My pronouns are he/him.

Saint Louis UDL policy debater in high school (2015-2018). Former president of NPDA parli debate at Tulane (graduating Dec '21). I began judging LD and PF in 2018. I now work full time doing intake in the housing unit at legal aid and part-time at the Louisiana Children's Museum and Audubon Nature Institute.

Email chain: liv.berry014@gmail.com (also email me here if you have any questions or accessibility needs)

If you feel unsafe at any point in a round or during a tournament, let me know (either in person or via email) and I will do everything I can to get you out of the situation and get the issue handled w tab/equity office/tournament directors etc. Your safety comes first, always

I clap at the end of rounds

Please put cards in docs instead of the body of the email. I don't care if it's just one card - I want a doc.

Spring 2023 Update:

- I no longer think it is particularly useful to list all of my thoughts and preferences on specific arguments and debate styles in my paradigm. It shouldn't matter to you or affect the way you choose to debate. You should debate in a way that feels fun, educational, and authentic to you. I will judge the debate in front of me.

- I am not as involved in debate as I once was. Judging is now a special treat that requires taking off work. This could be good for you or it could be bad for you. Either way, it means I'm genuinely thrilled to be here.

- Be mindful when it comes to speed and jargon. I don't know the all the acronyms or buzzwords and I don't know community consensus or trends when it comes to things like counterplans or topicality.

Some general thoughts:

- TLDR: Read what you like and have fun with it! Whether you're reading a rage aff without a plan text or nine off in the 1NC, if you're into it, I'm into it.

- The best part of debate is the people. Be kind.

- I see my role as a judge as an educator first and foremost

- The best way to win my ballot is to filter arguments through impact framing. Why is your model/disadvantage/advocacy/etc more important? What does it mean to mitigate/solve these impacts in the context of the debate? Why is the ballot important or not important?

- Every speech is a performance. How you choose to perform is up to you, but be prepared to defend every aspect of your performance, including your advocacy, evidence, arguments, positions, and representations

- Tell me why stuff matters! Tell me what I should care about and why!

- If you are a jerk to novices or inexperienced debaters, I will tank your speaks. This is an educational activity. Don't be a jerk

LD SPECIFIC:

- I don't know what "tricks" or "spikes" are. I judged a round that I'm told had both of these things, and it made me cry (and I sat). Beyond that, I've judged lots of traditional, kritikal, and plan rounds and feel comfortable there.

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, LEARN THINGS

Michelle Canon

If you are using email chains: michellecanon8@hotmail.com Please include me so I can view cards if needed.

Experience: 4 years of high school debate at Truman High School (Independence, MO) 1987-1991; qualified to NFL Nationals 1991 Team CX Debate- Awarded Overall Speaker award 5th place; Qualified to Nationals in '90 and '91 in Original Oratory.

4 Year Collegiate Debate- William Jewell College (Liberty, MO) Debated CEDA 1991-1995; Placed at CEDA Nationals 1994 (I think we dropped in quarters? it's been a hot minute :D), 1995 Season I helped coach Novice as my partner had graduated.

General Preferences:(this is focused on Novice Debate)

I have seen a lot of topics over the years and have judged fairly routinely. My favorite debates provide direct clash and there is a cohesive approach from both teammates. I want to see that you are thinking through your team's approach and your arguments complement each other. The 2AR and 2NR are the crystalizing rebuttals and I want impact calc on how the arguments are weighed out.

I am a flow judge, so I want a road map on how many off-case and what areas of case you want you to signpost arguments applied on the flow. I love structure- I understand that's not the trend so please emphasize your tag lines, if you are reading quickly. I flow off of what you say, and I expect both teams to flow off of what is said in the round, not off of exchanged documents. I will always prefer quality over quantity. I get very frustrated when both teams read blocks quickly and don’t slow down for main points. I used to speak fast but I haven’t done it in a long time so please keep it reasonable. I expect you to fill all your time, and I expect quality arguments. I see speed as a necessity in certain speeches and arguments, but only go as fast as you can be clear, if no one understands what you're saying it's not going on the flow and won't be weighed in my decision. Do not choose speed over quality. Condense down and make a solid argument.

I will vote on almost any developed argument that is extended through the entire debate. If the argument is case side and it takes out a stock issue that will warrant a negative ballot. Case side you have to develop the argument and it has to be extended in rebuttals and weighed by 2NR. I will not weigh anything that is not extended into rebuttals. Of course, no new arguments initiated in rebuttals.

T-I appreciate a good T debate and will vote on it if it is set up as an off-case and developed (meaning analysis, definition, clear stated violation) and extended. I will vote Neg on T if the affirmative drops it- but the negative has to extend it and go for it.

I was a 2N my entire time debating - I love a well-developed Disad, I expect the shell to be run in the 1NC and I expect 2N to set up shop and blow it up if that's what you are going for in the debate. Please don't run contradictory DA's. Keep your story clean and extend the full disad. If you spend all your time proving a link and internal link but fail to have clear impact scenario in your 2NC then you aren't winning as big of an argument as you could.

CP-I like counter plans as well for a policy debate. Make sure they are mutually exclusive, competitive, non-topical and net the highest impacts. The only counterplans I'm not a fan of is the big generic theoretical counterplans like an Anarchy counterplan. I see that as a waste of time. I'd rather you make intelligent arguments then read a big generic CP- if this is what you want to go for make sure you develop the argument clean and clear with a more specific creative spin to get my vote here.

K- I see K (at the novice level) a pretty non-persuasive argument. I think it detracts from having a strong debate and becomes more about gaming the round (again at the Novice level) vs debating the topic. That being said, if you are running a more creative affirmative trying to catch negatives off-base, then I'm willing to consider K's and other theoretical arguments more heavily to provide some negative ground. I ran plenty of crazy cases so I get it, but that will open up the flexibility on links and more theoretical arguments. If there is clear negative ground, it's going to be hard to get me to vote on K. And for goodness sakes, if you are running a K over language or protection of specific rights- please don't violate your own K during the round with your own discourse. I have never heard an affirmative K, so if you are running it you better know it inside and out and be able to clearly explain it- and please know I really don't want to go here for a novice debate.

Please don't make this competitive reading where each team reads their own briefs. There needs to be direct clash- that is what debate is about. Final rebuttals should write the ballot on what is the most significant in the debate and weigh out the debate.

I want to see courteous, respectful, intelligent debates. I don't see debate as a personal argument, so please don't take it there. I will give poor speaks for anyone rude, condescending or overly disruptive.

If we can get some laughs in the debate and have positive fun I'll always reward with higher speaks.

Put me on the email chain - sarahelisedavidson@gmail.com

Notre Dame '21

Rice '25

PLEASE don't call me judge, Sarah is fine.

Online debate:

-I'd prefer if you have your camera on, but having it off is fine

-If my camera isn't on, I'm not ready

-Ask for confirmation that I'm ready before giving your speech

General things:

-time your own speech and prep

-tech > truth

-fairness > education

-I tend to place a lot of weight on evidence quality. I'll still vote on spin of course, but, if the debate is close, I usually look to the quality of both sides' evidence.

-I care a lot about judge instruction in rebuttals. It's really helpful and will get you good speaks

-I love impact turns, advantage cps, and well-debated disadvantages

-I don't like judging topicality or theory debates, but you should still go for it if you know it's the right strategy.

-I was a 2A, but my views are probably more in line with that of a 2N.

T:

-Topical versions of the aff and case lists are good.

-A smaller topic is probably better than aff innovation.

-Competing interpretations > reasonability

Soft left affs:

- I'm predisposed towards extinction-level impacts, and I tend to think utilitarianism is the best framework for evaluating choices between policies. You're far better off spending more time attacking the link and internal link level of a DA than wasting a bunch of time on framing, which is usually a wash anyway. I think that a securitization-type framing argument is way better than some arbitrary "probability first" or "util bad" claim, BUT winning this requires meaningfully reducing the risk of the DA.

DA:

- My favorite debates are DA/case debates.

