Judge Philosophies
Alex Brehm - LCC
Bio: I have been the Director of Forensics at Lower Columbia College since 2016. I coach a little bit of everything, but prioritize IPDA, Platform, and Limited Prep.
IPDA: I coach and judge a lot of IPDA. I love this event. Some preferences that I have in this event include:
- IPDA debaters should prioritize effective communication. Keep the pace reasonable and limit your use of jargon. I'm generally not receptive to Ks in IPDA.
- Though the IPDA Constitution and Bylaws do not explicitly require the use of sources, I believe that good arguments are supported by evidence.
- I'm a sucker for thorough framework. Leave no ambiguity about how the resolution is being interpreted and what each debater needs to do in order to win.
- The wording of the resolution is important, and the way that the debaters agree to interpret it is important. Expect me to revisit the res and framework for the round after the debate has finished. I will make my decision after carefully considering which side has better upheld their burden. Be sure to read the resolution carefully and make sure that your advocacy is in line with what the resolution is asking of you.
- Treat your opponent with respect - they are a human person and this activity is hard.
Other forms of debate (Parli, BP, LD): I don't coach a lot of debate outside of IPDA, but still enjoy when I have the opportunity to judge other formats. Some common thoughts that apply across any non-IPDA format:
- At the end of the day, I'm an IPDA judge - I prefer style and language that is approachable. But I'm also not going to tell you to reinvent your style on my behalf. I'll engage with any style of debating as long as it flies in your format and your opponents find it accessible.
- The farther I get from my comfort zone, the more I appreciate clean framework and clear signposting. You're helping me out a lot if you give me clear verbal cues about your organization. The better I understand your arguments, the more likely you are to get my ballot.
- Otherwise, my judging philosophy for other formats of debate is largely in line with my IPDA philosophy.
Limited Prep: I coach and judge a lot of limited prep. Some preferences I have in these categories include:
- The spirit of these events is that they are delivered with limited preparation and limited notes. When making a close decision, I will prioritize competitors whose examples and attention grabbers do not seem canned or over-rehearsed. Keep your notes to a single notecard in open divisions.
- In extemporaneous, please be careful to answer the full question. Your question is not a general prompt, but rather a specific inquiry that you are asked to respond to. Answer the question, cite good sources, and structure your speech well... you'll end up near the top of my rankings.
- In impromptu, it is important that your interpretation of the prompt is not too much of a stretch, and your examples are reasonably in line with your interpretation. Reusing examples is fine, but fully memorized content does not belong in this category.
- I'm happy to give whatever time signals you want - just ask before the speech :)
Platform: I coach and judge a lot of platform speeches. These were my favorite categories to compete in. Some preferences here include:
- Across all platform categories, I'm interested in evidence. Cite lots of credible sources.
- I'm interested in actionable solutions and smart implications. I've been known to bump a speaker up in my rankings if I'm particularly moved by solutions/implications.
- Time matters... but it's not everything. If your speech goes over time, I'm probably breaking ties in your opponent's favor... but I'm not automatically dropping you to the bottom of the round.
- I will always consider evidence, structure, argument, and delivery when making my ranking decisions. In a competitive round, I will additionally consider originality of topic, scope of impact, and creativity when making tough choices between well-matched competitors.
Interpretation: I don't coach much interp, but I do judge it somewhat often. Some philosophies include:
- I don't need to see trauma to give you my 1. Please care for your mental health while engaging with raw, emotional topics.
- Authenticity matters. I want to believe your character(s), and I want to believe the connection that you have to your performance.
- Good interp makes an argument. I don't need you to solve world hunger in your interpretation, but I still want to hear some advocacy.
Brent Northup - Carroll
n/a