Judge Philosophies
Amy Hileman - NOVA
For IPDA debate I do not want a jargon-filled round where students attempt to speak so quickly that the competition and judge won't notice the flaws in their logic. I do not believe that IPDA should look/sound like other types of debate. Give me the politeness/ettiquete at the start of the constructives. Focus on the quality of your argument vs speed. If I put my pen down when you are speaking, you are speaking too quickly. I am looking for sound arguments with clear structure and supporting research.
Angela Rodriguez - Morton College
n/a
Anshuman Mishra - Tourn Judges
n/a
Bill Lucio - Harper College
To me, a good debater can adapt to any style of debate and is aware of the differing styles each form of debate utilizes. For instance, I believe debate jargon has value in rounds of Parli and LD, as those are specific styles of debate that include a unique type of rhetoric and vernacular in which all speakers have learned and been coached on. On the flip side, it is my belief that a more common style of debate, like IPDA, should focus on the bare bones structure of argumentation.
IPDA should be accessible to anyone, anywhere, regardless of their experience. In face, public is in the name. The second speakers start using debate jargon in IPDA, they have already lost me as a judge. I think that one of the reasons why debate is dying, is because its getting too niche focused IPDA is an amazing gateway event that should welcome newer, first-time debaters into the family, and bringing in styles reserved for other forms of debate can be hard on beginners.
I value humanity and humility. I much prefer speakers refer to each other by their names, rather than, my opponent. I dont like aggressive questioning, passive aggressiveness, and boastful or cocky presentations. I dont appreciate speakers telling me how I will vote give me all the tools I need to make an informed decision, but dont tell me what I am going to do or not do. Remember that there is a fine line between enthusiasm and volume. Remember that there is a difference between passion and pace. Make sure you find that happy medium of ethos, pathos, and logos, as speakers who priorities one heavily over the other two will not be rewarded.
At the end of the day, I value debaters who treat the round like three friends having a conversation over coffee. Lets remain friends by the end of this thing, yea?
Bonnie Gabel - McHenry
Don't be technical, be structured, and ask questions that challenge. I expect the debate to have civil discourse but passionate convictions can be present. Using jargon will count against you, using language creatively (analogies/metaphors) will count in your favor.
Brandon Wood - COD
Did you persuade me with complete arguments? Did you make this seem like a general audience could follow and enjoy? Did you treat your opponent with respect? Did you speak passionately and compellingly? Did you not talk about the value of education? If you answer yes to all of these then you have mastered my criteria.
It is highly, highly appreciated if opponents greet each other by first or last names and I will only mark refutation on my flow if a specific name is attached to it during the constructive. Personally, I don't respond well to rhetorically being told what I have to do as a judge. This likely isn't an LD round where I'm not being shown a document of cut research that compels me have to vote for someone because of decades of debate theory. Whether it's parli or IPDA you should avoid words like, "you must", "you should strike this", "you have to vote for our side because we did this/they didn't do this", or "here is why we won". Every time I deduct 3 speaker points and will likely be unable to pay attention for approximately 30 seconds of your speech because I will be writing what I've already written here, and therefore, will not be flowing. Don't meet competitor hostility with hostility unless you want to assure a hostile ballot.
For me, arguing that something is or is not"educational" and therefore must be rejected is ultimately a weird form of hyperbole that has infected debate. Experiencing something that is unfair, like circular arguments or bad definitions, is educational. This activity makes it almost impossible to not engage in an educational experience, in the worldly sense. While I won't buy the education-has-been-removed-from-this-debate-round argument, I absolutely will accept issues regarding abusive definitions, incomplete argumentation, denial of ground, moving goal posts etc...
FAQ: Speed? = me not flowing. Jargon? = To me it creates assumed enthymemes and sloppy debate (usually). Technical elements? = will accept them as needed (in Parli). Partner communication during constructives? = Really, really dislike it now that flex time exists because it just decimates your percieved credibility in my eyes ( your ethos is the unspoken contract to accepting information at face value). Role of the judge? = Parli- Tabula Rasa , except when it comes to trichotomy. Lingusitically, resolutions come with burdens that most often are objectively implied ("should" is policy for example) as policy, value, or fact. I flow the entirety of the constructives and dropped arguments are a big deal. IPDA - I am a general audience member and enter each round with my complete knowledge as a human. I approach the resolution with an open mind and a desire to be persuaded but factual errors, fallacious argumentation, and hostile debate styles will not be flowed. I take notes that summarize the debates progress rather than the technical flow I would use for Parli/LD/CEDA.
