Hello! I am an undergraduate philosophy student at Oklahoma State University in my senior year and currently compete with the ethics team. I debated throughout high school and qualified for Nationals in Public Forum in 2021.

Debate: The #1 fastest way to lose a round that I am judging is to disrespect your opponent.

I love a clean flow, so please be conscious that your arguments are well organized.

All argumentation styles are welcome but know that I am only familiar with traditional styles and may struggle with a poorly explained progressive argument. In essence, logic > uniqueness.

LD: Ensure that there is a strong link between your value and your contentions! I also like to see a good understanding of whatever your criterion is and how it applies to the viewpoint you are defending. For LD, I primarily vote based on coverage (not dropping arguments that ought not to be dropped, thoroughly analyzing your opponent's case, and adding to your defense where needed).

PF: Speak as fast as you are comfortable with. However, I can't flow what I don't hear, so make sure you are enunciating if you choose to talk quickly. I vote on evidence (statistics, empirical impacts) and coverage (see LD for description). Please do not ask for numerous pieces of evidence if you are not going to utilize them in the round!

Don’t spread or I won’t flow

Don’t shake my hand after the round

Be respectful and considerate of the others in the round

Don’t be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.

Go fight win

LD is Value Debate. Propositions of Value

CX is Policy Debate. Propositions of Policy

For Debate:

I'm a traditional judge. Some speed is OK but talk TO me and not AT me. Don't ask for paradigms if you have no intention of following them. Cards are only evidence, but not the analysis, so be sure to make the link between the card and what it means for the argument. Keep all your debates separated; I like policy terminology in its lane, LD to have its value/criteria without plans, and PF to be for the common person. Fewer, better arguments win; smart questions and analysis do best. Clash is fun but should never be rude, mean, or at the expense of another debater. Treat everyone, including me as your judge, with the respect we deserve by coming into the round prepared, poised, and planning to do your best.

For Congress:

Please be prepared with speeches! It is important to me that debate not drag out while contestants "prep" during our time together. If you have nothing new to add, don't give a speech for the sake of giving a speech. Listening and reacting to each speaker is something I love to see. Pay attention; call on and call out those who you agree or disagree with in respectful ways. Clash is fun; mean-spirited debate is unappreciated. Show goodwill and your fierce competitive nature at the same time. Be sincere. Be organized and complete in your speaking. Be involved in the chamber's activities as much as possible, but do not dominate. Be absolutely correct with parliamentary procedure. Have a good time. Sources are a must, but a few good ones explained well are better than too many that muddy the speech.

For IE's:

Duo/Duet: I love a good story told well. I want you to follow the rules but show me your creative side. Take risks, but keep the author's intent in mind, i.e. Edgar Allen Poe is not meant as comedy. I want to feel something and be able when you finish to have nothing to say because what I have seen is entertaining, whether I laugh or cry. I don't need any warnings up front, but if you intend to shock me for shocking's sake, I will call you on it. In OO and Info, be sure to give examples, have great visuals, and tell the story in a clever and engaging manner. Be yourself! In extemp I want to be able to easily follow your organization. Justify by telling me why this 7 minutes matters to me. 5 sources or more; I don't care as much about the exact dates as you being able to synthesize the material. Don't make me do all the linking of ideas; I want to know that YOU are the one who knows and are excited to share. I look for clever and unique introductions and not canned AGD's. Whether you're a beginner or a 4-year veteran, keep it to yourself. Be humble and impress me with your stunning delivery and smart thinking on your feet.

As a debate judge, my primary focus is on promoting a respectful and clear debating environment. Here are the key elements of my debate paradigm:

1. Respect and Decorum:

   • I place a high value on respect in debates. Competitors should treat each other with civility and refrain from personal attacks, derogatory language, or disrespectful behavior.
   • Maintain proper decorum throughout the debate, addressing your opponents and judges respectfully.

2. Clarity and Accessibility:

   • Clarity is essential. I must be able to understand your arguments to give you credit for them, so please enunciate clearly and avoid talking too fast.
   • If I cannot understand your argument, I cannot flow it.

3. Spreading:

   • If competitors choose to engage in spreading (rapid delivery of arguments), they must maintain clarity. Speed should not come at the expense of intelligibility.
   • Remember that spreading is not the only path to victory. Well-articulated, well-structured arguments can be more persuasive than sheer speed.

4. Use of Crossfires:

   • I do not consider crossfires as a time for rebuttals. Crossfires are meant for competitors to ask questions and clarify their opponent's arguments. I do not flow arguments made in crossfire.
   • Please use crossfires to seek clarification, challenge your opponent's arguments, and help me understand the debate better.

In summary, my judging philosophy is rooted in fostering a respectful and comprehensible debate environment. I believe that a respectful discourse is not only more constructive but also more persuasive. Clarity is essential, and I urge competitors to prioritize it, especially when spreading. Remember that crossfires are for questions, not rebuttals. Good luck, and let's have a productive and respectful debate!

