then please do an off time road map.

10. I've seen tricks on some other paradigms. I don't know what that is. Take that as you will.

11. Other stuff: I don't have cards or authors memorized. Tell me something beyond just the author's name in round if you're referring to a card. I don't like underdeveloped arguments, but I understand if you tried something and it fell through. Just don't put out something you know won't work for the sake of a shotgun approach to responding to arguments. You win based on persuasion, not on saying words really fast and hoping something sticks.

12. I swear this is the last thing: Debate is about communication, so do your best not to be really dry. I prefer some humor.

Andrew Chadwell,

Assistant Coach, Gig Harbor HS, Gig Harbor WA

Coached PF: 10+ years

Competed in PF: 1 year

Competed in British Parliamentary: 2 years

Competed at the 2012 World Universities Debating Championship in Manila.

Items that are Specific to the 2018 TOC tournament are placed at the end of this-I would still encourage you all to read the whole Paradigm and not just the TOC items.

Hello all,

Note: I debated in PF at a time when things were a bit different-Final focus was 1 minute long, you could not ask to see your opponents evidence and not everything needed a card in order to be true. This might explain some things before you read the rest of this.

Arguments have a claim, a warrant, and a link to the ballot (impact). This is interpreted by my understanding of your explanation of the argument. If I don’t understand the argument/how it functions, I won’t vote on it.

Main items:

1. Clear arguments-I should be able to understand you.

2. What are the impacts?-Impact calc is very important.

3. Give me voters in Final Focus.

4. Abusive Case/Framework/Conduct: Alright so if you are running some sort of FW or case that gives your opponent a super narrow bit of ground to stand on and I feel that they have no ground to make any sort of case then I will consider it in my decisions.

That being said if your framework leaves your opponents with enough ground to work with and they don’t understand it that's their loss.

Conduct in the round should be professional-We are here to debate not get into shouting matches. Or insult the opposing team's intelligence.

Framework/Res Analysis/Observation’s: Totally fine with as long as they are not super abusive. I like weighing mechanisms for rounds.

Evidence Debates/Handover: I have a very large dislike of how some teams seem to think that PF should just be a mini-CX where if you don’t have a card even if the argument is pure logic, they say it cannot be considered. If the logic and the link works I am good with it.

I don't want to see evidence/definition wars unless you can clearly prove that your evidence supplements your opponents. Also, evidence handover counts toward your prep time-not outside of it. You wanna see someone's evidence that comes out of your prep.

Speaker Points: I was asked this several times last year so I figured I would add this piece. How to get 30 speaker points from me. First of all I would say that clarity is a big helper in this, alongside that I will also say that asking good lines of questioning in crossfire can help you get better speaker points from me. I do tend to grade harder on the rebuttal and final focus speeches since those were what I was primarily doing when I competed. The other thing that can be really helpful is analogies. Good analogies can win you a round. If they are actually good.

Things that help you win my ballot:

Unique arguments (That actually link to the resolution)

Be clever.

Be polite.

Be Civil

Make it an awesome round. Down to the wire back and forth. Keep me on the edge of my seat.

Things that hurt you:

Being abusive- either in case or in speaking. Aggressive CF and arguments are okay with me, but keep it in check.

Disregarding All of the above points.

Not being attired professionally. (Unless extenuating circumstances exist)

Ignoring my point about evidence debate.

Insulting an opponent personally.

TOC Specific Items

Please share your opinions or beliefs about how the following play into a debate round:

The speed of Delivery: Medium speed and clarity tend to win out more than the number of items that you claim should exist on my flow.

The format of Summary Speeches (line by line? big picture?)

I generally would go for either Line by line will help my flow be clear and easier to understand at the end of the round. Big picture I tend to believe has more of an impact on the summary and the final focus.

Role of the Final Focus

Put this up at the top: But here it is again: I want to see Voters in the final focus. Unless your opponent pulled some sort of crazy stunt that absolutely needs to be addressed, the final focus is a self-promotion speech on why you won the round.

Extension of Arguments into later speeches

If an argument has not been responded to then you can just extend it. If it has been refuted in some way shape or form you need to address that counter before I will flow it across.

Topicality

Unless this is explained extremely well I cannot vote on T. Frankly don't risk it.

Plans

Not for PF.

Kritiks

With the lack of knowledge that I have in regards to how Kritiks should be run, Please do not run them in front of me. This will likely make vote for your opponent.

Flowing/note-taking

You should be flowing in the round-Even if you know that you have the round in the bag. Always flow.

Do you value argument over style? Style over argument? Argument and style equally?

Equal. A debator who can combine good arguments with style is going to generally win out over one or the other.

If a team plans to win the debate on an argument, in your opinion does that argument have to be extended in the rebuttal or summary speeches?

Definetly in the summery. If you have time in the rebuttal you can...

If a team is second speaking, do you require that the team cover the opponents’ case as well as answers to its opponents’ rebuttal in the rebuttal speech?

No. If you can start to do that great-but that might push you past the medium speed threshold.

Do you vote for arguments that are first raised in the grand crossfire or final focus?

If they are new-no. However, if they are extensions of prior arguments then that will be determined on a round by round basis.

If you have anything else you'd like to add to better inform students of your expectations and/or experience, please do so here.

Please read the whole paradigm. Also remember that I am human (I think) and I can make mistakes.

I am a new judge in 2022 and excited to be a part of debate!

Similar to other judges, I believe that quality, well-structured and supported arguments are much better than quantity. It is better to have 1 or 2 strong arguments, supported by both evidence and logic, than 4 or 5 weak points.