Cahron Cross - Tourn Judges
n/a
Carolyn Clarke - Highland
IE paradigm: I will not provide one because I truly believe you need to trust your coaches and learn from your ballots. I don't like the idea of students completely switching up their event because of one judge's paradigm. I get it, audience analysis, but I also think there is power in making a decision and owning it regardless.
What I will say though, is that I appreciate when there are content warning for speeches that need them. That said, I understand that what "need" means can get subjective. Very rarely do I make this have weight in my judging decisions unless the piece is so graphic that it *in my opinion* really, really requires one. When in doubt, ask your coaches about this. I will NOT weigh this at all at Phi Rho Pi.
Now here's the good stuff:
~*Debate Paradigm*~
*Please take my directness in this paradigm as only my opinion-- there is no "wrong" way of doing things and when in doubt, listen to your coach! This paradigm just describes stylistically/behaviorally, what I prefer in a debate. :)*
Background: My debate experience is four years of NPDA and two years of IPDA competition. I've also had some additional student experience in policy debate, coaching experience in public forum, and judging experience in LD. I participated in IE as well. When it comes to debate, my paradigm prefers debate styles that are more common at tournaments such as Pi Kappa Delta as opposed to the styles more commonly associated with NPDA nationals, IPDA nationals, or Phi Rho Pi.
I consider myself a "mostly" tabula rasa judge-- but I also understand that some arguments are stronger than others. I would like to be directly told why one argument should be valued over the other. I like being blatantly told, reminded, and shown how and why you are winning over your opponents. I also like impact calculus.
I tend to find debates about debate more interesting than the context of the resolution--- unless that context allows for passion and pathos. I love philisophical arguments and when things get meta. That being said, I just love debate in general. I will enjoy watching a great debate no matter what your approach may be. :)
I firmly believe that everything in debate is up for debate and there are very few "rules". The rules are the timeframes in which you speak, if there is flex time, using internet within rounds, etc. When it comes to arguments, to me, there are no rules.
I think debate should be accessible. Thus, I hate speed. Do not speed. If you are gasping, you are speeding. If your opponent or I say "clear", slow down or it will really effect your speaker points. Like I will cut them in half. Speed = inaccessable to many people and thus, makes for crappy debate. It's also hinders genuine persuasion. If your idea of winning means putting the most on the flow and hoping the other team drops arguments due to your speed----What does that say about your confidence in logical argumentation and engagement with your opponents? Just don't speed. It's cringe. I also have a very hard time understanding speed and can't flow it so you risk me dropping all of your arguments. It's a risk you don't want to take with me.
Continuing on accessiblity: Jargon - I know pretty much all debate jargon but, just like jargon in any context, it should be explained before using it. This makes it more accessible to your audience and competitors who may not know the term you are using. So don't just say "Perm the counterplan" first explain what a perm is.
The rest of my paradigm will be organized into subject areas:
On General Argumentation: As a judge, I want to hear all of the "hows" and "whys". I vote on arguments, not claims. I love good links. Show me how you got to your claim. I will not make links for you. Also, I really love fully fledged out impacts. How does your arg impact back to the WM? The resolution? The debate? Debate as a whole? Outside the realm of debate? Show and tell me why your argument matters and why I should care. Be direct. I value directness and crystalization over poetic langauge. Tell me exactly what is happening in the round. I generally don't consider arguments that don't have links or impacts on the flow. If your opponent lacks links or impacts bring that up to me!
On evidence: I believe, once a form of debate open the floodgates to citing sources, the source along with its credibility can be up for debate. Cite your dates because that is also up for debate. Sources are not evidence-- they are used to validate your evidence. Evidence is an example "proving" your claim or link. I firmly believe that, at least in IPDA & NPDA, sources are not necessary to win a round. However, evidence, is.
On organization: I prefer clear hierarchical structure. Give me your 1's, 2's, A's and B's. Example:
Contention II.
A.
