Critical Thinking Through Deliberative Dialogue, will be held March 4 in the Lowman Student Center Orange Ballroom as part of this year’s Common Reader Program.
The event consists of multiple teams of four students. During the event, student groups will work together to think through a problem tied to the Sam Houston State University Common Reader and The American Democracy Project.
”We make the teams,” Foundations of Science Coordinator Steven Koether said. “We don’t want a group of all freshman and a group of all seniors. We want diversity of thought and majors.”
This year’s SHSU Common Reader was Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner’s “What Unites Us.” The novel covers author Dan Rather’s feelings regarding the divide in our nation, and he discusses what he believes to be subjects that can unite us as a country.
For this semester’s critical thinking, the main focus of the discussions will be on the topic of Immigration.
“It brings comradery to the students,” Special Programs Coordinator for the Student Success Initiative Kimberly Johnson said. “It brings them together. “They get to see other students from different areas on campus and learn how to focus on the question at hand— to come together and solve that problem. They get to make new friends too.”
The American Democracy Project is a national association under the American Association of State Colleges and Universities that consists of over 250 universities.
“Their goal is to help students learn how to become citizens of the world and of the nation,” Koether said.
It is important that people realize that this event is not just a simple debate. It is a chance for people to see others having a different way of thought and having a real conversation instead of just retweeting and commenting.
There will be two prizes sponsored by the Foundations of Science Program and the College of Science and Engineering Technology offered to the winning team and first runner-up. The winning team will receive a $250 scholarship for each member and the runner-up will each receive a $100 scholarship.