I greatly appreciate good speaking skills and professional presentation. Please enunciate, make periodic eye contact and speak slowly and clearly. If I do not hear it and cannot note it for consideration, unfortunately I cannot refer to it when making my final decision. Demonstrate that you know your material well enough to not read directly off of the page.

If it comes down to your evidence says "x" and their evidence says "not x" and I have no way to know who is right, you will lose. What do I mean? Explain why your evidence is more relevant, accurate, and credible...and/or why theirs is not. I prefer clarity of evidence and impacts, with valid reference to resources.

Be sure to advance arguments, clearly respond to your opponents arguments and attempt to discredit your opposition. Unaddressed arguments will carry more weight. Please make sure that you and your partner are cohesive.

Other points:

Please sign post - this will ensure that I properly note ideas and contentions.

Please avoid use of complex debate jargon.

Be respectful of your opponents, do not interrupt, and be polite through the competition.

Please no observers.

This is high school debate. It's a fun, learning experience. I don't expect anyone to be perfect and would hope that you take every opportunity to learn, whether you win or not.

Quality over quantity.

1. Speak clearly, do not speed. If you are used to speeding then learn judge adaptation. If I can't get your arguments down and understand what you are saying then you have lost the round. In other words, don't spread.
2. Also don't yell at me. I can hear you just fine.
3. Bonus points if you actually adjust your speed and tone appropriately to your speech.

Evidence

I like evidence, empirical is good, but logical and reasonable is also important. Don't be afraid to evaluate sources, not all sources are created equally. Don't ever have a hanging contention. Don't try to lawyer me with bizarre definitions and loopholes. Use reasonable and common definitions. Don't spend more time on the rules of debate (especially if you are trying to convince me how to vote) than on the actual arguments in the debate itself.

Human life, empathy and giving a preference to those marginalized are things I value.

Organization

I like a well thought out/planned case that makes sense logically - I like to be able to connect the dots. Circle back to your contentions. Be sure you hit your impact and magnitude. Tie everything to your value.

I am a parent judge, and this is my first time judging on this topic. Please time yourselves, and make sure to stay within the time limits. I will stop flowing if you go over the time.

If you want to win, I need to understand what you are saying. If you want to speak fast, speak clear.

I value well written arguments. If the core argument does not make sense, even with no refutation against it, I cannot guarantee I will vote for it. Even so, make sure you are prioritizing touching on all of your opponent's points down the flow. I think that using evidence or logic as a refutation is good, as long as it makes actual sense with realistic backing.

I will listen in on crossfire, so make sure you are able to answer questions and understand your own case, but I will not flow cross or vote on arguments brought up in crossfires. Make sure to further them in later speeches.

Again, I understand the need to cut people off in cross, but please be sure to stay respectful to your opponents.

I believe in quality over quantity. One or two very strong points will hold more weight then four or five weak ones.

Please speak clearly for me; especially important points. If you are talking so fast and running words together that I cannot understand you, I won't be able to take that information into consideration.

Be kind and considerate. Rudeness to teammates or competitors will not be tolerated. You can be awesome at debate, but if you're not kind, I won't vote for you.

Let's have fun together. Remember this is high school debate and should be fun!

Hey! I'm Kristen East, I debated Policy in high school, judged on-and-off while in college, and have been working as an assistant coach for Gig Harbor High School for the past 5 years. My email is eastkristen@gmail.com

I often use quiet fidgets during speeches and may color during crossfire; these are strategies that I've found help me to pay attention and keep my mind from wandering during rounds. If I'm distracting you at any point, then please politely ask and I'll switch to a different strategy.

Public Forum: I technically did public forum in middle school, so I guess that's relevant? I've also watched a lot of public forum rounds and judged it on and off over the years. I tend to be less formal than some public forum judges. I care more about competitors being considerate of others and having fun than I do about pleasantries and formalities. Please don't be "fake nice" to each other. That being said, I mean don't be offensive (i.e. making arguments based on racial or cultural stereotypes, or making personal ad hominem attacks).

-The biggest thing to know is that I am a "flow judge." I will be flowing/taking notes for each speech, will be writing down rebuttals next to the argument they are addressing, and will draw arrows for argument extensions. What this means for you is that you should be clear about which contention you are talking about, and also that I will be looking for consistency between partners' speeches. There should be continuity of arguments throughout the round. That does NOT mean your last speech needs to have the same arguments as your first speech, but all arguments in your last speech should have been introduced in one of your team's 4-minute speeches. I also will not consider brand-new arguments in any of the 2-minute speeches.

-I like rounds with clash, where each team explains how their arguments interact with the other team's arguments. If you're citing evidence, make sure to mention the warrant (the author's reasoning or statistics that support your claim). Please make it clear during your speeches when you are about to directly quote a source (i.e. saying "in 2019 Santa Claus wrote for the North Pole Times that...") and when you stop quoting them. You don't need evidence to make an argument, and well-reasoned analytics (arguments without an external source) can be just as powerful.

- I will decide the round based on impacts. Please compare your impacts to your opponent's (timeframe, probability, magnitude, etc.). If no one tells me otherwise, I'll probably default util when evaluating impacts. Be specific about how your impact is connected to the resolution, and who/what the impact will affect. Tell me the story of the impact (i.e. If we stop sanctions on Venezuela, then their economy will recover and then xyz people's lives will be saved because they won't die of starvation).

