Hi, my name is Amay Batra, class of 2028 and I will probally be judging you. In terms of speech I value impact and rhetoric more then how much information you can give. When your giving a speech, I dont want to bored by your information, throw some rhetoric in and make it impactful. If I wanted to listen to information I would read an article so please dont bore and use rhetoric. now on the side of corss examination. I like to see a good back and fourth argument, but this dosent mean screaming at eachother. Stay composed but impactful and think out your responses and your questions. Of course stay respectful the full way round and hold your cool. A few things that I dont like are, pacing around the room, holding the pad with both hands, and little eye contact. These are things that you should be able to avoid as long as you have memorized your speech and arent nervous. I wish all of you a good luck on your rounds.

Amay .B Class of 2028

My main values in a debate round are to treat each other with respect, little fluency breaks and to present your argument well. I value logic and simple arguments that are easy to understand. I understand nerves might mess you up a little, but get back up with confidence. Have fun in your round while treating each other with respect. If I see or sense disrespect from a competitor, I will instantly knock you down. Thank you, and I can't wait to see you compete!

JLHS '27 --- varsity policy debater, most familiar with policy debate
you can just call me eva for any judge directions. but, i don't really care.

please add me to the email chain: evapolicydocs@gmail.com

feel free to email me asking for any questions, feedback, or reasons for my ballot! i'll try my best to explain from my flow and/or memory. i can review past speeches if you want, but i can't promise i'll be the most timely.
any instances where i see racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc. = immediate loss and/or 0 speaks.
TLDR: overall, have fun and good luck!

speech:

for all:
so i've never judged or done speech before, but it seems really fun! honestly, just enjoy it and put passion into what you do. i've seen other competitors do speech, so i have an idea of what to look for. just know you won't be getting the most in-depth feedback, however, i can promise you i will try my best.

debate:

for all:
- tech > truth --- i will vote on any argument, but you HAVE to make sure you explain it well.
- please clash. it's probably what i value most in these debates.
- time yourself. i'll try to time your speeches and prep, but don't rely on me.
- i will be flowing, but if you are literally unintelligible and mumbling, then don't expect me to write all your arguments down. i will say "CLEAR!" if i need to. at least go slower on the tags, theory, and any analytics.
- don't steal prep. if someone's having tech issues for an extended period of time, i'll probably ask if everyone can be hands off.
- the more organized your speeches are, the easier it is for me to vote for you. please give a roadmap too.

- write my ballot for me --- judge direction, impact calc, overviews, weighing, comparing, make a story, etc. it's what makes debate what it is.

you can cross apply these. the most detailed will be policy. LD & PF will be grouped together.

lastly, have fun. debate can be stressful for sure, and if you want to be silly for a moment, go for it. i recognize that it's easy to be overwhelmed by everything in round---just take a second to breathe. you'll be okay.

SpAr:

i've seen some SpAr debates, so i'm familiar with them. honestly, just try your best and explain your arguments well. i know y'all don't have much time to prep, but just make sure your main points are given clearly. i shouldn't be piecing your speech together on my flow.

LD & PF:

for how familiar i am with arguments, i would recommend you look at my policy paradigm.

i think these events can be very similar to policy; however, i understand there's some nuances in each event that i may not know about. i think that's just something to keep in mind. but generally, i understand how both events work.

most of what i said above for all debate events applies here. i genuinely think debate can be a space of activism, so if you push a strong message, i will consider it.

i say this in my policy paradigm, but i'm definitely more familiar with policy arguments than kritiks or k-affs. however, i can still vote on them, you just have the burden of explaining it IN DEPTH. frankly, if you can't connect your own argument, how can i?

also, i'm more familiar with the LD topic than the PF topic, but definitely still over-explain any jargon.

Policy (CX):

for some context, i'm a 2N/1A. i don't know if that means anything to y'all, but sure.

i am quite familiar with this year's topic, so unless you're pulling out a revolutionary aff, don't worry about needing to over-explain. and please explicitly concede arguments.

for the aff, just explain your case really well. i would recommend to just out-impact calc the other team, as that's probably the most important.also, if in your speech YOU can't explain why your aff solves, i have no reason to believe it does (even if i do understand why it does).

i'll list my familiarity of arguments on a scale of 1-10 (1 = no clue, 10 = almost too familiar):

