Morris,+Shelby

1. I was a policy debater in high school and am currently a teacher of language arts at Central High School, Hernando County, Florida.

2. This is my first year as a Florida Forensic League debate judge. I have judged 5 rounds to date (20 Feb. 2010).

3. The best dscription of my approach to judging Lincoln Douglas Debate is that for me values and philosophy are most important.

4. Of greatest value to me as a judge are the following in descending order of importance: .....Value Premise / Core Value .....Use of evidence .....Use of example .....Use of value criteria .....Approach to resolution .....Focus on debate .....Persuasive communication .....Rate of delivery

5. The factors that are most important to me when awarding speaker points are __**clarity** (i.e., understandable speed)__ and __**confidence** (i.e., unflappable poise)__.

6. My general judging preferences are:

First, items in number 4 (above) are ranked in my mind from "crucial" (listed first) to "moderately important" (listed last).

Second, I approach high-school forensics not as a technical exercise (i.e., a "sport") but rather as the medium through which valuable life skills are developed and honed. I reward strong research, logical thinking/argumentation, and polished public-speaking skills.