Clipper News
Brendan Gorman '04 Reflects on Speech and Debate
For the students at 7100 Shore Road, 2:25pm is far from the end of the day. It is merely a transition from student to musician, athlete, or actor among many other things.
For the students of our speech and debate team, this transition is profound. They become commencement speakers, poets, fictional characters, choreographers, experts on esoteric political and economic topics, and infinitely more confident, eloquent versions of themselves. As the team prepares for state and national championships in the coming weeks, this daily transition is of the utmost importance. For the 3-4 hours after an often grueling academic day, these young men and women hone a separate, though related craft. It is incredible to watch as they practice, time and again, the same movements, the precise intonations they’ve scripted over months. The breadth and depth of work that has gone into these performances is extraordinary. I estimate these pieces have been done over 200 times since they were chosen in September just before we got ready to compete at Yale to kick off our season. It is with intense pride that I watch as they dedicate themselves to pursuing the perfect performance, the more intense connection with their audience, the new plateau of personal pride and confidence. They represent the very best of what Xaverian has to offer its students, a simultaneous sense of self-worth and commitment to something greater than themselves. Our students have discovered their ability to affect change, to use their voices to stand up for those who cannot do so for themselves. They are zealous in their preparation, compassionate in their choice of messages, humble in their success, simple in their approach, and trustful of the work they have put into their craft. I cannot overstate their effort and fidelity to one another, to the family we have built. I can never replicate the pressure they put on themselves to be better. However, on behalf of all of us at Xaverian, I can thank them for the gifts they give us every day, for their willingness to push themselves farther than I thought possible, to surprise us with their ability to master the ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life and to add a great deal to it. I, for one, cannot wait to see what else they can accomplish.
For the students of our speech and debate team, this transition is profound. They become commencement speakers, poets, fictional characters, choreographers, experts on esoteric political and economic topics, and infinitely more confident, eloquent versions of themselves. As the team prepares for state and national championships in the coming weeks, this daily transition is of the utmost importance. For the 3-4 hours after an often grueling academic day, these young men and women hone a separate, though related craft. It is incredible to watch as they practice, time and again, the same movements, the precise intonations they’ve scripted over months. The breadth and depth of work that has gone into these performances is extraordinary. I estimate these pieces have been done over 200 times since they were chosen in September just before we got ready to compete at Yale to kick off our season. It is with intense pride that I watch as they dedicate themselves to pursuing the perfect performance, the more intense connection with their audience, the new plateau of personal pride and confidence. They represent the very best of what Xaverian has to offer its students, a simultaneous sense of self-worth and commitment to something greater than themselves. Our students have discovered their ability to affect change, to use their voices to stand up for those who cannot do so for themselves. They are zealous in their preparation, compassionate in their choice of messages, humble in their success, simple in their approach, and trustful of the work they have put into their craft. I cannot overstate their effort and fidelity to one another, to the family we have built. I can never replicate the pressure they put on themselves to be better. However, on behalf of all of us at Xaverian, I can thank them for the gifts they give us every day, for their willingness to push themselves farther than I thought possible, to surprise us with their ability to master the ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life and to add a great deal to it. I, for one, cannot wait to see what else they can accomplish.
Xaverian
Established in 1957, Xaverian is one of thirteen schools nationwide sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers.
