Jacob Ogles
The New College of Florida staffer behind a provocative series of high-profile speakers is leaving the Sarasota university.
Alexandra Islas, organizer for the Socratic Stage Dialogue Series, is leaving her position as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Public Policy Events.
New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran confirmed her departure.
“Alexandra has been a valuable member of the New College team, serving with distinction as Deputy Chief of Staff and playing a key role in the success of our Socratic Stage Series,” Corcoran said.
“Her leadership, professionalism and commitment were instrumental in helping New College on the path to becoming the No. 1 liberal arts college in the country. We are grateful for her service and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”
Socratic Stage events featured prominent speakers often in the midst of major new stories. That included bringing in Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s Border Czar, for a roundtable with Gov. Ron DeSantis at a time when the administration’s mass deportation policy was ramping up.
Islas also booked controversial comedian Russell Brand, an event indefinitely postponed as the British entertainer faced rape charges in his home country.
Islas told Florida Politics the goal with the Socratic Stage was always to bring in speakers relevant to current events.
“I successfully launched the series at a time when restoring civil discourse to college campuses was of the utmost importance. Starting with its inaugural Conversation on the Israel-Hamas War and the Future of the Middle East, we broached the most timely topics of the moment without fear of campus riots or disruptive backlash. Governor DeSantis and President Corcoran were both supportive in making sure New College led the way on civil discourse,” she said.
“I believe that the greatest success of the Socratic Stage is that it has fostered a platform for people to be unafraid to listen, unafraid to disagree, and unafraid to think. In this day and age, few have the courage to reach across the aisle to debate something they don’t agree with, to show that civil discourse is possible, and that having honest conversations on topics that we don’t agree on is integral to solving the world’s problems.”
That all amplified DeSantis’ demand for a conservative makeover of the Sarasota school in 2023, when new trustees from conservative think tanks across the country said a hostile reaction from the student body showed an unwillingness to hear a broad spectrum of ideas.
“These events have drawn people from all over the world, and it is uncommon to hear speakers from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints communicate respectfully together on the same platform. This is what I am most proud of, that the Socratic Stage was courageous enough to foster these conversations,” Islas said.
She stressed the series did not just bring conservatives or liberals, but individuals from all points of view together for debate. Those events also ended up moving from on-campus facilities to major downtown Sarasota venues like the Sarasota Opera House.
“I believe the most successful event of the series was the sold-out dialogue event featuring Bill Nye and Michael Shellenberger. It brought together two famous leaders on opposing sides of the climate change debate for a conversation that has never been had anywhere else. They were respectful to each other despite having differing views and demonstrated that this kind of discourse is not only possible, but integral to a thriving society,” she said.
“People came in from all backgrounds and of all ages, from high school groups, families, local community members, to college students, and guests from out of town. The feedback I received from attendees on both sides was that they felt more educated about other viewpoints and greatly enjoyed the event. The audience consisted of people who came to see their favorite person and ended up hearing a unique perspective from the other. I hope New College will continue to harbor these important ideals of free speech and civil discourse going forward. The Socratic Stage is special and should be embraced.”
Corcoran said the college has no plans of discontinuing the series and has high-profile speakers already lined up for the coming year.
