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February 2024 Potomac Intramural

2024 — Online, MD/US

Judges Paradigm List

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Isaac Appelbaum Hire

Aakash Arvapalli Hire

Diya Balaji Hire

Last changed on Sat April 13, 2024 at 12:15 AM PDT

note for april intramural: i have some basic knowledge of the topic but nothing extensive- i have not debated this topic so your arguments should be well warranted and clearly explained

add me to any docs/email chains: contact.diyab@gmail.com

hey guys im diya- freshman @ tesla stem, 4th year of pf

general stuff:

tldr: just be chill, make good decisions and do your best

truth>tech to an extent- i ain't voting on complete bs but ill buy pretty much anything u read if its extended and warranted throughout the round

i hate judge intervention but will not hesitate to if you’re ruining the debate space. i will try my best not to intervene as the rotj is to be a judge not an educator, but if you are making it unsafe for others i will give you the worst speaks possible in the tournament and drop you. this is the one place i feel no shame in intervening in.

please understand what you’re reading or you’re going to confuse everyone including yourself

offtime roadmaps good especially in back half

i love prereq weighing

unless ur in ms novice or elementary i need yalls evidence to be cut cards- this is nonegotiable

ill always disclose unless u tell me not to

talking to me about my decision after round is fine- just don't be mean lol

speed:

i'm not that great with a ton of speed, a decent amount is fine but the faster u talk the more u risk me not getting it on the flow

basically idc how fast u speak but you need to be clear- ur speaks will take a hit if i cant understand u

to be safe send me all speech docs

progressive arguments:

run whatever u want- as a judge its unfair to restrict what u run as long as its not problematic HOWEVER note that i don't have that much experience with some prog and u run a decent risk of me not understanding u

to clarify: im very comfortable with frameworks (in fact i love me a well warranted framework), ok with theory, and idrk k's

that being said i will vote on whatever if its explained and extended well

i HATE running theory for the sake of it- only run theory if u genuinely think ur opponents were abusive. friv theory will get ur speaks docked

don't run prog in ms unless both sides are ok with it and def no prog in elementary

speeches:

frontlining HAS to happen in 2nd rebuttal - ill be lenient for ms novice and jv

yes turns are offense but 1) extend and 2) weigh or i cant vote on it

only extend/weigh in rebuttal if u have time - dont do it and then drop half their arguments

everything i vote off of must be in the final focus; everything in the ff must be in the summary - if its not in the summary, its new in final even if you read it in case/rebuttal

ff should mirror summary

please collapse please please (choose one argument and focus on that in summary and ff)

defense is sticky

how i vote:

i evaluate weighing first or whatever highest level of offense is

ill vote off the least mitigated impact that is weighed the best

w/o weighing im going for the cleaner argument

speaks:

generally pretty good with speaks- ill start at a 28 and go from there

at the end of the day, just have fun! ik sometimes winning and losing rounds can seem rly big but at the end of the day its all chill so just do your best :)

lmk if u have any questions

credit to cady wu for like half the paradigm

Jawad Bataineh Hire

Last changed on Fri March 8, 2024 at 5:40 AM CDT

I did public forum debate for 4 years at Westlake (graduated 2022), qualified to the TFA twice and the TOC once. SPEECHDROP, don't email me.

Tech>truth. I can evaluate a flow

I don't have any topic knowledge but it shouldn't matter. Bring up everything you want me to know in speech.

Don't go too fast. I haven't debated for a while and was never great with too much speed, especially if you're unclear. I evaluate MY flow, so I can only evaluate the responses and weighing that I was able to hear and flow in round.

Don't say anything offensive or I'll tank your speaks and potentially down you.

Be respectful to everyone in round or I'll tank your speaks.

As far as progressive argumentation goes, I'm fine with theory and probably okay with K's (I ran a couple cap Ks but otherwise am not super familiar with any others, though I generally know how they work. also keep in mind I did PF). Friv theory is fine, but my threshold for responding to it will be lower than it would be for a regular shell. Extend all parts of a theory shell and the underviews that you want to be considered in summary/final.

Disclosure is good but I won't hack for it if you can't defend it. Paraphrasing is probably bad but I'm more lenient to it than a lot of judges and I won't hack for it if you can't defend it. Content/trigger warnings are good and it will be difficult to sell me on tw bad theory, but I won't hack for it if you can't defend it.

Second rebuttal has to frontline. Summaries have to extend everything you're going for (defense is not sticky) with warranting (NOT just card names and jargon) and should collapse. Everything in final needs to be in summary. You should point it out if your opponents bring up new stuff in final so that I can scratch it off in case I didn't catch on. With the exception of second constructive, arguments are dropped if they aren't covered in the next speech.

I presume by flipping a coin unless told to do otherwise in round.

I don't look at evidence unless I'm told to call for it/it becomes a major point of contention. Indicts need to have clear warranting.

PLEASE weigh. Your defense is probably not as good as you think it is and I will need weighing to evaluate the round. Strength of link is not a real weighing mechanism. Probability usually isn't either. If your opponent reads responses as "probability weighing" or does strength of link just point it out and tell me to scratch it off my flow so I don't have to evaluate it.

If you egregiously misconstrue evidence, I will drop you. So far I have been relying on kids to point this out during round, but from now on if I notice it and its badyou're done.

Aarav Batra Hire None

Kyra Bergerud Hire

Candace Bistodeau Hire None

Alessandro Brunelli Hire

Last changed on Sat February 10, 2024 at 1:21 PM EDT

Hi, I’m a second-year college student and did 4 years of PF, Debating on the National Circuit from Orlando. Debater on the Florida State University debate team

Overarching things:

Tech>Truth: I evaluate the round solely on what's presented in the round regardless of the truthfulness of the argument. But remember the more sophisticated your argument gets the lower threshold I have on evaluating responses.

Frameworks: I default to the framework most brought up in rounds throughout speeches, If no clear framework is applied I will be forced to decide the argument by myself. If a team provides a framework for me to evaluate the round under it should be introduced as early as possible and extended throughout all speeches. If there are two frameworks please do the comparative for me and explain why I should pick one over the other. However, if only one team brings up a framework and the other team does not engage with it I will weigh all arguments of that one framework.

Comparative Analysis: Please do the comparative for me with different arguments. If both teams are running similar arguments do the comparative and tell me why yours is better. If teams are running different arguments I need to know why I'm preferring your argument. Absent comparative analysis, I will have to interpret things on my own and you don't want that.

Extension: Extending only the authors and taglines of cards doesn't suffice for me. You need to extend the substance of the card as well and how they relate to your impact. If you want me to evaluate something in FF is should be included in the summary speech. I usually allow first-speaking teams to extend defense straight to final focus but in reality, you should be mentioning important defense extensions in summary.

Progressive args: If you are going to run it then do so well and actually explain it with warrants. I will not buy a simple shell case that gets dropped.

Other things:

-I will flow cross. If something important happened in cross, mention it in the speech. A good cross is a great way to up speak.
- Will be lenient with going over time however DO NOT make it excessive, if I think you are abusing the system I will stop flowing.
- Quality over Quantity; don't spread. If you plan on speaking fast please send a speech doc. If I can't understand you I'll say clear and after 3 times I'll stop flowing.
- Second rebuttal should respond to turns/disads.
- Please collapse on a few arguments in summary. I prefer quality over quantity and clear extensions.
- Weigh, weigh, weigh (as early as possible in the round)
- Implicate turns and defense

L/D

Debate is like driving a car - you need the right accessories, and most importantly, you gotta know how to drive the car. You get better the more you drive, and eventually, you learn some pretty sick moves.. Getting a judge and getting a new car is pretty similar. Both require some getting used to, but once you figure it out, the highway is yours. You might be wondering what kinda car I am. Well, I'm not a 2020 Ford Mustang, but I'm also not a broken down 1988 chevy impala. I'm a 2006 Ford Fusion. I've been around the block and got some miles on me, but now I tend to sit in the garage. Let me give you some advice for driving a 2006 Ford Fusion. Here are some things that make the car run:

If you are affirmative, you should defend some sort of concrete action, preferably an action that can be written in one to two sentences and can be passed to your opponent. I tend to think that affs need stable plan/advocacy texts because it's important to generate stable offense. If your entire 1AC is the text, maybe this isn't the car for you. I also tend to think that the plan action should be topical, or at least topic adjacent. This is really a preference, instead of a hard and fast rule. I'm not a big fan of rejecting the res outright unless it's just that bad. If you find yourself constantly rejecting the resolution, that's awesome, but maybe I'm not the car for you.

