Hendrickson TFATOC
2024 — Pflugerville, TX/US
Public Forum Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideLC Anderson22
UT26
email for email chains:
pf: speed is fine, cards should be well cut, bring up everything you want me to know in your speech, framing should happen in constructive or top of the rebuttal, disclosure also needs to happen in constructive, no new offensive arguments past rebuttal - offense needs to be extended in summary, your links should be coherent, if something important happens in cross, make sure to also mention it in subsequent speeches, summary and final focus should mirror each other, tech > truth but remember that one to an extent determines the other, for progressive arguments i will try my best to evaluate them but probs not to the extent of an ld/cx judge so keep that in mind when running them; postround me till you understand my decision
congress: clash! warrant your arguments and weigh your impacts - comparative framework works best since there are so many arguments made in the round / internal links need to be coherent / i am open to diff types of arguments and structures / too much rehash = lower rank, but a good constructive with clash will be ranked high. make sure to be engaging (don't rely too much on reading off the pad), but remember that this is a debate event in the first place - no canned agds pls - try to find a uniqueness that works for you; sources (reputable and academic in nature) need to be cited and used always, with that being said your research is just one part, but your analysis is what matters most / good crystals will be ranked high - but it needs to go above weighing in the comparative framework --> in addition to that extend your side with new impact or evidence, win the side and debate overall. pls don't use a questioning block just to agree with a speaker, this time should be used for rebuttal. be convincing, but respectful; be active - congress is all about strategy / win the game; being aggressive (yelling and getting mean) doesn’t make you win the round
- for po's: i will rank you, but you need to know rules/structure of debate and be able to move the debate along smoothly, i shouldn't need to interfere, but i will always keep a chart to keep track - if there are consistent errors i will rank you lower
ie: do what you need to do, all topics can be super interesting, but make sure to always be aware of your surroundings and give proper trigger warnings
feel free to ask me questions before the round starts!
have fun!!
Hi, I am a graduate who competed for Dripping Springs High School participating in mainly PF and Worlds.
Email:
brett.banks@utexas.edu- Add me to the chain, please!
Worlds:
I am a blank slate and treat this event as tech > truth. I have plenty of experience with this event so I know the ins and outs. This event is all about clash so please avoid being repetitive.
PF:
Tech > Truth within reason here. Add me to the chain.
LD/CX:
Very much traditional here, however, I am open to voting on anything. Just try to simplify any complicated arguments for me. I will almost always vote on the shortest path to the ballot.
Speech:
I honestly have no idea how to judge a speech event properly so just try to be fluent.
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 bad you're done.
Anderson 21' PF 3 years and some gold bids, LD 1 year and I was a novice lol
Tabula Rasa
Debate is a game
K's, T, disads, theory, any args are fair ways to play
I endorse good norms...I am happy to evaluate arguments that establish them
you're probably not winning a generalized theory bad IVI in front of me,
if you think you've encountered bad theory, read your own shell (or IVI) about friv theory or any specific shell you find abusive
default competing interps
speed is fine
feel free to post-round me until you understand my decision
For readers:
I flow real good so follow the rules
No new offensive arguments past rebuttal; don't read new framing in final
Every part of your offense (claim, warrant, impact) must be extended in summary or it is dropped
If it's not on my flow when it should be, it's not in the round anymore
You should frontline in second rebuttal
Defense is not sticky; extend it in first summary
I don't listen to cross so bring up concessions in speech
I give speaks based on in round strategy and technical prowess
FOR LD
tech pf judge
larp: very comfortable with larp, I won't mess it up I promise
theory: debated a lot of disclosure and paraphrasing in my day, I probably wont mess it up
T: T is cool
Ks: mostly familiar with the structure but not with the lit, go easy on me, I might mess it up but I'll try my best
fine with spreading as long as I have the doc
ask specific questions if you have them
Hi! I did speech and debate throughout high school from 2019-2023. I did TFA PF and Extemp, UIL LD and Extemp, and NSDA Extemp. Most of my accomplishments were in Extemp but I also understand the technicalities of PF and LD.
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General: PLEASE be respectful to your opponents and your teammates. Outright hateful comments and bigotry towards others will not be tolerated in round and will affect my judgment.
Debate:
PF:
-I like to judge off my flow, so please go down each argument instead of jumping all over the place, and announce when you do jump somewhere.
-While I can keep up with speed moderately well I was not a Policy kid, so please do not spread to fast. In PF I would like to see a certain level of lay appeal.
-I will evaluate K's, framework, and other similar strategies. If it's something that your common parent judge has not heard of please ask me before you run it. I don't believe tricks sway a round too much, so I will likely not consider them. I will evaluate theory but I'd prefer not to, at the end of the day I always prefer you respond to the topic. If you are running this kind of stuff I would have a backup PF-centric case.
-ALWAYS extend and weigh until the final focus. Even if you believe you won an argument in summary I want to hear you give a brief reference to it in your final speech. Extending the argument will increase the chance I will evaluate it.
-Impacts are crucial to me in round.
