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September 1, 2011

Public invited to first public debate forum at ULM Sept. 13

The first debate of the Bill and Linda Rambin Public Debate Forum at the University of Louisiana at Monroe will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 13, in Stubbs Hall, Room 100.

Jeremy Hutchins and Sean Tiffee will debate the future of online education.

The event is hosted by the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Hutchins is a Senior Lecturer and the Associate Director of Forensics in the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State University-San Marcos.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from McNeese State University and his Master of Arts degree from Texas State University.

He has presented research in argumentation theory and rhetorical criticism at state and national communication organizations.

His students have qualified for elimination rounds at multiple national tournaments and he has coached students to national championships at the Phi Rho Pi National Forensics Tournament and the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament. He also serves as a consultant for several high school forensics associations including the University Interscholastic League of Texas.

Tiffee is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas where he is currently completing his dissertation, "Trauma and the Rhetoric of Horror Films: The Rise of Torture-Porn in a Post Nine-Eleven World."

He has presented his research on fear, film, trauma and horror at the annual conferences of both the National Communication Association and the Western States Communication Association.

He recently published a chapter on simulacra and postmodern horror in The Politics of Style and the Style of Politics, edited by Barry Brummett.

In addition, Tiffee has taught courses on public speaking, professional and business communication, rhetorical criticism and American speeches.

He has served as the Assistant Director of Debate at the University of Texas and Texas State University.

"The debate will draw on Parliamentary style and will be highly interactive with much time for audience participation," said Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Dr. Lesli Pace.

"We asked Mr. Hutchins and Mr. Tiffee to come to ULM because they have extensive experience in both competition and coaching, so they will provide an excellent model of debate for the ULM community," she said.

"Also, they are doing argumentation workshops for my Argumentation and Debate Course as well as all of the graduate students in the Department of Communication."

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