Melissa Spring Classic
2025 — NSDA Campus, TX/US
Policy Paradigm List
All Paradigms: Show HideDear Debating Community,
With over a decade of experience as a debater, judge, and coach, I'm excited to share insights aimed at improving the quality of debates and fostering analytical skills. My expertise spans various debate formats, including Parliamentary, World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC), Lincoln-Douglas (LD), Public Forum (PF), and policy debates.
Effective Debating Strategies:
Kritiks: Enhancing Persuasion
- Ensure kritiks align with the debate context.
- Clearly explain links, impacts, and alternatives.
- Connect the kritik to the broader debate narrative.
- Maintain clarity in delivery pace.
- Use real-world examples for accessibility.
- Anticipate and address counterarguments.
- Adhere to format rules.
- Engage in dialogue during cross-examination.
**Policy: Strategic Approaches**
- Conduct thorough research.
- Utilize evidence effectively.
- Organize arguments logically.
- Adapt strategies based on opponents' responses.
- Master cross-examination techniques.
Strategic Relevance: Stay Focused
- Prioritize arguments of strategic importance.
- Emphasize clarity over speed.
- Focus on quality over quantity.
- Aim for substantive contributions.
- Use evidence judiciously.
- Employ re-highlighting strategically.
Judge's Perspective: Valued Qualities
- Practice active listening.
- Evaluate arguments objectively.
- Strive for excellence while enjoying the process.
- Maintain an inquisitive mindset.
- Apply open-mindedness and critical thinking.
- Exhibit confidence in arguments and delivery.
Impact Weighing: Guiding Evaluation
- Explain why your impacts outweigh your opponent's.
- Master impact weighing for persuasive arguments.
In conclusion, regular practice, feedback-seeking, and a commitment to improvement are essential for success in debating. Best wishes in your debating endeavors!
Warm regards
Email: temini532@gmail.com
Conflicts: None
Hi, I'm Barley Benson, a long-time adjudicator and coach. For me, debating and adjudication is not just a skill or extracurricular activity, it is a way of life. I started adjudicating professionally 8 years ago and it has been a surreal and life-changing experience. Above the awards and accolades, the skills gained via debating are immense and life-aiding, skills like speech prowess, the ability to discern ideas, and being solution-oriented are quite essential, thus the adjudication in the pursuit of these skills should be top-notch. In my experience as a judge, speakers who are aware of the regulations of the particular competition in which they are competing, which usually require them to address the opponent's arguments in addition to their own, tend to perform better. Although I do take equity seriously, I also expect speakers to do the same. When speakers are informed of the tournament's framework, speaking roles and presenting compelling arguments become easier. This gives them the ability to behave appropriately, which in turn gives them insight into how the judge decides the argument. This reflection is a result of expertise gained in adjudicating a variety of debating styles and formats, including public forum (PF), world school debate championship (WSDC), Australian Parliamentary (AP), British Parliamentary (BP), Asian Parliamentary (AP), and Australians. Ultimately, I believe in feedback as it is essential for improvement and that is a crucial focal point to as an adjudicator because all debaters deserve to improve, I believe.
Greetings,
I'm Shashi, and qualified for judging various debate formats including the British Parliamentary Format, World Schools Format, World Scholars Format, Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Asian Parliamentary, and Speech Events.
My Approach to Judging:
I approach each debate with a global perspective, setting aside any personal biases to ensure a fair evaluation. To sway me in a debate, your arguments must be both credible and persuasive within the context of the discussion. Here are some key aspects of my judging approach:
- Clearly articulate your arguments and support them with a thorough analysis.
- Foster fair engagement with your opponents by challenging their arguments and offering comparisons to demonstrate superiority.
- Organize your arguments in a coherent structure, avoiding abrupt transitions.
- Fulfill your role effectively within the debate.
- For Speech Events, demonstrate creativity and utilize all available resources to deliver your presentation effectively, including eye contact, body language, energy, and expression.
