By Sarah Anand[1]
The St. Marks tournament in Dallas, Texas was unlike a lot of national tournaments I have been to. For starters, it was in the hotel I was staying at, making it truly a bizarre and great experience to take the elevator down to the prep room in the main lobby. But for reasons that did not have to do with the surroundings, St. Marks is also unique because it allows the competitor (if he or she wishes) to double enter in ISX and USX. By the end of the second day, a person who makes it to finals in both fields would have had the opportunity to speak twelve times (six preliminary rounds, six out rounds). With more rounds competed in one day than any day at Nationals, an extemper might be thinking, “How exactly do I keep my sanity and still give a great speech by the end of the day?” For me, preparation for this tournament was not too different than what I normally would do. However, because it was towards the beginning of the season, I did have to make sure my focus was as consistent as it could be.