It's unbelievable that I am ending my second year of college forensics. I feel like time has gone so fast, and I've grown so much from my first tournament last year at Rice. This year sent me to new locations, allowed me to meet even more new people, make new friends, catch up with old friends, and say goodbye to graduating folks. I've learned a lot through my new events, as well.
We closed our season with the Pi Kappa Delta National Convention and Tournament at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. It was the second largest in PKD history, so it was amazing to be a part of that. We may not have won awards, but it was an honor to be a part of this major learning experience. The showcase round taught me a lot. It is basically like a final round, but instead of the speakers getting ballots from judges, the judges discuss it out loud with the audience and speakers on what they like/didn't like/what they're looking for. It was extremely helpful advice, so now I can apply it to my future events. My teammates and I watched a round of a different style of debate than what we are used to. I gave some of my best performances at this tournament. We ate a delicious meal at the awards banquet, on top of all of that.
This season was quite accomplished. I won a few awards. Most were the last place, but one wasn't. This shows how much I've actually improved. Even my dad came to watch me perform at one competition in Corpus Christi, which gave me one award. I've put in so much blood, sweat, and tears into this entire season. I almost made it to finals in our spring state. I competed against several people who had way more experience than I do but came so close to getting into this final round. I have improved on several ballots. I ranked in the middle more times than last during a round this year. It is very bittersweet that this season is already over with.
I love making new friends and fostering connections through this activity. I've met people from far and wide. The coolest thing is remembering people and being remembered for a quirky piece, tournament fashion, personality, or talent. The coolest connection I made at nationals was the new president of our organization. She is a McNeese alum and was team president, just like I am. She now coaches at Hofstra University in New York. Again, she's president of our national organization. She was surprised to hear that my coach still uses the letter she wrote for new students, which was written in the mid-2000s. Her actions (not to mention, her killer presidential speech), inspired me and gave me something to strive for.
I have so many memories from this season. Next year, I hope to win more awards, continue to improve, travel to more interesting locations, and perhaps pick up the first qualification for nationals. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for me.
