The following story originally appeared on the website for the College of Arts & Sciences. – Ed.

At last year’s Raft Debate, Physics Professor Joshua Erlich won the hearts of the W&M community with boisterous applause as he made a compelling case for why he (and more broadly, the sciences) should survive for the sake of humanity in an imaginary shipwreck. Can the sciences defend their title, or will another field, if any, float to victory and save humanity?

The beloved W&M tradition returns Oct. 28 starting at 6 p.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium with a fresh roster of faculty debaters representing the sciences, social sciences and the humanities. 

The premise remains the same: Three faculty members will try to convince the audience why — if, hypothetically, they were all stranded on a deserted island with only one life raft to return to civilization — they should survive. Believing that none of the academic fields should be saved, the devil’s advocate will be ready to pounce at any opportunity to challenge and discredit the debaters. 

Intended to spark thoughtful dialogue on the merits of each discipline and its role in society while poking light-hearted fun at each other, the debate is a perfect union of comedy and intellectualism.  

“Last year, we brought back the Raft Debate for the first time post-pandemic to a resounding success,” said Suzanne Raitt, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “We couldn’t wait to bring it back again this year with an exciting new line-up of faculty who will engage in conversations that we hope will inspire students in their academic journeys. It serves an important reminder of the interconnected nature of all disciplines.” 

The winner is determined by the noise dosimeter, which measures the volume of applause from the audience. 

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see the event webpage. RSVP here.

The 2025 Raft Debate will include:  

Humanities: Andrew Tobolowsky, Walter G. Mason Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Professor Andrew Tobolowsky is the author of four books and numerous articles on topics ranging from the 12 tribes of Israel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is a devoted fan of the Dallas Mavericks, despite how badly they have tried to change that fact with their personnel decisions.   

Sciences: Isabelle Taylor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry 

Professor Isabelle Taylor specializes in biochemistry and chemical biology. Her research focuses on developing new antibiotics that block bacteria from communicating with each other and coordinating their group actions to stage an infection. As an expert in bacterial languages, she is confident she could raise an army of bacteria to take over the world (so you better not leave her on the island!). She is also an avid fan of “Survivor,” which should come in handy for the Raft Debate. 

Social Sciences: Andrea Wright, Class of 1952 Distinguished Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 

Professor Andrea Wright is a cultural and historical anthropologist. Her research focuses on labor migration, the oil industry and governance in the Middle East and South Asia. In her free time, she plays keyboard in a band, reads sci-fi novels, hikes and makes vegan soup. 

Devil’s Advocate: Jonah Goldwater, Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy 

Professor Jonah Goldwater specializes in wisdom, freedom, metaphysics, critical thinking and the meaning of life. Realizing his philosophy Ph.D. would take him only so far with Lucifer, Goldwater earned his M.B.A. from W&M’s Mason School of Business and is now the devil’s chief executive officer in addition to his advocate. When not taking contrarian positions for argument’s sake, Goldwater enjoys cats, thinking about cats, and thinking about thinking about cats. An avid baseball fan, he only parts ways with the devil over the latter’s fervent support of the New York Yankees. 

Judge: Trey Mayo, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics

Assistant Dean Trey Mayo Ed.D. ’22 oversees graduate studies support and operations in the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, managing admissions, academic progress and all things paperwork. He previously served in a similar capacity in the College of Arts & Sciences at W&M. 

While his lifelong dream of being a TV game show host didn’t pan out, he found a perfect consolation prize: serving as the judge of the Raft Debate, moderating four academics who fight for survival after a hypothetical shipwreck. When the spreadsheets are filed away and the robe is hung up, Mayo enjoys nature walks, spending time with his mother and his feline fur-daughter, Chewie, and finding the perfect YouTube clip or meme for the occasion.