Please excuse my mini-rant
1) For those of you who don't already know, I have qualified for nationals in speech for the first, and last, time ever. I had a huge come from behind victory in the finals, during which I gave the best performance I have ever given.
2) Tonight, during our speech team's awards night, I was reminded once again how little my speech team values intelligent presentation and argumentation, as opposed to cheap one-liners, fake smoking, and empty sentimentalisms. I am in a "public address" category, which on my team means: we'll take your scores for our team awards, but aside from that you don't exist. I am the only national qualifier EVER on my team not to be asked to speak at the awards night. I am one of two members of my team EVER to qualify for the state tournament and be given no more than a single line in our annual showcase--and I have done so twice. I have never been asked to present at our team meetings, despite being far and away more successful on our team than most of the presenters--even when I volunteered to present I was rejected. Tonight, behind the empty congratulations from coaches and parents, was a sea of apathy. At a time when I have every reason to feel appreciated and surrounded by allies, I feel it necessary to retreat into the isolated cadre of public addressers at the back of the room.
That's all. Thanks for bearing with me.
Michael Barany
p.s. I especially appreciate my memories of tasp and its inhabitants at moments such as these.
2) Tonight, during our speech team's awards night, I was reminded once again how little my speech team values intelligent presentation and argumentation, as opposed to cheap one-liners, fake smoking, and empty sentimentalisms. I am in a "public address" category, which on my team means: we'll take your scores for our team awards, but aside from that you don't exist. I am the only national qualifier EVER on my team not to be asked to speak at the awards night. I am one of two members of my team EVER to qualify for the state tournament and be given no more than a single line in our annual showcase--and I have done so twice. I have never been asked to present at our team meetings, despite being far and away more successful on our team than most of the presenters--even when I volunteered to present I was rejected. Tonight, behind the empty congratulations from coaches and parents, was a sea of apathy. At a time when I have every reason to feel appreciated and surrounded by allies, I feel it necessary to retreat into the isolated cadre of public addressers at the back of the room.
That's all. Thanks for bearing with me.
Michael Barany
p.s. I especially appreciate my memories of tasp and its inhabitants at moments such as these.
posted by Michael Barany at 9:48 PM
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