by Rojas Oliva, entertainment editor
The Roar talked to junior Karna Venkatraj about what it takes to be ranked sixth in the state for Congressional Debate.
What’s up in debate?
We just had TFA [Texas Forensic Assocation] state, and coming up is our UIL District, UIL Region, UIL State and Nationals.
How are things going for you?
I’ve just been ranked sixth in the state in Congressional Debate and I’m ranked tenth in the state in Extemporaneous Speaking.
How does that compare to other rankings you’ve had?
It’s the best ranking I’ve had within the state so far, but last year nationally I was ranked top 60 in the country which is also pretty good. *laughs*
How have you worked towards that, or is it something that just happened?
I’ve worked incredibly hard. I read at least 700 articles a week, I stay informed as much as possible and I read new sources everyday, even if I’m not competing. I’ve put in crazy amounts of research for both events that I do. So yeah, I’ve been working pretty hard.
What do those two events consist of?
Congressional Debate is where you’re given 30 pieces of legislation and you have to research both sides (for and against) and prepare a three minute speech on each side. So you’re basically mocking what Congress does [by] debating pieces of legislation. Extemporaneous Speaking is different. You [can have] articles on a laptop, but you can’t use the Internet so you save articles to your laptop, and then you’re given a topic over anything from Malaysian domestic politics to job growth in the United States, it could be anything about anything. You’re then given 30 minutes to prepare a seven minute speech.
Do your plans for your future in debate consist of increasing your ranking, or is that not how you think of debate?
Yeah, I don’t think about debate like that. I think of it in terms of advocacy. Like, if you’re given a topic and you try to find a plan to help the most amount of people, that’s what I find best about debate. You’re able to advocate for something, propose change through your speeches and educate people.
Does that relate to what you want to do with the rest of your life?
Being a speech and debate coach has been something that I’ve actually done with kids from the other high school, but yeah–advocating for change in policy making, whether that be through politics, or being a lawyer [is how I want to] find a job. There are so many different ways to impact change in a society.
Readers can follow the Consol Speech and Debate team on Twitter @Tiger4n6.
