Communication Studies

What Will it Take for Biden to Win the Upcoming Debate?

By: David L. Steinberg The first presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and former vice president and democratic presidential nominee Joseph Biden will be held at 9 p.m. Sept. 29 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The University of Miami’s director of debate offers his insights. For former vice president Joseph Biden to win the first presidential debate, he must reassure prospective voters that he has the vitality and acuity necessary to serve as commander in chief; he would be a safe pick (i.e., he is not [...]

2020-09-29T12:36:54-04:00September 29, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|

What Will it Take for Trump to Win the Upcoming Debate?

By: Patrick E. Waldinger The first presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and former vice president and democratic presidential nominee Joseph Biden will be held at 9 p.m. Sept. 29 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The University of Miami’s assistant director of debate offers his insights. Incumbents beware! Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all lost the first debate during their re-election year. Whether it is hubris from having won before, the lack of time to prepare, or being surrounded by “yes [...]

2020-09-29T12:36:35-04:00September 29, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|

Students Thrive During Hurricane Debate Institute’s Virtual Summer Camp

By: Karina Valdes As summer camps all over the country were closing due to COVID-19, professors at the University of Miami School of Communication worked quickly to move the annual Hurricane Debate Institute (HDI) to an online format. This summer camp offers instruction in public speaking, argumentation, and debate to students in grades 6 through 12 and is normally held in-person at UM’s Coral Gables campus. “The transition from in-person to online has gone very well,” said Patrick Waldinger, co-director of the Hurricane Debate Institute. “The nature of debate and public [...]

UM Senior Wins Prestigious Debate Award

By: Jabria Roscoe Julia Lynch, an avid debater and finance and legal studies major at UM, is the recipient of the prestigious Julia Burke Award for Character and Excellence. Lynch received the award at the American Debate Association National Championship tournament on Mar. 8 in Las Vegas. “It was a really incredible award to win,” said Lynch. “I’ve known about it since my freshman year of college, so it was very emotional.” The Julia Burke Award is unique because it not only recognizes someone who wins debate tournaments, but also [...]

UM Debate Team Advances to Finals at Liberty University Tournament

By: Jabria Roscoe University of Miami’s Policy Debate Team advanced to the final round of the Liberty University (LU) Debate Tournament held Jan. 24-26 in Lynchburg, Virginia. The LU tournament is a nationally ranked annual debate competition. The UM team of Julia Lynch and Zach Homeijer won five of six preliminary debates, earning them a bye into the quarterfinal round where they won a unanimous decision against George Mason University. This set up a semifinal debate against the host, Liberty University, whom Zac and Julia defeated to advance into the [...]

2020-02-06T15:45:24-05:00February 6, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|

How A STEM Student Can Benefit From Debate

by Sabrina Pizziol In universities around the country, debate teams are appreciated for training students in public speaking, grace under pressure, and critical thinking. A common misconception is that debate teams are only helpful for communication or political science majors. However, students participating in debate quickly discover the intellectual and personal growth that can be gained. “I had an interest in politics and thought debate could be a way to incorporate public policy topics into my academic curriculum,” said Micah Diallo Council, a junior double-majoring in biochemistry and public administration. [...]

2020-01-21T11:18:53-05:00January 21, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|

UM Debaters Achieve Milestone, Advance to Elimination Rounds

Julia Lynch and Zachary Homeijer from the UM Debate Team achieved a milestone by advancing into the elimination rounds in a national level varsity policy debate tournament at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia on Oct. 12-14.  “Advancing into the elimination rounds was extremely exciting for our team. We have spent the past year working to improve our skills so that we can be competitive at the highest level and we are so happy to finally reach this milestone,” said Lynch. For Lynch and Homeijer, who began their [...]

Leading Through Debate

Of the many qualities that make a person a leader, Dewayne (DJ) Washington, a senior at the University of Miami, possesses all of them. Washington comes from Raleigh, NC, with a passion for football and numbers. While in high school, he wanted to combine his two loves to grow into someone worth noticing. One night while watching ESPN, he came across UM on ESPN’s 30 for 30. One campus tour later, Washington made the decision to attend The U.  Washington came in as business and finance law major, noting "I always [...]

Debate Team Goes to Prison

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 16,000 chapters of Toastmasters worldwide. One of the most unique chapters is in the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, Oregon. Since 2004, inmates in this maximum-security prison have developed speaking and critical thinking skills through their participation in the organization. Their activities include debate training from the debate coach at Lewis & Clark College and participation in competitive debate. The penitentiary also hosts the only intercollegiate/institutional [...]

Debating in English When it’s your Second Language

A language barrier can prevent someone from understanding you in the simplest of situations leaving you frustrated, anxious, and sometimes even ready to give up. For Melody Li, a sophomore who moved to the U.S. from China to pursue a bachelor’s in Marine Science and Biology at the University of Miami, learning English as a second language gave her the opportunity to attend a college outside of her country, but left her feeling nervous conversing with peers.  "It was an easy choice,” Li said of selecting to attend UM. “It's [...]