On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Villanova students proved two things: (1) democracy is alive and well, and (2) fire codes are optional. More than 350 people packed into Connelly Cinema (which normally has a maximum capacity of 200) for a debate between Andrew Smith, President of the College Republicans, and Joey Scerbo, President of the College Democrats. The event had students squeezed shoulder to shoulder, standing in aisles and rethinking personal space altogether. The buzz beforehand was electric, with students spilling out into the lobby, eagerly debating who would land the sharper punchlines or draw the loudest applause.
Smith opened with freedom, responsibility and opportunity, describing America as a place of “ladders to climb, not handouts to trap people.” Scerbo countered that the nation is “at a crossroads of ideas,” with reproductive freedom, gun violence and healthcare on the line.
From there, the gloves came off. They sparred over everything from party identity to the national debt ($38 trillion—and counting). Scerbo warned Republicans had become “the party of one man,” while Smith argued elections don’t define a party’s essence, pointing instead to long-term challenges like Social Security. On guns, Scerbo stressed that America now has “more guns than people,” while Smith urged reforms that promote responsibility without sacrificing rights—especially when it comes to lobbying.
Foreign policy, abortion, education and even media regulation kept the crowd leaning in. Smith drew on Catholic social teaching and state authority in discussing abortion, while Scerbo defended Roe v. Wade. On Ukraine, Scerbo pressed for sustained U.S. support—mentioning the “sad truth” that “more American soldiers will fall;” while Smith floated the idea of concessions. Students gasped and clapped, then groaned in turn, the room often feeling more like a courtroom or arena than a campus lecture hall.
Yet in the end, both agreed on one thing: civic dialogue matters. Smith called honest debate democracy’s lifeline, while Scerbo labeled the evening itself a “sign of hope” in polarized times. Both tipped their hats to the debate’s sponsors, the Matthew J. Ryan Center and the Villanova Debate and Public Speaking Club, for keeping spaces like this alive.
As the crowd spilled out in search of Chick-fil-A sandwiches, students left with more than just partisan talking points. They carried a reminder that democracy works best when we argue loudly in overcrowded rooms rather than fight quietly in divided ones. And if Tuesday night proved anything, it’s that Villanova students aren’t afraid to show up, stand shoulder to shoulder, and wrestle with the biggest questions shaping America’s future.