Parli: I've never judged or watched a parli round before. I've heard it has some similarities to policy, which I do have a background in, so feel free to read my policy paradigm to see if that's relevant. I'm excited to judge parli! From what I've heard, it should be fun!

Policy and LD paradigms are below.

Debate Style: I'm good with speed, just start out slow so I can get used to your voice. If you aren't clear, I'll yell at you to be clear. Start out a little slower on tags, especially for Ks and theory. Please don't mumble the text. If the text is completely unintelligible, I'll yell clear, and if you don't clear it up, then I'll count it as an analytic rather than a card. It's a pet peeve of mine when people cut cards repeatedly (i.e. cut the card here, cut the card here). PLEASE, please put theory arguments as a new off (i.e. Framework on a K, Condo bad, etc.). A tag should be a complete idea with a warrant. One word ("extinction" "Solves") does not count as a tag or an argument. I don't care about tag-teaming in CX, but it might influence speaker points (i.e. if one partner is being rude, or one never answers a question). Be nice to each other. I will vote you down if you're a complete jerk (threaten physical violence, harass someone, etc.). I am somewhat sensitive to how mental health, suicide, rape and disabilities are discussed and expect such sensitive topics to be approached with appropriate respect and care to wording and research.

Arguments: There are a few arguments I just dislike (for rational and irrational reasons) so just don't run them in front of me. If you don't know what these args are, you're probably fine. Basically, don't run anything offensive. No racism good, no death good (including Spark DA or Malthus/overpopulation arguments). I also hate Nietzsche, or nihilism in general. Also, arguments that seem stupid like time cube, or the gregorian time K, or reptiles are running the earth or some crap like that is prolly not gonna fly. I'm not gonna take nitpicky plan flaw arguments like "USfg not USFG" seriously. I will not vote for disclosure theory unless someone flat out lies about disclosure. Like they tell you they will run a case and then don't run it. Arguments I'll evaluate but don't love/am probably biased against but will evaluate include: PICs, Delay CPs, ASPEC Topicality, kritical-based RVIs on T, Performance Affs.

Defaults: I'm a default policymaker but am open to other frameworks. I do consider Framework to be theory, which means 1) put it on it's own flow and 2) arguments about like, fairness and ground and other standards are legit responses. I have a strong preference for frameworks that have a clear weighing mechanism for both sides. I default competing interpretations on T. I was a little bit of a T/theory hack as a debater, so I have a lower threshold on theory than a lot of judges. What that means is that I'll vote on potential abuse, or small/wanky theory (like severance perm theory) IF it's argued well. Theory needs real voters, standards and analysis and warrants just like any other argument. If you're going for theory, go all out in your last speech. It should be 4 minutes of your 2NR, or all of your 2AR.

Note on Performance Ks: I have a high threshold on performance arguments. If you're doing a performance, you have to actually be good at performing, keep up the performance throughout the round, and have a way for the other team to compete/participate in the performance. I prefer for performance Ks to be specific to the current resolution, or in some cases, based on language or something that happened in this round.

Constructive speeches: Clash is awesome. Signposting will help me flow better. Label args by topic not by author because I'm prolly not gonna catch every author.

Rebuttals: In my opinion, the point of rebuttals is to narrow the debate down to fewer arguments and add analysis to those arguments. This applies to aff and neg. Both sides should be choosing strategic arguments and focusing on "live" arguments (Don't waste your time on args the other team dropped in their last speech, unless it's like an RVI or something). Both sides should watch being "spread out" in the 2nr and 2ar.

Note about LD: Being a policy judge doesn’t mean I love policy arguments in debate. In LD, you don’t really have the time to develop a “plan” properly and I probably lean towards the “no plans” mindset. I expect a DA to have all the requisite parts (uniqueness, link, impact). I’m okay with Ks, and theory. To help me flow, please number and/or label arguments and contentions, and signal when you are done reading a piece of evidence (either with a change of voice tone or by saying “next” or a brief pause. That being said, speed is not a problem for me. If you follow the above suggestions, and maybe slow a little on theory and framework, you can go as fast as you’re comfortable with. If I’m having trouble flowing you I’ll say “clear.” No flex prep. Sitting during CX is fine. I love a good framework debate, but make sure you explain why framework wins you the round, or else, what's the point? If framework isn't going to win you the round or change how I evaluate impacts in the round, then don't put it in rebuttals.

I like judging. This is what I do for fun. You know, do a good job. Learn, live, laugh, love.

I have a background in Policy (CX), StuCo, and limited prep IE. I am primarily a stock issues judge though I like to jokingly refer to myself as a "flay" judge. If it flows through and makes sense, it works for me. Keep in mind that I don't flow question period/cross, so if you want a piece of information that was brought up in cross to flow then please mention it in your speech.

I look for a well developed speech/argument with a claim, data, warrant that is clearly connected and has been well researched. Disclosure theory is lazy, so please don't use it.

Especially for Student Congress, I expect a well polished and respectful presentation that includes engaging with the room/audience and presenting yourself well as a speaker (i.e. posture, eye contact, less fidgeting, etc).

At the end of the day, we're all here to have fun. Please be conscientious and respectful to other people and we're in good shape.

Lauren Gardner (Hillard)

LD: My origins are as an LD debater but I debated in the early 2000s. Because of this, I am a fairly tradition LD judge. What this means for me: Weigh everything through the framework and link arguments back to the value and criterion. Prove to me why you win based on the framework. I do not love the debate strategies that are traditionally policy debate (Kritiks, things leading to nuclear war etc). However, if they are argued clearly and well, I won't let that affect my decision if you clearly win based on those points.

