Evan Baines (he/they) 12/2024

Please include me in email chains bainesevan1227@gmail.com

About me:

-High School Policy Debate at La Crosse Central High School from 2017-2021 on the topics of education, immigration reform, arms sales, and criminal justice reform.

-I ran soft-left affs and k affs throughout most of hs. I am familiar with the K lit on Set Col, Cap, Gender/Fem Ir, and Anti-Blackness.

-I have judged debate since 2021.

General:

I am not picky about specific arguments. run what you're comfortable with and what you can win a debate with.

truth > tech to some extent. Arguments such as "climate change is not real" will be difficult to win a debate with, and in my mind, there is a significantly lower threshold for proving climate change is real than proving it is fake. I view debate as a primarily educational activity and thus find it difficult but not impossible to endorse such claims if warranted effectively and the other team completely drops the ball.

I like to see lots of clash on the flow! Your evidence and warrants are very important particularly on the solvency flow and disads.

I prefer speeches that are flowable just by listening, particularly in the rebuttals when your analytics are not included in a shared speech doc. I will not necessarily dock speaker points for unclear speeches if the analysis is good, but if I cannot even hear the arguments that are being read it is likely I will just not have that argument on my flow and might lose because of that. If you or your opponent has to ask primarily clarifying questions about what arguments were read during cross x, it is likely I did not hear them either.

When debating in an online format, please include analytics in the speech doc as the microphone/internet quality significantly hinders the clarity of the speeches.

T:

I am not a big fan of t arguments, but I will certainly still vote for them. Due to the fact that I view debate as primarily an educational activity, the most persuasive voter to me is education. I am not necessarily convinced by fairness arguments unless there is clear evidence of in-round abuse that is specifically pointed out by the negative. I do quite enjoy the debates about semantics and definitions, and when evaluating interpretations and counter interpretations author's credibility and specificity to the topic are the most important.

K:

Alt explanation and Solvency is key to winning the k flow for me. if you don't have adequate solvency or explanation, I am left with a non-unique da to the case which makes it hard for me to vote on the K flow. I could still vote on presumption if the k impact and links are adequately explained, and the K is reframed as a non-uq DA.

in-round decorum:

please refrain from personal attacks on the other team, talking over each other, or other rude behavior. please remember that the people you are debating against are human beings and treat them with kindness and respect :)

Benjamin Hamburger 10/2022

Sure, you can add me to an email chain. benjamin dot hamburger at gmail. So you know, I probably will NOT follow along on your speech doc, though.

12/2024 update:

Like many other older judges I have observed a substantial post-COVID shift towards lack of clarity in speaking and overreliance on speech docs. vs. flowing the debate. I am heartened by the coaches and judges who have taken to holding the line on debate as a public speaking activity. In order to join them, I'll disclose these things about how I judge:

1.) I flow on my laptop on excel because flowing on paper for years hurt my fingers and now my hands are weak and uncalloused.

2.) Although I have cheated in the past couple of years because I feared it was my fault/getting old, I will no longer open speech docs until a piece of evidence is specifically debated about, and I will not flow from speech docs. I'll give you a 'clear' or two, and I have always been easy to read regarding how well I am flowing you. If you don't pay attention to that, it's your funeral.

3.) Prioritizing clarity over speed and signposting on line-by-line will both help your chances of winning arguments on the flow and boost your speaker points.

Information about me:
*I have judged and coached in what would be considered "national-circuit" style Midwestern high school policy debate since about 1998 as a card-cutting coach, as the primary policy coach, as a head coach, and now as a head coach at Central High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I am also a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the History Department. I am now getting old in debate terms--44 at the time of writing--which means I have old ideas and am grumpy about certain things.

*A Debate History:
1993-1998 Policy debater at Hastings High School, Hastings, NE
1998-1999 Judge/minor card cutter, Hastings Senior High School
1999-2005 Assistant Coach for Policy Debate at Fremont High School, Fremont, NE
2005-2007 Director of Forensics, Iowa City High School, Iowa City, IA
2007-2016 Assistant Varsity Coach, Cedar Rapids Washington High School, Cedar Rapids, IA
2016-Present Director of Debate, La Crosse Central High School, La Crosse, WI

*Academic Info that Might Be Relevant:
B.A. in Political Science (emphases in international relations and political theory) and History, a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
M.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education and History from the University of Iowa.

Argument choice issues:
*Choose your arguments. I try to avoid evaluating rounds based on what I like to hear. Even if I don’t like your argument, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost it, etc. My self-estimation is that I am fairly even on the K vs. Policy question. I believe that both are very interesting and useful styles of debate. Most of the time framework debates aren’t particularly productive, the aff will win that they get to weigh the case, the neg will win that they get some form of an alternative, etc. (hint: if you are serious about winning framework, don’t waste your time on the rest of the debate—prove that you’re serious about it and go for it.)

