Debate: Do Colleges Need French Departments?
With humanities programs being cut at many universities, what do students stand to lose?

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Language programs assist in communication between international companies.
Warrant 0: all international companies should just speak English
Warrant 1: all international companies should just speak several languages
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Humanities programs improve understanding of current issues.
Warrant 0: everyone really cares about current issues
Warrant 1: nobody really cares about current issues
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Humanities programs make people think differently and more creatively.
Warrant 0: creative thinking is as important as critical thinking
Warrant 1: creative thinking isn't as important as critical thinking
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Students need to think critically and outside of conventional ideas.
Warrant 0: humanities programs are conventional wisdom
Warrant 1: humanities programs are unconventional wisdom
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Colleges need to ensure that opportunity to acquire language remains part of higher education.
Warrant 0: humanities programs teach languages
Warrant 1: humanities programs do not teach languages
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges do not need humanities programs
Reason: Humanities programs are a waste of taxpayer money with no result.
Warrant 0: wasting tax payer money is not an American tradition
Warrant 1: wasting tax payer money is an American tradition
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Students need to think critically and outside of conventional ideas.
Warrant 0: critical thinking rarely leads to students protesting
Warrant 1: critical thinking leads to students protesting
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges do not need humanities programs
Reason: The internet provides this kind of information for free.
Warrant 0: free online language courses are often substandard
Warrant 1: free online language courses are not substandard
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: French is a language that is used all throughout Europe.
Warrant 0: most people in Europe only more than one language
Warrant 1: most people in Europe only use one language
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Not all science and technology workers speak English.
Warrant 0: we have apps for our phones which can barely translate in other language when we don't speak the language
Warrant 1: we have apps for our phones which can translate in other language when we don't speak the language
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Colleges need humanities programs
Reason: Humanities help students to appreciate early teachings of Greeks and Romans.
Warrant 0: the history of civilizations is essential to succeed in today's job market
Warrant 1: the history of civilizations is not essential to succeed in today's job market
Correct warrant: 0