Discourse Dinners
Celebrating Our Shared Humanity
HUBS’ mission to promote discourse goes beyond our direct members and into the community. Several times per year, HUBS brings together students, faculty, and other guests and members of the community to discuss political topics over a shared meal. The goal of Discourse Dinners is to foster community across differences and celebrate our shared humanity.
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.
March 20, 2023: Bipartisan Discussions
On March 20, 2023 HUBS collaborated with the Institute of Politics’ Fellows and Study Groups program to host our second discourse dinner. At dinner, two former congresswomen, Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA) shared experiences of working across party lines and best practices for working with those who hold opposing political beliefs.
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.