Disad thoughts:
*One of the areas I am slightly old school. Left to my own devices, I am more likely than many judges to evaluate the risk of a disad as zero if there is a step which has been substantially defeated. I do not particularly prefer offense-defense paradigms, it is my feeling that it is necessary to win your arguments to get a DA. Similarly, I think you need to win a link to generate offense, so without justification I do not default to a uniqueness-focused decision-making process. In spite of these warnings, a justified argument can change those decision-making processes. Generally, though, a good politics debate with developed turns-case analysis is a thing of beauty. Quality of evidence comparison/warrants will always beat number of cards.

*I have increasingly found myself somewhat lost in fast debates about security policy which include multiple interacting internal links--not because I am incapable of understanding them, but because I am not as familiar with these arguments as you all are. On occasion debaters need to slow down and explain some arguments.

K Thoughts:
*My favorite negative strategies are about criticisms that isolate and condemn social injustice or reveal power relations and debate epistemology smartly. I have no problem with generic criticisms like security and the cap k, but to win them or to get decent points requires specific discussion of the 1ac—isolating the links and their implications for evaluating the aff is what makes it awesome. Affs lose lots of K debates largely because they pile up cards rather than planning what the 2ar endgame looks like. Often affs are better served defending their own assumptions than reading argument-specific cards that are not part of a specific strategy. To wit, affs regularly go for permutations or no link arguments when they claim an advantage which impact turns the k while conceding a utopian alternative. Because I am a sucker for well-developed analysis about epistemology/ontology, I don't think as a rule the 2nr needs to go for external case defense, at least if you can give examples of how aff authors have specific problems or biases. Wisconsin teams have proven to think that mindless tech can win you a permutation, this is not generally true--most neg args against one permutation work against all of them.

*I consider myself generally well-read on critical arguments, but that reading maybe stopped being so robust in like 2007 or 2008, and so I'm not as up-to-date on the more recent turns in that literature. I can observe some additional relevant tendencies: I often find myself frustrated in rounds that involve a lot of psychoanalytic arguments (I get the cap bad part of Zizek. That may be about it). I dislike the Nietzsche alternative viscerally. In each of these cases, if this is your only game, I am probably not a good judge for you. I will also explicitly note some critical arguments with which I am well acquainted: I’m fairly well read in Foucault, Heidegger, lots of feminisms, critical international relations business, cap bad, etc. Lots of experience now with Afro-pessimism, Orientalism, at least some entré into queer theory args. I still need someone to convince me that Bataille and Baudrilliard are more smart than confusing.

*I’m probably a decent judge for a T debate. Most of the theoretical issues are up in the air—competing interpretations vs. abuse as a standard, etc. If you concede a competing interpretations arg, though, be aware that you’ll need offense on your interp.

*I can enjoy a good theory debate, but if you actually want to win it you probably need to convince me early on in a debate that you are going to do something other than just read your block at full speed. i have a natural dislike towards theory debates that i see as unnecessary. I'm not the ideal judge if you *plan* on going for theory a lot, but again, i try to evaluate those debates fairly. I will note that I do not have a neg side bias when it comes to counterplan debates--be it issues of conditionality, fiat, or competition issues. Some people see that fact in and of itself as an aff side bias on those theoretical issues, but what it means is that i am more than willing to vote aff because a counterplan is cheating, if you win that debate.
*I have found that I am getting older and more dinosaur-like on counterplan theory: I think I have an aff bias on these issues: multiple counterplans, consult counterplans, and conditionality.

*Non-traditional affs: it seems that I am going to judge my share of clash-of-civs rounds, which is fine. I generally think that negative teams do not work hard enough to generate smart arguments against non-traditional affs, so I start with a slight lean against framework arguments, but a sophisticated execution of those debates are often successful. I will also say that aff teams that make efforts to meet some standard of topicality also will find me more forgiving than teams that do not; I think negs do deserve some degree of a starting point.

Decision-making Process:
*I believe my job as a critic is to evaluate a debate as it occurred, rather than retroactively applying my standards of what debate should look like to your round. I try as hard as I can to stay to this standard, but some intervention is inevitable. Read below in the “self-observed biases” section. I try to remain agnostic about the various frameworks for evaluating debates, so that means that if there is a difference in the round as to how I should evaluate it, you should propose your framework explicitly and defend it. My presumption is that debate should be an educational activity, and it would be hard to shake me of that idea, as I am an educator by trade. However, I am open to debates about what kinds of education debate should bring, and how it does so.

