Ah, the B.I.s... Can't live with 'em, can't push 'em off a cliff.

There are two kinds of debate people in the world, the good debate citizens and the bloody idiots. Most people fall into the first category. As we’ve struggled with adjusting the calendar over and over this season for one reason or another, schools have kept stepping forward, offering to help out. The good debate citizens happen to be pretty much the usual suspects, by the way. They’re always there, offering their services, covering an extra round, whatever it takes. My eyes always light up when I see them, which is usually when I’m approaching them for yet another favor. They make the debate world go round.

The bloody idiots? Na’ah, they’re not worth talking about.

So, we solved the MHL/CFL conflict by moving 11/2 to Newark (notoriously good debate citizens, but you knew that already). Not sure which building yet, but we’ll find out soon enough. The end result of all of this is that, in 2013, there is enough novice and JV debate to satisfy everyone, what with Monticello’s Academy schedule and the MHLs and CFLs, not to mention what the NYCUDL is doing. I always say that the best way to get debaters hooked is to have them debate. This year, it’s an embarrassment of riches, so presumably we'll hook our maximum to the limit.

And Pups continues to heat up. I’ve offered to move judges around between the divisions, specifically from VLD to JVLD, and a few people have taken me up on it. I have to say, it beats sitting around in the judges lounge for three days straight. We’re fine on the VLD pool, but still a little dicey in JV land. I expect that to improve on a daily basis, at which point I can shuffle out the lurkers in that pool who should be in VLD. When all is said and done it will work out fine; it just takes a while to say everything and do it.

The first official meeting of the Hendronauts is tonight at the school, but not for the newbies, just the returning ABs. There has been talk of a practice round, but there has also been talk of a Bigfoot sighting, and I’ll believe both of them when I see them.