Even if I see a signpost, I will not read it. Those were the words I uttered after dropping the pen for my final exam as a student in the Master’s of Geomatics for Environmental Management program at the prestigious University of British Columbia. The last two months, while not being the most difficult part of the program, has been the busiest and most engaging, ladened with the most commitment and expectations both from myself and others. It is no surprise then that it’s been two months since I last posted on this blog for you guys, and why I am not making excuses for my absence, I must admit that it has been a roller coaster of some sort for me up to this point. It is surely one which I am excited about and I will be sharing it with you all in a series of blogs in the coming days and weeks. Just in case you're so anxious and wondering what I have been up to within that time frame, here is a snippet. I have gone on from being a lab rat, to enjoying one of the best work environment (with some of the best views) you can ever imagine, and I am looking forward to my fully-funded trip in June. I know you’re wondering, another scholarship right? Your guess is just as good as mine, wait for the full gist in the next set of blog posts.
Today however, I will be talking about an activity that has shaped my life in many ways more than one - debate. While I consider myself to be a go-getter, I must admit that there is arguably no other singular activity that has tested my mettle, my grit and desire to succeed at a thing even when I was at my lowest ebb other than debate. Asides the trophies, the glory and the rep that comes with being recognized as a champion debater, debate moulds you, it transforms you from that fidgety unconvincing speaker to that person who can speak confidently even if it is at a United Nations summit. Debate takes you to places, making you cross national and continental boundaries to test yourself against the best set of thinking minds you can think of. What this gathering with intellectuals does to you is that it makes you reach out for seemingly unreachable feats. If you can survive the 57 minutes of a BP debate room with undermining and threat-like POIs coming from more experienced debaters. If you can survive the shades and teases of being called a bin room debater, and maybe manage to even secure a win in a round or even a tournament, then I am of the opinion that you can survive anything thrown at you anywhere in the world. I will be sharing with you two articles written by my friend and one-time debate rival Faithfulness Okom, talking about the undeniable importance of debate and rhetorical thinking. In the first article, he highlighted what makes West Africa’s elite debaters who they are, and in the second article he analysed the usefulness of debating as exemplified by the experiences of some of West Africa’s most prominent debate exports. You can also find the links to the articles below this blog post. During the course of my hiatus away from here, I have curated a couple of interesting topics and ideas that I will be sharing here in the coming days and weeks, ranging from my experiences as a graduate student, the highs, the lows and the uncertainties that follow, to being able to constantly stay in touch with family and friends despite the busy schedule, as well as how people tend to set their own standards when it comes to grades and their expectations for you not minding whether you are mentally able to do so or what you really want as an individual. I excitingly look forward to sharing them all with you guys here and I hope you do look forward to reading my write ups as well. If there are any topics out of those I highlighted that you would want me to drop first, feel free to connect with me via the comment section or mail, I would be reading through it all and providing responses. Yes! I am back from my hiatus! Peace and love. https://alleadeola.weebly.com/blog1/7-secrets-of-west-africas-elite-debaters-by-faithfulness-okom https://medium.com/@attorneyf14/why-we-should-all-be-debaters-d7c3347f1c12
13 Comments
5/11/2019 12:54:34 am
We have waited for your story and we have longed to read it all piece by piece. We look forward to reading in details the debate and your story of 9 months. And not forgetting how it has changed your life.
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Adeola Alle
5/11/2019 01:09:29 am
Thanks for taking time out to read through and leaving a comment, i will do just as i have promised.
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Tbozz
5/11/2019 01:21:44 am
I wanted to say its a lie!
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Adeola Alle
5/11/2019 01:25:54 am
Hahaha Tbozz, you are very correct! In fact, in less than a month from now i will be reading more than a signboard. Although i really should take a long break after that.
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INNOCENT OKORO
5/11/2019 03:52:32 am
I've been in anticipation of your story and experiences with regards to your program and other activities surrounding it.
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Adeola Alle
5/11/2019 11:43:17 am
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment Innocent, I'm glad you enjoy reading my articles, it makes me excited to do more.
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Nayla
5/11/2019 04:19:20 am
❤💙💚💖💛💜❤
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Adeola Alle
5/11/2019 11:44:06 am
You're welcome Nayla, thanks for reading too.
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Tbozz
5/11/2019 11:38:33 am
I wanted to say its a lie!
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Olujimi
5/11/2019 01:04:39 pm
I can't wait!!!
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Adeola Alle
5/13/2019 12:10:23 pm
Thanks me too!
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Princetongirl
5/11/2019 04:06:23 pm
Big ups bro but I can assure you that you will still read again and again.
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Adeola Alle
5/13/2019 12:11:10 pm
Haha. I love your optimism for me though. We'll see about that.
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AuthorAn urban planner and Geomatics analyst in training who loves to write and take pictures of beautiful scenery in his spare time. Archives
May 2019
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