*My decisions are nearly always decided by a close review of the 1AR, 2NR, and 2AR, with references to the negative block as necessary. I am not, however, a perfect flow, and you should be aware of that and flag important arguments as such. I believe a part of persuasion is correct emphasis.

*It is fairly uncommon for me to read evidence after a debate--use the evidence yourself, refer to warrants, etc. If you think you have good evidence, you need to show it off. The "in" thing to say is that I reward a team for good research, but the most important part of good research is understanding why your evidence is good, and exercising your ability to explain and use the evidence. I do not plan to do evidence comparison for anyone.

*As regards "offense/defense" distinctions: I understand the importance of offense, but I do not discount the art of defensive argumentation. The fact that the other team does not have a turn does not mean you are winning. I have probably evaluated the risk of a disad or other impact as zero (or close enough to not matter) more than the average judge.

*I generally speaking will not seriously consider any independent issue that is not in your final rebuttal for at least 2 minutes--I do not reward a refusal to put all eggs in one basket. This is particularly true for theory arguments. If you feel that a theoretical issue is strong enough to justify a vote, plan to spend the better part of your final rebuttal on it, or don't expect my ballot on it.

In Round Decorum:
*Not much here--but I absolutely cannot stand when debaters talk audibly during an opponent's speech. Increasingly it is hard for me to follow what a fast speaker is saying anyhow--when you're talking too, I am liable to get angry at you.
*I think most of the time you will tend to get better speaker points if you stand up when you speak. Also, pay attention to where your opponent is and where you are when you cross-ex--it is a speech. Cross-ex's where all the debaters are sitting across the room from one another and staring at their computers is not a good persuasive strategy.
*I will also likely get grumpy at you about your paperless crap, especially when it makes a debate round last 20 minutes longer than it should. Don't worry about that too much. Unless it gets out of hand. If you don't know the difference, watch me, and you'll be able to tell.

Todd Le— Policy

updated 1/12/22 (for WSDT)

School Affiliation: Homestead High School (lol rip) (2012-2020); LaCrosse Central (2022)

Position: stressed med student

If you have questions about an RFD feel free to e-mail at: todd241 (at) gmail (dot) com - put me on the chain btw

I know prefs suck so I'ma try to make this as painless as possible. Am I qualified to judge your debate? Probably not - I've forgotten everything about debate

Do my argument ideas align with yours? I don't think that really matters but my time away from the activity has me leaning towards familiarity which is heavily policy leaning compared to K leaning. That said, if you are a K team that doesn't mean my ballot is automatically signed, but it does mean you will have to explain concepts to me like I'm 5. I'll vote on whatever - I just need to know what I'm voting for and the ROB to be evident. Overviews? - pls. Impact Calc? FFS please do.

If you have questions about specific arguments ask me before round - no guarantee my answers will be helpful though

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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New Section for LD:

I am new to LD and a lot of my debate opinions are derived from policy debate - most of the items below should still apply. Good with speed, Theory, Ks, plan, etc. Feel free to ask specific questions.

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Overview Tech > truth

Counterplans I have no idea what CPs look like on this topic but general things: PICs are fine, theory is a reason to reject the arg not the team, judge kick is fine, isolated net bens in 2NR is v good, severance perms are rarely reason to reject the team.

Disadvantages/Advantages Line by line is key, overview when necessary, impact calc is one of the only objective ways for me to weigh a round so if all is lost gimme some impact calc to work with pls and thank you. Affirmatives kicking the aff and going for turns on disads is one of the most chad things to do and will be looked upon favorably.

Topicality & Theory I've never seen a good theory 2NR/2AR that I like, or one that I thought was well done. I'm fine with most theory arguments but make sure you tell me how to use it i.e justification to reject the team or reject the arg. I'm fine with theory being run in the 1AR/block if it's justified. My threshold voting for T gets lower as seasons go on and people want to try and be more cheaty and dumb.

Kritiks The only thing worst than bad debate is bad K debate. The K is a unique tool that can be used effectively, but 2NCs of 5 min overviews and 3 mins of line by line referring to the overview is boring to listen to. Clean line by line on the K is good. Isolate the -ology debate (epis/onto/etc.) for me since it's been a while since I've seen these args.

I debated competitively from 2013 to 2017 at Reagan High School and was a national qualifier in 2016. My time as a debater has given me extensive exposure to various debate styles and strategies. Since graduating, I have been a tabs judge, focusing on flowing debates thoroughly and ensuring fair and objective evaluations.