- I love politics DAs, but aff specific and topic DAs are even better. But feel free to read whatever contrived DA scenario you want. I'll vote on it if you win it.

- Pls do impact calculus - it makes my decision 1000x times easier

- Turns case is also super persuasive to me

- If you're going for a non-unique + link turn, actually explain why the aff resolves the link

CPs:

- Impact out your solvency deficits or explain why the perm shields the net benefit

- I'm not a good judge for process CPs. Complicated competition debates are confusing to me

- I won't kick the CP for you unless you tell me to

Theory:

- I will vote on theory, but you need to give examples specific to abuse within the debate and impact out theory in the 2AR

- cheaty fiat cps (ie Tsai should resign or Saudi should stop the war in Yemen) are definitely bad

- Agent CPs, 2NC cps, 50 state fiat, consult Cps, con cons, etc are probably good

- condo = good (but, again, I can be persuaded otherwise)

- perf con is a reason you get to sever your reps

Ks on the neg:

- i feel like my views on the k have changed a lot over the past few months. i like it more than i used to.

- cap, security, fem ir, and settler colonialism are the literature bases I'm most familiar with -- if you want me to vote on other things, i need lots of explanation

- i prefer specific links to the plan - the more specific, the better

- actually engage with the 1ac and spend time on case in the 2nr - i like when neg teams take lines out of the 1ac and/or recut 1ac ev

- floating PIKs are bad

- the alt should resolve your impacts and links

- i hate long overviews - your overviews should be short & contextualized to the aff

K affs:

- I prefer that you read a plan & im probably not the best judge for you if you read an untopical aff, but I'll still vote for a k aff and I have several times in the past

- at least have some sort of relation to the topic

- just asserting that the USFG is bad is not enough to get my ballot

- k affs probably don't get perms - if the aff doesn't have to be topical, then Cps / K's don't have to be competitive, but this needs to be explained in the debate

Neg v. k affs:

- framework - fairness is an impact (but you have to explain why it is), TVAs are great, tell me what debate looks like in the world of the aff & neg and why your model is better

- presumption - go for it. a lot of k affs just don't do anything

- k's vs k affs - not great for this. if you're going to go for a k, pls do thorough explanations and impact out each of your links

Speaks

- I'll dock your speaks if you're mean or rude to me or others in the round

Glenbrook South '22

UIUC '26

Put me on the email chain - cdresslerdebate@gmail.com

I'll keep it brief:

Fine with anything, but more used to CPs/DAs

I'll try my best to not intervene - evidence explanation goes a long way

Impact out your arguments, regardless of whether or not they were conceded

2023 update

I have minimal knowledge on this topic. This should further incentivize you to really explain your arguments. This also means you should minimize using complicated topic acronyms

Lindsay Jade (or LJ, whichever works!)

she/her

Greenhill '21 | UT Austin '26

assistant coaching for Greenhill

please put me on the email chain! lindsayjadef@gmail.com

generic things:

-tldr: read whatever you're best at! I have preferences, but am generally open to hearing whatever you have to say.

-tech > truth

-numbering arguments = better speaks and better decisions!

-dropped arguments are true, but need to be fully extended along with an explanation of the implications you want them to have on my decision

-fully explaining/developing arguments and good line-by-line skills are important to me and will lead to higher speaker points than reading excessive overviews. If your answer to an argument is to cross-apply the overview, I tend to believe that the arguments in the overview should've just been on that part of the line-by-line. Similarly, I am much less likely to vote on "they dropped this line in my 2-minute long overview" than a more contextualized individual line-by line argument

-please be kind and respectful to each other!

-open cx is fine, but please don't excessively talk over each other/interrupt.

Policy affs:

-framing contentions are fine when you contextualize them to your aff and the CP/DA

-my bias is generally to weigh consequences, but I can be persuaded as to which ones matter more and why

-smart analytics and/or internal link defense > generic impact defense card

K affs vs. framework:

-I am probably slightly better for the neg here, although I have some (very very limited) experience reading k affs

-I'm fine with both limits/fairness and idea testing/education style impacts (however, if your 2NR is the fun impact, the RFD probably won't be very fun for you).

-impact calculus and analysis, explaining how your interpretation best resolves that impact (and theirs can't access it), and how it interacts with the other team's impacts, will make it easier for me to evaluate the debate in your favor

Ks:

-I have experience debating pretty much all the Ks you usually see every year, but you should still do your best not to assume knowledge

-2NC K overviews longer than 30 seconds seem excessive to me

-I probably care less about framework than most judges - framework determines which arguments I evaluate, but does not guarantee you win those arguments or the debate - if you want it to implicate any other part of the debate, you should explain that to me

-I think the aff gets to weigh the plan, but the negative can probably get most links to representations. Of course, this can be changed if the neg is just so far ahead on framework, but I tend to not consider "role of the ballot" arguments as much. Instead, substantive arguments about why representations/justifications outweigh material action or vice versa are more persuasive to me. I tend to think teams (especially if you aren't reading an extinction impact on the aff) invest too much time in framework that should be used on the link/perm/alt debate in most cases.

-floating PIKs are probably bad, but if you get away with it, good for you

Topicality vs. policy affs

-I am probably less willing than others to vote on "limits for the sake of limits" than most people just because the topic might be huge. Neg teams' limits arguments are more persuasive when they're explained in the context of those limits being predictable (accompanied by exactly how the aff interp explodes limits and examples of topical affs under their interpretation and the other affirmatives the aff allows and why they would make debates worse). Please impact out your argument and explain how it turns each others' impacts.

-aff teams: good impact analysis (why impacts outweigh and turn theirs), defense to neg impacts, and examples are the way to my ballot

-not a big fan of subsets/whatever the throwaway T argument becomes this year, but really enjoy aff-specific smart T arguments (I know this isn't always possible and will still vote on whatever you win)

-I think reasonability is underrated when explained without relying solely on buzz words

CPs and theory:

-love CPs

-aff teams: the permutation and links to the net benefit are your friend. I like 2ACs that consistently cover those arguments on each CP flow. If perm do both is a possible 2AR strategy, then explanations about how it shields the link starting in the 2AC is best if not necessary

-also, solvency deficits are best when they're clear and impacted out/explained

-neg teams: be sure to have a clear story/explanation for how the aff/perm links to the net benefit and the CP alone avoids it

-theory debates are probably some of my least favorite debates to judge, but if it becomes the debate I understand

-nothing except conditionality is a voting issue. my voting record has shown me that as a judge I tend to lean negative on conditionality, but I will do my best not to intervene

-the more any theory argument is specific to the debate, the more likely I am to buy it. If you want it to be a question of solely models rather than in-round abuse, giving and explaining examples are very helpful for me

-if I think you are partially right about a theory argument but can't fully reject the team or argument, I still might be more sympathetic to a permutation that might not have been a winner in a vacuum. I won't automatically do that cross-application for you, though, so you should tell me to!

-my initial bias is that most process CPs are fine (but can be persuaded otherwise)

-that being said, I like it better when net benefits are germane to the aff (more of a DA to the aff and not just an advantage to doing the CP)

-PICs out of words that aren't in the plan text are probably illegitimate

-judge kick: if the CP is conditional, if the neg tells me to and it's unanswered, or the neg is ahead on the question of whether I should, then I will. Neg teams, you should probably start telling me to do this in the block rather than the 2nr so I don't have to evaluate your 1 sentence against (rightfully) new 2ar arguments about it. If neg says the CP is conditional and/or "status quo is always an option" in 1NC CX, the 2AC should have the no judge kick argument if that's something you care about. Basically, the earlier in the debate you start making judge-kick related arguments, the less intervening I'll have to do.

-to quote Josh Leffler: "Having a specific solvency advocate makes most counterplans legitimate, but not having a solvency advocate doesn't automatically make a counterplan illegitimate."

-functionally intrinsic perms (that are limited to neg solvency advocates and only the plan and CP text) are my favorite!

DAs:

-yeah yeah!

