On Friday, I went once again to judge debates from High School-Aged home-schooled students from Ohio, Kentucky, Indian, Pennsylvania and Michigan as they debated the 2011 topic: Resolved: The United States should substantially change its trade policy toward India and/or China.
These students had to prepare a plan for when they were on the affirmative team--- the team proposing a plan--- and had to be able to defend against any plan that was presented if they were on the negative team-- the team opposing the plan. And, if they were on the affirmative, they had to be on the negative side in the next round!
The preparation that the two-person teams go through has to be very rigorous if they hope to win. They've got to be on top of their game in both presenting a plan and responding to the thrusts of the other team. And they must present well, with strong voices and positive eye-contact.
And I had the pleasure of making evaluations and declaring winners in the four rounds I judged.
Now here's the thing. Sports are great. They can help you develop confidence.... leadership skills... etc. But not everyone can be an athlete. But anyone can think... and anyone can become a better thinker! But it takes a bit of humility... a willingness to honestly look at the strength of one's position, and the strength of other positions. And that's what debates can do. Getting in front of people, speaking and being successfully persuasive...well there's nothing better to boost a young person's confidence. And I'd encourage any young person to give it a try.
Interestingly, the first affirmative team I encountered wanted to put into place policies that would put additional restrictions on Chinese intellectual property piracy. Things like copy rights. Sometimes the students were humorous, like when someone said that in China they interpret the copy right as a right to copy. And they even brought up the stolen Top Gun film sequence that Chinese reporters stole to portray Chinese fighter jets. If you didn't see it, click below.
Still, they didn't win, because they didn't give enough evidence to show that their proposals would be an effective and substantial change from current policy... and their opponents pointed out many problems with their plan. Still, you had to admire them for trying.
Best Wishes,
Bernie
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