Saturday, March 01, 2003
at 6:08 PMLint Roller
I placed fourth, third, and fourth at TFA State Oratory prelims. The cumulative score to advance was nine; as mine was eleven, I did not advance to semis. I am mildly disappointed, but remain grateful to my judges for at least not placing me last in the entire state of Texas. Katherine loathed Student Congress and did not complete her session. Fraz, Alison, and Gary, in five rounds of Lincoln-Douglas Debate prelims, did not advance, although Alison came closest.
Mr. Powell entered Gary, Fraz, and me in impromptu consolation rounds. We all had fun, but none of us advanced. Katherine went into poetry, but she did not advance, either, although she performed well for having received the piece the night before. We left after Mr. Powell finished judging his round (around noonish or 12:30), returning home around 7:20.
I felt missing two and-a-half days of school made the trip worthwhile. As expected, Fraz provided much comic relief. No one peed his or her pants too much about not advancing at State. My noncompetitive nature prevents me from emoting an aura of failure. I only imagine how far I could have progressed had I practiced on occasion. But, oh well.
A kid named Diego Larrea, who I believe attends Cy Ridge High School, qualified for State in six events. I gleaned this information from his mother, who accompanies him to some of his tournaments and who, at the Cy Ridge tournament, operated concessions. Her sister and her sister's daughter came up from Panama (they sat at our table for awhile), Diego's two younger siblings stayed most of the tournament, I saw his father there today, and Diego's grandfather flew up from Peru. What a beloved child... I hate him.
I saw Carly (my Bill Archer roommate) and Katherine (another Archer kid). Carly did fairly well, 3-2, but did not advance. The last I saw her, she was walking to the Langham Creek table with an armful of comfort food. Katherine and Gary know each other and conversed intermittently throughout the tournament, but I did not hear before leaving how Katherine did.
Scott, the Rainforest Cafe trainer, qualified for State in Dramatic Interpretation and Duet Acting, a fact of which I was unaware until I spied him walking across the commons area Thursday. He displayed an aloof, pompous attitude toward me, and I feel mildly guilty about being rather glad he did not advance out of prelims in either of his events. Jerks do not deserve to win, unless they work hard. Perhaps I judge him too harshly.
