Speech and debate. Model United Nations. Journalism. If you’re a Georgetown University student, you probably did or know someone who did at least one of those activities in high school. As someone who has done all three, I was unsure if I should keep pursuing them or try something different as I entered college. I had a few conflicting thoughts about continuing what I’ve proven to be good at, but one was constant: In college, I would never debate again.
That mindset lasted for exactly 10 days since I arrived at Georgetown. During a walk back to New South Hall, I stumbled upon a poster for the Philonomosian Society, or Nomos, with the resolution focusing on whether deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., was the correct decision. On Aug. 27, I dusted off my suit and headed to Hariri 415. Little did I know that exactly five debates later, I would find myself as the first first-year student this semester to keynote a Nomos debate.
While my path doesn’t apply to every Hoya on the Hilltop, I believe that my experience through testing an activity I was unsure about is a testament to the merits of sticking to your strengths and continuing to seek opportunities on campus. I call on Georgetown students, especially first-years, to tread unfamiliar ground, put themselves out there and to persevere above all else.
Being a keynoter is daunting, but my experience with public speaking made it much easier. As Georgetown students, we must play to our strengths — whatever they may be. Those strengths are the reason we’re here on the Hilltop, and whether you continue to develop them or use them to hone new skills, it’s always great to start with the strong foundation you’ve undoubtedly built over many years.
Additionally, I’ve found that even if you continue an activity from high school, the flexibility of campus clubs allows you to enjoy it more. In my experience, speech and debate required participants to follow a strict formula of speech and syntax in order to be a strong competitor. Though I tried adjusting small elements of that formula to fit my own style, it still wasn’t “me.”
However, finding a club in college that allowed me to embrace my preferred style of balancing humor and substance has been important for my first-year experience. Whether it was by wearing a fedora during my keynote speech or showcasing my own art pieces to substantiate one of my arguments, I was able to give a speech that represented me and the way I communicate with others.
Furthermore, keynoting pushed me to be more collaborative with others and to think of conflicting perspectives, something essential for first-year students as they encounter a broader world in beginning college. Whether it was by working with my co-keynoter on the framework of the debate or by addressing potential counterarguments to the claims I would lay out, my experience up to and during my keynote has only made me a better thinker and peer, something I believe is integral to a Georgetown experience. When you start with what you know, it’s more likely that you’ll end up sparking a different kind of flame with the same kindling that, over time, will be vastly different from the one you’ve lit before.
Secondly, my experience is a testament to the benefits of simply putting yourself out there regardless of what may follow. At Georgetown, a fixation on perfection and the fear of failure often discourage students from pursuing some opportunities — whether it’s a club application, a job interview or a research project. However, you cannot allow these fixations and fears to stop you from persevering.
My experience allowed me to pursue chances I did not otherwise think would be available. For example, I did not expect Nomos leadership to take me seriously when I asked to keynote; however, I was fortunate enough to be granted that opportunity. Instead of biting my tongue in timid self-censorship, I asked. Had I not sought to get my foot in the door, I wouldn’t have had one of the best nights I’ve experienced on this campus. All it takes is a single “yes,” and after that, it’s smooth sailing.
While it may be intimidating at a university like Georgetown — infamous for its rigorous academic and pre-professional culture — our presence here demands that we take these leaps of faith. This is what the Georgetown education should encourage from students. My experience with Nomos is a testament to the utility of taking a leap of faith, which is why I urge other students to experiment with new activities. Nobody is counting your misses. Whether or not you shoot your shot by playing to your strengths, the common denominator is that the bullseye you eventually land will be that much more rewarding.
Sven Stumbauer is a first-year in the School of Foreign Service.