Your 2006 Ford Fusion goes 0-60 in 8 seconds, which is a long time. As a debater, try to avoid going 0-60 in 8 seconds. I'm down for speed, but if you start the speech going full speed, I'm probably gonna miss some stuff. I can hang with your top speed, but work your way there. You can drive the car on the highway, but make sure you're using the acceleration ramp.

The car you've been given also has some weird dimensions. I think that debate is a game of net benefits, regardless of the arguments read. I tend to not vote for tiny IVIs or RVI's, but instead, I look at the entire flow. Your job is to create a larger narrative as to why I vote for you, so you should do impact calculus.

This car is a little old. Here's acceptable brands of fuel:

1. Topical affirmatives are great - especially with fleshed out advantages. I tend to award speaker points not just based on the quality of the debate, but the quality of your research. Well researched advantages with tangible impacts are best. The fiat question here isn't too important for me. I assume everything is fiated to some degree, even K affs. Just have something sticky for the neg to garner offense.

2. DA/CP debate is great for me. I love politics and hegemony debates, and I especially love them when paired with counterplans. Make sure your counterplan is competitive and actually solves the aff.

3. Theory. Theory is a great tool when used responsibly. I tend to like most theory, with some exclusions, which I'll get to below. Please note. You don't overfill your gas tank - so don't read too many theory arguments. I tend to think that 2 pieces of theory during a speech is the absolute ceiling. Otherwise, the debate gets messy and the car won't run well for you.

4. K debate. You should do some of that! You should have a clear alternative with links that describe why the plan actually trips the impacts. Saying "Plan uses the USFG" is fine, but that's only a link. Have multiple links. Also it's important that you very clearly describe the world of the alternative. Providing a really dumbed down two-sentence explanation of the action of the alt is recommended.

5. I'm gonna be honest, this car can only take special types of fuel. If you read the following K's in front of me, I'm more down to understand what you're getting at: Neolib, biopower, antiblackness, cap, fem, and on occasion, D&G. It's not that I'm not familiar with other lit, but I'm just not as well read as some others might be.

2006 Ford Fusions are not super complicated to drive, but here are some things that make it break down:

1. Perms are not advocacies, and I don't think they have net benefits. Advocacies have net benefits, but perms do not. They are tests of competition, so you should talk about competition.

2. I don't like silly theory. I think if you read an argument in the 1NC you should read it with your chest. SPEC is cool, but maybe only read it if you're actually going to go for it AND it would be strategically viable for you to do so. Also, I can't really get behind the whole "you should read the plan text in the first X minute thing." Just don't read silly theory. Make it count.

3. The car breaks down when you read disclosure. I won't vote on disclosure arguments, regardless of the format. It's not my realm to decide what happened before the round, but I often think disclosure only benefits larger schools. Disclose, don't disclose, I don't care.

4. I'll be upfront with you, there's a fair amount of car manuals that are not compatible with this version of the Ford Fusion. I get lost easily when the following lit bases are read in front of me: Baudrillard, Bataille, Buddhism, Nietzsche, and really anything in this tradition of really high theory. Again, I might not be the car for you, but if you do have to drive this car, don't use cruise control. Drive the car where you want it to go, and I'll go there with you as long as the path is clear.

5. I prefer depth. I really don't wanna see you read 7 off in the 1NC just to spread the other team out. Read maybe 3 offcase positions and drive the car real nice.

At the end of the day, the 2006 Ford Fusion isn't a hard car to drive, but there are certain ways the car needs to be driven. The car doesn't have a GPS. I don't know where you are going unless you make it explicitly clear. Rebuttals need to be wholistic and have clear win conditions. You've gotta park the car if you want the ballot.

The last thing I'll say is that I expect y'all to be nice. Don't spread your opponents out if they're a novice team, and more importantly, don't be hateful in your speech. It's been a really rough year for all of us, and this is a space to get away from the noise around us. If you start spewing that kinda speech, the car windows are getting rolled up and that's an auto loss. No exceptions. I really don't really think that people should be rude.

Oh yeah, I forgot to talk about speaker points. If you drive the car mostly right, without a fender-bender, the average is around a 28. If you wreck the car or deliberately start reversing on the highway, it'll probably go down from there. Don't wreck the car.

NSDA 2021 Updates: Add me to the email chain, or however you prefer to get me the evidence.

- Please don't miscut (I will drop you)
GLHF

Andy Deng Hire

Micheal Aaron Dickens Hire

Last changed on Sun February 11, 2024 at 5:42 PM EDT

The Tabula Rasa and Comparative Advantage paradigms stand out as exemplary models of speech tournament judging due to their respective virtues and strengths, which converge to uphold the highest standards of fairness, rigor, and intellectual engagement in adjudication.

With its commitment to impartiality and intellectual objectivity, the Tabula Rasa paradigm serves as a bulwark against bias, favoritism, and undue influence in speech tournament judging. By approaching each round with a pristine intellectual slate, judges ensure that debaters are evaluated solely on the merits of their arguments, evidence, and performance, free from the distorting effects of personal preferences or preconceived notions. This paradigm fosters a fairness, equity, and transparency culture, instilling confidence in participants that their efforts will be judged with the utmost integrity and impartiality. Moreover, the Tabula Rasa paradigm promotes intellectual humility and open-mindedness among judges, encouraging them to embrace diverse perspectives, styles, and debate approaches, enriching the academic discourse, and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and exploration.

Similarly, the Comparative Advantage paradigm embodies the pragmatic ethos of speech tournament judging, empowering judges to discern the relative strengths and weaknesses of competing arguments and performances systematically and rigorously. By employing a comparative framework, judges can adjudicate the dynamic interplay between opposing viewpoints, identifying strategic advantages, rhetorical flourishes, and tactical maneuvers that distinguish one side from the other. This paradigm fosters a culture of excellence and accountability, incentivizing debaters to strive for mastery of their craft and to engage in rigorous preparation and strategic planning. Moreover, the Comparative Advantage paradigm promotes intellectual rigor and critical thinking skills among participants, as debaters are encouraged to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate competing arguments in light of their relative merits and weaknesses.

The Tabula Rasa and Comparative Advantage paradigms constitute a formidable framework for speech tournament judging, embodying the ideals of fairness, rigor, and intellectual engagement at the heart of the debate community. By embracing these paradigms, judges uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and intellectual curiosity that enriches the educational experience for all participants.

Irene Do Hire

Last changed on Sat February 10, 2024 at 5:08 AM EDT

It is my first time judging on this topic!

Pronouns: She/Her | Debated Policy 4 years & Public Forum 3 years, Experience coaching @ NOVA Debate | NYU Stern '24

- I consider myself a flow judge and score speaker points starting from 28 and going up or down from there

- Please sign post!

Public Forum

- Fine with speed as long as it is clear but I recommend slowing down online and much prefer quality>quantity

- You do not need to extend defense in summary unless it's frontlined in rebuttal (sticky defense)

- Be civil in cross, I'll intervene if I think it has gone too far.

- I do not flow cross fire, if you want something from cross say it in speech

- No new arguments in final focus

- Calling Cards: I'm fine with it and if gets to be an important issue in the round tell me to call for it in a speech, please have evidence ready to send

- Theory/progressive arguments: I'll vote on it if relevant but I have a low threshold for responses

- Weighing: Start early in second rebuttal, continue throughout the debate, and comparative weighing

- Please collapse!!!

Policy

Aff:

- Add me on email chain: irenedo2002@gmail.com

- In debate I typically ran a policy or soft left aff. I know some K affs relatively well, but you need to be really clear since it has been a while.

- Performance: Fine with it! Just be clear!

Neg:

- I personally ran K's (Cap, Neolib, Setcol, Ableism, Fem, Queer Pessimism), Politics, DA, and sometimes theory

- If you want to run a K (not the ones above) I'll need a clear overview/explanation on it

- Politics: I'll vote on it, but make sure you're winning the link, I find that the faultiest in most politics debates

- DA (general): Fine

- CP: Fine with it, but the net benefit should be really clear

- Theory: I know most of the common theory arguments (T, Plan Flaw, Disclosure), if it's not one of those just make sure to be clear

In Round Details

- Keep track of your own prep

- Don't be rude - I will lower your speaker points

Extras

- Feel free to email me with any questions or for extra feedback: irenedo2002@gmail.com

Phuong Doan Hire

Last changed on Wed January 31, 2024 at 3:02 AM CDT

Updated: 12/9/2023

Hello! I'm a sophomore at college. I debated for four years in Minnesota and now do APDA in college. I mainly did LD, but know a bit about PF and Congress. I've only done traditional debate, but I have some baseline knowledge of some circuit-level arguments like kritiks and theory (more on that later). I qualified and competed in the State tournament three times in LD, so I think I'm somewhat knowledgeable about Debate. Glad you are reading this since most don't.

