Debate and Communication Club Schedule

Touro Communication Club #23

This week’s “Bully Pulpit” topic promises to be an interesting one. Sunday’s NYTimes’ Magazine featured Chris Matthews on the cover. He is one of the biggest loudmouths on cable TV and has a quite visible negative attitude toward Hillary Clinton as a Presidential candidate. What was more interesting to discover was how much these “pundits” – at least Matthews – socialize with the political people behind the scenes. Everyone seems a little too “chummy” for me if the media is to report the news.

As Jason Carvell’s brilliant flyer demonstrates, everyone has a mouth and is willing to shoot it off. Sounds like French politics where everyone has a very loud opinion. For us in the Communication Club, we have to sharpen our listening skills to discern the differences between fact and opinion plus, more importantly, accuracy of those facts and the validity of those opinions. Just because someone has a pulpit – media, politician, teacher or religious leader – doesn’t necessarily mean that person knows what he/she is talking about. See you Wednesday!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 – Club @ 1 pm @ 610 @50 West. – “The Bully Pulpit”
The Communication Department faculty was talking last week about the impact of race and gender on this year’s Presidential campaign. Barack Obama’s speech on race and religion two weeks ago raised the standard for discussion about these two volatile issues. There were so many ways we could approach these sensitive issues in a Club session that we finally decided to focus on “The Bully Pulpit.”

The term, “Bully Pulpit” comes from President Teddy Roosevelt’s constant saying “Bully” when he was in office (1901-1909). One hundred years ago, to say “Bully!” would be equivalent to saying today “Great!” or “Cool” or “Dope” or “Thass Baaad!” The “Pulpit” is an advantageous position, as for making one's views known or rallying support:

The President of the United States has a built-in “Bully Pulpit.” So do preachers, minister, priests, rabbi and imams. So does a teacher. And, with so many TV personalities (“talking heads”) and Radio Show hosts becoming “pundits,” the media has become a major “Bully Pulpit’ for competing ideas. My unsolicited personal definition of a “pundit” is “a self-appointed windbag that spews opinions that are mistaken for facts or knowledge.’

Jason Carvell will lead the discussion on how “The Bully Pulpit” has become the dominant – and noisy – way to promote your position. With so many opinions thrown about, we become easily confused because it is hard to differentiate between fact and opinion. Too often we are forced to listen to the loudest voice regardless of what is being said.

Join us as we try to promote more light than heat!

Our three-week schedule:

Wednesday, April 23 – Spring vacation – get some sleep!

Wednesday, April 30 – 1 pm Debate Team
With Wednesday, May 28 as the date for our public presentation, we will be working hard on the cases and practicing the cross-examinations.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 – 1 pm – Club – topic to be announced

What happened on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at Debate Team meeting?
Drani Gabu and Amina Bibi worked hard reviewing the Affirmative case outline and then outlined the Negative case. Hal Wicke and David Nussbaum helped them to develop their cases. Before the team meets next time, each of the arguments needs to be developed and filled out with evidence.

During the session, both Drani and Amina talked about their political aspirations. Amina definitely wants to return to her native Pakistan to pursue a career in politics while Drani, although very concerned about the tragic events in Sudan, is not yet sure but wants to keep learning. Amina spoke about a petition she is presenting to Mr. Alan Schoor, Touro’s Vice President of Operations, about the creation of a student lounge at Midtown. We talked about her strategies for presenting the petition. Amina has 15 minutes to present her case.

See you next time. Bring a friend!

Hal Wicke