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Give My Peers Just A Little Credit

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2008

So I'm sitting through my final round at a speech and debate tournament thinking, "If I hear one more speech about the problem with America, I am going to nose-dive into an inescapable depression and become a 17-year-old alcoholic."

As a member of my speech and debate team, I compete in original oratory in which students present a 10-minute memorized speech on the topic of their choice, usually some overarching social problem.

During a typical weekend tournament, I sit through five rounds, with six competitors in each round, which means I am informed of the 30 ways I contribute to the downfall of modern society, which makes for some pretty low self-esteem.

However, I always leave inspired, for here are teenagers spending their Saturdays in suits, trying to change the world in 10 minutes.

It seems all we ever hear about is "youth in peril." The youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, and that makes a lot of people nervous.

Yes, there are 17-year-old alcoholics. Yes, the high school dropout rate is unacceptably high. And, yes, a special recently aired titled "Generation Rx" that investigated teens' addiction to prescription drugs (whoever thought of that title must be pretty proud of themselves).

But despite all this, I don't think our future is as dim as it's made out to be.

I know scads of wannabe doctors, athletes who have clocked in more than 100 service hours and students who spent last summer on a mission trip to Panama. I am humbled not only by my peers' drive to succeed, but also by their selflessness.

I am not asking for recognition, just a little faith.

In original oratory, the speaker presents the causes and effects of a social problem. But he or she also comes up with a solution. Idealistic, and sometimes impractical, as these solutions may be, they remind me that we are capable of forging a brighter tomorrow.

Emily Matras is a student at King High School.

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