Getting participants comfortable with expressing differing opinions is key to the Veditz Debates, a new Deaf-centric debate series conceived and delivered by Gallaudet’s Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA).
The Veditz culture debate was the second of a four-part series scheduled for this semester. The new structure encourages anyone in the room to share their thoughts on the topic at hand. That night’s event was on whether the public’s obsession with the Epstein Files was doing more harm than good.
With the new Veditz series, CDDA turns traditional debate practices on its head in several ways. First, the debate ceases to be a spectator event. Instead, students, faculty, staff, and alumni are participants who debate together. They ask one another questions and present their own arguments for or against the motion.
There are no designated judges–instead, each attendee responds to a poll at the beginning and end of the debate to see which side ultimately proved more persuasive (in this case, the Epstein obsession was found to do more good than harm).
Rejecting the seriousness of mainstream academic debate culture, tactile and visual elements of Deaf Culture, such as table banging and hand waving, are encouraged.
“The Veditz Debate draws on the visual-gestural nature of ASL and our cultural traditions of pluralism, directness, and communal life,” says Associate Professor and CDDA Executive Director, Dr. Brendan Stern, ’06.
The debate team ensures straightforward ground rules are understood and visible. Large timers help pace.
The new format is named in honor of George W. Veditz, 1884 & G-1887, a Deaf leader whose persuasion and civic engagement helped shift employment policies to be less discriminatory toward Deaf people. Through writing articles and op-eds, delivering speeches, and leveraging his platform in leadership positions, such as President of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), he defended ASL as a language and the capabilities of Deaf people.
Each debate kicks off with a performance of the Veditz Song, which involves drumming and emphasizing the debate program’s motto: “sign as if you’re right and listen as if you’re wrong.”
If you want to join in a Veditz debate, there are two remaining scheduled events this semester. On April 9th and 30th, the debates take place in the HMB atrium from 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., and the topics will center on Deaf Studies and history, respectively.
Learn about CDDA’s achievements, including a year of strong wins, a prestigious award for expanding debate engagement in ASL, and helping young students get an early start in debate. Find them on social media: linktr.ee. For a blow-by-blow of the first Veditz debate on whether Greek life at Gallaudet should be abolished, check out this article in student-run Buff and Blue.