TL;DR:

Be nice; don't run stupid and random circuit arguments unless you can explain them well; weigh your arguments; don't lie in the last speech; don't use problematic arguments; I prefer cameras on but I won't really care; don't expect me to know exactly where Fuentes, 2018 is without telling me where it is; and please signpost.

General:

Don't purposely be racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, ableist, classist, or any other thing. Just. Don't. If you are, don't expect to win. Expect an L20 :)

Don't be passive-aggressive or belittle your opponent. This is all for fun and you shouldn't bully people because you know more about China than them. If you do, expect very low speaks. Maybe even a loss.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

You should be aware of who you are in the Debate space. Sure, in a round, you truly have no identity (you are just a debater who is trying to convince me you're right), but there's something strange about a white man using eco-fem or Black Anger. While I believe that you should be allowed to use arguments that don't pertain to you (for example, me, an Asian guy, talking about how something might perpetuate misogyny), I ask that you first try to reevaluate why you are using those arguments. Are you using them because you believe it or because it will grant you more bodies on the flow? If it's the latter, maybe rethink it.

I won't drop you because you used an argument that doesn't pertain to you at all, but it's something to recognize. A good question to ask yourself is if you would be comfortable making these arguments in a room where a person from that group is in. For example, if you are using an argument about Asian-Americans, would you still say it if an Asian-American was in the room? If not, you probably shouldn't make it at all.

Again, I won't ever hold it against you. I think that would be silly if I'm allowed to gatekeep arguments from you just because of who you are. But this is just a PSA for life in general.

Allowable arguments:

I'll vote on almost anything (except bigotry): even extinction and "death good" arguments. Be warned that certain arguments are much harder to prove. This means that I'm generally tech over truth.

Please please please have a trigger warning for anything that may trigger people (things like sexual assault, suicide, etc.). Especially if you use arguments that are descriptive of those triggering arguments. If you are using descriptive mentions of something that can be triggering, ask yourself if that is really necessary. There's no reason why you can't just mention their existence and still use them. Trust me, your argument doesn't become weaker because it's a non-descriptive mention of them.

Regarding Kritiks: as I said, I only did Trad debate, but I know what a K is and how it works. So do explain things to me very clearly if you use some weird literature for your K. If you hate that, sorry not sorry.

In terms of Theory: I am going to have a pretty high bar for a "drop the debater" voter. I'm also not going to weigh any frivolous T that is just... stupid. Sorry for the judge intervention but idc if you argue very well that I should vote for the shorter debater to stop height discrimination. Or something like first, last three words or whatever. Please stop.

Speeches and Rebuttals:

Please signpost. I'm not a mind reader; I can't magically tell where you are on the flow. If I don't know where you are, I can't flow it. If I can't flow it, I can't give you that argument. If I can't give you that argument, I can't give you the win. If you use multiple arguments against something, number them. So don't get mad if you see a ballot that isn't in your favor because I didn't catch your third response to their fifth response in your first subpoint in your second contention that was about somelastnameyouspedthroughandididnotcatch, 2014.

Please address the fact that your opponent dropped your argument. If you drop the dropped argument, you don't get the point. Mention your opponent dropped something and extend it and say why that drop is important. For example, if the AFF dropped the NEG's contention two, then in the next speech say they did and explain why it's important.

Please weigh your arguments. I shouldn't (and won't) have to weigh them myself. Weighing them for me gives a clear reason to vote for you since you explain why your arguments are more important. If you forgot, the main weighing metrics are magnitude, probability, timeframe, and scope.

Don't lie in the very last speech. I get that if you're losing you have to say something like "I outweigh on this" even though you didn't. Who knows, maybe your last speech will persuade me to vote for you. What I mean by lying is saying something like, "My opponent dropped this" when they did not drop that. It's frustrating when something like this happens especially in front of a parent judge since you can't correct them. You'll lose speaks if you lie on purpose.

If you run out of time during a speech, finish your last thought. If you keep going, I will stop you.

Cross:

If time runs out during cross, I'll allow the person to answer the last question that was just asked.

This isn't a shouting competition: don't try to one-up your opponent.

Please answer the questions that are being asked to you. Being shady isn't a good strategy. Please stop if they ask you to stop.

Cross is binding, y'all.

I don't necessarily flow cross, but I am listening.

Specifically about crossfire in PF: I am really hating the using cross as a time to badger each other. PLEASE stick to asking questions. This isn't another rebuttal. Calm down. I have (and will) dock speaks because of the absolutely rude and terrible behavior I've seen during crossfires.

Speaking:

If you're gonna talk fast, only talk fast through your evidence. Please slow down while signposting or reading any tags or card names. Maybe even take a break after you say a tag, so I can flow it.

What really annoys me is when people just address something by card name especially if that card is the only one under a contention. Just mention the contention at that point. I get that you have to address it by card name sometimes but please tell me where it is. Sometimes I don't catch the author. Instead of saying "Johnson 20," say "Johnson 20: second card under my contention one." Remember, if you are just saying something and I have no idea where it is on the flow, don't be surprised you lost even though you extended that one magic card when I have no clue where it is or what it says.

I start my speaks at 27 and go up or down based on how well you are speaking and articulating your arguments.

In general for how I evaluate speaks, I consider how poised you are in your speaking (are you speaking with clarity, precision, being efficient with your sentences), how good you are at articulating your arguments, and how you are able to navigate and link between arguments. There's no formula for this.

Online Etiquette:

I prefer cameras on but I don't really care. I understand sometimes cameras just aren't feasible for a lot of reasons. Online debate makes it so much harder to hear so if you're talking fast, speak very clearly and slow down for tags. Covid really did a number on Debate etiquette and it surprises me so much. Just don't be eating or something. It's more important than in-person debates that you ask if everyone is ready.

Pet Peeves:

Don't say, "I win because..." or "you have to vote neg because..." No, I don't have to vote for you. That is my decision.

If you are using Kant, you should not care about consequences. If you care about consequences, you are using it wrong. I'll still consider your framework as is, but I will not be happy.

Please ask if everyone is ready.

Sorry that this is long. Have any questions? Ask me before the round, and I will answer them.

For circuits that use email chains: phuong.doan7114@gmail.com. I probs won't look at it unless someone points out something sketchy or something. I just expect y'all to speak in a way that I can flow without me reading it. Otherwise, what's the point in speaking? I also think Debaters have the burden to tell me why a piece of evidence is good or bad. I'm not doing that for y'all.

Richard Fink Hire

Tom Fones Hire

Jeff Hou Hire

Last changed on Mon July 22, 2024 at 7:40 AM EDT

Jeff Hou

Potomac Debate Academy

SMCS Poolesville HS Class of 2026

Add jeffhoufc219@gmail.com for all email chains to exchange evidence and speech docs. This is non-negotiable!

To introduce myself, I am a public forum debater and have debated for almost 2 years. As a debater, I understand what it is like to have a judge that doesn't fully tune in and give illogical decisions. Thus, considering the arguments of both sides carefully is imperative to me and I want to make sure my decision is as rational, reasonable, and productive as it can be. I want every round I judge to be clean, educational, and purposeful.

Pre-Round + Constructive Info:

Please create an email chain before round and add me to it. You don't need to ask me if I want to be on it; yes, I want to be on the email chain.
Send your cases to my email before round. If you fail to, I will doc your speak points and if it's a close round, I'm voting for the team that did send it compared to the team that didn't.
Arrive early, start on time. In the words of my Earth Science teacher Mr. Kingman, "stop burning daylight."
If you intend on spreading (>280 wpm), give me a notice before doing so. Your speak points will suffer if otherwise.

Rebuttal:

If you're first rebuttal, your job is to respond to your opponent's case
If you're second rebuttal, you have to frontline. I prefer that you frontline first and respond to your opponent's case second.
In terms of offense, you need to implicate it and turns need to have an impact
In offensive mechanisms, I do have a preference in terms of what holds the most weight. Turns are the biggest; the rest are as of followed: delink, prereq, invalid, non-unique.

