Issues Forums and Engaging Civic Discourse

Drury, where I live that other life most days of the week, has a Convo series that also influenced Drake, which is mentioned as being inspired by Temple's model for campus forum debate. In the early days, our Convo speakers seemed to be nomadic academics who brought their traveling medicine show of specialties across the midwest (See the Post-Colonialist and What He Has to Say About Joe Conrad! See the Third Most Cited Voice on Late Abstract-Expressionism!). Since 9/11, our series has become more of a civic-minded public forum for debating the "issues" that students (freshman must attend) will analyze for the rhetoric, philosophy and "American Experience" portions of their year-long FYC course.

This year, naturally, the theme has been "Liberty and Security in a post-9/11 World" and the local media has taken great interest in tallying the (perceived) red or blue nature of our famous and obscure rhetors, which have included Col. Janis Karpinski sharing her first hand account of Abu Ghraib and Eric Posner's thesis that the Geneva Convention may not have relevance for the conduct of the global war on terror.

In this week's readings Herbert Simons writes that "my reckless bias is for TIF itself, and for its commitment to a certain vision of the university as a site of public controversy. . ." Our vice president for academic affairs, who holds a Ph.D in rhetoric, has recently had to enter the public discourse in the form of an op-ed piece in the local paper. I should back up and relate that Cindy Sheehan is scheduled for Theme Day (the uber-Convo experience, a day of debates in leiu of "regular" class meetings) in which she will "publicly debate" Col. Michael Meese. Many in the media--and local letter writers--believe that Drury originally contracted Sheehan and then, after her recent brushes with the law and Dick Cheney, "added on" the presence of the "Right" by asking Meese to come too. However, to my knowledge both were always on the bill. Anyhow, in a Simons-like statement, Dr. Taylor writes:

"In an age in which the quest for understanding is too often subjugated to the politics of demonization or, worse yet, to an insular silence on controversial ideas, institutions of higher education have a special calling to promote — and to insure — the free and open exchange of opinion on issues of public importance. Drury University's annual convocation series embodies the university's larger historic commitment to providing a platform for provocative ideas, as we celebrate the process of 'knowledge in the making.'" Later, in the same piece, he adds: "This day is about understanding the scope and function of dissent. In a sense, this is what colleges do every day; we engage the ideas and beliefs of people we don't understand, occasionally celebrate, and sometimes detest. We do this not because all ideas are of equal merit, but because all people are of equal worth. As such, we seek out dissenting views because they test our assumptions and affirm the importance of informed and engaged deliberation on matters of public significance."

I just wanted to note that that conception of the liberal arts university is still hotly contested, and largely due to this question of "engaging" the community as to the "scope and function of dissent." Interestingly, though, this conception itself has stirred many to write opinions to the editor--enabling civic discourse even among those who feel it isn't our place to "promote" certain political viewpoints.

On a completely unrelated note, Maureen Stapleton just flashed on the screen beyond my laptop as part of the "in memoriam" montage at the Oscars. The clips they lingered on for Stapleton? That's right, Mark: her portrayal of Emma Goldman in 1981's Reds.

See you soon and sorry for leaping in with Crowley in my previous post.