-Don't steal prep it will be noticed.
-I'll let you know when the time is over. After around 5-10 seconds overtime I will likely ignore any arguments brought up in that period.
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LD: Everything referenced above applies to LD as well. I will be a bit more loose since I know LD is a bit more technical though.
-Please stand up when you speak.
Speech (yay)
Extemp:
-I will tolerate small variations but please stay in line with the general extemp structure.
-If you go past 7:30 I will likely not give you the 1.
-I like to judge equally between style and content with a small preference towards style. If two people gave an equally good performance I will break the tie by choosing the person with the most responsive content.
-Please do not spin or play around the question, I'd like you to answer it directly and effectively.
-Please be an advocative speaker. The topics you discuss are impacting people at the end of the day.
I prefer a debate that is focused on facts and evidence. I appreciate a clear roadmap. If I can't understand what you are saying because you are speaking to fast or not clearly connecting ideas you will not do well. Speaker points are given when it is clear you have practiced your opening argument.
Will share before debate if asked
Assistant Debate Coach Dripping Springs High School
2a/1n UH debate 2016-19
email chain- ryanwaynelove@gmail.com
I do not watch the news.
Novices:
I have infinite patience with novices. So just do your best to learn, and have fun; welcome to debate!
Unrelated:
Hegel updates just dropped: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/29/manuscript-treasure-trove-may-offer-fresh-understanding-of-hegel
Policy: TFA State Update: (Ask me questions! This is an important tournament, I really do not like how hostile some judges can be to debaters. Y'all deserve to be able to ask whatever you want before the round).
Really important: You have got to slow down a bit for me. If you are not clear, you are doing yourself a disservice. The clearer you are, the faster you can go in front of me. The less clear you are means the more you should slow down.
You do you. But please crystallize the debate. I am infinitely more comfortable voting on well explained, well warranted, argument(s) that were explained persuasively, that took up the vast majority of the time in the 2nr/2ar, than I am on voting on a blippy technically conceded argument that was 20 seconds of the 2nr/2ar. This means I prefer deep debates over crucial issues of clash much more than debates where both sides are trying to spread the opponents thin. In debates where debaters take the latter approach rather than the former, I often times find myself seeking to determine the core "truthiness" of an argument. I often times have a different interpretation of "truth" than others. This means that in debates where little weighing is done for me you may not like how I intervene to make a decision. Similarly, if there is a conceded argument I much prefer you explain why that concession matters in the context of the greater debate being had, instead of just saying "this was conceded so vote for it." Most important to me is how you frame the round. If structural violence outweighs make it clear. If ontology is a pre-requisite to topical discussion make it clear, and so on. I do not want to adjudicate a round where both sides "pass each other like two ships in the night." Weigh your arguments, compare evidence, indict the ideas and arguments your opponents put forth.
Many times in conversations with debaters after the round I will be asked "Well what about this argument?" The debater will then go on to give an awesome, nuanced, explanation of that argument. I will then say "If it had been explained like that in rebuttal, I probably would have voted for it." If you expect me to vote on something, make it important in the last rebuttal.
I have not judged much on this topic. So start slower and work your way up to full speed. If I cannot understand you I will say clear.
Slow down in rebuttals. If you are going blazing fast I will miss something and I will not do the work for you on the flow. If you are fast and clear you should be fine. I need a clear impact scenario in the 2nr/2ar. Tell me the story of your impact(s); whether it be nuclear war, limits/ground, education, or settler violence. Be sure to weigh it in comparison with the impact scenario(s) of your opponents. In short, do the work for me, do not make me intervene to reach a decision.
Argument specific stuff:
Topicality-I am not aware of topical norms, so do not be afraid to go for topicality; especially against super vague plan texts.
Kritiks-I am most comfortable judging kritikal debate. As a debater I debated the kritik explicitly. I say this because I think y'all deserve to know that the finer techne of policy throw-downs are not my strong suit. If you read the Kritik I likely have at least some passing familiarity with your arguments. That does not mean I will hack for you. I expect you to explain any argument to me that you expect me to vote on in a clear and intelligible way. If I can not explain to a team why they lost, I will not vote for an argument.
K Aff v. Framework- I am about 50/50 regarding my voting record. Something, something, the duality of being ya know?
Disads- These are fun. The more internal links to get to the impact the more suss I think the arg is, the more likely I am to believe there is very low risk.
Counterplans-If your strat is to read 900 counterplans that do not really compete I am not the judge for you. Counterplans that have a legit net benefit on the other hand...those are nice. That being said, I have a soft spot for words PICS/PIKS.
Misc- Debate is a game. So if your A-strat is to go for that heg advantage, federalism and 50 states, or cap good, then go for it. You do you. Be polite, be friendly, don't waste anyone's time. Speaking honestly, these things are far more likely to influence my mood than whatever arguments you read.
Please use cross-x effectively
Please act like you want to be here.
Please be efficient in setting up the email chain, sharing docs, et cetera.
Please know I am only human. I will work hard. But know I am not perfect.
