There’s only so much time to give judges information about how to judge at a tournament, so the priority is often on procedural things: how to fill out the ballot, what to expect in the round, and what the basic rules are. What goes neglected is actually how to make a good decision. Because of this we find that many parents are confused and intimidated by the entire process. We also find that information about how to make a good decision gets passed around piecemeal, losing its original meaning through time and transmission.
While there is no one correct way to judge, there are some basic principles that help students improve the quality of debate. This workshop will go over these principles as well as our personal process of making a good judging decision. It will be simpler than you think! How we think about debate often gets overly complicated over time, when in fact debate, and therefore judging, will always boil down to basic principles of reason and decision-making.
Lasting Impact! and New England Debate Coach Marc Davis will lead the Team Policy portion and Lasting Impact! Coach Noah McKay will lead Lincoln Douglass. Directors of Lasting Impact! and New England Debate, Heather Neumann and Brenda Storz will also contribute their expertise. Combined we have multiple decades of participating in and coaching debate. We’re allotting a significant portion of time to Q&A so be sure to bring any question you have about judging.
Logistics: 12/17 at 6:30pm ET via Zoom.
Please register even if you can’t make the call, because we will send the recording to everyone on the registration list. Also, please spread the word!