The University Debate Team

I spent much of my morning in bed (I woke up at seven am with pain, and decided to take a Norco, and go back to sleep instead of attending therapy in town), and made it to my online class for COMM (Argument and Debate, officially) while still in my PJ's. The platform was slightly awkward, only the professor and a few students could speak in the conference "room" while the rest of us had to type like those ol' fashioned chatrooms of lore. I made my presence known by bringing up the "confirmation bias" and other questions. For a while, I believed that I was completely relieved of my pain, sitting up, propped up on giant pillows on my own queen. The only face I could see was the professor's, in a small box on the lower left corner of my screen. He was himself today, running his hands through his hair in his energized fashion, coaxing students to ask questions and to "speak," even though only of a few of us would do so.

At the University, he leads the debate team. While in class the last time, a week ago, I asked him if he ever "plucked" students out of his argument class for the team.

"Oh, sure," he said, explaining that sometimes he picked a student because he/she would be really good at it, and other times he picked a student because he/she was smart, but needed improved skills in the area of argumentation.

I was, of course, indirectly asking if I could join. However, he assured me that none such team exists for the community college.

I didn't reply that I was actually a university student, but the idea intrigued me. I could learn to write arguments so overwhelming and convincing that I would be invincible--that no one could insult me or my disability again. They would be afraid--both students and faculty--those who dared to cross me. In part, this is a fantasy. Even if I returned to the University (and I have desires to apply elsewhere), I don't know if I would have the time or the motivation to travel around and speak in debates. And again, I'm assuming these positions would be selective. You couldn't just show up, and be part of the team. There would have to be some type of try-outs.

I admit that I have a certain amount of practice in creative writing, but none such in deductive logic and reasoning. Despite reading about it and being lectured on it, I'm not quite sure what it means, or better said, how to apply it. I have no previous background in that discipline, at least none that I can remember.