A Tale of Two Academic Teams

Chapter 2: Tutoring caught in the crossfire

When, at the first quiz bowl practice after the LQBA Fall Invitational, the news arrive concerning the Isidore Newman Invitational, which is slated to be the most prestigious and toughest debate tournament the Venomous Agendas are entered into this season that isn't a state championship, they are going to attend it. The final manifest of attendees is released...

"Imélie, I'm sorry, but for the LQBA Winter Invitational South, I am forced to miss it because I have a debate tournament on the same day" Sadie announces to the quiz bowl captain.

"What?" Imélie exclaims, surprised by this announcement.

"We are going to attend the Isidore Newman Invitational. It's the most prestigious debate tournament on our schedule that isn't a state championship"

"Don't worry, Sadie. We already qualified for the HSNCT because we won the LQBA Fall Invitational South. I know you trust me and the fine arts player for history and RPMSS. But please check the remainder of your debate schedule against the quiz bowl schedule so such things don't happen again"

While we have more tournaments on our schedule, mostly local, than quiz bowl does, we have 2 quiz bowl tournaments left after LQBA Winter. Dutchtown and quiz bowl-State. We won our ticket to quiz bowl-State by being 4th at Tal Atkins, Sadie muses, while checking the debate team's tournament schedule against the quiz bowl team's.

"No, we don't have debate tournaments on the same week as Dutchtown or quiz bowl-State. Both debate state championships are held after quiz bowl-State"

"Good luck at Isidore Newman then"

After the football season ended, the football head coach ordered some players to attend any of the academic team practices, if they underperformed in at least one area. The next day, it seems like Sadie caught the eye of a defensive end while she is mired in a drill where Joe is made to flow, that is, take notes.

"Wow!" the defensive end comments, while listening to Sadie delivering her opening statement on some resolution related to American foreign policy in East Asia. "You must know your stuff!"

Oh my God, this is not going to end well. For the first time this season, the football team sent us some underperforming players, in hopes we could help them. I know where this is going: we are going to explain the very basics of writing debate opening statements to them, or some notions in social studies they need help in, at the expense of actual practice. I understand why the football coach would see in us a source of tutors, Sadie muses while she is confused by the sudden appearance of not just the defensive end, but also a few other football players, most of which are older than the debate players. This leads Sadie to voice a concern over the sudden appearance of football players at the debate team's practices.

"Coach, there's something wrong. For some reason, the football team seems to have sent some of their players our way" Sadie warns the debate coach after her opening statement drill is over.

"I recognize some of them" the original oratory player comments. "All these football players I recognize need help either in language arts or social studies"

"They're just going to drag us down for no reason! We are not going to break down the basics of writing, say, a debate's opening statements during our own practices, or to explain some concept of government! "Daisy, the Lincoln-Douglas player, adds to this cacophony of complaints.

"You will go complain on our behalf, because the football coach doesn't like me" the debate coach pleads with his players.

Sadie then proceeds to email the debate and quiz bowl teams' depth charts to the football head coach, explaining to him the concerns with sending underperforming players to academic team practices, while suggesting they should instead make its players available to contact for tutoring outside of team practices. She also asks Imélie to send the math team's depth chart, while she is at a math team practice, so the football team can have a manifest of all the academic teams' members.