Reflections on the 2013-2014 Academic Year
August 2013--Debate Boot Camp in Vermont:
Treasurer Jon Sclar's account:
Two of my fellow debaters and I went to
the University of Vermont for a week-long debate training camp. We sat through lectures taught by some of the debate world’s finest
as well as competing in eleven debates (Eleven!), each of which helped us to
grow enormously as debaters. Let’s not forget to give some love to the city of
Burlington, Vermont. It’s a beautiful city and I’m not surprised that the State
was ranked #1 in quality of life and most physically fit. There’s never a dull
moment and the scenery is incredible. If you’re looking for a top-notch debate
academy (that’s also free) and a great place for outdoor activities look no
further than Burlington, Vermont.
VP Jenn Lin's Thoughts on NADA –
Leaving New York City
on a beautiful and clear August Saturday morning, I wasn’t sure what to expect
at the weeklong North American Debate Academy, held at the University of
Vermont. We had a rough start: the three of us got lost as soon as we arrived in
the quaint little town of Burlington and we were starving and fatigued from
spending almost 7 hours cooped up in a packed double decker bus. After waiting
almost an hour for a taxi to take us to our hostel and walking past our hostel
on the busy and crowded Main Street, we were relieved to finally put our bags
down. Unfortunately, our adventure had just started. We discovered the
difference between a hostel and a hotel pretty quickly: 8 cots in one room in
the form of bunk beds, no actual walls or doors, thin shower curtains
separating your sleeping space from the rest of the hostel, and shower stalls reminiscent
of college dormitories’ communal bathrooms (albeit a lot cleaner).
While our living conditions
may have been less than ideal, I grew to like the cozy atmosphere of the hostel
and reminded myself I wasn’t there for vacation, but to become a better public
speaker. I was surprised to meet so many debaters from all over the world,
including two of the girls in my “room” at the hostel. One had traveled down
from Toronto, Canada and the other hailed all the way from Doha, Qatar. There
were debaters who had spent countless hours driving from South Carolina, flying
from Abu Dhabi, and even a visitor from Melbourne, Australia who had debated
with Monash (the current world champion, taking home the title in Berlin this
past January). It was a humbling experience to spend time with these dedicated
students, especially my partner for the week, who worked harder than anyone
else I met at NADA. He was studying at Duke, having come far from his home in
Singapore, and I learned more from debating with him than I could have imagined
possible.
The schedule for the
week was pretty much the same for each day: two lectures in the morning, a
debate, followed by a long lunch break, another lecture, and a debate to close
out the day. Many of the lectures were interactive and consisted of debate drills,
which I enjoyed. They worked on a variety of techniques, some more difficult
than others, such as speaking without notes, speaking for a full minute on a
random topic, answering all POIs presented to you, and making a speech
specifically on a topic unfamiliar to you. Some motions were more entertaining
and some more serious, but the variety was important to me because I have a
tendency to like practicing motions in areas that I am familiar with.
I also got to chair a
round, which is far more exciting when there are world-class speakers in the
room. I hate to sound clichéd, but there is no better way to describe the staff
at NADA than the crème de la crop. They included the coaches of UVM, Cornell, La
Verne, and former debaters from UVM and Hart House, some of the most renowned
schools in the BP debate circuit. I was even honored by getting individualized
feedback from my favorite person at UVM (those of you who know me, know who
haha I won’t give any names on the internet) and it was scary that someone not
from my debate family at Adelphi knew my speaking style enough to give that
level of personalized critique.
And as hard as it is
to take criticism and be surrounded by people you feel outclassed by, I wouldn’t
have traded that week for any other debate experience. It was truly remarkable
to be in an environment where everyone wanted to help those around them reach
the same goal: become a better speaker and more aware of the world around us.
It was unforgettable.
