Candy Jar Page #5

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a lot of things, Bennett.

Look, I'll make the changes

and see you tomorrow.

We're gonna do great.

I know I've said it a thousand times,

but I really am sorry.

- It's fine, Mom.

- No, it's not.

I let Julia get under my tits,

and then I made it worse.

If I had just kept

my hilarious mouth shut,

you would've already qualified for State.

Or maybe I just lost that day.

Are you kidding me? Did you see

how stupid some of those kids were?

Talented.

In their own way.

Whoa! Take it easy with that stuff.

They won't even recognize you.

Look, I'm just... I'm flustered, okay?

We have no chemistry.

We disagree in strategy,

we have opposite routines and I just...

I don't know how it's gonna work!

I just wanted to tell you

that I spoke to the debate leadership

on the county and state levels

about Amy's primal impulses

and that unfortunate altercation.

And they assured me

that I was in the right, of course,

and that you would be judged fairly.

- Whatever.

- Well... No.

This is good news, Bennett.

You are going to qualify

for the state tournament today

and you are going to win

the state tournament.

And you will go to Yale in the fall.

But first, I have to compete

in the debate tournament

with a brand new partner

whom I've hated my entire life.

We all know who's carrying this team.

Goodbye, Mom.

- Excuse me.

- Would you...?

We negate that the cost of college

education is outweighed by benefits.

We affirm the costs of a college

education are outweighed by the benefits.

That's the right height.

Look at the difference of the height.

...indicates college graduates

are more likely to earn higher salaries

pay more taxes, taxed at a higher rate...

- This is our area.

- Get it out of my area.

We're on a team. This is our area.

Without college educations, prospective

employees will be ill-equipped...

That's why you must vote neg.

Is anyone not ready?

Our high school is inferior to yours.

We'd bet you money, if we had any.

We have no fancy research databases,

no personal laptop computers.

No debate coaches with

national championships on their rsum.

No, our debate coach works at Sears

on the weekends

because he needs the money.

So the moment that timer starts,

we're already ten steps behind

and are forced to play catch-up.

Well, we don't have to worry about them.

What? Why not?

They're good, really good.

This approach rarely wins. Replacing

feelings for facts is not debate.

The judges will see through it.

- Have you ever debated against it?

- Have you?

Jania Santos. Want to hear her story?

She was top of her high school class.

Went to a fancy liberal arts school

on the East Coast

and graduated

with a BA in European History.

And guess what she's doing now?

Sears.

She's working at Sears

with our debate coach!

You know, what are these colleges

really offering

if they're not offering careers?

- It's bullshit!

- It's bullshit!

All I'm saying is how do we prepare

to debate someone's personal experiences?

There's no way

to anticipate what they'll say.

No. We dismiss it as contrary

to the framework of the debate topic

and the judges will agree

that what they're saying is meaningless.

You think what they're saying

is meaningless?

I think that the facts will always win

and you do, too.

See what I told you?

Honestly, they shouldn't even

give a trophy for a qualifier.

You can have it.

You earned it. Give yourself a break.

- I don't have time for breaks.

- You're nervous, aren't you?

- About State?

- No, about getting into Harvard.

It's this Friday.

- You told them you qualified?

- Yeah, I did.

You're a four-time qualifier.

That's amazing!

Yeah, but am I gonna get in?

- You'll do great.

- You don't know that.

They'd be lucky to have you.

Look, Harvard has a five percent

acceptance rate.

That means that there's a 95 percent

chance that I don't get in.

- Maybe you're different.

- Maybe I'm not.

Maybe I'm not any different.

Maybe I'm just another robot

who spends too much time in the library.

- Is that really what you think?

- I don't know and neither do you.

Okay.

Fine.

You're right.

It doesn't look good.

In fact, it looks pretty shitty.

We're talking about Harvard, so the odds

are clearly stacked against you

and it's more than likely

you'll be rejected.

Is that better?

Lona, I don't have a clue

where you're gonna end up.

Not in a year.

Not ten years from now.

We don't know what's gonna happen.

Nobody does.

No matter where you go,

will you promise me something?

What?

You're not gonna like it.

In fact, many extremely successful people

will completely disagree with me.

I don't know. I hesitate

to even bring it up. Maybe I'll just...

Where are you going with this?

When I started working here,

that wall was empty.

That bookcase was empty.

And then kids like you left.

And they got into their dream school,

or they didn't.

But all of them went on to do stuff.

Make stuff.

And so they sent me stuff.

And I'm not sure

but I think that's a life.

Wherever you end up, kiddo,

have fun.

Now. Now.

Okay, let's type in my password.

Okay, here we go.

No matter what happens,

I love you and I'm so proud of you.

Your father would be, too.

All right.

Here it is. Here it is.

I'm sorry.

I thought you were already up.

Well, he's the valedictorian of his class

and a living president

wrote his letter of recommendation.

Look, I'm not saying

that you made a mistake,

but I wouldn't be surprised if you had.

No, I'm not trying to tell you

how to run your institution,

but as an alumnus, I'm saying

I'm exceptionally disappointed

by your decision.

Well, obviously, you're forgetting

that I contributed $100,000...

- Are you out of your mind?

- Bennett.

- You're not helping.

- You know what? You're right.

Why don't we fly out there again

and have another in-person interview?

- They've made up their minds.

- No.

It's not that simple... Bennett.

Bennett, it's never that simple.

I know these people.

Sometimes you just have

to bend their arm...

No! There's no bending.

They saw the application,

and it wasn't good enough.

End of story. Sometimes you lose.

Lose?

What are you...?

No.

We still have plenty of time for me

to call my friend who owes me.

The only thing I should focus on

is that dude in the mirror, remember?

This is different.

You have to start considering a world

where I don't go to Yale.

This is your future, Bennett.

I'm gonna need you

to take it a bit more seriously.

You don't think I know that?

You know how much time

I've spent trying to get in?

How many classes I've taken?

How many nights I've gotten no sleep?

I wanted it bad. But so what?

Will I not have a future

if I don't go to Yale?

Not as bright a future.

Wow!

So it's all bullshit?

What?

You give out college scholarships

- to poor kids who can't afford it.

- Bennett.

They're not going to Yale or Harvard.

You send them to public school.

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