-impact calc is very helpful and probably one of the best ways for you to influence my decision, especially with turns case arguments

-that being said, tech > truth, and I love (reasonably) creative spin on arguments and will reward you for it speaker point wise even if it doesn't work out for you

-politics is okay. Explaining differences between cards/warrants > reading 10 more uniqueness cards

Non-negotiables (stolen from holland bald)

- death good = L

- being racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. or making the debate unsafe for anyone involved (to be determined at my discretion) = L and the lowest speaks i can assign.

- no asking for better speaks

- i will flow a 2-hour long debate comprised of eight speeches. "Calling for a double win, intentionally interrupting an opponent’s speech, soliciting outside participation in a speech or cross-x, breaking time limits, playing board games, or devolving the debate into a 2 hour long discussion is a recipe for a quick L for the team that initiates it." -shree

- you have to read re-highlightings, you usually can't insert them unless it's just one word or something

Final thoughts:

-if you read this far... wow that's dedication, good for you :)

-my goal is to be a judge I would feel good about evaluating one of my debates. Feel free to ask questions after the round if any part of my decision doesn't make sense to you.

-if you have any questions, please email me: lindsayjadef@gmail.com

I'm an assistant coach at Blue Valley West. I also debated in high school a million years ago.

Don't speak super fast. I need to be able to understand what you are saying.

I will be flowing the debate. I should see you flowing the debate as well.

Please label ALL off-case arguments in the 1NC. It's confusing and bothersome to me if you don't.

I don't like disclosure debates- you should always disclose before the round starts unless breaking new.

CPs and DAs are fine- the links should be clear.

I usually don't vote on T.

Framework- Tell me why I should frame the debate the way you tell me to.

K- I am okay with you running one as long as it's explained really well.

Dropped arguments in the round- please try not to do this.

Avoid saying the other teams arguments are "abusive".

I value quality over quantity. Please don't read cards the whole time!

If you have questions, please ask!

Hi!

My name in Matheno. I have been a participant of this activity for about over 17 years. I started to debate in High School out of the DKC Urban Debate League. I emerged onto the national circuit my novice year in 2004. I have attended debate camps at University of Iowa, University of Missouri Kansas City as well as the University of Louisville. "Performance" debate is mostly how I approached debate as a framework. Do not call it Performance debate. Debate itself is a performance. I do understand what many call "traditional debate." It's how I got introduce to this activity. I just felt better equipped as a debater dozing into what felt more authentic for me. I judge my debates on what is on the flow sheets. If its not on the flow then I cannot evaluate it. Speed does not mean to forfeit persuasion. I will listen to mostly everything. I like new and different arguments. I was a big fan of K arguments and of course ran many Kritiks. I am now a staff member at the Bay Area Urban Debate League as a Program Manager. I have been a judge every single year since I left debate as a competitor. I love this activity! I have assisted BUDL, DKC and also Atlanta Urban Debate League. Write the ballot for me. If I have to do a lot of framing and impact calculus myself then I don't think you did much coverage of handling the flow. Write the RFD for the judge. Who knows what may happen if you leave it in my hands. I have a very queer mind.

Email thread: bfandbo@gmail.com

Lane Tech 22' | MSU 26'

contact & misc

--- aegdebate@gmail.com

--- she/her/hers

--- (R-E-L) Arielle :)

Housekeeping

1. I am privy to referring any person with unknown pronouns as they/them, if your tab account doesn't specify your pronouns for any reason no worries just give me a heads up on your preferred pronouns. (any team that does not respect these requests gets an auto L).

2. I side with the 'don't call me judge sentiments', I'd like to be referred to by my name with the correct pronunciation.

3. I don't write out crazy long rfds, I don't have enough patience, concentration or linguistic capability to do so, so if you have in depth questions on substance of specific args assume that they're not written down and if you need written specifics, email me after the round, I will respond and I will write them for you.

4. hesitant to adjudicate out of round disputes, hopefully have already conflicted anyone that is a danger to the space. that being said if approached before the round about an inability to debate someone out of trauma, personal discomfort, etc, I could be fine with not continuing the round. Mental health, safety & wellbeing is a pre-req before debate rounds.

Tldr if you are in a rush -

-- Despite MSU's (rep) , my heart truly lies with the K, it's where I've dedicated most of my research, time, and skill, however, this means you get less lenience from me, here are some quick k pet peeves/biases:

--- ethos ≠ being insufferable & rude

--- don't really get why people still pomo, don't think the evaluation of the hyperreal solves inequal before public policy does

--- i refuse to kick the alt for you, if you can't defend the alt put it on the case page

--- explain the giant paragraphs of text, lbl on the k require impact calc & actual warrants in your extensions, need to do better than '2ac 1 says this -- we say no (insert random 1nc card that says literally nothing)'

-- I'm better for the counterplan + disad, or the squo than you think. Judges should adapt to their debaters, not the other way around.

other pet peeves & bias! to help make all of our experiences more enjoyable

--- tech >> truth | clarity >> speed

--- I hate random lull time before/after speeches -- prep ends when the doc is saved & ready to be sent, (I don't care if you don't take prep to send the email, thats a little harsh, but if its been 25+ seconds after you stopped prep and nothing has been sent, feels like a problem

--- don't understand why we stopped standing up for cross-ex, I might be conservative but I do appreciate when you stand up for cross.

--- any INTENTIONAL disrespect/harm to another debater or me = the rounds getting stopped and we will evaluate from there. There's a bright line between ethos and actual hostility --- my role is to not only adjudicate a round but to also protect debaters, I have 0 tolerance for that kinda stuff point blank period.

--- middle school & novices: read a plan, this is non-negotiable.

--- I refuse to judge intervene, that goes for judge-kick (won't do it until you tell me to, and honestly maybe still won't do it), impact o/vs in the 2nr, 2ar, and ev comparison. if the analysis isn't there, I'll find it hard to write my ballot for you

--- its: the/a dis-ad & the/a counterplan NOTa 'see-pee' and a 'dee-ay' (doesn't hold any weight for me I just cringe a little)

K-Affs/Kritiks

o/v (for lack of better words) --- I used to read many a k-aff, but unlike every other person, the only lit I am actually familiar with is: Queer Theory, afropess, security/liberal pacification esque args, set-col & 'geographies– anything else I am four years old and you are teaching me how to tie my shoe.

we'll start with things I like for both sides of the kritik

--- an alt that results in material praxis, I think the perm always beats metaphysical realizations of your theory. while its debate...structural suffering, discrimination, violence and social death are very real and true things that empirical these communities look to public policy for change.

--- if you are totally rejecting reform/change/material praxis/the perm, that's fine too, just do the work for it if you do and you win you win congrats, never gonna let bias get in the way of a ballot that was clearly deserved.

on the aff

--- have to be tangentially related to the topic --- unconditional, if you aren't: strike me.

--- I value clash I think fairness is an intrinsic good, but I can persuaded otherwise. every round is designed for you to decide what model of debate is best & 'fair' for the community, its a round debate it out.

--- performances are fine, do they need to have a purpose? does the neg need to respond with performance? no idea up to you.

--- personal oration + personalized identity affs are also fine. however,,,, I find myself to be severely unpersuaded by 'the neg needs to conceded for our solvency' claims. I think debate is a game and it is beneficial for both teams to actively participate. I also recognize some if not few teams will use these affs as an excuse to be a bigot and disguise it as a case answer. see above ^^ I don't tolerate that, I will always advocate for and protect your identity & experience as a person and debater.

on the neg

--- actual aff mechanism links. a link is not a linguistic choice of cross-ex, it is not one of the topic areas as a proud sense, and it is not and I repeat not, a critique of the debate space as a whole, the topic or the use of the usfg. I think judges give too much to the negative, all the aff has to do is defend the representations and mechanism of the 'literature' from the 1ac, not the reading of a plan thats ridiculous to me.

--- 'you link you lose' proves the aff framework args about lazy link writing, and vague alts.

--- no one explains what treating the 1ac as a research object is outside of the top of the 2nc and that makes me warm and angry.

