Let them eat cake (and debate)

Debate is just icing on the cake for a new student organization on campus.

Since the Debate and Eat Cake Club began meeting every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the Music Building, the organization has debated various issues, including the mayoral election, abortion and prostitution - all while they eat cake.

"Whenever you have an event or celebration of any kind, there's always cake," said Hannah Pinkston, graduate student and club president. "Cake is the best thing ever."

Pinkston came up with the idea for the Debate and Eat Cake Club last year after she wrote a Facebook note about the presidential election that drew more than 800 comments.

A self-described yellow-dog democrat and avid supporter of President Barack Obama, Pinkston said she and others started the club this semester so the debates could continue.

Kadye Garrett, senior hospitality and resort management major and vice president of the club, said that enjoying cake after participating in a heated debate is refreshing.

"We like to eat cake, and we like to debate, so why not do it together?" Garrett said. "Why not heal the wounds after a harsh debate with cake?"

Garrett said the club would help U of M students to think on a broader level when dealing with different issues and perspectives.

"We want to educate other college students to maturely discuss politics, personal beliefs and current events without stepping on other peoples toes," she said. "Our club also teaches people not to take everything personally. It teaches people to go on the Internet, read a book or a newspaper so they actually know what they're talking about in a debate and why."

Besides hot button topics, Pinkston said the club also had a standing debate about carrot cake-with all 15 members being against the dessert.

"We don't allow carrot cake because it's not real cake," Parker said. "If you bring carrot cake, you get suspended. It's in the constitution."

While the club members agree, Scott Hines, the club's advisor, said he has a different take on the carrot cake controversy.

"No matter what Hannah Pinkston says, carrot cake is real, and as her advisor, I advise her to learn that it is cake," he said.

But Garrett, defending the groups' anti-carrot cake view, said carrot cake was created to deceive people into eating healthy.

"(Carrot cake) is trying to trick us into eating vegetables when all we want is sugar, fat and butter. If I wanted a carrot, I would go eat a carrot," she said.

The organization also tackles serious topics, such as the "No Fail" policy recently implemented in Memphis City Schools. The policy prevents the failing of students in pre-kindergarten through third grade, while students in grades four through eight can only be held back once.

Laura C. Brown, senior music education major and club member, said the organization agreed that passing the policy was a bad move for the MCS.

"We all think it's a bad idea," Brown said. "It teaches kids not to learn. (MCS administrators) think it's going to decrease the drop out rate, but it's really going to do the opposite."

Scott Hines, the club's adviser and manager of music facilities, said he admires how the students debate in a mature manner.

"I like the way they handle topics, discuss them and do it with reasoning and not emotion," Hines said. "No one acts like a kid and starts screaming and hollering. Everyone is very reasonable, and that's very refreshing."

Parker said the club enables students to view issues from differing perspectives than what they're used to.

"A lot of people combine political and religious views," Parker said. "I'm a Christian and a democrat."

The dues are $3 a week, which goes toward purchasing a cake for every meeting. A different member brings a cake each week.