1.
a.
b.
2.
a.
b.
B. ....... get it?
Label your structure so it can be easily found on the flow. I expect this in Parli. I know it may not always be realistic in IPDA.
On Resolutional Analysis: I expect clear, concrete, definitions. Don't leave room for questions. Put it all on the table and own it. Neg - if something feels fishy or unfair, it probably is. Figure it out and call it out. Be direct and again, own it.
On definitions: Neg does not just get to bring up definitions willy-nilly. They need to have a justification as to why. It's aff's burden and right to define the round and set the parameters on it. Neg does not get to change that just because they want to. Unless aff is being 1. abusive in the way they have set up the round, 2. Is flat out wrong and is framing the round in a way that is not in line with the resoltuion, 3. Is so vague that clarification needs to occur or 4. The choices were so offensive that it becomes something that cannot be debated, then AFF is who gets to define the round. Also neg, you need to explain which of those four violations has occured and why it matters. Aff, even if they don''t provide those links and impacts, you still need to combat the argument by proving you aren't doing whatever the violation is.
On Trichotomy in Parli and IPDA: I am used to and expect cases to be fact, value, or policy ("metaphor" can just be sorted into one of those 3). While I prefer policy rounds, I do not come from the mindset that all rounds are or should be policy. There is an entire form of debate dedicated to that, and it isn't IPDA or NPDA. I tend to sympathize with opp teams facing unpredictably defined rounds on the basis of trichotomy, but it needs to be brought up and called out directly. I will not make that argument for the negative.
On Performative Debate: If you can justify it, can defend it, and are direct about it, I'm open. Tell me what is going on though. Like, if you want to bring out a guitar for a debate round...or play pretend with the room... OK, but warrant it.
On Abuse: I accept all forms of abuse arguments. However, I expect to be walked through HOW the abuse occurs and I need to know why it matters 1. To the round but 2. More importantly, out of this round. Why should we care about abuse in debate? What are the implications of letting your opponents do what they are doing? Tell. me.
Kritiks: I accept K's. I actually love them--- but I find resolutional K's to be incredibly frustrating. I feel they are often used as a tactic to just catch opponents off guard as opposed to making a genuine, contextual, and appropriate critique on what is happening in the round. Please do the latter if you are going to run a K.
Counterplans: Ew. I accept counterplans but they annoy me. Especially in IPDA. The only time I think a counterplan is necessary is when the harms are so valid that refuting them would be offensive. If you are running a counterplan, they NEED to be nontopical (as in, I still expect neg to uphold the burden of refutation and oppose the resolution. Aff needs to be upholding of the resolution, not neg). I also expect the plan to meet all of the solvency and advantages that the original plan does, plus more. AND, it needs to be mutually exclusive to the original plan. Whenever it's not, I always hope that the affirmative perms the counterplan. I accept perms with little justification. To me, if neg decides to run a counterplan that does not directly conflict with the original plan, Aff can say "ok, we will do both, and claim all of the advantages!"-- in that case, I'd give the round to an affirmative team. So. Long story short, I don't like counterplans and I don't think they are as an effective approach as disads. I think running a counterplan is less competitive. In my experience, it reduces clash, which makes for worse debates.
Illegal Should Would Arguments: The affirmative has fiat power. The plan passes. Period. It doesn't get bogged down in congress, there is no "well so and so will veto this". Nope. As far as I am concerned, the plan passes the moment the aff is done announcing it.
Weighing Mechanism: I do not like "preponderance of evidence" as a WM because it values the evidence part of the argument over the arguments as a whole. When you run that as a WM, you open the door to the other team citing more sources than you and then arguing "well, we had more evidence, our evidence was of higher quality, etc. and thus we win the round." that to me is incredibly frustrating. I want clash, logic, and direct refutation. Not wins because of "I had more/better evidence". Even worse, I dislike "judge, however you feel personally". That opens a nasty can of worms--- when this happens, I tend to vote for the team that did not establish that WM. Because I personally feel that is a bad WM. That demonstrates the problem with that WM.
Partner to partner communication: I accept whispering and quietly communicating with your partner during the round (although, not verbally DURING your partner's speech). Flashing notes is fine, but if you speak during your partner's speech it will negatively affect your speaker points.
