I was a high school debater.
And, during high school, debate kind of consumed my life. Even in college, I spent quite a few Saturdays judging at high school tournaments around the state and reminiscing with friends about our own days of debate glory. After a couple years, though (probably during my junior year of college), I just stopped caring about it. I would still occasionally judge to make extra money, but I stopped caring about things like my final round of oratory and the split ballots in one of my last rounds of policy debate at nationals. I moved on. I grew up.
Today, however, I realized that part of me will always be a high school debater. This morning, I had my practice oral argument (the "real" one's next week) and as soon as we started, all my debate instincts kicked in. I flowed my adversary's arguments and mentally critiqued them in pretty much the same way I would've critiqued a 1NC speech in a policy round. I also composed a mental list of cross-examination questions despite the fact that that's not a part of the arguments. Mmy speaking style has changed a little, though. I now talk much more slowly and conversationally, I think. The structure of policy debate speeches just doesn't seem all that persuasive to me anymore.
Despite that change, one other thing remains alarmingly the same: I talk with my hands. Excessively. It's distracting, even to me. When I first started competing in oratory, I had a hard time doing any gestures. My coach worked with me to be more expressive with my hands and, well, she did too good of a job. I'm not sure what to do to stop it -- it's so much a part of the way I talk that I'm not sure I can shut it off.
Besides, it's become kind of a trademark. Over Spring Break, some friends and I were talking about quirks that we've noticed in one another that might seem a little bit odd but all of us would miss if they disappeared. I probably shouldn't speak for my friends, but I think my big gestures might be one of those things. Also, in normal conversation, I usually keep my hands under control, but when I'm at all nervous, they take on a life of their own. I'm thinking that for my oral argument I'll just write in big letters at the top of my notes "Hold onto the podium!!" I doubt it'll work, but I've gotta try something.
Today, however, I realized that part of me will always be a high school debater. This morning, I had my practice oral argument (the "real" one's next week) and as soon as we started, all my debate instincts kicked in. I flowed my adversary's arguments and mentally critiqued them in pretty much the same way I would've critiqued a 1NC speech in a policy round. I also composed a mental list of cross-examination questions despite the fact that that's not a part of the arguments. Mmy speaking style has changed a little, though. I now talk much more slowly and conversationally, I think. The structure of policy debate speeches just doesn't seem all that persuasive to me anymore.
Despite that change, one other thing remains alarmingly the same: I talk with my hands. Excessively. It's distracting, even to me. When I first started competing in oratory, I had a hard time doing any gestures. My coach worked with me to be more expressive with my hands and, well, she did too good of a job. I'm not sure what to do to stop it -- it's so much a part of the way I talk that I'm not sure I can shut it off.
Besides, it's become kind of a trademark. Over Spring Break, some friends and I were talking about quirks that we've noticed in one another that might seem a little bit odd but all of us would miss if they disappeared. I probably shouldn't speak for my friends, but I think my big gestures might be one of those things. Also, in normal conversation, I usually keep my hands under control, but when I'm at all nervous, they take on a life of their own. I'm thinking that for my oral argument I'll just write in big letters at the top of my notes "Hold onto the podium!!" I doubt it'll work, but I've gotta try something.
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