Upcoming Events

Besides fighting off a sinus infection that flared up at districts, I can happily report that Kansas State will be sending a team to the NDT who qualified as the 5th team of 9 from the district tournament. I was definitely right that it was anyone's game- our final round paired KSU (ranked 3rd going into the tournament) against Texas (ranked 1st going into the tournament) against each other, with one qualifying for the NDT, and the other left hoping for a second round bid to the big dance. Anything goes at districts, I'm definitely glad that we got through!

That doesn't mean I've forgotten my obligations to my research, and I actually enjoyed numerous conversations with both debaters and coaches over the weekend in regards to directions to take my ethnography, and people I should talk with.

The nature of debate provides me with the opportunity to talk face to face with people from all over the country on a fairly regular basis, but its all a matter of timing- you don't want to pressure a debater into an interview in the middle of the district tournament as they fight for survival, so instead of begun to set up interviews with a small handful of debaters/coaches from debate who have agreed to speak with me on the break day between the NDT and CEDA, which, fortunately, are being held back to back in Berkley, California March 18-29, 2010. During that time I'll have my camera rolling for every round I judge, in addition to the major outrounds of the tournament, and, for a more inclusive understanding, what goes on at tournaments OUTSIDE of the debate rounds.

There are a few people locally involved with debate that I'll have the opportunity to interview prior to CEDA/NDT (JV Nationals will be taken place in a week and a half in Kansas City) but the bulk of my participant observation will occur at the NDT and CEDA national tournaments. In the mean time, I will continue to scour the internet, and work my connections, in hopes of convincing debaters to step back in front of the camera for just long enough to prove that we aren't who we were characterized to be as a result of the YouTube incident two years ago.