UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the sixth year, Penn State first-year honors students are inviting the community to join them in deliberative discussions of local, national and global significance and urgency.
Rhetoric and Civic Life is a first-year honors seminar in the College of the Liberal Arts that encourages students to apply rhetorical perspective to the real world. One of students’ main projects is Deliberation Nation, in which they host more than 50 community discussions on important issues.
Deliberation is not the same as a debate, but instead focuses on careful consideration of the issue and finding common ground. When dealing with intense issues, deliberation allows students to connect with the public and discuss potential solutions.
The sixth annual Deliberation Nation will incorporate these values in talking about University, local and even national issues. Topics include everything from students’ mental health to privacy and free speech.
This year, the events will be held from Feb. 26 through March 5. Deliberations will take place around State College and are open to the public. For more information on days, times, locations and topics, visit http://sites.psu.edu/deliberationnation/.
The Rhetoric and Civic Life seminar is offered jointly through the Departments of English and Communication Arts and Sciences and is available for students from the Paterno Fellows Program, Schreyer Honors College, and Millennium Scholars. The course is sponsored by the Center for Democratic Deliberation in the McCourtney Institute for Democracy. To learn more about the course, visit http://sites.psu.edu/pennstatercl/.