“Should corporations be held responsible for the United States’ toxic food culture?”

After… “Should corporations be held responsible for the United States’ toxic food culture?”

After viewing a selection from the documentary “Super Size Me,” the audience of the Documentary and Debate Series watched four debate class students dispute this question.

Damien Pfister, the professor of the course and a communications and rhetoric graduate student, said that this four-part series, which is sponsored by the William Pitt Debating Union, is being held to offer an official public setting for topics that have created much discussion in social places such as restaurants and bars.

Two students took an affirmative stance to the situation, arguing that fast food is directly linked to obesity and that chemicals are being inserted into fast food to make it addictive – causing the consumer to eat full, large portions.

The negative side said that obesity and fast food consumption is the fault of the consumer – not the corporations. They discussed how health programs that taught about food and obesity in schools would help the issue. They also said that exercise and eating in moderation would fix the problem of obesity.

Each side rebutted the others claims, as the audience actively tapped when they agreed with a statement.

Robyn Brough, an audience member, was not only interested in the topic, but found the delivery to be entertaining as well.

“I was surprised at how professional [the debaters] were. I was surprised they put so much effort into everything,” Brough said. “It wasn’t just watching someone’s class.”

Audience members had the opportunity to debate with the presenters while they all snacked on either McDonald’s or vegetables.

The debate swayed audience opinions, such as that of Austin Derck.

“I was surprised. I came in expecting to agree with the negative side because adults should be able to control what they eat,” Derck said.

After the affirmative side presented the idea of chemical-inducing addiction, though, Derck is now interested in seeing more evidence for this theory.

The debates are part of the curriculum for the debate class, and the students chose to argue issues in documentaries and decided which documentaries to see and which arguments to make.

Lis Caliendo, one of the affirmative debaters, found the idea of this debate series innovative.

“It’s a new thing for people to watch a documentary, to see both sides, and then to be a part of it,” Caliendo said.

The other affirmative arguer, Melina Forte, hopes that it will affect the students who attended the event.

“I hope it invites them to go out and talk to their friends and create a discourse on campus,” she said.