SJII vs SJI (Spar) Today!

Today SJII sparred against SJI in 1F4. And really, I can't say much more because any other thing which I write will only sound like I've memorised it from some stupid competition elsewhere (eg. "and our debaters were very nervous but with pluck, courage and wit they managed to pull through and put on a jolly good show for us")

You get my drift. But yeah, they were nervous. And we did pull through. And we did get a nice show (it's on video [but only for selected viewers {a magician never reveals his tricks of the trade}])

The motion: THW hold parents criminally liable for the crimes of their children

The winner: There isn't a winner. It's a friendly!

But maybe I can emphasise one really important thing for debates in general. If you're nervous and feel like you wanna puke, don't. In debates, really, what's the worst thing that could happen? Sure, you might feel as if you've made a fool of yourself. But are people going to remember that? They'll only remember you if you're amazingly good (what we're all aiming for when you're in this activity) or amazing bad (not what we're aiming for. Definitely).

Through going through each and every debate, you'll only become better. Debate is, when you think about it, a show. Many teams focus a lot on content. But what about style? Sometimes, we need to remember that style is weighted as equally as content. And if you're a nervous wreck out there, there's no way you're gonna score high in either. Be confident. Force yourself to be. It may sound like a lie, trying to make yourself confident when you're not. But is it really a lie when you tell make yourself believe in yourself and your case and eventually find out that you do feel much more confident? Trust me on this. I do it.

Aaaand that's the end for today's post. Except for the fact that we probably applied too late for the adjudication camp and so didn't get in. Sad. So we'll just wait till next time.