Additional Points:
- While I slightly prefer medium-paced speeches, I evaluate all speeches based on merit regardless of speed. However, taking deep breaths can enhance clarity and coherence.
- I value respectful and cooperative interactions among competitors and discourage rude, hostile, or intolerant behaviour.
When you encounter me as a judge, expect fair and thorough evaluation along with constructive feedback aimed at supporting your growth as a speaker.
- Speaking Style: Emphasizes clarity and flow in speeches. Encourages structured line-by-line, clear plan/counterplan texts, and highlighting important evidence.
- Argumentation: Values logical analytic arguments, even without cards. Prefers clear plan/counterplan texts.
- Disadvantages: Focuses on comparing risk between disadvantage and advantage chains. Advocates for traditional uniqueness and link claims over brink + link uniqueness. Supports agenda politics.
- Counterplans: Recommends avoiding consecutive permutation arguments. Open to process counterplans but believes conditionality benefits outweigh costs.
- Topicality vs. Policy Affirmatives: Inclusion of resolutional language doesn't guarantee topicality. Caselists are helpful for interpreting limits.
- Kritiks: Values strong alt debating. Framework arguments should address weight of impacts.
- Planless Affirmatives: Affirmatives should provide a counter-interpretation and discuss their model of debate.
- Speaker Points: Relative and reflective of technical skill and style.
Closing Thoughts:
"I value clarity, logical arguments, and clear plan/counterplan texts. In debates, risk comparison matters, and I support traditional uniqueness and link claims. I appreciate strong alt debating and believe in procedural fairness. Speaker points reflect technical skill and style.
Thank you, debaters and coaches, for your dedication."
1. Debate career?
I have previous judging experience with NHSDLC the past several mothns. Judging PF online and offline tournaments.
2. Fast-talking?
Fast-talking can be impressive and effective in some cases, but it can also be overwhelming and difficult to follow for some people. As a general rule, I prefer a moderate speaking pace is preferable as it allows the debater to communicate their points clearly and ensures that I can follow along.
3. Aggressiveness?
Aggressiveness can be useful in some debates, particularly when the topic is emotionally charged or controversial. However, it's important to maintain a respectful and professional tone, even when challenging an opponent's arguments, also ensuring your points are well delivered. Personal attacks or insults or gestures like throwing hands when an opponent is speaking are never acceptable and can undermine the credibility of the debater.
4. Determining the winner of the debate?
To determine the winner of a debate, I consider several factors, including the coherence and accuracy of the arguments presented, the quality of the evidence provided, and the persuasiveness of the debater's delivery, not forgetting well argued out logical responses.
I do not admit new arguments in the summary speech. Any supplementary information included in your summary speech won't garner extra points. Your role is to consolidate the main points of conflict in this round, facilitating a better understanding of the issues that have been discussed.
In general, the debater who can provide the strongest and most well-supported argument, while also successfully rebutting their opponent's points, is likely to win the debate.
Ultimately, the goal of a debate is to engage in a respectful and informative exchange of ideas, and the winner is the one who best achieves that goal.
I am a college Student with some judging experience over my highschool year. I am very intrested in communications and listning to speech and debate, hence judging these compitions is very intresting and would love to explore more in this field.
Paradigms Page for Judging:
Welcome to the debate round, where my primary goal is to foster an environment that encourages thoughtful and strategic argumentation. Here are some key aspects of my judging paradigm:
Framework Debate: I take framework debate very seriously. A well-articulated framework can provide a solid foundation for evaluating the round. Clearly define your framework, explaining its role in the debate and how it should guide the decision-making process. If there are clashes over frameworks, make sure to thoroughly weigh and compare them throughout the round.
Clarity is Key: I appreciate clarity in argumentation. Clearly stated impacts and reasons for decisions are crucial for effective communication. If an argument is not clear, it becomes challenging for me to weigh its significance in the round. Take the time to articulate your points with precision and coherence.