Last but not least, have fun! Debate is a great place to express yourself and talk about really interesting and pertinent things; enjoy your time in debate because it is quite fleeting!
LD:
This is the event I am least familiar with of all of the ones I have on this page. I would say look at my Policy paradigm and know that I am very comfortable with any policy-esque arguments. What the cool kids call LARP in LD I am told. For anything else judge instruction and weighing of args is going to be critical. As I have also stated in my policy paradigm I am more familiar with Kritikal args than policy ones, but I think for LD I am a good judge to have if you want to read a plan or something.
That being said I do appreciate debaters using their framing IE Value/standard/whatever to help me adjudicate the round. If you win framing you will probably win the debate when I am in the back of the room, as long as you have an impact as to why your framing matters.
Frivolous theory, RVI's, and tricks are going to be a hard sell for me. Legit theory abuse, topicality, or "T-you gotta defend the topic on the aff" are args I am more than willing to vote on.
Phil arguments are cool but do not assume I have any familiarity with your author. If I do not understand something I ain't voting on it.
San Antonio specifics
Unless both parties agree I do not want to see any spreading.
Do not be afraid to be a traditional debater in front of me. Just be sure you can debate against other styles.
Public Forum
Update a la Churchill on the Kritik- I am down like Charlie Brown for the kritik in PF (understatement). However, if you introduce the K in rebuttal I will be willing to evaluate theory args in response.
TLDR: Tech>truth, I keep a rigorous flow, I appreciate good analytics, and I hate theory in PF. I do not care if you sit or stand. If you want to call for a card go for it; BUT PLEASE do this efficiently. Do not try to spread, but going quick is fine.
Long version: I have judged a lot of rounds in Public Forum this year. There are a few things that you need to know to win my ballot:
The teams who have routinely gotten my ballot have done a great job collapsing the debate down to a few key points. After this, they have compared specific warrants, evidence, and analytics and explained why their arguments are better, why their opponents arguments are worse, and why their arguments being better means they win the debate. This may sound easy, however, it is not. Trust your instincts, debate fearlessly, take chances, and do not worry about whatever facial expression I have. I promise you do not have any idea where my thoughts are.
Crossfires: Use this time wisely. Use it to clarify, use it to create ethos, use it to get concessions, use it to make their arguments look bad and yours good. But use it. I think answers given in crossfire are binding in the debate. If you get a big concession use it in your speeches.
Framework(s): I like these debates. Reading a framework IE structural violence or explaining via an observation how the debate should be framed is helpful because it clarifies for me how to evaluate the debate. I like this in debates, it makes things easier for me. If you are reading a framework be sure to extend it in every speech and use it as a lens to explain your impacts in the debate/weigh your impacts against your opponents.
Speed: I think PF should be more accessible to the general public than policy. With that being said I have not seen a team go too fast yet.
Theory: This is silly. Disclosure theory is silly. Do not read it in front of me. Do not read any theory arguments in front of me. I will not vote on them. With that being said arguing that your opponents are not fitting within the bounds of the resolution is a good argument to make if it applies. If you make this argument and have warrants and impacts do not be afraid to go for it in final focus.
Non-traditional stuff: I enjoy creative takes on the topic, unique cases, and smart argumentation. I do think that PF should always revolve around the topic, I also think the topic is broader than most do. That being said avoid jargon. You can make a lot of creative arguments in this event, do so while avoiding weird debate jargon. No this does not contradict the "theory" section above. I will weigh claims about someone not fitting within the bounds of the resolution vs explanations about why a team is satisfying the burden of the resolution. Whoever does the better debating will win this question in the debate.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: I am a firm believer that my role as a judge is to be impartial and adjudicate fairly. I will flow what you say and weigh it in comparison with what your opponent says. Be polite, be friendly, don't waste anyone's time. Speaking honestly, these things are far more likely to influence my mood than whatever arguments you read.
Congress:
I was a finalist at the TOC in this event. This means I am looking for a lot of specific things to rank high on my ballot.
Clash over everything. If you rehash I am not ranking you.
Authors/sponsors: get into the specifics of the Bill: funding, implementation, agent of action, date of implementation. I appreciate a good authorship/sponsorship speech.
1st neg: Lay out the big neg args, also clash the author/sponsor.
Everyone else needs to clash, clash, clash. Specifically reference the Rep's you are refuting, and refute their specific arguments.
Leave debate jargon for other events.
Ask lots of questions. Good questions. No easy questions to help your side out.
This is as much a speaking event as it is a debate event. Do not over-read on your legal pad (do not use anything else to speak off of), fluency breaks/over gesturing/swaying are distracting, and be sure to use intros, transitions, and conclusions effectively.
I loath breaking cycle. If it happens those speaking on whatever side there are speeches on need to crystallize, clash, or make new arguments.
I appreciate decorum, role-playing as congress-people, and politicking.
1 good speech is better than 100 bad ones.
Wear a suit and tie/ power suit. Do not say "at the leisure of everyone above me" that's weird. My criticisms may seem harsh. I promise they are not intended to be mean. I just want to make you better.
