The first head-to-head match-up of the 2011 Student Speaker Challenge takes place Tuesday, Jan. 18 in Students' Union Ballroom A, featuring a battle of intellectual heavyweights, Robbie Rolfe and Thomas Fox, as they debate, "What is global justice and how can it be achieved?"

The Student Speaker Challenge is in its third year and is presented in partnership by the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs, the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group, the University of Lethbridge Students' Union and the University of Lethbridge.

The format of the competition will see both Rolfe and Fox present a 15-minute thesis response to the global justice question, followed by an additional 15 minutes responding to questions and criticisms from the judges and audience members. A winner is then selected to advance to the next round. In total, eight speakers begin the challenge.

The judging panel consists of one University of Lethbridge student, one member of faculty, and one member of the Lethbridge community.

Rolfe is a double political science and economics major who recently completed his honors thesis in political science. He is a former president of the campus Model United Nations Club and a founding member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Fox is an environmental science major who is completing his honors thesis this semester. He is the president of both the campus Chess Club and Amnesty Club. He also is a member of the board of directors for both the Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group (LPIRG) and the Lethbridge chapter of Amnesty International.

The rhetorical duel begins at 12:15 p.m. in SU Ballroom A.