Discourse Dinners
Through out the semester, HUBS hosts discourse dinners with high powered political speakers and students from both sides of the political aisle to discuss issues at the heart of U.S. polarization and real-world solutions. These dinners cover a wide range of topics and open to the whole community to celebrate our shared humanity!
November 14, 2025: Leading in a Divided America
On November 14th, 2025 HUBS hosted a discourse dinner that tackled one of the most important questions facing our generation: what does effective leadership mean and look like in an increasingly divided and polarized country? Former Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb, joined HUBS to explain how he navigated specific policy issues like healthcare, criminal justice, and immigration and, often, worked across political lines to pass the most effective legislation for his constituents during his time in office from 2017 to 2025. The panel was followed by a lively dinner with Gov. Holcomb where students were able to bring their own perspectives and personal experiences into the discussion of leadership.
March 28, 2024: Immigration in Focus: Border Security, Policy, & Humanitarianism
On March 28, 2024, HUBS hosted a lively discourse dinner on the topic of immigration, focusing particularly on border security, policy disagreements, and humanitarianism. Guest speakers for the event included former congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) and Harvard Graduate School of Education professor and director of the Immigration Initiative at Harvard, Dr. Carola Suarez-Orozco. Following the panel, students joined Rep. Hurd and Dr. Suarez-Orozco for dinner to continue the discussion, bringing their own perspectives, beliefs, and past experiences with immigration into dialogue with the insight of our panelists.
October 12, 2023: Content Regulation in Education
On October 12, 2023 HUBS hosted our third discourse dinner focused on content regulation in education. Guest speakers for the event included Amy Layton, a generalist at the Boston Public Library, Dr. Victoria Greer, superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools and virtual panelist Ashley Jacobs, founder of Parents Unite, a movement advocating for critical thinking and diversity of thought in K-12 education. The panel was followed by a dinner with table-led focuses exploring regulation attempts in different states, the values associated with both sides of the issue, personal experiences, and the role of public education in raising children.
February 23, 2023: The Government’s Role in Regulating Social Change
HUBS inaugural discourse dinner event was held on February 23, 2023 and focused on the government’s role in regulating social change. Guest speakers for the event included Harvard Kennedy School Professor Archon Fung, former United States Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler, former mayor of Newton, MA and director of the IOP Setti Warren, and the Chief Counsel at the Republican National Committee Matt Raymer. Following a panel, student participants and guest speakers broke into dinner tables discussing the government’s role in regulating either the environment, education, or healthcare systems.