Discussion Meet Emphasizes Inclusion in Dialogue
Discussion vs. debate. Everyone’s familiar with debates as competitions featuring arguments seeking to build one’s case while exploiting that of one’s opponent. Conversely, a discussion involves an inclusive conversation or dialogue while examining a topic.
PICTURED: Hannah Schrader leads a discussion at the American Farm Bureau Federation's national competition in Reno, Nevada.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) sees the value in learning how to facilitate and engage in constructive discussions that lead to workable solutions — so much that it sponsors a national competition for college students.
Wilmington College’s Hannah Schrader took that premise and ran with it all the way to the AFBF Collegiate Discussion Meet in Reno, Nevada, earlier this month. She advanced from local participant to state champion to the top 16 in the nation.
“I’m in shock that I did so well,” she said several days after returning to the College. “I’m on an all-time high. I feel like I can do anything now.”
WC has been participating in the competition for three years as an activity of the school’s Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. While members have enjoyed success, Schrader’s top-16 finish nationally is the best yet. The junior from Logan majoring in agriculture communication explained how discussion meets transpire.
Contestants are given a topic and five set questions from which they parse out the major talking points and agriculture policy implications. It’s then the competition actually begins.
Schrader said the keys to success feature the ability to set the agenda for the discussion while intentionally including others in the dialogue by analytically breaking down their ideas and reintroducing them into the conversation as complementing one’s own contributions. Creating a sense of collaboration is essential and a mediator is on hand in the event it turns toward debate.
“Judges are looking for an approachable person with knowledge and a background history of agriculture-related issues, the Farm Bureau and ag-related companies,” she said. “I went into the competition confident in my knowledge of agriculture.”
Schrader and a student from Ohio State were among the 59 competitors in Reno at the championships held in conjunction with the Young Farmer and Rancher Conference.
Both advanced through two rounds before being among the final 16, who were divided into four groups and placed in separate rooms to discuss that round’s topic: family farming. Schrader’s round of 16 competition pitted her against representatives from the universities of Florida, Tennessee and Colorado — ultimately with Florida advancing.
“It’s a different kind of competition, something you can’t really study for,” she said. “You control the things you can, but you never know the way the discussion is going to go.”
Schrader said the experience has helped narrow her agriculture communication interest to educational outreach and agricultural policy. “It helped me specify my passion.”
Ag Communications Student Among Nation’s Best at Discussion Meet
Agriculture