 Professors from last year’s first Great Raft Debate represent the geography, English, theatre and dance, foreign languages and geology departments. The format is similar to presidential debates. Photo by Katrina M. Benton
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by PATRICK BABCOCK
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
Its one part “Survivor,” and one part “Lost,” said honors and prestigious scholarships advisor Angela D. Mead.
The Great Raft Debate, now in its second year, is a debate between professors of various disciplines over the importance of their respective areas of expertise.
“Something has happened and the world has ended, and we can only take one of you to our deserted island to be our resident expert,” Mead said. “And then the question is ‘which one of [the disciplines] should we take?"
This year’s Great Raft Debate is tonight at 5 p.m. at I.G. Greer Auditorium.
The
departments represented include philosophy and religion, geology, English and
biology by assistant professor of philosophy Christopher J. Bartel, assistant professor of geology Dr. Andy B. Heckert, professor of English Dr. Thomas McLaughlin and Program Director of the
Heltzer Honors Program, Dr. Leslie S. Jones.
The event is intended to be informative to freshman and students with undecided majors.
“[The
debate is an] opportunity for students, especially first year students,
to learn a little bit about some of the different departments and
majors offered on campus,” Mead said. “We thought this would be a more
interesting way than just handing out flyers.”
For some
departments, the event is the first taste of the discipline most
students get due to the fact they aren’t all taught in high school.
Philosophy is among these subjects.
“Philosophy
is not the kind of thing that freshmen typically come in here expecting
to want to major in,” Bartel said. “[The debate is] good chance for
professors to represent their disciplines to the university to explain
to freshmen, and the wider university if they’re interested, exactly
what our disciplines are about.”
In the
first Great Raft Debate last year, geography and planning, English,
theatre and dance, foreign languages and literature and geology were
represented.
They
were represented by associate professor of geography Dr. Richard J.
Crepeau, professor Dr. Wilber H. Ward III, assistant professor of
theatre and dance Dr. Paulette J. W. Marty, associate professor of
foreign language and literature Dr. Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand and
assistant –professor of geology Dr. Andy B. Heckert.
Last
year’s winner was Heckert, who argued his expertise would be needed to
know for sure if the deserted island was not actually a volcano.
Despite last year’s success, there are going to be a couple changes to the format.
“Last year’s seemed to drag,” AHA! president Katrina M. Benton said.
They are trying to remedy this problem by introducing an element of question and answer.
“[This
year’s debate will be] a little more like the presidential debates have
been,” Mead said. “In other terms, it’s pretty similar to last year’s
because last year’s seemed to be a really successful event.”
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