The Robins Debate
In the first ever Robins Debate, eight teams of students came together on March 21 to debate current international business issues for the chance to win $2,000.
The first place prize went to Jack Cone, ’15, Pamir Niaz, ’14, and Boris Fedoroff, ‘14. The second place prize of $500 went to Matthew Pura, Lucas Burton and Chris Lilli.
Over the course of the Friday afternoon, the teams debated in a Parliamentary style format over minimum wage and globalization.
“Debates provide a unique way for the students to research, analyze and communicate about interesting questions,” said Nancy Bagranoff, dean of the Robins School of Business. “I first thought about having the Robins Debate when I was attending a conference in Korea and learned about the accounting debate that takes place among universities in Taiwan and China,” she shared. Due to the rarity of a debate competition that focuses on business topics, she decided to start The Robins Debate.
Bagranoff noted, “The Robins Debate provides an opportunity for cross-disciplinary teams to learn about and discuss societal business issues,” allowing students to cultivate skills such as public speaking and strategic argumentation that will be integral to their future success.
David North, associate professor of finance and director of the Center for Active Business Education (CABE), and Roger Mancastroppa, adjunct instructor at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies and coach of the University of Richmond Debate Council, worked together to organize the event.
Students shared their experience of the inaugural event.
Jack Cone, a business administration student concentrating in international business, and his team had no prior debate experience. “I thought it would be a good chance to practice my public speaking skills while researching current events. My teammates and I divided the potential debate topics equally so that we’d be prepared for any scenario that might be presented. We worked hard to prepare, but I believe our first-hand international experience helped us personally relate to the globalization topic, which legitimized our facts and arguments.”
Richie Wismer, ’16, and Sugandh Gupta, ’16, were captains of the two teams that consisted of members of the University’s Debate Council.
Wismer, an economics major with an English minor shared, “It is fantastic that the Robins School has established The Robins Debate. It shows the business school recognizes that debating, traditionally considered a liberal arts activity, is an essential skill for business students. Not only is it important to think critically but also it’s vital to be able to communicate your ideas logically and persuasively.”
Gupta added, “It was great to see non-debaters participate in the debate. By hosting this event, the business school has shown that along with the highly rigorous classroom experience, it believes in an equally rigorous development of practical skills, like speech and communication, outside the classroom, thereby imparting to its students a more holistic education.”
Ryan Grant, ’14, remarked on the changes he has witnessed during his time as a student. “The Robins School is becoming much more competitive, and with that we’ve received a lot of new, unique opportunities.” He noted, “The Robins Debate taught me a lot. I also learned that while it’s easy to have an opinion on global issues, it’s important to be able to back up those opinions. I hope The Robins Debate becomes an annual event. I’m happy I was a part of it.”