Presiding Officer: To rank in my top 3 you need to be perfect. That being said as long as you do not catastrophically mess up precedence or something like that I will rank you top 8 (usually). The less I notice your presence in the round the better.
BOOMER thoughts (WIP):
Outside of policy/LD I think you should dress professionally.
In cross-x you should be looking at the judge not at your opponents. You are trying to convince the judge to vote for you not your opponents.
At the conclusion of a debate you should shake hands with your opponents and say good debate. If you are worried about COVID you can at least say good debate.
You should have your cases/blocks saved to your desktop in case the WIFI is bad. You should also have a flash drive just in case we have to go back to the stone age of debate.
"Is anyone not ready?" is not epic.
"Is everyone ready?" is epic.
The phrases "taking running prep" or "taking 'insert x seconds of prep'" should not exist.
"Taking prep" is all you need.
"Starting on my first word" umm duh that's when the speech starts. Just start after asking if everyone is ready.
Everyone’s paradigm is too long and this one is also too long sorry abt that y'all
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-Vista Ridge ‘23 + TXST honors ‘27
-In HS: Extemp, Congress, PF, Oratory and LD (In priority order) - Mild national success
-Ask me about joining the TXST speech and debate team!
PF / LD
See Jonathan Daugherty‘s paradigm it sums up how I view debate.
Only difference is I’ll vote off theory or a K (topical or not) if it’s well-warranted. Off-case is fine.
Speechdrop > Email chain
Keep track of your AND your opponents time.
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WSD:
Please weigh. If you don’t weigh I have to intervene. I do not want to intervene. Simplify the round and I will be happy to vote for whatever the path of least resistance is.
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Congress: (long soapbox)
Will rank someone who gave a mediocre speech but heavily participated in chamber higher than someone who gave one amazing speech but then didn’t participate in chamber.
Forget equity, move the round forwards and you’ll be my favorite. We do not need to make sure everyone gets a speech just to have 20 minutes of rehash. If the debate is done don't keep it going.
If you need time to call a recess to prep a speech that is not good, come prepared. I usually drop competitors if they ask for a recess to specifically individually prep their speech
Congress is not just about speeches, it's about how you present yourself.
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Speech :
I don’t think this needs a paradigm but this is what I mainly judge so if you’re curious just do your event as you normally would.
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email - smcstabs@gmail.com
reach out if you have questions
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sometimes tabroom doesn’t save ballots, I always leave ballots no matter what. if you are not seeing a ballot tell your coach to email me and I will forward it to them. I pre-write and save all of my ballots in word.
Hi y'all! I'm Ellen Marshall. I’m a social sciences student at UT Austin. As a high school student, I competed in every IE available at the time (so not Info or POI!) excluding Duo, but I specialized in Oratory, Prose, and HI/DI. Since then, I’ve had some experience volunteer-coaching (mostly oratory) and as a hired judge. I’m not affiliated with any high school. Here's the gist of what I wanna see for various events, followed by a much longer version with more specifics.
THE SHORT VERSION FOR SPEECHES (OO, INFO, EXTEMP)
Have a clean and engaging delivery. Organize clearly what you are going to say in your introduction. Specificity > breadth in your topic. Make your speech personal, approachable, and interesting.
THE SHORT VERSION FOR IEs
Inspire emotion, tell a story, and be polished. Don’t be excessively crude or graphic. Creativity, inventiveness, technical skill, and personal connections to the plot/theme are all big pluses.
THE SHORT VERSION FOR DEBATE
Craft a strong argument and stick to it. I do not need to agree with it personally to be able to judge the technical quality of your argument; whoever is more persuasive will win. I do not particularly like spreading, but I am more forgiving of it than I am in OO, Info, and Extemp. Avoid personal insults. While I am mostly an IEs judge, I am familiar with the more complicated arguments and authors popular in these events. Do not be afraid to cite them.
SPEAKING EVENTS (OO, INFO, EXTEMP)
I emphasize delivery, organization, and material depth. Bring plenty of energy and speak confidently and clearly. Vary your delivery, bring in comedy and drama as appropriate. Signpost your speech clearly in your intro. I find an argument that is in-depth on one area is preferable to a shallow overview of a larger topic.
Extemp should include plenty of cited sources. However, do not just summarize a series of articles. Explain briefly what the source says and explain why it is relevant to your stance. You don’t have much time, so have purpose in everything you say,
The number one most common criticism I find myself writing for Extempers is in delivery. Enunciate clearly and do not spread. Vary your delivery speed, pitch and tone, make eye contact to the best of your ability, and move with purpose. The event is called extemporaneous speaking for a reason, so I’m more forgiving of stumbles or rushing than I would be in OO or Info, but it’s still a speaking event. Being a good presenter is just as important as having a well-researched argument.
I find OO and Info have an odd tendency to be conflated with each other these days. If you're giving an oratory, you need to be trying to persuade me on something, and if you’re giving an Info, you need to give an as-unbiased-as-possible overview of your subject.
