A teacher is not someone who knows more than the student; A teacher is someone who knows differently than the student. It is a fallacy to believe that students, by definition, “don’t know.” Particularly in the teaching of the art of rhetoric this is doubly offensive/hilarious since most students have been speaking and arguing their…

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Heading to Montana tomorrow to begin a new program in partnership with another university to bring debate programs and debating culture to the colleges on Native American reservations. So-called tribal colleges are routinely forgotten in the national conversation about the University, the college, their purpose and mission, and the importance of education that is like…

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I wish I had more reading time. Time built into the system and schedule that was reserved for reading is what I mean. Of course I can make that time happen at the expense of other important things: administrative duties (debate), chatting with students, course prep, writing for the purpose of non-blog publication – all…

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The clear mission for those who teach debate in 2017 is to reveal to all concerned listeners and students of all kinds not to fret; for the post fact era has not just been born. As an avid “birther” of the post fact era, I demand a birth certificate! Even then I might not be…

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A formally instituted external organization run by an executive director and a staff for WUDC could do a lot more than just allow council to be the visionaries and take the organization in new and exciting directions. It could also allow council to discuss deeply rules, regulations, and norms of competition. But what else could…

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 What is the end of Worlds? This immense event, enjoyed by many is reaching a point of immense difficulty to carry out. Last week two bids for WUDC 2019 were announced – a relief to many – but there still seems to be little long-term development of hosts for the far future. The end of…

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Just back from another National Communication Association convention, and as usual I have the same reactions: Great to see all of my friends and colleagues from around the country. I regret that I have not spent every waking moment of my life before the conference reading books. My work is more influential than I thought…

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I was asked to give a talk at the University of Chicago this afternoon to some MBA students about the Presidential debates.  The lecture was done via WebEx, and this is the audio from my audio recorder that I sat down next to the laptop. You can’t really hear their end very well, but to…

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Rhetoric outlived ancient Athens, Ancient Greece as a whole. Rhetoric outlived Imperial China, Maoism, and is at the table as China develops as a global economic power. Rhetoric outlived the Russian tsars. Rhetoric outlived the Russian Communists. It outlived the Soviet Union. It outlived Rome, as a republic, and an empire. It outlived the Holy Roman…

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Here’s my full analysis which was posted on the great ElectionDebates Website, but some had to be removed. This is the full version of what I wrote:  Presidential debate scholar Sydney Krause argued that Presidential debates are “joint press conferences.” This seems like an insult to those of us who think debate is an incredibly…

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