Southern Miss Hosts British Debate Team Nov. 2

For the fourth consecutive year, The University of Southern Mississippi welcomes the British National Debate Team as it takes on the Southern Miss Speech and Debate Team. The debate, free and open to the public, will be held Monday, Nov. 2 and begin at 6 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center, Ballroom 1. An argumentation workshop for high school students will be held prior to the debate from 4-5 p.m.

This year's topic, “We should welcome the rise of populist political movements,” will be debated by participants, and controversial figures like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders will be discussed.

“It should be very exciting,” said Dr. Paul Strait, director of forensics at Southern Miss. “The debate will cover an array of political issues that tap into ongoing national discussions about income inequality, financial regulation, and a sprawling national security apparatus, as well as questions of political strategy and social change.”

Each year, two university students from Great Britain are selected to represent the United Kingdom in debates with various collegiate teams across the United States. Southern Miss will be the only school in Mississippi that will be visited and one of the few tour stops in the Southeast.

“The fact that we've been a host for four years is a big honor,” Strait said.

The two students representing the United Kingdom this year are Chessy Whalen and Matthew Wilmore. They will debate Southern Miss representatives Meredith McPhail, an English and Spanish double major, and Kianna Mitchell, a broadcast journalism and political science double major. Both McPhail and Mitchell are seniors from Mobile, Ala.

Audience members are encouraged to bring their cell phones. There will be opportunities to vote and participate throughout the debate as well as afterward. For more information, contact the Southern Miss Department of Communication Studies at 601.266.4271.