I fell into the world of forensics and debate through the narrowest of chances. My hometown has never heard of forensics, nor have any adjoining towns, nor have any towns that adjoin them. Debate and forensics is not a high priority for the curriculum in Massachusetts; and so, with some exceptions, only a few wealthy [...]
So I spilled over a little in frustration the other day. I stand by that; I for one don’t believe that the Internet is Different and a little spilled-over truth and honestly is a bad thing. Some flinch from it instinctively but I don’t see demons behind every byte online. Well, demons any different than [...]
There, I’ve threatened Menick’s cat, as per custom and tradition. Of course, Menick may also not realize that I’m of French descent, and therefore will eat just about anything. Here, kitty kitty. Come sleep in the nice, warm oven! Menick dismisses the problem of cheating as an implementation issue, but I do believe it goes [...]
So Menick says it’s a no-brainer to allow computers in Extemp prep, and supports it with largely two arguments: one, cheating would not be rendered any easier than it pragmatically is, and two, manipulation of internet-based resources is a more valuable skill these days, so reality demands it. I’ve gone on, perhaps at too great [...]
First off; the first time around I posted these, I posted the versions with the full names listed; that wasn’t what I’d planned, since in the age of Google, that can leave a permanent stain on what should be a temporary decision. And as I make clear below, I don’t particularly blame even students even [...]