Shaming or hissing - will negatively effect your speaker points. Like, I will cut them in half. If your opponent offends you or says something offensive it is so much more competitive and persuasive to bring it up in the round as a K or a voter. That said, usually when I have heard shaming or hissing it isn't even warranted. "I am winning over my opponent because..." does not warrant that.
Questions: If there is dedicated time to cross X or flex, don't ask questions during folks' speeches. Ask them during the dedicated time.
Policies: I expect policies to contain at the very least, some form of CLEAR mandate statement(s), a timeline, and funding. There probably should be more and could prompt disads if there isn't, but hey. It's your round.
Values: Sometimes in value rounds there is the WM and then an additional value applied. Sometimes this value applies to both teams, sometimes the affirmative wants to defend that value and expects the negative to bring up their own value. If the value applies ot both teams, the negative needs to have warrant as to why a countervalue is necessary if they want to have one. By warrant, I mean, what is wrong with the original value? I don't think neg is just effortlessly granted a counter value just because. Explain why neg needs a counter value and then provide a better one. However, if aff is expecting neg to bring up there own value, they need to say that.
Splitting the neg: I believe bringing up a ton of new arguments in the second negative speech is incredibly abusive. If you plan on giving the affirmative only their last, short speech to refutue your brand new arguments, continue the old ones, and get to voters, then you have the wrong judge. That said, aff needs to call out this abuse in order for me to vote on it. Why is this abusive? What is this abuse's impact on debate? I especially love when aff preemptively calls it out and says "don't let them bring up a bunch of new arguments" when they had the chance to assert them in the first affirmative constructive.
On pronouns and names: I prefer for students to call each other "the negative", "the affirmative", "The prime minister", "The opposition" etc. I also prefer that the pronoun "they" is used to refer to these positions as opposed to the people themselves or their names. This is because, saying names opens the door to mispronouncing names and it also makes the round so personal-- something about that layer of intimacy whilst engaging in clash makes me uncomfortable. Also, if the debate round gets heated, it feels MUCH more personal when names and pronouns are being used. Speaking of pronouns- using them makes it more likely to misgender someone. So instead, using "they" and refering to your opponent as their position as opposed to their name allows for less unneccessary risk.
Burdens: I think it is aff's job to fulfill the burden of proof and neg's job to fulfill the burden of refutation. If I'm confused in a round as to what is going on, I will vote on who upheld their burden the best.
Chayse Mueller - Tourn Judges
n/a
Cri Cox - Harper College
n/a
Damian Samsonowicz - MVCC
Dana Trunnell - Prairie State
In competitive debate, I am looking for well-argued and evidenced constructive cases that are strongly upheld through fallacy-free argumentation in rebuttal. The presentation of the top of the case should clearly identify a weighing mechanism for the round, which need not be value-based, especially when a policy or fact resolution is selected.
In each debate, clash should be evident. The AFF/Government should not run cases that prevent the NEG/Opposition from developing its case. Any unfair top-of-the-case definitions or abusive development of constructive cases by the AFF/Government will be frowned upon.
Other factors that are important to my decision:
1. As this is a communication activity, delivery (especially in IPDA), should be extemporaneous, conversational, and communicative. In rounds where I am judging, speed, especially for the sake of "spreading," will not be valued.
2. Being able to talk about controversial topics in a civil and productive manner is a skill that will be upheld in my rounds. Please be courteous to your opponent(s). Any rude behavior or comments are negative points for me.
3. I am okay with counter plans and topicality arguments if good justification can be made for using them. I am more likely to value counter plans in a policy debate.
4. I'd like to think that I am an intelligent coach/judge who writes thoughtful critiques that consider the myriad skills a good debater possesses. When proposing voters, it's okay to ask me to consider argumentation or lack thereof in my decision, but please do not tell me what I can or cannot uphold.
5. The educational pursuit of an eager debater is important to me and I will go out of my way to ensure I am contributing my part to a debater's success. I value debates where all debaters in the round seem passionate about becoming better at argumentation and conversation. In other words, each debater should want to be in the room where it happens, so to speak.
