Drs Eric Morris and Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk will revive Missouri State’s public discourse forum MSUTalks! during this year’s Public Affairs Week in September.

The communication professors will lead the Sept. 16 discussion on the question, “What defines a healthy community?” It is the first in a series of audience-participation debates slated for campus this year.

Debates spring from 2015 public affairs theme

The program is sponsored by MSU’s Holt V. Spicer Debate Team, coached by Morris. He said this year’s MSUTalks! seeks to deepen student engagement with the public affairs theme: “Building Healthy Communities: Body, Mind, Spirit.”

“Debate is fundamental to the public affairs mission – open deliberation enables ethical leaders to enact cultural competence as they facilitate community engagement.”

Determining a definition of “healthy community”

In the first 30 minutes of the event, debate team members will tackle what it means to create a healthy community. Sophomore Kathryn Eutsler, Junior Brenden Brower-Freeman and Freshman Daniel Nguyen will explore the following arguments:

• Biological and human health as the main determination of health
• Spiritual health is most important to community building
• The mind is always superior and the most important key to building healthy communities

Audience members will then be encouraged to make suggestions and interpretations of the positions presented for the duration of the event. The conversation will be moderated by Morris and Dudash-Buskirk, the 2015-16 Public Affairs Provost Fellow.

Future MSUTalks! debates

Morris said a tentative schedule has been set to host subsequent MSUTalks! events throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Participate in the first event

Date: Sept. 16
Time: 4 – 6 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union Robert W. Room 313
Admission: Free and open to the public
Connect online: #msutalks2015