A note about rule violations: I know the rules of debate. I am aware of both the OSSAA and NSDA rules and their various differences. I keep copies of the handbooks at the ready, so I can look up rules if I feel a rule was violated. That being said, I will weigh lies made in round in my judging decisions. Lies about cheating, evidence, drops, etc. are all weighed into my judging decision. Lying will not benefit you in my rounds. Debates should be about which team can make the best argument, not which team can trick the judge. If you need to lie to win, you did not win the round.

Notes for IEs:

I value genuine performance over screaming and fake crying every single time. Anyone can scream- few can act.

BIG NOTE: You NEED to implement trigger warnings if you have a selection with triggering content. You do not know what the experience of those in the rooms is- you could seriously hurt someone's performance by not giving a warning. You also do not know the lived experiences of your judges- they are a captive audience and you ought to give them a chance to prepare themselves. This is why dramatic pieces often get called Trauma Interpretations. That's not a compliment- it's a statement on how upsetting it is to see children acting out the most heinous trauma they possibly can in order to get reactions through shock value. If you are genuinely good- trigger warnings will not dull your performance- they will enhance it. If you rely on the shock of triggering people- consider if you are really a good actor. Trigger warnings DO NOT count against your speech time- there is literally no reason to give one.

I don't really have general paradigm for judging so I just created a tentative list of things I like and dislike.

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Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference...:

1. Strong value and criteria that are tied into your contentions

2. Weighing impacts between both sides (Maybe your opponent has a lot of good points, but if they mean nothing in comparison to your one good point impact-wise, I could still be convinced to vote for you.)

3. Addressing all of each sides case meaningfully

4. Sign posting what you are attacking/defending as you move down the flow of your/your opponents case.

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Harmful, dangerous, gross, disgusting, and should never be promoted...:

1. Having a consequentialist framework but having contentions with 0 impact

2. Underhanded shenanigans (i.e. trying to gaslight me into thinking your opponent said something they didn't, trying to say your opponent can only answer yes or no in CX, etc.)

3. 12,000 subpoints that are only 2 sentences long

4. Saying statistics are the ONLYYYY type of evidence that can prove anything ever and then having non-statistic evidence in your own case.

I am open to most any type of argumentation. I love kritiks, theory shells, topicalities, and all things squirrelly. That said, I believe spreading is an unethical practice and if I can't understand you enough to flow, you didn't say it. I have voted on probably 80% of speed Ks I have heard.

I do not mind off-time road maps.  A clear outline of each point and subpoint during construction is imperative.  Linking each point to your value and criterion helps flow the case for judges and opponents. Definitions can make or break a case.  Be confident in your definitions.  Speak rapidly ONLY if you can also speak clearly. I like to see passion.

Debate: I am not particularly picky on anything, but please be respectful to your opponent(s). Feel free to run progressive arguments, but beware that I may not get them if you aren't clear.

LD: Make sure to clarify how your criterion supports your contentions! Also, don’t drop all your contentions for the sake of the value debate. Do not make all of your arguments cross-applications of your own case unless there is a legitimate clash. I vote primarily on the quality of coverage.

PF: Any speaking speed is fine, just make sure you are coherent. A heated cross-examination is fine but please don’t spend the entire time yelling at each other. I vote on the quality of evidence and general coverage.

I am a 4-year LD debater and an 8-year debate coach. In Lincoln Douglas debate I believe in traditional debating (less policy), but I will vote for a K if done correctly. However, this is a value-based debate and excessive stats/evidence will not be weighed more than value; value and value criterion are essential to the debate. Also, off-the-clock roadmaps are not necessary, unless doing something from tradition.

LD: I'm pretty traditional. I like values and criteria and evidence and clash. If you read a K or a bedtime narrative, I will stop flowing the round and take a nap. I have a speed threshold of "don't" and if you could please keep the jargon to a minimum, that would be great. Theory is cool, in theory, but it shouldn't be an entire framework. I like long walks on the beach, and a good tennis match. Also, don't shake my hand at the end of the round.

PF: Um....win more arguments than the other team. Go. Fight. Win.

Simply put: The best argument will win.

My background is in Lincoln-Douglas and Student Congress in high school, and now a policy coach.

Speaking style: Slow it down a little. Show me that you understand the arguments, and the vocabulary by not tripping over your words.

Argumentation: Understand your cards. If you cannot show me you understand the card during CX or rebuttal, you will not win the round.

Clear, cohesive arguments that show me you understand the very basics of debate (claim, warrant, impact) will win my rounds.

Last updated: September 28, 2023

I am a traditional PF judge. I don't really do kritiks or speed. Win me with strong arguments and impacts.