One Week Away: 31st Annual Great American Think-Off
Armchair Philosophers Debate Freedom of Speech
New York Mills, MN—May 31, 2024— The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center invites all to New York Mills, MN for the 31st annual Great American Think-Off weekend June 7-8, 2024.
The weekend kicks off on Friday, June 7 with a reception at 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center. The 2024 Think-Off debate will be held at the New York Mills School Auditorium on Saturday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. with a reception immediately following at the Cultural Center.
The 2024 Think-Off question, “Is freedom of speech worth the cost?” is particularly relevant this year. The debaters arguing YES are Crystal Kelley of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Michelle Mellon of Deming, New Mexico. Arguing NO are David Lapakko of Richfield, Minnesota, and Bill Sutherland of Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
The Cultural Center is pleased to announce that this year’s Great American Think-Off is supported by the Minnesota Humanities Center. MHC collaborates with individuals, organizations, and communities to bring transformational humanities programming into the lives of Minnesotans throughout the state.
This year’s debate will be moderated by Trygve Throntveit, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Minnesota Humanities Center. In his role at MHC, Tryg builds and stewards relationships that hold the potential to promote understanding, justice, and human flourishing through storytelling and creative civic work across Minnesota’s diverse communities.
All are invited to meet this year’s Think-Off finalists at the Reception on Friday, June 7 from 6 – 8 p.m. Regional Artists will also be in attendance from the current gallery exhibit “Unfettered” which aligns with this year’s Think-Off topic. The public will have a chance to meet and greet the finalists and artists, enjoy light refreshments and a cash bar, and hear artist and finalist introductions at 7:15 p.m. This event is free to attend and open to all.
Tickets to attend the Think-Off debate are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, or $5 for students. If you become a Cultural Center member at the event (memberships start at $30/year), you get into the Think-Off FREE! All audience members get to vote in the contest to decide who makes the better argument and is ultimately named America’s Greatest Thinker for 2024.
For more information, call the Cultural Center at (218) 385-3339, visit the Center’s website at kulcher.org, or buy tickets online at https://kulcher.networkforgood.com/events/69148-2024-great-american-think-off-debate (or for a shorter link: https://rb.gy/g9wx9i).
About the Great American Think-Off: Now in its 31st year, The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas being explored by everyday people. Designed to bring philosophy down from the ivory towers of academia and make it accessible for all, the contest has received national acclaim including coverage by C-SPAN, the New York Times, and The Today Show.
The Cultural Center, located in the rural farming and manufacturing town of New York Mills, Minnesota, sponsors this annual philosophy contest and encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to participate. The Cultural Center is a rural hub for creativity, community vitality, and lifelong learning in the arts. Since our incorporation in 1990, we have been passionate about connecting people to artists and rich cultural experiences in rural Minnesota, celebrating the local and being a window to the world.
To get a better sense of the Think-Off, find details, historical information, and a list of the past 29 years of questions and winners on the event website: www.think-off.org.