Preferences on Delivery and Technical Language

• Rate of Delivery: I am comfortable with fast delivery but emphasize clarity above all. If I cannot follow your arguments or flow them due to excessive speed, it may negatively impact your speaker points. Aim for a rate of delivery that balances efficiency and comprehensibility.
• Jargon and Technical Terms: I appreciate precise technical language if it enhances your argument, but it should not come at the cost of accessibility. Be sure to define or clarify terms for the benefit of everyone in the round, particularly when introducing complex theory or new acronyms.

Note-Taking and Flowing
I prioritize keeping a rigorous flow of the debate. My decisions are made based on the arguments presented and followed through in the round. If you introduce an argument, it must be extended consistently and logically throughout the debate. Dropped arguments can have significant consequences, so attention to detail is key. I value clear signposting, as it helps me track your case and counterarguments effectively.

Criteria for Evaluation

• Solvency and Impacts: I vote primarily on solvency and impacts. Show me not only that your plan works but also why it matters in the larger context of the debate. Weigh impacts effectively and provide clear comparative analysis of your case versus your opponent's.
• Consistency: If you bring up an argument, I expect it to be carried through to the end of the debate. New arguments or evidence introduced during the 2NC or later stages may be disregarded unless they are legitimate responses to unexpected developments in the round.
• Framework: I consider framework debates essential. Clearly articulate why your framework should guide my decision-making. If no framework is contested or extended, I default to the criterion established at the start of the round.

Persuasive Styles and Preferences

• Argument Over Style: I value well-structured, evidence-based argumentation over stylistic delivery. However, effective communication does enhance persuasion, so clear, concise, and confident speaking is encouraged.
• Persuasive Delivery: Delivery styles that are conversational and emphasize engagement resonate well with me, but overly aggressive or dismissive tones can detract from your case. Respect your opponents and maintain professionalism at all times.

Debater Conduct
I expect debaters to:

1. Respect the rules of the debate format.
2. Treat each other, their opponents, and me as the judge with courtesy.
3. Avoid disruptive behaviors or dismissive attitudes toward opposing viewpoints.

Persuasive Arguments
I am most persuaded by arguments that are:

• Grounded in real-world impacts.
• Supported by thorough evidence and analysis.
• Extended fully through the debate round with clear comparative weighing.
  While I can evaluate theoretical arguments, I prefer debates that tie arguments back to tangible outcomes and practical implications.

Final Notes
Debaters should focus on making their case clear, engaging, and impactful. My role is to ensure fairness, educational value, and adherence to the spirit of debate as a platform for critical thinking and civil discourse. Remember to weigh your impacts effectively, signpost clearly, and extend your arguments all the way through. Good luck, and I look forward to judging your round!

Speed- I highly suggest that you do not speed read if I cannot understand you. If I cannot understand what you are saying, then I will not be able to flow.

Kritic-Please make sure that your Kritic makes sense. Do not run an unrelated K if you cannot find a reasonable link.

DA's-Please make sure that you have a strong link. If you run a generic link then that will much more challenging to win on. Explain to me how this DA is triggered, and prove that there is a direct link between the plan and this DA.

T's-If you want to run a T then you must prove in round abuse. Personally, I don't find "potential abuse" as an effective argument. There must be a clear violation by the Affirmative that prohibits you from exercising an argument.

Affirmative-If you want to win the round you should win solvency. Prove to me that implementing your plan will solve for important problems.

Personal Background: I debated four years in Wisconsin. I competed at NCFLs and NSDAs 4 times each. Most of my experience is in PF, Congress, and extemp but I have some experience with other events.

Include me on Email Chains please: rspors25@gmail.com

The vast majority of the rounds I have judged this year are policy rounds. That being said, don't spread in front of me. If you are spreading, share a speech doc, but just please don't, I am not going to flow off of a doc. If you are running a K, T, or CP, you better be ready to explain it well (For example if you are running a T don't just rattle off the tags Education, Time abuse etc. Explain these arguments to me well). I tend to prefer 1 or 2 well reasoned arguments over 15 tags with no links or warrants.

TLDR: Have good ethics, Trust the Flow, Don't be a jerk.

Policy:

If you have received a blast and I am your policy judge, please know my experience is in PF/LD in a very traditional district. A fairly low level of Speed is okay but if I can't hear you I can't flow you. I will keep a flow and I will vote on the flow. If you are running a K it will take work to convince me but I am not against these types of arguments. I understand post-Fiat alternatives much better than pre-fiat alternatives. Topicality or Framework arguments are things I am far more familiar with and I also tend to find them more relevant to the round than other theory arguments. In essence, convince me that your plan would work, and is the best solution. If you are the neg, Convince me they are wrong. Also, Don't just extend things with the tag. If you tell me to extend "Smith 23" That means nothing to me or to the debate. "Extend Smith 23 which says..." You aren't extending authors and years, you are extending arguments. Actually extend the argument you are making. If all you read me is an author and year, that card is dropped.