Second Half Debate + Other Stuff:

this is sorta unorganized but js read and synthesize it

If you don't weigh don't act surprised that you lose the round lol
Weigh as early as possible to maximize your chances of winning.
Please, please, please metaweigh tbh; debaters love throwing out random terms to weigh on but there has to be some clear distinction and in most cases there are none. In most close rounds I've debated in, metaweighing was the key to winning so please metaweigh.
I'm going to be honest; probability weighing is stupid lol but if you can justify it go for it.
No new weighing mechanisms in final focus.
Don't bring up new arguments in final focus. It's annoying, against the rules of debate, and pointless. Just know that you are wasting time running arguments that I will not vote for. Also, your speak points will suffer.
I vote on warrants and clean extensions. A proper extension in the 2nd half of the round is the card name, the claim, the warrant of the card, and the implication of the card. Name of the card is the least important part of extension; as long as I know what you're referring to we're chilling. A clean extension is when your opponent has nothing to respond to on your card and you continuously bring it up (you'd be surprised how many people need to know what a clean extension means lol)
For the love of God, collapse in summary. The speech times get shorter for a reason. Once you collapse on an argument, YOU CAN'T JUST COLLAPSE TO ANOTHER ONE IN THE NEXT SPEECH. You are going to lose the round if you do that (cough cough D'Silva).
Defense > offense especially when it comes to final focus. Make this debate about you and your position and why I'm voting for you. You need to re-explain your key points in summary and final focus; if you don't, I don't have a big reason to vote for you.
Defense is not sticky

Theory and Ks:

Don't run theory. Don't be a coward and try to squirm your way out of debating the topic. You chose to be a debater so debate the topic like you're supposed to. The moment you run theory is the moment I stop the debate right there and announce that the other team won.
I don't like Ks either but at least you're debating something of substance so if you want to run a K, go for it, I'll evaluate it.
If you run Cap-K, you better be creative enough to think of an economic system that is not communism or socialism as your alt. Otherwise, you're going to have to convince me that communism/socialism works. In that case, your chances are the same chances that a snowball has in Hell.

How to Not Lose Your Round + Other Stuff I Didn't Know How to Organize:

DON'T LIE. DON'T LIE. DON'T LIE. I WILL DROP YOU ASAP AND GIVE YOU THE LOWEST SPEAKS POSSIBLE (cough cough Nathaniel D'Silva)
Don't be racist, sexist, etc.; just be a good person. If you're acting like a POS, I will treat you like one by dropping you and giving you the lowest speaks possible.
I'm a history nerd so don't be stupid and lie about history in round; I'm going to realize that and refer to point 1 of this section.
On prep time, don't steal prep time. If it looks like you're stealing prep time, I'm running the clock and docking speak points. If you're taking a long time to pull up evidence or a document, the clock is ticking cus I'm running your prep time.
You should have cut-out cards; I will drop you if you don't
I will call and evaluate cards if a) it sounds too good to be true, b) a team calls for me to evaluate it, c) it genuinely intrigues me.
I prefer evidence not being paraphrased but do as you wish; just be careful of paraphrase theory.
If round is boring or incredibly close, I'll presume neg.

In crossfire, just make sure it's coherent; anything else is fine with me. I listen to crossfires because it can get interesting but I don't flow cross.

Truth vs Tech

Debaters get wrapped up in the convo if a judge is "truth over tech" or "truth over tech" but in an activity of debate, it's impossible to fairly categorize it in either. If you're completely a "truth > tech" judge, you're interfering as a judge when it's not your place; the role of providing arguments are the debaters not you. If you're completely a "tech > truth" judge, you're making debate an obsolete activity because truth be told, realism needs to be considered if debate is going to be more than just a competition. Thus, my philosophy is that you bring a balance of reasonability and realism with debating on a technical level on the flow.

Ask me if you have any other questions before the round begins.

Pushpa Hullahalli Hire None

Victoria Justice Hire None

Chandana Kancharla Hire

Last changed on Tue February 6, 2024 at 11:36 AM CDT

Hello, debaters!

I'm Chandana Kancharla, and I'm thrilled to be your judge today. I'm currently a sophomore in high school and have been part of my school's debate team for a few years. I'm also a member of the Potomac debate community.

I want to let you know that I'm a "flow" judge, which means I'll be taking detailed notes during the round. It's important for you to organize your arguments clearly and weigh them against each other. If you can explain why your points are more important, it'll really help me understand and make a fair decision.

PLEASE SIGN POST!!! It will help me keep track of the round, and also remember to extend your argument all the way until FF.

SPEED PREFERENCE:

although I don’t really mind if you speak fast I would prefer if you could make sure that your arguments are heard CLEARLY!

and make sure that the speed that you are speaking in is something that you are comfortable with.

Other than that I’m fine with anything.

CARD CALLING:

if you are sharing evidence please add me to the link chain, my email is: chandana.debate123@gmail.com

YOU MUST READ THE CARD AT PREP TIME! To keep the debate fair please make sure you follow this and do not read the card when you are in cross or anything like that.

Note: I will be calling for cards if I find them sketchy, and please DO NOT bring up new arguments in FF, if your opponents do make sure to call it out that way I can take it into consideration.

When it comes to judging I’m a tech > truth, I focus more on how well you present your arguments rather than whether they're true or not. So, be sure to explain your points clearly and back them up with evidence. Additionally weighing will really allow me to decide who gets the win. (as I already stated before)

I have one strict rule: no rudeness, racism, sexism, or any misbehavior. If you break this rule, I'll have to deduct points. Let's keep the debate respectful and enjoyable for everyone.

Lastly, I encourage all of you to have fun, be kind to each other, and enjoy the experience. Remember, debating is not just about winning or losing but also about learning and improving. So, let's have a positive and constructive debate. Good luck, and let's get started!

Josh Kanodia Hire

Ruhee Khanna Hire

Michael Kirylau Hire

Last changed on Thu July 4, 2024 at 11:49 AM CDT

TLDR: flow judge, please collapse and weigh, quality > quantity, ok with some speed

NOVICE: Relax and try your best! I won't be super technical, so don't worry about strictly following and understanding everything in my paradigm. Focus on presenting your arguments clearly and try to respond to all of your opponent's attacks during your speech!

Add me to the email chain: mkirylau@gmail.com

Background

I competed in PF for Adlai E. Stevenson (2020 - 2023). I judged mostly PF for around a year (everything from locals to natcirc finals). I've also judged trad LD, speech, and congress.

Style/Strategy Preference

I can judge speed assuming you send docs, but I’d rather not unless you’re very very confident in your clarity. You should SLOW DOWN in summary and final focus.

Summary + Final Focus: Follow an “our case, weighing, their case” structure. I’m not a fan of structuring the debate in terms of “voters issues.”

COLLAPSE ON MAX ONE CONTENTION AND/OR ONE TURN. The less offense I have to evaluate, the more confident I will be in my decision.

QUALITY > QUANTITY. I’m not a fan of spamming lots of one-line blips in rebuttal and calling it a day. I will not implicate/warrant out arguments for you.

I think unique arguments and impact turns are great! I usually give high speaks (29+) to teams that innovate and go outside the meta.

How to Win My Ballot

Step 1: Don’t be a bad person (_ist, _phobic, etc.)

Step 2: Win some offense (under the given framework)

Step 3: Outweigh OR win terminal defense against your opponent’s offense

How to Win Offense

Extend the link and impact of the argument you’re going for. You don't need to extend internal links unless they're heavily contested. To extend the link/internal link/impact, you need to briefly explain what the link/internal link/impact is and successfully respond to all terminal defense against it. This applies to turns as well!

If nobody wins ANY offense, I presume for the 1st speaking team. If your strategy involves winning off presumption, I will only evaluate presumption warrants introduced BEFORE final focus.

The default framework is util. If you want to introduce a different one, do so BEFORE summary. Frameworks should have warrants and, ideally, reasons why your opponents don't link in.

How to Outweigh

Tell me why your impact (or the link to the impact) is more important than your opponent’s via comparative analysis.

If there are multiple competing weighing mechanisms, you should metaweigh. Otherwise, I default prereq > mag > prob.

Probability weighing is NOT an excuse to read new defense. I evaluate probability in terms of strength of link (i.e. the less mitigated the link, the more probable it is).

If there are multiple pieces of offense but no weighing, I'll intervene for what I feel is the highest magnitude.

