Personal Narrative-Policy Debate

Those who encountered me prior to ninth and tenth grade perceived me as an inaudible girl, an extension of those around me—someone who was lacking the capability to voice her own opinions. They identified I had a complete inability to speak for myself and to express my opinions—and I regarded their words as true. In order to contradict those around me, I decided the time had come to learn how to vocalize my thoughts, yet I didn’t know what would help me. At the recommendation of many family friends, I joined policy debate—an extended form of debate, concentrated on one national subject, which required me to deliberate multiple sides of an argument. My first day of this club filled me with unconditional distress, there I sat, frightened of
being judged or of saying a word, while eight curious eyes gawked at me.