Terzo Photos

Today I find myself judging a debate tournament in northern Indiana. I never debated in high school. Yet, I have come to enjoy judging. It allows me to learn something, even if I have no interest in the topic whatsoever. I’ve been doing this for five years for a friend of mine that coaches at a local high school.

I have gotten to know these kids to some degree, even though it was unintended. This includes a few of the kids from other schools around the region. These kids are among the most intelligent that I have ever come across over the years. I have chosen to ride the bus with the kids as much as possible. Rather than drive myself, this saves on gas and mileage. This has allowed the kids and the rest of the coaches to get to know me well. I was meant to be a neutral judge. I am not a parent of any of the students nor a staff member. That said, it’s difficult after so long to stay neutral and to be totally honest, I’m glad. These kids are really something to be proud of. More than a few have been national contenders, not a small accomplishment.

High school debate programs have largely been pushed to the wayside in many school systems. I do not know why this is the case. One can assume this step would be large and logical in education. It would be crucial going into college and the workforce. When I was in high school, which feels like the dark ages, we needed to earn a public speaking credit. This was usually obtained through a basic speech course. Although this happened nearly three decades ago, college requirements have changed very little. In contrast, the requirements of high school have been dramatically downgraded. To me, this makes little sense. The idea should be to improve with each generation. Yet, the education system in this country has become so broken. It has allowed kids to basically quit caring. Nonetheless, I digress…….

All of this craziness being said high school debaters are intelligent, energetic, creative and in some cases wise. Judging debate has revitalized my faith in the future of humanity should we survive beyond mine and my sons lifetime. I will continue to judge debate as long as I have friends with the patience to teach. They must have faith in these kids to continue teaching them.