Both LD/Public Forum:

While my origins are in LD, I have been judging Public Forum for 16 years.

I do not flow cx/crossfire. Bring up any arguments based on what happened in cx later in your speeches.

Speed: speed is fine within reason. Make sure that you are clear and enunciating properly.

Be respectful of your opponents.

Be clear.

Expirience: 2 years of policy debate, 14 years of coaching debate.

email chain: jholguin57310@hotmail.com

Delivery: I am fine with speed but Tags and analysis needs to be slower than warrants of carded evidence.

Flashing counted as prep until either email is sent or flash drive leaves computer. PUFO if you need cards call for them during CX otherwise asking to not start prep until the card is sent is stealing prep.

I do not tolerate dehumanizing language about topics or opponents of any kind. Public Forum debaters I am looking at you in particular as I don't see it as often in LD.

CX Paradigm

Topicality: T wise I have a very high threshold. I will generally not vote down an Aff on potential abuse. The Aff does have to put effort into the T debate as a whole though. If you don't, I will vote on T because this is a position that an Aff should be ready to face every round. Stale voters like fairness and education are not compelling to me at all. I also hate when you run multiple T violations it proves you are trying to cheap shot win on T. If you believe someone is untopical more real if you just go in depth on one violation.

Framework: I need the debaters to be the ones who give me the reasons to accept or reject a FW. Debaters also need to explain to me how the FW instructs me to evaluate the round, otherwise I have to ask for the FW after round just to know how to evaluate the round which I don't like doing or I have to intervene with my own interpretation of FW. If it becomes a wash I just evaluate based on impact calc.

Kritiks: As far as Kritiks go, I also have a high threshold. I will not assume anything about Ks. You must do the work on the link and alt level. Don’t just tell me to reject the 1AC and that that somehow solves for the impacts of the K. I need to get how that exactly works coming from the neg. This does not mean I think the Kritikal debate is bad I just think that competitors are used to judges already knowing the literature and not requiring them to do any of the articulation of the Kritik in the round itself, which in turn leads to no one learning anything about the Kritik or the lit.

Counterplans: If you show how the CP is competitive and is a better policy option than the Aff, I will vote for it. That being said if it is a Topical CP it is affirming the resolution which is not ever the point of the CP.

Theory: No matter what they theory argument is, I have a high threshold on it for being an independent reason to vote down a team. More often so long as argumentation for it is good, I will reject the arg not the team. Only time I would vote on disclosure theory is if you lied about what you would read. I beat two teams with TOC bids and guess what they didn't disclose to me what they read, I am not fast or more talented and only did policy for two years so do not tell me you cannot debate due to not knowing the case before round. I do believe Topical CPs are in fact just an affirmation and not a negation.

For both teams I will say this, a well thought out Impact Calc goes a long way to getting my ballot signed in your favor. Be clear and explain why your impacts outweigh. Don’t make me connect the dots for you. If you need clarification feel free to ask me before round.

LD Paradigm:
I think LD should have a value and criterion and have reasons to vote one way or another upholding that value or criterion. I cannot stress this enough I HATE SEEING CX/POLICY debate arguments in LD debates I FIRMLY believe that no LDer can run a PLAN, DA, K, CP in LD because they don't know how it operates or if they do they most of the time have no link, solvency or they feel they don't have to have warrants for that. AVOID running those in front of me I will just be frustrated. Example: Cards in these "DAs" are powertagged by all from least skilled to the TOC bidders they are not fully finished, in policy these disads would be not factoring into decisions for not having warrants that Warming leads to extinction, or the uniqueness being non existant, or the links being for frankness hot piles of garbage or not there. If you are used to judges doing the work for you to get ballots, like impacting out the contentions without you saying most of it I am not the judge for you and pref me lower if you want. In novice am I easier on you sure, but in open particularly bid rounds I expect not to see incomplete contentions, and powertagged cards. *For this January/February topic I understand it is essentially a Policy topic in LD so to be fair on this that doesn't mean I can't understand progressive LD but like shown in my Policy Paradigm above I have disclosed what I am cool with and what biases I have tread carefuly if you don't read it thoroughly.

PuFo Paradigm:

Look easiest way is be clear, do not read new cards or impacts after 2nd speaker on pro/con. I hate sandbagging in the final focus, I flow so I will be able to tell when you do it. Biggest pet peave is asking in crossfire do you have a card for that? Call for the warrants not the card, or the link to the article. I will not allow stealing of prep by demanding cards be given before next speech it just overextends rounds beyond policy rounds I would know I used to coach it all the time. Cite cards properly, ie full cites for each card of evidence you cite. IE: I see the word blog in the link, I already think the evidence isn't credible. Don't confuse defensive arguments for offensive arguments. Saying the pro cannot solve for a sub point of their case is defense, the pro triggers this negative impact is offense. Defense does not win championships in this sport, that's usually how the Pro overcomes the Con fairly easy. BTW calling for cards outside of cross fire and not wanting to have prep start is stealing prep you want full disclosure of cases do Policy where its required. Cross is also not the place to make a speech.

I am a lay, parent judge.

Please make it EXTREMELY CLEAR why you should win IN COMPARISON to your opponent, do not leave the weighing up to the judge.

I will drop progressive arguments (Ks, theory, other things like that). If you run progressive arguments, you should have a second, more straightforward case as well.

