At most universities today, the “marketplace of ideas” is a relic of the past. As someone who has made a career out of interviewing students and speaking at college campuses across the country, I have seen how dogmatic and ideological campuses can be. I had events cancelled by administrators, I have been kicked off of public campuses just for asking questions, and I have had my speech suppressed by radical protestors who were allowed to come into events and disrupted them.

I lost my faith in American higher education. The whole system seemed geared to allow the loudest voices triumph, not the best ideas. Informed debate and civil discussion were rare, indoctrination dominated college campuses, and dissent and free inquiry were punished.

So, when I was invited to lead New College of Florida’s speaker series, “The Socratic Stage,” I was excited. New College fosters an environment where tough questions, unpopular ideas, and controversial speech are welcome. But no beliefs are unquestioned: if you believe in something, you better be ready to defend it. New College of Florida is a place where classical education of the past rooted in goodness, truth, and beauty is heralded and celebrated, and nowhere are those ideas more present than on our Socratic Stage.

This semester alone, we have hosted three incredible events, with more to come. Our first event was a discussion on American media and bias with Dr. Scott Atlas joined by prominent journalists and media figures; then a discussion on Covid, climate, and the politicization of science with Roger Pielke Jr.; followed by a debate on psychedelics and control with alumnus Rick Doblin and bestselling author Tom O’Neill. None of these conversations were safe, none of them were sanitized, and none of them were restricted. But, all of them were necessary.

New College’s Socratic Stage is not merely an events series, but a declaration that the American tradition of open discourse isn’t dead as long as people are brave enough to practice it. As Director of Public Policy Events, Speakers aren’t chosen to flatter anyone’s preconceived narratives; not my own, not the administration’s, not the media’s. Speakers are chosen because young people deserve the chance to encounter unfiltered ideas and debate, not one-sided dogma and indoctrination.

If higher education is supposed to prepare students for life, then shielding them from controversial ideas is negligence. It produces “adults” who panic when confronted with opposing viewpoints, citizens who outsource their thinking to institutions and artificial intelligence, and a society of obedient followers rather than critical thinkers.

The Socratic Stage is our answer to the intellectual decay gripping higher education. It’s our rebellion against the ideologues, bureaucrats, and indoctrinators that dominate America’s universities. It is, quite simply, what a university is supposed to be.

In a world of guardrails and political correctness, we are proud to be a campus of no “safe-spaces,” where freedom of speech is paramount. Students need honesty, debate, and courage, and we are bringing them exactly that at New College of Florida.

And if that troubles you, then you are exactly who we want at our next Socratic Stage.

Will Witt is the Director of Public Policy Events at New College of Florida. 

While Dictionary.com selected “6-7″ - a term signaling swagger or insider status in internet and youth culture as its word of the year, the language experts at Oxford went in a different direction, choosing “rage bait,” defined as online content crated to provoke anger or outrage, as their word for 2025.

But beyond the world of social media, I found myself settling on a different word for “real” life in 2025: PARTNERSHIP.

The end of the year is always a natural moment to take stock. And as I reflect on 2025, I keep coming back to the conversations I’ve heard across our community. Again and again, a common thread emerged: people asking, “Who can we partner with on this?” That question, more than any single initiative, accomplishment, or trend (social media or otherwise!), is what truly defines this year for me. Our area has always benefited from the deep commitment of generous people. Many of you give quietly, serve on boards, volunteer, or help your neighbors in need. This year, I saw more groups choose to join forces, and the result was worth it: amplified impact.

Manatee Community Foundation staff see it when donors ask who else is investing in early learning, food access, or housing. We’ve witnessed more people care for our environment, from neighborhood cleanups to supporting parks and natural spaces to supporting veterans. Becoming fully independent this summer gave our foundation more flexibility to welcome larger gifts that stay rooted in our region, and the new Giving Gallery lets donors stand alongside vetted projects and co-invest with neighbors.

Nonprofit leaders share stories from the families they serve and invite others to respond with them. Public partners sit with us to see where local dollars and private giving can meet so we can stack our investments and avoid overlooking important needs. Through community initiatives like the COAD, CLASP, and the Pet Resource Center, we work side by side for greater outcomes.

You can see this mindset in opportunities for children and young people, too. For example, Soar in 4’s new Soar Lab and the Dr. Janet S. Pullen STEAM Center, named for an MCF board member, grew from local efforts to provide kids places where art, reading, curiosity, and creativity fuel emotional and creative intelligence alike. We also celebrated one of MCF’s donors’ dreams: the groundbreaking of Sara's Studios in downtown Bradenton, a future home for performing arts education. None of these efforts belonged to just one organization; they happened because people took a seat at the same table and listened to one another.

