debate

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|

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|

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|