Sikes,+Melissa

[Tom Lininger, the debate coach at South Eugene High School, wrote this paradigm on January 20, 2017. ]

Melissa Sikes is the mother of a freshman debater at South Eugene High School. She doesn't have a lot of experience judging high school debate, but she previously judged middle school debate.

She is smart, familiar with current events, and careful to listen to all sides before making a decision.

To maximize your odds of succeeding when you argue in front of this judge, you should do the following: speak at a comprehensible pace, provide plain labels for your arguments, clash as much as possible with your opponent, behave civilly, and weigh the debate in later speeches. Use all your time, but don't repeat yourself. Avoid jargon that is unique to the debate world. Provide an off-time roadmap if possible.

If you have questions about this judge's presences, feel free to ask before the round starts.