Katie Sullivan ’27
Staff Writer
Bryce Maloney ‘27 delivers an opening statement / Photo courtesy of the BJF Society
The Benedict Joseph Fenwick Debating Society hosted its last debate of the semester on April 29 in the Levis Browsing Room with guest judges Fr. Jim Hayes, S.J. and Professor Cynthia Hooper. Topics debated included the American dream and whether we have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws.
The Society had planned to host its last debate of the year on April 16. However, due to overwhelming interest, they decided to host one more event. “We initially planned for our April 16 debates to be our last, but so many students asked us to host one more,” says co-chair Owen Whaley ‘24, “and when I put out an interest form, we received more sign-ups than ever before. So many students joined the debate line-up that we had to expand the team sizes from 3-vs-3 to 4-vs-4. We’ve been grateful for the campus community’s support and enthusiasm all year, but that was really special.”
The first debate revolved around the prompt “Resolved: That the American Dream is dead.” Katie Russell ‘26, Kate Santini ‘27 Aidan Traverse ‘26, and Peter LaBorin ‘26 argued the affirmative, while Bryce Maloney ‘26, Cecilia Massaua ‘27, Marc Marandola ‘26 and Habiba Mohamed ’27 represented the negative.
The affirmative asserted that socioeconomic inequities limit many Americans’ possibilities. Additionally, they questioned the notion that the American Dream ever existed in the first place. The negative argued that, despite inequities, the American Dream is as alive as ever, and the U.S. guarantees greater freedom than virtually all other countries.
Next came the debate on the prompt “Resolved: That I have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws.” The affirmative comprised Juan Cortes-Hernandez ‘27, Julia Wheeler ‘27, Lucas Giarrusso ‘25, and Nora Kelly ‘27. The negative consisted of Maggie Baughman ‘27, Ashwin Prabaharan ‘26, and Sam Woody ‘26.
The affirmative argued that citizens must not blindly follow laws that harm the vulnerable, drawing comparisons to Jim Crow and Nazi Germany. The negative countered by asserting that mass disobedience to the rule of law would result in chaos, and argued citizens should instead pursue change through democratic means.
Before and after each debate, the Society conducted an anonymous poll to determine whether opinions shifted over the course of the evening. The pre-poll for the American Dream debate found 56% support for the negative. After the debate, that support had grown to 58%. A far more drastic shift was observed in the debate on civil disobedience. While the pre-poll found only 25% support for the negative, this number had grown to 65% by the end.
The April 29 event marked the end of the B.J.F. Society’s first year back on campus in 2 decades. Nearly 100 community members turned out to spectate.
“I’ve been working on restoring the B.J.F. Society since sophomore year,” says Owen Whaley ’24, the group’s co-chair. “Now, as I prepare to graduate, it’s humbling to consider how far we’ve come. For the first time in twenty years, the Society offers a nonpartisan space on campus for open and respectful discourse on pressing issues.”
Looking ahead, Whaley hopes that the Society will begin to participate once again in intercollegiate competitions, and that “Holy Cross will become the strong debating school it was for so long.”
Many students are drawn to the B.J.F. Society for the opportunity to become stronger public speakers. “Improving my public speaking skills was a big factor in wanting to join B.J.F,” said Nora Kelly ‘27. “I’ve always been interested in debate, but the concept of improving my argumentative and presentation faculties was really the driving force for me to join.”
Kelly recommends that anybody looking to improve their public speaking skills to join. “Looking back now, I am so immensely grateful that I took that leap and decided to become a member. I would implore anyone who wishes to make improvements to their public speaking to look into joining, as well.”
For more information, follow the B.J.F. Society on Instagram or contact bjfdebatingsociety@g.holycross.edu.
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