confessions of a parent

I can't judge a debate.  No fucking way.  I thought I could.  I said I would.  And then I saw what was involved and I ran away.

Taking a step back.  My son is taking debate class and going to some debate contests (meets, games, competitions I don't even know what they are called).  Kinda like with my son's sailing it's pretty great cause I have no clue about debating (or sailing).  So I don't yell at the judges, kids, coaches etc.  I got no clue.  Very health.

But they needed some judges at the most recent debate in Avon so I said sure if no skill is necessary.  The coach said yea anyone can do it and thank you.  I would suggest he misrepresented what was necessary.  I would be a single judge responsible for:
1.  timing (including opening speeches, rebuttals and closing speeches along with giving each debater 15 and 30 second countdown warnings)
2.  judging content
3.  judging application of debate rules (what rules---I don't fucking know the rules)
4.  Providing written notes and comments regarding presentation and adherence to rules
5.  ording teams and submitting results

For 30 debates.

OMG I said no way.  I also think it kinda sucks for these kids to work really hard (I think my son does more work for debate than he does for Aeronautics, Advanced Geometry, English, History and Biology combined) and then be judged by a clueless parent.

Other interesting observations:

1.  my son cares about his grades.  And this sure didn't come from anything his parents did or did not do.  And he didn't use to care at all---he used to skip school in Chicago to go to 7/11.  He gets full credit for this pleasant metamorphosis, while I scratch my head and wonder where this came from.

2.  Both my wife and I went to hyper-competitive high schools.  AHS not so much.  In my son's history class the teacher offered to give extra credit to any and all students who went to listen to a 4 star general and Fox commentator speak about the US-Syrian policy, and wrote up their observations.  My son went because he was interested in the subject matter and very interested in the extra credit.  A girl went who was interested in my son.  And that was it---the other 73 kids who are taking that class took a pass.  At Choate or Burroughs 90% of the class would have attended ---here is less than 5%.  It's kinda nice that every 9th grade kid isn't worrying about college admission, but who is my son going to talk to about Assad?

3.  My son has worn shorts to school every day this year.  Guess that really isn't that unusual.