Hi!

My name is Kelly, I use she/they pronouns.

My main event was LD, but I've competed in many different speech and debate events. I coached LD while I was in high school and now. 

Across the board, no matter what type of debate you do, I expect you to be respectful to your fellow competitors, audience, and judge(s). Even if you make the best arguments, if you are disrespectful, it is unlikely that I will vote for you or I will deduct speaker points. A good and fair debate can still happen while maintaining respect. 

Be aware of your time. You should be keeping track of your own time during speeches. I will also be timing for official purposes, however, I should not have to stop you. In order to manage your time better, I would suggest signposting and using your prep time wisely.

I'm fine with spreading, I tend to be a fast talker myself; however, if you are speaking so fast that I cannot understand you then I won't be able to judge the round...So keep that in mind. It is better to say less and speak slower than to say more and speak so fast that nobody can understand you. 

While I do try to do my research about the topics so I have a general understanding before judging, I am definitely not doing the level of research that I used to when I was a competitor. It would be a good idea to avoid jargon or complex ideas unless you are going to explain them. Generally, most of your judges won't know much about the topics you're speaking on. It is easier to convince the judge if you are speaking in terms and explaining to them in ways that they can understand. You are trying to convince your judge and if your judge doesn't understand what you're talking about then they're probably not going to vote in your favor.

LD specifics:

The more evidence you have the better! Although, LD is a philosophical debate in some senses, facts, and evidence can and WILL bolster your arguments (make sure you are using credible sources though). 

Don't forget about your value and value criterion! This is the part of LD that makes LD unique. It should not just be stated at the beginning of your case and then never mentioned again. All of your contentions and arguments should link back to your value and value criterion. Framework debate is a good spot to have those more philosophical debates. Ultimately, your whole case is built on your framework, so if your framework is flawed, your opponent can make a good case against you. 

I love a good cx. This is the one point in the debate where you get to interact with your opponent so use it to your advantage! I want to see good leading questions. By CX I can usually tell who my ballot is going to. 

Ultimately just have fun! I'm excited to see what you all can do!

I value

1. a fluent delivery style with good eye contact.

2. good speech structure

3. all sources cited with source name and date

4. clash

5. depth of ideas and analysis

6. richness of language

7. smooth handling of questions

8. consistently active in the chamber

9. change agents--students who are not following a "herd" mentality, but who look for opportunities to make things happen and change things up a bit.

Hello All. My name is Riley Murray and I am a debate coach and former college and high school debater. I am a tabula rasa judge, so I want to see clear warrants and convincing logic above all else. Make sure to be polite and speak at a pace that is easy to follow for judges and opponents. Debate is meant to be an educational exchange of ideas, and I believe those are our best rounds. Have fun!

I use she/her pronouns.

I have coached all forms of debate, with students as state champions, national qualifiers, and national outrounds (mainly in LD, but also CX, PFD, and congress). While I am a coach of 20+ years, I like to be treated as a lay judge. My philosophy is that regardless of the style of debate, you should never assume that your judge knows more than you and it is your responsibility to educate them on the topic. That means:

1) I prefer speech habits that emphasize persuasiveness and understanding. Don't spread, make sure to signpost, and think about how you can use your voice to emphasize key points.

2) Avoid topic-specific jargon. We are not researching this stuff to the level that you do as a competitor. Don't throw out an acronym without telling me what it stands for, unless it is a universally-known one (i.e. NATO). Sometimes even terms of art in the resolution aren't really known to the judge, so it is helpful to clarify. That also goes for complex ideas and theories.

3) Explain your arguments/contentions. Just reading card after card does not showcase your logic. Remember the warrant -- WHY does that evidence matter? And with that said, what is the impact? I love a good impact.

You could call my debate paradigm rather traditional as I competed in high school and collegiate debate in the early 2000s and have coached for seventeen years since. I value persuasion in argumentation, but I also flow and focus on the issues that the competitors want me to focus on to reach my decision. I like creative and interesting arguments, so make them!

Also, I do my best not to intervene so if you want me to focus on something in a round, then you better tell me. I am not going to carry across/impact arguments for you or make up arguments that you did not make against your opponent's position, even if their advocacy carries significant weaknesses. I am also not going to ask for evidence without being called upon to do so (and if you want me to look at evidence at the end there had better be a good reason).

Rudeness will not be tolerated. You can be assertive, yet polite. If you ask a question in CX/crossfire, allow time for the opponent to answer and do not prematurely cut them off. I hated that as a competitor and I hate it still.

Make sure evidence is ready to hand to the other competitor or team when they call for it. If you do not have it, it will negatively impact speaker points AND I will not start running prep time for the other side until they have the card(s) they need. So you will be forfeiting free prep time to the other team if you are not organized.

Keep in mind that time limits provide a maximum, not a minimum. I would rather have you make a really efficient and clear rebuttal or summary or Final Focus that is a minute rather than have someone "fill time" with nebulous issues that do not matter.

Finally, is very important in the final speeches for debaters to write my ballot for me. Tell me what argument(s) you are winning and why they win you the round. Do some weighing of issues there too.

Oh Hey! I didn't see you there. Your hair looks AMAZING!

My name is Ray smith and I'm an alumni of Knott County Central High School (Class of 2005) located in Hindman, KY. At the very bottom I've included categories I've competed in during my time at Knott Central. Since then, I've had the opportunity to help judge competitions (in the early 2000's with paper ballots ????) and assist as a freelance coach. Additional professional experience includes working as an actor and educator with The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival as well as acting with Savage Rose Classical Theatre and Louisville Repertory Company. I'm currently signed with Heyman Talent Agency located in Louisville, KY where I primarily focus on film, television, and commercial projects. One of my favorite gigs was a lead role on a Spotify shoot.

When it comes to judging, I keep my poker face strong. It's a preference to help ensure no favoritism is being shown so don't be discouraged. When it comes to interpretation events, I look for solid character development and how polish the piece is. For example, in Humorous Interpretation, I really look at how well you pop into characters, focal points, as well as looking to see if characters blend into one another.

One piece of advice I would give We all started somewhere so don't give up. My freshman year in high school, I wasn't following the scripts and I believe I broke into finals once at a local competition. By my senior year, I quadrupled in state finals and even won a category. And my direct experiences in speech and debate have led me to a successful career as an engineer and actor.

Here are categories I've competed in along with some of my titles:

After Dinner Speaking (Humorous Oratory at the Great Smoky Mountain National Invitational) | 2005 Semi-Finalist
Broadcasting
Dramatic Interpretation
Duo Interpretation | 2005 KHSSL State Finalist
Group Interpretation (Non-Sweepstakes points at KESDA State)
Humorous Interpretation | 2005 KHSSL State Champion
Impromptu Speaking
Improv Duo
Poetry
Storytelling | 2005 KHSSL State Finalist (Top 3)

My paradigm is pretty straight-forward. I believe debate is an educational opportunity designed to promote discourse. While I can handle speed, I do not prefer it as I believe that it detracts from the intentions of the activity. I prefer lots of clash. Having the ability to provide a strong line-by-line response is effective. Use your evidence to your advantage. Don't assume I will make the connections for you. If you want me to flow it, say it.

In Congressional Debate, there is no need to preface how many times you have spoken. It's a waste of time. Your name and your school is sufficient. As a Parliamentarian, I will be as hands off as possible. If you think there is an issue, that is up to you as representatives to ask the PO. Try to be as direct as possible in your questions. Lots of time is wasted in prefacing.