Read the Spring/Summer 2024 Hotchkiss Magazine

By Darryl Gangloff

Members of the Democrats, Republicans, and Political Union clubs launched a new series of Student Open Discourse Forums this year to provide a space for students to voice their differing opinions on important and sometimes divisive issues.

Students and faculty filled the Faculty Room throughout the winter and spring to listen to student-led debates about challenging topics, including U.S. immigration policy, climate change, and abortion.

Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking and dean of Summer Programs, helped student leaders organize the forums. “The value of a Hotchkiss education begins and ends with students. In light of concerns about cancel culture and restrictions on speech on college campuses, students strategized on ways to broaden discourse at Hotchkiss by creating a forum where conservative, liberal, and voices in between are heard and given equal measure,” he said. “These brave and thoughtful students are taking steps to broaden dialogue on campus.”

Max Salzinger ’25, a board member of Hotchkiss Republicans, emphasized that “a space for open discourse is vital in Hotchkiss’s pursuit to create a diverse learning community. Because some students might feel uncomfortable expressing their views in the classroom, the Open Discourse Forum is a great way to allow those viewpoints to be expressed and heard by other students and faculty.” Max noted that he has “developed a deeper understanding of multiple issues” thanks to these events. He hopes these forums continue next year, and he would like to lead a discussion prior to November’s presidential election.

“It is important that our stances are challenged,” said Alex Gish ’26, board member of Hotchkiss Political Union. “I believe it was tremendously helpful for the student body to see modeled disagreement and competing points of view. It opened doors for discourse among students and their peers.”

Will Trachsel ’24, co-head of Hotchkiss Democrats, wants students to listen to the debaters at these forums with an open mind. “I think that the most important aspect of the forums has been that afterwards, students around campus have been talking with each other about the issues, which is exactly what we were hoping for,” Will said.

“Learning how to respectfully disagree with others is an important skill going into adulthood, and not just within the context of politics,” said Megan Curi ’24, co-head of Hotchkiss Political Union. “Being able to have public disagreements with people helps deepen our understanding of contemporary issues and make our community stronger.”