Speech and Debate Nationals, the whole year has led up to this. You and thousands of other suit-wearing, wall-talking, sleep deprived high school students descend on one city for a week of the best debating and speaking in the nation. I recently judged at the NCFL National tournament in Louisville KY, and it is a very different experience then competing.
First, there is slim to no prep work for most judges, with the exception of coaches, if you are a hired or parent judge there is not much for you to do in advance. Thus, depending on your personal situation, there is little reason to arrive sleep deprived. While for the student competitors there is always more to do, more research, last minute tweaks to cases, and practice rounds, not to mention nationals usually lines up with final exams or large projects in school. Thus, most students arrive rather sleep deprived.
Upon arrival adrenaline usually kicks in for competitors and caries them through most of the weekend. This is not present for judges, they have little riding on the tournament. The stress of getting to your room, however, is still present for judges. If a judge does not show up to judge they will face a large fine. And moreover, there is always pressure for prompt beginnings of rounds and speedy ballot returns.
In the round, while considered rude for students to nod off during a competitors performance, it happens sometimes. After judging ten rounds in a day, it is sometimes all you can do to stay awake to anything, but you cannot lose attention of the round. A judge is expected not only determine the places in the round, but also give feedback to the speaker.
In a hard room speakers grumble about their chances of doing well. Judges grumble at the near impossible decision they need to make between a room full of extremely talented speakers. And writing meaningful, helpful comments gets rather difficult at such an advanced level.
The day is done and both competitors and judges are worn out, but it is all worth it when you see that you broke, or that a student who blew you, as a judge, out of the water broke.
It is an intense tiring tournament, usually book ended with a long plane ride, or and even longer car ride. But it is all worth it, because as hard and tiring as it is at the end of the day, we would not give it up for the world.
