*Please note: This article is a student blog written by a Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassador. The Ambassador Program is a unique opportunity for Saint Anselm College students of any major to be involved in supporting the Institute's various events and activities. To learn more about our student ambassadors please visit the NHIOP website.
Saint Anselm College and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) hosted members of the National Governors Association for a Braver Angels debate on climate change responsibility on Tuesday, September 12. Governor Spencer Cox (R-UT), Governor Dan McKee (D-RI), Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ), and Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH) were in attendance while numerous students, faculty, and community members voiced their opinions on the issue.
Governor Cox, in his capacity as Chair of the National Governors Association, leads the “Disagree Better” initiative, a program designed to facilitate discussions around hot-button political issues. The debate held on Saint Anselm’s campus was planned to help further that mission.
The Saint Anselm College Debate Team gave speeches in a parliamentary style format with three arguing that climate change action is an individual responsibility and three arguing that it should fall upon the government. Members Nathanial Crane ‘24, Sean Kelleher ‘24, Alexander Burgess ‘24, Isabella Uva 26, Kellan Barbee ’26, presented speeches citing evidence and arguments for their respective cases.
Moderated by the Program Manager for College Debates and Discourse Alliance, Sadie Webb, debate team members spoke for set time frames, were asked questions by the audience, and afterwards, Webb invited audience members to give their own speeches about how they believe climate change should be addressed.
Topics such as the affordability of an eco-friendly lifestyle, the feasibility of substantive individual change, and the possible implications of climate action on workers were discussed. Numerous participants agreed that the discussion was lively.
James Tweneh ‘24, who gave an impromptu speech during the audience participation section of the debate, shared, “It’s just nice to be in a room full of college students because in this day and age with social media it can be really toxic so it was just very nice to have this conversation.”
Another student, Caroline Mara ‘24, noted the importance of such an event: “One of my favorite parts about this is that we have all these governors in the room. One of the rarest parts of this debate was that we actually got to have the ears of some of the people who make our policy changes.”
Braver Angels noted their desire to return to Saint Anselm College in the future to engage the community in additional debates, and they encouraged all individuals to use what is learned during the session to talk with people with different viewpoints and work to understand one another.
The intent of Tuesday’s debate and the intention behind the “Disagree Better” initiative was reiterated at the end of the event by Governor Cox. “I don’t believe that we can solve climate change or anything else if we hate each other as Americans,” Cox explained. “More than anything else, I’m much more interested in you all being able to communicate with each other. Keep up the good work.”