In the peak of the summer blockbuster season, I caught Resolved by channel flipping this afternoon. It focuses two high school debate teams from distinctly different social and economical backgrounds : California’s Long Beach High School and Texas’s Highland Park High School. One of the most interesting things I learned is that these debates are nearly impossible for the average person to comprehend because of a widely used tactic known as “spreading” or speed-reading. Because the debates are subject to a time-limit – participants speed read their arguments at a mind boggling pace. This tactic and format is subject to criticism because the incomprehensible arguments are not at all like the tactics used in actual forums such as congress, court, or even on your favorite news program.
