The Case for Space or Why Go To the Moon?

 

 

 

When I was a freshman at Temple University one day there was an event to familiarize yourself with the clubs for students at Temple.

 

 

I went and wondered around, finally finding myself in the Debate Club  room. One of the guys in there engaged me and made a case that debate would be interesting.

So I went to the meeting of the Debate Club for new members and what would be required was explained.

 

 

I found out most of the new members came from a debate background in high school, likewise most of them were pre-law. But I also found it appealing to try something new, I liked the people there and thus began my journey.

 

 

One result I would become a Speech and Rhetoric major at Temple, In my class one of 5 our of 30.000 students in undergraduate studies.

 

 

We began learning the National Debate topic for that year. “Resolved the United States should reduce its Foreign Policy Commitments.

 

 

First we discussed the topic. It was the time of the Cold War, and Vietnam. Those and other topics were discussed and groups pursuing each one was formed. I believe I was first on one choosing to reduce our commitment to Latin America.

 

 

I got real familiar with the Temple University Library and really learned how to research a topic, finding out how to produce note cards on each research item. That ability to do such research was likely the most important thing I learned in college that year, and provided a lifetime tool to use.

 

 

More importantly we learned that we had to research both sides of a topic and research into all possible topics. For debate one had to present and defend cases in one side, as well as we had to prepare for attacking any topic on the subject for the year.

 

 

For my first year I focused mostly on the side of presenting a topic and less on defending against any topic.

 

 

So we researched and had practice debates on our topics.

 

 

As we went further into our topic  I remember one day an other idea was floated, that of a Trick Case. Preparing a case for debate that followed the topic for the year but done so most unusually so others would not be prepared for such a case.

 

 

Doctor Town described how once the Oxford Debate team when touring the United States presented a most unusual debate. They began it thus.

 

 

“We are resolved to present our case in the language of properly learned men, so we will only present it in Latin.” Then the entire team debated in Latin.

 

 

So we started kicking ideas around and came up with an unusual case for out topic:’ Resolved the United States should reduce its Foreign Policy Commitments. Because of that we see no reason that the United States should continue the Race to the Moon!”

 

 

Our group thought that was a unique idea, and as Doctor Town was the team advisor, he granted our request to use it for our topic.

 

 

So we began our research.

 

 

I also learned that the only person you were speaking too was the judge of the debase. For his opinion was the only thing that mattered. Not Truth, Justice or Fair Play, just the judges opinion.

 

 

Several months later, our group was going to participate in a debate tournament at Hershey Pennsylvania. I remember getting into the cars that were going to drive us there.

 

 

Then waiting until our group was called to debate.

 

 

We were going against a team from Princeton. The two members enter the room each with two cases filled with cards they had researched. [often at the more intense schools, the cards were prepared by teams of researchers, not the ones debating, they would focus on the possible topics of the debate.

 

 

So my partner began the debate with 10 minutes presenting our topic. “ Resolved the United States should reduce its Foreign Policy Commitments. Because of that we see no reason that the United States should continue the Race to the Moon!”

 

 

As he was presenting the Princeton team was hurriedly searching their boxes for cards they could use. From all their research cards they could only find one card.

 

 

That did not stop them, their member began his 10 minutes to refute out contention.

 

 

Then it was my turn to present. I did something, no longer a memory of what I did.

 

 

Then the Princeton guy did his 10 minutes.

 

 

That was followed my 4 rebuttal periods, first my partner the opponent number one, followed by me and then my opponent number two.

 

 

I have no memory of the outcome, I found out it was much more difficult than I expected.

 

For the rest of the year I participated in the club, once debating at Rutgers.

 

 

But I found out debate was not for me.

 

 

I later learned that other teams from other colleges began to use our case.

 

 

However, getting my nose bloodied at debate introduced to so many other things.

 

 

How to research, what is involved in presenting a case, knowing who the case was presented to, and more importantly discovering an interest in Speech and Rhetoric to become my major.