Destiny Cunningham - Tourn Judges
n/a
Gavin McDonnel - COD
n/a
Greg Weiss - Tourn Judges
n/a
Harry Bodell - CLC
Experience/Background: I competed for four years in Individual Events (Primarily LP and PA with an ill-fated foray or two into interp) and Parliamentary Debate, and I competed in IPDA toward the end of my college career as it was starting to catch on in Illinois. I have since coached IE, Parli and IPDA for ten years between North Central College, Northern Illinois University, Highland Community College, and College of Lake County. I have also judged Lincoln-Douglas and can get through a round, but probably won't be able to handle speed as well as more seasoned LD judges and coaches.
General Individual Events Philosophy: In general, I want you to have fun and commit to your performance in any IE -- you only get so many chances in life to perform for a "captive" audience! As long as you have fun and use your 7-10 minutes effectively, you have a shot on my ballot. That said, my general preferences (which evolve and should not be taken as gospel) by event category are:
- Interp: In Prose, I'm looking for engaging storytelling with emotional levels, narrative flow, clear cutting, etc.; In DI, I'm looking for thoughtful character development (vocal and non-verbal characterization, emotional depth) and establishment of space/scene; In Poetry, I'm looking for powerful use of physical movement and vocal rhythm to enhance the power of the language; In POI, I am looking for a strong and thoughtful argument explored through a unique combination of perspectives of stylistic difference (and clarity in blocking, characterization, cutting, etc.); In DUO, I care most about chemistry and (depending on the lit) blocking/use of space.
- Public Address: In general, I value the content of speeches over the delivery of speeches, but both are naturally important (in other words, in a tie-breaker I will default to the content/messaging). Don't sacrifice in-the-moment connectiveness for the sake of "polish". Really communicate with the audience as opposed to "at" the audience. A few event-specific notes: I'm not crazy about hand-out's in PER/STE -- feel free to use them, but they won't impact my rank; In CA, I really value the crafting of a RQ that leaves room for generalizable rhetorical conclusions and analyses that illuminate how an artifact communicates rather than whether an artifact "checks boxes A, B and C"; In STE, don't be afraid to dive into a comedic persona -- try not to sound the same tonally as you would in an Info round :)
- Limited Prep:In both LP events, I generally value analysis above all else. A well-delivered Extemp that doesn't dig far beyond the surface will not rank as highly as a "shaky" speech with really interesting/in-depth analysis. I will always prefer the impromptu speaker who makes me think about something in a new light over the speaker who takes a very common approach to an interpretation (not every prompt is about success, growth, etc.). That isn't to say that delivery isn't important -- it is, and confidence/willingness to engage/entertain in an LP event is often the difference in a tough round.
General Debate Philosophy: While I do not believe it is realistic for any judge to be truly tabula rasa (a "blank slate" as a judge), I do my best to filter my own beliefs out of debate rounds. I try to focus only on what is on the flow to the best of my ability. That said, the flow isn't the end-all-be-all in a debate. I won't give more weight to a dropped-but-inconsequential argument than I would to a strong-yet-well-refuted argument, for example. Likewise, I'm not going to give an argument that is just blatantly untrue the same weight as a well-researched/supported argument just because it is on the flow.
In general, I judge primarily on quality of argumentation and clear impacts. I will always refer to impacts to a Weighing Mechanism (even in IPDA!) and general impact calculus unless told to judge otherwise. If you want me to weigh the round in a particular way, tell me that and justify it to me. Always hold my hand through your impacts and explain clearly why any given argument should win you the round. Don't trust me to make connections for you.
Speed/Jargon: While I can follow speed, I don't love speed -- I think that speed-and-spread tactics are detrimental to the accessibility and growth of the activity. That won't factor into my decision if you do speed, but don't assume that I'll keep up with everything. Your first priority should be to have a good debate, not to win the debate, and a good debate requires clear communication between debaters. If your opponent is going too quickly for you to follow the debate, don't be afraid to yell "clear". If your opponent yells "clear", you should try to slow down and risk a dock on speaker points if you refuse to adapt. (LD NOTE: Speed is much more likely to impact my ballot in LD where - in my opinion - it has become a massive deterrent to participation. I will vote against you if you don't adapt to clears. See LD note below)
As for jargon, I'm familiar with pretty much any debate terminology you may use and can probably follow along just fine (that goes for both Parli and IPDA -- see below).