--- if your alt is contingent on judge approval for 'momentum', the aff gets to weigh their plan.

opinions on (T, CPS & DAs...etc)

this is its own section because I haven't developed any real qualms except that advantage counterplans are maybe cheaty, I'm privy to giving the neg condo generally, can be persuaded otherwise, just don't really understand the difference between 5 or 6 condo.

--- topicality: underrated when done properly. I used to be skeptical of judges that said that they have little or no topic knowledge, but now I understand, slow down and explain your definitions, please!!

--- think theory could always be a fun 2nr/2ar, you will be receiving a LOW point win if you fumbled the bag so severely that an under-covered 50 states fiat block is your only route to victory.

--- counterplans very good, very very good for debate, dislike when the round boils down to a 'plan v plan' debate, I hate when there's no offense on the counterplan, and I hate when affs don't kick advantages to avoid the net ben, underutilized.

--- process counterplans are also probably cheating but can be persuaded otherwise.

--- 'status of the off' 'the squo is always an option' --- yes it is, case debating is severely underdone and when its done its done poorly. most affs have structural disadvantages, ie only centered to beat the topics biggest generics but will lose to smaller disads etc its how debate is structured, use it friends.

--- people don't go for the straight turn enough, these are some of my favorite 2ars to hear.

If you're : racist, sexist, homophobic, etc... any ic or ist, I'm docking your speaks, you're losing the round, and I'm talking to your coach. Just be a decent human being.

Peter Karteczka (call me Peter, not judge)

UIUC '25

GBN '21

peterkarteczka@gmail.com (yes I want to be added)

Top Level -

- I debated at Glenbrook North HS for 4 years (3 years in person, 1 year virtually).

- The ballot goes to the team that did the better debating. That being said I am not well versed in kritikal literature and have little experience going for the kritik so if that is your thing I should not be your ordinal 1.

- Tech > Truth. I am comfortable voting for any argument (process CPs, ASPEC, floating PIKs, plan flaws, etc) as long as it is executed correctly.

- I'll only adjudicate claims about things that occur in-round.

- Quality of evidence is extremely important.

- "Marked copy" does not mean "remove the cards you read." You do not have to do that, and you should not ask your opponents to do that.

- Clipping is an auto-loss and accusations should have evidence.

Online debate -

- For online debate, you need to slow down and prioritize clarity.

- Get verbal confirmation from everyone before speaking and debate with your camera on.

- Please minimize unnecessary tech time, I understand things happen but taking a while to send out emails annoys me.

- If I suspect you are stealing prep I will deduct it from your prep time or speech time.

Novice + Camp debates-

- Don't adapt to me. I'll adapt to you. Please be respectful, especially during cross-ex. There is no need to be overly rude, defensive, demeaning, etc. These debates in my mind are solely for learning experiences, however, keep in mind, that you will get better feedback by going for arguments that I have more experience with.

My predispositions -

- These are my general predispositions, they can all be reversed through technical debating.

- I’d like to stress that you should do you. As a debater, it always annoyed me when judges were ideological or made decisions that I thought were arbitrary, so I try to minimize my own biases while judging as much as possible. However, I'd also like to emphasize that not understanding your argument is not the same as being ideologically opposed to it. My familiarity with certain arguments could affect my ability to adjudicate, if I do not understand your argument I will not vote on it.

- As a 2n, I primarily went for policy strategies (da + case, adv cp + da, process cp) against topical plans and for framework against kritikal affs.

- I like it when debaters gave me easy outs rather than forcing me to dive deeply into contested issues.

CPs -

- As a debater, I went for process counterplans relatively often. However, that does not mean I default negative on theoretical questions regarding legitimacy and competitiveness (having a solvency advocate goes a long way when debating legitimacy).

- I understand the need to go for generic counterplans with internal net benefits, though I think everyone would rather you opt for a more substantive strategy should it be possible.

- I find that affs that have advantages structured around the mechanism to be extremely strategic and persuasive against process cps.

- I will likely default to judge kick (if the counterplan is conditional) absent a substantive debate about it.

- Arguments I don't like: object fiat, delay fiat, 'going through legal deficits' fiat, counter planning out of a double turn.

- Perms should have warrants and perm texts.

DAs -

- I find theory arguments against politics DAs to be unpersuasive.

- Make turns case arguments, and make sure to answer turns case arguments. Having multiple levels to turns case arguments (e.g. link turns internal link, link turns impact, AND impact turns internal link, etc), is extremely persuasive.

- Specific link evidence and carded turns case evidence goes a long way as well.

- "Framing pages" where you say "DAs are bad" are bad.

- It has become apparent that strategic plan vagueness and plan text in a vacuum are becoming increasingly common. If I don't know whether the disad links until the 2ar we have a problem.

- For politics, uniqueness usually determines the direction the of the link. For generic/case-specific da's the link probably controls the direction of the uniqueness debate.

T -

- I appreciate strategic plan vagueness and plan text in a vacuum, but teams are going too far. At a minimum, it should be possible to line up your plan with your solvency evidence and it should be relatively straightforward about what the plan does.

- Don't assume that I know topic dynamics (side-bias/functional limits/link uniqueness/other resolutional words, etc).

- It is your job to paint a vivid vision of what debate looks like under your topic and why their interpretation of the topic is worst than yours.

- As a debater, I found that precision offense encompasses most predictability and ground offense. However, precision claims have to be followed with quality evidence.

- Plan text in a vacuum is silly and should not be your main form of offense.

Ks -

- Kritiks were never really my thing but I will try my best (the closer the K is to a DA the better).

- The strength of epistemological arguments are severely diminished with performative contradictions.

- Util is probably good. I find that approaches where the neg attempts to access aff impact framing through link turns case/alt/other things more persuading than further kritiking the affs framing.

- Long overviews can be incorporated in line by line, there should never be a time where I need a separate flow for the overview.

- It will be very difficult to convince me to vote for high theory or post-modernism.

Plan-less affs -

- If you tend to read these affs, I am probably not the judge for you, I tend to find that it is hard to fully grasp offensive arguments made on framework when I am not versed in the literature.

- Fairness is an impact, but I find clash and education-based arguments to be more persuasive especially when there are case turns involved.

- I find that impact turns are more persuasive as aff offense than most defensive counter-interpretation strategies.

- NEG teams should impact turn (cap good, heg good, etc.)

- Please do not go for a K vs a planless aff in front of me.

How to get good speaker points (28.5+) -

- Have a developed negative strategy with minimized abuse.

- Keep track of prep and speech times.

- Be efficient with prep time and time allocation.

- Have a well-formatted card and speech docs (this can go a long way).

- Sending analytics (As a debater, I was not allowed to send analytics, however, I find that sending them offers more substantive clash).

- In an effort to promote disclosure at the high school level, any team that practices near-universal "open source" will be awarded .3 extra per debater if you bring that to my attention prior to the RFD.

Things that will make me severely dislike: (you should probably strike me if this would apply to you)

- Not flowing, being mean to your partner or opponent, reading more than 7 off (unless new disclosed aff), not following speech times, not disclosing properly (this can be quite obvious), reading offensive arguments, giving up, going to the bathroom multiple times (if absolutely needed, go before opposing teams speech).

I am a debate coach at Little Rock Central. Please put both on the email chain: jkieklak@gmail.com; lrchdebatedocs@gmail.com

General

You do you. Let it rip. Seriously. A judge does not exist without the debaters, and I view my role as a public servant necessary only to resolve arguments in a round to help empower young people to engage in meaningful discourse. I believe that it is important for me to be honest about the specific things I believe about common debate arguments, but also I find it more important to ensure I am prepared for debaters to persuade me away from those beliefs/biases. Specifically, I believe that my role is to listen, flow, and weigh the arguments offered in the round how I am persuaded to weigh them by each team. I will listen to and evaluate any argument. It is unacceptable to do anything that is: ableist, anti-feminist, anti-queer, racist, or violent.

