Urban Debate

This week I have been looking into the "hows" of getting a working visa in the States. There are a few teaching jobs opening up in the fall that look promising -both in history (which would be great) and I am in the process of writing up applications and revising my CV. The more I think about being back in a school setting the more I realize how much I've missed it. I definitely feel fortunate to have had time away, to live abroad and pursue a Masters degree, but in my heart of hearts I know that as professions go, there is not much else I'd rather do.
I've been poking around different web sites to see what kind of volunteering I could do (in case the visa proves difficult to secure) and so I started to read about the debating programs in Seattle. To my surprise (and predictable delight) I discovered something called, "urban debate". This is, basically, a blending of traditional policy debate with hip hop or spoken word. As far as I understand it, it does not compel everyone participating in a round of debate to take on the style but it offers another option to those who want to use voice, rhythm and "street sense" (for lack of better term) as a communication strategy. I am excited to see it in action and hope to get myself involved in some capacity in an upcoming tournament. This video gives a sense of the program.