Two of the nation's most historic institutions, Gallaudet University and the United States Naval Academy, will compete in an unprecedented collegiate debate to tackle the important question: Should deaf people be allowed to serve in the United States military?

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Gallaudet University and U.S. Naval Academy Students to Compete, Collaborate in Unprecedented Bilingual Debate in American Sign Language and English

What
Two of the nation's most historic institutions, Gallaudet University and the United States Naval Academy (USNA), will compete in an unprecedented collegiate debate event in Washington, D.C., to tackle the important question: Should deaf people be allowed to serve in the United States military? Gallaudet University is the leading university in the world for deaf and hard of hearing students. Its debate team is the first deaf collegiate debate team in the United States. The live debate will feature a unique format with each team comprised of one Gallaudet student and one USNA student who will collaborate and communicate in both American Sign Language and English. The debate will be hosted by Gallaudet's Center for Democracy in Deaf America, the first center of its kind in the world committed to empowering civic engagement and debate in Deaf America.

When
Thursday, April 20, 2023
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET

Where
Gallaudet University Field House
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
Campus map

Debaters
Trent Mora (Gallaudet) and Jason Santiago (USNA) will debate in the affirmative, and Lexi Hill (Gallaudet) and Roy Choi (USNA) will debate in the negative.

Moderators
Romel Thurman, Gallaudet University Debate Team captain, and JAC Cook, Gallaudet University alumna

Judges
Heather Artinian, Attorney, Latham & Watkins, Washington, D.C.; Megan McArdle, The Washington Post columnist; and Dr. Carolyn Washington, Colonel, U.S. Army (retired).

Special guests
Super Bowl LV National Anthem performer and Gallaudet University alumnus Warren "Wawa" Snipe; U.S. Congresswoman Betty McCollum; deaf military advocate and TED speaker Keith Nolan; Gallaudet University President Roberta J. Cordano, and Brendan Stern, Executive Director, Center for Democracy in Deaf America, will be among several special guests in attendance. There will also be a live audience of college students and more than 100 high school students from deaf schools and programs nationwide.

Media
Interviews and broadcast/filming opportunities will be available to credentialed media. All visitors, including credentialed media for this debate event, will be required to enter through the university's Florida Avenue and Eighth Street NE entrance and present photo identification.

To secure media credentials please contact Robert Weinstock.

Media contact:
Robert Weinstock
Gallaudet University
202-250-2411
301-642-0338 text
robert.weinstock@gallaudet.edu

Media Contact

Robert Weinstock, Gallaudet University, 1 202-250-2411, robert.weinstock@gallaudet.edu

SOURCE Gallaudet University