Johnson,Noah

Name : Noah Johnson Affiliation : Primarily Henry W. Grady High School in Atlanta, GA   Experience : Three years of Lincoln Douglas with some experience in Public Forum, Including attendance at both the Emory and Samford Camps Education : 2010 graduate of Grady High School with honors, currently enrolled as a Double Major in Poli-Sci and History at Georgia State

Approach to the Resolution
 * Generally speaking, I view the resolution as a factual question that the debate must center itself around with the affirmative having the burden to prove it true and the negative having the burden to prove it false. I will follow this unless convinced otherwise.
 * Although I mostly ran and am therefore most comfortable with traditional value based argumentation, I am fairly lenient as to the types of argumentation that I like as long as it STRONGLY links back to the resolution. The link through the framework to the resolution must be proven before I listen to any argument regardless of the type of argument.

Argumentation
 * I primarily argued and was taught to used the traditional model of the value and criterion as a mechanism for evaluating the resolution and also the case. Therefore, it is what I prefer and default to. However, do not take this to mean that I am not open to other “non traditional” types of argumentation.
 * Regarding “non traditional” argumentation, I am open to almost anything within reason as long as its relevance and link to the resolution [aka it sufficiently proves why we should affirm or negate.]
 * I also feel it necessary to address Theory. While I will accept it, those who feel the need to run it need to be aware of two things. First, I come from a region where theory is rarely if ever run, so you must clear explain the argument and its implication. And also know that it does not automatically come prior in the round and that my standard for “ in round abuse” is very high. You can run it, and I will listen but you will be fighting an uphill battle to get me to vote on it.
 * However this is a caveat to this, if you run disclosure theory in front of me expect low speaker points and a very high threshold for winning my ballot. It is not something I am interested in hearing about and the personal attacks towards opponents/coaches/teams put me in a very awkward position as a judge and is not something I will be willing to endorse
 * As I said before, I weigh the debate by who betters proves their side of the resolution through their framework, I will vote for the debater who gives me a means through which to vote for their sides that is the easiest for me to vote on with the least work on my part and with the least intervention.
 * Because of time constraints and speech structure, i default negative but can be convinced by some default affirmative arguments.
 * With that said, there are two absolute deal-breakers that will cause me to intervene and either heavily dock your speaks or, if i feel its necessary, vote you down. The first if there is no clash, and the second is any racist, homophobic or generally prejudicial arguments. Debate is a forum for free speech and exchange of ideas but there has to be, like with anything else, reasonable limits.
 * I consider dropped arguments on a case by case basis, and will vote on the strength of arguments made, not necessarily what was dropped.

Delivery/speaker points
 * I view debate as a whole as the ability to use the art of rhetoric and persuasion in an effective manner. So I take the arguments made and also how they are made with nearly equal weight.
 * With that said, I flow on a laptop most of the time so I can handle a fair bit of speed but take heed of the above comment regarding the value of rhetoric and persuasion. Spread at your own risk.
 * i determine speaker points by who most effectively and clearly delivers their argumentation. starting at 26 and working my way up and down as needed
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">I prefer a few well developed thought out arguments to a laundry list of blip one liners.

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Heiti TC Light'; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Misc other notes
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">I will call for evidence/case only when there is a severe conflict over its credibility or when I think I need to. And it should be known that I prefer not to.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">I would like to think i am a very expressive judge, so you can take my facial expression/whether I’m flowing or not etc as an indiction of what i am thinking.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Unless the tournament explicitly prohibits it, i am always willing to disclose and give oral critiques if asked.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">I also do not tolerate card clipping or cheating of any kind, and debaters who are overly rude in cross-ex. Aggressive is fine, rude is not.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Do not repeatedly call me judge, or i will repeatedly call you debater on the ballot
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Those debaters who compare acts to the holocaust automatically draw my distrust, this is not absolute of course but it is true
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Please time yourselves and give roadmaps at the beginning of the NC and rebuttals

Enjoy your time in debate, and I hope it gives you as much as it gave me. Regards, Noah G. Johnson

PS: If you have any questions feel free to ask me before the round or just come up and introduce yourself at a tournament. I always love meeting new people.

You may also email me at Noah.G.Johnson@gmail.com, just put your name and school in the Subject line so I know who it's from