Jessica and her fellow Salem Hills High School Debate Team members all went to California for a week to the 2008 David P. Damus Trojan Fall Championship Tournament held at the University of Southern California.
Jessica and her policy debate partner, Britney, did pretty well. It was both of their first tournament and I was glad to be along for the duration. Their very first debate was against two "spewing" [speed talking/reading] young men who had years of experience, several competitions behind them -including twice attending this exact USC tournament. Turns out that they were not supposed to be in the JV division at all. They were misfiled from the open policy division. Rotten luck for the girls. They were rattled a bit from the experience, and as most of you know by now, so was I. During a cross examination of the girls, the opposing team repeatedly fired off questions after allowing them to merely begin to answer the last question posed. Honestly, only a minimum of up to 4-5 words were allowed before the next question was asked. Well, I wasn't aware of the depths of my oun frustration at this bantering before I heard myself blirt out, "Please let her answer your question!" Needless to say, the room went stone quiet and the judge asked me if I could "refrain from interrupting the debate, or I shall ask you to leave!" I appologized and thereafter pretended I didn't exist in the room. The girls ended up losing because they dropped the opposing teams numerous (spewed) points of argument and did not provide enough counter arguements in the alloted 6 minutes of time.
We walked back to Jessica's team hang out and waited for the next round of policy debates to be posted on the pillar directly in front of us. Teammates who were arguing Lincoln Douglas style [individually] left for their rounds and then we noticed we were somewhat alone and asked when the next policy round would be posted. "The 2nd round began a full 20 minutes ago," came the reply. Their assigned room was clear across campus and there wouldn't be enough time to get there, so the officials said they would have to record it as a forfeited loss. Jessica went to lie down and Britney went for a walk to explode in anger at not being informed in time. (You see, there were 7 pillars and we were only looking at the NE side of the end pillar next to our group's area. They had posted the 2nd round on the other 6 pillars. We just didn't think to watch them.)
Shortly after that I needed to part with Jessica in order to walk across campus and down a neighboring street to do a bit of grocery shopping before our bus arrived. Jessica and Britney not only attended, but annialated the competition at their 3rd round of debates. It was great to end that day on such a positive high. The next day was even better! All in all, the girls won more than they lost, and Jessica considered the tournament a learning experience. She plans to return next year better prepared and all the wiser for going. The SHHS Debate Team did really well for themselves too! Dallin Jack took 2nd place overall in the L.D. Open finals, and Ryan Hiiat was awarded "Best Speaker Over All" for the L.D. Open Division. Their plaques and Dallin's silver plate are being put into the high school's display case in honor of their hard work. Not bad for a high school in its opening year! [There are other 1st place trophies there already, but I'll only brag about the ones Jessica's teammates earned.]
By 11:00 p.m. Saturday, we were all tuckered and ready for sleeping in Sunday morning. From the very begining of the trip, little sleep was there for the taking. We left Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. and traveled by bus all night to Anaheim, CA. We arrived around noon the next day but could not check into the hotel until 2 p.m. The bus then took all interrested students to Newport Beach. I stayed behind to chaperone those who didn't go, and Jessica and Britney stayed to further organize their debate evidence cards into hanging file folders. No sleep for Jess or myself at that time. Every morning we had to get up early to be out to the bus early enough to make it to the tournament by 7 a.m. and we waould return to the hotel between 10 and 11 at night only to repeat. On Sunday, because I had stayed behind from the beach trip, I was able to be the chaperone to go with those students who wanted to go to church. [Only 3 stayed behind and Jim Stewart, the other traveling parent, chaperoned them.] Once "home from (1:00 p.m. Sacrament-only) church" we quickly changed and went on a sight seeing (stay-in-the-bus) trip around Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, etc.
We ended up at the Los Angeles L.D.S. Temple, and were sneaked in past the back gate because there were picketers along the front fencing down along the street. We had to stay quiet and out of their view or risk hearing their profain chantings. For me, at least, it was a 2nd in a lifetime experience. The last time I was there, it was 1978 (right, Mom?) and Amber, Shawn, and I were all in the nursery waiting for our turn to be sealed to our parents. No picket line could take away the peace I felt during this return visit. I also took a few shots with my remote. I hope you enjoy the pictures!
Monday morning we were off to Disneyland! We stayed until 10 p.m. and boarded the bus for an all night trip home, arriving at about noon again. Disneyland was a lot of fun! The haunted house has changed its theme, the submarine ride is still about finding Nemo, and the tree house is still leased out to Tarzan, but some things about the park will never change:the prices of everything stayed just as I'd remembered ;-! Any how it was an enjoyable trip except for the lack of sleep. I consider myself caught up for now with this blog; and speaking of sleep, I am going off to get some of it for myself. Love to all, and enjoy reading about our Meads Camp adventures!