No new weighing in 2nd Final Focus.

How to Win Terminal Defense

Briefly explain the defense, explain why your opponents failed to respond, AND implicate why that defense is actually terminal.

Even if your defense isn't terminal, you should still extend it if you're going for probability weighing!

Progressive Debate

I will evaluate all forms of progressive debate, unless it's something egregiously abusive and anti-educational (aka tricks). But, all things being equal, I still prefer evaluating traditional debates.

Theory MUST be in shell format and introduced immediately after the violation for me to evaluate it. Defaults are spirit > text, reasonability > CIs, DTA > DTD, education > fairness, and no RVIs.

Personally, I think everything besides disclosure and paraphrasing theory is frivolous, but I'll try my best to keep an open mind if you're running something different.

I have very elementary experience with kritiks. I will try my best, in good faith, to evaluate your arguments, but you are responsible for making them clear to me. Slow down and explain the literature using as little academic jargon as possible, and I will be receptive.

If you're looking for free, high-quality debate content, subscribe to Proteus Debate Academy

Claire Lee Hire

Shuhan Li Hire

Last changed on Fri May 10, 2024 at 2:23 PM PDT

Email: shuhanli2016@gmail.com

Please add me to your email chains when exchanging cards, etc.

Background: I’m a current high schooler in Varsity Debate; I’ve been debating for 4 years now. So you don’t need to explain jargon or anything really and most stuff that has to do with the topic I have a good grasp on

—

Summary for younger debaters:

Read your words out clearly so I can hear what you’re saying, especially since we’re online. You have 3 minutes shared with your partner to plan things out, so please don’t use any more than that.

Please keep in mind how long you’re speaking for and stick to the rules! I will time you, but you should still time yourself.

During crossfire whatever you say is what you mean. If you say something in crossfire you can’t change it (so if you answer “yes”, you can’t change it to “no”)

Also, if you know what it is: please weigh! In other words,show me why you win. Tell me why your impacts matter more than your opponents’.

Be respectful too! Use your manners :) don’t talk while your opponents are talking, etc.

I don’t say who wins at the end of the round, but I will give feedback if necessary and if you guys want.

If you have any questions, you can email me or ask me before the round starts! Good luck!! :)

For experienced debaters:

General

Speed: I genuinely don’t care just avoid spreading if possible. You can go as fast as you want but do so at your own risk; the faster you are, the more likely I am to miss something.

If I look confused, I probably am. Don’t steal prep time. Don’t bring up new arguments/evidence in summary/final focus but you can still respond to arguments.

Crossfire is binding, however bring it up in speech; basically, if you agree to something in cross you agree to it, you can’t change your decision and vice versa. as a debater cross is my favorite so i love to see some good cross

Please weigh!! Weighing shows me who wins; if you don’t weigh I will lean towards giving the ballot to your opponent.

Please give trigger warnings; if your arguments may trigger someone change it.

Be respectful. I also don’t want to see you talking verbally with your partner while someone is giving a speech. Adding rhetorics or funny statements is also highly welcome and if you make me laugh that means you’re doing great, although if it’s a serious topic don’t crack jokes there (i.e. keep it appropriate)

In round, refer to me as “Judge”

theory: disclose before but avoid running it if you can

oh and btw i time y’all but time yourself as well if you go over time that’s bad

Also, I don’t disclose round results but I will give feedback when necessary and when y’all want it

If you’ve got any questions please ask I am more than happy to answer; my email is at the top of my paradigm so you can email that or you can just ask me before the round starts. good luck! :)

Ayden Loeffler Hire

Last changed on Thu January 25, 2024 at 10:31 AM PDT

CASE DEBATE- Case debates should end with two conflicting blocks of impact calculous that explain how each side is acquiring the ballot through their win conditions. I find these to be most compelling through the lenses of Time Frame, Probability and Magnitude. The teams that better access these forms of impact weighing will typically win my ballot.

THEORY - Some hurdles (biases) for debaters to overcome when having theory rounds in front of me: (1) I tend to defend against theory than it is to read theory, (2) I find conditionality to be good and healthy for the types of debates that I want to see, (3) disclosure theory does more harm for debate (by dropping teams that didn't know about disclosing) than any good it does, (4) I weigh theory on the interpretation not its tagline (this means debaters should wait to hear the interpretation before they start writing answers that miss a poorly written OR nuanced interpretation), (5) there isn't a number or threshold for too many theory positions in a round aside from speed and clarity, (6) RVIs are not worth the breadth just sit down, (7) you're either going for theory or you aren't, I am heavily bothered by debaters that say the sentence, "and if you aren't buying the theory here's this disad."

Read your interpretation slower and repeat it twice. I will not vote on theory that I do not have one clear and stable interpretation for. Also just read it slowly because I don't want to miss out on the substance of the rounds I really want to hear.

SPEED - Speed is a tool just like written notes and a timer in debate that allow us to more efficiently discuss topics whether that be on a scale of breadth or depth. Efficiency requires a bunch of elements such as: both teams being able to respond to all or group most of the arguments in a meaningful way and being able to hear and write the arguments effectively.

CRITICISMS - My interest in criticisms has waned over the years. It could just be a difference in debate meta between when I competed and now but I find many of the critical arguments run in front of me to be either constructed or read in a way that I have difficulty understanding. I don't vote on criticisms with alternatives that are incomprehensible, poorly explained or use words that mean nothing and aren't explained (the first point of your alt solvency should probably clear up these points if your alt is a mess).

I have a very difficult time weighing identity politics impacts in rounds.

Collapse - Please collapse.

Pankhuri M Hire

Satvik Mahendra Hire

Last changed on Thu July 11, 2024 at 3:03 AM CDT

email for email chains: satvik.debate@gmail.com

i presume first unless you tell me otherwise

i will not intervene on arguments not having a warrant unless you call it out. however, just saying "there is no warrant between ___ and ___" will be sufficient for me to not vote on an argument without a warrant. but please warrant your args to make my life easier

make weighing comparative pls

i will not vote for risk of solvency arguments on policy change topics. it is not sufficient to just say that "the status quo is failing and we have the only risk of solvency". this is lazy debate. make actual warranted arguments that are compelling for me to vote for.

I will vote off the least mitigated link chain into the best weighed impact.

I will evaluate anything you say as long as it isn't exclusionary or problematic in any way and is properly warranted.

Arguments with warrants and evidence > arguments with warrants but no evidence > arguments with no warrant but evidence > arguments with no warrant or evidence

No new arguments are allowed from second summary and onwards except for weighing. However, all weighing must be done during second summary and first final focus at the latest. Second final focus is too late. Also, it is best to start weighing as early as possible.

Second rebuttal should frontline everything from first rebuttal, including defense, on all arguments you plan on going for.

Extensions

At the very minimum, you should summarize your argument in a few sentences and make sure you extend your impact. You do not need to extend author names.

If you have any more questions about extensions, pleeeeease ask me before round. Don't just not extend because you do not know how to. I'll be more than happy to help!

Be strategic, nice, and persuasive and you will get good speaker points.

If you have any questions, please please please ask me before the round starts so that everyone involved has a great experience!

Cinthia Moncores Hire None

Giovanna Moncores Hire

Ranjani Muralidharan Hire

Inesh Nambiar Hire

Lauren Ouyang Hire None

Rashi Patel Hire None

William Phong Hire

Last changed on Fri February 9, 2024 at 11:27 PM PDT

2024 update: I haven't judged in a while so just keep that in mind, most of the below isn't too relevant to pf but if you have any questions just let me know

Torrey Pines '19

Pronouns: he/him

Email: williamphong10@gmail.com

General

- I’ll vote for almost anything as long as it isn’t morally abhorrent

- go a bit slower bc of online debate, thanks :)

- Read whatever you want as long as you can explain it

- If you have any questions just ask before round or you can msg me on fb/email me

Defaults (can be changed if you make the args)

- Neg on presumption

- Drop the debater, competing interps, no rvi

CP - Should solve the case or part of it, have a solvency advocate, and be competitive with the aff. PIC’s are fine, 1-2 condo is fine, also open to aff theory against them.

DA – Disads are great, higher quality disads > higher quantity of disads.

Kritiks – My knowledge is mostly towards more basic k’s like cap, security, setcol, etc. It’s your job to articulate the k to make sure I understand - I'm not well read on a lot of lit bases and I might not know the jargon you use. Contextualize the k/links to the aff. High theory – really interesting but the extent of my knowledge is a 30 min lecture from Ronak and a bit of source reading so probably not a good idea.

