FVCC Brings Life Raft Debate to Kalispell May 6

Flathead Valley Community College’s Mask & Hammer Theatre Club is hosting the first annual FVCC Life Raft Debate on Monday, May 6.

Modeled after the annual event held at the University of Montevallo in Alabama since 1998, the Life Raft Debate challenges the audience to imagine a world where North America is no longer inhabitable and the remaining members of society must set sail to establish a new home. Seats on the boat are limited, however, and the audience must determine which college professor is most worthy of the last seat.

FVCC’s Life Raft Debate will feature four faculty members vying to convince the audience that his or her discipline is the most critical to the success of the new civilization. Audience members will choose from Associate Professor of English Conrad Rauscher, Associate Professor of Natural Resources Christina Relyea, Associate Professor of Anatomy and Physiology Karla Ryan and Culinary Institute of Montana Program Director Shannon Hayashi. The winner of this year’s FVCC Life Raft Debate will receive a trophy oar to keep for one year and will compete against a new set of challengers at the second annual debate in 2020.

Free and open to the public, the debate will begin at 7 p.m. in the campus theatre, located inside the Arts and Technology Building. For more information, contact FVCC Associate Professor of Theatre and Music Rich Haptonstall at rhaptonstall@fvcc.edu or 756-3962.