I am a parent judge and thus a lay judge. My child has been debating LD Varsity for the last year and before that she debated Novice LD and Middle School PF.

I will struggle to follow you if you speak very quickly and will ask you to slow down. I will look for well-warranted 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.

For disclosure, I prefer email at pcalamia@gmail.com

Experience: I am a parent judge and have been judging LD debates for 3 years. I have a background in finance.

Speed: I can handle moderate to fast speed, as long as you are clear and audible. I will say “clear” or “slow” if I cannot understand you. Please do not spread or use excessive jargon.

Contentions: I expect you to have well-structured and well-supported contentions that address the core issues of the resolution. I prefer contentions that are logical, factual, and relevant. I will vote for the debater who wins the contention level debate or shows the strongest impact to the framework.

Speaker Points: I will assign speaker points based on the quality and style of your speech, not on the content or outcome of the debate. I will reward speakers who are persuasive, confident, respectful, and engaging. I will penalize speakers who are rude, dishonest, offensive, or boring.

Other Preferences: I prefer that you are courteous and professional to your opponent, your judge, and yourself. I prefer that you time yourself and your opponent, and respect the time limits. I prefer that you ask for permission before using your opponent’s evidence or laptop. I prefer that you do not shake my hand or thank me after the round. I prefer that you do not ask me for oral critiques or disclose my decision before the awards ceremony. I prefer that you have fun and learn something from the debate.

Parent Lay Judge

Please speak slowly and clearly, english is second language so please avoid jargon.

please keep the debate simple and slow and make your points clear.

This is Venkat Chennareddy. I received Masters in Computer Science from IIT. I work as an engineer in AIML at Apple!.

For LD:

Here are top 5 things i values the most.

1. Clear, Concise arguments with logical links and impacts
2. Strong framework along with good arguments to decide who wins or loose.(Winning framework usually means you win the round)
3. Understand the material - should be able to explain it to someone
4. Be nice- we are here to learn and have a fun
5. I am parent judge so please don't spread. Try to convince me why you should win.

For Speech:

1. Talk clearly

2. Be engaging

3. Be nice

Provide summary at the end of the speech.

I am a 2nd time parent judge.

Please speak clearly. If I can't understand what you are saying I will tell you to speak slower.

Please don't run anything progressive (theory, k's, etc.)

I like clear persuasive arguments and evidence.

Please be respectful in round.

David "Will" Davis

This is my first year of coaching at Mercer Island. 42 years ago I debated at Nationals (they called it NFL back then) and Extemp. Now I am a retired trial attorney with more than 50 civil jury trials under my belt.

1) I am not yet totally familiar with Washington debate. So, let me know if you think I am doing something wrong.

2) Don't talk fast. I don't like spread debate. I don't like watching someone gasping for breath every ten seconds just so he can cram in one more argument. Slow down. Speak clearly and persuasively. If I put down my pen and fold my arms--- take that as a hint that you should slow down. Of course, you have to be looking up to see me. Eye contact!

2) REPEAT. Don't talk fast. If your affirmative is set for spread, then slow down and cut out a contention or two, and go at a reasonable speed. Your outcome and speaker points will suffer if you start off fast. If you spread, and the other side does not, I will not reward you for "dropped" points.

3) I am not a big fan of outrageous arguments such as nuke war or world hunger as a result of school prayer. Keep it real. We are not going extinct because of social security payments to Puerto Rico. Argue something a reasonable person would believe.

4) Imagine that you are chosen by your school to present a plan to the state legislators for additional funding for debate. In your speech in front of the senators would you spread? Would you claim that the economy would collapse if we don't fund debate. KEEP it real.

5) Have some fun.

I am a Parent/Lay Judge. If you spread, it's automatic lose. No theory, Kritik or any prog stuff though I might accept counter-plan if explained enough. No Abuse/No inappropriate. I will probably vote on who's contentions more logical/understandable. Last, Be clear. I will check quality of your answers in cross and also your 2nd speech and/or your 3rd (For Aff only). Good Luck!

