I am a 'tab' judge. Teams/speakers must show me why their arguments should be voted on as opposed to assuming I will vote on them based on my own beliefs. I am a former TOC circuit policy debater and current head coach of a high school debate program. I am fine with all types of arguments, and very familiar with debate jargon and procedures.

I am typically fine with speed as well.

Please give clear voting issues a the end of the round.

Please signpost clearly.

Please give a brief off time road map prior to all speeches with the acceptation of the first affirmative.

"An essential element of persuasion lies in the ability to adjust communication to resonate with the audience."

I am an experienced judge and former coach of individual events, LD, CX, PF debate and congress. I prefer a rate of speaking that is conversational. I am typically persuaded by specific direct impacts and clear analysis.

Persuasion must include more than just series of data, but an analysis of presented data and clear connection/discussion of the impact of such data.

Looking for students who speak clearly and address all of opponents contentions.

Hello competitors, my name is Evan Higbee. As a former debater, I have a good understanding of every event.

As your judge, you can count on me to pay attention, take notes/flow debates, be as impartial as I possibly can, and provide useful feedback whether you win or lose.

Whether I'm your judge in a speech or debate event, the key to winning my ballot, or earning the top ranking in a round is clarity. When I understand your position, and when I can follow your reasoning or the story you're telling with ease, you are more likely to win my ballot.

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Congress

I'm familiar enough with Congressional debate that I've judged this event as a parliamentarian. Please treat this event with the appropriate seriousness, comedy is fine if it is appropriate to the bill.

In your speeches, I'm looking for a clear and concise analysis of a bill, and making the most of your 3 minutes.

To stand out in the round, ask questions that expose weaknesses in the speech that was just given if you disagree with that side of the bill. Also, when answering questions, provide clear answers and engage with the question, instead of avoiding it.

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Lincoln Douglas Debate / Public Forum / Policy

I did LD all four years in high school, and I understand PF/Policy Debate.

My paradigm has three parts:

1) Flow

I will flow only what competitors say in the round, please don't lie to me. To win this area of my paradigm you need to win the arguments on the flow.

2) Communication

I'm not expecting any to talk 'slowly', but slow down on your taglines. Be organized in everything you say, I can't be convinced if I don't understand the argument. If I can't keep track of your arguments, you are not likely to win. Please be clear, polite, and concise with your arguments, questions, and answers.

3) Impacts/Solvency

This is the most important part of my paradigm. I consider the impacts of arguments and overall solvency to be more important than winning more arguments on the flow.

In LD, this rests heavily on the Value and Criterion debate, so forgetting about that can potentially cost a competitor the round.

My reason for decision will explain who won each of these three areas and why.

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Speech and debate are not merely extracurricular activities; they are powerful tools for honing communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and fostering intellectual growth. This paradigm delves into the multifaceted world of speech and debate, highlighting their significance in personal and academic development.

1. Effective Communication: Speech and debate provide platforms for mastering the art of effective communication. Participants learn to articulate their thoughts clearly, persuasively, and concisely, essential skills for success in both personal and professional realms.
2. Critical Thinking: Engaging in speech and debate fosters critical thinking skills by challenging participants to analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives. Through research, analysis, and argumentation, individuals learn to construct logical and compelling arguments.
3. Confidence Building: Public speaking can be daunting, but speech and debate offer a supportive environment for individuals to overcome their fears and build confidence. The ability to confidently express ideas in front of an audience is invaluable in all aspects of life.
4. Civic Engagement: Speech and debate empower individuals to become active participants in civic discourse. By discussing pressing societal issues, participants develop a deeper understanding of the world around them and are motivated to effect positive change.
5. Intellectual Growth: Engaging in speech and debate cultivates intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. Participants are exposed to a wide range of topics and viewpoints, challenging them to expand their knowledge and broaden their perspectives.

I am a new judge but like to hear a clear and quality argument that is well thought out and prepared. Please make sure to be convincing and explain things thoroughly.

General:

During debates, please be respectful for your opponents, clash is okay however you should not come of as rude. I am fine with spectators as long as your opponents are okay with it. Please avoid using jargon. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Good Luck!

. I enjoy a more conversational pace over a fast and complex pace. I am big on evidence! Ensure you are able to back up what you present. I want to see respect from both sides. Try to respectfully interrupt your opponent during cross but don't purposefully cut them off.

Please explain or define any complex ideas and overall linkage. I want to see/hear the impacts, this tends to sway my vote more than the "argument".

This is your speech or debate round so I want to see you use your own strengths and build on those strengths throughout. Overall, these rounds should be fun and educational for both sides. Please follow the rules and guidelines of the speech or debate.

Hello! My name is Madison Pritchard. I debated for 3 years in high school with experience in LD, Congress, and mainly Public Forum. I have also debated in college at Idaho State University, so safe to say I am very experienced. I have organized my paradigm by events that I am familiar with, as well as some general preferences. Happy debating and good luck!

