 The
University of North Florida is one of only four universities
in the United States to have a chapter of the Other Club.
Winston ChurchiIl established the Other Club a a dinner-debating
society that brings together people with diverse views
for a friendly debate over a nice dinner. Churchill chose
the name as a reference to a prestigious social club
that already existed in England called the Club; thus,
Churchill's club was the "Other Club." Meetings
of the Other Club begin with dinner followed by prepared
speeches on a pre-determined topic by four members of
the club. The topics are chosen by a vote of the club
membership and usually are thought-provoking, though
not strictly academic.
After the four prepared speeches are delivered, the floor is open to anyone
who cares to comment. A toastmaster summarizes the debate. Membership in the
club is by invitation. Between 15 and 20 students with good academic and leadership
credentials will be asked to join as well as five to six faculty members and
several prominent leaders in the Northeast Florida community. It is an excellent
opportunity for the town and gown to come together in an intellectual, lively
exchange of ideas.
Programs from past meetings have included
such topics as:
| Date |
Topic |
| March
31, 2001 |
"Are
American society and culture getting better or worse?" |
| November
3, 2001 |
"Is
there too much freedom in the United States?" |
| March
2, 2002 |
"Do
Americans work too much?" |
| October
18, 2002 |
"Can
knowledge be harmful? If so, should it be limited?" |
| Feb.
28, 2003 |
"All
people have far more in common than they have differences.
True or false?" |
| October
3, 2003 |
"Are
youth and idealism better than age and experience?" |
| April
16, 2004 |
"Does
the disparity between the salaries of the average
CEO and the average full-time worker pose an ethical
problem? |
| November
12, 2004 |
"Should
the United States be a 'melting pot' or a 'salad
bowl' when it comes to integrating immigrants into
American
society?" |
| January
27, 2006 |
"Should
professors keep their personal ideologies out of
the classroom? |
| October
27, 2007 |
"Does
money really buy happiness or is money the root of
all evil? Which cliché is closer to the truth? |
| March
2, 2007 |
"Isolation
or globalism: which is the best course? |
|
