Your Presence is Requested for Debate Finals…

I would like to share some feedback with all of you.  It’s a situation I think clubs should be aware of and perhaps have conversations with members regarding tournament debate finals and the message we are sending to the judges recruited for finals.

A parent recruited a debate finals judge and wrote the following about the experience:

“About two months before the Regional Championships I asked my friend if he would consider judging a finals round for LD. He is a highly decorated retired Army Colonel and with the LD resolution being about combat I thought he was an excellent candidate for LD finals.  It took quite a few conversations but I finally got a confirmed yes. I was thrilled. What a treat it would be to have him judge this event.  And what a great opportunity for students to read his feedback before Nationals on their ballots!

The day grew closer and if I saw my friend we would chat briefly about what the event might be like.  I explained that there would be 5 to 7 judges, that students would be watching, and it was always an exciting event because it was an opportunity to see a great debate and hear the cases that had made it this far. He was really excited and looking forward to it.

The day finally arrived. The announcement for finals was made and the finalists made their way to the room as the judges were prepped for their entrance. The judges seated at the front of the room.  The Regional Director began formal introductions.  

I suddenly became awkwardly nervous.  As my friend was introduced, he turned in his chair to greet the audience of students I had explained would be so eager to hear this debate. But he was greeted by the view of an almost empty room.  There were maybe 20 people in a space designed for 300. I was embarrassed. I just felt terrible about the experience he had had compared to the one I had described for him.”

This judge’s experience reflects our poor stewardship toward these generous people who volunteer and make a great effort to come and serve students at tournaments throughout the season. Let me explain what these highly respected community judges do in order to be there that day to judge your round.

First, someone will have a conversation inviting him or her to judge.  That person will also explain the value of debate and why it is so worth the person’s time to hear it. Judge recruiters answer multiple questions and confirm and validate the value of having the experience.

Next a league regional judge coordinator will call this person and explain further details.  One of which is that every community judge must create an online account.  Following that there are videos to watch which also generate questions.  This is all time consuming for someone who is busy with family or working a job.

The league rep will also ask for a short biography which has to be written and emailed.

Finally the day arrives and the community judge will dress professionally and drive to the event to arrive an hour before the round.  This allows for more Q and A and to allow the league reps to show appreciation with a light meal and some flowing instructions.

The judges are then escorted to the room in a way that demonstrates to everyone involved that this is a formal event and these judges are VIPS worthy of the utmost respect. Yet for those 5 judges in the narrative above, this walk was into a mostly empty room.  An uncomfortably empty room.  

The parent’s description of the situation continues…

“As my friend turned around to wave, I saw the disappointment register, or maybe it was surprise, but it was clear he expected to see an audience - of any size. Yet the room was practically empty considering the number of seats with bodies in them.

My friend actually said to me a few days later that he thought there would be more people watching the debate. He commented that he felt bad for the debaters that there wasn’t a larger group of students to hear them debate. I respected him for calling out the obvious. And I was still embarrassed about the entire situation. I wondered if he would ever come back to judge again. I wondered if I would ever have the nerve to ask.”

Let us all take a moment and reflect on this situation.

No matter your feelings about the break announcements, no matter what you think you need to be doing at that moment, no matter how tired or hungry you are, there are guests on campus and we should welcome them and be the stewards of hospitality for our community judges.  These judges have invested quite a bit of time long before your round begins.  Finals judges are often civil servants, judges (real life judges in a court of law), military, business owners, and others who have special skills deemed valuable for the finals rounds. They have reserved this time for you.

So my best advice for competitors is simply to show up. Show up even if you only compete in speech.  Show up if you missed dinner.  Show up if you compete in LD or TP.  Show up if you competed in semis and did not break to finals.  Show up if you are tired.  Show up if your feet hurt.  Show up if no one from your club is debating in finals.  Fill the debate finals rooms the way you fill the duo interp finals room!  

Show up because those judges deserve your respect as they are introduced and are deserving of applause again at the end of the round.  Please show up because they showed up!

I hope you understand that when judges have an experience like the one shared above we risk losing great community judges or not having enough to make a tournament run smoothly.

And you know, one day it might be you up there debating for an empty room. So…

the gift of your presence is requested in debate finals, so that these guest judges can clearly see and feel your thanks, your appreciation, and your respect.

Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”