I woke up very early today after
only a couple of hours of sleep because I had to go to the debate tournament in
school. Because I wasn't competing, and because we're hosting the tournament, I
had to go and help out.
I had never before realized just how much work goes into running
a tournament. I actually got a glimpse of this on Friday after school when I
was helping to set up the tournament. I mean, I had competed in IDT in years
past but I've never thought about how stressed Mrs. M and Mr. T must always be
this time of the year.
On the Friday of IDT every year, we students are always required
to help in lugging all the boxes of supplies from Mrs. M's room to the
cafeteria and the faculty lounge which would become the judges' lounge and the
tab room for the days of the tournament. When I debated in IDT and helped out
with this chore, I remember just carrying the boxes and leaving them on the
tables in the cafeteria as we were told and going back to our benches without a
single thought about the boxes at all. Until the next IDT the following year.
But, see, I helped with the boxes yesterday and before I could
leave the room, Toks asked me to fill the huge coffee maker with water and
stuff. It sounds pretty "duh" but I had never before realized that
people actually had to make the coffee that the judges and the tournament staff
drank during the two days of tournament. So much appreciation for the league
right now.
Anyway, my gift today was kind of like that: stepping into the
shoes of the tournament hosts and coaches and coordinators. This morning, Mrs.
M gave me the master keys to Weinberg and I opened and set up all three-floors
of rooms in Weinberg. I had to make sure that lights were on, doors were
unlocked, bathrooms were secure, everything. Then, toward the end of the day, as
the final rounds neared, Mrs. M and I had to reset them all again. Prior to the
tournament, we had to make maps of the rooms so that we knew exactly where
everything was supposed to be. During the tournament, everything gets messed up
because the competitors, judges and observes all move the chairs and desks
around. So cleaning up involved lots of pushing desks and carrying chairs here
and there and erasing the boards and emptying out the trash bins and even
wiping out the scuff marks from debate shoes. That was really tiring, but I hope
my gift helped out a lot especially because this is the menial behind-the-scenes
labor that not a lot of speech and debaters see often.
Risks taken: 15
Hugs: 6
Current food cravings/obsessions: I just ate cereal.
Playlist(s) of the Week: "Like an N But Not Really"
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