Welcome! I have been judging since November 2021. I do not have a formal background in speech and debate but my son does Policy and now Public Forum. I have judged LD and various speech events at NSDA Nationals twice. I would say that my best speech and debate teachers have been you debaters! Thank you!

I always ask that you speak clearly and at a speed that I am able to hear and note all your arguments. You DO NOT have to go slow but if you are going so fast I cannot understand you, then I am not hearing your side. I do enjoy a good argument as long as you have the evidence to back it up. Tag teaming is ok, as long as it's done respectfully and is not a distraction.

I do flow the rounds, sometimes on paper, sometimes on my laptop. All I ask for is quality in arguments, not quantity. Don't go evidence dumping just to do it, remember we do have time limits. And if we can, try not to go to Nuclear War.

I want to be persuaded! Whether you are making a case in favor of something or arguing against an issue, make it compelling. Tell me why your argument is important and why it makes sense. This is your time!

Please have respect towards your opponent(s) and show professionalism throughout the debate. I will not vote in your favor if you are rude or disrespectful to each other, your opponent or to me or the judges.

I look forward to hearing all your speeches and debates! Remember to have fun and good luck!

My email address for email chains will be melitafisher4732@gmail.com

I love debate. Do it well :)

This is your round to have and enjoy, so most importantly, make sure that you are being kind to your opponent and having fun!

I am comfortable with speed, but do not be excessive or spread, and I am comfortable with all forms of arguments. If you run a K, or a CounterPlan, or something progressive in LD - it needs to be done in a way that is accessible to your opponent and judges. It also needs to take the debate in a productive direction

If you need to transfer evidence, I won't count it as prep time, but please don't be excessive or abuse that time. (I.E. have your evidence pulled up and organized)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me before the round! Have fun!

My email is hampton.allie@gmail.com if you have any further questions.

I am familiar with all the categories of debate and speech and would classify myself as a comms judge. I feel that excellent communication skills are critical, and in reality, the point in any style or form of debate/speech. What good is the intent of what you are trying to say if you cannot communicate your point to your audience effectively? So, making sure to be clear and articulate, effectively linking and impacting your arguments, and being respectful of your opponent(s) are all big for me. Speed is not usually an issue, as long as the technology cooperates and the clarity is there.

Other than that, I do really appreciate voters in final speeches. Tell me what you see the focal points for the round being, rather than letting me sort through and pull out whatever stood out or comes to mind. In good rounds the decisions are usually very close. Taking the time to remind me of your important arguments or the shortcomings of your opponent's responses helps ensure that I don't overlook anything in making my decision.

Hey everyone!

Experience: I participated in speech and debate in high school for 3 years, mainly focusing on PF, but I've explored other speech and debate events as well.

Debate:

I enjoy PF and LD debate. In debate, I heavily focus oncomms, flow, and being a good civil debater. Let's keep it fun! I believe in respectful interaction. -No Rudeness or intimidation, and please please absolutely no lying.

I appreciate it when debaters make their arguments clear throughout the round, as it does help and make it easier for me who to vote for, without looking too hard. I do value clash, but not at the expense of mutual respect. Let's make debate enjoyable for everyone:)

· Delivery: Clear and measured delivery that is not raced through. I like to be able to follow each point with time to flow the debate.

· Evidence: Should be from credible sources that are diverse in their spectrum.

· Argument style: Attack the issue, not the person or their style. A debater should be able to persuade a judge through strength of argument, never Ad Hominem attacks.

I will base my decisions on performance quality for each event. Clear speaking style, familiarity with script or case, accurate pronunciation, and the attitude toward and respect for fellow competitors.

I value clarity in rounds. I can absolutely follow speed, however it does not mean I like to. I am typically not a fan of spreading. I am a flow-judge, If I can't understand you, I will stop flowing. Quality is always greater than Quantity.

Know your evidence and your arguments. It is clear to me when you are presenting evidence but have no understanding of the material.

I like to see clash in a round. Strong V/C. Solid frameworks. Definitions. Impacts.

I did high school debate for 2 years and have done nearly all forms of debate.

I love IMPACTS!!!!!!! Please give me impacts and lots of them!!!!!! (big fat reasons for me to vote for you)

If the world is ending because of the opposing side please tell me why.

Links are pretty great too.

For LD & PF, please don't drop arguments. A dropped contention, framework, value, etc could be the reason you win or lose a round.

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.

Framework:

LD is a framework debate. Always, always, always refer your arguments back to your Value and Value Criterion for the round. When stating your value, make sure you explain why it's the most important issue in the round and why it outweighs whatever value your opponent has.

Drops:

Pay attention to any arguments your opponent may have dropped! This could be enough to win you the round if you explain why the drop matters and extend it on to your later speech.

Impact Calculus:

Points for emphasizing how an argument outweighs on time-frame, magnitude, probability, etc.

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.

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 will evaluate the methodology and reputation of evidence and sources presented to back up your case. I will keep track of the flow and will take note at your speaking ability, but what makes me sign the ballot at the end of the day is how well researched your cases were, if you had any creative arguments that support your side of the flow, whether or not you were a compelling speaker, and how much critical thinking your team showcases by the end of the round. It is my core belief that critical thinking, research, creativity, and confident speaking are the skills you can get from debate. Take liberty with the kinds of arguments you run but keep these four criteria in mind. I am familiar with most of the high school debate vocabulary, and a broad scientific and quantitative background. Don’t dumb down your argument, just explain it concisely and correctly. Explain your arguments well, but I do not need you to treat me like a layperson.

Best of luck and congratulations for participating in debate, it is a transformative experience. I hope you go on to make a positive impact in the world with your future careers.

Congress: I used to do Congress. I prefer it if you speak less time with new and good arguments. Don’t repeat points or have a week speech. Stay engaged with questioning. I am ok with an informal room.

LD: VC is a weighing mechanism. Relate your contentions to it. A dominant CX and clear voting issues wins the round.

PF/Policy: this is partner debate. I want both partners to emphasize a clear story throughout and have relatively equal CX and speaking ability.

I did LD debate in high school, so it's the format I'm most familiar with. I judge based on presentation, source citation, credibility, and defense for debate events. For speech events I judge based on ethos, pathos, logos, impact, and persuasiveness. In all debates I DO NOT stand for bullying, if you attack people rather than cases I will note it for your coaches and end the round in favor of the team not attacking people. 30 second grace period over and under, I only take one point per person per round