Alexander Vines
A public humanities debate centered around graphic novel use in a classroom setting drew a crowd of students, teachers and local highschoolers last Wednesday in the International Arts Center.
Students from Troy University, Valdosta State University and The University of Alabama debated the resolution: graphic novels should not be utilized as textbooks. The affirmative and negative teams were composed of one student from each university.
“This debate was truly to showcase the idea of using graphic novels as textbooks in a college classroom or setting to the public” said Matilda Ziegler, vice president of the Troy University debate club and senior history major from Shelby, North Carolina. “This event was an open discussion to both explore this idea as well as show the public an APDA (American Parliamentary Debate Association) style debate.
“Typically, those who are in debate use a competitive format, while this debate was strictly APDA format. It was great, and this was my first debate in front of a crowd.”
The event was sponsored by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Alliance that allowed attendants to receive a copy of the educational graphic novel “The March,” written from the perspective of Civil Rights Leader John Robert Lewis, who was from Troy.
The debate was the first event of the year for the Troy University debate club, founded in the last academic year by Professor Mike Gray, a lecturer in the Hall School of Journalism and Communication.
“It was awesome, and debate teams don’t typically do things like this,” said Gray, the debate club coach. “Usually, teams are going to go to competitions, win trophies, and that's cool.
“However, I thought having a live audience with around one-hundred people to watch you do a public debate was super cool.”
The students who participated in the debate prepared for months. Although there was no designated winner, Gray said the debate was an overall success.
“Anytime that you can get a crowd of people to sit down and listen to work that students have done, it’s a success,” Gray said.
One thing is for sure – the debate got the audience talking.
“I think graphic novels should be in the classroom because they can give a different perspective and insight to what's being read,” said Eve Woods, a junior early childhood education major from Daphne, Alabama. “It's like a brain break to read a graphic novel, and I think people can just get more when they have something else to look at.”
For more information about future events and debate meetings, follow @Trojan_Debate on Instagram. Debate practice is held in Wallace Hall, room 107, at 5 p.m. every Monday and Tuesday.
This article was contributed to by Kathryn Clark
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