High School Speech/Debate Coaches? NFLs?

[Goblinmonger]

Anybody going to the National Forensic League tournament in Arlington in June? One of my students qualified for nationals. Some others have to be going from here to do a meetup of something.

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. Must be an LDer.

I volunteered to judge a some tournaments this year, but am not a coach or a debater (about six years too late for that).

Good luck to your student.


Maybe posting in the Virginia forum would reach more people.

[Goblinmonger]

3. Extemper, actually

Thanks. It is actually Arlington, TX. I posted in the Texas forum, too.

[philosophie_en_rose]

4. Good luck! Extemp is a good event.

Most of those kids know more than I do about current events.

[Goblinmonger]

6. My student

is just crazy knowledgable about international affairs. If I can just get her to loosen up a bit and add some humor, she has a pretty good chance of getting to quarterfinals or so. She is only a junior and went to nationals last year, too.

[MadHound]

2. Not going to Nationals, but saw the title and had to say hi.

Old debate geek from years and decades ago. Congrats to your student, and hope it goes well!

What's the resolution this year anyway?

[Goblinmonger]

5. My student is actually an extemper

Did you do high school and/or college. I coached some college debate decades ago. Saw your avatar and I loved the tournament at UMKC. There was a hibachi restaurant down by campus we used to go to every year.

[jmowreader]

7. The best thing those guys could do is change the name...

of the organization.

Quite a few years ago, the forensics coach at South View High School in Fayetteville managed to get the national tournament brought to our quaint little burg. I was working night audit at one of the hotels they were using, so I got to see LOTS of contestants practicing in the lobby until all hours of the morning. Damn fine.

Anyway, back to the South View forensics coach. Oh jeeze what a piece of work that woman is. I saw her rip some guy to shreds because he cracked a joke about undertakers when she told him they were "forensics" contestants. Okay, let me get this straight...the NFL kids' contest is called forensics because "forensic" means to examine an issue closely, "forensic medicine" examines a corpse closely to figure out why it's not alive--and the medical examiners "stole" the word forensics from the debaters? Sounds to me like they're using the word exactly right, but I ain't gonna tell this woman that.

She ripped some other poor bastard's head off because he made a football comment when she told him her organization was the "NFL."

Well now! It seems to me at least that if you're going to get that defensive about the name of your organization, maybe renaming it "National Forensics Association"--NFA--would be a good idea. Or maybe call it the "American Forensics Association"--AFA.

[Goblinmonger]

8. Sounds like she needs

to have a couple drinks and lighten up a bit. Or maybe.....you know.

In our defense, the National Forensics League has been a round A LOT longer than the football league. The name ain't going to change.

Your example is kind of like the person that spells their name all fucked up and then gets upset when people mispronounce it or spell it incorrectly. Get over it.

[fishwax]

9. that's cool ... congrats to your student!

:toast:

(i was a c-x'er back in the day :))

[Goblinmonger]

11. Thanks

It will be a fun time. Opening ceremonies are at Six Flags.

[Nailzberg]

10. HI was my specialty, but I frequently double entered in whatever

I was the captain of my high school team, so if we had no one entered in a category, like if someone was sick or couldn't make it that Saturday, I'd pick up the slack.

Fun times on speech team. I wish I had done some more extemping now that I'm older, but at the time I was really just trying to meet girls from other schools.

Good luck to your student.

[Goblinmonger]

12. I did HI in high school, too

Debate, as well. Those top caliber extempers know so much about the world. She's building a good resume for college.