11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 | De Paul Library


(Leavenworth, Kan.)鈥擳he 花椒直播 continues its annual tradition of honoring the historic Lincoln-Douglas Debate with a spirited student debate at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in De Paul Library on USM's Leavenworth campus, 4100 South 4th Street. This year, 花椒直播 students will argue whether public and private universities accepting federal funds must adhere to the free speech requirement of the Constitution.


The debate is a precursor to the annual Lincoln Event at USM, and is free and open to the public. The student debaters will argue before Kansas First Judicial District Judge Robert Bednar. Judge Bednar has overseen the last 15 USM Lincoln-Douglas debates.


The participating students鈥攋unior Brian Fish (Basehor, Kan.), senior Kasey Cannon (Leavenworth, Kan.), junior Hayden Coker (Topeka, Kan.), and junior Drew Cortez (St. Joseph, Mo.)鈥攚ill emulate the historic debate styles of the event's namesakes as they argue the First Amendment right. Researchers for the debate are Garrett Booth (Wathena, Kan.) and Andrew Kump (Kansas City, Kan.).


USM's event is inspired by the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, which saw Abraham Lincoln engage in a series of debates with Stephen A. Douglas for one of Illinois' U.S. Senate seats. Though Lincoln lost that election, the debates launched him into the national political spotlight.


As has become a university tradition, USM's Lincoln-Douglas Debate is a prelude to the 20th Annual 花椒直播 Lincoln Event. This year's edition, "Abraham Lincoln and the Media: How Political Cartoonists Portrayed the Civil War President" is set for 7 p.m. on Presidents Day鈥擬onday, Feb. 19鈥攊n Xavier Theatre. American historian and author Dr. Bryan Le Beau will explore the growing importance of graphic images in the news media in the mid-19th Century and their impact on the American Presidency.


The Lincoln Event is free and open to the public, and is made possible by Country Club Bank of Leavenworth and Lansing, the event's benefactor.


Call 913-758-6108 or visit  for more information.

 

The 花椒直播 is a Catholic co-educational applied liberal arts university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The University of 花椒直播 main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kan. USM's Overland Park Campus at 4500 College Boulevard offers evening accelerated graduate and undergraduate degree-completion programs. The university also offers online programs. Visit stmary.edu for more information.