Spreading: If you choose to spread, please keep in mind the importance of clarity. While I recognize that spreading is a valid and strategic technique, it is crucial to maintain a pace that allows for understanding. Provide clear signposts and roadmaps to help me follow your arguments. If spreading leads to a lack of clarity or fairness, it may negatively impact your speaker points and the overall evaluation of the round.
Roadmaps: Please present roadmaps and make them explicit and easy to follow. A well-structured timeline can significantly enhance the organization of your arguments. Ensure that each component of the timeline is thoroughly explained and connected to the overall narrative of your case.
Respectful Discourse: Debate is an intellectual exercise that thrives on the respectful exchange of ideas. Be mindful of your language and demeanor during the round. Disagreements are expected, but maintaining a level of respect for your opponents and your judge is crucial. A respectful and collegiate atmosphere contributes positively to the overall debating experience.
In conclusion, I am here to fairly evaluate the arguments presented in the round. A well-structured, clear, and respectful debate will not only enhance your chances of success but also contribute to a positive experience for all participants. Good luck, and let's have a constructive and engaging debate!
Judging is a critical aspect of ensuring fairness, accuracy, and quality in competitive events across various disciplines. The following paradigm aims to provide a comprehensive framework on how I assess the participants fairly and effectively.
1. Clarity of Evaluation Criteria:
Define clear and specific evaluation criteria tailored to the nature of the tournament.
I ensure to understand the criteria thoroughly to maintain consistency and fairness in evaluations.
2. Fairness and Impartiality:
I emphasize the importance of impartial judgment irrespective of personal biases or affiliations.
I encourage to focus solely on the performance or presentation without prejudice.
3. Transparency:
I maintain transparency throughout the judging process by explaining the criteria to participants and providing feedback when possible.
I disclose any potential conflicts of interest and ensure they do not influence judgments.
4. Feedback Mechanism:
I provide a constructive feedback to participants to facilitate their growth and improvement.
I also offer specific feedback based on the evaluation criteria.
5. Ethical Considerations:
I Emphasize ethical behavior among participants, including confidentiality, honesty, and integrity.
I Prohibit any form of discrimination or unfair treatment based on personal characteristics.
6. Continuous Improvement:
Solicit feedback to all participants to identify areas for improvement in the judging process.
Regularly review and update the judging paradigm to adapt to changing needs and emerging best practices.
Thank You for going through this Paradigm. ALL THE VERY BEST.
I'm a Senior at Missouri State University and have done a bit of everything. Be nice, have fun, I'll adapt to you!
Add me to the chain, linnzoppolin@gmail.com
I don't know a lot about the highschool topic outside of the camp files I helped cut, do with that what you will.
I take pride in being thorough, and feel that it is my duty as the judge to have thought through my decision to do my best to make the right one, and to be able to tell everyone involved why I decided it how I did.
Top level: If you make me start figuring things out at the end of the round you are going to be upset because I almost certainly think differently about debate than you do. The easiest solution to this is to spend time doing impact calc (be it for an extinction scenario, some form of structural violence, theoretical debate standards, etc) and to write your ballot for yourself in the 2nr/2ar. I really do mean that you should probably say, "You vote aff/neg BECAUSE _____."
Disclosure is a norm not a requirement, but it is also a reflexive responsibility we have to each other so you should probably do it. I am noticing it less in person now, but I am not a perfect flowing computer who will write every word you say, having things in the doc means that I don't have to just shrug and say, "I missed it" if I end up seeing something out the window and lose focus for a second while you're spreading a T block. If you don't send analytics or disclose before the round I to a certain degree implicitly assume that you aren't convinced that it can really stand up to rigorous testing which won't affect my decision, but will make me sad. I haven't had a lot of time/experience to figure out how I really feel that disclosure affects the round from a theory perspective, but if you think its strategic to read I'll listen and figure it out based on the round.
tech over truth usually, tell me if I should decide things differently. Warming good is almost certainly not true, but I'll listen and flow accordingly.
