Discussions about immigration, affirmative action or climate change rarely evoke feelings of optimism, given the current state of polarization in politics. Within the often malicious and inaccurate discourse, real solutions are few and far between. But at the Newsweek offices in downtown Manhattan Friday night, spectators got a glimpse of what a future of respectful and constructive debate looks like.
As part of a new content initiative, Newsweek is partnering with the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), a nonprofit that promotes debate programs in largely underserved public schools in 22 metropolitan areas.
Through debate, NAUDL encourages students to learn critical thinking, research, collaboration and communication skills that help them think broadly about all sides of an issue and set them up to be the leaders of tomorrow.
The partnership kicked off Friday with an in-office debate at Newsweek's headquarters that brought eight students from Denver, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C, together to discuss some of society's most pressing issues.
Newsweek's mission statement underscores the importance of the good-faith exchange of ideas among diverse voices in search of common ground. And in covering high school debate, the publication can highlight the next generation of great thinkers who exemplify the benefits of civil discourse.
Global Editor-in-Chief Nancy Cooper noted that Newsweek is the first national media outlet covering debate full time. In her speech before the event, she talked about the importance of public debate.
"When we can't speak to or listen to people outside our own crowds, civil society suffers. Democracy is weakened," she said.
That's where NAUDL comes in. Cooper said urban debate leagues give students the chance to develop the skills to have "respectful, critical and honest give-and-take."
"These students remind us of the power of debate and the role it plays in seeking common ground and the next generation of critical thinkers," she said. "Newsweek looks forward to amplifying their voices around the world."
Many of the students expressed how debate has taught them to be more open-minded to learning about all sides of an issue, possibly exposing some flaws in their existing stances.
"Even though something might sound perfectly reasonable to you, it's very likely that it doesn't to someone else," said Erick Zaragoza, a senior from Silicon Valley who will study at Princeton University next year. "Debate is the only way to weigh both of those opinions and go from there."
The event was part of the introduction to Newsweek's upcoming content hub called Mightier, a name that plays off of the adage "the pen is mightier than the sword."
The debate demonstration consisted of four 15-minute one-on-one debates, with one student representing the affirmative and another representing the negative, although their debate positions may not have been in alignment with their personal beliefs.
Each student gave a brief argument, underwent cross examination and finally presented a rebuttal that summarized their points and explained why their argument was better.
The first debate featured Denver Urban Debate League sophomores Marianny Torres-Collado and Isabella Long tackling different approaches toward the climate crisis, weighing whether an optimistic or pessimistic mindset would be more beneficial. The policies of Costa Rica exemplified a positive outlook while quotes from activist Greta Thunberg were portrayed as a more pessimistic stance that may lead to better preparation.
During the immigration debate, two other students from Denver, both juniors, referenced the "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" quote on the Statue of Liberty. While Ruby Trejo Ontiveros used the quote to advocate for compassionate policies, Alliton Flores Sanchez characterized it as "a nice quote from a less complicated world."
Next, the team from Washington, D.C., debated affirmative action. Senior Noemie Durand argued that the policy is the best way to cancel the obstacles racism has caused in Black students' upbringing. Haven Howard, a junior, proposed that colleges and employers look at more than race when considering applications, to take into account the differences that economic background and geography play in the types of opportunities applicants have.
Zaragoza and his partner, junior Fabiola Diaz Lopez, then discussed whether the U.S. government should adopt universal basic income or a New Deal-like retraining program to support workers replaced by AI. Diaz Lopez argued UBI would provide security and an improved quality of life, while Zaragoza said training workers to adapt to new technology was easier and more beneficial in the long run.
Bringing national attention to high school debate gives young people, especially those from underprivileged areas, the opportunity to demonstrate not only that political discourse can be constructive, but that teenagers have a place in the conversation.
Durand said there are two populations who will benefit from national coverage of high school debate. The first is teenagers.
"With Newsweek talking about debate, that would mean that teenagers maybe are more likely to do debate, which I think is really helpful for general life skills, and it also educates them about these issues that are really important for teenagers to know," she said.
Secondly, adults who might overlook young people who voice their opinions could also benefit.
"A lot of the time, adults don't realize that the youth want a voice in things," she added. "So when adults see teenagers doing debates and making a lot of sense in their arguments and having strong opinions and being able to defend them with real evidence, that proves to adults that we actually do know what we're doing and maybe they should listen to us."
Going last in the demonstration, Diaz Lopez of San Jose, California, knew she was bound to see some glazed-over eyes in the crowd. But she said the spectators were largely engaged in the debate.
"We got some audience reactions, and it was nice to get that audience connection," she said. "We did come last so I could see people were a little tired, but I think people were so interested because [artificial intelligence] is a pressing issue."
Even the most subtle acknowledgement from the crowd was enough to instill confidence in the young debaters. Torres-Collado said she saw the crowd nodding and "really soaking in the information" during her speech about climate optimism.
"It meant they were actually listening to me. I finally have a platform and someone who's listening to me and genuinely taking in the information," she said.
Rhonda Haynes, the executive director of NAUDL, said in her remarks Friday that "a mightier tomorrow" means NAUDL and Newsweek share a commitment to constructive dialogue, believing that words have power and providing platforms for world views, ideologies and politics to clash while encouraging collaboration and objectivity.
"The students who show up to debate do not disappoint," she said. "Their energy and inspiration fuel the work NAUDL and Newsweek do."
This experience at Newsweek, Haynes added, built upon the experiences they've had throughout their time debating.
"Because of debate, you are among the most prepared, objective, skilled communicators and critical thinkers in the room always," she said to the students. "The future is in good hands, despite the state of current affairs."
Newsweek's Mightier hub is now live. Head here to get the latest updates on the next generation of civil discourse.
