Two great debates coming up in city

Universities square off at NAACP event

HARTFORD — The State Conference of the NAACP will hold the 2nd Annual Great Debate, featuring Yale, Howard, Hampton and Columbia universities’ debate teams at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 3at Yale’s Woolsey Hall, 500 College St.
The event will be moderated by actor Nate Parker, who starred in “The Great Debaters,” released in 2007 and directed by Denzel Washington. The film tells the story of an all-black debating team from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, that rose to national prominence in the 1930s and defeated a powerhouse Ivy League debate team.
“The movie inspired students everywhere to embrace the power of thoughtful, focused dialogue,” NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile said. “With this annual event, we hope to keep that enthusiasm alive, and to provide a forum for young voices to be heard.”
General admission is $20; VIP admission, which includes a pre-event reception, is $50. All tickets purchased include a free NAACP youth membership.

PETA leader to debate Yalies on meat-eating

NEW HAVEN — Whether or not it is ethical to eat meat will be the topic of a debate Wednesday night between the vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Yale Debate Association.
Bruce Friedrich will take on the Yalies to make the case that eating meat results in abuse to animals, devastation to the environment and poor health.
Friedrich has debated against use of fur and meat and experimenting on animals for years, and appeared on the Showtime reality series, “American Candidate.”
The Yale Debate Association has won the American Parliamentary Debate Association’s Team of the Year award four times, the national championship four times, the North American championship three times and, in 2006, was the first U.S. team to reach the final round of the modern World Championships.
The free event will be held at 7 p.m. at Linsly-Chittenden Hall, 63 High St., Room 102. The host is peta2, PETA’s youth division.