General:

Be kind! This is high school debate and at its core needs to be about respect and understanding. I love clash but you need to make sure it is respectful, clash makes the debate interesting, without clash a debate ends up being bland. Make sure you are not interrupting your opponent a lot during cross examinations. Be sure that you have all of your evidence on hand and that it is properly cited, if I catch you falsely representing evidence then you will probably get a loss, unless your opponent does something somehow worse. If you choose to run a definition argument, be completely sure you can make it work, I don't love these but sometimes they are needed, make sure it is necessary if you do run one. I am fine with spectators as long as your opponents are fine with it, and as long as they are respectful (NO BEING ON THEIR PHONES). If you have any further questions, feel free to ask in round! Good luck debaters!

Public Forum:

This was my event in high school so you will not be able to get a lot past me here. A good balance of evidence and ethics are the core of this debate. I flow, so make sure your attacks stand and not to drop any main arguments, that will lose you the debate. Do not make the whole debate about evidence, evidence validity debates are not fun for anyone. If I feel a piece of evidence needs addressed, I will take a look once the debate has concluded. Speed reading is not loved but I can follow to a degree, just remember this is not policy.

Lincoln Douglas Debate:

I have a decent amount of experience with this event, so I can follow a lot of the jargon and ideas. My main problem sometimes with this debate is when people make it solely about the value/criterion, don't forget to attack the actual case and not just the value it is based on. Remember this debate is about morality, you need to convince me that yours is the morally correct argument, I will carry these over on the flow more than solely logic arguments.

Policy:

I don't have a lot of experience participating in this one, but I have ended up judging it a lot, so I have experience in that sense. A lot of the jargon I can understand but still be sure to explain some of your terms if you think there is a chance they could not be understood. Make sure your links are very clear. When your links get muddy, especially on a counterplan, you can lose me. Topicality arguments can be great, but again, just make sure they are completely clear. I do not love speed reading; I can usually follow but tread carefully.

Congress:

I just thought I would put some things in here I like to see in congress just in case someone looks for it. Make sure your speeches have substance, I really hate throw away speeches. If you are getting up just to get a speech in, it will not get you any points with me. Everyone needs to be respectful, do not be rude or personally attack other representatives. Please do not use questioning periods to debate, use your speeches, if you do this it will not reflect greatly in your ranking.

Hello, this is my paradigm!

This is my third year involved with speech and debate. I competed in sales in high school, and this is my first year in speech at a collegiate level.

Speech -

I judge based on organization, delivery and of course content.

I'm a judge who prefers moderate speakers, so I can get all the information down. I will vote for the person/team who sells me on their argument, with solid evidence, and a quality debate. Quality over quantity is huge, don't overload the flow with information if it isn't going to be strong evidence.

I have over 30 years of experience in speech and debate as a participant, instructor, coach, and judge in both high school and college levels. My paradigm is communication. In order to put forth a convincing argument, the tenants of good communication must be followed. Are you speaking clearly in a voice that everyone can hear? Are you using your voice as a tool by fluctuating tone, volume, rate, etc. to lend power to your speeches? Are you avoiding distracting habits (pencil tapping, filler words, repetitive gestures, pacing, swaying, etc.)? Have you chosen your words carefully to fully convey your meaning? Do your arguments make logical sense and are they backed up (when appropriate) with sufficient reliable evidence? Have you organized your thoughts into an easy to follow format? All in all, are you convincing?

I am an assistant coach with ten years of experience judging debate.

I will judge on the flow and am open to most kinds of arguments. Make sure you connect the dots (tell me how it connects to your case). I am fine with speed, although sometimes speakers are not as clear as they think they are.

Although I like lots of clash, please clash politely with your opponents. I want to hear you address your opponent’s arguments meaningfully. Tell me why winning dropped arguments wins the debate for you. Give me the impact of those dropped arguments.

For LD, know and understand your arguments. Then explain and link them to your value and criterion for me.

I want you to give me clear, impactful voters. Why did you win?

Have fun!

I'm not extraordinarily experienced in the debate world, as this is my second year judging. That being said, I am knowledgeable about argumentation, evidence, theory, etc. as an English teacher so please be careful and intentional when backing things up with evidence. I've found that I really appreciate clear signposting as you go through your speech. What I don't appreciate is speaking so quickly that I'm unable to take notes. If I don't have time to write down your argument or evidence, it doesn't exist to me when I go to make a decision on the winner.

I was a head coach for 12 years with 13 years of experience in judging debate.

I will judge on the flow, and I am open to most any kind of argument. I am fine with speed, though I find that sometimes people are not as clear as they think they are. I will say CLEAR if you're not clear.

Lots of clash, please. Make sure you are addressing your opponent's arguments in a meaningful way. Impact your drops... Tell why winning the dropped argument gives you the advantage.

In LD, understand, explain, and link to your standards.

Give me thoughtful and well articulated voters.

Good luck!