While I was incredibly impressed by the quality of debating I witnessed at NSDC this past week, Ive also been left somewhat worried about the debating culture that is being fostered at a schools level. In many debates I witnessed, personal insults were treated as arguments, statements like x should know better, and I would have expected more from y were used frequently, and the general tone was one of excessive animosity and rudeness. While I understand that debating as an activity is characterized by a certain level of intensity and egotism, I am also of the opinion that a culture that exists to this extent can do nothing but alienate new speakers on the circuit and create an unhealthy, entrenched malaise. Thoughts?
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 08:20:08 +0000
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