Going out for debate in ninth grade

During the past several entries, you may have noticed that I've been telling a little bit about me as growing up. As I don't know how long we'll be kept apart - and especially if something should happen to me in the meantime - I want to share with you the story of my life so that you may know me a little better.

After junior high, in the fall of 1980, I entered ninth grade at Menomonie Senior High School in Menomonie, Wis. That autumn I went out for the debate team!

My debate partner was Suneel Arora, who is now a successful attorney in downtown Minneapolis. We were the "negative" team on a four-member team (The other two were partners who argued the "affirmative"). In short, Suneel and I argued against proposals that the other team made.

Our four-member team took first place at three tournaments - St. Croix Falls, Durand and New Richmond! Unfortunately, our school district cancelled the debate program after that year, so that was the last season the program was offered at our school.

Would you like to go out for debate or forensics when you;re in high school?   

My time in junior high school

After attending Knapp Elementary School, I went to Menomonie Junior High School. Our school district had nine different elementary schools in it, and when students reached seventh grade, they went on to the junior high school. That was the fall of 1978.

In seventh grade, I went out for track in spring and in eighth grade I went out for football in fall. Ultimately, though, I decided sports wasn't for me! I also ran for student council but didn't get elected.

Maybe the most exciting thing I did in junior high was wrote a petition in seventh grade asking for more student dances and then in eighth grade led a boycott of school lunch! I was into politics and very interested in national and international politics at the time. I guess I was a very serious young man!

My best friends in seventh grade were Brian Lindo, Kirby Quinn (who I went to elementary school with), and Troy Hathaway. In eighth grade, my friends gradually changed, and my two best friends were Carl Tilseth and Mike Gansberg.