The Art of Debate

This week is our semesterly mock debate week, and as usual, we're debating, shall we say... a non-traditional topic. In general, especially due to the increasingly highly polarized political climate, I tend to steer things away from political controversies (except, of course, feminism and equality of all sorts, because, well, I'm me, and I can't help but notice how society seems to be taking a few large steps backward in that area).

So, instead, we debate which no-longer-mainstream fad should be brought back:

"While we, the deciders, respect and acknowledge those gentlemen who still wear these styles out of nostalgia, irony, individuality, or even cultural identity, it cannot be denied that they have fallen off of the “in-fashion” radar. However, since style is one of those things that tends to come back in cyces, it’s time to pick one to bring back to the forefront of style."

The choices? Mustaches, mullets, disco-era 'fros with sideburns, ducktails (50s greaser style), rattails, or the bowl cut. Two teams in each class pick one to support, and the rest of the class (the jury) decides which team wins based on their persuasive skills.

It's actually a challenge to avoid rhetorical fallacies with this topic, especially the ad hominem and stereotyping appeals. The jury is required to create a uniform set of criteria that considers fallacies, time usage, and other factors, so the jury has to be aware and alert to fallacies as well.

In the end, we all get a good-natured laugh and learn a little more about debating with class and based on facts, rather than opinions and pre-conceived notions.

Of course, how successful Friday will be is, as always, dependent on how the students choose to handle the debate and how successfully they keep their sense of humor intact. If they don't take it seriously or ham it up a little, it does fall flat, and they know it. I'll be anxious to see how it all plays out this semester.

[Addendum: At the end of the semester, I'll be taking this entry down until after the next group finds out the topic in class, so as not to spoil the fun.]