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By Scott Mahurin 
Lecterns at the ready. Questions in hand. Private edits whispered to each other. Is this the latest C-Span Health Care debate? No, this was Paideia’s very own rhetoric students in the First Annual Rhetoric Student debate held Thursday, February 11, in the Multi-Purpose Room at Belmont Baptist Church. Part of the Paideia experience involves worldview education. As students apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life experience and issues, we see the flourishing of classical Christian education. Rhetoric is the third stage of the trivium, and formal rhetoric is taught in two years at Paideia. As part of this curriculum, students engage in formal debate. 
The judges panel consisted of Mr. Bray, Mrs. Hinton, and Mrs. Stone who each judged different parts of rhetorical effectiveness. Mr. Bray judged the logos of the debate, which dealt with the logical claims and strength of the various arguments presented. Mrs. Hinton judged the pathos of the presenters, which assessed the appropriate emotion for each side. Mrs. Stone judged the ethos of the debate, which discerned the overall poise and charity of each side. Mr. Mahurin served as moderator and timekeeper... 
I cannot help being amazed at some people who quite deliberately admit that they shun literature.
- Erasmus
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If you've been wondering about Paideia but haven't had the time to come check us out, the time is now. Our next open house for prospective new students will be held Wednesday morning, March 10th. You will have an opportunity to see what goes on in the classrooms, take a tour of the campus, and ask questions. Please call the office at 813.988.7700 to RSVP.
Elevators, Education, and You We’ve all been there: in the church parking lot, at the soccer field, in the grocery store . We’re asked what school our children attend, and after explaining that it’s pronounced, “Pie-DAY-uh,” we’re asked what kind of school it is, and why we like it. As Hamlet put it so well, “Ah, there’s the rub…” How can we do Paideia justice? There’s so much you like, there’s so much you could say… You hear words hurriedly tumble from your lips:
“Trivium…Latin…Logic…Rhetoric…”. Even as you say them, they sound like technical jargon in a strange tongue.
More than one person, on more than one occasion, has asked for an “elevator speech” to help in these situations. An elevator speech is a “sales pitch” that can be delivered from the 1st to the 10th floor (30-60 seconds) and is easily remembered (once the person steps off the elevator). It tells the story within the listener’s attention span and in terms that make him more interested, not less. It makes him nod his head and go, “Hmmm,” and keep thinking about it as he walks down the hall.
We can see that an elevator speech is no place for extended evidence or technical language. It’s got to be simple, short, and memorable. Here’s what I would suggest. Let’s see how this works... Click here to read this article in its entirety.
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