Campus Liberty Tour Debate Series
The Ed Snider Center, in collaboration with the Steamboat Institute, brings high-profile debate events to the University of Maryland, College Park campus, attracting an audience from across campus and around our region.
Since 2018, these debates have fostered engagement with critical issues of the day, such as the role of business in society, the value of free speech, and paths to advancing human potential and progress. Our focus is on teaching students – and all who attend – how to think, not what to think.
The debates are shining examples of robust but civilized discourse, with an emphasis on critical thinking skills. We cannot maintain our democracy without a populace capable of critical thinking and civilized discourse.
This event featured Bakari Sellers, CNN Political Commentator and Charles Payne, host of "Making Money with Charles Payne" on the Fox Business Network. The discussion was moderated by Tom Rogan of the Washington Examiner and Steamboat Institute Tony Blankley Fellow. This event allowed students, faculty, and community members the opportunity to discuss the good and bad of both levels of regulation. This debate was also held at the University of Texas-Austin.”
This free event was part of a nationwide debate tour featuring Yaron Brook, author of "Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand's Ideas Can End Big Government," and Bhaskar Sunkara, author of "The Socialist Manifesto: A Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality." The discussion was moderated by Jillian Melchoir of the Wall Street Journal. Capitalism vs. Socialism: A Debate and Discussion gave attendees a chance to experience a rich dialogue on these two economic systems. In addition to the University of Maryland, other stops on the tour included the University of Texas-Austin and the University of Colorado-Denver.
Featuring Nigel Farage, UK Independence Party leader, and Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico, this debate was one of a series of stops on a nationwide tour. This debate was moderated by Mary Kessel, Wall Street Journal Editorial Board member and was live-streamed and recorded by CNN. Farage and Fox debated issues related to trade, politics, government, and technology for an audience of more than 600 attendees at the University of Maryland.