Also, for either event, PLEASE come memorized. It's always clear who has written a speech, and who is doing improv off bullet points. This is something you’re performing for a whole season. It’ll be easier for you just to write a speech than re-invent the wheel every time you perform. Lastly, I prefer to see topics students have a personal stake in in some way. You’re picking these topics, and I’d like to know why it matters to you. Covering something mainstream you have no stake in is much less interesting to me.
A final note specific to OOs: please make your solution realistic. This is my single largest pet peeve. If your topic is on a massive societal or international issue, acknowledge that, and offer day-to-day changes the audience can make instead. This isn't extemp: policy changes are not always a feasible answer.
IEs:
When it comes to content in an IE piece, I have no preference between character- or story-driven pieces. I’m also relatively flexible with cuttings that stray from an author’s original intention. I do, however, take issue with excessively dark, mean, or risqué material. Don’t punch down, don’t be unnecessarily graphic or crude, and don’t go for the ‘shock factor’. Heavy themes are to be expected in dramatic pieces, but cover them tastefully and respectfully. You never know what your audience may have experienced in their own lives.
Regardless of event, I want to see three things: an emotional connection to your piece, a complete story, and polish and creativity. The emotional core of an HI should be different than a DI, the way a Poetry performance tells a story is different than a Duo, and the blocking and characterizations used in each event varies greatly.
As long as your performance makes me feel something and has a clear beginning, middle, and end, you’re golden. Those two things are your foundation. Once you have them, I’m most concerned with how clean your piece is.
Keep your character voices and physicality distinct and consistent. Enunciate and carry yourself with confidence. Be memorized. Block with purpose. A piece with no blocking is dull, but a piece that never stops moving is exhausting.
Please make use of silence and pauses!!! It’s such an underrated element of a piece. Giving your audience (and yourself!) time to think and breathe in appropriate spots is maybe the single biggest improvement you can make to your performance.
IEs are an art. Put your heart into it, make whatever you’re performing your own. A personal connection to the subject matter is a huge plus (especially in dramatic pieces), and if you have one, I’d love to hear it in your intro. Bonus points as well for inventiveness/creativity in your cutting, blocking, and acting ability!
DEBATE:
As you can see, I am primarily an IEs/Speaking events judge. However, I do have some experience judging PFD and LD. In many ways, what I want to see is quite similar to what I want to see from OO, Info, POI, and Extemp. You should be crafting the best argument you can for your given topic and side. A good Oratory should be accounting for and rebutting some potential counter-arguments within their speech; a debate makes that invisible critic into an opposing team.
It should go without saying, but I do not need to personally agree with your point to give it the win. If you craft a stronger argument, you will beat your opponent(s). Please cite sources clearly and often. Refrain from personal attacks; I will penalize heavily for that. I do not generally like spreading, but I am much more forgiving of it than I am in IEs. Do not be afraid of citing more "complicated" sources or arguments. I may not be primarily a debate judge, but I have engaged with many of the works you'd be citing in my coursework. For all intens and purposes you can consider me somewhere between a lay judge and a full-debate judge.
For docs, please use speechdrop if at all possible. My stupid school email has a ridiculous filter and it will often take a few hours for your email chain to get to me.
Background: I'm a second year debate coach at Lake Travis (Austin, TX). I'm also a lawyer and teacher. I debated mostly LD but graduated HS in 2004.
ALL Debate: I'm a mostly tech judge, with some exceptions below. I will generally not vote on frivolous theory. If you want to make an argument about abuse or norm violations, I am open to it, just make sure you're telling a clear story here.
I will usually drop speaks for repeatedly telling me that your opponent dropped or conceded an argument that was clearly addressed. Point out drops, but don't lie to me. (this is not about a mistake or accidental statement, this is for the people who compulsively say that every argument was "clean conceded" when they weren't)
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CX: I'm not generally a policy judge so I am not going to be fluent in the deeper jargon (if you're abbreviating everything in particular). Explain your arguments if you want me to vote on them, don't just blip through them.
Speed is fine, so long as you're clear. If you're planning on really spreading, I find it very helpful to have the doc.
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LD: My LD experience is a bit outdated from the current circuit standard. I am very open to new innovations and outgrowths since I debated, but my fluency in modern off-case argumentation is a bit limited. I'm open to voting on those, but you'll need to explain them well and be clear with your voters. I don't have any strong feelings on policy vs philosophical approaches. Tricks suck. If I don't understand the argument, I won't be voting on it.
Speed is fine, so long as you're clear. If you're planning on really spreading, I find it very helpful to have the doc.
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PF: The above information applies to PF rounds as well, with the added provision that I will reduce speaks for being cruel/disrespectful of opponents (and I don't like that I have to put that here for PF)
Speed is fine, so long as you're clear. If you're planning on really spreading, I find it very helpful to have the doc.
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Congress: I am looking for both strong content and speaking for my Congress ranks. One without the other is not a recipe for a good score. Speakers that use the bulk of their speech rehashing earlier points usually get scored down. Clash is good, just make sure you're not mischaracterizing the opposition's argument when you do so.
