Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons^™

Going Public: An Organizational Autoethnographic Exploration Of The International Public Debate Association, Adam Matthew Key

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Historically, a trend has been demonstrated in intercollegiate debate. Debate organizations begin with a focus on rhetoric aimed at a public audience and within an average of two decades devolve into a highly technical format marked by a high rate of speed, use of nuanced technical jargon, and an overreliance on evidence. The focus on competitive success, culture, and judges are examined as contributors to this trend. The International Public Debate Association was created to sociologically combat the excesses of its predecessors, though sixteen years after its creation it is beginning to show symptoms of the same disease that afflicted …

The Impact Of Competition In Forensics On Future Careers, Jace Thomas Lux

Dissertations

Each year, thousands of college students participate in forensics (competitive speech and debate). Despite previous studies that identify numerous benefits to forensics participation, the activity is often eliminated from college campuses due to financial constraints. Although previous literature identifies the benefits of forensics participation to competitors, these studies do not address the lasting impact of college forensics participation on the careers of former competitors.

This exploratory study sought to identify the forensics outcomes that former competitors felt are used most frequently in their current careers, as well as the amount of emphasis forensics programs are placing on teaching these particular …

A Change In Competition: Assessing The Nfa-Ld Community And Its Views On Topical Counterplans, Matthew Whitman

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Intercollegiate academic debate allows students to participate in various contests and competitions to demonstrate expertise in argumentation and public speaking (Freeley & Steinberg 2009). The National Forensic Association's Lincoln-Douglas (NFA-LD) debate is a two-person style of policy-based debate, and it borrows much of its argumentative structure from other team-based debate organizations (Freeley & Steinberg, 2009). Yet it also prohibits other theoretical arguments from being used through its codified rules. This project seeks to examine current NFA-LD community attitudes towards the prohibition of topical counterplans, a theoretical negative argument, in the event.

Another College President Speaks On Speech, Paul R. Anderson

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

One of the obvious, and sometimes over powering, obligations of the college president is that of speech-making. There are people who seem to believe that college presidents can speak on almost any subject at the drop of a hat. Since trustees, "friends of the college," and public relations are involved, for one to refuse even the impossible is difficult. So the average college president speaks once or twice a week and this in addition to whatever other commitments he may have on and off the campus. He can either learn to speak with comparative ease or his life is miserable.

We Hold These Truths, Thorrel Fest

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

What appears to be a small minority of private colleges (no DSR schools) have expressed some concern regarding the suitability of the current intercollegiate debate proposition. Some critics of the question feel that to argue for diplomatic recognition of Red China is to approve its conquests, possibly mislead the immature student and provide communists with propaganda material. None of these arguments seems to have sufficient validity to merit the action proposed—change to another proposition. There has been some effort to make a public issue of this matter, and on October 22 your president was asked by one of the wire …

New Members - 1953-1954

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

List of new members of Delta Sigma Rho for 1953-1954.

University Of Washington Chapter Is Installed

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The new University of Washington chapter of Delta Sigma Rho was formally installed on May 11, 1914, by regional Vice-President Earl W. Wells of Oregon State College.

The Objectivity Of Debate Judges, Robert L. Scott

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

"The problem of securing competent judges of debate is always with us."' This statement is as true in 19J4 as it was in 1917 when Lew Sarett made it. At the turn of the century, however, important personages, governors and judges, for example, were invited or hired to sit as debate judges and to render their decisions. Today the average intercollegiate debate situation is the tournament debate. Two teams debate before a critic-judge, generally a coach from some other school entered in the tournament, who designates the "winning" team and who is often required to give oral or written criticisms …

Speech Training Provides Solid Background For Industrial Relations, Donald Sherbondy

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Since graduating from college in 1930 I have been a teacher, a lawyer, and now the director of industrial relations for a company. I can say without hesitation chat the preparatory work in college which has helped me most in each of these professions was my training in public speaking and debating.

Oxford And The Cross-Examination Tournament, Robert P. Newman

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Now the truth is that Englishmen are hard as nails, and quite capable of rigorous activity when necessity demands. Furthermore, the students of English collegiate institutions are not only well-grounded in history and politics, but remarkably fluent (at least the debaters) and flexible. There was no reason, as far as I could see, why a British team should not participate in at least two rounds of an American collegiate tournament, debating our question under our rules.

It seemed particularly appropriate, further more, to ask them to participate in a cross examination tournament, where the format would allow a type of …

Delta Sigma Rho...Chapter Directory

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List of Delta Sigma Rho chapters.

