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Re: Racism and Relevancy of Debate
> (1) Racism and (2) Arguments irrelevent to the real world. Hmmm.
> Speaking from the perspective of a minority student who really does
> feel that debate is an activity that I do primarily because I think
> it is fun -- not because I think that it will give me an inroad or
> experience with subjects I will be dealing with EVER again in my life
> (I am a biochemistry major headed -- hopefully -- for research) -- I
> think that these issues are distinct from each other and from the
<snip>
As others on the list are probably tired of hearing me say, science majors
should be actively recruited to debate, not so much because it would be
good for debate, but because it would be good for science. As you point
out later in your post, the specific information learned in this activity
is largely irrelevant - it's the process that matters. When you've heard
more than one Nobel laureate stumble and mutter his way through an
hour-long seminar, losing half his audience in the process, the importance
of debate experience (or I.E.) becomes painfully obvious. Unfortunately,
in addition to possible family pressure, there is general ignorance of the
usefulness of this activity within the scientific community, such that my
undergraduate advisor regarded it as an "interesting hobby," and little
more.
Your experience of racism (or its absence) in debate is reassuring. I
only wish that SUNY-Morrisville had gotten the same impression.
--Alan
__________________
Alan Dove
N3IMU
ad52@columbia.edu
http://hs1304silver1.cpmc.columbia.edu/Alan_Dove/Alan.html
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