Debating Policy and going to tournaments is great
I stood up to speak, dry washing my hands and trying to put moisture back into my mouth. I have my papers in one hand, a pen in the other. I walk over to the podium and speak for about 5 minutes on how ocean dumping is not nearly a big of a problem as acid rain, and how processes to rid ballast tanks of "invasive species" kills marine resources, which is what the other team is trying to do. I then talk about what a boat is, and how a rowboat is a boat, which does not use ballast water, and a tanker, which does, both have to pay taxes, and how the other team wasn't specific in what a boat does. *whew*
That is the boring, detail infested, brain numbing part of debate which most people fear. Being a nerd, Debate has always interested me. Yet I made one great understanding by taking debate, and no, it wasn't how to save more fish. To join a debate league you do not have to be a genius, which I am not, a geek, a loser with too much time on his/her hands, but you can be anyone. How did I come to this extreme conclusion? Mainly by what happened next in the debate. (In cross-examination period)
Adversary: In your opinion what is a boat? Is it a jet-ski, a rubber ducky, a rowboat.
Myself: Well yes all those things are boats. (THis would help my point)
Adversary: Well, if a jet-ski is a boat, why don't they call it a jet Boat?
Myself: Why don't they call Yachts Yacht-Boats?
(Instantaneous laughter fills the room, which is usually dead silent in the spectator section)
Adversary: OK, so what would you call a native species?
Myself: A thing native to a specific area.
Adversary: Our definition of a invasive species is: blah blah blah blah.
Myself: Native is relative to what area you are looking at. I am not a Chinese native, but I am a native of earth. Does that make me an invasive species?
(More laughter)
Who knew debate could be this fun?