Differences Between Parli and IPDA: While I recognize that IPDA emphasizes delivery as a tie-breaking factor (or, in some cases, a primary deciding factor), I frankly don't care how "well" you speak in debate as long as you make good arguments and I can follow them clearly (no need for extra flowery language, emotional delivery, introduction/conclusion, etc.). I vote on line-by-line argumentation and impact calc in either style. I generally reject the "de-debatification" of IPDA. In my mind, debate is NOT just discussion - they're fundamentally different, and the event is not called International Public Discussion. I'm perfectly fine with procedural arguments (topicalities need to be run in IPDA sometimes!) and prefer to see stock issues established in an affirmative policy case. Don't limit the tools in your toolbox. I do recognize the trichotomy of resolution types in IPDA - there are fundamental differences to policy, fact, and value propositions no matter the debate style.
That said, please be respectful of different debating paradigms and styles. There is no one "right" approach to either Parli or IPDA. If you run into a clash of styles (ex: one debater believes you should use plan texts in policy IPDA rounds while the other debater believes that IPDA places less emphasis on resolution "types" and that a policy round should simply focus on clashing contentions), simply justify the value of your approach and its logical application toward enhancing the debate.
One more IPDA note -- because IPDA does not allow Points of Order as a protective mechanism against new arguments in the final AFF, I reserve the right to not weigh clearly new arguments made in the final AFF speech.
Cross-Talk in Parli: Flex time allows you to collaborate with your partner between speeches for a reason. Please don't talk to your partner or obnoxiously wave notes -- let your partner do the debating when they are the one speaking. Even novice debaters need to be able to learn to get through a speech without mid-speech guidance. As such, I will not flow any arguments that are directly provided vocally or via note by a partner who does not have the floor.
Questions and Cross-Ex: First of all, please be polite when asking questions. There's no need to get personal or confrontational. At the same time, please don't try to use questions to "suck time" from your opponent. More debating is better than less debating.
In Parli, please don't arbitrarily limit the number of questions that your opponent can ask ("I'll allow your first of two questions"). Simply adapt as necessary. If you honestly don't have time for a fourth question, politely say that and move on. (That said, you should generally have time for three questions if you manage time effectively). In Parli Flex Time, I prefer that questions asked focus on clarification ("can you repeat your tag for contention 1b?") rather than argumentative cross-examination questions so as to protect the right of debaters to ask questions during constructive speeches (I'm not okay with debaters saying "ask that during flex time" when a question was legally allowed to be asked during the speech). After all, flex time isn't called cross-examination because that's not the spirit of flex time -- the purpose was originally to give partners the chance to collaborate.
In IPDA, I encourage debaters to use all cross-examination time and keep questions challenging-yet-polite.
Kritiks: While I understand the value in some K arguments, I generally find most K's to be pre-constructed distractions from the actual debate at hand. In other words, I'm probably not the judge to use a K with unless you have a really good justification for doing so and can articulate that justification clearly. While I recognize the need for pre-debate argumentation (topicality, etc.) in most cases, I generally want to listen to a debate about the actual topic at hand.
Counterplans:These just don't work with me. To me, it's AFF's burden to improve the status quo, not NEG's. Doing AFF's job better than AFF does it doesn't make it NEG's ground.
LD Speech Drop & Speed Note: I'll be honest - I won't follow along reading your case in the shared drop. I don't feel it is my job to read your case, it's your job to communicate the case to me. Assume I don't have your case open in front of me. On speed, if you don't adapt to efforts to call clear,you risk losing my ballot.
Roadmaps: Always on time. If you try to roadmap off time, I'll just start my timer and stop flowing once you hit your time limit.
Precision of Language: I flow and judge based on what you say, not what I think you meant to say. Be clear and accurate with language. If you say something that inadvertently supports your opponent, that's how I'll flow it!
