Coming from Miami University of Ohio, Dr. Ben Voth brought his expertise in debate, rhetoric and free speech to SMU in 2008 to establish a similar program on SMU’s private campus.
“What I’m trying to work with the university on, as director of debate, is trying to make sure that you all experience something that resembles an accurate public sphere of the United States,” Voth said. “And so, to be honest, I’ve been here for 17 years. I do think we’re falling short of that.”
Voth is the director of debate and speech and professor of rhetoric at SMU, and is responsible for monitoring political or debate-like events that occur on campus.
In late September, Voth hosted Steven Crowder’s “Change My Mind” debate at SMU. Voth said he is open to hosting any kind of event that will heighten free speech at the school.
“What you kind of see is a very polarized faculty versus a student body that feels very differently,” Voth said. “I think, in my professional opinion, [this] leads to misperception about what would be allowable or best to have as public events on campus and so yeah, I’m making my own personal judgments. I want to indulge in a wide range of opinions. And I totally get it’s not everyone’s opinion.”
Voth hosts an annual lecture outside Umphrey Lee based on the First Amendment, which is carved on the side of the building.
“We can look at those words, but if we don’t do them, they will die. And so I always knew that,” Voth said. “ My office used to be in Umphrey Lee and I always would run my fingers over the freedom of speech etching part. That is what I’m trying to do for SMU and for the students.”
Still, Voth acknowledges that promoting free expression on a campus, especially a private one, comes with tension.
“Because this is a private university, SMU can express itself in the way that it wants to express itself and then that creates kind of a problem of what I’ve described as curation,” Voth said. “In other words, the administrators at the university are really bound to kind of set up what y’all are going to see.”
Students also say his passion shows clearly in the classroom.
“Dr. Voth comes off as down-to-earth, kind, and vibrant. His lectures are always a joy to attend, and his passion for speech and debate is truly one of a kind,” said Oscar Castillo, one of Voth’s students.
Voth also credits his knowledge in teaching students to a consulting job he had in 2006, working at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as an instructor of public speaking for Holocaust survivors.
“I use this in every class, every semester, and it’s from Holocaust survivor Elia Wiesel, who said, ‘What hurts the victim most is not the physical cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander,’” Voth said. “And so now, when I teach, I actually flip the classroom in the sense of, I’m really interested in the students who are most scared to speak.”
Voth still appreciates strong speakers, but also focuses on helping quieter students find their voice and think for themselves, rather than “not becom[ing] subjects of propaganda where we’re just uncritically accepting something from a strong source or an authoritative source.”
“One thing we did were on-the-spot speeches where we drew from a bucket of topics, and had to answer the prompt,” said Delaney Kendall, an SMU junior currently enrolled in Voth’s speech and debate class. “This was definitely nerve-racking and unlike anything I have done in my other classes, but it forced me to gain confidence in my public speaking.”
Voth’s passion for free speech is also shaped by his family, especially his daughter, who has special needs. For Voth, it wasn’t about money or reaping any benefit; It was about fighting for his daughter’s rights and making life better for her.
“We were told by experts when she started in kindergarten, she will fall behind year after year, and eventually she’ll be far behind grade level. But, she graduated from the Rockwell Public Schools at grade level, reading 12th grade,” Voth said. “For her to get through the public schools effectively, my wife and I had to advocate for her, and our silence would have cost her dearly.”
And, that is what Voth stands for in all aspects of free speech and his teaching: advocating and “shining your light.” He often references Matthew 5:16, a Bible verse, to his students.
“As a dad and as a parent, I’m thinking about: This is somebody’s son or daughter, and there’s all this potential locked up in there,” Voth said. “Whether students are Christian or not, I say, my teaching philosophy is very informed by something that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.”
For him, the message is less about religion and more about empowering students to utilize their voice.
“He said, ‘Let your light so shine before man that in seeing your good work, they glorify your Father who is in heaven,’” Voth said. “It doesn’t say ‘SMU’s light.’ It doesn’t say ‘Dr. Voth’s light.’ It’s you, each one, are unique. And a part of your brightness is your voice and your ability to speak and communicate.”
