HUMANS OF BHS: Sophomore, Emily Linder

HUMANS OF BHS: Sophomore, Emily Linder

HUMANS OF BHS

Today’s Profile (2/12/16): Emily Linder, sophomore

  • Do you like debate? If so, what do you like about it?

“I like debate a lot, I love researching different aspects of the designated topic (this year it was about the United States curbing domestic surveillance) which are always broad enough to take it into lots of different directions. I also enjoy the actual debate, it is a high-pressure atmosphere where you have to rely on your speaking skills along with the research you have with you.”

  • What is debate? What do you do?

“Each speaker gets a set amount of time to present evidence, answer any questions the other team has, and to summarize their points and tear down the attacks posed by the other team. If you are on the Affirmative team, your job is to come with a case, and the Negative team has to try and persuade a judge what horrible things would happen to our world if your case is put in place.”

  • How does one qualify for state?

“To qualify for state, you have to have more wins than losses overall, and you also need to have a certain amount of wins in the open division, where JV, Novice, and Varsity debaters all compete together.”

  • How many hours of studying/researching do you do?

“Overall, I’d say I spent almost every class period researching some new aspect of United States surveillance laws, and I probably now know more about drones, the TSA, and the NSA than a lot of adults do.”

  • What do you do at state? How did you do?

“My amazing partner, Lyla Goans, and I went to state together, and even though we came home with a 0-6 record, we improved as debaters overall, had a lot of fun together, and were some of the first students in a long time to go to State Debate from our school which is exciting as well.”