Spring Break
Student criticizes debate between College Republicans, Democrats
Issue date: 10/29/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
10/29/08 - To the Cigar,
I was expecting a livelier, more robust performance in the recent "debate" between the University of Rhode Island College Republicans and the College Democrats-in addition to a significantly more professional setting.
After my attendance on Thursday night, I thought I would throw out my own two cents for the public to review.
The first thing that frustrated me was the intermission: there was no level of formality associated with the debate that demanded such a break (you could walk in and out of the room at your convenience.) Presumably we're all mature young men and women of 18 years or older, and after an hour of sitting don't need a bathroom break or a chance to stretch our legs-an opportunity which, ironically, no one took. The intermission allowed the debate to be deluded to resemble an amateur variety show.
It was not enjoyable, but one felt compelled to stay for politeness' sake: the rap's rhythm was scattered and broken, holding us in suspense after every line (as though the rapper was feeling a tad insecure, and baiting for an encouraging round of applause); and any non-existent rhyming there may have been was obscured by the rap's flowing like a river of bricks.
In retrospect, I can see that the rap's message was a defiant refusal to accept that bad things happen to good people, and expecting of some distant, narcissistic government deity to force me, the taxpayer, to pay for a "solution" to the rapper's problems; but for the whole performance I didn't even pick up on the fact that it was a rap.
I spent the next few hours thinking that it was a poor attempt at stand-up, especially after the audience gave him a token giggle when he mentioned getting intimate with his girlfriend.
I don't know about the rest of the students at URI, but I don't go to a debate to be entertained or to feel "good" about things (like having to watch people receive flowers). I'm happy that the girl under the "spotlight" Thursday night has a doting boyfriend, but it's completely unimportant to me during a span of time I expect to be watching an uninterrupted clash of ideologies.
I was expecting a livelier, more robust performance in the recent "debate" between the University of Rhode Island College Republicans and the College Democrats-in addition to a significantly more professional setting.
After my attendance on Thursday night, I thought I would throw out my own two cents for the public to review.
The first thing that frustrated me was the intermission: there was no level of formality associated with the debate that demanded such a break (you could walk in and out of the room at your convenience.) Presumably we're all mature young men and women of 18 years or older, and after an hour of sitting don't need a bathroom break or a chance to stretch our legs-an opportunity which, ironically, no one took. The intermission allowed the debate to be deluded to resemble an amateur variety show.
It was not enjoyable, but one felt compelled to stay for politeness' sake: the rap's rhythm was scattered and broken, holding us in suspense after every line (as though the rapper was feeling a tad insecure, and baiting for an encouraging round of applause); and any non-existent rhyming there may have been was obscured by the rap's flowing like a river of bricks.
In retrospect, I can see that the rap's message was a defiant refusal to accept that bad things happen to good people, and expecting of some distant, narcissistic government deity to force me, the taxpayer, to pay for a "solution" to the rapper's problems; but for the whole performance I didn't even pick up on the fact that it was a rap.
I spent the next few hours thinking that it was a poor attempt at stand-up, especially after the audience gave him a token giggle when he mentioned getting intimate with his girlfriend.
I don't know about the rest of the students at URI, but I don't go to a debate to be entertained or to feel "good" about things (like having to watch people receive flowers). I'm happy that the girl under the "spotlight" Thursday night has a doting boyfriend, but it's completely unimportant to me during a span of time I expect to be watching an uninterrupted clash of ideologies.