K Affs – I like them and read them, but I don’t favor either side of the debate more than the other. Make sure you explain what the aff actually does.

Topicality – Convince me that your model/interp of debate is better than theirs.

T/FW - TVA arguments and case lists help me visualize the interpretation.

Theory – Good theory for me includes things like 50 state fiat bad, floating piks bad, disclosure, etc. Friv theory - I’ll still vote on it but the threshold for responding lowers the more friv it is.

Phil – I find philosophy interesting but I only have base level understanding of anything not util.

Tricks – 0 experience

Ramkumar Rajaraman Hire None

Urja Saha Hire

Monali Shenolikar Hire

Rishik Rahul Shenolikar Hire None

Gowri Simha Hire None

Katelynn Smith Hire

Last changed on Thu February 1, 2024 at 7:33 AM CDT

My background consists of doing PF debate for a year and LD debate for 3 years. I am a traditional LD debate judge, as I am from West Texas where that is the primary type of debate. I was apart of the NSDA, TFA, and UIL circuits, where I competed in a variety of tournaments at the local, regional, and national level. I currently attend Texas Tech University where I am active within the Student Government Association and various other student organizations.

As a judge in a traditional LD debate, my primary role is to evaluate the arguments presented by both sides and determine which side made the more compelling case. I will base my decision on the quality of the arguments, the strength of the evidence presented, and the persuasiveness of the speakers.

I believe that the most important aspect of any debate is the clash between the two sides. I want to see both sides engage with each other's arguments and respond to each other's points in a way that advances the debate. I appreciate when debaters demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic and the issues at stake, and can articulate their ideas clearly and concisely.

In terms of argumentation, I expect debaters to provide well-reasoned and logically coherent arguments, supported by relevant evidence. I am not swayed by emotional appeals or unsupported claims. I prefer to see debaters engage with the complexity of the issues, rather than relying on simplistic or reductionist arguments.

I also value effective communication skills, such as clear enunciation, good pacing, and appropriate use of body language. I appreciate when debaters are respectful and professional towards each other, and towards me as the judge.

In terms of the format of the debate, I expect both sides to follow the standard LD structure, with clear and coherent introductions, contentions, and rebuttals. I expect both sides to stay within their allotted time limits and to respect the rules of the debate.

Ultimately, my goal as a judge is to fairly evaluate the arguments presented by both sides and determine the winner based on the strength of their arguments and their overall performance in the debate.

Gina Marie Spanu Hire

Matthew Sze Hire None

Nuveria Tajammul Hire

Last changed on Sun May 26, 2024 at 12:07 PM CDT

Debate Experience:

[4 years] High school: PF, LD, Congress, World School, American Parliamentary, and more; competed at nationals

[Present] College: IPDA, LD-Policy, British Parliamentary; competed at nationals

Judging since 2019

General Paradigm for ALL debate formats:

I value RESPECT and DECORUM above all. No shouting, being rude, cutting opponents off, making faces, openly expressing annoyance of opponents' arguments, certain body language, and more; these are valid reasons to deduct speaker points. Getting excited about an argument and going full into it does not count as disrespect. I judge based on age group. There is a fine line between firm and rude. If I see you being rude, I will give you low speaker points, but I won't make you lose the round.

I am a LOGIC judge, if something doesn't make logical sense, you'll lose the argument

I love ANALYTICS, analyze the evidence

Be organized

Clear contentions

Spreading or speeding is okay if you are coherent. Policy debaters, refer below

Off-time road maps, please

Follow the flow of the round- don't make my life harder than it has to be

I like jargon, its helpful and I am familiar, except for IPDA

LD-Policy + Policy Paradigm:

Run anything, I don't care, as long as it works. DA, T, CP, K, etc, all work, just make it make sense. I may be educated but I don't know the whole dictionary, so make sure to explain in simple terms at the end, like 2-3 sent final summary. Second, make sure you still attack the general Aff plan and why it does not work. I need both, just in case, to default.

I can not express this enough if I don't understand your arguments, then it's hard for me to vote for you.

Be organized and make sure you upload clean documents after your speech. No shady things, for example, copying your speech twice to make the document hard to navigate...really? Make sure to do this right after your speech ends, so your opponent has time to use the clean doc.

Spreading:

(1) Only do it if you want to relay more information and can speak clearly, if you have not practiced reading your document and are choppy + taking breaths in, do not spread

(2) make sure your opponents are okay, debate is supposed to be fair, equitable, and educational

(3) make sure to explain anything important, if I miss something and you don't explain it, that's on you

Links + Impact + Solvency - without it you won't win

Just because you read a card doesn't mean you're done. Explain its impact

I flow the cross. Anything important should still be brought up in the subsequent speech

LD Paradigm: Traditional Judge

Focusing on the V and VC

Clash is important

Links + Impact + Solvency - without it you won't win

I don't flow the cross, anything important, MUST be brought up in the subsequent speech

PF Paradigm: Lay Judge

Clear contentions, strong evidence, links, and impacts

I don't flow the cross, anything important MUST be brought up in the subsequent speech

Other:

Have any questions, need coaching, or help?

Contact me @ nuveriat@gmail.com

Need accommodations, let me know

Catherine Terrace Hire

Last changed on Sat February 10, 2024 at 3:42 AM CDT

TABROOM PARADIGM

As a judge, I am committed to addressing barriers to accessibility in debate.

EXPERIENCE:

I did high school Lincoln Douglas for 4 years, and JV Policy at the collegiate level (Trinity University) for 2 years until 2018 or so. I have experience judging policy, LD, PF, and some speech events. I judged tournaments in the Houston, Austin, and San Antonio areas from around 2015-2018, took a break, and have been regularly judging online tournaments since 2020. At this point in my judging career, I'd say I'm still very knowledgeable with the basics, but I'm less comfortable now with high-jargon arguments in policy and LD (see, theory in LD, K literature). Having good and clear voters is important to me - I'd say the best 2NRs/2ARs are the ones that write my ballot for me. Tell me why I should vote for you!

SPEAKER POINTS:

I judge speaker points based on how clearly you navigate the flow (sign post, please!) and how clearly you articulate your voters in the final speeches. No speaker points will be deducted for stuttering - so long as you sign post (tell me where you are on the flow), have good organization on the flow, and tell me what arguments I should vote on, you will get above a 29. You will get low speaks if your speech is disorganized, and lower speaks if you are rude to your opponent.

My scale is usually (but not always):

30-29.5: excellent sign posting, clearly outlined voters, very good round. 30s will write a well warranted ballot for me

29.4-29: mostly good sign posting, at times a bit unclear, but you did a generally good job.

28.9-: not enough sign posting, your speech was somewhat disorganized.

LD/POLICY:

SPREADING:

For policy: I will permit spreading evidence if all debaters in the round are okay with it – if you wish to spread (evidence only), please ask beforehand in front of all participating members. If you or your opponents do not want to spread, no reason is necessary, and I will not flow any arguments that are spread if your opponent and I have explicitly asked you not to spread before the round (these requests to/ not to should be made before the round - I will not drop debaters for spreading, but I always welcome spreading kritiks). Spreading can be an accessibility issue, and it is important to make our rounds respectful. Good debaters do not need to spread to win!

If all debaters agree to spreading, then you HAVE to slow down for tag lines – if it’s important and you want it on my flow, then you HAVE to slow down and provide emphasis. It's been awhile since I did debate, so I'm not fast to flow anymore - ESPECIALLY for final speeches, do not spread analytics if you want your arguments on my flow/ ballots. I cannot give you a good RFD if I cannot flow your arguments

For LD: Please do not spread (and if you do talk quickly, just do so with cards, not tags or analytics). These rounds are too short, and at this point in my judging career I miss too much in LD rounds with spreading - treat me like a traditional judge, and give me quality arguments, and you will win against opponents with blippy speedy arguments

EXTENSIONS:

When extending an argument, you must extend the warrant as well. A dropped argument is a conceded argument.

And - weigh your arguments!! If you are losing an argument, but you are winning another and tell me why that’s more important, I will be more likely vote for you. Weigh, weigh, and weigh some more!

