The National Speech and Debate Association is the largest interscholastic debate organization and probably has consumed your life for a better part of four years. Seeing everything from local to national finals you can't deny it but your life has been changed by this organization. Either for the good or the bad you realize that this community enforces the idea that anyone can suceeded and everyone has a voice of there own. Here are 20 thoughts you might have after leaving Speech and Debate:
1. The sigh of relief that your Saturdays are free now.
After four years of consuming your life with competition, you are able to say, "I'm free." Speech and Debate times are all outdated and you can now use everything you learned from it to move on. You are finally free from all of the speech and debate drama and you can move on in college. Finally!
2. The sigh of regret that you cannot force people to hear you talk about things for 10 minutes.
After four years of consuming your life with competition, you are able to say, "Can I have four more?" Through all of the 6’s and 1’s you still want a taste of walking in front of a room, in a suit, ready to speak. You miss the feeling of seeing your code up on the finals listing and that is all understandable. We are all in the same boat.
3. What am I going to do with all of these power suits?
In speech and debate, you are only as good as your power suit. The dark grey one with the red paisley tie, or the royal blue blazer and skirt, these suits made you feel confident in yourself and the words that you are speaking. Who cares if you grew out of them! Put it back on for old times’ sake!!
4. Is it “Forensics” or “Speech and Debate”?
All throughout the years, Speech has come under many names. "NFL", “Forensics”, “Speech”, “Debate”, “Home”. Whatever you may call this organization, you have tried countless times to explain it to others what to call it or even what Speech is. But, this community is here to stay.
5. Presentations are a cakewalk.
Quick. You have to do a 10 min 30 sec presentation on a topic that yours learning about in one of you lecture classes. Do you stress out because it is a 45-person class? On the other hand, do you rise to the challenge and blow everybody away? Obviously, it is the second option. All you need is a, "Two at 8 minutes, a one at 9 minutes, and a fist at 10 if you get there." With proper speaking form and diction, you impress everyone with what you do best. Talking.
6. Always scanning the room before a presentation.
You need to see if everyone in the room is ready for their minds to be blown by your skills. The head scan is just preparing the audience for that.
7. How to properly spin a G-2 pen.
A good debater is only as good as his pen spin. Part to occupy time and part to distract the other team. The pen spin is a vital technique for all participants in debate. You can no longer hold a pen the same way.
8. Your "Speech" friends are closer to you than you are with normal friends are.
Whether it be from meeting them at the local circuit or at a speech and debate camp. The friends that you made during the four years of High School span all across the United States. So, you may not see them that often but when you travel to any state you are bound to know at least one person.
9. The power you have when holding a binder.
The binder. The key to success. This holds your precious lines and is your crutch if you forget anything. As well, it provides for the clean and crisp page turns and intraqute tech and no one has seen before. Holding a binder will never feel the same without holding it at the proper 90-degree angle.
10. Putting on a suit and you cannot help but pop into a character.
Hey we cannot help it, it is what we are used too.
11. Realizing that most Exempt and Impromptu speeches you gave are more prepared than some politicians speeches.
The amount of time, effort, and passion that is put into an Exempt speech alone is incredible. Now imagine doing that 3 times every weekend. That simply blows some GOP running mates out of the water.
12. Watching a movie and thinking, "That could be performed.”
Continuously on the look for new and inventive scripts and new things to perform for four years has a mental effect on a person. Even though it is all behind you, the thought will always cross your mind no matter what. If it may be a comedy, drama, or anything in between the performances inspire you to search all through the far ends of the internet to find the script.
13. Going back to a High School tournament and thinking, "My year was so much harder.”
This thought is inevitable. Your memories of the past are filled with nostalgia and then you begin to question where your circuit has gone. Speech and Debate competition is so much harder when you are competing. But all that matters is that the competition is still going on and the passion is still there.
14. Judging a High School tournament and realizing that you know none of the competitors
It’s sad going to a tournament and not seeing any of the faces that you used to know. But, all of these new people but they both have the same passion that you did when you competed. It will always warm your heart to see more people in the same position as you were.
15. Meeting people that have done forensics and feeling a spiritual connection.
You are talking with someone in line and they say “Wait, you did speech too?” Instantly, both of your faces light up and start talking about the pieces, speeches, and experiences both of you had. This connection shall never be broken!
16. You still know all of your teams warm ups.
These warm ups are here to pump you up for the tournament ahead. Funky chicken, Feeling a presence, and the ABC’s are only a few of the chants that fired everyone up at 6 o’clock in the morning. Late at night you find yourself saying them in your head trying to go to bed. Let me...I said LET ME! Let me see your Funky Chicken!!
17. Reading through your favorite piece, speech, or case.
It is not a secret you keep with you every speech written, case made, or piece cutting. Each script is somewhere tucked away, that only you know where it is, and you read it thinking about the memories made. If you are lucky you remember some of the lines and you can do bits and pieces of the performance. But it is the time, effort, and overall connection to the literature that will always be with you as you move on.
18. Realizing that you are a part of an ever-growing community.
Each day more and more students are joining this group. Sharing ideas, thoughts, and emotions just like you did when you were involved with this organization. Your time my be up but there journey has just started.
19. Watching your trophies collect dust.
They are just sitting there on the cabinet, tokens of a night of luck and practice. All the trophies that you have earned, they do not mean anything to you anymore. They are just shinny pieces of plastic and metal that now only collect dust.
20. But the memories you made live on.
The Good. The Bad. The Ugly. Each memory you made stays with you. If it's placing high at a big tournament, playing a pick up game of basketball at states in your suits, or going to speech camp for the first time. These life altering memories will forever be with you as you move on in your life. But, the coaches, events, and organization will be here, still, for anyone who wants there voices to be heard. That is the beauty of this activity. It constantly moves forward and evolves and you should be proud that you were apart of something so much bigger than you.
