In which we pass the torch

I met this weekend with Kathy S, who will be heading up both Speech and Debate henceforth at the old battleship of Hud. The previous suspect got a better teaching job elsewhere, which is why he didn't climb on board. Kathy has been doing speech at the Hud for a number of years now, and certainly knows her stuff there. I have little doubt she can figure out PF as well. I mean, I know kids in high school that do it. So I'll bet she can do it too.

What advice does an Admiral, Ret'd, pass along? First, regardless of what a lot of people think, PF requires very strong classic speaking skills because its audience is primarily lay judges. Corollary to that is that if it works with lay judges it will also work with experienced judges, while the opposite is not true, i.e., what works with experienced judges doesn't necessarily work with lay judges. This would seem like a basic fact of life, but most second-tier debaters don't get it. Yes, PF is a debate activity, but presentation skills are the means for engaging in that activity. Poor presentation skills will sabotage excellent debate skills every time. Having a pro on speaking like KS should be a real boon for the tars, provided they take advantage of her skills. I've never known a good debater who doesn't take good advice from wherever it comes. Second-tier debaters take advice only from sources they've determined must be good because, tautologically, they've decided that only those sources are good sources. Learn whatever you can from whoever is teaching it: it's the knowledge that matters.

I did pass to her my standard process. First week after a rez is released, deep background on the subject. Second week, brainstorm arguments. Debaters often like to skip the deep background, on the mistaken idea that they can develop good arguments with only a superficial understanding of a topic. Given that their adult audiences have lived those topics for decades, these debaters don't realize that the opinions of an adult on whatever the rez might be, might reflect what the majority of adults at the back of the room might be thinking. There is often a pre-established mindset on an issue. That is, we all share the zeitgeist of our generations, and you should take that into consideration. Then again, I've always maintained (and of course I'm not alone in this) that the number one priority in public speaking is to know your audience. Or judge adaptation, if you want it translated into debatese. Moving along, the third week is probably best for practice rounds, where you can see what works and doesn't work in action, and also critique speaking/debating styles. As for the fourth week, that's usually a Jewish holiday or a snow day, and it need not be taken into consideration.

After that, we just hashed over the rules of the Huddish road, who pays for what and goes where and the like. The number of debate opportunities absolutely eclipses the speech opportunities around here. You can debate every week, if you're so inclined, but you can't necessarily do your OI. Such is life on the wild side, which is probably the hardest thing for a speechifier to accommodate. She'll learn.

I wish her well.