Let’s Talk About That High School Debate Story

A talker. That’s the word one of my old editors would use to describe a story that would stoke conversation—and have an outsized impact on the culture. Last week, we published one of them.

James Fishback, a former debate champion, wrote about the hijacking of high school debate. Everyone from Rep. Ro Khanna to former Harvard President Larry Summers was tweeting about the story. And we figured you might want to talk about it, too.

So this Thursday, June 1, at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST we’re hosting a subscriber-only event with James, Free Press managing editor Margi Conklin, current student debaters, and a longtime debate coach.

These are events open only to paying subscribers. Right now, you can become one for only $6.40 a month. Which is basically the price of a dozen eggs in 2023 America.

So sign up now—and we’re looking forward to seeing you this Thursday. We’ll send out a Zoom link the day of the event.

Subscribe now

May 19, 2021

our Comments

Use common sense here: disagree, debate, but don't be a .

Welcome to The FP Community!

Our comments are an editorial product for our readers to have smart, thoughtful conversations and debates — the sort we need more of in America today. The sort of debate we love.

We have standards in our comments section just as we do in our journalism. If you’re being a jerk, we might delete that one. And if you’re being a jerk for a long time, we might remove you from the comments section.

Common Sense was our original name, so please use some when posting. Here are some guidelines:

We have a simple rule for all Free Press staff: act online the way you act in real life. We think that’s a good rule for everyone.
We drop an occasional F-bomb ourselves, but try to keep your profanities in check. We’re proud to have Free Press readers of every age, and we want to model good behavior for them. (Hello to Intern Julia!)
Speaking of obscenities, don’t hurl them at each other. Harassment, threats, and derogatory comments that derail productive conversation are a hard no.
Criticizing and wrestling with what you read here is great. Our rule of thumb is that smart people debate ideas, dumb people debate identity. So keep it classy.
Don’t spam, solicit, or advertise here. Submit your recommendations to tips@thefp.com if you really think our audience needs to hear about it.

Onwards!

Close Guidelines