Ever wondered if your professors thought about professors in other disciplines? Or even which professor would survive on a desert island? Well this past Friday in Hiner 207, some members of Longwood’s facility participated in a RAFT Debate sponsored by the University Lectures Committee. The premise behind the debate was for students, staff and other facility to listen as four professors tried to convince everyone else to give them, and not the other professors, a life raft.
The four participants on Friday were James Jordan, professor of Anthropology, representing the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences; Chris Jones, associate professor/ coordinator of Special Education, representing the College of Education and Human Services; Bennie Waller, professor of Information Systems & Security, Finance and Real Estate, representing the College of Business and Economics; and William Abrams, associate professor of Mathematics who was the night’s devil’s advocate. When the four professors entered, they were all in some very interesting costumes.
Jordan was dressed in all khaki with a hat, pipe, camera and a metal clipboard. Jones was in his doctorial robes. Waller reminded some members of the audience of Charles Dickens, complete with a monocle. Abrams was dressed as a pirate; he even had a sword. The moderator for Friday’s debate was Jeff Halliday, associate professor of Communication Studies. The introduction to the debate was given by Robert Marmorstein, assistant professor of Computer Science. Marmorstein explained that the professor who got the most applause would win the one and only life raft to get off the island they were stranded on. By a random draw, Jordan pled to the audience first.
Pretty much the first words out of Jordan’s mouth were “Please, I need that life raft.” The audience could not help but laugh; there were plenty of those moments throughout the night. Jordan claimed to be speaking for “all the people of the world,” all seven billion or so of them. He had planned to show a career case study, complete with pictures. Jordan’s presentation included pictures of different areas where he had gone throughout his life. His main plea was that he had seen so much in his life, including meeting people who changed his life, like Jane Goodall. He argued that this would help him in being able to save everyone. He said he had seen so much in his life that giving him the raft “would be giving the raft to yourself.” The next professor to plead for the raft was Jones. “Everyone loves Dr. Jordan,” he said as he came to the podium; every professor that spoke on Friday, really thought the competition was in the bag for Jordan. About halfway through his presentation, Jones was challenging the audience to think differently and claimed that it was education that would help others. Everyone comes from somewhere and education helps get everyone where they are today. Jones closed his statements by saying, “The day we take that seat, we give it up,” he was humbled but thought that giving up his place on the raft was the right, and only, thing to do.
Waller started speaking about how important business is to the world, saying, “It makes the world go round.” Business, according to Waller raises people’s self-esteem and allows people to succeed, which is why it is important to save the business professor. Business people take risks and allow the “wheels of commerce” to commence. Waller even went on to say that “everything is because of business.” The business professor explained that even great men did not have an education, like Abraham Lincoln. Some very talented businessmen do not have formal education, but that business was still there for everyone and was “about all of us.”
After the three professors spoke, it was time for the Devil’s Advocate to speak to the audience. Abrams reminded the audience of current events about cruise lines and that the professors were on an island, asking how the audience can doubt their IQs if they had gotten stranded in the first place. He then went on to tell the audience “let’s sink the raft.” Throughout the night there were many good points and things learned. After all of it was said and done, the audience applause led the University Lectures Committee to announce the winner, as Jones. Although during his presentation he said he would give up his seat on the raft to someone, and on the fly he allowed Abrams to have the raft. Thus, with the Devil’s Advocate having the one and only raft, he said, “The world is doomed yet again.”
