When Monil Kothari and Jacob Graham went to the Student Activities Fair as Bentley freshmen last year, there was no quibbling about their aim. The former leaders of their respective high school debate programs were eager to join a college-level team.
Kothari notes his lack of speaking skills as a high school freshman. “By the end, I was able to think so much faster on my feet because of my debate experience,” he says. “I wanted to continue it.”
The plan came into question when Kothari and Graham learned that a debate club had not been active on campus for several years. Undaunted, they decided to reconstitute the group: The Bentley Debate Society was born.
The pair recruited Ellen Snedeker, assistant professor of law, taxation and financial planning and associate director of graduate admission, to advise the organization. They got a green light from the Association of Bentley Activities and, that spring, signed up 120 like-minded peers.
“These are very motivated students,” Snedeker says of Kothari and Graham, who serve as Debate Society co-presidents. “They were really inspired by their idea and committed to making it happen.”
Passion and Purpose
Timely issues and solid education draw students to the group. For example, in two “Great Debates,” society members assumed the roles of Barack Obama, John McCain and, during primary season, Hillary Clinton. The roles of the presidential candidates and debate moderators were “cast” by the society’s nine-member board. Student participants strived to represent not only the candidates’ positions, but their personalities and mannerisms. The Bentley University Democrats and Bentley University Republicans co-sponsored the events.
“It’s a passionate debate,” says Kothari, a Finance major. “People really get into their roles.”
In addition to hosting political theater, the Bentley Debate Society runs skill-building clinics. Students can learn proper debating techniques and even prepare to take part in two formal debates that the society holds each year.
“It’s a clinic atmosphere,” observers Graham. “There are interactive sessions and a focus on how to improve your debating skills.”
Skills for Life
Kothari and Graham agree that the critical-thinking skills that debating fosters are valuable in many areas of life and business. Case in point: The winning team in the last Bentley Business Bowl drew three of its five members from the Debate Society.
“It’s interesting to see how students develop,” says Snedeker. “They come in thinking, ‘This is my chance to give my opinion.’ But debate isn’t about opinion. It’s about presenting facts and building a case. Over time, you can see the change in how they present their arguments.”
The Bentley Debate Society’s early mission has been to establish itself on campus. In the coming years, Kothari and Graham hope the group will participate in competitive intercollegiate debates.
“I’m happy to see how rapidly it’s expanding,” says Corporate Finance and Accounting major Graham. “Debate can benefit the whole community by getting people to think. It’s more than just a club.”