ROUND PRESENCE

What is Round Presence?

Many of us only consider our speeches and the quality of the content within them as the sole aspects judges look for when assessing the round. However, one of the major factors that go into your overall evaluation and rankings is how the judge views you. In other words, the "vibe" you give off in the round.

The easiest way to influence the judges perception of you is the presence you bring to the round. AKA round presence. Simply, round presence is how you behave and carry yourself in the round. This isn't just your delivery! How you talk to your fellow congressmen and women in between bills, walk up to speak, and even how you dress impacts the judge's perception of you. So, it's best to be conscious of your actions from the moment you step into your chamber until you step out. This resource will dive into tips and tricks to help you maximize your presence in the round—and bump up your spot in the judge's mind!

Your round presence impacts the judge's view of you and helps you appeal to their preferences.

Judge Appeal

Want to learn more about how you can appeal to your judges? Check out this slideshow by EIF to master adapting to your judges.

Tip #1: Protemping

What is protemping?

You just take the initiative to try to take care of some orders of business, like figuring out who will be running for PO, what bills people would like to debate, and taking splits.

Yes, you should protemp. First of all, taking care of these details beforehand makes the debate go smoothly, and everyone genuinely appreciates when it's well done. Second of all, it allows you to make an impression on the judges and demonstrate leadership.

HOWEVER, never use pro-temping as an opportunity to dominate other people in the chamber. No one appreciates it. There is no real strategic advantage you can win from nasty politicking.

Make sure to advocate for others and encourage everyone to be involved. While that might seem silly, if the judge perceives you as nice, they will view your speech in a nice way; and if the judge perceives you as mean, they will view your speech in a negative light.

Want to see personal style in action?

Rhetorical Analysis

Check out this slideshow by Grace Jackson to her analysis how some the best of best' use their own rhetoric and style in the NSDA 2024 house final round.

Tip #2: The person that wins the round isn’t always the smartest. Congress is about developing charisma and personal style.

It takes more than just good argumentation and research to rank well in a congress round. You’ll notice that some of the most accomplished debaters have charisma and personality that make them “likeable” in a round.

“But how do I develop my own personal style?”

Draw on your personality outside of a debate round. If you tend to be witty and sarcastic, bring in that humor. If you’re more serious and assertive, lean into that during the round.
Watch A TON of rounds but don’t try to copy any one particular debater. Rather, draw on a couple characteristics or actions that resonate with you. Adapt these actions so they feel natural to who you are.
- Here’s EIF’s list of Round Recordings if you don’t know where to start

Tip #3: Building your round presence starts from the moment you arrive at a tournament.

This is something a lot of debaters overlook. It’s in our human nature to form judgements about other people based on their actions. You want to do everything you can to ensure that your future judges think positively of you before the round even starts. Here is what to keep in mind:

Be careful what you say in bathroom stalls. Even if you need to vent about someone or a round, there is a high chance that a judge or coach will hear you. As a judge, if I heard someone trash-talking another competitor in the bathroom, it would be hard to change my mind about that person’s rankings.
If your coach hasn’t told you yet, hotel walls are thin and you’re likely sharing a wall with other teams. Be careful what you say in hotel lobbies and hallways because a judge may be over-hearing it.

Tip #4: Look put-together.

The truth is people will treat you with more respect if you look like you didn’t just roll out of bed. Make sure you look well-kept and put-together at tournaments.

What does this look like?

Steaming or ironing your suit ahead of time so it’s not wrinkled
Running a brush through your hair so it looks clean
Brushing your teeth (I’m serious)
Keeping your hair out of your face if it’ll become distracting
Playing around with suit colors to distinguish yourself from a sea of plain black suits
- Note: though suit fashion can be classy, the color of your suit or accessories should never take away from your performance. Your neon pink suit should not be so bright that I can’t focus on your speech.

Want more tips to stand out?

How to Stand Out

Check out this slide show by Nicholas Ostheimer that gives more insight into how you can avoid blending in.

Tip #5: Try a “walk up”

When you walk up to give your speech, feel free to make a pun that involves your last name.

Good examples:

“Tyler Luu, Six Two”
“Senator Dixon, spelled like the pencil, here to write your ballot in the negation.”

Keep in mind, if your walk up takes too long and delays the round, it may count against you. Make sure to read the room.

The "walk up" is an aspect of your overall presentation before you give your speech.

Presentation and Delivery

Check out this slide show that goes through the ins and outs of having powerful presentation.

Tip #6: Remember to thank the judge and the parliamentarian.

At the end of the round, say thank you to the judges. Offer to shake their hands but keep in mind that not everyone is comfortable with this (especially post-COVID!).

Consider the judge’s perspective: I’m in between two speakers who were really close in performance. One genuinely thanked me and the other walked out of the room. I’m much more likely to prefer the one who acknowledged my time and rank them higher.