This is a pretty interesting year on the ship of Hud. On the debate side, I have exactly one new student. Or at least one new student capable of answering an email. With faith and trust, and a little bit of pixie dust, I may get that up to two new students, as soon as the second one also learns the fine art of answering an email. I have had one student this year, on the speech side, advise me that her brother, who wants to be on the team, doesn’t “do” email. I advised her back that I wouldn’t be able to “do” her brother. Yes, I understand that we are raising a generation of texters, and that email is sooooooo 2009, but it’s not exactly rocket surgery. Jeesh!
Anyhow, two debaters is not quite a quorum. On the positive side, if they prove to be engaged competitors, they won’t be fighting anybody for slots. In a way (very small), that helps explain the Panivore’s success. Not that she’s not naturally talented and a hard worker, but add to that the fact that she’s been able to debate whenever and wherever she wants without being shunted aside by an army of entrenched varsity. On the negative side, it will make it harder in the future to develop even newer debaters. Momentum requires mass (and thus ends today’s physics lesson). But, there’s not much I can do about that. We recruited like [insert humorous metaphor here; if I were you, I’d allude to bedbugs]. We didn’t get the recruits. So it goes.
On the other hand, we amassed a veritable armada of Speechonauts. About half of them have figured out the riddle of the email sphinx, and absolutely none of them do what I tell them to do, but you’d think I’d be used to that by now. We are in the process of acquiring a new speech coach, and should have one soon, but in the meanwhile, I am filling in, spreading the wisdom of my vast years (or is that the vast wisdom of my years?) as best I can. As I tell them, okay, I’m not Olivier, but how many speech coaches have my background in literature, as a consumer and purveyor both? I know more about writing (creating, cutting, selecting) then most people know about [bedbugs?]. Whatever. I’ll be out of their hair soon enough, except for those who want to work with me occasionally on the side. Or, to put it another way, they’ll be out of my hair, but something tells me you’re not buying that metaphor. Which is why I don’t do metaphors. There’s no profit in it.
And yes, I am waiting for debate to get bedbugs. It will. Trust me. I will say no more, but remember this day, 10/5/10. That was the day that, once again, I was right, in this case in a remarkably prescient fashion. And no, I may not amaze you, but I amaze myself, and on a regular basis.
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