Carolyn Frisa, Head Conservator and Owner of Works on Paper presented her information-filled talk, Preserving Family Archives at the recent Open House at the Coolidge Museum and Education Center. She showed a slide series of letters, photos, paintings, and other works on paper that had been damaged by heat, moisture, neglect and contact with acid producing surfaces. This raised our awareness of how to store and handle these delicate items. Carolyn described the process how these items were restored and preserved by careful cleaning, remounting and storage. Audience members had the opportunity to ask questions about specific items they had brought with them. This talk will be available on local access TV stations. For further information about Works on Paper, see www.works-on-paper.net. The Coolidge Foundation thanks Carolyn for sharing her expertise with us!

Government surveillance was the point of contention at the Coolidge Foundation’s third Coolidge Cup Qualifying tournament, held with the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance on April 8th and 9th at Bryan Adams High School in Dallas, Texas. Students debated whether the government should curtail its surveillance of private citizens. Nearly 100 students participated in this exciting policy debate.

On Saturday, February 6 the Coolidge Foundation partnered with the New York City Urban Debate League to sponsor the first Coolidge Cup Invitational. More than 400 New York City debaters converged on Bronx Science and Bronx Collaborative High Schools for this day of contest. Students debated whether or not the federal government should implement a carbon tax. The day began with a seminar and mock debate led by Dr. Ike Brannon. Dr. Brannon is president of the consulting firm Capital Policy Analytics and head of the Savings and Retirement Foundation. He has worked on Capitol Hill in a number of capacities, including as chief economist for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dr. Brannon explained a number of tax-related concepts to the students, including how taxes can be used to discourage people from purchasing taxed items. We were very grateful to have him join us for the event.

The Coolidge Foundation’s debate programs attract some of the brightest young Americans in the country. We are proud of the accomplishments of all the students who have become part of our Coolidge Family. We are excited to report that two alums of our 2015 World Schools Debate Camp have been featured on Fox News Channel analyzing the 2015 Democratic and Republican presidential primary debates. Feiry Guaba and Joelle Garcia are both middle school students in New York City, and their sharp perspective on the debating skills of the candidates has wowed host Greg Gutfeld, as well as audiences across America. To hear Feiry try out a Coolidge-style free market argument on education and public spending, go to 6:33 mins in in the first video.. You can view the each of the appearances in their entirety at the links below: