Dear Judges,

I want to thank you for what you do because without you debate tournaments would run late and not be possible. I want to say thank you to those judges that always gave solid, well thought-out feedback after a round and did not factor a debater’s disposition or a debater’s style of dress into their decision. For that I thank you. However, there are a few judging practices that should be and need to be addressed because they are detrimental to the integrity of the activity.

First, when a female debater is matching the energy of her male opponent in cross examination, do not silence her with comments about “bitchiness” or “hysteria.” This double standard needs to be unlearned because it puts female debaters in a bind. We either match the energy of our male opponents and potentially lose the round for our attitude, or act calm and get told to be more aggressive. We cannot win. Calmness may get us so far, but when we have to press our opponents on an issue we are punished for doing so. Our “bitchiness” is merely us utilizing the same tactics as our male opponents. We will not defer to a male debater’s answer—we will keep questioning because assertiveness is necessary. Stop punishing female debaters for using the same tactics as male debaters.

Secondly, you all should stop giving the benefit of the doubt to debaters you know. Do not vote on their reputation, vote on their arguments. If a lesser-known debater successfully demonstrates reasons to vote for them and defeats their opponent’s arguments, they should win. Judges, you should stop worrying about what a big school will think of you if you drop one of their debaters. If their coach grills you after the round, remain steadfast in your decision and if they do not like it, tell them what their debaters should fix. Debate happens when arguments are presented not when reputations are presented. Give the win to the lesser-known debater when they have earned it, regardless of their reputation.

Finally, do not step out during prep time to talk on the phone. More often than not prep time ends before you finish your call. You are delaying speeches for up to 10 minutes, which is inconsiderate to the debaters because it’s 9:00, we want to finish the round, and we are running out of energy. I get that you are also tired, but that is why the round should finish as soon as possible. When you leave the room for extended periods of time you irritate the debaters. I dislike this practice most of all because it leaves a lot of room for unethical actions. Once a judge steps out of the room, debaters feel compelled to do the same and may call, text, or seek out their coaches for advice on their final speeches. You as a judge set a precedent for how the round is treated. If you do not care for the integrity of the round why should the debaters?

Sincerely,

A female debater