The Other Side of the Table

The Other Side of the Table

1Inez unfolded her assignment for Thursday’s debate practice: support assigned seats at lunch. She looked across the classroom at her debate partner, Wes. “Lunch is the one time I choose who I sit with,” she said. “How am I supposed to defend taking that away?” Wes turned over their topic card. Their coach had written the same instruction on every card: Present the strongest case for your assigned side.

2That evening, Inez drafted a speech about neat rows and quiet tables. She added a joke about students needing maps to find their lunches. At practice the next day, Wes stopped her after the opening. “That sounds like a speech against our side.” Inez tapped her pencil. Making the proposal sound ridiculous had been easier than finding a reason someone might support it.

3Before rewriting, Inez asked classmates what they thought. Most mentioned friends, but Ellis described carrying a tray past crowded tables during his first week. “People said the seats were saved. After a while, I stopped asking.” Inez had expected complaints about noise or mess, not about having nowhere to belong. She crossed out her joke and asked Ellis what would have made those lunches easier.

4Her new speech argued that assigned seats could give each student a dependable place and introduce classmates who rarely spoke. She also listed a weakness: a seating chart could separate students from trusted friends. Wes suggested deleting that part. “They’ll use it against us.” Inez left it in and proposed changing seats regularly, with a way for students to request a change privately.

5During the debate, an opponent asked whether lunch should offer a break from school rules. Inez nearly answered, “Exactly.” Instead, she explained why someone who dreaded finding a seat might experience the same freedom differently. Afterward, the coach praised both teams for addressing difficult questions. No winner was announced; this practice was about building arguments, not collecting points.

6At lunch, Wes asked if Inez now wanted a seating chart. “I still want to choose,” she said, “but I wouldn’t use that first speech.” She folded her revised notes and put them beside her tray. When Ellis approached, she moved her backpack off the empty chair before he had to ask.