OSU alum Mark Porrovechio is now teaching beside those who taught him

Ten years ago, Mark Porrovecchio was a graduate student at Oregon State University, taking classical rhetoric courses and assisting with OSU’s debate team.

After teaching in California and completing his doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh, Porrovecchio is back at OSU, only now he’s directing the student forensics team and teaching the classes that once had such a profound impact on his own career.

“To the one, the faculty I studied with and took classes with at OSU were exceptional. They were my mentors, and now they’re my peers,” he said.

Trischa Goodnow, associate professor of speech communication, has directed OSU’s forensics program for the last 13 years.

Last year the campus hosted the National Parliamentary Debate Association’s annual tournament, an international competition for collegiate debaters.

After that whirlwind of spirited argument blew through Corvallis, Goodnow decided to hand off the debate team reins, giving her more time to focus on teaching and research.

She found an able successor in Porrovecchio, her former student.

Robert Iltis, associate professor and chair of the speech communication department, also looks forward to teaching alongside the alumnus.

“He was a great student. He had the seriousness of mind and that intense intellectual curiosity that you love to see,” Iltis said.

The competitive collegiate debate circuit is a small world. Even as an undergraduate student at Carroll College in Montana, Porrovecchio registered on OSU’s radar.

“He was a brilliant competitor,” Iltis said.

To put his students at ease, Porrovecchio likes to share less stellar moments from his debate career.

His senior year at Carroll College, the team made it to the final round in a National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament.

“I completely botched it. It wasn’t so much that the other team won, but I made sure we lost,” he recalls.

His first speech with the Carroll team didn’t go much better, when he used David Letterman, Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Newman and Ziggy the comic strip character as primary support for his position.

Debate competitions aren’t just about winning, even though that’s always nice. They teach critical thinking, decorum and how to form arguments quickly, Porrovecchio noted.

Debate topics often involve public policy or opinion, so knowledge of current events, as well as philosophy, history and debate theory, is critical. They also give students an opportunity to travel and meet other people with similar interests.

Porrovecchio taught during OSU’s summer session, but this week marks the beginning of his first school year in a professorial role.

This term he’ll teach ancient rhetoric, spanning 500 BC to 500 AD.

“It’s a daunting thing. I’m teaching a class I took from Dr. Iltis. But I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

OSU’s Forensics Team held its first meeting of the year this week. Porrovecchio is hoping to increase participation in the club by promoting it more heavily around campus and partnering with other student groups.

“I want to carry on the tradition that Trischa’s created. I want to put a dual emphasis on education and competition,” he said.

For those not interested in competitive speech and debate but who simply want to become more comfortable speaking in front of crowds, the key isn’t imagining audience members in their underwear.

Porrovecchio has the secret — practice.

“You’re always going to be nervous, but you’re better able to handle it if you prepare,” he said.

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.

At a glance

Who: Mark Porrovecchio

Occupation: Assistant professor of speech communication and director of forensics at OSU

Age: 33

Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

Family: Wife, Nikki

Hobbies: Studying rhetorical theory, going to restaurants and movies, traveling