Lutz / Snyder
Debate Volleyball Sample Script
Prompt / Issue:
Who has the most responsibility for shaping the person you are today,
you or your parents?
Parents (P) vs. You (Y)
P: [volley of first argument] Parents have the most responsibility because, assuming they are raising you, they are the most constant influence, even from the womb. For example, some parents even start reading to their babies before they are born. And some people think that that makes young children become better readers as they grow up. So even from the womb parents are shaping and forming their kids into who they will become.
Y: [rebuttal] You say that parents form their kids from an early age and are the most constant influence, butnot all parents do the right thing for their children because they have their own problems or just make mistakes. Therefore many kids have to overcome a bad upbringing and decide for themselves who they want to be and work to make that happen. It doesn’t just happen by itself.
P: [rebuttal] You say not all parents do the right thing for their kids, and that is true. But children don’t raise themselves because they just aren’t capable of doing that. Until they are mature enough to act like adults, they are going to be products of whoever raises them. Therefore, whether they are aware of it or not, until they can think independently and are mature enough to make conscious life decisions on their own, they are living life the way their parents want them to.
Y: [rebuttal and new argument] You say that they are living the life their parents want them to until they can make conscious choices on their own, but what you are forgetting is that this doesn’t only happen when they are adults because children can start making their own opinions about life and the world while they are very young. Therefore they are not on a mental leash until they reach adulthood; they are thinking for themselves more and more as they get older. And another point I want to make is that as they begin to think for themselves, there are lots of other influences besides their parents that help them to make decisions about who they want to be. What about teachers? Their friends? Their friends’ parents? Who knows? Even the mailman might stop and chat with them and make an impression.