Speak slowly and clearly.

my email is huanghazel65@gmail.com

This is my first year judging for PF, and I am not a native speaker so:

• No spreading - speak slow, clear, and concise.

• No jargon - word it so that it is easier to understand.

• Be respectful (discriminatory language will be dropped immediately).

• Be patient.

• Have a clear link chain.

• Feedback will be on ballot.

• Keep track of your own time.

Deduction in speaker points if rules above are not followed. I will drop anything that clearly has logical fallacies, weak link chain, or doesn't make sense in general. Ex. Nuclear war, sanctions, extinction... I will do my best to flow everything mentioned besides Cross X. Good luck to all those competing!

I am a parent judge and have been judging for over a year. In the past year I've judged at 6 tournaments including Berkeley, Bronx and Apple Valley

I will struggle to follow you if you speak very quickly and will ask you to slow down. I will look for well-waranted arguments and you should make sure to explain to me why you should win the debate.

I expect debaters to treat each other with courtesy and respect.

hi I’m parent judge, my daughter is in public forum so I have a bit of prior knowledge. For flow, please have a medium pace, I won't be able to catch or write down your arguments if I cannot understand them.

general

• I prefer empirical evidence over theory etc. weigh impacts and explain to me what I need to vote on

• critical arguments should provide substantial evidence, or I will not buy it

• make sure all claims are supported with specific, defined examples and have a purpose or illustration for the case at hand. no paraphrasing.

• the focus should be winning the debate on the actual topic, not just attacking a person's style or flaws of method. remember that in order to win a round, respect towards your opponent is most important. it is hard to find in favor of debaters who belittle or berate their opponent in or out of round.

constructive

quality > quantity. a few well-developed arguments are more persuasive than ten less-developed arguments.

rebuttal

if you can't fill time rebutting their speech, start talking about your own arguments. cards are good to bring up here, cite them before or after (its up to you). go line by line on their arguments, tell me what you are responding to. off time roadmaps are appreciated.

summary

first summary is the last time to bring up new information, I don't want to see you bringing up new evidence after this.

final focus

extend and weigh.

Hello Debaters!

I competed in both LD and Policy while I was in high school; two years of both at open level. Ever since then, I've been judging both formats when available for quite a while, and as of late have begun picking up Policy, LD, and Public Forum ballots.

Due to my history, my judging style is still heavily based upon how I acted in round as a competitor. I rely predominantly on the flow, but I still strongly look to any well-constructed policy/case arguments in round.

Philosophy-wise, I am first and foremost a Tabula Rasa judge. Playing against a clean slate with your opponent (and with your partners) creates the most pure form of debate; it is in my mind that entering the round attempting to meta-game the debate by over-analyzing what your judge is biased towards butchers the debate itself. I will try my hardest in round to be as impartial and accepting as possible to begin with; however, I am human, and all humans have biases. If you can glean these (hopefully small) edges in round, then all the better for you!

The only other major factor of debate that I feel necessary highlighting is my perspective on K's/ Theory arguments. To put it bluntly, I will be having a much harder time accepting these arguments as compared to my judging peers. I've seen K's used almost exclusively as a method to steer the round toward a certain argument, regardless of resolution, as a form which are designed to be a lot less preparable than anything actually topical. I've had far too many negative experiences as a judge to accept any of these as a strategical decision; Anything short of a K being used for in-round insults is strongly discouraged.

1AC K's are right out.

As far as speed is concerned... It probably won't be much of an issue? I wasn't the fastest debater in the world, and I am a touch rusty, but I should be able to keep up with the speed of most standard debate rounds that I'm operating in. What may be an issue, however, is clarity. I will try my best to warn any and all debaters who are not speaking clearly in round, and if said warnings are ignored, your speeches will simply not be flowed.

One final note - I'm a judge, and judges like things easy for them. Concise, clear, and signposted speeches (especially towards the end of a round!) make it a lot easier for me to follow arguments without having to apply too much mental horsepower after the round, and it makes my life easier to make yours better. Please don't just blindly signpost covered arguments as dropped, however - I'm not quite that lazy!

-Eric McCormick

I am a traditional flow judge. That being said, if your opponent drops an argument and you don’t mention it, I may not flow you through.

My experience is in the Western Washington, Washington State, and national circuits. I have collaborated with the NYU and Hofstra University debate teams as part of Gig Harbor High School and Hofstra University speech and debate.

I have debated NSDA Lincoln-Douglas and IPDA parliament.

Framework

I will want to see some good framework clash. Do not disappoint me with a 1v1 public forum debate.

A strong framework win could win you the round if you’re careful.

If you are running a K or ROTB make sure it’s at least vaguely topical/applicable.

I don’t care about the subjective morality bias that’s tangible to the judge. If you won, you won. If you somehow manage to win by saying we should all die then good on you. You probably won’t and I wouldn’t try that. But it’s theoretically not impossible.

(I know some judges will just write you off if you make a ‘death good’ argument. You would need a really, REALLY strong framework debate to make this happen and really, really dumb opponent; but I won’t write you off for trying.)

Debate

If you are going to try and spread please make sure you are good at. If I can’t understand you, I can’t flow. If you think this will be an issue, consider sharing documents.

Humor and witty remarks will not win you this round. Weigh your impacts, watch out for non-unique and off topic arguments, watch your semantics. etc.

It’s not that I don’t love theory, let’s just not spend the entire round on it. That would be lame and not what theory is for.

