Author: Bradon Bryngelson, University of Wyoming debater I have spent nearly a decade in the debate community in one form or another. Nowhere near as much time as some that I consider mentors or peers, but enough for me to feel like I can identify with the community thoroughly. Throughout my time I’ve had wonderful experiences and… not so wonderful experiences. One of my least favorite experiences has been the times I’ve had when I tell someone I debate and they respond with, “Schools actually have debate clubs still?” I think this is a pervasive idea not just among the scholastic community, but even within the debate realm as well. The assumption often is that the debate community holds no real-world impacts and is secluded to its own room in the House of Extracurricular Activities. The truth is, the things we do today are built off the foundation of the past and will stretch into the future in ways we can’t imagine. [click read more to continue below the fold] This is the story of how the debate community has stretched from the past to connect me to a piece of my family I never knew about before. I always believed I was the only one in my family who participated in debate. I was just interested in the more mental activities than physical. Don’t get me wrong, my family is comprised of very intelligent people, but the men were very traditional and preferred physical sports while the women more often than not were busy with Church activities (AKA a very conservative background). I always believed I was singular in my family with what I chose to pursue.
My world got a new perspective the day my coach (Matt Liu, University of Wyoming Director of Debate) approached me and asked if I knew a “Brian Bryngelson”. See, my coach had seen old records for the University of Wyoming Debate Team and had come across the name Brian Bryngelson. Out of curiousness Matt asked me if there was any relation. Little did he know, in that moment he started me on a very complex (and weird) journey. I told Matt I had never heard of Brian and that was that. However, my own curiosity led me to looking up Brian. The problem was, there were a few different Brian Bryngelsons and I didn’t have enough info (or interest) to continue onwards. That was until the Wyoming High School State Championship that happened last month. During that time I was lucky enough to have wonderful conversations with judges who had once been part of the UW Debate Team themselves. They asked the same question: “Do you know Brian Bryngelson?” Before, I could have passed it off as a coincidence. Maybe he was an unrelated Bryngelson. Yeah, my name surname is somewhat unique but there’s a lot of people in the world and even the most unique names are bound to have some copies, right? During this time, I got another piece of information. He was from Worland, WY. Much like before, my curiosity got the better of me and I went back online. With his name, his participation in UW Debate, and his hometown, I managed to find him through Facebook. Now I don’t necessarily want to admit to Facebook stalking but for the sake of story I’m willing to give. My first step was to look at his friends. My thought process being if I could track his friends and family to mine, then maybe I could prove or disprove any relation. I noticed a few connections between friends of his and friends of my father. But not enough to be sure. So instead I asked my father if he knew Brian. Using what I had and working together, we eventually found the connection. Brian was my third cousin. His grandfather and my grandfather were cousins, our fathers second cousins, and us…. yeah. Let’s get to the payoff of all this work. After drawing the connection, I messaged Brian. A simple hello. After a while he got back to me and we started talking. I soon learned of a great number of weird connections. He has the major I’m pursuing. He is working in the position I want to work one day. Most importantly, he was exactly who I am in his time during debate. Brian was a great debater who saw many accomplishments during his time here. All of his peers spoke very highly of him. He has been on and validated the path I want to follow. I am finishing my second year in college debate and even now I still feel like a small fish in a big pond from time to time. But I saw what Brian had accomplished and it gave me confidence. It validated my path and my choices. Not only that, but at the same time I ran into peers of his that have talked to me and spent time teaching me to be a better debater. I’ve gained so many great experiences out of this journey. I found and have connected to a side of my family I would have never known otherwise. I have become a better debater through examining and being taught the careers of those who have come before me. I have become a better person for finding my peers and connecting to other people in meaningful ways. Debate, sometimes, unfortunately feels like the things we do now will carry no weight in the future. We’ll spend our time here and now and fade away. This simply isn’t true. The activities we preform now will only cement a legacy that those who come after us can latch onto. Brian set a legacy for me to follow that has made me a better debater and person. Something I could not have achieved without this fantastic community. So please remember, this isn’t an isolated sport. Debate has real life impacts. It can bring generations who would have never met together. The relationships and connections you build in this activity are as real as any other and change the world in real and tangible ways. I now have more peers, mentors, and family because of the journey I went on. Granted I may be an extreme example, but its good to know that the things we do know carry on in fantastic ways. This activity is larger than many give it credit for. Hopefully, it stays that way so in the future another student can have their “Brian Bryngelson” moment and find the great connections and wonderful experiences through debate across generations.
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