Decorum Notes: First of all, be friendly -- let's have fun and avoid getting too heated over an educational activity. I appreciate thank you's at the start of speeches and don't consider them wastes of time. Along those lines, I value the depersonalization of argumentation. In other words, I prefer that you *do not* refer to opponents by name but rather by speaker position (AFF, NEG, PM, LO, etc.). While that may seem to some to strip debaters of their individual identities, I find that it actually keeps the debate focused on arguments and keeps us out of ad hominem territory (not to mention you would never see one lawyer refer to another lawyer by name in a courtroom trial -- they'd refer to "the defense" and "the prosecution", etc.). It also helps to prevent mis-gendering with inaccurate pronouns ("he/she says" assumes too much about your opponent's gender identity, "Aff/Neg says" is always acceptable). Likewise, whenever possible, please direct eye contact at the judge rather than your opponent.
Debate Pet Peeve!: Few things in debate bother me more than "You will vote X" language ("Judge, you will be voting AFF"; "Judge, you'll be voting on this point"). That just isn't a good practice inside or outside of debate (when would you ever tell a teacher/employer/etc. "you will do ____"?). It's just as easy to say, "Judge, you should vote X". While it won't ever impact my decision, this will impact speaker points.
Have specific questions? Ask ahead of the round. At the end of the day, just try to have a good time :)
Isaiah Carrington - Harper College
Hello, my name is Isaiah Carrington. I am new to the world of forensics so I am not overly well versed in debate jargon. Please take some time to give a clear roadmap and definitions. What I appreciate most is a well-structured argument and for you to be very explicit in what your argument is. I also prefer for debate competitors to be friendly and kind in their delivery. Ideally for me, IPDA rounds feel like a conversation more than a competition. Good luck!
Janine Stroemer-Cheeks - Tourn Judges
n/a
Jason Edgar - Morton College
Make Logical, Rational Arguments and Speak with Conviction. Oh, and you can't spell debate with T.
Jeff Przybylo - Harper College
Joe Vitone - Tourn Judges
n/a
John Nash - MVCC
I typically do not judge NFA-LD or Parli, however, I do teach debate so I know the terminology. Please do not spread any information. I should be able to flow the round easily. Please speak for an audience not a debate judge. I would like any new audience member to clearly understand your flow. I prefer you do not debate word semantics.
IPDA: Just make sure this is not single person parli. Make sure you are not running a pre-prepped case. Make sure you are not using any debate lingo. This should be like two people sitting at a table over a family holiday discussing different sides of an issue. I typically judge on ethos, pathos and logos.
Salutations and previews of ideas (roadmaps) would be timed.
Joshua Green - Prairie State
In terms of debate I'm looking for well evidenced argumentation. Clearly defined adherence to structure and flow. Reasoned logical argumentation. Civility in terms of tone and delivery.
Kacy Stevens - COD
I will listen to every argument a debater presents. However, as much as I try, I do find it difficult to divorce myself from my knowledge of fallacious argumentation. Thus, I tend to focus on logical links and how they tie back to the weighing mechanism of the round. If there are links to nuclear war or other hyperbolicscenariosthatare easily broken, I am unlikely to vote on such unrealistic impacts, especially if they have been delinked.
IPDA should be dramatically different than parli. When a debater turns an IPDA round into a parli round, I am likely to vote for the OTHER debater in the round. Delivery, organization, and ethos matter significantly more in IPDA than in parli.
I highly value courteous and respectful debate in both parli and IPDA. I believe strongly in the idea that one of the major distinctions between debate argumentation and "verbal fighting" is the high degree of respect debaters show each other in and out of rounds. Ethos has its place in debate and respect to others does impact ethos. I strongly believe in the distinction between fact, value, and policy resolutions. The burdens for each are vastly different and require teams to focus the debate in drastically different ways. I hold true to the idea that setting up a case using the correct resolutional type is a burden of the government team.
In voting in parli, I equally weigh prima facia issues and the weighing mechanism of the round. I expect debaters to impact their arguments directly to the weighing mechanism established in the round. IMPACT, IMPACT, IMPACT
In parli, speed sometimes occurs, but should not be relied upon. I will make it clear when the speed becomes so quick that I can no longer flow the debate by simply putting my pen down. It should be a clear nonverbal indicator to every debater that I am no longer flowing the debate because of speed, and therefore will not vote on the arguments that are not on my flow. However, I will pick back up my pen and continue flowing when the speaking rate becomes reasonable enough to flow.I also believe that speed impacts credibility. While debate relies heavily upon logos, ethos and pathos should not be ignored. Beyond speed, I also highly encourage debaters to use strong organization including, taglines, roman numerals, capital letters, etc. Labeling and numbering arguments is one of the easiest ways to ensure that both teams and the judge(s) are on the same page. Jargon alone does not make an argument; a debater's explanation of the jargon makes an argument. Jargon alone will never be voted on by me. I expect debaters to explain why the jargon is significant to the round and how it should impact my voting. Technicalities can matter but only if the debater(s) impact out why the technical elements have a bearing on the round itself. Procedural arguments are a part of debate for a reason but should not be relied upon solely to win rounds. If procedurals are present, debaters should feel free to run them and IMPACT them, but not force them to work.