Speaker Points And Timing
If you do not say something like “does the judge stand ready/does the opponent stand ready” then start speaking while I’m still writing your name on the flow I will not only snatch your speaker points but dislike you as well. You should at the very, very, very least say “my time start now.” If your opponent isn’t ready, that’s their problem. If your judge isn’t ready, that’s your problem.

I will be timing you on first word and if you need me to give time signals I’ll accommodate. You should have a timer but it’s ok, my phone has died too.

If you start shouting I will take off 1-2 speaker points. You don’t need to get angry in here, save that for outside the round.

Back in my day, it was against NSDA rules to directly address your opponent (exc. cross) or refer to them in any gendered manner. Their name was ‘the opponent’ and their pronouns were either aff or neg.

Times have changed so I will not take off speaker points but if you adhere to Ye Olde LD Procedure I will consider 30 points for professionalism’s sake.

If you run something other than the basic util/deont/structural violence/etc I might give you one (1) extra speaker point for creativity.

Basic Obvious Rules
If you want to accuse your opponent of some heinous crime against NSDA rules I will make both of you share cases. I have the jurisdiction to that.

Theory is not the same thing as NSDA rules. Why would you look me in the eye and say ‘drop the debater, they didn’t share in the case wiki’.

No one is getting dropped unless it’s proven they broke an actual hard written rule.

That being said, I think it’s a little funny when you say stuff like that. ‘Drop the debater, they used a google doc!!’ That’s insane but I appreciate your bravado.

I'm a parent judge and new to this. Please keep time throughout the round. I'm looking forward to listening to you debate today!

My experience is as follows:

I competed in high school for 4 years policy debate, student congress and forensics (speech).

I have judged the last 3 years in PUFO debate and speech events.

My paradigm is as follows:

Speak clearly and articulate your thoughts. If I can’t understand you then I can’t give you credit for providing evidence or making a point. I was a debater so I can flow when someone speaks quickly I just need you to enunciate.

Make sure you have evidence to back up your main arguments and be organized enough to provide the evidence to the other team if they ask for it.

Make sure to not drop an argument.

I am a former high school and college CEDA debater (UofO) and college NDT coach (graduate assistant coach at USC) and former Director of Forensics at SDSU. I am also a former professor of Communication at UW, with an emphasis on argument, persuasion, rhetorical theory and criticism. As such, I will be a critic of argument. I have not been in the field for years. I prefer sound reasoning and analysis to "blippy" superficial tags and points. A quick rate of speech is fine, if it has substance. The quality of your research and sources will be of value; the consistency of your use of a source with their overall position is important; The internal reasoning in the evidence has weight. Have a tag, qualify your source, read the quote. I am unlikely to be persuaded by a tag line, a last name and a date, and something that follows that it not clearly the quote. Make it very clear where the evidence/quote starts and where it ends, and where your analysis/impact statement about the evidence starts. Depth of insight is preferable to breadth of expression. Focus on sound, smart and thoughtful questions in cross periods. Although not necessarily on the flow, it will reflect command of issues, reasoning and demonstrate civility. Enjoy, employ your strategy, show respect for the subject and your opponents. I have noticed what I see to be a pattern. Consistent with the need to understand implicit bias, I will attend carefully to my impressions. However, I see aggressiveness and rudeness/dismissiveness directed at female competitors by males more than I see it directed at male competitors by male competitors. I ask that all opponents be treated with respect and to be aware of your own potential implicit bias in the communication toward and attitude about your opponents, regardless of who they are.

- I prefer well-developed arguments with solid evidence over a multitude of weak arguments.

- I greatly appreciate debaters who signpost.

- I do not appreciate debaters who spread, use fallacious arguments and/or misrepresent their evidence.

- I appreciate debaters who focus on the broader implications of their contentions and clearly explain why their arguments matter in the real world.

- I value active crossfire engagement. Debaters should use crossfire to clarify, challenge, and highlight weaknesses in their opponents' arguments.

- I appreciate debaters who are confident, articulate, and maintain good eye contact with the judges . I prefer speakers who balance passion with professionalism, avoiding excessive aggression or rudeness; rudeness will result in lower speaking points.

- I prioritize well-sourced, relevant, and recent evidence in evaluating the strength of arguments. I prefer debaters who not only provide evidence but also explain the context and implications of the evidence in relation to their arguments.

I have backround in PF

Wait until after 2nd constructive to call for cards.

Don't ask me if I "want an off-time roadmap" either give me one or don't, I do not care.

-Background

I debated for Gig Harbor High School for four years. During those years I competed locally and nationally.

-In Round

I am fine with spreading.

I have debated, and am comfortable with most debate styles. If you choose to have a value/standard debate please be clear in the framework debate as to why I should/should not use a value or standard. Also please link all impacts from cases to the relevant framework for the round.

If you chose to debate plans, theory, k's, etc. Please make sure all text, interpretations, impacts, etc. are clear and clearly voters for the round.

I like debate and have been coaching and judging debate for 40 years. I competed in high school policy debate and college NDT and CEDA debate. For most of my career, I coached all events at Okoboji High School in Iowa. I worked for Summit Debate at NDF Boston in Public Forum for 15 years and judged numerous PF LD practice and tournament rounds. I have been the LD coach for Puyallup High School for the past five years. I'm working with the LD, Congress and PF at Puyallup.

The past six years, I've judge LD rounds from novice through circuit tournaments. I judge policy rarely, but I do enjoy it. Paradigms for each follow.

