Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs

Dear Friends of the Goldfarb Center,

Strong democracies depend on strong conversations. This fall, we showed what that can look like.

Our signature In the News program is now a pillar of civic life at Colby. Students come each week for a space to test ideas, listen more closely, and sit with real disagreement. And they keep coming. This fall, an average of 140 students attended each In the News event. Students led the way, setting a tone of curiosity and openness.

It was a semester full of standout moments:

• President Greene moderating a conversation with renowned pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson about the future of young voters.
• Monica Guzman leading a community-wide conversation on curiosity in divided political environment. 
• Celebrating the 73rd Lovejoy Award for Courage in Journalism, as we welcomed Bill Owens and Amna Nawaz for a powerful conversation about the courage and responsibility that define great reporting.

Check out some highlight clips from our semester here. The issues are serious, but curiosity thrives when there’s room for both rigor and moments of play.

Looking ahead, in addition to In the News, next semester we are offering a seminar course on democratic discourse where students can practice the real work of talking through the ideas and tensions shaping public life. It’s an opportunity to go deeper and strengthen core skills—listening, questioning, and engaging across differences.

The foundation is built. The momentum is real. And with your partnership, we’re ready to take this work even further.

Thank you for supporting the Goldfarb Center and for believing, as we do, that honest, thoughtful dialogue is essential to a vibrant public life.

With gratitude,

Alison Beyea