Kevin Pritchett - Tourn Judges
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Kevyn Sutter - Highland
I look for the following in IE: clear, concise speech, believable and natural speaking pattern, and a variety of emotion. In IPDA, I look for logical arguments delivered in respectful and courteous manners.
Liz Fritz - COD
The biggest things I look for in any type of debate:
1. Logic that is clearly linked and supported by evidence (note: evidence, not just sources).
2. Arguments that are impacted back to the resolution/weighing mechanism.
3. Direct clash/direct responses to opponents arguments.
4. Respect to each other and the round.
Things that do not bode well with me:
1. Hostility towards opponent(s). Yes, even if they started it. If you respond to hostility with hostility, then you will receive a hostile ballot.
2. Telling me I have to do something (That is why AFF wins/that is why you should vote for AFF - fine; that is why you must vote for AFF/why NEG must lose - nope)
3. Trying to use what are courtesies, not rules, as reasons why your opponent should lose.
4. Lying about facts/statistics/evidence. I wont always know if you are lying, but you dont know when I know you are. So dont.
I will gladly consider all arguments brought to the flow in both IPDA and parli, but they must have a reason for being there. If you do not explain the reason for an argument and why it matters to the debate (top of case issues, non-unique, etc. ESPECIALLY) then it is like they do not exist.
Ultimately, this is your debate. I want to give both sides the room to be able to create argumentation unique to the topic and round. Just keep it civil, logical, and on topic.
Prince Lowe - Tourn Judges
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Sarah Metivier Schadt - McHenry
Be CLEAR and ORGANIZED. Don't just throw a jumble of arguments and facts at me and expect me to sort it out. Be systematic and intentional about how you lay out your case. Talk to me like a human being. Jargon is a big minus.
Stefanie Epifanio - CLC
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Stephanie Turner - Tourn Judges
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Thomas Nicholas - Tourn Judges
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Tim Anderson - ECC
I am not a debate judge, and when I do judge debate, it is usually IPDA. Because IPDA is "public debate", someone with no debate experience should be able to take part and someone with no judging experience should be able to decide the winner.
IPDA debaters in my rounds should approach the debate as a conversation. Eliminate definition of things that don't really need them (like, we all know what "the Oscar's" are or what a "hamburger" is, so you don't need to define it).
I believe that the use of jargon and debate procedurals should be non-existent. While I have limited debate experience from my time competing and coaching, trying to win a round by trying to prove "my opponent didn't do blah blah so I win" won't win me over. I don't flow your arguments...if they are clear, I should be able to follow. Overall, I view IPDA as the kind of debate I would see in a classroom setting. As opposed to one side trying to prove why the other chose the wrong weighing mechanism, an incorrect definition, etc. just talk like two students in a classroom debate would. Think about it: if you were in a classroom debate and started all in on weighing mechanisms, defining everything, and downing your opponent, you'd be the jerk in class no one wants to work with. Also, don't tell me how I need to vote a round (i.e., "my opponent didn't do x, so you HAVE TO give the round to the affirmative"...No...I don't. The final choice is mine to make, so present your best cases and let me make the final ballot.
I also find IPDA to be more fun and enjoyable when sides actually refute the other and stay "on case" the entire time. Otherwise, it's just two ships passing in the night.
Also, I don't like thank you's at the beginning of rounds. They end up sounding sarcastic. And, don't refer to your opponent as "my opponent". They have a name that is part of their identity...call them that.
I take these same ideas with me when judging any form of debate.
Trevor Magsaysay - Morton College
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Valerie Nicholson - Tourn Judges
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