Survival after doomsday? UB professors debate the best path

Nuclear warfare has destroyed civilization. In a desperate struggle for power, world leaders launched their weapons, leaving massive cities and entire populations to waste, abandoning their citizens to an uncertain fate.

The only survivors: UB students and six of their professors. The students have discovered an uninhabited island and decided there’s a chance of survival if they rebuild civilization with their professors’ help. However, the students only have a small life raft and one seat left.

For those participating in the 11th annual Life Raft Debate, hosted by the Honors College, this doomsday scenario was their reality. Professors were asked to debate their worth in the fictional life-or-death situation. Students’ lives were decided by the audience’s final vote.

On Feb. 15 in the Student Union, each professor — Cari Casteel, David E. Gray, Joseph A. Costa, Kevin Burke, Paul Linden-Retek and Shawn Donahue — had to prove themselves to be indispensable for an improved quality of life, advocating for their accomplishments, knowledge and disciplines to build their case.

Master of Ceremonies Henry J. Nowak — an Honors College alumnus and 1993 graduate of the School of Law, trial attorney and New York State Supreme Court judge since 2010 — introduced the panelists. Each had eight minutes in which to plead their case, with two minutes for rebuttal and a brief Q&A with students.

“I do feel a bit like Socrates here, defending my existence before this jury,” said Gray, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, and the first to step into the spotlight.

Gray promised to use his extensive knowledge of philosophy to inspire students to criticize and ask fundamental questions about reality, truth and values, rather than allow complacency to reign.

“Philosophy will not grant you mastery over the earth or the heavens, but it promises liberation and enlightenment,” Gray said. “Far more important.”

Linden-Retek, lecturer in law and society, and a research fellow at the Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy, was next. He quoted the dean of the Yale law school, speaking during Linden-Retek’s commencement ceremony, to set the tone for his argument: “Almost no future that is worth building can be built alone.”

Law would bring the community together to work toward justice by restoring the rule of law, despite being “in the midst of the most immense problems of their lives,” Linden-Retek said, noting that law is the first issue those on the new island would face. If chosen, he said he would guide them through the lengthy process of rebuilding a better future.

Donahue was next to bring up the application of political science in this new age. A clinical assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, he said survivors would have to build a government from scratch, and need to consider electoral institutions, civil rights and community diversity. Expect political threats to their territory, such as insurrections and fake news, he warned.

However, Donahue’s argument went beyond politics and understanding behavior.

“More importantly, I am the No. 1 ‘Swiftie’ here at UB,” he said, his PowerPoint suddenly shifting to an in-depth adoration of singer Taylor Swift. Donahue disclosed he had attended 29 of her concerts, six of those in the pit. Despite a few objections from the audience, Donahue played a few seconds of Swift’s “You Belong with Me” to cheers and applause.

Burke, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Electrical Engineering, didn’t need a prepared speech to make his argument.

He took a more casual air in advocating for his discipline. His central point was persuasive and succinct.

“I promise you, try to think of something on a daily basis that you do right now that doesn’t require an electrical engineer, and you can’t do it,” Burke said, as students imagined a gloomy future without phones or laptops.

He said he would draw the line at enabling WiFi, Netflix or social media — a stance that likely was unpopular among audience members.

Casteel, clinical assistant professor in the Department of History, took the microphone and thanked others for being her “opening act.” She filled her presentation with pop culture references and passion, suggesting “history is what we carry with us every day.”

Costa, an instructor in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, channeled his knowledge of anatomic pathology, and molecular and cellular biology.

“The mind, as well as the body, needs to be preserved,” he said, emphasizing the importance of healing and prevention, from fractures and diseases to autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Not only would students have someone with medical and biological expertise on board if they chose him, he said, he would also inspire empathy and compassion by promoting equity.

The Devil’s Advocate, John D. Atkinson, the Scott and Coleen Stevens Chair in Engineering Sustainability and associate professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering, spoke after rebuttals. Wearing a beach hat, Atkinson smiled as he looked over at Burke. “I’m going to use this opportunity to say I’m an environmental engineer,” he said. “The real EE.”

Atkinson also took a serious tone, as thoughts of real global crises — such as climate change — emerged during the imaginary scenario of mass global destruction. He urged students to “write their own future” and create new paths, rather than falling victim to complacency.

“We don’t want actors, we want writers,” he said, asking students to take charge of the narrative, instead of “accepting the doom on the horizon.”

In the end, Costa won over students and gained the seat on the raft. A sea of students watched as he held his prize — a wooden oar with small silver plaques listing past winners.