ABOUT THE MARKOVITZ SOCRATIC STAGE DIALOGUE SERIES

The New College of Florida Office of Public Policy Events seeks to advance free speech, civil discourse, and fearless dialogue through facilitating events that foster open discussion and debate on relevant public policy issues. Such debates or group forums provide opportunity for a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives to be presented. These events are open to the public and include speakers from within and without the state university community that hold broadly divergent and opposing perspectives.

For questions about The Socratic Stage events, please contact:

Director of Public Policy Events [email protected]

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Upcoming Events

The Indispensable Man: George Washington and the Making of the American Mind

Dr. Matthew Spalding

February 12th | 6:30 PM | Mildred Sainer Pavilion – New College of Florida

Join us on February 12th, 2026 for The Indispensable Man: George Washington and the Making of the American Mind featuring Dr. Matthew Spalding as part of our America 250 Initiative!

Stalin’s War

Sean McMeekin and Joseph Loconte

February 17th | 6:00 PM | Mildred Sainer Pavilion – New College of Florida

Join us on February 17th at 6:00 PM in Sainer Pavilion featuring 
historians Sean McMeekin and Joseph Loconte for “Stalin’s War,” a timely conversation on the Soviet dictator’s role in shaping World War II and the modern world. Drawing on McMeekin’s archival scholarship and Loconte’s work on the rise of totalitarianism in Europe, the program explores how Stalin’s strategy, alliances, and wartime aims altered the course of the 20th century. The event invites audiences into a rigorous, question-driven dialogue about power, ideology, and the enduring consequences of totalitarian rule.

Character, Competition, and Culture

Urban Meyer and Chris Myers

March 10th | 6:00 PM | Mildred Sainer Pavilion – New College of Florida

Join us on March 10th at New College of Florida’s Sainer Pavilion, legendary coach Urban Meyer joins the Socratic Stage to discuss leadership, sports, and the university system. Now a member of New College’s Board of Trustees, Meyer will reflect on building high-performance teams, developing talent, and the culture that sustains excellence on and off the field. Through an interactive conversation, audiences will explore what effective leadership looks like in athletics, higher education, and public life.

Crime In America

Dr. Scott Atlas and Heather Mac Donald

March 24th | 6:00 PM | Mildred Sainer Pavilion – New College of Florida

Join us on March 24th at New College of Florida’s Sainer Pavilion, Dr. Scott Atlas and Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute join the Socratic Stage for a candid conversation on crime in America and how to fix it. Drawing on research and on-the-ground policy experience, they’ll examine what’s driving today’s public-safety challenges and which reforms actually reduce violence while restoring trust. The program invites the community into a rigorous, question-driven dialogue on the realities behind the headlines and the choices shaping safer communities.

Did The Human Mind Evolve?

Bill von Hippel and Cory Clark

April 7th | 6:00 PM | Mildred Sainer Pavilion – New College of Florida

Join us on April 7th at New College of Florida’s Sainer Pavilion, William von Hippel, bestselling author as seen on The Joe Rogan Experience, and New College professor Cory Clark join the Socratic Stage to ask a foundational question: Did the human mind evolve? Blending evolutionary theory with modern psychology, the discussion examines what natural selection may explain about cognition, behavior, and social life and where the evidence remains contested. The event offers a lively, inquiry-led forum for anyone curious about what shaped the way we think.