As a forensicator, or speech and debater, I absolutely love the activity. I love meeting new people from other schools, making friends with said people, and getting close with those on my team. I also love learning more about the different topics that other people speak about and educating others on topics that I speak about. This activity has taken me to places I never thought I'd get to see. Who knew I'd go to Kentucky? Who knew I'd go to D.C.? There are so many reasons for why I love it, but there are also several struggles that all of us forensicators face.

1. Early Mornings and Long Days

Waking up at an ungodly hour of the day is never fun, and neither is going all day until late evening, or even night time. Then, you do it all over again the next day.

2. Uncomfortable Dress

I love wearing dress wear. It's my favorite type of clothing, but it gets very uncomfortable after 12+ hours of wearing it.

3. Panty Hose

A new speech friend of mine calls them "condom pants." Never have I heard anything more accurate...especially when they snag/rip (tip: use clear nail polish).

4. High Heels

They're my favorite type of shoe because they make me feel confident and ready to take on the world. However, they kill feet after wearing them too long.

5. Forgetting a Line

Generally, pieces should be memorized, especially with platform speeches. At least with interpretation events, the script is in front of you. Having a memory lapse is embarrassing.

6. Joke Falls Flat

If you do After Dinner Speaking, you know how important it is to time your jokes well. It can be awkward if it goes flat.

7. Carrying Visual Aids

Visual aids are great for various platform speeches. They're not required, but are definitely encouraged. The case itself is heavy, and there has to be a stand for them, as well. This is especially a pain on a windy day.

8. Breaking a Visual Aid Stand

These stands seem to break easily. The leg might come out completely, or not at all. With this, you turn into an engineer and have to improvise to make sure your visual aids can get used despite the broken stand.

9. Long Walks

Forensics gets your daily step goals in for sure. Sometimes, your rounds won't be in the same building, and walking to another building is necessary. It might be right next door, across the street, or when the 2016 Pi Kappa Delta Nationals was held at University of Kentucky, you would have to walk up to six blocks to reach the building your round was in.

10. Getting Ballots You Can't Read

Ballots are like the rewards (or soul shattering disappointments) for competing. When we were kids, going to birthday parties and being social resulted in getting goodie bags. We judged based on how good these bags were (good candy, cool toys, etc). It's the same with ballots. It sucks when you get a ballot that is illegible, and it feels like you're reading hieroglyphics. It's like getting a crappy goodie bag.

11. Trying Not to Barge In

If you're double entered and show up to your next event, you have to wait outside if someone is speaking. It's rude to enter when someone is speaking. It can be hard to tell if someone is speaking because it can be very hard to hear through a wall or door at times.

12. Putting in Time, But No Trophies

It is a very time consuming activity. Preparing events and practicing take quite a bit of time (and energy). Obviously, the more you practice, the more likely you are to win. It can be very hard to make time. However, it is a let down when you can put in a lot of time, but have trouble breaking.

Despite the struggles, I've received a lot out of the activity. It has made me a better public speaker, more aware of certain issues, more aware of other people's struggles, and has helped contribute to the "well rounded" aspect that employers look for later on. Public speaking, or just learning how to speak better in front of a group, is a pretty important skill to have in many different job fields. Every activity, job, class, subject, or hobby has its downsides. If the upsides outweigh the downsides, then it is definitely worth it.