Particularly incisive points (especially as clash points) are likely to draw my attention. I do pay attention during questioning - strong lines of questioning (or defenses to your own position) are likely to result in a higher rank.
You should be cognizant of the speech you're giving in a round. For example, if you're giving a sponsorship, you should be explaining how this bill solves the problem you're trying to address.
For POs: Generally the best POs are the POs where I barely notice them as the round runs smoothly. I typically rank good POs well, but rarely will they get the 1 unless it's a particularly weak round.
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Extemp: Similar to Congress, I'm looking for both Strong content and strong speaking skill. One without the other will rarely receive top ranks on my ballot. I'm not looking for a specific number of sources, but good/varied sourcing is important.
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Interp: Interp events are where I definitely have the least experience. Generally, though, I'm pretty standard as an interp judge - i'm looking mostly for strong characterization and (in the relevant events) narrative structure.
IE Paradigm:
Extemp: I'm fine if you use a notecard (unless of course it is an elim round or varsity). Please make sure that you're signposting. My debate background makes me need strong links and impacts for any claims and evidence you're presenting. I really love a good AGD that is strongly connected to your topic.
Interp: I do not have experience in interp events, but I do have a background in theatre. Your character(s) need to come alive for me, but that doesn't necessarily mean being the most loud and dramatic. If I see a clear connection between the way you're performing as the character & the message of your piece, you'll be awesome in the round!
Debate Paradigm:
I competed in LD and CX when I was in high school 2014-2017
This is my second year teaching & coaching high school debate.
I deliberate on overall presentation: arguments + delivery.
Put me in the email chain: carrie.reavis@leanderisd.org
Keep your own time. I will keep my own and simply stop flowing if you go over your speaking time. Don't go over your allotted prep time.
Theory is fine.
Be considerate and respectful to everyone in the room.
Please give me roadmaps and signposts.
I have no preference over types of arguments, but overall you should connect the dots for me. Emphasize those warrants and impacts. Tell me why you get the ballot.
Johnathen_standifer@roundrockisd.org
But, set up a speech drop. It's 2024, there is no need to fight school emails for email chains. share your cases, move things forward.
Experience in PF, CX and LD. I was an LD/CX debater in high school.
I try to run as close to a tab judge as I can, I'm willing to judge anything you run I just ask for justification in the round for why I should care about debating for it.
I'm fine with speed, I'm fine with theory and I'm fine with progressive arguments.
Congress: I can't think of anything I hate more than everybody giving a speech on a bill in a congress speech. Rehashing only goes so far, I don't need 5 crystallization speeches.
MOVE THE PREVIOUS QUESTION. My points for speeches tend to go down the more an argument goes on and the more rehash we get. Forget equity, move the round forward and you'll be my favorite. If you're the 7th person to give me an argument and add nothing new....I don't care how good the speech is, my brain will be off.
PF - Don't play the "I can share this card if you want me to, oh which card was it? Hold on let me find it..." game. you read a card? Drop it in the speech drop. every other debate event is efficient with this, let's do better if we want to be taken seriously.
Cool with K's and Theory in pf.
LD - probably going to be seeing more of me this year, hit me with the big guns. I am less familiar with more advanced arguments but I want to learn, if I learn something about debate in your round we're bumping those speaks up.
Selam, I'm Nahom
** i will auto down any black trauma centered cases (if ur not black) reading stru viol arguments is fine and implicating racism as an impact is great but dont spell out trauma for shock value**
I debated at Hendrickson for my last 2 yrs of highschool
tech>truth (but pls dont abuse this)
Frontline offense in 2nd rebuttal if u wanna go for it (U DONT NEEDA EXTEND IN REBUTTAL)
Defense is sticky
2nd summary frontlining threshold is high, if ur partner doesn't frontline defense in rebuttal that's fine, but that means ur frontlining must be INSANE, 99% of the time I wont accept it.
not super familiar with K's but if it makes sense ill be down to vote off it
speeds fine for me, dont ignore judges paradigms that say not too fast. If your opponents ask for a speech doc, give it to them idc how fast ur going, they may need it for personal reasons.
Clash is cool but I have a soft place in my heart for unique args (not squirrely, theirs a difference) also pls weigh like crazy, and implicate everything
Summary is the most important speech in the round, FF is just for show, unless yall messed up in this round, I shud have my decision by summary, provided both sides weigh/frame the round, otherwise one of yall will think im judge screwing
sum other tips
1. be nice in rounds, rip em a new one all u want, but make sure they're giving u the same energy or u just look dum, I like a nice aggressive crossfire, but walk the line between destroying someone's args and destroying their sense of self carefully, bc (from experience) its a dangerous tightrope that you may not want to walk
2. EXTEND WARRANTS, frontlines are not extensions
3. Weighing/Framing OV in rebuttals r super strategic. weigh bc it'll make me happy, and tbh even if ur barely accessing an arg, if u win weighing that says its the most important, U WIN... for the most part (be careful bc this is diff from other PF debaters that prefer cleaner extensions over weighing strats and link ins)
4. Concede the small things to win the narrative, stats don't matter if ur narrative is bomb, evidence debates are boring, which means if u make it an ev debate I will make the standard for good ev rlly rlly high, and if neither of you have offense speaks will tank and I will default to whatever team i want to
4. Pls be funny, humor is ur greatest tool, joking around in cross and making ur opponents look dum is v enjoyable esp when ur opponents r being rlly aggressive.
