Debate: What?

So needless to say, I was rather upset by the lack of entries at Monticello. But they're not alone in not getting their share of attendance. Some of it is their fault, and I have some thoughts for them on how to improve. But most of it is the region allowing them to dangle. I just don't like that. We need to get this tier of tournaments to be strongly attended. I particularly have suffered from loss of second-year students, especially in today's LD world. It is not a generally appealing activity anymore. I don't blame them. Which is why I'm doing everything I can to keep debate available to as many people as possible. I believe MJP does that. As will some ideas we kicked around Saturday during the NYSDCA meeting.

I admit it. I do like fighting the fight.

Last night was the Parents' meeting, with quite a good turnout. I love talking to them, going through what is by now a pretty polished presentation. Of course, this year they were more of the speech than the debate persuasion, and don't need to know about the whole housing/traveling thing that debaters do. So it goes. A couple of parents lit into me for yelling at the speechies about not getting signed up for the team, but I can't get apologetic about that. If they're not signed up by October, then when? They've already had a tournament they could have signed up to observe at. And Bump is in a couple of weeks and I need to make assignments, and we need to get housing. Can't do that from the people who aren't on my list.

Speaking of Bump, it opened yesterday and is now pretty much filled up. I underdid the VPF limit, so I opened that up and cleared some folks off the waitlist. Of course, if anyone is expecting me to supply hired LD judges, good luck with that. I've got the People's Champion and HoraceMan, but most everybody else I'll put into PF, aside from late breaks. I just don't have the alums I used to have capable of doing the judging of that event. Things change...