ISU’s debate society hosts public debate

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Tuesday night, the Idaho State University Rupp Debate Society hosted its fall public debate at the Pond Student Union.

A panel of four, two members of the debate society and two faculty members from the philosophy department, took on a hot topic: whether or not wealthy nations have an obligation to admit immigrants.

Andy Christensen, assistant director for the debate society, says they host these open debates to bring a greater dialogue to campus.

"The purpose of a debate is not so much, in the public forum, to win or lose, but to create new opinions and to shift opinions," he said. We take a poll before starting this conversation to see where the audience stands and we do the same poll again at the end to see what kind of an attitudinal shift we've created."

Christensen says he hopes events like Tuesday's help open doors to partnerships with other university departments.