Free speech on campus will be the focus of this fall’s 2024 Constitution Day Debate: “‘Snowflakes,’ Truth, and the Future of Academic Freedom,” featuring Keith Whittington of Yale Law School, author of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, and Ulrich Baer of New York University, author of What Snowflakes Get Right: Free Speech, Truth, and Equality on Campus. The annual debate will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Love Auditorium, and it is sponsored by the Forum on Constitutional Government and the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization. Read more about Colgate's 2024 Constitution Day Debate and speakers.

The Constitution Day Debate brings to campus seasoned experts in their fields to debate topics facing the nation as a way to celebrate the national holiday and to encourage informed discourse among students.

Since 2005, Colgate has celebrated the holiday with a debate on a variety of constitutional issues. Last year’s debate focused on the constitutionality of the administrative state, and other debates have featured abortion, affirmative action in college admissions, NSA surveillance, and free speech vs. hate speech.

Register here for a Zoom link to join the debate virtually.