FRAMEWORK:

I enjoy framework debates, but they usually aren't enough to win a round alone. Clearly weigh your winning offense through the winning framework - whether that’s yours or your opponent’s - and you will win

I evaluate the round by: 1 looking at the winning framework (ROB, standard, etc), 2 relevant voting issues/ offense, and lastly (and arguably most importantly) 3 weighing (tell me why your offense matters more)

KRITIKS:

Ks are okay, but make sure your arguments are clear. Especially if you're reading denser philosophy, be sure to explain it clearly - I'm good on stock Ks, but if it's high level/ complex, explain it to me like I'm a lay judge (and I generally recommend erring away from these in front of me)

PLANS/CPs/DAs:

Love them, and I especially enjoy a good comparative worlds debate. I am able to write the best RFDs for these debates

TOPICALITY/THEORY:

IN CX: Topicality is fine, I will vote for it if there is a clear violation and it's articulated well. I am not the biggest fan of Theory.

IN LD: TLDR: Treat me like a lay judge if you're running theory, please do not spread your theory debates - I will not be able to follow. It is best not to run theory in front of me

My longer response: I think that theory in LD is very different than theory in policy. I was never really into the technical aspects of theory, and my skills in being able to judge it have eroded over the years. If you want a good and coherent RFD from me stay away from theory, and probably stay away from T as well (though I am more willing to hear this). If you are running theory/T in LD, you cannot spread if you want it on my flow/ ballot - I will not be able to keep up. If you choose to run theory and spread in front of me, I will do my best to judge this, but I would encourage you to run any other arguments in front of me. Judge adaptation is an important skill to have!

PF:

Everything above applies! Some additional notes:

If you plan on speaking quickly/ spreading, then please make sure your opponents are comfortable with that before the round - I generally prefer it if PF rounds stay at a conversational pace, but if both teams want to speed up the speeches, that's okay.
PF is not policy/LD. Remember - one strong argument with good weighing is better than multiple poorly warranted ones - know how much time you and your partner have to commit to addressing all arguments in play. I am okay if you want to run more policy-like arguments.
In my experience, rebuttals should address all arguments, summaries whittle them down to the key arguments, and final focuses look at the voting issues. Again, I think the best final speeches are the ones that write my ballots for me!

MISC:

- Open cross is fine.

- I don't count flashing in prep, but keep this within reason.

- You are responsible for timing your own prep - I prefer to not have to keep time myself. Same with timing speeches - you are responsible for keeping track of your own time.

- If time is up, you can finish your sentence, but do not go significantly over. I do usually time speeches and will stop flowing when your time is up - if you're going towards 30 seconds over, this will reduce your speaker points.

- I will not vote on any morally repulsive arguments.

- Do not be rude. Debate is a competition, but we should respect one another and do our part to make this a welcoming educational environment.

- Weigh your arguments!! Generally speaking, you're not going to win every single argument in a round. That's okay. Win the most important argument, and tell me why it's the most important argument/ more important than the argument(s) your opponent is winning

COVID/ VIRTUAL DEBATING UPDATES:

- Please try to show up on time to rounds - that includes showing up to whatever "report time" or "check time" the tournament outlines. That being said - technical difficulties happen, and this will not factor into my RFD.

- If you think you'll be asking for evidence, collect emails/ create a Google Doc BEFORE speeches begin. No prep time is needed to share evidence, but try to be as quick as possible so that we can have an efficient round. Please get my email in round so I can be on the email chain. I think Google docs are the easiest and best way to share evidence

If you have any specific questions about my paradigm, feel free to ask me before the round begins! I am more than happy to clarify, and always appreciate when debaters read paradigms before rounds. Best of luck y'all, and have a great round!

Andrew Thong Hire

Last changed on Sun January 28, 2024 at 5:51 AM EDT

hi! i debated pf in hs. toc '19! i was a former co-director for nova debate camp and go to uva now. i also coach ardrey kell VM and oakton ML. add me to the email chain: iamandrewthong@gmail.com

tl;dr, i'm a typical flow judge. i'm tab and tech>truth, debate however you want (as long as it does not harm others). for more specific stuff, read below

most important thing:

so many of my RFDs have started with "i default on the weighing". weighing is NOT a conditional you should do if you just so happen to have enough time in summary - i will often default to teams if they're the only ones who have made weighing. strength of link weighing counts only when links are 100% conceded, clarity of impact doesn't.

other less important stuff:

online debate: unless you're sending speech docs, please just make a shared google doc and paste cards there. i get it, you want to steal prep while waiting. but really, it's delaying tournaments and i get bored while waiting :( (you don't have to though, esp in outrounds - but i will be happier if you do)

also, if you're debating from the same computer, it's cool, just lmk in the chat or turn your camera on before the round so i know, because i usually start the round when i see 4 ppl in the room

speed is ok. i think it's fun. i actually like blippy disads (as long as they have warrants). but don't do it in such a way that it makes the debate inaccessible - drop a doc if your opponents ask or if someone says "clear".

whenever you extend something, you have to extend the warrant above all else.

defense is not sticky, but my threshold for completely new frontlines in second summary is super high. turns must be frontlined in second rebuttal.

new implications off of previous responses are okay (in fact, i think they're strategic), but they must be made in summary (unless responding to something new in final). you still need to have concise warranting for the new implication, just as you would for any other response.

i don't listen during cross - if they make a concession, point it out in the next speech.

weighing is important, but comparative and meta weighing are even more important. you can win 100% of your link uncontested but i'd still drop you if you never weigh at all and the opps have like 1% of their link with pre-req weighing into your case. don't just say stuff like "we outweigh because our impact card has x and theirs has y and x>y", but go the next step and directly compare why your magnitude is more important than their timeframe, why your prereq comes before their prereq, etc. if there is no weighing done, i will intervene.

i encourage post-round questions, i'm actually happy to spend like however long you want me to just answering questions regarding my decision. just don't be rude about it.

progressive arguments:

i will evaluate progressive arguments (Ks, theory, etc).

no friv theory, no tricks

i default to reasonability, RVIs, and DtD *if not told otherwise* - before you start e-mailing me death threats, this is just so teams can't read random new shells in summary unless they're going to spend the time reading warrants for CI and no RVIs - i prefer theory debates to start in constructive/rebuttal, and i'll be sympathetic to teams that have to make new responses to a completely new shell in summary or final focus

i'm less versed on Ks than i am theory. i can probably follow you on the stock Ks (cap, sec, etc), but if you're going to run high level Ks (performance, afropess, etc), i'll still evaluate them, but i advise you run them with caution, since i might not be able to get everything down 100%. it's probably best to make these types of Ks accessible to both me and your opponents (you should honestly just explain everything like i'm a lay judge, and try to stay away from more abstract phil stuff like epistemology/ontology/etc).

if you have any more questions, feel free to ask or e-mail me before the round!

Asher Towner Hire

Last changed on Sat February 10, 2024 at 5:25 AM EDT

About:

Hi, I’m Asher (he/him). I competed in LD from 2017-2020 and qualified to the TOC twice. Shortened my paradigm for efficiency – feel free to email/message me if you have any questions about my opinions on specific arguments. Other events at bottom

Email: ashertowner@gmail[dot]com

Online Debate:

1. It’s in your best interest to go at 50-65% speed for analytics and 80-90% speed for cards. Slower on tags, conversational pace for short tags that are 1-3 words/plan texts

2. Record your speech locally to send in case there are network/wifi issues. I will not let debaters regive speeches – if you didn’t record it locally I will vote off of what I have on my flow

Judging philosophy:

1. I will vote on anything as long as it is won, not blatantly offensive, and follows the structure of an argument (claim, warrant, and impact). My decisions are always impacted first and foremost by weighing, no matter what style of debate you choose. I value argument quality and development – I’m unlikely to pull the trigger on cheesy, one-line blips and reward debaters that perform quality research and explain their positions well.

2. You must take prep or use CX if you want to ask your opponent what they did/did not read

3. I will not vote on anything which occurred outside of the round (with the exception of disclosure) or use the ballot as a moral referendum on either debater. Genuine safety concerns will be escalated and not decided with a win or a loss.

