Stoa tournament and Oregon

Well this last week was awesome.  First I went to a Stoa tournament in Seattle area, then got to spend the day with two of my best friends on the Oregon coast, then I got to visit Corban University in Salem for my very first college tour.

Well, let's start with the tournament.  First of all, I'm sick of the NCFCA vs. Stoa debate.  Both Stoa and NCFCA are legitimate leagues.  I have my reasons for preferring NCFCA, however I can see from an administration standpoint, and the fact that they have a more accessible National Championship why many prefer Stoa.  So why can't we just leave each other alone?  I've heard numerous competitors and even parents and tournament staff from each league insulting the other.  We're both supposed to be Christian organizations, so why can't we treat our "rival" league with a Christlike attitude?  I'm not calling out any specific people here, but I'm talking about the general attitude that I've seen at competitions.  Anyway, the "rant" part of this post can be over now.:P

So about the tournament.  I ended up going 5-1 in prelims, which surprised me.  I didn't think I did nearly that well due to the different resolution.  Besides that, my friend Drew got 1st place in LD, which was definitely the highlight of the trip.  I also did well in my persuasive and expository (IO).  God definitely used both of those speeches to make a difference in the lives of people at this tournament, and for that I am very thankful.  It's amazing how God can use us sinners to be His messengers, even if our hearts aren't always in the right place.

Then the Oregon Coast was incredible!  There's something about the ocean that always amazes me.  This was my first time to the Oregon coast, and I'm already hoping to go back this summer.  We also got to see our good friends in Cloverdale, which was a blast, even though it was short.

And then, the college.  Going on the tour was a bit intimidating, but the prospect of college life is also very exciting.  I love Oregon, so going to college there would be really cool, but it's also a long way from New Mexico, so we'll see...  All of my options are still open at this point.

So yeah, long story short: Awesome week.

-Andrew