A strange thing has happened: HF debate got good. They’ve had kids go to Tournament of Champions. I ask you, what the F?
Shouldn’t there somewhere be a monument to HF debate tradition? To goonishness? To Kum-and-Go? To unreasonable, relentlessly-run, improperly-applied kritiks (run as advantages on the affirmative and disads on the negative)?
With your help, there can be. And it'll be a really amazing thing.
Seth Bressack and I invite you to help establish a debate award in memory of Tom Bringley, exemplar of all that was good, good-hearted, and screwy about our little era. (The late Haywoodian.)
We present to you the annual prize....
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THE TOM BRINGLEY VARSITY 1st SPEAKER AWARD
Homewood-Flossmoor Debate Invitational
In Memory of Thomas Bringley
Steve Bernow Fellow
Tellus Institute
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(If you're not clued in on Steve Bernow, see
here. Tom is giggling a Tom Bringley giggle.)
Clearly, the best thing about debate was the way we younger debaters were taught by the older, and how we in turn became all-knowing mentors to the novices. Well, my generation looked up to Tom like hell. He was a great, warm, ridiculous teacher. The best. What a frickin' great time. (The very opposite of a debacle.) Let's remember it, and him.
So, at risk of getting all Ploufe on you, we need your help! The 1st Speaker award trophies will be presented to HF Debate along with a (hopefully) generous, endowed gift, used to sustain the program while its finances are in trouble, and given in Tom's memory. It will be used to defray travel and hotel costs, cover tournament fees, pay judges, give small scholarships to summer institute, you name it.
When you give, please think back to ALL that debate gave you (on the school's or your parents' dime). It really was an absurdly big part of a lot of our high school lives. I did not have a locker; I had the debate office.
So $20, $50, $100, or ? would be an amazing, late payment for all those services, and a real help to the program. (And if your parents would also like to chip in we'd give them a big big thanks).
The more we raise, the more years Seth and I will feel comfortable asking HF to commit to giving out this award. We hope to raise at least $2000.00. We'll keep you up to date on the progress.
Here's to you, Tom Bringley, you wonderful ol' fellow at the Tellus Institute! Glenbrook NOTHIN!
-- Patrick
