#forensics advice

ok. here we go. flirting. first off i’d like to say that my conversations at tournaments are usually “do you know where the bathroom is”, “are you in line for the pizza” or “are you going to this building?” secondly i don’t flirt?? ever?? i’m a very nonromantically interested person so this will be interesting. i’ll try to be helpful

Talk to them, try complementing them first, like “hi I’m (name) i really loved your piece” or “your heels are super cute” or “you’re awesome at spreading” or whatever. If you were in their round, tell them they did good.

Introduce yourself!! Be cool about it. Don’t be pushy, don’t immediately ask what school they’re from. Get their name too. 

If it’s convenient, ask them for a favor or do them a favor. If they don’t know where they’re going, walk with them, send them a picture of a map. Ask to borrow a pen to sign in on the door, hold open a door, be a nice person. There’s some psychology thing where if you ask them for a favor they’ll remember you or whatever.

Be tenacious!! If you see them at the next tournament, say hi!

Don’t be creepy. Don’t immediately follow them on twitter, be respectful, have some common sense.

If the tournament is a Saturday one, ask if they wanna get lunch together or if they want some chips from the vending machine, something together. 

A repeat of last year's "what I'll do better" post for debate. Good tips and self-reflection!

Last year, I wrote a post entitled Debate Team: What I’ll Do Better Next Year with advice for next year’s me. Well, I guess you can say that it worked, because when ISKL’s SEA Forensics Tournament came back around this year, our debate team won bronze!  Our entire school did really well–as a school we won 3rd place for participation overall, and most of us made it to semifinals if not the final…

Look, sometimes tournaments are stressful. I say sometimes. I mean all the time. They are always stressful. And we are young, vibrant, peppy people! That just went two days with no sleep, spent hours on our feet, many of us in uncomfortable shoes, spoke until our mouths were dry then kept speaking, gave all of our emotions to people sitting down that SOMETIMES could not care less, ran down stairs or across buildings to get somewhere only to be late, socialized with competitors with big grins on our faces to show no weakness and we. are. exhausted.

So, sometimes, we need to get it out. Sometimes, we need to yell, or scream, or just bitch and talk shit until the tournament only has happy memories left! But when should we? Clearly, not during the awards ceremony or even in our little hidden hangout that we claimed as our own. So when?

Theres a rule for that! Our advice to you? Follow the 25mph rule!

The 25mph rule is simple. No negative talk, no critiques of anyone (including yourself), no anger or jealousy, no anything except positive emotions and backslaps until you are in your vehicle, with the doors closed, going 25mph. Sometimes 35. If you are loud people like my team was, I suggest closer to 50.

It sounds pretty common sense, but we have seen some nasty stuff. Someone talking bad about a judge in front of on of the judge’s students. People talking a smidge too loud about how badly everyone else did in their round while some of them were standing behind them. Someone sighing loudly and flopping after their event is done and yelling “ugh, I did terrible!” while other people that thought they did terrible themselves now think even worse of themselves because they though the first person did amazing. Every negative thought, action, and word affects others. So wait.

At a tournament, until you are going 25mph in your vehicle, it is only “I think it went well!” and “You did amazing!” and “Thank you for judging our round, sir!” and nothing else.