Whitman Debate--short statement
« on: Today at 07:45:13 PM »
Oct 26, 2013
Dear Friends,
At the recommendation of the college, the Whitman Debate Program is temporarily forgoing competitive tournament travel to reflect and focus on a number of issues that have confronted the team for many years – issues that also affect the entire debate community.
We are taking steps to reverse a team culture that created a climate of inequality, particularly for women on the team. This problem in team culture is not unique to Whitman – it is a primary reason for appallingly low rates of women’s participation in college debate. It cannot, and should not, be dismissed as simply an individual problem: although individuals contribute to the problem, no one person can be held responsible. Because it is no “one’s” problem, it is everyone’s problem, and therefore we will confront it as the team that we are.
In response, we have made substantial progress and will continue to move forward. Team members are supportive of one another and regularly gather for social events in addition to work sessions. More specifically, we would like to share a few of the ways we are addressing these problems in an attempt to propel a larger conversation about improving our community and to provide a few areas where our focus is starting to yield results.
1. Awareness. Talking about issues like sexism, inequality, harassment, and an unsafe learning environment helps us recognize and confront these problems when they arise. We have added a portion of time to each team meeting for “open floor” comments. During this time any member of the team can address the group regarding any concerns or potential concerns. Students who are not comfortable bringing particular issues to the whole group have been encouraged to meet with some or all of the coaches to express these feelings.
2. Training and educational sessions. Setting aside specific times to work through issues involving the culture of the team can be very helpful and empowering. If resources are available, outside facilitators can make such meetings even more productive. Even without an external moderator, many schools have experts in these areas who would be more than willing to work with student programs if asked. Our coaches have attended Title IX training and Clery Act Reporting sessions to become better advocates for a safe team environment and more knowledgeable agents of change. The team as a whole is currently attending educational sessions with an outside facilitator who specializes in race and gender equity. Part of the reason we have suspended competition is to be able to devote ourselves entirely to these sessions. Our goal is to use the tremendous work ethic for which Whitman is well-known to bring about lasting and meaningful change for ourselves, our campus, and our community.
3. Establishing clear team guidelines and policy. This is not a cure-all by itself, but we have found that students and coaches working together to establish meaningful guidelines that emphasize the importance of treating each other with respect can make a positive difference. Part of this process for us involved crafting a mission statement that prioritizes the educational goals of the program and codifies the primary focus on developing a safe and nurturing environment for all team members and coaches.
4. Providing equal opportunities for students. Not only is it important to recruit debaters from diverse backgrounds, all of the debaters should have space to occupy distinct perspectives that contribute to a healthy and encouraging team environment. Paying attention to who is on the team and how to best support each member of the team can make a tangible difference in the overall atmosphere of the program – and indeed, has already helped in our circumstance, as our first- and second-year classes include record rates of participation by women. We hope, and plan, to build on their already prodigious successes in the coming years. We are planning a discussion session regarding “Women in College Debate” at our high school tournament and we are committed to supporting the Women’s Debate Institute (http://womensdebateinstitute.org/) and similar efforts in as many ways as possible.
We recognize as a group that more work remains and that we cannot cease our vigilance in seeking the most hospitable learning environment possible. We need to broaden our efforts further in the areas of racial discrimination, class discrimination, heteronormativity, excessive team hierarchy, community outreach, and more.
Finally, we are hopeful that we will resume tournament competition in the near future and pursue what we love—debate—with our friends and colleagues. This note is not at all a means of encouraging any other programs to forgo tournament competition—that is a move unique to our particular situation—but we are writing to share our experiences with the community in terms of what is often referred to as a “teachable moment.” Placing a priority on achieving a better team environment is not mutually exclusive with our activities as a team. Our debate practice and research will still occur, our high school tournament will still take place, our Parliamentary tournament will still take place, and our outreach efforts including work with the Washington State Penitentiary debate team will continue. The Whitman Debate program gets stronger each day and our current efforts will help to carry us forward.
If you have any suggestions for us or questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are available at debate@whitman.edu as well as through our individual contact information.
Sincerely,
Ben Menzies
Emma Thompson
Logan Emlet
Nick Budak
Marlene Anderson
Yue He (Joy)
Kevin Kuswa
Alex Zendeh
Yajun Liu (Draco)
Emma Newmark
Arthur Shemitz
Andy Larson
Gordon Kochman
Zac Parker
Meritt Salathe
Noah Stern
Marten King
Avery Miller
Jordan Edelson
Matt Gander
Jonathan Barsky
Lauren Hauck
Duy Tran
Sean Mulloy
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