Judge Philosophies
Aaron Rovinsky - Uni HS
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Afreen Khan - NOF
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Alexandra Smith - NOF
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Alice Chen - Velasquez Academy
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Aly Hamel - S&D Institute
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Anagha Iyer - AmerHer
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Andrew Yee - LYL
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Annie Yu - ModernBrain
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Armaan Christ - NOF
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Arumugam Vinoth Kumar - Brooks Debate
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Asha Taylor - Speak In Power
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Ashley Butler - NOF
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Ayla Ramazanova - AmerHer
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Bharti Hathalia - GSA
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Calvin Mathew - AmerHer
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Charlotte Wu - AmerHer
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Christopher Doherty - AmerHer
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Daniel Lin - LYL
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Deanna Ableser - ModernBrain
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Derrick Braswell - NOF
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Dhiraj Gupta - GSA
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Dhruv Iyer - AmerHer
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Edward Rumbos-Perez - S&D Institute
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Eli Wilson - ACLA Network
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Eva Lu - ModernBrain
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Frank Smith - ModernBrain
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Frida Ramirez - S&D Institute
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Griffin Abrams - Able2Shine
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HOZEFA SHIYAJI - GSA
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Hannah Kim - ModernBrain
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Hanu Malineni - GSA
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Happy Hai - Able2Shine
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Henry Nathanson - AmerHer
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Hongbo Rong - GSA
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Huang Emerald - Able2Shine
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Isaiah Salgato - CL
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Isaiah Sohn - LYL
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Jackie Fassbender - Nova 42
James Kyle - Nova 42
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Janiel Victorino - NOF
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Jay Yan - GSA
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Jonathan Torres - Nova 42
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Juan Duquesne - NOF
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Julia Cheng - LYL
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KRISTIN POTTER-OLIVERI - ADHUS
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Kalin Agarwal - Alter Ethos
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Kaori Dadgostar-Shimazaki - Velasquez Academy
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Karen Cui - NOF
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Kelly Hurst - LYL
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Kyle Duffy - COC
Kyle's Judging Philosophy
Hey there! I've been judging since 2016, mostly Individual Events like Prose, Drama, Informative, and Persuasive, so I'm more of a storytelling, logic-and-feelings kind of judge than a speed-and-theory one. Here's what I want you to know before we dive in:
The Please Dont's
- Don't spread. Fast = fuzzy. I'd rather hear a select few of your BEST arguments, not all the ones you found in a panic five minutes ago.
- Don't talk too fast. Talk to me like a normal human being. I have ADHD, the slower the better. I will unintentionally tune out if its a word avalanche.
- Don't be mean. No personal attacks, no condescending vibes. Be passionate, not petty.
The Please Do's
- Be clear and structured. Signpost your points like you're giving me GPS directions. Help me stay on the map. (I get lost easily)
- Define your debate lingo. If you use fancy terms like "topicality" or "impact calculus", explain it. Pretend I'm 5 and I know nothing about debate (not far from the truth, lol).
- Explain why it matters. Great logic is cool but tell me why your argument wins the round in the big picture final moment.
- Time yourselves. I'm focused on you, not my stopwatch. Help me stay present.
Bonus Points (Not Really, But Spiritually)
These wont affect your score but they will make for a fun round:
- Crack a joke? LOVE IT. Even if it flops, I respect the risk.
- Feeling the feels? YES. Get emotional if the topic calls for it.
- Use a weird metaphor about dinosaurs or robot lasers? CHEFS KISS.
- Reference a fun fact, meme, or pop culture moment that fits? I'm here for it.
- Make creative analogies or silly examples? I love those, bring 'em on.
- Try something a little different? I'll always respect a creative risk. I'm rooting for you, not against you.
What I'm Really Judging
Two big things:
- Did you convince me with logic and evidence?
- Did you move me with passion and connection?
I'm not looking for perfection, I'm looking for people who care about their ideas and can make me care, too.
Final Words: Lets Make This Round Awesome!
Relax. Breathe. Be your weird, wonderful self. I'm fun. I'm fair. I believe that ALL students are MY students, so I'm rooting for you! Let's leave this round together thinking: Dang, that was actually fun!
Now go give 'em hell (respectfully).
Lauren Velasquez-Galvez - Velasquez Academy
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Lee Thach - CL
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Lena Tang - Brooks Debate
Hi, My name's Lena ! I have a background in medical and business. I've been judging debate for almost 3 years working with Brooks Debate Institute in Fremont, CA.
Judging Preferences:
- I appreciate astrong framework, fair definitions, and I love to be givenclear standardsby which I should weigh arguments and decide rounds. Tell me how to think.
- I prefer when an argument is backed up withfactual evidences through cited sources and quantitative data. If there's no real evidence, then it's just an opinion at this point.
- Final speeches of ANY debate I watch should emphasize voting issues. Tell me how I should weigh the round and explain which key arguments I should vote for -PleaseDO NOT repeat the entire debate.
-Speed: I'm okay with some speed, but I ABSOLUTELY HATE SPREAD. You should be concerned with quality of arguments over quantity. If you're reading more than 250-300 words per minute, you're probably going too fast. Can't win if I can't hear your arguments properly.
Liang Guo - Velasquez Academy
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Liliana Canchola - ACLA Network
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Lisa Podos - ModernBrain
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Lizeth Chimal - Mt. SAC
Hi! My Name is Lizeth Chimal.
When judging, I want a clear reason on why I should be voting for you. (Make it easy for me) I should not have to fill in the holes. Logic in arguments is very important. The more you break down an argument the more enticed I will be to vote for you. Have fun! No spreading.
Luvienne Sans - LYL
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Manoj Goyal - GSA
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Martin Peng - Able2Shine
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Matthew Jones - Alter Ethos
Parent volunteer.
Mi Hee Song - Velasquez Academy
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Michael Liu - Able2Shine
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Micheal Brown - NOF
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Ming Wei - Able2Shine
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Mitu Walia - Brooks Debate
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Nathalie Estiverne - NOF
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Olivia Carter - Uni HS
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Padmanabhan Sadagopan - GSA
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Patty Zhu - Able2Shine
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Ping Luo - Able2Shine
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Ping Luo - BASIS Fremont
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R. A. Velasquez - Velasquez Academy
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Rishi Oberoi - GSA
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Ritabrata Mitra - NOF
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Ryan Yoo - Wilshire
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Samantha Sallee - ModernBrain
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Sasha-Kay Lindo - AmerHer
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Shuba Lall - GSA
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Sumit Gabada - GSA
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Tai Du - NOF
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Veronica Galvez - Velasquez Academy
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Vin Rossi - Nova 42
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Vyom Mishra - AmerHer
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Wei Zhong - Able2Shine
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Weichun Yuan - GSA
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William Gutierrez - ZCFLA
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Yardley Rosas - CL
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Yona Lu - Able2Shine
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Yun Ye - Able2Shine
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Zan Liu - Able2Shine
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