Thursday, September 6, 2012

Debate Day


This morning I went to a debate and argument competition. My cup of tea. 
Today marked the first day of what could be a rather long national strike held by the teachers. No hay clases... at least for a week, more likely two, or if I give into my fears and believe everyone I talk to, it will last a month. Sigh. This is disheartening. 
One of my most reliable community partners and someone I would call a friend in Ascope is in charge of the communication and English departments for the school district of Ascope. He supports me immensely in my classes with the English teachers, so I like to help him out when I can. Yesterday, he invited me to the provincial debate/ public speaking contest that he had organized for today and I was happy to accept. He's been busy working on this and it sounded cool. Why not? 
With the strike starting today, I knew I would have an easy morning void of classes or meetings with teachers that have been put off due to school vacations, the weeklong school anniversary parties, and any other random reason. Plus everything I need to do is everything I want to put off- reporting for Peace Corps, writing documents in Spanish about critical thinking for an upcoming event, uploading pictures of the Red Ambiental onto our facebook page that I'm making on my putt-putt internet... you know, the usual. All good things... all very procrastinatable. So, why not go to a debate instead? 
The competition was divided into 2 parts. The first being individual 3 minute speeches, and the second being a group debate. Immediately, I was elated. The atmosphere breathed academia. Nerds. Lots of nerds. Nerves. Even more of those. Smart excited kids happy to be where they were and hoping to do their best. This was awesome. I'm not saying that this never happens, but you spend enough time around the education system, or any system really, and you find that people sit in positions all over the excitement and engagement scales. It's not every day you find yourself amidst a group of equally engaged participants in anything, unless you're at a movie premier or a Lady Gaga concert... the latter of which will be true for me in about a month and a half, but I digress. What's important is that the students were into this. Super into it. I spend a lot of time with teenagers doing things by obligation or feigned interest. So when they are really into something, I feel happy. 
The cherry on the sundae is that the theme of the day was bullying. So perfect. As it is in the States, bullying is currently a very relevant topic of interest in the school system here. I've spent some time working on this with parents and students and am getting more requests all the time to help with classes on bullying, values, self-esteem, etc. So to hear the kids talking about bullying from all angles was more awesome than I can explain. 
In both the individual speeches and the group debate, the students spoke completely on their own. It was unscripted, not memorized, and totally genuine. In all of the competitions and events I have been to in my one year here, I have never seen this. The students always have a memorized speech and struggle to answer questions for which they have not prepared and memorized a flat answer that sounds like it came straight from Wikipedia. 
Today was different. Unlike other competitions, the students did not have their parents and teachers there to help them along. They spoke on their own with nerves, a few awkward pauses, a couple of meltdowns, and some unexpected ease. It was a wonder to watch. Of course it was hard to see the few who totally clammed up and ran off of the stage or choked mid-speech and ended prematurely. But it only forced me to remember my moment like that- spelling bee 1997 -and think about how it was a good experience in the long run. And then of course there were a lot of students who did not choke at all and did rather well. I was impressed by more than a handful of them. 
Sure, today was the first of many days with no classes. And yes, the education system here has flaws. But I like to think that Peru is on it's way. Some days I feel that way more than others. Today was one of the good days. 
Watching the kids discuss self esteem and argue about who has the biggest role in preventing bullying was incredible. These are the conversations that need to happen. Not only are they happening, but they are happening among young people. Peru is on their way. And I like being a small part of it. 
This was one of those events where I didn't really do anything. I was just there. Happily. But I've learned that this is enough sometimes. I like to think I am a motivator or example of some sort and I like that I can relate with the kids at events like this one. I took advantage of the before and after moments. The breaks. The deliberation recess. I enjoy chatting with the kids during those times more than anything. 
Maybe it's because I know these kids and have had a year with them now, or maybe it's because these particular kids and I are of a similar mind (I'll just say it- we are nerds), but today's conversations were different. Better. Instead of the typical, "Did it hurt to get your nose pierced?" and "Do you miss your family?" discussions that I am used to having, today I was able to talk to them about good books and Cranberries songs and communication strategies. Turns out "Zombie" is quite the hit within a certain crowd here. And Allende remains relevant. I love it. Nerds of the world, we are not alone. Great company. If only they were about 10 years older, I would have given them my phone number that they all wanted. Passing that number out is a rookie move. A few late night teen texts and you never repeat that mistake again. 
And bonus: one of the students spoke English- perfectly. He is 16 and can speak English about as well as I can. I was shocked to hear, in English, "Do you like Adele?" "Yes, of course. What is your favorite song?" Kid, "Someone Like You" Me, "It's so sad though." Kid, "Yes, but that is the idea." And there it is. I am having real conversations with teenagers. It can happen. Maybe it's cheating, because he speaks English, but still. Sometimes teenagers are like real people. And sometimes they are... well, strange little weirdos who make you wonder what happened to that perfectly functioning person you were just talking to. Navigating communication with teenagers is harder than navigating communication in your second language. Put them together and you become the butt of many giggly teenage jokes. But not today! In a world of nerds, I become cool. 
Oh, and I can't forget to mention how difficult it was for me not to jump onstage and shout "#26 is right!" or "#32 is full of it!" Not sure if that's a sign of a good argument, or if it's just because I love arguing. It killed me hearing them talk and not being able to join. But at least I got to be there. I am happy for that. 
While Debate Day just might be the last scholastic event I am able to attend for awhile, I'm glad I went. In the time it took me to write this, I got a call about the science fair being postponed on account of the strike. Our Red Ambiental evaluation has already been postponed for the same reason. My next English teacher class is in jeopardy too. Sigh. Poco a poco. Peru is on their way. And I will be here in the process. Waiting. Enjoying things like today and having as much patience as I can while we sit and wait. Vamos a ver. I'll keep you posted. 


Individual Speech. 


All participants in the plaza of Paijan. 


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