You can also see it in our response when families feel stretched thin. Many households here still juggle worries about food, rent, and access to basic care. But instead of sending people in circles, local partners have tried to make the path to help easier. Through the Manatee Food Security Network, convened by the Bishop Parker Foundation, organizations share information and close gaps, facilitating access to culturally appropriate, nutritious food for our communities. With tools like Unite Us, a person can talk with one trusted nonprofit and be connected to several services at once. This kind of coordination reflects our shared hope: when someone reaches out, the answer should consider all their needs and help them move towards abundance and confidence. It should be a clear next step to resilience.

In my role, I’m privileged to see these stories play out every day. A parent finally finds a safe, reliable after-school option for their child. A student opens a scholarship letter and realizes college is within reach. A nonprofit leader leaves a meeting knowing they no longer need to carry an idea by themselves. These moments show how joined-up generosity can turn ideas into real change.

One thing is certain: in 2026, new challenges will crop up, like rising costs and more policy changes. Though we can’t control every external force, we can choose how we respond. I could say the word for 2025 is “partnership.” And I hope we choose to respond this way again, with open doors and shared plans, and with a willingness to listen more.

Thank you for all the ways, seen and unseen, that you worked with others in 2025. Your support has been felt in classrooms, community spaces, food pantries, and homes across the region. As you look back on your own year, I hope you see the part you played and feel encouraged about what we can continue to build, together, in Manatee County.

Cheers to the partnerships we’ll forge in 2026, aligned for a brighter future for all.

Veronica Thames is the CEO of the Manatee Community Foundation. 

Pictured: Manatee Community Organizations Active In Disaster (COAD) members work to create a resilient region at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Provided photo.

More so than any other time of year, gifts are top of mind – the ones we wrap, the ones we hope for, and the ones we cannot quite match the right bow with. For our hospitality professionals, this same joy comes not only from a thoughtful holiday present but also from the arrival of high tourism season – when dining rooms are full, attractions are buzzing, and staff schedules are steady.

For many locals, though, the experience is more mixed. The extra cars on the road, the harder-to-get dinner reservations – all concerns that deserve to be heard. And contextualized, as much of this activity comes from returning seasonal residents alongside our visitors.

If we solely focus on tourists, in our 2025 fiscal year, every 95 visits supported one local job. With more than 2.7 million visitors last year, that means around 28,000 careers and $3.6 billion are now circulating through our regional economy. Visitors also helped cover nearly $600 in taxes per household each year.

In this light, tourism becomes a shared community gift that helps invest in this place we’re all proud to call home.

Last month at our Indicators & Insights Summit, national experts helped us unwrap what that truly means.

Our keynote, Nicole Porter of the U.S. Travel Association, shared with 170 local businesses in attendance that while cost and perception are the two biggest barriers to travel, the decade ahead is full of opportunity – from global sporting events like the FIFA World Cup to milestone anniversaries such as America’s 250th Anniversary. These aren’t abstract trends but rather signals showing that visitors are changing the way they think about travel and how they choose destinations like ours.

Our research partners at Downs & St. Germain reinforced this with forecasts that feel tailormade for Sarasota County’s strengths. In 2026, the leading motivation for travel will be to pause with purpose. Visitors want personalization. They want meaning. Increasingly, they even meet destinations digitally, through AI programs like ChatGPT and Google’s AI summary, before they even lay eyes on our award-winning beaches.

That puts both pressure and possibility on us at Visit Sarasota County: to market smarter, adapt faster, and amplify our destination’s competitive advantages – for leisure visitors, groups and meetings, sports teams, and everyone in between.

But numbers and trends only tell part of the story. We all know from our own vacations that it’s the people, that human connection, that transform a visit into a repeat visit into a move into a lifelong advocate for our community.

Created to celebrate those very people, our Haley Hall of Fame Awards – now in its second year – reflect the heart of Sarasota County’s tourism industry. We combined these awards with our Summit, which proved to be a festive move. Seven finalists – from rising stars to legacy leaders – were selected from more than 40 nominations and honored in the presence of their peers, mentors, and the visionary for whom these awards were named after, Virginia Haley, who led our tourism bureau for 24 years.

Please join us in congratulating: Susie Chinn, of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, for Front Line Excellence; Edith May Perez, of the Ritz-Carlton, as our Rising Star; Phil Trego, of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, for Volunteer Excellence; Myllanna McKinnon, of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, for Heart of the House Excellence; JuanCarlos Serra Valenzuela, of the Resort at Longboat Key Club, for Management Excellence; Mary Bensel, the executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, as our Legacy Star; and Watershed Hospitality Concepts, which received our inaugural Business Excellence Haley.

I’m grateful for the leaders inducted into our Haley Hall of Fame, for the partners who make our work possible, and for a community that continues to believe Sarasota County is worth sharing and investing in.

Tourism is a gift because it sustains livelihoods, supports local businesses, and connects strangers with our stories — and often, connects us more deeply with our own.And just like anything that holds that much meaning, it only grows when it’s shared with intention.

Erin Duggan is President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County. 

Pictured: Watershed Hospitality Concepts, Visit Sarasota County Haley Hall of Fame Awards. Provided photo.