Maine, Muskie, And Delta Sigma Rho, Brooks Quimby

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How did it happen that Maine elected a Democratic governor? Television and radio commentators, news weeklies and editors have all had their guesses; here is the forensic explanation!

The Role Of Delta Sigma Rho Chapters, John W. Keltner

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Delta Sigma Rho is an honorary organization. A candidate who is selected for membership in the society is chosen because he rep resents certain standards of achievement in forensic activity. Once selected, what is his responsibility to the local chapter and to the national organization? This question has arisen several times in the past and more recently in respect to some of the newer chapters. Let's see if we can suggest several directions that the member and the local chapter may take.

Books In Review, Charles S. Goetzinger

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Review of the book Freedom and Loyalty in Our Colleges by Robert E. Summers (New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1949).

Report Of The Legislative Committee...

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Report of the Legislative Committee at the Fourth National Student Congress of Delta Sigma Rho.

The Principles Of Poor Speaking..., Harold F. Harding

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Contrary to popular op1111on, it is fairly easy to write or to speak well. But writing poorly and speaking poorly are really difficult. To give these arts their proper due requires hard study. Many accomplished practitioners of poor speaking are not aware of their methods. It is time that poor speaking be given the systematic treatment it deserves.

With The Chapters

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Information and accomplishments of Delta Sigma Rho chapters.

The Report Of The Congress Observers..., John W. Keltner

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Report on observations and committee operations at the Fourth Biennial Student Congress of Delta Sigma Rho.

President's Page..., E. C. Buehler

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Text of the President's address to the Opening Assembly at the Fourth Delta Sigma Rho Congress.

The Fourth Delta Sigma Rho Congress...

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Report on the Fourth Delta Sigma Rho Congress held in Chicago on March 31 and April 1-2, 1949.

A Distinguished Alumnus

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Brief biography of Erwin Canham, alumnus of Delta Sigma Rho.

The College Oration And The Classic Tradition..., Charles W. Lomas

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Recently I had occasion, after a lapse of several years, to judge the oratorical contest in a college forensic tournament. The experience brought home to me forcibly the futility and ineptness of college oratory as currently practiced in the tournament situation. I hope it is not a sign of premature senility to observe that I do not believe college oratory is as good as it was twenty-five years ago, and that it has fallen completely from the heights it attained when it was the training ground for William Jennings Bryan and Robert M. La Follette, Sr. I do not believe …

Do We Teach English?, W. Roy Diem

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Not long ago I listened to a speech by the mayor of one of the. large cities of America. He gave a thoroughly interesting talk, one that hehi the rapt attention of an audience of six or eight hundred people. He was vigorous, fluent, concrete. But his language was marked by the syntax of a semi-literate person, though he is a college man. Such expressions as "he who I was the guest of" and "I was setting across the table from him" made one wince who was sensitive to correct English.

So far as I know, the mayor had never …

And Now To Define The Terms..., Roy C. Nelson

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

The quality of any debate depends to a large extent on a concise, accurate, and honest appraisal of the main terms in a resolution. Al though almost all textbooks on argumentation carry chapters on definitions of terms and principles to be followed, yet many high school and college debaters arc perfunctory in analyzing the questions they debate. In listening to hundreds of debates over a period of years, I have observed many recurring deficiencies in the interpretation of the resolution. Among the most common faults have been: 1. Strained and limited definitions for purpose of strategy. 2. Quibbling over terms …

What Happens To College Debaters?, H. L. Ewbank

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Preliminary report by H.L.Ewbank on alumni and members of Delta Sigma Rho.

Forensics At The Grass Roots..., Ralph A. Micken

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

In cooperation with the adult education section of the Extension Service. Iowa State Debaters have for the past several years carried on an interesting series of debates and discussions called the Community Visits. These visits are made throughout the state, to Farm Bureau township halls, adult education classes, church clubs, high school assemblies, and service club dinners. Since the second year of the program we find that we have a core of steady customers —communities to which we are invited year after year, but each winter we add to our list and take on new visits. Trips vary in length …

The Harvard Committee Approves..., W. A. Dahlberg

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

The Harvard Report, "General Education in a Free Society," with its emphasis upon the importance of discussion and debate activities, should give some comfort to forensic directors whose efforts, so frequently, meet with criticism.

President's Page - "A Word For The Cause", E.C. Buehler

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

Introduction by E. C. Buehler to Volume 31, Issue 2 of The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho.

Outline Of Procedure For The English-Style Of Debate..., Douglas Ehninger

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No abstract provided.

Thomas Brackett Reed - Exemplification Of Effective Debating..., Kirt E. Montgomery

The Gavel of Delta Sigma Rho

No abstract provided.