To the editor:
The Southern Interior Regional Debate Tournament was held at Kelowna Secondary School on Saturday, Feb. 2. Dozens of debaters from Kelowna, Penticton and Kamloops came to test their speaking skills and compete for coveted spots at the upcoming provincial tournament.
I was thrilled to have that opportunity, being a member of the KSS Debate Team, and I know that a lot of work went into giving us that chance.
I wrote this letter to thank everyone who made the tournament possible. However, it is the judges, the community members who gave up their entire day to make the tournament possible, that I wanted to thank in particular.
Unlike parents, coaches and, of course, the debaters, many of our judges had no motivation to attend except for a desire to help. Yet, we couldn’t hold a single round without them.
For many of our judges, it was their first experience with debate; however, some judges had been involved in debate in the past, either as judges at previous tournaments or even as coaches, and provided knowledgeable feedback that is incredibly important in helping us improve.
So, once again, to everyone who had a hand in last weekend’s debate tournament, especially the judges, thank you.
Travis Pulleyblank,
Kelowna
