Great American Think-Off Entry Deadline Approaches
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Betsy Roder at 218/385-3339 or [email protected]
Wanted: A Few Good Essays
Great American Think-Off Entry Deadline Approaches
New York Mills, MN—March 17, 2017—In Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant film, A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise tells Jack Nicholson, “I want the truth!” Nicholson replies, “You can’t handle the truth!”
Can we handle the truth? When respected media outlets are falsely accused of reporting “fake news” and press secretaries and government spokespeople purport “alternative facts,” can anyone handle the truth? Or are all of these recent political happenings irrelevant because truth has always been too difficult to define and agree on? Tackle these issues by submitting your answer to this year’s 25th annual Great American Think-Off question: “Has the 2016 election changed our perception of truth?”
Blue-collar folk, white-collar workers, and Everyman & Everywoman from Anywhere, USA are asked to write essays of no more than 750 words, arguing for or against the idea that last year’s election changed how we perceive the truth. The essay deadline is Saturday, April 1, 2017.
Essays can be sent to The Great American Think-Off, P.O. Box 246, New York Mills, MN 56567 or submitted online at think-off.org. Electronic submission closes at midnight on April 1 and paper copies need be postmarked by that date. There is no fee to enter.
Finalists will be selected, notified, and have their names released by May 1. The great debate will be held among the four finalists on Saturday, June 10 in New York Mills, MN. Finalists each receive $500 and travel, meals & lodging in New York Mills. In celebration of the Think-Off’s 25th year, free events with live music and family fun will be held during the weekend of the debate.
The Great American Think-Off began in 1993 to take controversial questions away from the likes of Noam Chomsky or Jacques Derrida and share them with Joe the Plumber, Jane the Teacher, or any Tom, Dick, Nancy or Emily from down the street. Controversies settled include: “Does God exist?” (1996), “Should assisted suicide be legal?” (2001), and “Do the wealthy have an obligation to help the poor?” (2010).
For more information please call the Cultural Center at (218) 385-3339 or visit us online at think-off.org or kulcher.org.
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About the Great American Think-Off:
Now in its 25th 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. To get a better sense of the Think-Off, find details, historical information, and a list of all 25 years of questions and winners online at think-off.org.
The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm 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.
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