Ripon College Days

The importance of ethics in oratory is being emphasized this semester in the communications department at Ripon College.

The Ripon Forum on Ethics and Oratory has been a program headed by senior communication majors in conjunction with the Ripon College Institute for Ethical Leadership. The program is designed to bring together undergraduate students and renowned scholars to collaboratively analyze the oratory of America's greatest speakers.

"It was a true test of knowledge," says senior Terri Kahler. "The coordination of the Forum on Ethics and Oratory is something that each of us seniors will have as experience and walk away from Ripon with one more great experience than other Communication majors in the State and even Country get during their undergraduate years."

The program consists of two major sections. The first has been analyzing in essays the "Ethics, Oratory, and the Leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." and work collaboratively with departmental faculty and a featured guest scholar to refine their essays.

This year's guest scholar has been Professor Emeritus of Communication and Culture, American Studies, and Victorian Studies at Indiana University, Dr. James R. Andrews.

"(Dr. Andrews) is like a celebrity in our field," says senior Grayson Brooke. "It was great to be able to meet and work with a man like that."

Senior Michael Hatfield agrees, "(Dr. Andrews) is among the top tier of communication professors."

Dr. Andrews stayed in Ripon for the duration of a few days in order to help each senior with their essay individually.

"Dr. Andrews gave the seniors a great deal of help and encouragement during this project," says Kahler. "Dr. Andrews remembers attending the speech, 'I Have a Dream' and that kind of an experience and knowledge is something that is priceless when you are organizing an event like we did this year."

The second large part of the Ripon Forum on Ethics and Oratory was a youth summit of high school students that took place April 5.

The summit consisted of workshops that were geared towards developing the understanding of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

"We spent a lot of time putting advanced theory into a high school level in order to help them understand the material," says Hatfield.

"We were really excited about the number of responses we received from schools," says Brooke. "They wanted to bring so many students that we had to cap the amount we could let come."

There were three breakout sessions for the high school students to choose from. These sessions provided specific themes to be analyzed within Dr. King's speech ranging from metaphors to religious themes to historical references.

"The students who attended the conference participated in a variety of group discussions," says Kahler. "The involvement of the High School students made it evident that they were qualified for the experience and able to take away a positive learning experience."

Kahler continues, "There were many aspects that were discussed from historical to rhetorical and I think that the high school students and educators who attended were really able to see how detailed their education can be beyond the high school level."

Hot on the tails of the first youth summit of this kind in the department, the promise of one for next year already looks good.

"We had comments from schools saying they'd love to come back next year," says Hatfield.

While there has been no decision on what the topic for next year's forum will be, Hatfield added, "The topic for next year's forum would be piggy-backed on what the Ripon College Institute for Ethical Leadership decides to do."

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