1. Spreading is definitely a thing in Lincoln Douglas now as are the wonky Mead 92-like arguments. It’s even easier to spread now that we can flow on computers (which was just beginning when I left in 2005, so I learned how to flow on paper. I still use this format for interviewing people.)
2. People were complaining about the “diminishing intellectual integrity” of debate when I was doing it over 15 years ago, so I’m going to guess that things haven’t changed as much as the author is making it seem.
3. Crazy arguments aside, debate is the only academic sport I can think of that teaches you how to: 1) formulate coherent arguments, 2) defend those arguments with facts instead of opinions, 3) learn how to speak in front of people (sometimes lots of people) and 4) make do out of nothing (we often debated in classrooms, even in tournaments held at colleges).
Debate changed my life. I met people from all sorts of walks of life, rich and poor alike. I debated against and amongst people from all races that believed all sorts of things. If there is any activity that can solve for the notorious achievement gap problem, then this is it.
I learned about rock music by rooming with a guy at Catholic during debate camp. (He introduced me to Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan. I was hooked since.) I had my first serious relationship through debate. God, some of the best memories of my life came through debate. My first flights? Debate.
I was devastated when my school (Bergenfield HS) dissolved their debate team during my senior year. We had one of the best Policy and LD programs in the country and often beat out much wealthier schools than ours (though we had nothing against Texas). Most of the folks that joined our program did well later on in life: a few doctors, a few lawyers, etc. I’m positive that I wouldn’t have the life that I have now had I not said yes to my future captains asking me if I argued too much at home and needed an outlet.
My coach had a huge falling out with the school and called it quits (very difficult decision for him; he was homosexual and was often prosecuted for it). No other teacher wanted to take up the program, which made no sense to me initially but after dating (and eventually marrying) a teacher made a ton of sense (this was likely a labor of love for my old coach that didn’t pay the bills; no other teacher had that passion). The football, basketball, baseball and golf programs went unscathed, of course.
I tried to start a program at Stevens, but scheduling made it really hard. College debate is no damn joke; it’s practically a sport in its own right. People have failed out due to going too hard on debate. The most I could do to get involved was by being a judge on the weekends, but even that got difficult once I started getting into serious relationships and working more.
If we have kids, I will definitely nudge them to try debate.