Speech and Debate has an unfortunate habit of throwing off sleep cycles. Waking up at 6:30 AM and competing in a full day of debate is a daunting task. Walking down to breakfast I was concerned about running out of energy for the 8 rounds I had on the first day, until I walked into the dinning room and saw the not so typical hotel breakfast. From meat platters to baked potatoes in place of my usual fried potatoes at Rastalls, I filled my plate with all sorts of food to prepare for the day. The team exchanged some encouraging words, and everyone went off to compete. As someone who ran cross-country in high school I have a unique appreciation for endurance. Debate tournaments take a different, yet surprisingly just as exhausting, form of endurance. Mentally, debate rounds require critical thinking and consistency. With three preliminary rounds before lunch, and merely minutes between rounds, I managed to intently focus in on IPDA (International Public Debate Association). IPDA is an individual debate event that gives competitors 30 minutes to prepare either an affirmation or negation on a resolution provided by the tournament. Lunch, although quick, was critical to reenergizing and tackling the second half of the day. I had to switch mindsets to adapt to Speech events when I delivered my platform Communication Analysis Speech and Impromptu Speech during the second half of the day. The day culminated in a nice trip to dinner at Esra, a Middle Eastern restaurant with falafels, shawarma, and fritz-cola. The team decompressed, discussed our rounds, and talked about the logistics for the second day of competition. It’s difficult to go to bed tonight not knowing the results, but part of the excitement in Debate lies within the anticipation and eagerness for competition. On to day two.
