College Debaters (The Experts of the World)

As a general rule, I find most college debaters (feel free to excuse yourself if what follows does not apply to you) to be reprehensible.

As a coach, I have a few reasons.  First, whatever comes down the pike in the way of a new theory in argumentation becomes, first, the rule, and second, the rule by which all "underlings" (as in, high school debaters) must adapt to or drop in a round, even if they don't have the slightest clue about the existence of the rule.

Many theories have come and gone in debate.  The key word in the prior sentence is GONE.  Given how many college debaters latch onto theories, however untested or spurious or transient they may be, I'm amazed that more college debaters don't become educators.  The field of education would love them, given its tendency to latch onto anything new and untested.

A bigger reason for my distaste for college debaters, though, is the "Holier than Thou" mentality that so many posess.  It strikes as amusing how such a large block of the educated American populace can fail, so regularly, to look at themselves in a mirror and never come to the conclusion that what they are saying, however, educated and wordy it may sound, is absolute nonsense.  But, because they are so many levels above the underlings that they judge (and to be honest, I give more confidence in an experienced "Halo II player in teaching a novice than I do to college debaters judging high school debate) they feel qualified not only to use their opinions to determine the results of a round outside of the events within the round but they also feel the need to explain why they are justified in doing so, in the form of a critique.

Why am I even writing this thread?

Why I am I even up at this hour, after NFL IE? (That's another story that deals with the upcoming Nationals and a life as an insomniac).

I was sorting through threads on cross-x.com for info regarding a number of things (TOC for Grant and Creighton...yes, gentlemen, I am thinking about it too...WNW....and come to a thread where one of our own has been fighting to establish the legitimacy of PFD against some rogue from UMKC.

I wish I would have known about this earlier.  Nothing gives me more personal joy in life (well, almost nothing) than re-educating a college debater...or bulldozing the ivory tower in which he has become so comfortable in while preaching to "the ignorant masses."

Beth, kudos to you for your defense of PFD.  You have done, up to this point, an admirable job.  This coffee-shop SNOT, however, will only continue to pull archaic artifacts, quotatons out of context, and snippets of discussion (which only he and his teammates are privy to) until he wears you to a frazzle.

I won't go into the details here about the nature of this little war, although I am saddened by the fact that more people (where are you, MO?) have not gotten involved.  I will only say that it is on CX.com, and that, if you search for me, you'll find the thread.

On one final note, Beth:  reading your level of argument, your response and counter-reponse to this person (if he is still human after four years at UMKC debate...check his bio) I cannot tell you how proud I am of your strength of position, or your persuasiveness.  Coaches, when they grow old, are asked to recall students that made them proud and kept them a believer in the field.  To me, you will always be one of those students.

By the way, congratulations to all who qualified.  I'm not a coach that does hugs, but you know that.  Seniors, remember, where we started three years ago?  4 advanced debaters, 10 novices in debate?  A Chapter of 63 memberships and degrees?

Chris Rayl, if you're reading this, you deserve as much as credit as anyone.  Thanks for helping to set the tone that built the new Northwest Program.

Come back in a few years, Beth, and Alyssa, and Aaron, and Nick....come and see what your inspriation started.

Wingfield

It's times like these that you realize that people have faith in you to do more than you personally know you are capable of.  That you believe that you are a hack, that you have managed to survive and even be successful in what it is that you do but for the grace of God.

You are guided by personal knowledge that tells you that you know what you are doing is right, and by demons that haunt you, telling you that you should not even bother voicing your opinion because what you have to say has already been said, or it not worth saying.

You offer your opinions to others, believing that you are the educated one, and when they reject that which you have to say, because you lack originality, you mentally default to the solace of the words of Yoda in SW II, ATOC, "Much to learn you still have" because it makes you feel better, not necessarily because it is true.  You want to believe that you know better, but there is no reason to think such.

And then, in retrospect, you ponder the moment again, where you, the teacher, realize that you are the idiot, and the student the wisened source of perspective.  You realize, in your geekdom, that the accurate phrase should have been something less trivial than a George Lucas ripoff, but you are too obtuse to come up with something witty.

And in the dark of night, you realize that you, to at least a few, are transparent.  Genuine, pure of heart, but transparent, none the less.

Live with that.  If you choose to, let me know how it is that you do so, and contact me, because this is one of those moments that I'm not sure that I know.

W

Rays of Sunshine?

Just thought I'd throw down a few words.

This morning, I found myself stopped in the hallway by one of my best friends in teaching, a person I have worked with for many years.  He made the observation that, to him, I seemed to be having the best teaching year of my life.

