Key Players in the debate
Judges: arbitrator of debate rules
Yik Yak debate: Assistant Director of Student Life, Barry Hawkins; Instructor of Educational Studies, Dallas Pike and Associate Attorney at Kiley, Harker and Certain, Adrienne Rhines
The Government team: two debaters who propose a statement and back it up with facts
Yik Yak debate: Dakota Wappes, a senior communication studies and political science major and Cameron Sparks, a senior computer information systems major
The Opposition team: two debaters demonstrate that the Government’s statement isn’t correct
Yik Yak debate: Dashaen Jordan, a freshman political science major and Keatton Middleton, a sophomore business administration and pre-law major
Alternates: moderate the debate
Yik Yak debate: Natalya Bulfa, a junior communication studies major and Rachel Harned, a japanese and accounting major
At the end of each round, a judge determines who presented their argument the best.
Both teams compiled the information used in their debate through internet sources, articles, magazines, and downloading Yik Yak and participating on it.
Source: the American Parliamentary Debate Association and the Debate Team
Comments about a Ball State professor's body and wardrobe have been on social media for years, most of which she found amusing.
But the anonymity of Yik Yak led to different kinds of comments about Katherine Denker, an assistant professor of communication studies.
Sexual and threatening comments caused the University Police Department to get involved. They escorted her to a car after one particularly graphic Yak.
“It forces you to think about your own humanity.” she said.
Elsewhere on campus, assistant director of the Ball State debate team, Robin Phelps-Ward proposed the idea of a public event debating the possibility of banning the app.
They felt it was important to have a serious conversation with the community.
This possibility of banning the app has already happened at colleges in Chicago, New Mexico and Vermont, according to an October article in USA TODAY.
The Ball State debate begins on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Arts and Journalism Building, room 175 and will include two teams with two debate students on each team. The government team supports banning the app while the opposition team supports the existence of the app.
Robin Phelps-Ward introduced the topic to her students after listening in on bus-ride conversations to and from debate tournaments.
“...I was intrigued, worried and confused by some of the comments I read,” said Phelps-Ward.
Most of the comments about Denker reference her blazers. Some go further. She said it is likely because she teaches a large lecture class and because she is a woman.
"I'm going to get feedback just like university presidents or anyone else gets feedback."
Minority students at a South Carolina university formed a group called “A Coalition of Concerned Students.” Greenville Online reported that the students presented a list of grievances to university administrators, asking for a public commitment to prosecute people who attack minorities on social media.
But last week’s terrorist attack at the satirical French publication Charlie Hebdo has called into question the subject of free speech, which the opposition team intends on including in their first statement of the debate.
“[Free Speech] is a hot topic on campus and definitely also, on a national scope of things everywhere” said Dakota Wappes, a senior debate team member.
On Wednesday, Wappes will be debating on the side of the government.
Phelps-Ward hopes the debate will engage the campus community, but some Ball State students already have an opinion on the app.
Freshman musical theatre major, David Ibarra described some posts on Yik Yak as “gross” and “crude”.
“I had Yik Yak for one day, posted two things: one regarding snow and the other regarding my hometown Seattle, and I received wide variety of rude comments, so I deleted the app,” said Ibarra.
He believes the existence of the app should be independent on the individual and not the administration.
Mackenzie Klahr and Bri Kirkham contributed to this article.
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