watching a debate

Just yesterday I went to watch a debate. While I was the I decided that I'm not going to do policy, but stop trying to see what happens next. You'll see when I get to it.

First, I had to get up at 6:15 am. AM!! Can you believe that? Then once I was ready we (me and my mom) had to go to pick up a friend. After we had picked him up we arrived a HALF HOUR EARLY!!!! Can't believe that. Fortunately I brought my little brother's DS.

When we got on the bus me and my buddy...for security reasons and because some people don't like other people to give out their names on the internet I'll refer to him as Freddy joe...sat together and played the DS and talked. I had brought, for lunch a big bag of doritoes, two sodas, a lunchable, pears, and some granola bars.

When we arrived at the school (am I moving too fast for you? well that's because I can't remember all the little details and don't talk as much as my big sister) we all were split into groups and assigned a varsity member to follow around. After every round we would switch varsity members.

The debates were not at all how I imagined them to be. I imagined them to be with two or three adult judges, a crowd of people, and in an auditorium. Instead they had one judge who was our age, in little classrooms, and the only people who were watching were any novice. Parents could go and watch if they wanted to, but I didn't see any.

The first debate that I watched was LD, Lincoln-Douglas. It wasn't an intense round or anything. It was actually kind of boring. But I still liked it. The round just went back and forth. One person talking, then next asking questions then responding, etc. The judges also aren't supposed to tell you who won, or how you did. You find that out from your coach on the way home.

In between rounds there's about ten, twenty minutes before the next one starts. We ate and stuff during that time.

The second debate I went to was PF, Public Forum. It was better than the first round. This one I found out that during cross-examintation you are not allowed to explain things unless you have been asked a question. This one girl from my school kept asking her opponent "are you asking a question?" and then he;'d be like, "oh yeah, sorry." it was kind of funny. :D

In between this round and the third I ate most of my food.

The third round was a policy debate. I couldn't stand the judge. When he entered the room and the debater asked his paradime (sp?) he said something along the lines of, "I don't give a *beep* about that kind of *beep* You guys can just *beep* do whatever you *beep* want to. and I also don't *beep* care if you curse." Then he seemed to be flirting with the two girls on the opposite team. And at the end of that debate he said that the two girls won. In my oppinion they had some pretty weak arguments. They were talking all about the internet. "we need to give people in poverty free internet and free computers." What?! how will that help them get out of poverty? And my side proved them wrong.

That was the last debate I watched because I was late to the last one. That was how my day went. I'm having a debate that I will actually compete in on Saturday, so I'll post about how it went.