I think I am.  I'm really hard pressed to think of anything that is going severly wrong, or even partially wrong.

From a forensics perspective, I can't think of a reason to complain.  Oh sure, I'd like to have everyone up and running in two or three events, but people move at their own pace, and there's still time for discovery, of events that shine and competitors that make them shine.  I only wish that the season was longer.  We're having so much fun that I hate to see it wrap up in only a few short weeks at 6A state (sorry, to me nationals is "post-season").

Thinking more deeply, though, I think that, now that the things I DON'T like about being a teacher have begun to thin, I have more time to concentrate on the things that I do like about teaching, the things that keep me signing on for another year, instead of running off to become something else.  Not just forensics.  Even English seems to be a bright and enjoyable part of the day (???).  I like Literature, and have the most fun teaching it instead of other elements of Language Arts.

I really miss teaching the Junior Literature material, though...Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby.  Steinbeck was a blast, because I got to spend three weeks on a socialist rant.  Oh well.  And Fitzgerald...watching the discussions of the meaning of the "painting by El Greco" towards the end of the book...lots of fun.

Enough of that.

To Cheraghi, who posted a comment on my last post: I give lower scores simply because of personal conviction.  There's a great article in, I think, the January Rostrum that illustrates what student congress could become, from a competitor who placed 4th at nationals in the House in 2005.  I'm making it required reading this week.  Check it out, and you'll understand what it is that I am looking for in a '6.'

I have this standing belief that if something isn't fun, you shouldn't do it anymore.  I'm still having fun.  I can never be as intense as some others in coaching, because levity is such a crucial part of this being fun.  Maybe that casts me as being off the wall as a coach.  I'm good with that.

My laundry is done.  I'm going to bed.  Good night.

Wingfield

So, its the Monday of what is arguably one of the longest week of the year...parent-teacher conferences, tournaments, and life in general.

I remember when I made the decision to become a debate and speech coach.  It was kind of a precise moment, when I was driving somewhere (too many road trips to "think" to remember where I was) right after nationals my sophomore year in college.  Washburn was interested in meby that point, and a couple of other places, and I was reflecting on my cousin, who graduated Magna cum Laude from KU with a JD, and forever (to this day) wound up as an insurance adjustor in Wisconsin.  And why?  Because a) the world is too full of lawyers and b) too many people do not know how to express themselves, to fight for what they believe in.

And that's when I decided to teach people how to fight for what they believe in with words.  Words can make a difference, and though people may say that the written word is what changes things, it is the spoken word that sets things in motion.

See, I don't enjoy the beauracracy of what it is that I do.  In terms of relevance, what I am compelled to do, by the "powers that be" is not nearly as important to me as what it is that I know I should be doing.  There are things that should be done, and there are things that, unfortunately, must be done.  Its the difference between idealism and realism, although until lately, I always assumed that I could be I could humor the demands of the realists and continue to be the idealist.

Its a fight worth continuing against the realists, the ones who demand the TPS reports (Office Space) when you know there is something far more important that should be done, important to you and to the people you want to help.

Some people call it life.  What a crock.  Life is defined by what you are willing to fight for, and, unfortunately, what you're willing to roll over and take.  I hate rolling over.

SW

This is probably a huge mistake.

Either people on this ring are going to take one look at the new name and scream "Oh My God what is HE doing here?" or I'm going to hear about it from the "powers that be" to the effect that I shouldn't be involved in something such as this.  It'd be like CJ turning around at a EMO party  and seeing me thrashing.

But, here I am.  Arguably, I could choose not to be as mature in this forum as I must be in life, to be more myself, a perspective which is not open to most people.  On the other hand, looking at the list of people who are a part of this ring, and realizing how important you have all been in making me a better teacher, I'll just keep the persona of "Wingfield."  If you want to know more about who I am when not standing over a fax machine or being my usual stressed self, find me after you graduate.  Find out then.

So, what's motivating me to join this, years after discovering it, reading it, learning from it?  I don't know.  Maybe its a desire to stay in touch.  I didn't even know, for example, that someone on the squad was WRITING a graduation speech until logging on.  And there's Lauren, who, as far as I am concerned, the program is not the same without.  I have no idea what she's doing or how things are going unless I come here.

That's about all I have for now.  I won't make any promises to be regular here.  I also, unfortunately, will be typing in perfect English.  No internet shorthand, no profanity (well, you know me and it depends on what kind of day it has been).  I'm afraid I've been a part of the "dark side" of Language Arts teaching far too long.

SW