Debate Team Tackles Hate Speech on College Campuses

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on April 5, 2017, No Comments

Should hate speech be allowed on college campuses? That’s the topic 22 teams from seven universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will debate at this year’s Fredrick Douglass Institute Collaborative Debate Tournament on Friday, April 7. The championship debate will take place from 4 – 5 p.m. in the Student Senate Chambers located in the University Center on ESU’s campus.

Storm Heter, Ph.D., head coach of ESU’s debate team and associate professor of philosophy and religious studies said, “The debaters will take either the affirmative or opposition with arguments such as ‘hate speech is a verbal assault’ or ‘hate speech is a freedom of speech.’”

The Frederick Douglass Debate Society is a program within the Fredrick Douglass Institute Collaborative, a statewide organization that seeks to advance educational engagement and achievement for historically underserved and underrepresented students.

In keeping with the theme of the weekend, the Fredrick Douglass Research and Art Conference will be held on Saturday, April 8 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. in Beers Lecture Hall. A keynote speech, “Words Matter: Empowering Students through Research and Art,” will be given by Dr. Veronica Watson, professor of English at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Slippery Rock University’s Afro-Columbian Dance Ensemble will perform.

For more information about the Frederick Douglass Institute at East Stroudsburg University contact Heter at 570-422-3168, or email sheter@esu.edu.