tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27614388.post1246182176270843005..comments2011-10-28T11:40:05.772-04:00Steve Llanohttps://profiles.google.com/115476743492893390618noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27614388.post-78653087035356498582011-10-28T11:31:14.627-04:002011-10-28T11:31:14.627-04:00A Few Other Things a Debate Club Might Do With Its Extensive Debate Prowess<br /><br />by,<br />Cale <br /><br />- Largesse! Collect donations from parents, boosters, etc. (because that’s so easy to get). What should be done w/ the money? Debate it out (publicly or privately) and enact the results.<br />Resolved: We should totally give all this money to Habitat for Humanity or something.<br />Resolved: No way! Invest and donate the yield in perpetuity.<br />Resolved: Nah, let&#39;s keep it and go to more tournaments.<br /><br /><br />- Philosophy! Science! Engage with a current problem in philosophy or science (or choose another discipline entirely) and try to solve or advance it through one debate or perhaps a series (Philosophy Debate Tournament? Semester-long project?). Contact current authors, research positions and attempt to publish your findings w/ all debaters as co-authors. This would gain academic professional experience (engaging w/ the publication process). Also, it uses your finely honed tool in a different way, perhaps finding a new way to apply or improve it.<br /><br />- Politics! Who’s the best candidate (president, congress, mayor or otherwise)? Have a public debate, especially in non-normal places, such as the street or a park; guerrilla debate. Or, create a club blog or YouTube channel deconstructing and critiquing public political debates. Offer solutions to improve; demonstrate what the candidate should have said or done. This requires a wider range of rhetorical expertise and analysis, I would guess. Many, if not most, people associate debates with politics. This idea would build up a natural bridge between a popular view of debate and the debate that is practiced by the club.<br /><br />- Current Affairs! OWS. Suckers or heroes? Is the demonstration actually accomplishing anything or is it only a blaring voice in the wilderness? Have the protesters exceeded whatever limits to free speech there are? They’ve gone big…should they now go home? Perhaps have the debate in the midst of the protesters themselves. Might be dangerous or totally awesome or both. This idea has the advantage of engaging with a significant current happening and distilling opinions and actions associated with an important social movement.Philoscifihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299806822230048719noreply@blogger.com