4. "Insert rehighlighting" - you should be reading the card if you're making a new argument distinct from the one the evidence made when it was initially introduced. Insertions are okay if you're providing context, but you should briefly summarize the insertion. I'm unsure how to enforce this besides being a little annoyed if you go overboard, but if your opponent makes an argument that your insertion practices are toeing the line I'll be inclined to strike them off my flow

Preferences:

1. I think theory can be an invaluable check on abuse and enjoy creative interpretations that pose interesting questions about what debate should look like. The more bland and frivolous the shell the more receptive I am to reasonability. Reasons to reject the team should be contextual to the shell – otherwise rejecting the argument should be able to rectify the abuse. Counterplan theory is best settled on a competition level

2. Kritiks should be able to explain and resolve the harms of the affirmative - the less specific the link arguments, their impact, and the alternative the more likely I am to vote aff on the permutation and plan outweighing. Impact turns are underutilized. 2NR fpiks = new arguments unless clearly indicated earlier in the debate

3. I have no strong ideological predispositions against planless affirmatives. However, in a perfectly even matchup I would likely vote on framework

Evidence ethics:

I will end the round and evaluate whether or not the evidence is objectively distorted: missing text, cut from the middle of a paragraph, or cut/highlighted intentionally to make the opposite argument the author makes (ie minimizing the word “not”). For super tiny violations like powertagging I’d prefer you just read it as a reason to reject the evidence.

Misc:

Be nice to your opponent! Will nuke your speaks if you are too rude, especially if your opponent is a novice or is making a good faith effort to get along

PF stuff:

PLEASE TIME YOURSELVES.

I'm comparatively less involved in this event and so I'll try not to impose my opinions on its conventions. For varsity, I'd prefer both teams share their evidence prior to their speeches, and I dislike paraphrasing as a practice but won't automatically penalize you for it. Speed is fine but not ideal given the norms of the activity. Generally speaking, I would prefer you not read progressive-style arguments given this format's time limitations. Other than that, just weigh.

Sahasra Vedagiri Hire None

Nick Velo Hire

Last changed on Sat June 29, 2024 at 4:45 AM CDT

Updated June 29, 2024

This was written with judging high-school-level policy debate in mind. Middle and elementary school, as well as non-policy debaters, some of this may not be applicable for you.:)

TLDR

If you have questions before or after round, ask in person or feel free to email me. My email is n(dot)velo2000(at)gmail(dot)com. Put me on the email chain if there is one!

Worldview:
K --------------x----- Policy

Speed for tags and analysis:
Slow---------x--------- Fast

Speed for the body of ev:

Slow -------------------x Fast

Introduction

I have a BA in political science from the University of Kansas with a minor in philosophy that heavily emphasized formal logic (2021). I have a JD from the University of Kansas School of Law with an emphasis on criminal law (2024).

I debated for Emporia HS in Emporia, KS ('14-'18: oceans, surveillance, China, education), and the University of Kansas ('18-'19: executive authority). I mostly read "soft-left" affs, though occasionally read traditional high-magnitude impact affs. Every aff I read defended federal government action. My 2NRs were a lot of T. Don't let the arguments I read determine what you read in front of me.

I try to judge when I can. Trends, community consensus, and topic knowledge are things that I am no longer up to date on. Given that the tournaments I judge are few and far between, my flowing abilities may not be where you'd like them. I often choose to flow on paper, meaning I may not make eye contact.

Deviation from my paradigm =/= auto-loss, following it perfectly =/= auto-win. I can be convinced to evaluate the round by other means than those below. This paradigm applies to other forms of debate where applicable.

Top level: Non-Debatable Rules

Be nice - you have a duty to be respectful and ethical towards everyone in the round. This includes, but is not limited to, not making arguments that could have traumatic implications. A breach of said duty will be met by a punishment I deem proportional to the breach. If being otherwise unethical/hyper-aggressive is your strategy, strike me.

Speeches, CX, prep, winning, speaker points - each debater must give exactly one constructive speech and exactly one rebuttal for their team. Each debater must be available for CX after their constructive; open CX is fine. Speech and prep times are strict. Prep stops once the flashdrive goes into your computer or when you open your email. Compiling evidence into one doc is prep. Don't steal prep. Exactly one team will win. Info on speaker points below.

Filesharing - I would like speech docs. Speechdrop > email chain > flash drive. Microsoft Word documents preferred.

Online chat box - only has been an issue for middle school/novices. Don't abuse it.

Clipping - if you clip and I catch it, you get the "4" rank and/or 20 speaker points. If you clip and the other team catches it with a recording, I will award you a loss in addition to the "4" rank and/or 20 speaker points. Don't clip. If you need to stop reading a card before finishing it as indicated by the speech doc, you should say "mark the card at [last word you read]."

General/Misc. Thoughts

Tech > Truth - within reason, a dropped arg is a true arg if there is an extension.

Clarity > Speed - slow down for anything that isn't the text of a piece of evidence, especially if the argument isn't in the speech doc.

The less work there is for me to do at the end, the better! Tell me why you win.

No judge kicks unless its explicitly an option. Make it clear that I can judge kick before the 2NR. Conditionality is a prerequisite.

The neg should disprove the desirability or scholarship of the 1AC. I struggle to vote on things that happened before the start of the 1AC or after the end of the 2NR.

I tend to lean neg on framework vs affs that do not defend USfg action. Not an impossible for the aff to win, but much harder for the aff if the 1AC content is not related to the topic.

I consider debate to be a game first and an educational forum second - fairness is an impact in and of itself and not merely an internal link to education.

I generally consider myself a utilitarian. Avoiding unnecessary suffering is inherently good. Unnecessary suffering is inherently bad. Death/suffering good arguments are neither true nor ethical.

Affirmatives/Case Debates/Presumption

The aff should defend a hypothetical solution to a problem.

The aff cannot sever out of the 1AC advocacy.

The content of the 1AC should be related to the resolution. Any aff not related to the resolution should be prepared to justify that decision.

Defense alone is never enough to justify voting neg. Presumption does not exist absent offense. There is always a non-zero-percent risk the aff does something beneficial.

Topicality/FW

The 1NC should have an interpretation, violation, standards, and a reason to vote neg. The block should give a topical version of the aff if there is one.

The standards debate should have at least one warrant. Saying "vote neg for limits and ground" is insufficient without more analysis, and especially so in the block. The block should explain how your interpretation resolves any alleged abuse, why non-topical affs and/or the 1AC advocacy damages limits and ground, and why limits and ground are good.

I default to competing interpretations. Reasonability has never meant that "our aff is a reasonable example of the topic," but has rather meant that "our interpretation of the topic is a reasonable one, so don't vote us down."

Absent clear, egregious abuse, T is not an RVI. If there's any uncertainty over whether that level of abuse is met, it probably hasn't been.

Theory

Generally open to good faith theory arguments, but "cheap-shots" will be held to a higher threshold.

Conditionality is usually good; it's up to the aff to tell me where to draw the line, if at all.

Disclosure is good, but failure to disclose usually does not justify rejecting a team or infinite conditionality. New affs are a valid, strategic aff choice.

Disadvantages

The neg should ideally provide specific link evidence, or spin generic link evidence in a way that relates to the aff. Specific link/no link arguments are stronger than generic ones.

Impact overviews are nice. I think there is a lot of room for nuance in "DA outweighs and turns case" arguments. These arguments win rounds.

Counterplans

If you're reading a "cheating" CP, be prepared to defend the legitimacy of it.

CPs should compete through mutual exclusivity or through external net benefits (such as a disadvantage). Internal net benefits are unpersuasive and lose to the permutation.

CPs should have texts that are specific and written in a similar format to the aff plan text.

Kritiks

If this is your bread and butter, I probably should not be your highest-ranked judge.

Framework debates (fiat not real, weigh impacts of aff vs K, etc.) are important and I like them but you have to slow down. Here, the quality of your arguments heavily outweighs the quantity of them.

Speaker Points

I think of speaker points as a way of grading your speech. To do so, I take the "grade" that I think you deserve, place a "2" in front of it, and move the decimal (ex: 75% = 27.5). In awarding speaker points, I consider both speech delivery and content. The standard for these scores changes with the tournament and division; novices at local tournaments will be held to lower standards than teams on the national circuit.

30 = Perfect.

27.6 to 29.9 = Above average, there are likely one or more small issues you can improve on to get closer to a 30.

27.5 = Average.

25.1 to 27.6 = Below average, there are one or more major areas you can improve on.

25 = Well below average, there are many major areas that need improvement.

20 = You clipped your evidence, displayed egregious disrespect, or created another ethical issue in the round.

Anoushka Vyas Hire

Justice Wallenmeyer Hire

Anita Wei Hire

Lina Wu Hire

Alex Yang Hire

Rhema Yang Hire None

shan yang Hire

Prisha Yelamanchili Hire

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February 2024 Potomac Intramural

2024 — Online, MD/US

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