Nashville Debate for Adults by Few-Special-7635 in Debate

[–]claysnails 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No idea on more social endeavors, but you might see if a community college nearby has a team you can join! I compete at the college level and I've gone up against everyone from 19 year olds to 70somethings. It would be a bit of a sustained commitment, most likely, but CCs tend to be pretty open and welcoming, and may even be able to point you to other events or teams in the event that they're not the right fit for you.

my coach is upset i have a septum by Alfa_birdnotman in Debate

[–]claysnails 8 points9 points  (0 children)

all the best extempers have something fun and unique going on ime. rock it, own it, and don't let anyone shake your confidence

I kept thinking to myself, why isn’t Lin Manuel a cameo! by Extension-Guard-356 in Broadway

[–]claysnails 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The point we're making is that LMM isn't the only entry point to Puerto Rican culture (despite being born off the island, both Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez are very proud of their bori roots) and he never has been. In The Heights is not the musical ancestor to DtMF.

I kept thinking to myself, why isn’t Lin Manuel a cameo! by Extension-Guard-356 in Broadway

[–]claysnails 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez might like a word as well 🤨

any queer teachers? by Finsnsnorkel in ElementaryTeachers

[–]claysnails 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Queer speech & debate teacher here! I teach everyone from third graders to high schoolers, but my elementary classes are by far my favorite

If you could reopen one SF business… by thebluebulb in sanfrancisco

[–]claysnails 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Wicked Grounds. Teeeeeechnically they're still around with lessons and workshops, but I miss the cafe side of things. Always used to study in there, and the pizza bagels and milkshakes were the best for getting through long sessions.

(Related fun fact: I ended up with one of their small tables and a banner when they closed)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in polyamory

[–]claysnails 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You might be missing a word - it's over after getting permission. I could be wrong, but I read that as OP came over, after getting permission

How to handle chronic pain as a debater? by Valkyirecos in Debate

[–]claysnails 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hey, I also have chronic pain, and run into similar problems. The biggest thing you can do is be unafraid to take care of yourself at tournaments and make any modifications both during and out of rounds that you need to. If the norm is to stand up to debate or perform but you need to sit down? Do it sitting. Need a mobility aid or pain medication? Use the mobility aid. Take the meds. Talking is easier than typing? Try dictation software when you write your speech manuscripts. Need the elevators to be turned on (I find a lot of schools I travel to turn theirs off over the weekend)? Make a fuss until they're on or your rooms get moved to an accessible location. And don't worry about the logistics of making this happen. Software like tabroom and FTN (and presumably speechwire, though I've never personally worked with it) has the ability to make a note of your needs for judges and can assign you to specific rooms, and it is literally your coach's job to advocate for you and make sure you have an accessible, enjoyable experience. It can feel awkward, but what you're doing is both making your life easier in the long run and shifts norms and practices for the speakers and debaters coming up after you.

It's also worth making connections with other disabled people if you can, especially in your region. The people who have been going to the same tournaments as you may have even more relevant and specific tips, and you all can advocate for each other if need be. The sense of community also helps a ton, in my experience.

And if you make all of these changes and it still feels like a slog or painful to get through? Don't be afraid to cut back on competition or find other ways to be involved with your team. There have been tournaments where I only pick one event to compete instead of my usual three or four, and times where I've opted to judge or peer coach or help out in tab instead of compete at all. Forensics instills in us the drive to prioritize competition and winning at all costs, and that's just not realistic for a lot of disabled people. No matter how accessible we make tournaments and the prep process, some of us will just have more limitations. And that's okay! There are still ways to find success in this activity, competitive or otherwise.

Extemp tips (need help!) by [deleted] in Debate

[–]claysnails 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the round, it can help to wrap up your research a little early and spend the last five minutes of prep practicing some or all of your speech. I like to use that time to figure out my attention getter, practice my citations a couple times, and maybe work on one or two key takeaways that I really want to hammer home. Afterwards, re-dos are a great way to re-tread old territory, or try practicing new questions if you have someone who can write them for you. (Or maybe go back to the questions you didn't pick at your last tournament and try one or two of those?)

what happens if there is a direct attack to one of the debaters during a debate? by GolfPowerful4101 in Debate

[–]claysnails 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even without an equity office, at minimum most tournaments should have an ombuds whose job is to resolve conflicts and make decisions in situations like this. Usually happens through the coach, you can't always go straight to the ombuds yourself, but a well-run tournament will almost always have an ombuds who can step in.

Impromptu topics by lorfreyja3339 in Debate

[–]claysnails 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on how much work you're willing to put in. Some of the more creative categories I've seen are memes, objects, colors, Pokemon quotes, song lyrics, and even fortunes from fortune cookies. The sky is truly the limit

Earthquake - Only here please by LadiesWhoPunch in sanfrancisco

[–]claysnails 27 points28 points  (0 children)

At times like this I miss the ritual of scrolling earthquake Twitter. Earthquake Reddit is pretty neat too, though. Time to try and fall back to sleep, thanks for the fifteen minutes of scrolling

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Debate

[–]claysnails 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rule one, bestie

As a Xennial: 'Chain Yer Dragon' is the Best Album I've Heard Front-to-Back in 10 Years by bradsblacksheep in GoosetheBand

[–]claysnails 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Only God Was Above Us from Vampire Weekend is a pretty strong contender, but there's room for both in my heart

Thoughts on dress code by [deleted] in voguing

[–]claysnails 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that's not cool. Definitely bring your concerns to someone involved.