"AND!" (+.1 speaks if you do it [at least almost] every time)
Policy affs - cool, you should solve something.
In "Policy" debates writ large I'd suggest slowing down a touch, with boatloads of cards being tossed this way and that I tend to get a little bit lost. Same goes for flagging where you are, "Answer to ___x___ ---" will go such a long way to helping me give you credit for what you've said.
K affs - cool, I like these either as much or a teeny bit more than policy affs. You should be tied to the rez and should solve something be it in round, in debate, or in the world.
K V Policy - I am a bit of cap hack if I'm being honest with myself... That said, don't adapt to me and do something you aren't confident in, I've been apart of enough K rounds and read enough of the lit base on lots of stuff to say that I can come up with a coherent decision so long as you make sure to tell me what the alt is, what it does, and how that solves a thing. My FW for the K thoughts are pretty generic, if you lose the fw debate as the aff you probably lose absent some really good offense that doesn't require me to weigh the aff, which also means that I am very willing to not consider the 1ac if you're behind there. I have been told lots of times what an intrinsic perm is, still not really sure how its all that different from severance. A lot of perms are severance. Same as everything else, if you think its a winner to extend it, go for it.
K V K - I really like these rounds. Same as the other K section, I've read enough stuff to be reasonably confident rendering a decision on anything from Baudrillard type high theory, to identity arguments. More explanation is almost always good especially as we enter the rebuttals, "how does the aff/alt solve? what does that mean and look like?" are questions I find myself asking and if I have to end up answering for you, prepare to be disappointed. I don't really understand, "no perms in a methods debate."
T - I like T debates. You should have an impact that voting negative solves (IE education, fairness, something else) Limits over ground is my lean on T. See FW for more thoughts.
FW - Debate is a game that has a lot of real life effects and consequences that often reach the level of being more than "just a game." Having gamified portions of our activity isn't always a bad thing, but I can be convinced to that it is for the purpose of the RFD. Oftentimes people treat fw as if it was ONLY T which isn't (or doesn't have to be) the case. Usually these rounds come down to two different visions or models of debate that I have to compare based on what the 2nr/2ar tells me. I do think that predictable limits are good, and that fairness and education are important, but also that there should be room for affs that aren't just, "USFG should." Interps that bracket out K debate from the activity are going to be harder to win than an interp that tries to level the playing field and allow people to do what they want within a reasonable topic. Reasonability is a thing, but I am not really sure how "reasonability solves" means that I shouldn't evaluate your interps versus each other. It does modify how I see those interps.
CP- I know what the words mean, please tell me why they matter. CP to solve the aff and avoid a disad is a winner. They can solve/be the whole aff, or just an adv, do impact work, tell me why the thing solves, and why I pref it over the aff (usually a net benefit)
Disad - politics, cool; other things, cooler. It should outweigh the aff, and tell a solid warranted story of what happens post aff.
Case debate - do it, do it more, it's great. I LOVE impact turns, not sure about how ethical wipeout style args are but I will evaluate it like basically everything else absent a good warranted reason to reject it
Theory - I'm not very experienced in these rounds, a lot of condo is probably bad. (3+ advocacies modified by perf con or other warrants you think should change how I feel) I will accept the challenge of figuring out the round if you think it's strategically right to go for it.
The rest - I will stop the round if you do something really horrible (incredibly offensive, physically violent, etc) I will probably not stop the round for much less than that but will make a decision around something that meets those general guidelines but doesn't rise to the level of my needing to immediately intervene. (IE reject the team args are things I will evaluate, but they should have an impact and be warranted out for me to vote on them.)
I am probably a bit better of a judge for K, by that I mean that the way I just don't have the intuitive knowledge of "policy" jargon which makes some spells less dangerous sounding when cast by a 2nc. Spend time explaining your impact framing, and I especially mean that in DA rounds, try or die is not enough to explain what I should consider when evaluating the round.