Opinion
College debating is arduous but fun
By Peter Yang ’20
September 29, 2016
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting idly in a lecture hall at midnight at Barnard College, New York City. As I rolled over my bloodshot eyes I saw a swarm of young adults holding up their phones facing a screen with bated breath. A split second later the room was in uproar as the motion for the next round was announced. Alright, another domestic policy prompt in which I don’t recognize most of the words. I picked up my binder and joined a stream of people as they chattered along, walking towards the door.
That was my first debate tournament since starting college life. Held by Columbia University, the tournament was a platform where varsity teams from all over the country compete against each other. I was eager to get a taste of college debate, so I joined the team and hopped on the jitney to the City. I had done some practice before yet still I felt a mixture of pressure and excitement as adrenaline flooded my brain just before the first round. Despite being somewhat of a veteran in high school debate, I had an eye-opening experience competing against varsity teams as they mercilessly tore down the arguments I so painstakingly constructed. I was amazed just how many words a person can say in a mere eight minutes while still making all of them sound intelligible. I was inspired by the magnitude and depth of the ideas some debaters came up within a very limited amount of time.
My outlook changed gradually as the rounds proceeded. I stopped think- ing too much about winning and losing. Instead, I began to treat the tournament as a learning experience from which I can learn and grow as a more potent competitor. After all I was but a novice whose career has just began.
For me, debate has always been a passion since high school when I competed in provincial tournaments in Atlantic Canada. The style of debate I engaged was different from the one used in college tournaments, and the expec- tations for speeches also vary. Yet I can never deny the fact that my experience debating in high school gave me a solid foundation on which I can enhance fur- ther. For those unfamiliar with debate, debate is somewhat a “mission impos- sible.” I have heard so many times when my peers told me they just cannot do it, yet I believe debate is far easier than a lot of other hobbies. We all have our complaints and thoughts. All you have to do is organize your ideas and present them in a pleasant fashion. Debate is the marriage of logic and performance, and their union produces speeches that are convincing, witty, passionate and sometimes exceedingly funny! I found the greatest joy in debate to be the very instant you feel as if you are winning; the sense of pride is indescribable. It feels as if you are leading an army on the battlefield, and each one of your arguments serve as a powerful weapon that will lead you to victory.
However, I do understand the com- mitment required of debaters, the pain and sweat involved in such a ferociously competitive activity. Sometimes you spend hours—even days—doing re- search and practicing speeches, only to see your arguments get smashed into pieces by a formidable opponent during a match. Or sometimes you will be left speechless as you feel truly impressed by someone’s infallible logic and smooth presentation. Issues discussed in debate are highly controversial and can easily trigger traumatic experi- ence, while some of them do reflect the worst kinds of darkness that lurks deep within our society. Your highly active brain goes through an emotional roller coaster every time you go to a tournament as your passion gets smothered by a devastating loss and then reignited as a new round starts.
Debates are based on the founda- tion of polite, respectable discourse and good sportsmanship. Maintain- ing a positive attitude is preferred yet hard to do. There will be tension and antagonism between teams, for such is the nature of debate. But respect and friendship are always more important than the scores of a tournament in my book. For many, debate is going to be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting as every aspect of their abilities will be stretched to limits. But I think if people are willing to put in enough effort, the payoff will be ex- tremely rewarding. From this tourna- ment alone, I felt challenged at least a little bit but my greatest rewards are the social connections I made.