Saturday, August 19, 2006

Old Debaters.... the first year at BNCC

I was wandering around Facebook (yea, I have an account, it helps me communicate with my debaters and other students.. so sue me)... and I came across the Facebook page for a debater from two years ago... before I started blogging.

Our first full year with a team (we started in Spring of 04...), our team was the following:
Mr. Democrat, NASCAR Girl, Crazy Guy, Mr. Wilson, D1, Rex, and Moonshadow.

I've written recently about the last three... D1 is on scholarship this year, last I heard from Moonshadow, she wanted me to send her to debate camp so she could not debate for me another year and Rex moved to Red State with Bex (awwww, a debate romance, how sweet).

I'm not sure, but I think Mr. Wilson is still at BNCC -- he's not debating, but I saw him around last semester. Last I knew Mr. Democrat and Crazy Guy were at the Big University --- where Crazy Guy is hoping to run into Mr. Democrat... maybe so he can pick a fight and beat him up --- (secret message to Mr. Democrat, if you see Crazy Guy, go the other way...).

The debater I'm thinking about this morning is NASCAR Girl. NASCAR Girl is one of those fun, smart and sassy students you love to have in class. She generally does her homework and usually has a very perceptive question to ask. She came to my team via my Ethics class. She'd say I nagged her until she tried debate, I'd say that I invited her several times to try debate and she finally saw the light of my reason... either way, she joined the team in the fall semester of 04.

NASCAR Girl is a girl with a goal. Last I checked with her, she wanted to go to medical school. She worked at a nursing home and was our walking first-aid station when we were on the road. She selected her four-year school by looking at their med-school placement statistics, then she went about getting the scholarships to pay for it. I'm sure she's going to be a fantastic doctor.

NASCAR Girl is from a pretty rural area just north of the metro area. Her high school wasn't good, so she participated in a program that allows high school students to take college classes and that forces their high school to pay for tuition and books... D2 was in the same program, different high school. Funny, they are two of my favorite debaters... hmmmm.

It was by having NASCAR Girl on my team that I learned of the petty nature of BNstate High School speech. Their state high school extra-curricular governing body has a rule that says that if you have participated or represented a college in ANY way, then you can't do anything at your high school. When she started debating, NASCAR Girl wasn't a very good debater -- she had potential and she tried really hard, but she wasn't a natural talent by any means. She went to ONE tournament with us in the fall semester in Red State (at what would become hubby's school) and someone reported her to the BNstate high school league. It had been her plan to do debate with us for fall and then to do her last year of eligibility in high school speech (where she may have been state champ..) but someone reported her... while I felt terrible for not knowing the rule.. I considered their actions to be beneficial to me, because I got to keep her :).

NASCAR Girl's major mistake in debate was dating Mr. Democrat -- let me tell you, it was a lot of fun when they broke up.... and it was even more fun when her nationals partner, Mr. Wilson, decided he had a thing for her.... add to the fact that she took Rex to her prom --- while Rex was dating Bex, and you'd think she was some kind of tart -- but she isn't. What she is, is a sweet, open and funny girl. She's really the kind of girl every guy wants to bring home to mom....

I miss you NSASCAR Girl -- and I send my wishes of good luck and great success out into the internet for you to grab when you need them.

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