MSU Denver Debate students from left to right: Benjamin Pexton, Alliton Flores Sanchez and Aksel Silva respond to the competing group's counter statements. Photo by Josh Geurink
Students from across the country and judges from across the Atlantic, gathered Saturday on the Auraria Campus to spend the day arguing.
Or more accurately, debating.
Metropolitan State University of Denver co-hosted the first round of the 2025 Transatlantic Dialogues, a competition created in 2019 by the Paris École de Guerre (War College) and George Washington University.
MSU Denver’s debate teams were among 16 from nine institutions, coming from as far away as Rutgers University in New Jersey and as nearby as Community College of Denver.
In the debate style used in the Transatlantic Dialogues, teams know in advance the topic they will be asked to discuss, meaning thorough background research is a must, said John Rief, Ph.D., associate professor of Communication Studies and advisor to MSU Denver Debate.
The topic debated Saturday was timely: “Which institutions, public or private, should hold primary responsibility in preparing people to be on the lookout for misinformation and disinformation?”
Each team debated three times, then the two top teams as determined by the École de Guerre judges squared off in the Tivoli Student Union. Patrick Henry College from Virginia emerged the winner, while MSU Denver’s novice team placed fourth in their category.
To be a successful debater takes courage, Rief said. “They have to be able to get up and put themselves on the line in front of an audience.” Debaters need good critical-thinking skills and the ability to think on their feet, he added.
The team is working to finance a trip to Paris for the final round in June, raising money through MSU Denver Day of Giving. Rief praised the University for its assistance. “MSU Denver does a great job of cultivating opportunities for our students to apply for grants” and get the funding they need, he said.
Debate at MSU Denver has a long and storied history, dating to 1968. Rief, himself a veteran college debater and debate coach, joined MSU Denver in 2019 with the goal of restoring the program to its former glory. On Saturday, his teams showed off the skills he has helped them develop.
