The James Jimirro Open for Debate Series

Open for Debate: Disagree Better
  • Sep 24

    Open for Debate: Disagree Better

    • 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
    • Nittany Lion Inn Ballroom
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Listen. Have Conversations. Challenge Assumptions. Disagree Better.

Where do you fall on these divisive issues? Can you listen and engage with the other side?

  • Voter ID: Do ID Laws Protect or Restrict?
  • Supreme Court: Is Political Influence Inevitable — or a Threat to its Legitimacy?

College and university campuses are at the forefront of discussions around free speech. As a public university, Penn State is committed to protecting free speech, a bedrock principle of our democratic society. The James Jimirro Open for Debate Series is predicated on the belief that minds can be opened — or even changed — when two (or more) sides of an issue are examined intelligently, respectfully, and thoughtfully.

During this interactive dialogue, attendees will hear different sides of these divisive issues presented by high profile political commentators. The speakers will also discuss media bias and the role it plays in our understanding of today's issues. After both speakers present their views, attendees will engage in respectful, open-minded dialogue around the topics through facilitated small group interactions with Patrick Mather, Dean of the Schreyer Honors College.

Featured Speakers

Jaime Harrison is a political strategist, attorney and organizational leader with more than two decades of experience across government, politics, strategic communications and nonprofit leadership. He served as Chair of the Democratic National Committee, where he oversaw national strategy, operations, fundraising, party infrastructure and convention planning during a period of major political change. Under his leadership, the DNC raised nearly $1 billion, expanded voter engagement efforts nationwide and navigated the transition to the Democratic Party's 2024 presidential nominee.

Earlier in his career, Harrison served as Associate Chair of the DNC and became the first African American Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party. He also worked on Capitol Hill as Floor Director and Counsel for House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and as Executive Director of the House Democratic Caucus, later gaining experience in the private and nonprofit sectors.

Miranda Devine is a New York Post columnist, Fox News contributor, bestselling author and host of Pod Force One. She is the author of Laptop from Hell: Hunter Biden, Big Tech, and the Dirty Secrets the President Tried to Hide and The Big Guy: How a President and His Son Sold Out America, which draw on her reporting about Hunter Biden, the Biden family's overseas business dealings, the media and Big Tech. Her journalism career has spanned the United States and Australia, including ten years at The Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2025, Devine launched Pod Force One, a New York Post podcast featuring candid, longform conversations with prominent political leaders and newsmakers, with President Donald Trump appearing as her first guest. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in Tokyo and Sydney, Devine studied mathematics at Macquarie University and journalism at Northwestern University.

This dialogue series is funded through a generous gift from James Jimirro '58 Comm to enhance efforts already underway to reaffirm free speech as a cornerstone of Penn State's mission. Jimirro was honored in 1985 with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Penn State Alumni Association.