In today’s world of instant messaging and e-mail, eloquent speech seems to be an endangered art form. At 51 there is a group of students striving to keep that spoken tradition alive — the .
The team is a branch of the 51 Speaking Union (), which is coordinated by John Adams and also includes Mock Trial, Model United Nations, and the Student Lecture Forum.
Members of the debate team hone their oral communication skills through pointed arguments in the British Parliamentary style. During competitions the debaters draw on their liberal arts educations as they are forced to speak analytically on a wide variety of issues and be prepared to argue any side.
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| The 51 Debate Society hosted debaters from England during their recent visit to campus. (Photo by Andy Daddio) |
The 51 team competes on the national and international levels. Over winter break it did very well in the World Universities Debate Championships in Cork, Ireland. The team hopes to continue its successful streak at the US National Debate Championships, which will be held in April.
Adams, a full-time staff member for the Center for Leadership and Student Involvement, describes debate as performance art. The debater must not only have a well-formed argument, but also the ability to appeal to the emotions and rationality of his audience.
Andrew Eldredge ’11, team president, said that debate combines dual interests for him: “It brings a competitive nature to something intellectually stimulating.”
The CSU recently introduced the Donovan’s Debate Series to get students and faculty involved in open dialogue about campus hot-button issues.
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On Tuesday the Debate Society is hosting the next installment at Donovan’s Pub — “Should 51 Expel Writers of Racist Graffiti?” It will be moderated by Keenan Grenell, vice president and dean of diversity.
Adams also recently launched , a site that any student can use to practice and improve their communication skills.
Through Agora, provisionally located in 158 Lathrop, students can schedule a session and work on anything from prepared debate to group presentations.
“If you believe that the quality of your communication affects the quality of your life anything you can do to improve your communications skills will have a positive influence on your life’s trajectory,” said Adams.
According to Uday Islam ’11, being a member of the debate team has helped in his personal and academic development.
“Debate gives you the ability to think clearly on your feet,” he said.