I think debates have the lowest access to education when the judge must intervene. I can intervene as little as possible if you:

1) Weigh your impacts and your opponents' access to risk/impacts in the debate. One team probably is not most persuasive/ahead of the other team on every single argument. That needs to be viewed as a strength rather than a point of anxiety in the round. Do not be afraid to explain why you don't actually need to win certain arguments/impacts in lieu of "going for" the most persuasive arguments that resolve the most persuasive/riskiest impacts.

2) Actively listen and use your time wisely. Debaters miss each other when distracted/not flowing or listening. This seems to make these teams more prone to missing/mishandling arguments by saying things like, "'x' disad, they dropped it. Extend ____ it means ____;" yet, in reality, the other team actually answered the argument through embedded clash in the overview or answered it in a way that is unorthodox but also still responsive/persuasive.

3) Compare evidence and continuously cite/extend your warrants in your explanations/refutation/overall argumentation. Responses in cross that cite an individual warrant or interrogate their opponents' warrants are good ethos builders and are just in general more persuasive, same in speeches.

Policy Affirmatives

Go for it. Your pathway to solving a significant harm that is inherent to the status quo with some advantageous, topical plan action is entirely up to you. There are persuasive arguments about why it is good to discuss hypothetical plan implementation. I do not have specific preferences about this, but I am specifically not persuaded when a 2a pivot undercovers/drops the framework debate in an attempt to weigh case/extend portions of case that aren't relevant unless the aff wins framework. I have not noticed any specific thresholds about neg strats against policy affs.

Kritikal Affirmatives

Go for it. Your pathway/relationship to the resolution is entirely up to you. I think it’s important for any kritikal affirmative (including embedded critiques of debate) to wins its method and theory of power, and be able to defend that the method and advocacy ameliorates some impactful harm. I think it’s important for kritkal affirmatives (when asked) to be able to articulate how the negative side could engage with them; explain the role of the negative in the debate as it comes up, and, if applicable, win framework or a methods debate. I don't track any specific preferences. Note: Almost all time that I am using to write arguments and coach students is to prepare for heg/policy debates; I understand if you prefer someone in the back of the room that spends a majority of their time either writing kritikal arguments or coaching kritikal debate.

Framework

This is all up to how it develops in round. I figure that this often starts as a question of what is good for debate through considerations of education, fairness, and/or how a method leads to an acquisition/development of portable skills. It doesn't have to start or end in any particular place. The internal link and impact are up to you. If the framework debate becomes a question of fairness, then it's up to you to tell me what kind of fairness I should prioritize and why your method does or does not access it/preserve it/improve it. I vote for and against framework, and I haven't tracked any specific preferences or noticed anything in framework debate that particularly persuades me.

Off

Overall, I think that most neg strats benefit from quality over quantity. I find strategies that are specific to an aff are particularly persuasive (beyond just specific to the overall resolution, but also specific to the affirmative and specific cites/authors/ev). In general, I feel pretty middle of the road when it comes to thresholds. I value organization and utilization of turns, weighing impacts, and answering arguments effectively in overviews/l-b-l.

Other Specifics and Thresholds, Theory

• Perms: Be ready to explain how the perm works (more than repeating "it's perm do 'X'"). Why does the perm resolve the impacts? Why doesn't the perm link to a disad?

• T: Normal threshold if the topicality impacts are about the implications for future debates/in-round standards. High threshold for affs being too specific and being bad for debate because neg doesn't have case debate. If I am in your LD pool and you read Nebel, then you're giving me time to answer my texts, update a list of luxury items I one day hope to acquire, or simply anything to remind myself that your bare plurals argument isn't 'prolific.'

• Case Debate: I am particularly persuaded by effective case debate so far this year on the redistribution topic. Case debate seems underutilized from an "find an easy way to the ballot" perspective.

• Disclosure is generally good, and also it's ok to break a new aff as long as the aff is straight up in doing so. There are right and wrong ways to break new. Debates about this persuade me most when located in questions about education.

• Limited conditionality feels right, but really I am most interested in how these theory arguments develop in round and who wins them based on the fairness/education debate and tech.

• Please do not drop condo or some other well-extended/warranted theory argument on either side of the debate. Also, choosing not to engage and rely on the ethos of extending the aff is not a persuasive way to handle 2NRs all in on theory.

TOC Requested Update for Congress (April 2023)

General

Be your best self. My ranks reflect who I believe did the best debating in the round (and in all prelims when I parli).

The best debaters are the ones that offer a speech that is appropriately contextualized into the debate the body is having about a motion. For sponsors/first negs, this means the introduction of framing and appropriate impacts so that the aff/neg speakers can build/extend specific impact scenarios that outweigh the opposing side's impacts. Speeches 3-10 or 3-12 (depending on the round) should be focused on introducing/weighing impacts (based on where you are in the round and where your side is on impact weighing) and refutations (with use of framing) on a warrant/impact level. I value structured refutations like turns, disadvantages, presumption, PICs (amendments), no solvency/risk, etc. The final two speeches should crystallize the round by offering a clear picture as to why the aff/neg speakers have been most persuasive and why the motion should carry or fail.

The round should feel like a debate in that each speaker shall introduce, refute, and/or weigh the core of the affirmative and negative arguments to persuade all other speakers on how they should vote on a pending motion.

Other TOC Requested Congress Specifics/Randoms

• Arguments are claim, warrant, impact/justification and data when necessary. Speeches with arguments lacking one or more of these will not ever be rewarded highly, no matter how eloquent the speech. It is always almost more persuasive to provide data to support a warrant.

• Impacts should be specific and never implied.

• Presiding officers should ensure as many speeches as possible. The best presiding officers are direct, succinct, courteous, organized, and transparent. Presiding officers shall always be considered for ranks, but ineffective presiding is the quickest way to a rank 9 (or lower).

• More floor debaters are experimenting with parliamentary procedure. Love it, but debaters will be penalized for misapplications of the tournament's bylaws and whichever parliamentary guide is the back up.

• Nothing is worse in floor debate than repetition, which is different than extending/weighing.

• Decorum should reflect effective communication. Effective communication in debate often includes an assertive tone, but read: folx should always treat each other with dignity and respect.

Arkansas Debate

Woo Pig. I am not here to force you to capitulate a paradigm that you find in someway oppressive to what your coach is teaching you to do. I will drop you for clipping/cheating, and I do not reward (and will rank low in congress) bad/no arguments even if they sound as rhetorically smooth as Terry Rose and Gary Klaff singing "Oh, Arkansas."

Quick 2022 update--CX is important, use it fully. Examples make a big difference, but you have to compare your examples to theirs and show why yours are better. Quality of evidence matters--debate the strengths of your evidence vs. theirs. Finally, all the comments in a majority of paradigms about tech vs. truth are somewhat absurd. Tech can determine truth and vice-versa: they are not opposed or mutually exclusive and they can be each others' best tools. Want to emphasize your tech? Great--defend it. Want to emphasize your truths? Great--but compare them. Most of all, get into it! We are here for a bit of time together, let's make the most of it.

Updated 2020...just a small note: have fun and make the most of it! Being enthusiastic goes a long way.

Updated 2019. Coaching at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Nothing massive has changed except I give slightly higher points across the board to match inflation. Keep in mind, I am still pleased to hear qualification debates and deep examples win rounds. I know you all work hard so I will too. Any argument preference or style is fine with me: good debate is good debate. Email: kevindkuswa at gmail dot com.

Updated 2017. Currently coaching for Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Been judging a lot on the China topic, enjoying it. Could emphasize just about everything in the comments below, but wanted to especially highlight my thirst for good evidence qualification debates...

_____________________________ (previous paradigm)

Summary: Quality over quantity, be specific, use examples, debate about evidence.

I think debate is an incredibly special and valuable activity despite being deeply flawed and even dangerous in some ways. If you are interested in more conversations about debate or a certain decision (you could also use this to add me to an email chain for the round if there is one), contact me at kevindkuswa at gmail dot com. It is a privilege to be judging you—I know it takes a lot of time, effort, and commitment to participate in debate. At a minimum you are here and devoting your weekend to the activity—you add in travel time, research, practice and all the other aspects of preparation and you really are expressing some dedication.

