From Below the Fold

By Chris Oshiro

Greetings from the bowels of JUDL.org. I'm not going to make a habit of contributing to JUDL.org, but I wanted to share a personal story. As you probably don't know, I competed for Newark Science High School Debate from 1989 - 1992. Debate has done a lot for me, but more than anything it introduced me to life-long friends. One of those friends was my policy debate partner. We'll call him AD. After 1992, I went on to coach for about 5 years. In that time, I had the pleasure to coach some of the best and brightest Newark Science had to offer. One of my favorite debaters was NB.

Three weeks ago, AD emails me and asks me, "Do you know a NB?" I respond, "Hell yes. She was one of my most favorite debaters." He read a Pew Report* where NB was acknowledged in the report. I knew it was NB because I know she works at PRC. Now if it hasn't hit you yet, why would AD be reading a Pew Report? AD is a Senior Fiscal Analyst for the New Jersey State Legislature (concentrating on education policy).

For the most part I hate Kritiks. "Where the hell did that come from?" you ask. One of the pillars of the Kritik is the idea that nothing real happens in a round. Fiat is bogus. This is all pretend, and we should use the round to deconstruct the system. I agree that debate is a game, but playing the game through policy research, cost benefit analysis and structure does more for us than we give it credit.

I believe NB and AD will do more for the lives of children in the US than most debaters debating in the final rounds of Harvard or Emory. Many of those Kritik-flinging debaters will be finding a corporate loophole for their client in a couple of years. It's the debaters that play the game and use those skills for the greater good that inspire. There are a lot of ex-debaters out there positively contributing to society. Debate is not just another list item on your high school transcript. It can be the foundation you will use to change the world around you. Good luck in your next round.

* The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press is an independent, non-partisan public opinion research organization that studies attitudes toward politics, the press and public policy issues. In this role it serves as a valuable information resource for political leaders, journalists, scholars and citizens.