Jordan Debate

Recently, I was involved in a debate over Skype with two kids from Jordan. We were able to utilize technology in a completely new way for an activity that has become relatively monotonous over time. We debated the topic: The United States should actively spread democracy in the middle east. When you think about it on a surface level, this is just really really cool. We were able to learn and collaborate with some of the smartest people around the world. Our opponents were named the top debaters in a region including Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, etc. We had relatively little background knowledge when this was assigned to us, and our opponents live this every day. Aside from being extremely well prepared, they were able to apply the knowledge they have amassed through their daily lives and apply it to the debate. Although we were definitely outmatched, we held our ground. This was able to challenge us in a way that simply debating Philadelphia schools wouldn't be able to.