5. Any isms (sexism, racism, homophobia, etc) = u lose + i tank ur speaks + i tattle to ur coach
6. Don't be buttholes with theory, ill know if ur just tryna win a round rather then effectively create change, and ill hate u for it. Also dont be hypocritical with theory, idc what ur shell says if u didnt disclose at every round ever on the wiki u better not read disclosure later that year (*cough cough* reading disclosure at the TOC for the first time ever), no shot im buying it.
7. Do NOT, and I'll repeat this to make sure this is super clear, DO NOT read structural violence-based arguments without a clear, nuanced and thoughtful understanding of the oppression that exists. I will never accept a poor understanding of sensitive issues or shallow thinking when it comes to this, logic-based warranting is key; for your own sake do not assume my political views/skin color will make me any more attracted to these types of arguments, in fact, I would very much rather prefer you have no understanding of the issues and not read this argument than have a shallow understanding and read these types of arguments. If I sense BS you better believe I will call you out on it.
8. Take risks, ill reward it (collapsing on a turn)
9. Have fuuunsies, debate is a game, winning and losing r aspects of the game, dont take it to seriously, just enjoy urself in the moment and be respectful of one another
if u wanna talk/postround/add me to the chain my email is: tulu.nahom@gmail.com
idk what my paradigm says anymore talk to me in round
PLEASE GET READY AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!
flex prep perfectly fine by me just don't abuse it--the tournament is running late enough
IF YOU DO NOT EXTEND SOMETHING say goodbye to it. if your opponents do not extend something please say something!!
conceded defense is sticky. don't know why this is even a question
PLEASE TIME YOUR SPEECHES. i hate timing speeches. stop your opponents if they go 10+ over.
things i like:
- speech docs/disclosing
- prereqs/link ins/etc
- the bears trick
- weighing and collapsing early!!!!
- cool responses and arguments
- reading progressive arguments well
- polls arg
- impact turns
- aff presumption warrants
- plans/cps
things i don't like:
- reading progressive arguments poorly
- most IVIs
- going too fast for me
- signposting poorly
- racist or otherwise offensive arguments
- the liar's paradox
- the neg ag argument. you should know that i hate the arg. won't intervene on it and have voted on it but i do not like it. if u decide to read it anyway i will eval it like a normal arg i just want you to know that i hate it
I did PF at Westlake for 4 years (graduated 23) and qualled for TOC 3 times kind of
email cheriewang835@gmail.com
send CASE AND REBUTTAL docs (to everyone preferably but if u and ur opponents don't decide to share cases just send to me). If i don’t get docs from you i’m giving 26s
general things
snacks are 30s (no starbucks)
tech>truth
don't go too fast; i can only evaluate what i can flow. if u go too fast (especially if i'm tired) could be ggs idk what to tell u. i will not pretend i heard stuff in rebuttal that was too fast for me just because the other team didn’t respond to it. for reference u should top out ~800-900 words in constructive and thats being pretty generous
i ask for docs but i'm not flowing off them that is not an excuse to go faster than i can handle and then get angry about the decision later
be nice or get 25s.
read whatever u want and i will do my best to evaluate it!
signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost signpost
i do not flow things that aren't signposted. if there’s 100 different arguments and no one explains how they interact then they are basically meaningless to me. if u don't tell me where to flow it then how am i supposed to eval!
u r very welcome to post round either verbally after round (unless tournament is running super late then try to keep it short) or via email. i will not be mad education is great
random things
when u point out a lack of a warrant for something please also read a counter warrant or else it is not an effective response unless completely dropped!
if u read turns can u read impacts please
if u read turns can u read weighing please
if u read turns can they not be Your Case Pt. 2 But The Card Names Are Different please
overviews are awesome. very strategic. something that makes them NOT strategic is if the overview is just your case again.
another thing that makes overviews not strategic is if you re-read it as a contention level response on each contention that it applies to.
hege args need real warrants too.
i like analogies fine but not cliches (except for poking/feeding the bear i like that one. generally speaking i like bears)
above most other things i hate teams wasting my time and making me flow things that aren't useful. like i would rather hear analytics than random turns u won't go for or 8 pieces of ev that all say the same thing in rebuttal. weigh or make extra implications to pad ur time instead of reading useless ev. remember, flowing=work and i don't want to do work that is not valuable to evaluating the round, so don't make me flow the same response a bunch of times.
i don't believe in TKOs
trigger warnings should have an opt out dont just list a bunch of triggering things and then talk about them for 4 minutes that makes no sense
pf substance stuff
second rebuttal needs to frontline everything that they want to extend later. i would love to see some collapsing in this speech.
i have a decently high threshold for extensions but they don't need card names, just warrants and impacts. please don't go for more than one link/warrant when extending case if u don't have to.
i presume with my own coin flip unless told to do something else in round. i would love to be told to do something else in round. presuming with a coin flip is lame. i will do everything i can think of to avoid presuming if no one tells me to presume.
warrant things
weigh things
extend things
SPARK AND OTHER IMPACT TURNS R AWESOME AND COOL BUT MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A LINK!
