By Sol Fitz-James Stuart & Laura Peñaloza
The CIS University Debate Club, led by professors Alex Feldman and Karyn Suárez, successfully held three semester-long debates this past fall. The first of these meetings was titled: “Should the death penalty be abolished?” For the second debate, students explored the moral and ethical implications posed by the question: “Are human beings naturally monogamous?” The third colloquium focused on the Christmas holidays and their impact on society by asking: “Is the Christmas spirit real or a social construct?”
The CIS University Debate Club program helps students improve their public speaking, leadership, and critical thinking abilities throughout their careers. The club promotes open dialogue, moral integrity, cultural diversity of thought, and mutual respect from both parties involved. It encourages members to share their opinions and actively listen to different perspectives.
The fall season consisted of three debates and four teams, each led by an experienced member and all competed for the top spot. The topics were announced two weeks before each debate by the professors in charge and newly appointed program captain, student Anna López Godoy. The club members are given that time to research and coordinate with their teammates and craft a compelling case for one side or the other. Given the new wave of first-time debaters in the program, many students feel nervous anticipation for their chance at the podium. As many freshmen are still finding their footing on the debate team, some take on roles less centered around speaking and more focused on research, brainstorming, and real-time rebuttal writing. This way, they can experience the process and adrenaline rush of a debate without taking on too much pressure. This shift allows hesitant students to take the leap in joining the debate and become more confident and experienced down the line.
A new cycle for the Debate Club
Over the last year, the club has attracted much more interest and increased the number of members from across the world. Zackary Zemmels, who currently works as CIS University’s Athletics Development Coordinator, is also an alumnus of the university and a former member of the debate club. He joined the program not only because it was helpful for his resume, but also because it promoted his research skills, understanding of complex topics, and active listening, all of which are essential when dealing with real-life situations. “When working with potential collaborators, it’s crucial to effectively communicate the added value you bring to the table, which involves understanding their needs and adjusting to their requirements when dealing with different agreements,” he explained.
Professor Karyn Suarez, a faculty member of the Business Strategy and Communication Department, took on the role of faculty leader of the debate program this semester alongside Professor Alex Feldman. She has helped to implement many new strategies. One addition was a coaching session before debates to help students develop their pathos, the emotional foundation of debate. Students learned to add vocal variety, dynamics, and passion to their arguments. She explains, “If you don’t fully believe it, no one else will.”
She also implemented “Elevator Pitches” to help market the debates to the CIS community and grow the audience. This is crucial, as the audience votes on the winning team of each debate. To do the pitches, debate team captains go into classrooms the week before debates and perform quick presentations on the topic and some arguments on both sides. Because of this change, during the first two debates, the audiences filled classroom 2.3, which is quite large!!
Looking more long-term at her hopes for the program, Professor Suarez shared: “Some ideas for the future would be to travel; but first, we need some experience before we get started.”
Previous debates have delved into whether religion should be forbidden in public spaces or whether AI is creating a global underclass of poorly prepared people. In addition to the death penalty debate, future events may consider topics like “Should there be a global minimum wage?” or “Are we in Cold War II?”
Faculty leader of the program and professor Alex Feldman stated, ” The club’s main goal is to familiarize students with real-life issues that challenge their critical thinking and anticipate future complexities they may encounter along their journey.” If you want to develop these foundational skills, join the CIS University debate program!.
