If you want to read the first part...go here.
March 10, 2012: I wake up in the morning, still feeling really disappointed about my performance yesterday. It may not seem like a big deal, to only lose one round, but I was under a lot of pressure and confused emotions. Cut me some slack. I realized I had forgotten to bring my curling iron, so I straightened my hair. I wore pearls, a mauve long sleeve shirt, my gold shimmery pencil skirt, creme tights, and my nude high heels. (I recently saw a similar skirt at a store a few weeks ago and thought to myself, wow that is so last year. :) I start the day off with a round I win. It's messy and my opponent is slightly irritating...(However, I find most of my opponents irritating, sadly enough. That's just the way I am.) I have my second round, and beforehand my opponent asks if I'm the judge. I think to myself, ummmm I'm wearing a metallic gold pencil skirt. Would I wear that judging??? Apparently so. I tell him no. Then he asks me if I'm a senior. I help him out a little bit and tell him no, I am a sophomore. Hmm...maybe I should have let him guess a little bit more. :) This round is easy, and I'm fairly sure I won. If I remember right, my opponent didn't argue everything, which makes my life infinitely easier.
Now is the hard part of waiting for break rounds to be posted. Finally, they're up! I go rushing to check, and my opponent's code looks familiar. I realize it's the person I lost to the day before. My heart sinks. My hands sweat. I am not a happy camper. I go to round. Yep, it's him. I'm on the opposite side, which does help slightly. I read my speech and sit down. My opponent, who has the speech times in his favor, starts reading. However, he doesn't get to all of my arguments. I stand up and give the rest of my speeches. I win that round, and with the same judge I lost with in yesterday's rounds. I made it to semifinals! Unfortunately, I hear that my captain lost. He can't continue on.
My semifinal round was interesting. I was going up against a girl that I debated my very first time I ever debated in the varsity (or 'open') category. I lost, and I was still mad about it. During that round, clear back in November, I remember her saying "my opponent has put all of her eggs in one basket, and the bottom has fallen out." That line made me furious. Well, lo and behold, when I give up to say that speech....yes, that is what I say right back at her. It is a two-one decision, and I win that round. I am going to the final state round. That was such a glorious win, and I felt like my debate career had gone full circle.
I remember sitting in a chair, outside of the room I was supposed to debate. I'm talking with my captain, and he casually mentions that our school took State overall. I can't believe he forgot to tell me! We begin prepping against my opponent, and in round the coin toss is up to me. I choose affirmative, because that is what I prepped out against, and I had already hit this guy at a previous tournament on the negative side of this topic.
We begin the round. It's full of people watching, especially from my opponent's high school. I am nervous but I am feeling like I am doing ok. I give the last speech and sit down. It's done, it is now up the judges. You have no idea how painful that waiting time is, until you have been there. Waiting...waiting...waiting...seeing the judges look on their flows. Telling yourself it's ok if you take second. The judges give their papers to the official. My heart is beating. The official smiles, tells both of us congratulations for making it that fair, and says that it was a three-o decision for the affirmative.
My heart drops as I wonder and have to rethink if I'm affirmative. I realize that I am. I can't believe it. We hear the judges reasons, they all voted on self-defense. I shake my opponent's hand and receive my medal. I slowly pack my bag up. Everyone empties the room until it's just my captain and I. We look at each other in shock. This is the most interesting moment for me. We look at each other, and we realize the magnitude of what we just did. We think that I am the only Lincoln Douglas state champion from our school. He tells me he would kiss me if it wasn't for his girlfriend. (I am suddenly very happy that he has a girlfriend....) And we are in shock.
We walk outside, and a friend asks if I did it. I walk towards my team, the person in front of me has a blue sweater on and gives my a hug. The president of the team is next to him. I can't believe it. We go into the cafeteria to wait for everyone. I take a picture of the state trophy and I am in shock. My captain is subdued, and I feel bad I beat him during his senior year. We are kicked out because the high school has a dance going on, and we go near the tab room. We sit in the faculty room talking about whatever comes to mind. We go out to dinner, I'm still in shock. We goof around, waiting for a table. I was wearing my metallic silver Toms, thinking how they clashed with my metallic gold skirt. My captain and teammates give me a hard time for still wearing my medal. We go back inside to eat. I order a hamburger, it's kind of gross. I drive home and see my parents and sister waiting for me.
Guys, I took State.
*Thanks for reading my story. I"m so grateful I had a chance to write and experience it. Come what may, I have already done enough.
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