By Jill Yesko , University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 10-12-06
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Who will be the survivor among three people competing for space on a life raft built for just one person? That question will be answered during a “raft” debate sponsored by the Lloyd International Honors College at UNCG.
The debate, which will be held Friday, Nov. 10, at 3:45 p.m. in the Faculty Center, is free and open to the public.
“This is a chance for faculty and students to get together to enjoy the life of the mind,” said Dr. Dennis Leyden, director of the Lloyd International Honors College and associate professor of economics. “It’s a demonstration that you can be both fun and intellectual.”
The debate tests which area of academia can best argue their case for securing the coveted spot in the life raft. Debaters are comprised of UNCG faculty members who represent each of three branches of academia: arts and humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. This year’s representatives are: Dr. Gavin Douglas, assistant professor, music, arts and humanities; Dr. Rebecca Adams, professor of sociology, social sciences; and Dr. Promod Pratap, associate professor, physics and astronomy, natural sciences.
The raft debate was begun by Dr. Bruce Caldwell, a former UNCG Honors Program director and who is the Joe Rosenthal Excellence Professor in the Department of Economics at the Bryan School of Business and Economics.
Debaters are allotted 10 minutes each to state their arguments and then given five minutes to rebut the arguments of others. At the conclusion of the rebuttals, a “devil’s advocate” is given 15 minutes to offer up his/her opinion of the arguments. Audience members then vote for who should survive.
For further information, contact the Lloyd International Honors College at (336) 334-5538, or visit www.uncg.edu/hss.
