2022 Great American Think-Off Results

America’s Greatest Thinker: Blaine Rada Audience Votes: Social Responsibility is More Important than Personal Choice On Saturday, June 11, 2022, a majority of the audience of more than 200 voted to name Blaine Rada of Darien, IL America’s Greatest Thinker...

2022 Great American Think-Off Debate June 11 & Kick-Off June 10

29th Annual Think-Off Saturday, June 11, 2022 @ 7pm Held @ NYM School Auditorium Reception to follow @ Cultural Center The 2022 Think-Off debate will be held at the New York Mills School Auditorium on Saturday, June 11th, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. Doors open to the public at...

Think-Off Essays Due April 1

29th Annual Great American Think-Off Philosophy essay & debate competition Essays due April 1st The Great American Think-Off, now in its 29th year, is an annual philosophy contest held in New York Mills, MN (population 1,224), and hosted by the New York Mills...

2021 Think-Off Finalists Announced

28th Great American Think-Off Philosophy Essay Contest Live Debate June 12, 2021 These four writers were selected as the top essayists answering the 28th annual Think-Off question, “Which is more important: to win or to play by the rules?” These four...

2020 Great American Think-Off Postponed to 2021

2020 Think-Off Debate Cancelled Submitted Essays Valid for 2021 Essays Accepted Until 4/1/21 2021 Think-Off Debate June 12, 2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Great American Think-Off debate has been cancelled. This year’s question, “Which is more...

2020 Great American Think-Off Essay Deadline Extended

28th Annual Great American Think-Off Essay Deadline EXTENDED to April 15, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect daily lives, the Think-Off Committee announces the extension of this year’s essay deadline to April 15, 2020. It is our hope that while...

2019 Think-Off Finalist Essays

27th Great American Think-Off Congratulations to all 4 finalists! Read the winning essays below The four finalists for the 2019 Great American Think-Off are (in alphabetical order): Rick Brundage of St. Paul, MN; David Lapakko of Richfield, MN; Louise Mengelkoch of...

2019 Think-Off Honorable Mentions Essays

27th Great American Think-Off Announcing Honorable Mentions Read Essays Below Read the 2019 Honorable Mention Essays Below, OR you can: 2019 Think-Off Results 2019 Think-Off Finalist Essays Michael Denny, Journalist from Staples, MN No Voting does not matter. It...

2019 Great American Think-Off Essay Deadline Extended

You heard right, folks! The new deadline to enter your opinion essay for the Great American Think-Off is April 15th, 2019! To vote or not to vote: does it matter? Historically, groups of citizens have fought hard for the right to vote, only to have more than half of...

2016 Great American Think-Off Topic Announced

Topic for the 2016 Great American Think-Off is “Income Inequality Threatens Democracy” After much discussion, and appropriately, some healthy debate, the Great American Think-Off committee has decided on this year’s topic for the annual debate: “Income Inequality...