…you find yourself making powerpoint slides on a Friday night… Gah. Anyhow, this is the life I lead these days. Tuesday afternoon is the last group presentation in Prof. Zhang’s Theories of Sustainable Development class, and it just so happens to be my group — big mistake. While all of my group-mates are intelligent and can satisfactorily articulate their ideas in English… well, for the scam we’re cookin’ they wanted someone who could take the heat and take it like a pro.

I mentioned before that this was the last group presentation. I should also mention that we will be presenting on the 2nd to last class day, as T of SD ends earlier than my other classes. So, after sitting through 6 weeks and approximately 25hrs of lectures on the theory, major policies, and history of sustainable development, my group and I are going to close out the course with 20 brilliant minutes on why SD is practically impossible.

It takes something a little more intangible than mere “balls” or “nerve” to conclude a course by persuasively arguing before one’s peers and sensei that everything we just studied is fundamentally unrealistic, if not nigh impossible. We are absolutely courting controversy. So while we prepare our final presentation draft this weekend, as the sole presenter I’m sharpening my improvisational debate skills for the inevitable fusillade of objections, disagreements, and flat out anger during the post-presentation commentary section that our proposition is expected to generate.

Mind you, it shall not be an ambush. My group would never have undertaken such a blatantly controversial topic if we didn’t think ourselves savvy enough to defend it. Rather, it will be glorious, for I shall stand alone astride the stage armed with the twin revolvers Truth and Rationale, gleaming silver barrels trained upon my audience, daring – just daring them to match wits with the combined intellect of my brilliant group, for which I am the plenipotentiary.

Bring thine paltry objections, for I thirst for battle, and I shall smitith thee…