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Communication Studies

Opinion: Vice-Presidential Debate Expected to Draw a Big Audience

By: David L. Steinberg and Patrick E. Waldinger The University of Miami debate team coaches note that the age of the presidential candidates, President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, and the uncertainty of 2020 are elevating the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris. In the wake of last week’s “Presidential Debate Debacle” and the shocking news that President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19, Wednesday night’s event may be a rare vice-presidential debate that gets a substantial audience. With the real possibility the last two presidential debates will be [...]

2020-10-06T14:51:48-04:00October 6, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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Opinion: Presidential Debate was ‘Incoherent

By: Zachary M. Homeijer The president of the University of Miami Debate Team provides his analysis of the first presidential debate between President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden. What the presidential debate lacked—civility and productive discussion—the University of Miami Debate Team was able to accomplish easily during a virtual watch party of Tuesday night's debate. Our team had the opportunity to partner with the Commission on Presidential Debates to offer a pre-debate show featuring a question-and-answer session with professors David Steinberg and Patrick Waldinger, directors of the team, and [...]

2020-10-05T10:15:56-04:00October 5, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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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|
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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|
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University Student Creates Nonprofit to Support Research on Visual Snow Syndrome

By: Ashley A. Williams Sierra Domb uses her communications skills to raise awareness of and funding for studies on a sensory-altering neurological condition. Sierra Domb was a typical college student who enjoyed hanging out with friends, taking scenic drives around Miami, and being independent. That all changed one day during the fall 2015 semester when her vision suddenly began to blur while jotting down notes in class, and the brightness of the room made keeping her eyes open unbearable. “Naturally, I thought I was going blind,” said Domb, a senior [...]

2020-09-16T10:05:25-04:00September 16, 2020|Communication Studies|
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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 [...]

2020-08-20T11:18:06-04:00July 28, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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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 [...]

2020-04-30T14:59:38-04:00April 30, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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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|
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UM Debate Team Wins 2020 Social Justice Debates

The University of Miami is the 2020 Social Justice Debates National Champion. The UM team of Angelica Fromer, a senior studying international studies and public advocacy, and Delphine Leoue Ngoko Djomo, a sophomore studying political science, brought home the championship after several rounds of intense debate. The topic for this year was The United States Federal Government should provide direct compensation to African-Americans who descended from slaves as reparations for slavery. “For months, we have been researching and reflecting on race and the legacy of chattel slavery as it impacts [...]

2020-01-22T17:28:08-05:00January 22, 2020|Communication Studies, School of Communication|
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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|
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