toadallytexan
ToadallyTexan
There is a timely topic upon which reasonable minds can disagree. Should TCU end its status as a gun-free zone?
Public universities are being targeted by the legislature to be required NOT to ban firearms, with private universities being given the option to continue to ban guns or not.
Dr. Boschini is considering his options on the matter.
My wife taught debate, high school and college. To stir interest in the activity she staged what I think was called an "Oxford Style" Debate. There was equal seating in the room where the debate was held. It was split-- with half on the right and half on the left. One side was designated as being for the proposition...the PRO side, and the other was labeled as the CON side.
There was nowhere else to sit, so you sat in the area in favor of the argument where you were at least leaning when the debate started. The total number present were counted. Then the teams debated.
As the debate progressed, and sound arguments were made, persons were encouraged to get up and actually change sides. At the end of the debate, people left, and had only two doors to make their exit...one labeled PRO, the other CON. Unless you had someone to bring you a sandwich, like Charley on the MTA, you had to vote, not abstain.
If VB wants to gather info on the topic, this would be a good way to entertain and engage the students themselves, while the debaters honed their skills at argumentation and supporting their positions with hard data. Presumably their research would be shared with the administration. The Speech Department would also introduce students in the activity of intercollegiate debate, or at least, get its name out there.
Oh, and some intelligent discourse on a topic of much immediacy may even result, who knows?
Public universities are being targeted by the legislature to be required NOT to ban firearms, with private universities being given the option to continue to ban guns or not.
Dr. Boschini is considering his options on the matter.
My wife taught debate, high school and college. To stir interest in the activity she staged what I think was called an "Oxford Style" Debate. There was equal seating in the room where the debate was held. It was split-- with half on the right and half on the left. One side was designated as being for the proposition...the PRO side, and the other was labeled as the CON side.
There was nowhere else to sit, so you sat in the area in favor of the argument where you were at least leaning when the debate started. The total number present were counted. Then the teams debated.
As the debate progressed, and sound arguments were made, persons were encouraged to get up and actually change sides. At the end of the debate, people left, and had only two doors to make their exit...one labeled PRO, the other CON. Unless you had someone to bring you a sandwich, like Charley on the MTA, you had to vote, not abstain.
If VB wants to gather info on the topic, this would be a good way to entertain and engage the students themselves, while the debaters honed their skills at argumentation and supporting their positions with hard data. Presumably their research would be shared with the administration. The Speech Department would also introduce students in the activity of intercollegiate debate, or at least, get its name out there.
Oh, and some intelligent discourse on a topic of much immediacy may even result, who knows?
