The Spire

Kate Santini ‘27

News Editor

 First established in 1846, the Benedict Joseph Fenwick Debating Society stood as a staple of campus life at Holy Cross for more than 150 years before becoming defunct around 2003. The society offered space for generations of students and community members to debate the most pressing issues of the day: U.S. imperialism, the downfall of Tammany Hall, World War II, the Cold War. This year, Professor Stephanie Yuhl and students Owen Whaley ‘24, Matthew Rae ‘24, Emmeline Lignowski ‘24, and Leonidas Alexandris ‘24 worked together to revive the organization at Holy Cross.

     “I first discovered the B.J.F. Society while exploring Holy Cross’ archives during my sophomore year,” Whaley says. “Given that the organization stood as a major institution on campus for more than 150 years, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of it. I set out to revive the society alongside Professor Yuhl with the goal of preserving Holy Cross history while promoting open discourse among community members.”

     As a historian, Professor Yuhl had previously studied materials from throughout the society’s history in Holy Cross’ archives. When Whaley invited her to serve as the society’s faculty advisor, Professor Yuhl’s commitment to fostering open discourse led her to accept. “Oral communication is an essential skill of humanistic education,” she says, adding that the free exchange of ideas lies at “the heart of a liberal arts education.”

     “I’ve been excited to see that students have taken the initiative to reinvigorate civil discussion,” Professor Yuhl continues, “and to unpack complex contemporary issues.”

     As an institution nearly as old as Holy Cross itself, the B.J.F. Society hosted debates on campus on some of the most significant issues from throughout U.S. history. In 1901, B.J.F. debaters explored the then-recent downfall of Tammany Hall, a political machine that had shaped New York politics for more than a century. In 1940, a large audience consisting of students, faculty, and broader Worcester residents turned out for a debate on whether the U.S. should enter World War II. B.J.F. was always a strong performer in intercollegiate debating competitions, prevailing against teams from Georgetown, Hofstra, M.I.T., Oxford, and other universities over the decades. The society also hosted a radio show and coached young debaters from local Worcester high schools.

     On Nov. 4, the B.J.F. Society held its first practice session in twenty years in the Levis Browsing Room of Dinand Library. Debates revolved around Holy Cross’ Catholic identity, whether President Biden should be re-elected, and whether U.S. military personnel should be deployed to Mexico to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs and illegal immigration. The debates were divided into 4 sections: opening statements, rebuttals, audience questions, and concluding statements.

     In one particularly lively debate, Julia Wheeler ‘27 and Juan Cortes-Hernandez ‘27 argued that U.S. military personnel should be deployed to Mexico against the views of Amanda Quintino dos Santos ‘24 and Shanil Perez Lantigua ‘24. Despite their disagreements, all were united in their enthusiasm for the B.J.F. Society. Cortes-Hernandez expresses a commitment to preserving the society’s history and cultivating “a forum for independent thought” on campus, while Quintino Dos Santos has been inspired by witnessing “students mobilize to bring back a club that emulates so well the core principles of our college.”

     “Reviving the society took months and months of planning,” Whaley tells me. “It meant a lot to see the enthusiasm with which our first practice session was met. We have an excellent group of debaters, and I was impressed with their performances.”

     Looking ahead, the B.J.F. Society plans to host a second round of debates on a variety of topics, including the Trump prosecution, the Second Amendment, and climate policy. A third round will focus on the War in Ukraine and whether Holy Cross should be proud of its connections to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ‘71.

     “We’re not debating whether pineapple belongs on pizza here,” Whaley remarks. “We’re discussing substantive issues that are relevant to campus life and beyond.”

     As the year unfolds, club leaders are committed to recruiting underclassmen in particular. “We’re all seniors, so we need successors to keep the society alive once we graduate,” Whaley says. “We’re hoping for the B.J.F. Society to stay around at Holy Cross for another 150 years and beyond.” With this aim in mind, the society will invite underclassmen to apply for positions on its 4-member advisory board later in the year. Those who serve on the advisory board will be in a strong position to pursue e-board positions in the future.

     All community members are welcome to spectate B.J.F. debates or participate directly themselves. Readers are encouraged to join the B.J.F. Society and learn more about its history by visiting @thebjfsociety on Instagram or sites.google.com/g.holycross.edu/bjfsociety.