Flay Judge, been active over the past two debate seasons. Nat Qual is my third tournament of the current season.

Economist, with a quantitative research background.

Clear and respectful argumentation is the goal. During the round, you're expected to do your best to communicate, clarify terminology, justify positions with sound argumentation, and support arguments with logic, definitions, facts, evidence, analogies and expert analysis. Winning side will be decided based on the quality of arguments as well as the persuasiveness of delivery style.

pourelise@gmail.com or SpeechDrop. Please share your case doc ahead of time, and time yourselves during the round. No spreading is a must.

trad parent judge.

truth > tech to some extent, i don't vote for obviously untrue or undeveloped arguments. this doesn't mean you can drop a whole contention and win.

no tricks, no incomprehensible spreading, speed talking (think podcast on 2.0) is good. kritiks, theory, and phil are fine if you can explain them in a way a toddler would understand and be extremely persuasive while doing it. very few debaters are capable of this, so i would suggest just not running them.

i'm fine with theory that i think is warranted. be warned that i have a very high bar for warranted (think 'went two minutes overtime for prep and dropped my entire case' rather than 'actor spec'). predictability > education >>> fairness. i need you to thoroughly explain which layer of the debate i should evaluate your theory on and how it should be weighed against substance. i default to dta and it's very difficult to convince me otherwise.

responding to theory-- i don't need a counter-interp. the majority of theory shells can be defeated via a twenty second explanation of reasonability.

i'll vote on ANYTHING if you're persuasive enough. if you can convince me that spreading six conditional counterplans and a floating pik against a novice at their first tournament is predictable, educational, and fair, i'll vote on it.

confidence is key, talk well and there's a decent chance you'll have my ballot. in speaks, i usually give 29 to the winner of a round and 27-28 to the loser.

i make a point to put my full effort into every round. i think this is an activity that takes a lot of effort and you all should be proud of yourselves for even showing up to tournaments.

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.

Hello everyone,

I would consider followings in my judge,

1) Speak clearly 2) Respect each other - don't want you to bother your opponent's speaking

3) Make questions/answers precisely

4) Keep time strictly

Good Luck!

Email Address : damonrang79@gmail.com

Hello. I am a lay judge.

Please go slower and explain your arguments

be respectful to your opponent and judges

do not run progressive arguments (T,K,etc.)

My History: I competed in LD, Impromptu, and OO for four years at Anacortes High School (2008 - 2012) I have been an LD / IE Judge since then (11 years) and I am now the Assistant Debate Coach.

Email for chains:emcintyreroth@gmail.com

For All Events: This is paramount to me - be respectful of your opponent. I will take away speaker points if you speak down to, act rude during rounds, or mock your opponent. There is a fine line between being sassy/confident and being disrespectful - at your age you should know the difference. Speech & Debate should be accessible for everyone, and not everyone is competing at the same level yet. Treat them respectfully regardless. For some people, this may be their first time competing. It costs nothing to be kind - in fact it is the bare minimum.

Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in any of my rounds. I will contact your coach, I will contact TAB.

Side Note: If you have observers / are an observer in any of my rounds, and I see you making faces at your friends, whispering, laughing at someone presenting (unless HI, DUO, or intentionally humorous speeches), using your phone while someone is presenting, or being generally disruptive and rude, I will ask you to leave as soon as the speech is over.

If you are uncomfortable with observers in the round, let me know. I will always ask before a round begins.

For LD:

Come prepared. I do not want to wait 10-15 minutes for you to pre-flow, rework your case, etc. Taking a moment to share docs with those in the room is one thing, or jot down last minute notes. However, my time, your opponent's time, and the time of the competitors following you is also valuable. We all know how easily tournaments get pushed behind.

I value clarity in rounds. I can follow speed, I do not like super spreading. I am a flow-judge, If I can't understand you, I will stop flowing. Quality > Quantity.

Know your evidence and your arguments. It is clear to me when you are presenting evidence but have no understanding of the material.

