Hi!
Welcome to Judge Training for Public Forum Debates.
We hope you find this helpful.
1.
PICK UP
YOUR BALLOT AT THE BALLOT TABLE AS SOON
AS IT IS AVAILABLE.
2.
GO RIGHT
TO YOUR ROUND. Your ballot will tell you which room to go to. NEED HELP
FINDING YOUR ROOM? Ask a Whitman “Guide,” our ballot table people, or a Whitman
professor or student.
3.
DOUBLECHECK--When you
get to your round, check to make sure the teams or speakers in the room are the
ones you are supposed to judge. For example, ask the students, "Is
Centennial Johnson-Schmidt here?" If you are in error—alert the students
and get the right kids into your room or go to the right room.
4.
FILL OUT
THE TOP PORTION OF THE BALLOT
At the beginning of the round, write the code, team school and initials,
your name, round number and the names of the students on the ballot. Again,
make sure you have the right teams.
5.
TELL THE
DEBATERS WHAT KIND OF A DEBATE YOU WISH TO SEE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A DEBATE BEFORE--TELL THE STUDENTS TO SPEAK SLOWLY or
they will speak very rapidly.
Consider discussing what arguments you like most or any other preferences
you have that the debaters can adapt to.
6.
MAKE SURE
DEBATE ROUNDS START ON TIME
Don’t let debaters stall. The FIRST SPEAKER MUST start by the time
stated on your ballot; if that doesn’t happen—give the late debater/team the
LOSS. Any exceptions to this MUST have an incredibly good excuse. REMEMBER—if
you let a round start late, your ballot will probably be late and then you will
be fined.
7.
GIVE TIME
SIGNALS TO THE DEBATERS.
Out loud tell the debaters how much of their time is left. Also, tell them how
much of their preparation time is left (e.g. "you now have five minutes
prep time left, you now have four minutes prep time left, etc.). Stop debaters
when their time is expired. They can finish a sentence or two of a piece of
evidence but they cannot present more arguments. Speaking times are listed below.
8.
TAKE
CAREFUL NOTES OF THE ARGUMENTS THE DEBATERS PRESENT!
9.
AT THE END
OF THE DEBATE:
--RATE AND RANK THE DEBATERS USING THE POINT SYSTEM ON THE BALLOT
--MAKE A DECISION. WRITE THE WINNING TEAM ON THE BALLOT.
--YOU CAN GIVE ORAL CRITIQUES AND DECISIONS ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME!!!
Otherwise, you MUST turn in your ballot or you will be fined and the teams you
watched may lose their next round.
IF your round started on time, you should have a short bit of time to
give comments to the debaters including, if you wish, a decision. BE COURTEOUS
AND SUPPORTIVE! AND, REMEMBER—LATE BALLOTS ARE FINED!!! Oral critiques can seriously delay our
tournament. Talk to the students ONLY if you have time—see the
ballot for what time your ballot is due. YOU CANNOT BE LATE or you will be
fined.
10.
FILL OUT
THE REASON FOR DECISION ON YOUR BALLOT
Explain in, at least, a paragraph,
which issues convinced you to vote the way that you did. If you need more room,
ask the ballot table for an additional ballot.
11.
TURN IN
THE BALLOT TO THE BALLOT TABLE—ON TIME OR YOUR SCHOOL GETS FINED.
Please turn in your ballot to the
ballot table. When you do—wait to have it checked so that we make sure it is
accurate.
YOU ARE
ABSOLUTLEY FORBIDDEN TO HOLD DEBATERS TO EXPLAIN YOUR DECISION if it is time
for your ballot to be turned in. THE DEBATERS WILL LOSE THEIR NEXT ROUND IF YOU DO THAT and
they are not allowed to use ‘the judge held us’ as an excuse.
YES—YOU CAN REVEAL YOUR DECISION TO THE DEBATERS—just
don’t hold up the tournament.
12.
NOTE: All
rounds at Whitman are open to the public including other competitors and
anyone who wishes to take notes. Students competing may ask their
opponents for copies of their cases and arguments. Only disruptive audience
members may be removed from rounds.
Click here to go to Things you can expect for
Public Forum Debate (Step 2)