So, the first issue is filling out your preference sheets. I’m usually more preferred by the kritikal or non-traditional crowd, but I would encourage other teams to think about giving me a try. I work hard to be as fair as possible in every debate, I strive to vote on well-explained arguments as articulated in the round, and my ballots have been quite balanced in close rounds on indicative ideological issues. I’m not affiliated with a particular debate team right now and may be able to judge at the NDT, so give me a try early on and then go from there.

The second issue is at the tournament—you have me as a judge and are looking for some suggestions that might help in the round. In addition to a list of things I’m about to give you, it’s good that you are taking the time to read this statement. We are about to spend over an hour talking to and with each other—you might as well try to get some insight from a document that has been written for this purpose.

1. Have some energy, care about the debate. This goes without saying for most, but enthusiasm is contagious and we’ve all put in some work to get to the debate. Most of you will probably speak as fast as you possibly can and spend a majority of your time reading things from a computer screen (which is fine—that can be done efficiently and even beautifully), but it is also possible to make equally or more compelling arguments in other ways in a five or ten minute speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVq5mugw_Y).

2. Examples win debates. Well-developed examples are necessary to make the abstract concrete, they show an understanding of the issues in the round, and they tend to control our understandings of how particular changes will play out. Good examples take many forms and might include all sorts of elements (paraphrasing, citing, narrating, quantifying, conditioning, countering, embedding, extending, etc.), but the best examples are easily applicable, supported by references and other experiences, and used to frame specific portions of the debate. I’m not sure this will be very helpful because it’s so broad, but at the very least you should be able to answer the question, “What are your examples?” For example, refer to Carville’s commencement speech to Tulane graduates in 2008…he offers the example of Abe Lincoln to make the point that “failure is the oxygen of success” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMiSKPpyvMk.

3. Argument comparison wins debate. Get in there and compare evidence—debate the non-highlighted portion of cards (or the cryptic nature of their highlighting). Debate the warrants and compare them in terms of application, rationale, depth, etc. The trinity of impact, plausibility, and verge analysis doesn’t hurt, especially if those variables are weighed against one another. It’s nice to hear good explanations that follow phrases like “Even if…,” “On balance…,” or “In the context of…” I know that evidence comparison is being done at an extremely high level, but I also fear that one of the effects of paperless debate might be a tilt toward competing speech documents that feature less direct evidence comparison. Prove me wrong.

4. Debates about the relative validity of sources win rounds. Where is the evidence on both sides coming from and why are those sources better or worse? Qualification debates can make a big difference, especially because these arguments are surprisingly rare. It’s also shocking that more evidence is not used to indict other sources and effectively remove an entire card (or even argument) from consideration. The more good qualification arguments you can make, the better. Until this kind of argument is more common, I am thirsty enough for source comparisons (in many ways, this is what debate is about—evidence comparison), that I’ll add a few decimal points when it happens. I do not know exactly where my points are relative to other judges, but I would say I am along a spectrum where 27.4 is pretty good but not far from average, 27.7 is good and really contributing to the debate, 28 is very good and above average, 28.5 is outstanding and belongs in elims, and 29.1 or above is excellent for that division—could contend for one of the best speeches at the tournament.

5. All debates can still be won in 2AR. For all the speakers, that’s a corollary of the “Be gritty” mantra. Persevere, take risks and defend your choices

(https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit). The ballot is not based on record at previous tournaments, gpa, school ranking, or number of coaches.

6. Do not be afraid to go for a little more than usual in the 2NR—it might even help you avoid being repetitive. It is certainly possible to be too greedy, leaving a bloated strategy that can’t stand up to a good 2AR, but I usually think this speech leaves too much on the table.

7. Beginning in the 1AR, brand new arguments should only be in reference to new arguments in the previous speech. Admittedly this is a fuzzy line and it is up to the teams to point out brand new arguments as well as the implications. The reason I’ve decided to include a point on this is because in some cases a 2AR has been so new that I have had to serve as the filter. That is rare and involves more than just a new example or a new paraphrasing (and more than a new response to a new argument in the 2NR).

8. Very good arguments can be made without evidence being introduced in card form, but I do like good cards that are as specific and warranted as possible. Use the evidence you do introduce and do as much direct quoting of key words and phrases to enhance your evidence comparison and the validity of your argument overall.

9. CX matters. This probably deserves its own philosophy, but it is worth repeating that CX is a very important time for exposing flaws in arguments, for setting yourself up for the rebuttals, for going over strengths and weaknesses in arguments, and for generating direct clash. I do not have numbers for this or a clear definition of what it means to “win CX,” but I get the sense that the team that “wins” the four questioning periods often wins the debate.

10. I lean toward “reciprocity” arguments over “punish them because…” arguments. This is a very loose observation and there are many exceptions, but my sympathies connect more to arguments about how certain theoretical moves made by your opponent open up more avenues for you (remember to spell out what those avenues look like and how they benefit you). If there are places to make arguments about how you have been disadvantaged or harmed by your opponent’s positions (and there certainly are), those discussions are most compelling when contextualized, linked to larger issues in the debate, and fully justified.

Overall, enjoy yourself—remember to learn things when you can and that competition is usually better as a means than as an ends.

And, finally, the third big issue is post-round. Usually I will not call for many cards—it will help your cause to point out which cards are most significant in the rebuttals (and explain why). I will try to provide a few suggestions for future rounds if there is enough time. Feel free to ask questions as well. In terms of a long-term request, I have two favors to ask. First, give back to the activity when you can. Judging high school debates and helping local programs is the way the community sustains itself and grows—every little bit helps. Whether you realize it or not, you are a very qualified judge for all the debate events at high school tournaments. Second, consider going into teaching. If you enjoy debate at all, then bringing some of the skills of advocacy, the passion of thinking hard about issues, or the ability to apply strategy to argumentation, might make teaching a great calling for you and for your future students (https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_emdin_teach_teachers_how_to_create_magic note: debaters are definitely part of academia, but represent a group than can engage in Emdin’s terms). There are lots of good paths to pursue, but teaching is one where debaters excel and often find fulfilling. Best of luck along the ways.

2013-2017: Competed at Peninsula HS (CA)

I earned 21 bids to the TOC and was a finalist at the NDCA.

Yes I want to be on the email chain, add me: jlebarillec@gmail.com

I am willing to judge, listen to, and vote for anything. Just explain it well. I am not a fan of strategies which are heavily reliant on blippy arguments and frequently find myself holding the bar for answers to poor uneveloped arguments extremely low.

Speed should not be an issue, but be clear.

Clash debates:

Aff — Strategies that impact turn the Negative’s offense in combination with solid defense and/or a counter-interp (good)

Neg — Fairness, debate is a game (good)

skills (less good)

Topicality + Theory: More debating should be done over what debates look like under your model of the topic, less blippy debating at the standards level. Caselists are good and underutilized. I think some Condo is good. I think the Aff should be less scared to extend theory arguments against counterplans that are the most cheaty.

Kritiks: I find the link debate to be the most important here. Most times I vote aff it’s because I don’t know why the plan/Aff is inconsistent with your criticism. Strategies that are dependent on multiple non sequitur link arguments are unlikely to work in front of me.

I think that evidence comparison is extremely important and tends to heavily reward teams who do it more/earlier in the debate.

About me/ Preference things-

I debated at Lawrence High School for 4 years and debated in college at the University of Kansas. I have been an assistant debate coach for Shawnee Mission South High School for 4 years.

** Please add me to the email chain rose.haylee2000@gmail.com

LD

I evaluate LD traditionally with emphasis on the V and VC level. However, it is important that you are winning some offense both on the V and VC as well as the contention level debate. Winning top level offense on the V and VC and and describing how that effects the contention level debate is the easiest way to win my ballot.

TL:DR

As for how I evaluate debates, I cannot say that I have a bunch of things that I am for or against so I will just go down the list.

Make arguments to the best of your ability but please just be a good human. As far as how many rounds I have judged I did not judge or teach at a camp this summer so I am a little behind.