- CP (10/10): i like a good counterplan. if it's a weird process cp not from the backfiles, you might just have to explain it more. if not extended well, i'll probably just kick the cp and weigh the net-benefit. on that note, explain your net-benefit well. don't just assume i know how it connects.
- DA (10/10): i like a good disad. not much to say other than explain it well. please explicitly respond to any link turns the aff does.
- Topicality (7/10): i'm definitely familiar, but if you're going to have an in-depth topicality debate (aka bringing it into the block), slow down. these debates get boring fast and i am probably not familiar with your own standards blocks. especially a K-Aff vs. T-USFG / T-FW, i need to understand why that round was inherently unfair.
- Theory (7/10): cross apply above, i know it surface level. this excludes condo though, that would be a 9/10. quick note for condo --- if the neg is reading 4 off or less, i'm probably more biased into thinking there wasn't any abuse in round. however, if they don't answer your block well, then you could still win.
- Kritiks (4-8/10): it kind of just depends on the kritik it is. i do think FW is important, so make sure you focus on that if it's necessary. just explain it well.
- K-AFFs (5/10): you're going to have to explain REALLY well and slow down a little. i understand the idea and it at surface level, but i'm definitely not as familiar with them.

Hello,

I am a flow judge & currently an LD debater with congress experience, I will be flowing the round thoroughly.

I mainly care about these 3 things:

1) Maintain clarity and don't speak excessively fast. Your arguments don't mean anything if I can't understand what you are saying

2) Structure your speech so that it is easy to understand; don't jump around all over the flow.

3) Please speak up!

And of course, have fun and be respectable towards everyone

Very Good Luck! I wish you the best.

Hi everyone! I have been doing congressional debate for a year now, but am familiar with the other debate events as well. I will be flowing so make sure your arguments are clear and logical, this is very important. Also, make sure your arguments are presented well, have confidence and be engaging; please don't spread. Interact and clash with each other's arguments to make for a debate that keeps moving, but do NOT be disrespectful to your opponents. I know this may be nerve-wrecking for some, but have fun! If you're having fun, I'll enjoy listening to you more.

Current policy debater

I can flow (lay judge), but I do need you to speak clearly. There should be no mass mumbling, and if I can not understand

I don't want your personal opinion so use facts from credible sources if your event allows research (opinion is not the same as common sense and logic)

Quality over quantity

Rules:

-Have FUN that is my #1 rule this is a weekend, relax!
-Nothing racist or homophobic ect (no hate speech) [I will report you if I hear something]
-Be kind and respectful to your opponent so no trash talk ect
-DO NOT CHEAT
-Be organized in speaking (I do not want you talking about one thing and then switching to another without indication)

Congress
-DO NOT yell at others when doing cross X! I have seen people yell for Congress and that just looks bad
-Respect everyone in the room and please do not have side conversations, it distracts the speaker and is just disrespectful
-Be prepared, you should come into the room with all your needed items.

- everyone earns their spot

I believe debates are won through clear argumentation, strong use of evidence, and powerful persuasion. I focus on logical consistency and weighing impacts over fast-talking and very technical language. My role as a judge is to remain neutral and evaluate based on the arguments made in the round, not my personal beliefs. I am open to any framework the debaters present, provided it’s well-explained. Clarify your framework early on, and I will judge within that structure. The debate's outcome should focus on well-developed impact analysis. Make sure to weigh your impacts against your opponent’s, whether that’s through scope, magnitude, probability, or timeframe. I want to see why your impacts matter more than theirs and how your arguments interact with each other. I value both evidence and logical analysis. Strong analytical arguments can win you the round if they’re well-reasoned and directly challenge your opponent’s points. However, if you present evidence, make sure to explain its relevance clearly and don’t just rely on it to carry the weight of your argument. I’m not a fan of extreme speed (spreading). Speak at a pace that allows your arguments to be understood. Being easy to understand and organization are key. If I miss something because you were too fast, I won’t weigh it in my decision. Signposting and roadmaps are very helpful for me. Make sure in your final speech or last words, you can easily sum up the debate and explain why you won, as a strong conclusion is important. That's all, and good luck!

Ekam Sandhu - Class of 2028

Hi! My name is Aayra Sharma and I am a sophomore at James Logan High School Class of 27. I've done Congressional Debate for about a year and am doing it right now. I am a flow and a lay judge. I will flow each round and critique your speaking. I will also leave constructive feedback to ensure that you can learn in the future :)! Good luck!

Hello,

Please respect your competitors and articulate points slowly and clearly so everyone can understand and flow. Quality over quantity, so please speak slowly. If you spread, it is not my fault if I do not understand or flow your argument properly. Truth over Tech. Always make sure to have fun and do not be afraid to take risks. Cross-examination is a very important part of debate so please use that time wisely and allow your competitors to speak. Remember to not read speeches, keep your audience engaged, and add that extra layer of persuasion by making clear eye contact.

As always, good luck.