▁carried ▁the ▁day ▁with ▁an ▁imp ass ioned ▁defense ▁of ▁his ▁discipline , ▁tout ing ▁both ▁its ▁useful ness ▁and ▁beauty ▁and ▁prom ising ▁that , ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁saved , ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁" no ▁more ▁word ▁problems ▁ever ." ▁In ▁the ▁subsequent ▁years ▁the ▁debate ' s ▁popular ity ▁grew ▁to ▁attract ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 0 ▁audience ▁members ▁per ▁year . ▁Following ▁years ▁saw ▁vict ories ▁by ▁profess ors ▁from ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁academic ▁discipl ines . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁public ▁radio ▁show ▁This ▁American ▁Life ▁ran ▁a ▁story ▁on ▁the ▁Life ▁R aft ▁Deb ate ▁entitled ▁" I ' d ▁Like ▁to ▁Sp ank ▁the ▁Academy ." ▁The ▁story ▁followed ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Life ▁R aft ▁Deb ate ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Dev il ' s ▁Adv oc ate , ▁Jon ▁Smith , ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁English , ▁successfully ▁argued ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁panel ists ▁should ▁be ▁d rown ed ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁merely ▁trying ▁to ▁be ▁fun ny , ▁not ▁to ▁educ ate ▁or ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁their ▁respective ▁discipl ines . ▁Following ▁the ▁broadcast , ▁several ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁abroad ▁began ▁hosting ▁Life ▁R aft ▁Deb ates ▁of ▁their ▁own . ▁ ▁Camp us ▁resources ▁ ▁James ▁W yl ie ▁She ph erd ▁Observ atory ▁The ▁James ▁W yl ie ▁She ph erd ▁Observ atory ▁at