In the increasingly virtual world, spaces for public discussion and debate are becoming few and far between. While online platforms provide constant exchange, being able to come together in person is equally important. The William Pitt Debate Union’s annual Marcella Finegold Memorial Debate provides exactly this kind of meaningful space for debate and discussion. This year’s debate was centered around themes of protest.
The event began with opening remarks from this year's keynote speakers, Dr. M. Elizabeth Thorpe from SUNY Brockport and Dr. Kevin A. Johnson, Director of the Center for First Amendment Studies at California State University Long Beach. They spoke on the importance of protest and using your voice to speak up for yourself and those around you, and offered advice on more effectively crafting convincing arguments.
Debaters from multiple universities participated in a round-robin-style debate on various topics related to the role of protest in society. The participants included Aahna Sinha, Henry Anastasi, and Zoë Smith from the University of Pittsburgh; Arnav Paliwal and Thomas Sargent from Carnegie Mellon University; Giavana Altmeyer from Duquesne University; and Jack Stahl and Melanie Sanchez-Ponce from Illinois State University. Each debater argued for or against different perspectives on protest, exploring its significance in the modern world.
The final round between Pitt and CMU featured a public vote. Dr. Thorpe and Dr. Johnson were joined by Thane Zeeh from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University, in an expert panel. Additionally, Casey Reynolds and Jennifer Miller from Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, and Benjamin Edwards from Upper St. Clair High School formed a panel of argument experts. While CMU won the public vote, debaters Zoë and Henry from Pitt won each panel on a 2-1 split decision.
The debate is held annually in honor of Marcella L. Finegold. She was a graduate of Pitt's College of Arts and Sciences in 1937 and debated with the William Pitt Debating Union. Marcella was cherished for being a talented and witty speaker known for being empathetic and inclusive.
Every six years, the committee selects a new theme for the annual debate series. This year kicked off a new cycle focused on "Freedom of Expression," with the committee choosing "Protest in a Democratic and Mediated Society" as the first topic. The aim of the debate series is to model robust, accessible forms of argument to help diminish polarization in our communities and learn to argue in good faith with each other.
This year's debates, seminars, and workshops were also supported by the Office of the Provost's Year of Discourse and Dialogue Fund. As their website states, “Every one of us at Pitt has a role to play in living into our commitments to advance discourse, offer spaces for debate, and bring people together."
Keynote addresses and the final round of the debate can be found here.