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6, 8, and education


While I find debate to be enlightening as a research activity, I do not 
see any difference in the amount of research I end up doing in 
preparation for either a 6 or 8 round tournament to be roughtly the 
same.  With that said, I think it is possible to be a good debater and 
academic/student at the same time.  Which brings me to my number one concern:

I get most of the educational value out of debate not from research but 
from participation at tournaments.  As such, I find the 8 round system to 
be wonderful practice and development.  I have found much more 
opportunity for improvement in an 8 round system than I did when I was in 
high school.  There is something to be said about getting in those extra 
two rounds, especially for those in the "close to clearing" or down 
bracket.  My thoughts somewhat echo Stephen Heidt's: there is benefit to 
those whow were not superstars in high school.  As one of those type of 
people, I find every round useful and educational, enough to justify 
staying up late on Lexis or cramming for an exam on the plane trip home.  
I don't think it overloads my personal balance of school and debate.  I 
think that our activity needs to encourage diversity, growth, and be able 
to be a little more pedagogically heterogeneous in how our conventions 
affect our patterns of who is "successful."  The 6 round format, in my 
opinion, solves many problems , yet seems to encourage a metaphoric 
"rich/poor gap" in terms of who learns and who doesn't.  I still am not 
decided about the ultimate choice between 6 and 8.  I find the 
educational (and enjoyment) value of 8 to be important to me, and I'm sure 
some others.

A side note: I might be a little more accepting of a "cultural" change to 
6 round format supposing we made a concurrent change to a 5 year 
eligbility system.  That would seem to offer more opportunity for 
personal growth for debaters operating within the format.  (Gives them 
more rounds, but spreads it out).

Sean
Utah
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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