The Warren Debate Union (WDU) at the University of Mississippi would like to cordially invite you to a public debate event on Monday November 8th at 5:30 PM in room 323 of the Student Union.  

The event is open to the public and free of charge. We encourage anyone interested to attend. 

The debate will be between 4 student members of the WDU and will cover the topic of ballot initiatives and democracy. 

A year ago this month, Mississippians approved a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana in the state of Mississippi. The subsequent strike-down of this ballot measure by the Mississippi Supreme Court earlier this year has opened up a debate about the appropriateness and wisdom of ballot initiatives as tools of self-governance in a democracy. During this debate, WDU debaters will present the case for and against using ballot initiatives to create policy and argue about the merits of “direct democracy” versus “representative democracy.” We hope that the debate provides a unique educational opportunity to learn more about an important issue facing the state of Mississippi, and that the debate can help start a conversation on campus about what our democracy ought to look like.  

Please feel free to spread the word about this event. If you are an instructor/professor, please consider offering extra credit in exchange for your students attending this event. The debate team is happy to provide an extra credit assignment worksheet if you are interested. 

If you have any questions, please contact WDU director Jacob Justice at jwjustic@olemiss.edu.