PF: Constructive: Speed is fine as long as you are clear. If you are unclear I will stop flowing and if it isn't on my flow it isn't on my ballot. I competed in a very traditional district so that is what I am most familiar with. If you are running some sort of progressive debate, make it a strong case. I think progressive arguments are overused in PF. If you are running something weird, explain it well and convince me. I think debate is ultimately an event based in convincing your opponents and judge. Convince me your argument isn't so weird.

Rebuttal: I want a line by line. 2nd rebuttal should include responses to 1st rebuttal otherwise it is dropped. That being said, don't be toxic and attempt to spread people out of rounds by arguing you should win the round based on a dropped third subpoint on your sixth response to their observation. Win the round via solid argumentation not some trick.

Summary: Summary is the hardest speech in a round. As a general rule, if something isn't in your summary it better not be in your final focus. Summary is a speech for crystalizing your arguments into something that can be used in your final focus and weighing. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WEIGH. If you don't weigh, you make me weigh. You will be sad because I may not weigh your voters favorably, I will be sad because you made me do more work. Don't make everyone sad. Weigh! Also don't just say "we win on timeframe and scope and yada yada yada" I can do that. Tell me why, under the established framework you are winning in a way that means you must win the round. If you want to use all those fancy weighing words, don't just shout the buzzwords at me. Tell me why I should be deciding the round in terms of timeframe, magnitude etc.

Final Focus: Give me the voters. Tell me why you're winning the important points of the round and tell me why that means you're winning the round. The final focus is not "Rebuttal: Reprise" (nor is the summary for that matter). Please do not just word vomit every card your side read the whole round. Tell me why you won.

LD:

Values and Criterions are important. Treat them like they are important. Whichever value wins out is how I am going to weigh the round. Make your arguments in terms of the values and weigh under the criteria.

Lincoln Douglas is a debate of values and morals. Keep that in mind.

Progressive debate is fine just make it make sense.

Everything I said above about speed, argumentation and weighing remains true for LD.

Congress:

1. This event is called congressional DEBATE, not congressional speech giving. Use your speech times to advance an argument, to directly clash with other speakers, and to persuade the audience to your side. That being said while I do want a well-reasoned debate, you are also essentially cosplaying as senators so there is some room for theatrics and if done well, this can add to your speech. A boring speech is not very persuasive.
2. SPEED! Speed does not belong in this event whatsoever. You are senators persuading the body to vote one way or another on a bill not policy debaters.
3. I would rather you give no speech at all than a repetitive, pre-written speech that takes time from other debaters who want to bring up new points.
4. Questioning periods, points, and motions weigh heavily on my ballot. Use these to your advantage. Answering questions well is HUGE for me. Effective use of parli pro is impressive to see, but incorrect use is a big disadvantage.
5. I will rank the PO as we are instructed to do. If you are an excellent PO you are likely in the running for the top spot in my rankings. If you are a poor PO you will likely find yourself near the bottom. Being a good PO is about running a fair and efficient chamber. I want that chamber to run like a well oiled machine.
6. Evidence, Follow the same ethics and evidence things I have stated below.

General Things for Everyone:

The Flow: In this round the flow is going to be king. If I can't understand you I can't flow you and if it isn't on my flow it isn't on my ballot.

Critique: I will disclose if they let me. I will give a oral critique if they let me. Everything will be on the ballot. I know how valuable that feedback is to coaches and competitors alike. If you are unhappy with my oral critique, look to my ballot for more information. If you have any questions, ask them. I am more than happy to give more advice/feedback. If you are just postrounding trying to argue about my decision. Don't, that's annoying.

Evidence Ethics:IMPORTANT There is nothing that irritates me more than shoddy evidence standards. This is an educational activity and if there is a card to which the content is in question it is possible I will call for said card. Be prepared. I want to be included in your email chains (rspors25@gmail.com).

Cross: Don't be abusive. Be assertive. I think cross is one of the most informative parts of a debate round. I will be actively listening but not actively flowing. If something is conceded in cross, it is conceded. That being said, it still needs to be brought up in speeches to make my ballot. If something important happens during cross, explicitly tell me "Judge write that down" I will but then I will expect you to elaborate in a speech.

Speaker points: I will probably be pretty generous with speaks. If you are racist, homophobic, sexist, Antisemitic, or anything else bad, expect the speaks to reflect that. Cross is a really good way to impress me and show me that you are a 30 pt speaker.