T- I debated and went for T quite often in debates but I won't vote for it unless its 5 min in the 2NR and you gotta have a case list and reason why your interpretation is good, what does the aff's model of debate mean for the debate community?

Theory- its fine, be persuasive and tell me why the aff/negs justification for reading a particular argument/set of arguments is bad. I can/will vote for abuse on condo or other theory but getting there may be hard, I think condo is good and it needs to be excessive abuse. Continuing on theory, you as the person reading theory need to be able to prove why their interp is bad and why that hurts you in the round, not just the debate community writ large.

DA's- I enjoy them a lot, you will need to explain each individual part of the DA debate and its implications for the argument overall I won't extend cards when you say "extend my link".

CP's- I like Cp's that are competitive. I also am a firm believer that the CP must have a NB that is not we solve better than the aff. Not a huge fan of "cheating" counterplans but you gotta do what you gotta do to win.

K's- I read and went for the cap k, I am not a K hack or know all of the things that you are talking about. I really enjoy k debates but I will need you to explain things to me and why they matter/ what you win because of each individual part of the K debate. I like techy K debates.

READ ME:

I really enjoy this activity but there are some things about it that I am not too fond of,

1. Charging the Mound, it makes me uncomfortable and probably also makes your opponents uncomfortable as well. If you have questions or do not understand my decision please ask or email me but you are not going to convince me I made the wrong decision, and if you do why does that matter my ballot is already submitted. Let's have a productive conversation about debate

2. Personal attacks at your opponent, there is a line between being sassy and making others feel bad about themselves.

3. Sexist, Ablest, Transphobic, Racist (and other isms) language and behaviors, please be good human.

4. Stealing prep, it's just a pet peeve of mine

Feel free to ask me questions about my judging paradigm before the round starts, and email me if you have any remaining questions after the debate is over. I will always be more than happy to help you all get better at this activity!

Emma Schroeder

Washburn Rural High School ’20

KU ’24 (not debating)

Put me on the email chain - ekathschroeder@gmail.com

TLDR - I am most comfortable in a policy-orientated debate. If you want to go for anything different, be ready to over-explain. Be nice, be smart, be clear and we should have a good time

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Top Level

Don't expect me to have a lot of insight on very technical, topic-specific arguments if you don't provide context and explanation for me. I haven't researched a debate topic since high school. If I look confused you need to warrant things out more. Please don't make me google

Please. Do. Judge Instruction. If your rebuttal doesn't make some sort of claim like "if we win x argument we win the debate" then you have not done your rebuttal correctly

Tech v truth - Evidence quality and credibility is very important, and I will reward you for good research and for being ahead on the flow. But! Every argument needs a claim, warrant, and impact. Your “card” doesn’t count as tech if it’s unintelligibly highlighted. I think people need to stop assuming that terrible arguments necessitate a response. I have a lot of respect for 2ACs that *correctly* identify a nonsense arg, make a handful of smart analytics, and move on

Speed - Stop screaming into your laptops. Dear god. I flow on paper. I promise you I can flow, but if you don't explain your argument out long enough for me to physically move my pen then it probably isn't a real argument anyway. Topicality, framework, and other theory blocks need to be slowed down. I often have very physical signs of agreement or confusion with arguments. If you cannot slow down enough to look for these signs while speaking then why are you in a communication activity? My flow is the only one that matters when I write the ballot. Stop sacrificing line by line for reading blocks. It's bad debate practice and hella boring to judge

Bigotry in any way will not be tolerated. If it becomes an issue in round, it will result in a loss

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Things I like - 8 min of case in the 2NC, no laptops in the 2NR/2AR, impact calc, ballot framing, baller cross-ex strategies, unabashedly slow yet efficient debaters, persuasion, rehighlighted evidence, debaters who are funny/having a good time

Things I don’t like - general rudeness, 10 off in the 1NC (why do u need to do dis), stealing prep, clipping, death good, bad highlighting (see above rant), saying “X was conceded!!!” when it really wasn’t

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Case - **heart eyes emoji** The more case debate you do, the happier I become. Two good case cards > your extra shitty DA

Counterplans - Will vote for conditions/consult/process/PICs but probably won’t be thrilled about it. Conditionality is probably good, but I get annoyed judging 9 off debates that suck when it could have been a 5 off debate that was good. I usually see judge kick as an extension of condo unless otherwise contested. I would like a solvency advocate unless you’re getting incredibly creative. Will be responsive to theory if every solvency deficit is being fiated through. Delay = cheating.

Topicality - probably my favorite argument although it’s hard to do correctly. Debaters should think of T debates like they’re debating a DA. 1 standard = 1 DA. Pick one for the 2NR, otherwise there's too many moving parts and your impact won't be explained. It is rare to see a terminal impact explained to T, you should have one. It's try or die for *your impact* baby. Arguments should be framed in the context of what the current topic looks like and how it would change. In general: Precision > Limits > Ground > Topic Education. Also, if you put a 15 second ASPEC blip at the bottom of your T shell, there’s a 100% chance I will ignore it. Put it on a separate sheet.

Kritiks - If it tells you anything, when I was a senior I did not read a K in the 1NC a single time. But if you want to, go for it and be prepared to explain! There are so many moments when I judge K debates where I think to myself "I have 0 idea what this means" and its not that I don't understand what you're saying, it's that your speech does not go beyond the use of buzzwords. Using a big word is not and will never be a sufficient warrant. The FW and links 2NRs are most successful because alts are always bad imo. Unless you are very good I will probably weigh the aff. Saying fiat is illusory doesn’t mean anything to me. Long overviews are a sign that you’re not putting in enough effort to engage with the line-by-line.

Framework - I am a bad person to read a planless aff in front of. But if you must, I believe affs need to have some form of topic link. Fairness is the most persuasive impact to me. I don’t think going to the actual case page in the 2NR is always necessary, but the arguments need to be contextualized to the 1AC. Neg teams are generally good at talking about their impacts but need to do more work on the internal link level.

rockwell.debate@gmail.com // Rocky, Rock, Rockwell, etc.// he/him // New Trier High School

- Studying Jazz Piano and Political Science at Johns Hopkins—if you have any questions about any of that, I love talking about myself.

- Please time your speeches because I won't, yes tag team cx, yes prep during cx, whatever u wanna do with that time.

- Despite considering myself pretty chill, I'm pretty punctual about time, so like, be on time

- Unpopular opinion: I'm sort of receptive to some level of post-rounding (if you're mean I'm going to be annoyed with you). I'm always down to improve as a judge, and the only way I can is if I receive feedback, but keep in mind the decision is final.

____________________

Read this if your round starts in 30 minutes:

• tech > truth, dropped = true, left is law, etc.

• assume I know nothing about the topic (especially on T <3)

• soft left, planless, and big stick affs are all good in front of me.

• i'm better at resolving a K debate than other stuff because that's where a lot of my debate experience lies, but for what its worth, as a 1a, i read exclusively policy strats

- that's not indicative of a bias towards Ks—in K v Policy rounds, I'd consider myself very impartial compared to other judges.

- I would much rather watch a good T debate than a bad K debate

• 2ac should send analytics

• i only judgekick if someone says so

• fairness is probably an internal link

• 0 risk exists

• condo is the only reason to reject the team

• extra thoughts on kritik/framework below

Notes for Kritiks:

Top level:

• In terms of familiarity, I'm most well-read on Marxism, Bio/Necropolitics, Cybernetics, and Anthropocentrism, but I understand most authors/arguments enough to adjudicate a debate at the high school level

• If by the end of the round I don't understand what your K is talking about, that's your fault for not explaining it well enough, not mine for not reading enough Lacanian post-colonial gender abolitionist authors

• If you don't want to line-by-line at all, don't be mad if I miss something or am not clear where exactly an argument belongs. My expectation isn't for the 1off Baudrillard team to stand up and be like "AT: 2AC 13", just like, roughly follow the 2AC order and signpost at the least.

