On October 29, 2025, the Brownson Speech and Debate Team at Seton Hall University partnered with the Institute for Communication and Religion (ICR) to hold an event marking the conclusion of the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media’s One College One Exhibition Initiative. The event, titled “Telling the Truth: An Art and Argument,” lasted one hour and featured student speeches inspired by journalist and activist Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement.
The Brownson Speech and Debate Team has a history spanning more than 75 years at Seton Hall. Its mission is to promote academic growth and ethical development among students, encouraging them to think creatively and serve as advocates for others.
Jessica Rauchberg, Ph.D., who coaches the team and is also an assistant professor in Communication Media and the Arts, explained that students spent several months preparing their speeches. “Students begin working on these speeches over the summer, and they work with our coaching staff and each other to prepare for competitions or special presentation events,” she said. “Our students also travel to regional and national competitions. These opportunities help our students excel in shaping their presentation skills.”
Dorothy Day’s activism through the Catholic Worker Movement emphasized applying Christian teachings about community life in modern society. Jon Radwan, Ph.D., ICR Director and associate professor of Communication, stated: “Dorothy Day shows how love is an embodied gift of self. Her voluntary poverty and lifelong practice of direct works of mercy demonstrate the ‘radical’ quality of Christian love.”
During the event, sophomore M. Brynn Christianson presented an oral interpretation based on Day’s writings about work, arguing that labor should be valued by its positive impact rather than by wages alone. Junior Joshua Yue gave an impromptu speech after two minutes’ preparation on a prompt he was assigned. Senior Amos Willey delivered a persuasive speech addressing incarceration issues and legal reforms. Senior Catherine Jones offered rhetorical criticism focused on memory and disability activism. While not all speakers addressed Dorothy Day directly, their topics related to her themes of embodiment and activism.
A question-and-answer session followed where audience members engaged with student presenters.
Professors Radwan and Rauchberg initiated this collaboration between ICR and Brownson as part of their Mission Partners Grant Proposal for 2025-26. They acknowledged support from Seton Hall’s Provost office while emphasizing hopefulness in building community through shared work. Rauchberg commented: “I hope this event helped the Seton Hall community understand the importance of our university’s mission and commitments during this political moment, and to learn more about Day’s legacy. The more we discuss these topics of community and advocacy, the better our worlds, here at Seton [Hall] and beyond, will be.” Information about One College One Exhibition Initiative can be found online.
The Institute for Communication and Religion operates within Seton Hall University’s College of Human Development, Culture, and Media as an interdisciplinary center exploring religion’s role in society through communication scholarship since its launch in Fall 2017.