IMPACT DEFENSE IS HEAVILY UNDERUTILIZED IN PF AND WE HAVE STARED TO ALLOW PPL TO READ THE WORST IMPACTS I'VE EVER HEARD
because of something cale mccrary made me read i would also really enjoy seeing teams experiment with responding in second constructive but thats just a thought. im pretty sure no one will do this but if u do i will pad speaks for cool strategy
love a card heavy rebuttal (not as much as an analytics heavy one because that's so much cooler) but if i hear the same response with different cards a bunch of times it isn't going to trick me into thinking you read more than one response. give a real rebuttal if i wanted to hear 5 pieces of evidence about one thing i would go read it myself.
progressive debate
i'll judge anything as best as i can which is not very well unless it is theory which i enjoy
i love judging theory but that means when it's bad, i hate it a lot more than mid/bad substance. i will take mediocre substance over bad theory any day. however do not be afraid to read theory in front of me if you are fairly new to it because i love seeing people experiment and learn about progressive/new argumentation more than i hate hearing a bad theory round. all i'm saying is your brain should be on when you read theory no matter how advantageous it might be for you.
theory is great including friv but if u r being funky, u must also be fun. otherwise its just kinda terrible for everyone else and no one wants that especially not me (and u dont want that either because u won't like ur speaks)!
if u read friv and do a bad job at reading theory ill be mad cus why are u wasting my time and everyone else's
all parts of theory need to be extended in summary/final but not rebuttals (but if u want to make the argument that a rebuttal extension is necessary, go for it--it's just not my default). if u forget to extend something important like DTD and they point it out u will probably not be winning off theory!
going for RVIs/DTA/reasonability are cool strats that i think are underutilized in pf!
im a big fan for os disclosure and am very open to hearing arguments for disclosure, os, misdisclosure whatever i don't care what the nuance is. my opinion is that disclosure is good but i won't hack for it if u can't defend it. content/trigger warnings are good on graphic args but i won't hack for it if u can't defend that.
k's are out of my area of expertise so run at ur own risk--i don't mind hearing them and i'll try my best to eval but idk the big words. on top of that speed will absolutely make my brain fold in on itself and implode. if u want to read one u should probably gauge my experience w them and talk to me before round
i need a lot of judge instruction and a minimal amount of buzzwords for k's (as in i will not understand buzzwords and need full explanation in their place). personally im by far the most familiar with cap but every time i learned about wrote or debated k, all the knowledge went in one ear and out the other in like a week
topical k's are obviously way easier for me to follow and eval--nontopical k's are so out of my realm of understanding i may as well flip a coin to decide.
again, BE NICE. especially if ur reading progressive args on novices.
hey everyone! I'm Sanjitha Yedavalli and I did speech & debate (PF and extemp) all 4 years of high school. I had a decently successful career qualifying to nats and the TOC. That being said, I do flow. Here's a couple of specific things.
1. 2nd rebuttal has to frontline
2. PLEASE signpost.
3. Collapse during summaries to make the round cleaner for me. I don't want to hear some really badly extended arguments all the way in final focus.
4. I won't vote off of an argument if the link/warranting isn't cleanly extended through final focus.
5. I try to flow all the card names but I usually just end up flowing the argument only. That being said, don't extend by saying "extend the Smith card", you will need to repeat the actual argument.
6. I'm fine with speed. if you think it's going to be rlly fast, just send me your speech doc before just so we avoid any issues
Speaker points: I generally give pretty high speaks in the 28-30 range. The only reasons I would go any lower is if you are being rude, racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, or any other offensive ism. Also, I will dock speaks if you aggressively post round.
Theory: I will probably never vote off of it because I do not understand it well enough.
Kritiks: I'm not accustomed to the lit. If you read a K, make sure you slow down and simplify it so that I understand it. Clearly explain why this matters and why I should be voting off of it. Also highly unlikely that I will vote off of it.
Structural Violence Frameworks/Args: Don't read structural violence arguments without a clear understanding of the oppression that exists. I do not accept a poor understanding of sensitive issues or shallow thinking when it comes to this. Warranting is key. Do not assume my political views because of my looks. Don't use the oppression of others as a tactic to win a debate round. I will call you out if I sense any bs.
I appreciate humor. Use it to your advantage.
Please make crossfire bearable. I don't want to be falling asleep so use humor or be aggressive (but not too aggressive to the point where you're just being mean)
If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me before the round begins.
If for some reason you need to contact me or want to ask me any additional questions after round, feel free to email me at sanjitha.y@gmail.com