On Sunday, April 10th, the Society for Conservative Thought participated in a public discussion with the Williams Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) on Socialism and Capitalism. The event was set up to be a conversation between the two politically active student organizations on campus on "Bridging the Divide: A Discussion on Socialism and Capitalism." Moderated by political science Professor Michael MacDonald, President Niko Malhotra '24 and Vice-President Will Howe '25 engaged with Rodrigo Valdiviezo-Salazar '23 and Quinnton Cooper '22 in a dialogue on Leftist and Conservative Thought.
Dozens of students filled up Griffin 3 to hear the discussion and arguments put forth by each club on how they understand the merits and flaws of capitalist and socialist economic systems. While the conversation at some points seemed to veer off track, the Society for Conservative Thought believes it was a productive event in creating a dialogue between students of different perspectives who often fail to interact and discuss their unique points of view. By bringing these intellectual debates to the forefront of Williams' discourse, students of all political persuasions can engage critically both with the ideas put forth by the speakers as well as their own perspectives. The Society for Conservative Thought is committed to prompting these necessary discussions on Williams campus.