Knox Students to Follow Lincoln-Douglas Tradition of Debate

UPDATE: The October 5 debate has been postponed for a week—to October 12—because of inclement weather.

Building on the tradition of the famous 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate at Knox College, two student political groups at Knox are organizing debates this month to discuss the economy and other present-day issues.

The debates begin at 4 p.m. Friday, October 5 and will continue Friday, October 12 and Friday, October 19 on the Knox campus on the steps of Old Main, the site of the Lincoln-Douglas debate.

This year's debates are organized by the Knox Democrats and the Knox Conservatives.

The debate on Friday will take place just two days before the 154th anniversary of the October 7, 1858, gathering at Knox College. That's when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, both running for the U.S. Senate, met for the fifth in a series of seven debates, and Lincoln described slavery "as a moral, social and political evil."

The Knox debate schedule is:

• 4 p.m. Friday, October 5: The Economy, debated by Knox students Jake Maryott and Ryan Frank.
• 4 p.m. Friday, October 12: Foreign Policy, debated by Anna Meier, vice president of the Knox Democrats, and Alex Uzarowicz, president of the Knox Conservatives. Moderated by Daniel Beers, Knox assistant professor of political science.
• 5 p.m. Friday, October 19: Health Care, debated by Knox students Paige Lee, Jessica Brode and Mydel Santos. Moderated by Andrew Civettini, Knox assistant professor of political science.