Debate Information

Over the next few weeks, we will hold in-class debates. Students will be divided into two teams on each side. The speaking order will be as follows:

Opening Arguments
1st Proposition Speaker... 4 minutes
1st Opposition Speaker... 4 minutes
2nd Proposition... 4 minutes
2nd Opposition... 4 minutes

Summary (Rebuttal-no new arguments)
3rd Opposition... 3 minutes
3rd Proposition... 3 minutes

The proposition team will present a topic for debate. They can choose from the following list of issues, or they can choose another topic of their choice (but run it by me first...). Here are some sample topics:

-Good things come to those who wait.
-It is better to save time than money.
-Love is foolish.
-Conventionality is not morality
-Technology is killing our work ethic.
-"History" is not "her story."
-Dogs are better pets for humankind than cats.
-The students should run the school.
-Privacy is more important than security.
-There is, in this age, a dearth of heroes.
-Society today has an unhealthy obsession with sports.
-What costs little is of little worth.
-"Ex's" should not remain friends.
-Freedom of the individual is a myth.
-Art is in the eye of the beholder.

If you would like more background on academic debate, see the following article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debate.

"One Big Love" by Patty Griffin

Let's take a ride to the seaside
We can go out swimming in the high tide
Just wear your shorts and your long hair
Don't forget the lawn chair
Everybody's gone to the movies
Everybody's gone and its groovy
They went to the one about the big war
I didn't, I'd seen it before

I guess I'm taking my chances
Giving up the ring throwing in the gloves
I guess I'm taking my chances
Trading in my things
A couple wings on a little white dove
And one big love, one big love

Everybody do like a monkey
If you want to go on and be funky
No need to talk like a hero
Take a walk count down to zero
No sense defending your honor
Just go on and kiss him if you wanna
Everything before is gone or is going somewhere

I guess I'm taking my chances
Giving up the ring throwing in the gloves
I guess I'm taking my chances
Trading in my things for a couple wings on a
Little white dove
And one big love one big love
I don't know where we are
And I don't care
And now we're out of gas
And riding on air
And one big love, one big love

Group Project: Fix That Song

The words that follow are the words to an actual song. Unfortunately, the words have become a bit mixed up. Your assignment is to take these words and make a new song. It does not matter if the new song lines are similar to the old song--all that matters is that the song should be put together using correct English. Try your best to use each words once and to use only the words contained below (but you can add extra words if you absolutely have to). Work together in a group of 2 to 4 people (but no more). Bring your song lines to our next class.

movies
throwing
forget
your
to the
hero
went
Let's
gone
white
to the
out of
lawn chair
want
can
its
We
about
Everybody's
Just wear
Trading
kiss
guess
count
chances
your
war
gone
didn't
Don't
chances
seaside
go out
hair
to the
down
wanna
shorts
the big
wings
care
swimming
sense
take
They
high tide
Everybody's
riding
gloves
I
Giving
honor
long
and
guess
where
a ride
a couple
Monkey
need
Just go
groovy
big
before
gas
your
up the
dove
taking
go out
I'd seen it
him
I'm
don't
And
in the
the
and
one
I'm
before
love
taking
seaside
my
ring
hero
in my
things
funky
walk
Everybody
be
a little
And one
on air
I
For
kiss
somewhere
in my
No
my
to go
sense
we're
And
Let's
high tide
do
like
talk
down
wanna
going
If you
like a
And now
I
one
a
on and
Everything
know
to
Talk
to zero
No
on
and
if you
we are
is
gone
or
a
count
love
defending
I
And
don't
big
don't
take
need
your
a ride
to the
We can
No
zero
swimming
in the
honor
to talk like a
Talk
defending
a walk
him
to
No
Just go
if you
and
on

Poems

I died for Beauty--but was scarce
Adjusted in the Tomb
When One who died for Truth, was lain
In an adjoining Room--

He questioned softly "Why I failed"?
"For Beauty," I replied--
"And I--for Truth--Themself are One--
We Bretheren are," He said--

And so, as Kinsmen, met a Night--
We walked between the Rooms--
Until the Moss had reached our lips--
And covered up--our names--

- Emily Dickinson


In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter--bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

-Stephen Crane


Whose woods are these I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost


I asked professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered along the Desplaines river.
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordian.

-Carl Sandburg


I make a pact with you, Walt Whitman--
I have detested you long enough.
I come to you as a grown child
Who has a pig-headed father;
I am old enough now to make friends
It was you that broke the new wood,
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root--
Let there be commerce between us.

-Ezra Pound


The good gray guardians of art
Patrol the halls on spongy shoes
Impartially protective, though
Perhaps suspicious of Toulouse

Here dozes one against the wall,
Disposed upon a funeral chair.
A Degas dancer pirouettes
Upon the parting of his hair.

See how she spins! The grace is there,
But strain as well is plain to see.
Degas loved the two together:
Beauty joined to energy.

Edgar Degas purchased once
A fine El Greco, which he kept
Against the wall beside his bed
To hang his pants on while he slept.

-Richard Wilbur