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Patriot Games 2014


Zatth

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I've mentioned before being on the Forensics Team at George Mason University. Along with that comes a ton of other responsibilities, and this past weekend was an event that, quite literally, has shaped my life.

 

In 2009, having moved to the U.S. only three months ago, I had been competing in this thing called Speech and Debate. I wasn't too sure about how I was doing, and whether this was for me. Then December rolled around, and I was told of the first national tournament we could attend, which was 20 mins away from us at a university called George Mason University. And so, in December of 2009 I competed in my first Patriot Games tournament. I should've realized then how magical the event was, because the Sunday of the tournament I saw snow for the first time in my life, on that campus, at that tournament.

 

A year later, I decided after my second Patriot Games that I would go to the summer camp offered by Mason. After those two and a half weeks of camp, I was hooked.

 

Junior year of Patriot Games I was lucky enough (I mean that literally, luck was the only factor that decided things), to not only final Impromptu Speaking (an event with about 200 students entered), but win. I still believe, to this day, that if it hadn't been for that I would never have been accepted on Mason's team.

 

Senior year I auditioned for the team during my last GMIF. I got on.

 

Freshman year of college, I got to host the tournament for the first time, which was kind of scary in itself.

 

And a day ago we finished hosting the 11th Annual Patriot Games Invitational.

 

It was weird to think that this little tournament helped me choose my college. Speech has opened me up to other perspectives and ideas, without which I would be a much more narrow-minded individual. I have made friends during camp and at the tournament that have been my friends and mentors for six years now, and I don't see those friendships fading any time soon. Patriot Games and GMIF have made me see that I want to give back to the community, helping me choose to major in Language Arts for Education and become a teacher (for those who have sneeze freely hand out MOCs at BrickFair, I imagine this didn't come as much of a surprise).

 

I don't think I exaggerate when I say Patriot Games is magical. It has literally steered my life in one direction. Over 120 high schools, 60,000 Speech ballots (not counting debate), and a myriad tired high schoolers and college students, and I think it was all worth it.

 

Here's the recap video we made. Enjoy:

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