Thomas Gilbert

EDUC 450
Co-Curricular Reflection #1
Spring 2018

This past Saturday, January 27, I was able to participate as a judge in the Rocky Mountain High
School Lobo Howl Forensics Tournament, an all-day event at the school. I signed up to work from 1:00 –
7:00, and when I arrived I was warmly greeted by a host of Rocky students, each in their Debate Club
shirts, who signed me in and showed me to the judge’s lounge, where we were offered lunch, coffee,
and snacks. There were a decent number of judges present when I arrived, but one thing that I noticed
was that many them were Rocky alumni. A few of them recognized me, and as we talked I realized that
they continued to volunteer and participate in these events so long after graduation because they had
once participated in similar, if not the same, events at Rocky, and developed bonds, passions, and
relationships through them that extended far beyond high school. It was very illuminating to me, having
not participated in many extra-curriculars at all, to see how far beyond the school or classroom clubs
and teams can reach by fostering a community and creating such lasting ties and memories while also
instilling valuable skills and lessons in students. The students who returned to judge debates after
graduating seemingly did so as a show of support and solidarity, as well as a way of saying thank you and
showing gratitude for their high school experiences. This may be something unique to Rocky and the
Lobo Way, but these alumni, adults on a Saturday, decided to come back to school to help their former
club. I think that says something very profound about Rocky and its community. This is furthered by the
fact that the Lobo Howl is a statewide forensics tournament that is hosted by Rocky in which no RMHS
students participate. RMHS students wore their black Debate Team t-shirts, while competing students
dressed in formal attire, making the groups easily distinguishable. Rocky students and staff hosted the
event for schools from across the state to come and compete, facilitating the tournament even though
there are no Rocky participants. The lack of participants from RMHS was a choice made of integrity, to
dispel any impartiality among judges affiliated with the school. This is the definition of altruism and the
Lobo Way. RMHS students and staff, as well as volunteers, hosted this event for everyone else, not so
that they could compete themselves. It really is a beautiful and special thing to see a school and student
body so philanthropic and community driven, and I know that this is only one of many ways that Rocky
students and staff give back.

After arriving in the lounge and waiting a few minutes, two students came in to assign rounds
and ballots to judges. My first assignment was as the sole judge of a round of six informative speeches. I
was a little taken aback, as I did not anticipate being the single judge, but I proceeded to my assigned
room. I was responsible for timing, critiquing, and ranking the speeches based on the criteria provided in
a brief overview and on a simple rubric. The speeches were eclectic, and each speaker did excellently in
their own way. Topics ranged from quantum physics to edible insects to dragons, with students
highlighting their creativity, passion, and knowledge of their subject. After informative speeches, I was
assigned as a judge for extemporaneous speeches, where I continued as the sole judge for the rounds,
this time with students entering the room individually, presenting their question/topic of speech, and
beginning. Once again, I was amazed by the topics that the students chose to speak on, especially
granted that they were extemporaneous speeches with very little time allowed for research. Questions
like “How will the decision on Gill v Whitford change laws on gerrymandering?” and “Will the Supreme
Court stop Trump from building the wall?” challenged students, and they responded beautifully with
well informed, eloquent arguments citing evidence and using true reasoning to make their case. It made
me incredibly happy. As a social studies teacher, that is exactly what I want. I want students thinking
critically and asking questions like that, engaging in our political system and society, and formulating
well-reasoned arguments based on evidence. I was proud of the students. It made me want to become
more involved in debate/forensics, to help promote these democratic ideals in a way that really gives
students creativity, control and self-determination in their thinking.

I found judging and timing to be somewhat difficult, as I was trying to pay full attention to the
content of the speeches while writing feedback and making sure they were on track. While we were not
allowed to provide feedback to the students after their speeches, I tried to provide ample positive and
constructive feedback for each speaker on the rubrics we were given. I’m no stranger to grading, but I
found ranking students to be very difficult. I second guessed myself many times as I numbered each
speaker from one to six in order of excellence. It was a little bizarre and required near constant
reflection to check for impartiality and fairness. Many times, I would stop and reconsider “Did I think
that speech was truly the best, or did I like the topic the most?” I asked myself similar questions
throughout the day to ensure that I was indeed being as fair-minded as I could be, because the weight of
being the single judge – the sole arbiter for a round – was not lost on me. It was really the first time that
I had comingled academia and competition, and while I was a bit out of my element at the beginning I
very much enjoyed it. I hope to be able to participate in similar events and tournaments in my future as
an educator, because the Lobo Howl was truly a great experience in which I saw one school open itself
up to the benefit of all other schools, and I saw students actively thinking, engaged with their content,
and empowering themselves by using their voices.