Juneau Report: Drama, Debate, Forensics State Championship

PROBLEM-SOLVING - CRITICAL THINKING - ANALYSIS AND LEARNING TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO GET AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER ARE ALL SKILLS LEGISLATORS USE EVERY DAY. DEBATE AND FORENSICS TEACH THOSE SKILLS TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. DRAMA TEACHES ANOTHER SKILL THAT IS A PREREQUSENT FOR A REPRESENTATIVE - EMPATHY.

 OVER HALF-A-DOZEN MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE STAYED IN JUNEAU OVER THE WEEKEND SO THEY COULD CHEER ON THEIR CONSTITUENTS WHO WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE DRAMA-DEBATE-AND-FORENSICS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. ITS A UNIQUE SPORT - WHERE MOST PARTICIPATE AS INDIVIDUALS - YET COME TOGETHER AS A TEAM.

 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LIVE IN OR HOW MUCH MONEY YOUR PARENTS MAKE - DRAMA DEBATE AND FORENSICS ARE EQUALIZERS WHERE ANYONE CAN BEAT ANYBODY ANYTIME. LAST YEAR MARKED THE FIRST YEAR-EVER THAT KODIAK SENT A TEAM TO STATE. SATURDAY KODIAK BEAT OUT EVERY LARGE SCHOOL IN ALASKA EXCEPT WEST ANCHORAGE - WHO TOOK FIRST PLACE IN SWEEPS BY LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF POINTS BY WINNING THE DEBATE CATEGORY.

THE ROCK TOOK FIRST PLACE IN BOTH DRAMA AND FORENSICS. SITKA HIGH SCHOOL HIT THE TRIFECTA FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES - COMING OUT ON TOP OVERALL IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES. AN EXCEPTIONAL EFFORT CONSIDERING 197 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN EVENTS WHERE MEMORABLE STORYTELLING WRAPPED AROUND POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - SUICIDE - AND HEALTHCARE.

UNLIKE MOST THEIR AGE - THESE KIDS WON'T BE FOOLED BY FAKE NEWS AND PROPAGANDA - LIFE SKILLS THAT ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM. 

EAST ANCHORAGE, SERVICE AND CHUGIAK HIGH USED TO DOMINATE IN 1980S WHEN SPEECH - FORENSICS - PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATE WERE ENGLISH ELECTIVES STARTING THE FRESHMAN YEAR. THIS YEAR AT STATE THEY FIELDED LESS THAN A DOZEN PARTICIPANTS - MOST OF WHOM ONLY PRACTICED ONE DAY-A-WEEK FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER SCHOOL

WE WERE TOLD THEY QUALIFIED FOR STATE BY PARTICIPATING IN AN EVENT ONE TIME AT A REGIONAL MEET. THE LACK OF PREPARATION DIDN'T DO THEIR TALENTS JUSTICE.

 JOSH GREEN/ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS, "In the program of studies in the Anchorage School District there is a class called debate and there is a curriculum for it, but to my knowledge, none of the eight Anchorage high schools are offering that class now. All these kids you see doing this today they are doing it in an extracurricular format. It is a good skill through, its an awesome skill to have. These kids are practicing on academic skills, transitions to life."

AT THE END OF THE STATE TOURNEY EVERY SEAT IN THE THEATER WAS TAKEN FOR COMMAND PERFORMANCES BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY. IT SEEMED EVERYONE WAS ON A FIRST NAME BASIS - THE VOLUME LEVEL OF THE CHEERS AND NUMBER OF STANDING OVATIONS DEMONSTRATED GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AND FRATERNAL BONDS FORGED TIEING TOGETHER YOUNG ALASKANS FROM ACROSS THE STATE.