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The West Boca Speech and Debate team traveled to Cambridge Massachusetts for the annual Harvard National tournament a few weeks ago. While the team didn’t find much competitive success, it still built the foundation for future participation in nationally recognized tournaments.
The trip started bright and early at 4:00 AM on Friday, where the 16 hopeful competitors met at Palm Beach International Airport and geared up for what would be an exciting weekend. After a three-hour plane ride and a trek through the Massachusetts winter, the team set off for some lunch and sightseeing before the competition officially started on Saturday.
Then it began. With about 5 hours of sleep and plenty of energy, the team rolled out of the hotel at 7:30 AM to begin the first day of preliminary rounds. Due to the size of this tournament, most of the group was split between four different locations around the Cambridge area.
For Congressional Debate competitors, who make up the largest portion of the team, their competitions were hosted at a local community college until the elimination rounds later in the Weekend. Other competitors participated in their events at an elementary and high school about five minutes away from the rest of the campus. For Lincoln Douglas Debate competitors, a 1v1 event about a given topic, their Saturday lasted 14 hours of straight competition, only broken up by a lunch and dinner break. The first day was a grind, but it was well worth the experience.
Sunday started just like the last, with an early rise and tons of caffeine. After the last few preliminary rounds of competition, the team was informed that no members had advanced. This was expected, this particular tournament was at a competitive level far above anything the Debate-A-Bulls had seen before. On the bright side, not qualifying past preliminary rounds meant that some fun and exploration was possible. After shopping for some gear in the Harvard Square area, the group made its way back to the train station to go back and get ready for dinner that night.
Before we knew it, our last day in Boston had approached. Monday’s energy was completely different from the rest of the trip now that all our stress was relieved. We were able to use this relaxing day as a learning experience, watching the final round of congress. The skill level at this tournament was unmatched and we were sure to take plenty of notes for future competitions. After a quick lunch at some local spots, we were finally able to see Harvard’s campus. We took some photos with the famous John Harvard statue and made sure to rub his foot for good luck on our team’s future endeavors.
