Syracuse University’s College Democrats and Republicans debated income inequality, First Amendment rights and climate change in front of the packed Maxwell Auditorium on Thursday night.

Almost 200 people attended the debate, which the College Democrats and Republicans worked together to organize. Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute and a professor of political science, moderated the debate.

The event consisted of three rounds with one topic and two debaters from each organization per round. Every round consisted of an opening statement from each side.

Arts and Sciences student Alex Keegan spoke about climate change on behalf of SU’s College Democrats. Kai Nguyen | Staff Photographer

In their opening statement, the College Republicans argued that education reform is the solution to income inequality. Harold Hubbard, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, said music and language programs should be offered to students from an early age and that high schools should offer technical and trade classes, such as woodshop or coding classes.

“Education needs to be reformed from the bottom up,” he said.

Steven Kemp, an Arts and Sciences student and debater for the College Democrats, gave two solutions to income inequality. He said that there should be greater support for unions, which he said were declining in part because the United States government was fighting them.

“The American government does not protect its people, it pads profits,” he said.

Kemp also said there needs to be government-guaranteed opportunities — education and re-education for industries facing automation, improved housing conditions and health care — that will help fight income inequality.

Free speech

The second debate round on free speech quickly turned into a conversation on hate speech.

Communication and rhetorical studies student Abby Neuviller, who debated for the College Democrats, said “a line must be drawn to restrict” hate speech. Speech should be restricted if it is directed at inciting violence,” she said.

“We should be making sure as a society that we’re not promoting and allowing hateful speech to occur, especially on our college campus,” said Ryan Golden, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said at the end of the round in response to an audience question on hate speech.

Ryan Golden, a Student Association presidential candidate, said that society should not promote hateful speech on SU’s campus. Kai Nguyen | Staff Photographer

Alex Wilgocki, a College Republicans debater, said banning or defining hate speech allows for whoever holds power and influence over the law to decide what is or is not hate speech. This could lead to governments being able to control who gets prosecuted, he said.

Both student groups agreed that the First Amendment should be protected.

Climate change

Republicans and Democrats used their opening statements to propose possible solutions to climate change.

Arts and Sciences student Tighe Gugerty, a debater for the College Democrats, called climate change a “human issue.” He said effects of climate change include rising sea levels and habitat loss.

The other debater for the Democrats, Arts and Sciences student Alex Keegan, said the College Democrats’ proposed solution to climate change included public investment in energy production and infrastructure.

Keegan said there should be investment in green, renewable energy in order to revamp the economy so it can address climate change. Green technology should also be used in infrastructure across the county to create a “21st century construction plan.”

Rody Conway, a debater for the College Republicans said the Environmental Protection Agency — created in 1970 to support environmental protection —  should be reformed. Conway proposed reducing funding, cutting staff and transferring the agency’s responsibilities to Congress. He also said there should be an investment in nuclear energy as well as in funding for research that is not restricted by the government.

Rody Conway and Cesar Gray debated about climate change on behalf of SU’s College Republicans. Kai Nguyen | Staff Photographer

Conway also said that he was skeptical of government involvement in the process of solving the problem of climate change.

“To the extent that people who built their livelihoods on the fossil fuel industry and working within the fossil fuel industry become dispossessed by the collapse of that industry, I think we do have a responsibility to help them,” he said.

Cesar Gray, an Arts and Sciences student, also debated for the College Republicans. In response to an audience question about the feasibility of natural gases as a replacement for fossil fuels, Gray reiterated his team’s earlier support for nuclear energy.

Gray said nuclear energy does have some downsides, such as waste creation and upkeep needs, but he said it was a good replacement for fossil fuels. For the Democrats, Keegan said that the use of natural gases, which requires the collection process of fracking, is a short-term solution that isn’t viable.

Published on March 23, 2019 at 4:26 pm

Contact India: irmiragl@syr.edu