PF This is a debate that should be interesting for all Americans. It should not be overly fast or technical. I will take a detailed flow, and I don't mind terms like link and impact. Evidence should be read, and I expect refutation of important issues, especially the offense presented in the round. Follow the debate rules, and I should be good. The final focus should spend at least some time going over weighing. Be nice to each other, and Grand Cross should not be a yelling match. The summary speaker must extend any arguments to be used in Final Focus. I expect the second speaking team to engage in the arguments presented in the rebuttal. I do not like disclosure theory, and it would be difficult for me to vote for it.

LD - I have judged a lot of circuit rounds over the years but not as many over the past four years. Washington state has a slower speed preference than the national circuit, so I'm not as practiced at that type of speed. My age means I don't flow or hear as well as I use to, so make sure I'm flowing. I like speed, but at rare times I have difficult time keeping up. If this happens, I will let you know. I expect a standard/criterion debate in the round. If you do something else, you must explain to me why it is legitimate. If you run kritiks, DA's, or plans, you must develop them enough for me to understand them. I do not like micropol positions. I will not drop them on face. I don't mind theory, but again, it must be developed. Bad advocacy is bad debating. Lying in the round or during cx will be dealt with severely. CX is binding. I expect clean extensions of arguments, and will give weight to arguments dropped by debaters. I want to be a blank slate in the back of the room. Please tell me why I should vote for you. Deontology frameworks are fine, but they must be justified. Any tricks must be clear, and obtuseness in CX will not be allowed. Finally, I will not vote for disclosure theory unless something weird happens.

Policy died in our circuit, and we were the only team still trying to do it. I haven't coached a policy team for a season since 2010; however, I've had teams go to tournaments in policy for fun and to try it. I've also judged policy debate at district tournaments to fulfill the clean judge rule. I have judged a couple of policy rounds this year, and they were not difficult to judge. Just expect me to like traditional positions.

Watch me for speed. I will try to keep up, but I'm old. It's a lack of hearing that may cause me to fall behind. I will yell "clear," and that probably means slow down. I'll do my best. I like all kinds of policy arguments, and I'm ok with kritiks. You may want to explain them to me a bit better because it may have been awhile since I heard the argument. Besides that, I'm a policy maker unless you tell me to be something else. Theory is ok, but it should be developed. Abuse must be proven in the round. Rebuttals should kick unimportant arguments and settle on a few to delineate. The final speeches should weigh the arguments.

Former high school speech/debate competitor. Fifth year coaching speech/debate. It’s really important for me that you are clear, enunciate carefully and don’t speak so fast I can’t track your points. Sign posting is essential. Show me why you won your case. Focusing on impacts is also important to me.

Impromptu

• Structure
• Content relevancy
• Audience engagement
• Time management

Bonus

• Real life examples
• Meaningful messages beyond yourself, which may drive broader and bigger impact

Public Forum

• Use citation and evidence to support the points
• Content relevancy
• Teamwork

Orations

• A clear topic.
• Persuasive evidence.
• Audience engagement.
• Time management.

Bonus

• Real life examples.
• Meaningful messages beyond yourself, which may drive broader and bigger impact.

Debate

• Originality of thoughts.
• Organization and Unity.
• Evidence and Logic.
• Delivery and Presentation.

Experience - I did Public Forum as a freshman and then switched to primarily doing Policy. I also have some minor experience doing Lincoln Douglas and Big Questions. I have judged many practice debates and a few rounds at tournaments.

Policy Paradigm - I like to think of myself as tab, however realistically I'm not perfect at fulfilling that position. I will vote on anything if it is run well and explained enough that I can understand it. I won't rule any arguments immediately and try to vote solely off the flow.

Case - Not much to say here, in general I like a case with some degree of framing.

K - I am not the greatest at comprehending large amounts of postmodern terminology strung together and read extremely fast. The simpler your Kritik, the more likely I am to vote for it. Having an overview on more complex Ks would be greatly appreciated.

Stock Issues - I love stock issue debates. I have a fairly low threshold for solvency and inherency. Please don't only go for stock issues, however, I'd like to see some offense. That being said I will vote neg on presumption unless a valid argument is presented otherwise.

DA - Obviously I like and will vote for DA's. They're kinda the stock issues of the neg and should be present in most neg cases

T - Kind of fits in with stock issues. I do consider reasonability a good argument, and have a slightly higher tolerance for T over other stock issues. Please don’t run T to be abusive because I will vote on theory against clearly abusive T if given any reason to do so.

CP - I will vote for competitive and non-topical counter-plans so long as the neg sufficiently proves the CP is such and that it's a better policy option.

Theory - I don't like to vote on theory, although if there is clear abuse I don't mind it. make sure you do a good job of explaining why your interp is good for debate.

K-Affs - I'm likely to vote against K-Affs as long as there’s enough for me to vote off of.

Will all of this in mind, I will vote off of what I see on the flow at the end of the round. I also generally prefer smaller higher probability impacts but that doesn't usually end up changing the decision in round.

LD Paradigm – I’m not the most progressive judge when it comes to LD. One of the reasons I like LD is because it specifically avoids the mess of lingo and technical understanding that is policy while covering similar ground. That being said, I won’t immediately vote against progressive case ideas, however I am less likely to. As with policy I vote off what’s on the flow. Please don’t speed, I can handle it but I don’t like seeing speeding in LD, unless you’re reading the content of your cards. I will cover my opinion on some arguments I have weird opinions on below –

Util frameworks – I hate util, especially if both sides run util. I don’t want a debate solely about who has the better evidence and I want to see some framework clash. I won’t vote you down on face but I won’t enjoy the round.

