Big Apple Cogers: Launch Event

Big Apple Cogers Launch Event!

The oldest free speech forum in the world comes to a bar in the East Village

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/bigapplecogers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BigAppleCogers
* * FREE and close to Union Square Subways * *

Bring your business card - we will be doing a drawing for some fun prizes at the event.

The International Debate Education Association (www.idebate.org) is affiliating with the Cogers (www.cogers.org) to hold a FREE monthly debate event in NYC. The Society of Cogers was founded in the City of London in 1755 as a coffee bar debating society, can claim to be the oldest “free speech” forum in the world, and is quite possibly the oldest debating society in the world. IDEA is bringing this tradition to NY with the introduction of the Big Apple Cogers, which will meet the first Wednesday of each month at Professor Thom’s Bar (www.professorthoms.com) for a lively debate on current events.

Cogers events begin with a 10- to15-minute speech made by the “Opener” that recaps the most important topics that have occurred since the previous meeting and outlines potential topics for debate. Next, everyone in the audience is invited to make 5-minute speeches that either respond to these topics or bring new topics to the debate. During these speeches, audience members can make single-sentence challenges in response to speeches. The event is manned by “the Grand” and ends with “the Evaluator,” who sums up the evening, offers debate advice, and awards the “Apple of Discord” to the best speaker.

Who We Are:
http://idebate.org/about/idea

Contact and Press Inquiries:
Nina Watkins, telephone: (212) 300-6076
Email: nwatkins@idebate.org