I will vote on Kritiks if they are clearly warranted, well explained, and made accessible to your opponents. (I am admittedly not a fan of K's but will vote on them.) I don't particularly like the whole "debating debate thing".

I am absolutely a more traditional judge. That being said - if you can convince me to, I will vote on almost anything. Be clear on WHY I should vote for you however. Clearly show me the impacts. Why something is warranted. Clear, concise voters.

I like to see clash in a round. Strong V/C. Solid Framework and how your case ties it back to your V/VC. Clear Impacts. Links. Definitions.

All that being said - congratulations on making it to state this year. You’ve all worked so hard to be here this weekend, so bring what you got, and lay it all out on the table. You have a very strong pool of competitors here. Good luck to you all!

New/First time LD judge.

Please speak slowly and clearly state arguments or contentions. I value the quality of the arguments rather than quantity. Off time roadmaps are encouraged.

Take a breath. You're doing okay.

I am Joshua Shepherd, I am a coach from Ingraham High School. For the moment, treat me like a lay judge. I am open to technical arguments but will more easily follow lay arguments.

Additionally, I have some issues with an auditory processing disability. Speaking in a fast conversational voice is fine, but spreading is actively painful for me to listen to. I may ask you in a round to slow down. If I ask you and you don't, I will not flow your arguments.

First year out judge.

caitrinw@uw.edu, put me on evidence chains, speech docs, etc

I did PF through all four years of high school, second speaker.

Timing wise, if you go over time, I'll give you some grace but I will cut you off about ten seconds over speeches or 15 seconds over crossfires.

Speaks:

Almost always in a range of 27 - 30 unless you're shouting at your opponents/doing ad hominem attacks

PF

I want to see good impacts carried through the round. Don't drop something after rebuttal and bring it up again in FF. I want to see frontlining in second rebuttal, imo second summary is a little too late to frontline.

I don't flow crossfire, so if you want it to go on the flow, you'll have to say it in a speech.

Beyond that, PF is what you make it, so have fun.

Theory: I don't love theory in PF, I think it takes the 'public' out of Public Forum. That being said, debate is always changing and I recognize theory in PF is becoming more and more popular as time goes on, so I am willing to evaluate it. If you run theory, please warrant it well and give me real impacts. It takes a lot for me to vote only on theory, so don't abandon your case.

LD

As I already said, I did PF all of high school, so while I have a solid background in debate, I don't know LD very well.

I'll vote on theory as long as it's clearly warranted and done well. I'd like to see value criterions carried through the whole round, don't just say it in your constructive and then ignore them. If you're going to spread, provide speech docs.

I will still vote for your arguments if you lose the criterion/value debate but you prove convincingly that you win under your opponent's framework.

I don't flow crossfire, so if you want it to go on the flow, you'll have to say it in a speech.

Articulate your points clearly and do weighing. I like clash and if both sides have evidence saying opposite things, tell me why I should prefer your evidence. Do not make new arguments if you’ve already dropped a point, and if you don’t extend your own arguments I will count it as dropped.

I have recently started judging this year. My mentality is informed by my previous experience competing in speech events, Student Congress and Public Forum back in 2006, when we did not read judges' paradigms. We just made the best arguments we could and followed the rules of the event. Coming from this perspective, I may be the furthest from the "game theorist" sort of judge. That is not to say that I am completely tabula rasa, since I am relatively well-informed on world affairs, though I do judge based on actually debating prowess, as if you were debating in any other context.

I will judge you primarily on the strength of your arguments, which means the validity of your stated reasoning and the apparent accuracy of your premises. I also judge on decorum, primarily in the sense of how you deliver your arguments and engage with your opponents. I am looking for civility, as well as articulation. Show that you understand your opponents' arguments and explain how they are wrong.

Some debaters, particularly in policy rounds, will speak as quickly as possible. I ask you to speak no faster than Eminem. If you speak as if you were narrating a horse-race, then I will likely not understand what you are trying to say well enough to give you credit. Annunciate clearly and phrase succinctly. We can establish pacing before we begin the round in order to ensure that will not be a problem.

Marshall Wilcox