CPs – If the topic isn’t over a recommendation of policy, I don’t want to hear a counterplan. If you don’t frame it right, I will vote down CPs on non-policy topics (for instance the wealthy nations have an obligation to provide development assistance topic) on face. Generally be careful running a CP, because poorly run CP’s will annoy me.

K – I don’t particularly mind Ks in LD and won’t get annoyed if they’re run, although they must be run well. I don’t want a weak link that just barely gets the job done, you need to prove that your Kritik is relevant. I will err on the opponents side if there is any significant risk of not linking.

K aff – Just don’t please. I’ll buy just about any argument against K-Affs if you don’t affirm. I will intervene with personal beliefs regarding the RoB unless you completely convince me otherwise. This means I won’t buy arguments about the morality of voting for your side.

DeOnt – I prefer DeOnt to Util but I still don’t like seeing debates in which both sides read a DeOnt framework. It gets a bit too stale for me.

In General, I want an interesting debate with lots of framework clash in round. I will vote for any argument run well enough although how good is good enough varies depending on the argument and context.

PuFo Paradigm

I want to hear interesting arguments. I like good framework. I don’t like really deep evidence debates, please minimize how much time you spend arguing evidence, If you have one really good point about why their study sucks just say it clearly and move on. I don’t care about how y’all behave in Cross-Fire and will vote you up in speaks if you can successfully get answers, as long as your methods aren't outright offensive. I vote off what’s on the flow at the end of the round. Because of that, having a strongly structured case with policy styled cards will help a lot because I’m never really sure what to flow with uncarded PuFo cases.

Big Q’s Paradigm

Once again, I will vote off the flow. Once again, I want y’all to be intense in cross-fire, that’s what makes the round interesting. I will say that I prefer a more passive-aggressive approach when it comes to Big Questions. Please define words that are in the resolution, particularly the ones that are important to your arguments. I don’t mind hearing the NSDA cases, however I highly encourage y’all to come up with your own cases.

Tl;Dr

I will vote off the flow to the best of my abilities. I like to see well executed cross examination/ cross fire.

• I am a flay parent judge.
• Please speak at a conversational speed.
• Signposting is helpful.
• Please don't be rude, especially in crossfire.
• Quality > quantity
• Please remember to weigh in FF.

If you're struggling mid-round, don't give up. You can still learn from the experience. Whether you win or lose, I'm aware that everyone's still learning, and I'm not expecting anyone to be perfect. Go out and try your best!

I'm Sarah, I did CX for 3.5 years in high school, 2 years in college at JMU doing NDT/CEDA, and then just under 2 years of NPDA at Western Washington University ending as a semifinalist with my partner in 2020. I've been coaching middle school and high school parli for the last 4ish years.

Prefs-

Now that we're back to in-person tournaments, please feel free to ask me any specific questions before the round starts if there's anything I can clarify.

this is still a work in progress

On the K-
I'm most familiar with MLM, however I can keep up with and evaluate most everything. I know the framework tricks, if you know how to use them. I have a high threshold for links of omission. I default aff doesn't get to weigh the aff against the K, unless told otherwise. I see role of the ballot arguments as an independent framing claim to frame out offense. I default to perms as tests of competitions, and not as independent advocacies. For K affs-you don't need to have topic harms if your framework has sufficient reasons to reject the res, but from my experience running nontopical affs I find it more strategic if you do have specific justifications to reject the res (I guess that distinction is more relevant for parli).

On theory-
I default to competing interps over reasonability, unless told otherwise. I have kind of a high threshold for reasonability, especially when neg teams have racist/incorrect interpretations of how debate history has occurred in order to justify reactionary positions. If you have me judging parli-I default to drop the debater; and if you have me judging policy/LD-I default to drop the argument. I default to text of the interp. Parli specific: (if no weighing, do I default to LOC or MG theory? I'll come back and answer this). I don't default to fairness and education as voters, if you just read standards, then I don't have a way to externally weigh the work you're doing on that flow. I default theory apriori, but I have a relatively low threshold for arguments to evaluate other layers of the flow first. I default to "we meet" arguments working similarly to link arguments, the negative can still theoretically win risk of a violation, especially under competing interps. For disclosure arguments-I have a very high threshold for voting on this argument in parli, given that it's nearly non-verifiable. For other formats, I think disclosure and the wiki are good norms. In general, admittedly I have a high threshold for voting on t-framework.

General/case stuff-
Case-CPs don't get to kick out of particular planks of their CP in the block, if there are multiple. I default to no judge-kick. Given no work done in the round, uniqueness matters more than impacts. Fiat is durable.

I default to impact weighing in this order if no work is done in the round: probability, magnitude, timeframe.

If I am judging you in an event that you read evidence in the round-if there's card-clipping, it's likely to be an auto-drop. If you misconstrue evidence, I won't intervene but I'll have a low threshold for voting on it if the other team brings it up.

I am a parent judge. This is my first year judge Public Forum debate.

Please keep in mind a few things while debating:

• General Guidelines

  • Communication Pace: Please speak slowly to allow for note-taking. If you speak too fast, I may struggle to keep up.

  • Language Use: Avoid jargon to ensure clarity. Focus on clear logic and reasoning, minimizing emotional appeals.

  • Statistics: Use concrete statistics to support your positions, ensuring they are easy to follow and contribute to the overall logic of your argument.

  • Respectful Discourse: Any discriminatory, hateful, harmful, or profane language will result in automatic minimum speaker points.