The ballots are coming! The ballots are coming! The University of Wyoming Political Science Club and the Debate Team, though, are taking their midnight ride in order to help you make a nonpartisan decision. Yesterday evening Dr. Jason McConnell introduced the “Crash Course on Wyoming Politics” and the Political Science Club discussed Wyoming politics. The Debate Team reviewed good debating strategies and knowledge on policy, and Lauren Johnson, the Debate Team’s graduate assistant, ended the Crash Course with a discussion of how debate can bring civil discourse between opposing individuals.
“The goal of the crash course is to empower people in the midterms,” said Colleen Erin Floyd, president of the Political Science Club, in a recent interview. “We hope to give a brief introduction of Wyoming politics in order to explain some of the main issues students and community members will see on the ballot. When we first began to conceptualize the event, the Political Science Club knew that we had to partner with the UW Debate Team.
“For those who ever participated in high school debate, they know how valuable debate skills are in daily life; the UW Debate Team takes it to the collegiate level. I have classes with a few of the members and I always turn to them for their expansive knowledge of debate and policy, for the Political Science Club partnering with UW Debate was instinctive.”
The Political Science club was initiated in late 2017 and has since grown to host larger events than their simple meetings on Thursday nights in the Arts and Sciences building. The largest events the club has organized so far are the Crash Course and Gubernatorial Debate, which is this coming Thursday. There are no requirements or initiations for the Political Science Club excluding the necessity to be a student at the University of Wyoming. Once a part of the club, the meetings are all about free speech, upcoming political events for UW and the world, food and parties at the end of every semester.
“I cannot speak for the UW Debate Team,” said Floyd in a recent interview, “but the Political Science Club’s mission is to make political science inclusive to all. Politics are a part of everyday life, so we believe it is important that every student is informed.
“We are a completely nonpartisan organization; all thoughts are welcome, and we even have a Moderator position to ensure our meetings stay nonpartisan. In the future students should be on the lookout for a spring semester focused on Public Administration. Outside of the events we plan, the Political Science Club holds weekly meetings where we discuss current events and almost always end the night with a political game.”
The UW Debate Team has been an organization for multiple years now and has seen much success in their competitions. Their “collegiate level” debate skills will be a great asset for students to acquire. Once the Gubernatorial Debate starts, the four candidates for the Wyoming governor will debate themselves, so this Crash Course is a great educated precursor for UW to follow and process the political event on Thursday night and those in the future.
