"Are unions necessary?" will be the topic of a debate Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the University of Minnesota. Two university professors and two students will square off to debate this question, with statements from the audience also encouraged.

The debate, sponsored by the award-winning University of Minnesota Parliamentary Debate Society, will start at 7:30 p.m. in Wiley Hall on the West Bank of the university's Minneapolis campus.

Professor Ian Maitland, a faculty member in the Carlson School of Management and a former Congressional candidate, and Debate Society member Stu Whitson will take the position that labor unions are unnecessary. Professor John Remington, also on the faculty of the Carlson School of Management and on the staff of the Labor Education Service, and Debate Society member Jason Schousboe will oppose that position and support the necessity of unions.

"The debate takes place in traditional parliamentary debate style where audience participation is encouraged," organizer Leila Babaeva noted. "In fact, before the end of the last two speeches, audience members make one minute speeches in support of either side."

Debate organizers also will ask audience members to group themselves behind the side they support to determine who "won" the debate.

For more information, e-mail Babaeva at baba0008@umn.edu