The Clout Controversy
By Lila Daoudi
First off, ignore the title, I’m just a huge fan of alliterations. I don’t think clout should be a contentious issue and I hope that this article will demystify it/attempt to reduce the “hype” people tend to put around certain debaters. I aim to take a multi-pronged approach to a comment that was left on our survey regarding how clout can affect one’s career or how it can affect people in round. Also, feel free to take all this with a grain of salt. I’m just a kid yapping about my idealistic opinions about what debate should be or what the debate community should be like from my perspective. I am also a big fan of discourse so feel free to reach out to me if you disagree, have further questions, or would simply like to chat further. I’m treating this like a blog so it just serves to articulate my opinions on the subject matter and I don’t mean it to be taken as more than that. Some reasonings:
0. Debate is just an educational activity, we are a bunch of nerds.
I don’t know how much this helps in mitigating some of the issues one faces regarding clout, but I want to start off this article with a brief reality check/reminder to ground ourselves. We are nerds who talk quickly, probably have spit on our screen, freak out over cool uniqueness articles, and know way too much about communism for our parents’ liking. I think reframing what debate should mean to us will help in creating the kind of culture the community has and wants to have. If we all recognize that debate is a fun, educational activity I feel as though we will able to all enjoy and engage with it better. I think some people have a tendency to focus too much on clout, or equate a person’s value to their skills in debate. This is kind of counter intuitive and dare I say wrong given that people have other skills or tend to prioritize other things, which is totally OK. Debate caters to a niche audience and potentially ignores people who might not be able to engage with it (spread, flow, etc). It is not the end all be all of life and it might not even be real world applicable. I love debate a lot as an activity, but I also just want to make clear that there is no world in which it should define people, their worth, or one’s self-worth.
0. Clout and the role it plays in education
This particular survey response worried about how it would affect being taken on by a coach. I have some personal opinions that might blend into this as well as I write. People who selectively choose who to coach based on “clout” rather than drive or the caliber of a person are probably not someone you would want to be coached by? I also think that there are great coaching and debate alternatives that provide opportunities regardless of skill set. I’m a huge proponent of Urban Debate Leagues if you’re able to be part of them, I love the community and the staff. Additionally, I know programs like Debate Drills enables you to pursue debate at various services and in terms of desired vigor. Again, I do not think coaches or private coaching groups should be the determiner of your worth either as a debater or a person. I wish debate was a more equitable and accessible activity, but I also think that being treated with respect and being around people who will treat you with respect is important.
0. Being at a disadvantage vs. a popular debater
This one is totally normal and I have almost nothing to say about this because I have soooo been there. I have a few things to note. Everyone is nervous. The top seed is nervous. The bottom seed is nervous, maybe even more nervous. The other thing to note is that upsets do happen. Charles de Gaulle and the French lost to a makeshift Algerian and Moroccan army. I’ve seen 32nd seeds beat 1st seeds. There is always hope and a ballot should never be written before the round even starts. Also, no debate round defines you and neither does a decision on Tabroom. Also, being nervous is okay and a normal experience.
0. Is clout important? Is it an adequate determiner of skill?
Short Answer: No. Absolutely not.
Long Answer: There are so many great debaters who are so much more than being good at debate. Personally I look up to Iris Chen and DD coach in a lot of ways. Iris was always a phenomenal teammate and more than that a phenomenal friend. He always helped or prepped friends out of round despite having the potential to hit them at the same tournament. He cared a lot about people and how they were doing beyond just their skill as a debater. Outside of debate he was beyond talented and a phenomenal programmer and history student. Also, there are tons of people without clout or who might not be hyped up on the circuit that are not only good debaters, good people, but straight up AMAZING at other things and activities.
The point and gist of this article is that debate should never define one’s worth. It is an activity that we take part in because we all enjoy and love it, I sincerely hope the activity doesn’t get warped or that something occurs that would make you lose your love for it. I hope that this article has helped with the fact that debaters have different dimensions and that clout is not only arbitrary but it approaches people from a single lens, when they are in fact so much more than that.