We were going to have a slogan... then we started debating about it.
Posted by Alan Kao on February 3, 2010, 7:25 am
Below are pictures of the sweatshirt front and back:
The slogan is: Forensics, not just for dead people.
Enjoy!
edit: you can find the exact sizing charts for the sweatshirt at http://www.customink.com/items/sizing/9 … andard.htm
Posted by Caroline Tan on January 25, 2010, 6:23 am
Hey LSD,
Now that we're well-transitioned into second semester, please take the time to fill out the following evaluation form regarding your captains and administrative team. We'd appreciate any/all feedback and understand that your responses are completely anonymous!
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform … eU9PZWc6MA
Thanks,
LSD Leadership
Posted by Ritik Malhotra on January 25, 2010, 5:40 am
SCHEDULE FOR THE SECOND SEMESTER:
All practices will be held after school, at Lynbrook. Please report to room 108 to figure out where practice will be held for that day. Novices are welcome to come to varsity practices, and vice versa. Combined practices are meant for both novices and varsity.
Please note that the second session of practices will no longer be held from 6-8 PM; instead, they will happen right after the first session and go from 5:30-7:30 PM.
MONDAY
3:30-5:30 PM
Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Combined Public Forum Debate
5:30-7:30 PM
Novice Spontaneous Speaking
Combined Interpretive Speech
Combined Congress
TUESDAY
3:30-5:30 PM
Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Combined Policy Debate
5:30-7:30 PM
Combined Parliamentary Debate
Combined Original Speech
Combined Spontaneous Speaking
WEDNESDAY
3:30-5:30 PM
Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Combined Parliamentary Debate
Combined Expository Speech
5:30-7:30 PM
Combined Policy Debate
Combined Public Forum Debate
Combined Interpretive Speech
Combined Original Speech
THURSDAY
3:30-5:30 PM
Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Combined Policy Debate
5:30-7:30 PM
Combined Parliamentary Debate
Combined Public Forum Debate
Posted by Caroline Tan on January 22, 2010, 7:02 am
Hey everyone,
Lynbrook Speech and Debate jacket orders are officially up! If you'd like to purchase the 2009-2010 team hoodie, please go to the following link and order one: http://lynbrooksd.com/tourney-form.php?id=351.
Obviously, you don't need to provide a judge, partner, or cell phone number, so just type in "Unavailable" or whatever you want for those spaces.
We will officially close orders on Jan 28th, so if you want to order a team hoodie, you'll need to do so before then! Hoodies are only $25 each and will feature Alice Lin's ambigram design (which you can see on the Social forums).
Order a hoodie today!
Thanks,
Caroline and Ritik
Co-Presidents
Posted by Ritik Malhotra on January 15, 2010, 6:27 am
Gaurav Gupta, a Lynbrook Speech and Debate alum and Vice President in the 2007-2008 season, dropped by during team practice today. He had the following to say (please read it in its entirety, it's true):
Gaurav Gupta :
Hi everyone, my name is Gaurav Gupta. I am an ’08 alum of Lynbrook Speech and Debate and am currently an undergraduate at UC Berkeley. After visiting the team practice today, I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you.
Let me start off by saying that you guys are without a doubt some of the smartest and most talented people at Lynbrook. You are capable of achieving great success. This team has been extremely successful in all events in the past, and should continue to do just as well if not better. You are given a tremendous amount of support by your parents who often spend thousands of dollars sending you to expensive debate camps and tournaments with high entry and judge fees. The team is able to attract some of the best coaches around, as evidenced by Ryan this year. Alums such as Jonathan Kwan often come back to help out. This is a special experience that only lasts for four years, and you should try to make the most of it. The odds are heavily tilted in your favor, but the last step of execution requires hard work, which can’t be given or bought.
And that’s where things start to go downhill... I was disappointed when I came back to visit you guys today. I was told that multiple events were holding practices, and thus I expected to see a lot of familiar faces. Much to my disdain, there were THREE individuals prepping with Ryan and Belinda. I thought that this might be a down week. You can probably expect what my reaction was when I found out that Logan is tomorrow.
Everyone should be attending practices regularly. Trust me when I say that I understand Lynbrook kids have A LOT of other things to be worrying about. However, practices should be one of the most efficient uses of your time. You have a lot of resources at your disposal, such as Ryan, seniors, and other members. Speech and debate is a TEAM activity. Your best thoughts will come from being around other people, not by sitting alone at home. It is inexcusable to not come to practices regularly and waste Ryan’s time, especially the day before a tournament.
Captains: It is your primary job to make sure that a) you attend practices, and b) members feel motivated to come to practice. A is a prerequisite for B, irrespective of whether you will be leading practice that day or not. It is unfathomable that any captain would think otherwise. You set the example for everyone else. You were chosen for leadership because people attested to your ability to set an example and lead others. I have heard that this has sometimes been an issue. Since I know most of you personally, I trust you to take care of this.
Varsity: You need to show up to practices and work together. When I was an underclassman, I also incorrectly thought that I could succeed if I prepped by myself. Thankfully, I realized my mistake and corrected for it. You guys are the ones who make practice successful by showing up and contributing ideas. It is from this process that you learn and succeed. Let me also add that a lot of learning in speech and debate is subconscious. Even if you don’t feel like you are learning, you are improving and getting better. You might not even use what you learn until many rounds, tournaments, or even years later.
Novices: I think you guys do a pretty good job of showing up to practices, so all I have to add is make sure you continue your effort. You should feel comfortable reaching out to anybody on the team for help. If you want varsity members to come to your practices and help you, tell them. It is their responsibility as members of the team.
I’ve also heard from many that sometimes practices aren’t being run efficiently. This is not the fault of any one individual; it is rather a collective responsibility to share thoughts with leadership. If you think there is a way to improve practice to serve you better, tell them! After all you paid $135 in team dues and should be able to voice your concerns. Don’t just sit back and allow the team to deteriorate; follow up with leadership and make sure changes are implemented. Nobody on the team should feel uncomfortable voicing his or her opinions. After all, it is SPEECH AND DEBATE.
When you compete, you represent the entire team in addition to yourself. Judges form conceptions of how good a team is and give leeway to members from that team. This helps everyone out tremendously. Lynbrook has a great rep, so make sure to continue adding to it.
There won’t be external consequences, and I certainly will not be posting about this again. Work hard so that your parents aren’t wasting thousands of dollars. But above all, work hard for yourselves. I know you have probably heard this tens of times by now, but I can say firsthand just how true it is. Speech and debate gives you skills that you will use for a long time. However, your skills need to be honed by working hard and coming to practices. Don’t shortchange yourselves by putting in effort below your maximum.
Remember that you are privileged to be a member of Lynbrook Speech and Debate. I wish you guys a great amount of success.
Please take what Gauarv has to say seriously -- he not only had a great record following what he said up there, but also had a great time participating in this activity. Both Caroline and I want all of you to participate as much as possible, whether you are a newcomer or have been on the team for the last three years! Attend as many tournaments as you can, go to all the practices, and make the most out of this activity. The reward and the bond you make with it is unparalleled elsewhere and the skills that you learn will be a boon for the rest of your life.
So if you haven't been attending practice lately, go to some! If you think that practice isn't worth your time, make it known to your captains! Voice your opinion out, participate, and lead; that's what this activity's all about.
Here's to a phenomenal second semester!