Syracuse University’s College Republicans and College Democrats will discuss income inequality, First Amendment rights and climate change at a debate between the two organizations on Thursday night.

The two organizations previously held a debate in fall 2017 on four topics: healthcare, abortion and Planned Parenthood, immigration and gun control. The topics for the debate were picked by both organizations. College Republicans President Domenic Biamonte and College Democrats President Andres Victoria both said that all three topics are relevant for college students.

“I think those three topics reflect this generation’s issues,” Victoria said.

In early March, President Donald Trump announced a possible executive order that would require colleges and universities to support free speech in order to receive federal research money. Biamonte mentioned the executive order as a relevant reason to discuss freedom of speech at the debate.

Biamonte said that income inequality is particularly relevant in the city of Syracuse, and that college students are more environmentally-aware than most people.

“We wanted topics that were relatable not only to constituencies as a whole, but to Syracuse students in particular,” Biamonte said. “What grabbed their attention but could also be substantive.”

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Grant Reeher, a political science professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will moderate the debate for the second year in a row. The format, though, will change. There will be two debaters for three topics instead of three debaters and four topics.

Biamonte said last year’s topics were too contentious. At times debaters looked at policy through a “partisan lens,” he said.

Both Biamonte and Victoria said they want to make the debate less partisan this year and have more substantial conversations related to policy. Parties can find more common ground on income inequality, climate change and free speech than last year’s topics, Biamonte said.

“This year we focused on areas where we can really get substantive with policy and focus less on partisan politics,” Biamonte said. “We’re trying to bring the issues to things that individuals on campus are talking about all the time.”

Victoria said that debaters have rehearsed their opening statements and agendas to make sure they are on the same page while on stage. Biamonte said he wants Republican debaters to provide a consistent view of what Republican policy looks like, “rather than a Trump-supporting Republican versus an old-guard Republican” view.

The two organizations have worked together to organize the debate. Biamonte said that leaders from both clubs have two group chats, multiple joint documents and meet once every week to plan for the debate. They have met for up to three hours to prepare for the debate, he said.

At the beginning of the debate, there will be a statement imploring students to stay respectful, Victoria said. He added that he wants students to come away from the debate with more informed opinions about topics that will affect them.

“These are topics that are going to affect each and every one of us graduating, and that I hope that by attending this event people can bring this back to their own communities and study these issues,” he said. “At the end of the day, everyone here is going to be affected by it.”

The debate will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

Published on March 20, 2019 at 10:51 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326