In the following pages I will discuss my journey through the debating process. My debating position was on the negative or opposition side for the following issue: “That all registered nurses must have swine flu shot". I will review what I did to prepare, what worked, what didn’t work, and what I would do differently next time. 
Preparation
As I reflect on my preparation for the debate assignment I have to say I felt a bit intimidated. I had never participated in an official debate and I felt my debating skills were lacking. Initially I was perplexed as to how I could successfully debate a topic on the affirmative side, if I was passionately against it. After much contemplation I decided to seek clarification through the course professor. Dr. Vandall-Walker provided excellent justification for participating in a debate, on either side of an argument.  It suddenly all came together: this assignment wasn’t about debating, it was about developing critical analysis and research skills. Debating forces one to look at all the facts surrounding an issue whether supportive or not. Dr. Vandal-Walker also pointed out that considering all the facts helps to remove the passion from an argument, thereby allowing one to think more clearly. 
What Was Done
Now that I had a clear understanding of the assignment, I was ready to start the process. My first step was to review all the suggested debating resources. I accessed the web site “Debate Central” and found a plethora of information on debating. Initially I was overwhelmed, and I didn’t know where to start. Then Dr. Vandal-Walker made a suggestion to watch the movie “The Great Debaters” - now that was my kind of homework. I had seen the movie before but watched it from a different perspective: enjoyment as opposed to gaining some debating tips. The movie was an excellent resource, however I was confused again. Dr. Vandal-Walker had pointed out that debating allows you to get by the passion and emotions, yet the debaters in the movie used the passion in their tone of voice and their actions to sway the audience.  I’m still trying to figure that out. Nonetheless, I was debating online and therefore would not have an opportunity to use conviction and passion in my voice, my instrument would be words. With that in mind I concluded that I should try to incorporate some visuals in the presentation to evoke some emotions in the audience, and my opponent.  Moreover I would have to chose my words wisely and present my argument in a logical organized fashion. 
After reviewing the resource “Tips for Debaters” I extracted some important tips and applied them to my presentation. My first step was deciding on the stance I would take to build my main argument. After reviewing the literature, I decided the best position to take was arguing for registered nurses’ right to chose. I felt this was effective in the debate because there was strong evidence supporting all individuals’ right to choice when it comes to medical interventions. In addition, I found reference to the Canadian labour board ruling against a provincial regulation seeking mandatory influenza vaccination for first responders (Ryan & Yeadon, 2002).
Now that my main argument was well developed and supported, I needed to consider other sides of the argument. The fact was that the second wave of the swine flu pandemic was expected and the vaccine was an effective way to prevent the spread. Logically thinking I had to find evidence to dispute the urgency of this pending second wave and focus on other effective ways of preventing the spread of infection. Based on the feedback from fellow classmates I think my approach was successful. 
What Worked
I found my rebuttal to be most effective. Keeping in mind that the rebuttal is one of the most important parts of any debate I tried to apply the tips provided in “Tips for Debaters”. My approach consisted of attacking the major themes in the opposition’s case, instead of responding one by one to each argument. Based on the feedback from fellow classmates this appeared to be effective. Also the use of a scenario/analogy was somewhat helpful.  At times I felt like a lawyer, trying to ignite doubt in the minds of the jurors.  
What Didn’t Work?
As I look back I think my closing arguments could have been stronger and maybe should have been directed more at my opponent’s rebuttal. I almost felt as if I ran out of steam and I was repeating the same thing over again. In response to all the great feedback in the discussion forum, I felt I just needed to make some minor adjustments to my argument. The point that stands out in my mind was the organization of my presentation. It appeared to cause some confusion for the class as some noted that my position statement was unclear in the beginning. To rectify this problem I stated my position on the very first slide, along with some graphics to infuse the point.  
What Would Be Done Differently Next Time
I find it somewhat difficult to discuss what I would do differently next time without the feedback from the course expert. Although most of the feedback I received from the class was positive, I still feel the need to have confirmation from the course professor. In view of the fact that I had conducted extensive research on the topic I felt prepared. However, throughout my presentations I did not use the terms premise or fallacy. In fact, other debaters did use these terms throughout their presentations. Initially my thinking was that you don’t label the premises in your argument, yet you build your argument based on your premises. Now, after seeing other presentation with each premise labelled, I question my thinking. Perhaps next time it would be beneficial to label my premises and in the rebuttal label my opponents arguments as fallacies where appropriate. 
Conclusion
My journey through the debating process turned out to be a very enriching experience. It really opened my eyes to the fact that nothing is absolutely “right” and nothing is absolutely “wrong”. I have a better understanding of, and respect for, other’s perspectives. Also, I gained a real appreciation for looking at issues from all sides, skills that will be very helpful when critically analyzing literature and research data. In relation to research:  I guess it’s not only important to dig until you find what you’re looking for - you must dig until you find what others are looking for as well. To achieve a true understanding of an issue it is crucial to analyze it from all angles and perspectives. I have to say, I started this journey with much angst, however the destination reached was truly worth the effort.