College Debate Under Fire: Postmodernism And The Moon

People unfamiliar with high school and college debate tend to express surprise and disgust about the nature of this fun activity. This response isn't new.  This was true back in my high school days when spread debate was only beginning to rev up to its current speed.  (Little known fact: a certain law professor at Loyola LA was my debate coach during my sophomore year at Niles West High School.)  People would complain that this fast talk wasn't genuine debate (y'know, like the Presidential debates) since there wasn't time for true persuasion.  Mostly, though, they were just mad that you needed a trained ear to understand the words.  In those days, though, at least everyone was talking policy.

Now many debaters eschew policy, focusing on theory.  One year, while at Alabama, I populated my final exam with Judith Butler, Donna Harraway, Michel Foucault, and others.  (I was spending a lot of time with my friends across campus!)  Only one student appeared to notice the joke: a former debating star from UT Austin.  When he explained the source of his knowledge, I was duly impressed.  Who knew that you could leverage a surface understanding of Gender Trouble into shiny trophies? 

And now, it appears, debaters continue to push the envelope on the act of debate - still enraging people who see debate as something serious and important and true, rather than as an intellectual sport.  This lead the Chronicle of Higher Ed to report about the ultimate demise of this ancient activity: the display of ass by an angry coach.  Can we as a society, indeed as humanity writ large, ever come back from the brink?   

H/T: Chapin Cimino

Comments

[Daniel C]

I was pleasantly surprised to see a KU hat on one of those "spewing" debaters!

[Alfred]

We've talked about your student (and mine) who was a star debater at UT Austin before on this blog:
http://www.thefacultylounge.org/2008/02/stetson-v-barbr.html

[Edward Swaine]

"And now, it appears, debaters continue to push the envelope on the act of debate - still enraging people who see debate as something serious and important and true, rather than as an intellectual sport."

I take your point here to be that these criticisms are perennial and naive, and perhaps to indicate agreement with a defense of debate as intellectual sport.

While I appreciate the light touch, I think this may miss a couple of features of the present controversy: (1) the real distinctiveness of the behavior that gave rise to controversy this time, and how it has had tangible effects on the individuals involved and perhaps on support for the activity as a whole; and (2) how the behavior involved is a byproduct of the fact that some within debate -- not just its naive critics -- do in fact regard it "something serious and important and true, rather than as an intellectual sport," and for that reason (and, I assume, not simply out of competitive zeal) make charged criticisms of those engaged in the debates themselves and express outrage at the way the institution functions.

Whatever its merits, this is a different phenomenon. Maybe your meta-point is that it is like all tempests about the academy and its methods, or that like Butler it's simply an instance of how argument can be burdened by flawed communication . . . but I fear there's more to it than that.

[kevin sanchez]

two responses:

_ http://www.ndtceda.com/pipermail/edebate/2008-October/076238.html

_ http://www.ndtceda.com/pipermail/edebate/2008-October/076245.html

[Valarea Jones]

My name is Valarea Jones and i am the african american student debater from Towson University that is in the above picture and article. I have a problem with the way in which i am being portrayed in all of the articles about the debate community and if possible, i would like to be contacted by who ever wrote the above article. Thank You.

[Lemongelo Jones]

LEAVE VALERIA ALOOOOOOOOOONE! YALL IS RACISTTTST!

[Troubleshooter]

Idiocracy, coming soon to a debate near you...

As a student of philosophy and politics I recognize the need for debate and critique. But showing up at a baseball game in hockey pads isn't how you win the game.

Seriously people, you just make yourselves look like idiots and that much easier to dismiss summarily.

[aquanetia franklin]

yall white mothafuckas need to recognize! teh obamanation is hur! our new black jesus is gon put gas in our cars n pay our morgages n shit! you blue eyed devils is gon hafta kick in! an if that sistah wants to call you white bitches racist then she can, cuz you is!

its time for black suprmacy! revolution! KILL WHITEY!!!!

[Joe Plumber]

The U.S. is becoming a 3rd world country. Thank you for lowering your standards to appease the undeserving.

[Former Debater]

So what were to happen if you were to actually concede the fact that yes, you are racist? Would that then force them to actually address the issues in the debate?