Framework:

*Note: Generally, these are my opinions which demonstrate how I think about framework—you can win otherwise (see "tech > truth")

• At the end of the day, we can all admit that it's probably most fair to let the aff weigh the 1ac (or the inverse for T - USFG vs. planless affs). The framework debate should be about what fairness means and how it impacts us.

• Debate is an educational activity that uses a competitive game as an incentive structure to encourage better research, and has some limited capacity to shape/create subjectivities. I'm frustrated that many of us take "debate doesn't shape subjectivity" as a given.

- I don't think individual rounds are persuasive or can incite action (i.e. a revolution will not spill out of debate), but debate, which defines a particular approach to politics, has the possibility to influence the way we understand knowledge and decision-making, and there may be different models of the activity which might produce more desirable thinkers. In short, "debate doesn't shape subjectivity" argument can be swapped with "school doesn't shape subjectivity" to realize how silly and reductive the argument is.

• I love philosophical/positional competition a lot, and it shapes the way I think about politics in the real world (what's that?), but I do recognize how it could be competitively unfair/problematic, so I could go both ways on it.

• I think fiating an alternative is awesome, but one should have its justification rooted in framework and not some abigious claim of "reciprocity to the affs model".

Other:

• Overdependenceon jargon is annoying (I recognize sometimes it's necessary, but this is a highschool activity): "ontology" is a good example. Google defines it as "n. the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being", so it always begs the question: ontologyof what? Ontology of the state, the ontology of the oppressed, the ontology of settlers, etc. The point being: clarify things like these and don't rely on buzzwords to make the argument

Lansing High School '21

University of Kansas '25

Please add me to the email chain: maddie.souser@gmail.com

Pronouns: she/her

top level

Do your thing. I'll resolve the debate with as little intervention as possible. I'd rather you read something you enjoy/feel comfortable reading than something you dislike reading, I'll do my best to adapt to what arguments you read.

If anything on my paradigm isn't clear or your have questions - feel free to ask me before round or shoot me an email

Planless affs:

You're good to read one in front of me. I'm best at adjudicating and giving constructive feedback in debates with policy affs because that's where most of my experience as a debater was, but I enjoy watching and evaluating planless affs.

Make sure you're explaining the literature/process that your aff takes

Being in the direction of the topic is important

Framework: 2nc/2nr's should interact with the aff at some level, ie. don't just read generic uncontextualized t-usfg blocks. Give a detailed explanation as to why the specific model/aff is worse for debate. Most debates that don't contextualize framework arguments to the aff end up sounding like "K affs are bad for debate". It's easier to win with specific offense and much more difficult to convince me that any and all planless affs are bad for debate.

Fairness and education can both be impacts (unless argued otherwise), but I personally think fairness is argued best as an i/l to education

Topicality:

I default to competing interpretations

TVA's are good to help explain impacts and help contextualize what offense you lose under the aff's model

Slow down a little bit on analytics

Disads

Da/cp debates are usually pretty fun and probably my favorite to watch

Specific links>topic links

Not much to say here

Counterplans:

Default condo is good, but can be convinced otherwise

Process cp's are fine, but I eer aff on theory

Judge kick is fine, but the neg has to make the argument for me to judge kick before the 2nr

Condo is the only theory argument that is a reason to reject the team

2a's - please utilize going for theory more, negative teams can be pretty abusive when it comes to fiat - even if you don't end up going for it, having it in your arsenal is good practice and might save you from losing to a random process cp one day

Kritics:

Assume I don't know your lit, make sure you are explaining your ev and contextualizing it to the topic/aff

Not the best judge for kvk debates

Line by line>long overviews

Other:

Judge instruction is important - your 2nr/2ar should outline what you want the decision on my ballot to look like

Be kind to everyone in the round! Debate is a fun and educational outlet for people - don't make me intervene because you've made someone else feel uncomfortable/unsafe in the debate space.

Justin Stanley - Johnson County Community College

I debated at Missouri State and have been coaching for about 10 years.  I would like you to debate using the arguments that you feel will win you the debate without putting too much stock in my own personal preferences.  I try to eliminate those preferences when judging and evaluate each argument outside of any feelings I have towards particular arguments.  With that being said,

I am a better counterplan/disad/Case judge than kritik judge because I have more experience debating, coaching, and researching these positions.  I certainly understand kritik literature more than I used to, but I am still probably not as well read on these issues as other judges. 

I have a strong preference that the affirmative have a topical plan and defend its passage.  However, I can be persuaded otherwise.  This is an issue in which I try to eliminate my preferences and judge the debate based on what I see in the round. I often find that your defense of why you have chosen to be anti-topical is not as persuasive to me as it is to you.  I haven't ever thought that topicality was genocidal.  If there is a topical version of your affirmative that solves all of your "impact" turns then you are likely in a bad position.  If there is not a topical version of your affirmative then that is likely more of a reason to vote against you then to vote for you.

I don't think conditionality is always the best approach for debate.  This is especially true in rounds in which multiple conditional options are used to try and "Spread out" the IIAC and not necessarily to test the merits of the affirmative.  I have not voted on conditionality bad very often, but I often find that has more to do with the debates then my own personal preferences. 

I think PICs are often very good strategies, but I am not the best judge for obscure word PICs that claim a minute net-beneft.

A few other things...

1) Clarity - go as fast as you would like, but don't underestimate the importance of clarity in my decision.  If I can't understand your argument then I am highly unlikely to vote for it.

2) Strong cross-examination will earn you additional speaker points.  Being humorous and kind will also help you with speaker points.  If you are a team that ranks based on speaker points then I am probably average to slightly below average in the speaker points that I give.  I rarely give a 29+.  Most debaters will fall in the 27 - 28.7 range for me.

3) Paperless debate is a great thing and I am relatively patient with tech problems.  However, at some point my patience runs out and I get frustrated.  Please do your best to eliminate delays between speeches. 

4) One person should not ask and answer all of the cross-examination questions. 

5)  If you want me to call for a card then you should extend author, claim and warrant for the piece of evidence.  Listing 20 authors in a row with no real explanation will likely result in not calling for any cards.

6)  If I catch you clipping cards then you will automatically lose with zero peaker points.  This is true even if the other team did not make a complaint about it.

I have been involved with debate since 1981. Mostly, I don't want to do the work for either team. I will try very hard to avoid intervention unless you are just really rude and unprofessional. I tend to vote for the team that best narrates my ballot. I tend to look for the easy way to decide (think dropped args. etc.).

I would tell you to do what you do best rather than try to adapt to what you THINK I want to hear but I do get nostalgic on case clash if you are negative. I have voted on the K and generics and will do so when won. I rarely vote on T but will vote on a dropped T arg since that is easy. Just make your T position reasonable.  T USFG is different when run well against K affs.

I want a marked copy (what you actually read).

Speed is not usually an issue if you are clear. Questions? Just ask.

Email: lswansonon@olatheschools.org (use the Gmail below for speech docs please)

Email for ballots: swanlars@gmail.com

I debated for four years in High School at Olathe North and am currently assistant coaching there. I have not judged a whole lot of rounds and that is due to the college classes I am also taking at Johnson County Community College and the University of Kansas.

Please share what you plan on reading

email for email chains: swansonator01 @ gmail dot com

Speak clearly especially if you plan on going fast. If you are not clear in your spread...don't spread. I care more about the quality of your arguments rather than the quantity and I also care about how they fit into the flow of the debate.

I am fine with Ks and K affs and I especially care about HOW we achieve the alt if you run a K. ex. Revolution. Also, condo is good.

I will try my best not to intervene save for if you are rude and toxic in the round. Tell me how to vote and why. Run what you want to run and not what you think I want you to run.

If you run T, make sure it is reasonable and I will most likely not vote on it unless it is dropped.

Impact calculas is the most important. At the end of the day how should I weigh solvency deficits, links and impacts. 

Offense-deffense: this is the second most important issue. Realize that winning a bunch of deffensivs arguments at the end of the day will not lead to a win if your opponent has offense against you. 

Nexus question: what is the most important thing to evaluate a debate. 

Prep time starts when cross x ends.