On Tuesday March 1, Young Democrats, Common Grounds, and CAC facilitated an event that allowed students to have open conversations to better understand different viewpoints regarding political beliefs, diverse views, and many other topics. Common Grounds became a full house with many students joining in the conversations or simply becoming spectators to what was being discussed.
Seniors and undergraduate peacebuilding majors Olivia Hazelton, Jessie Landis, and Jessica Chisolm and CJP graduate Tyler Goss helped facilitate and guide the event through circle-style conversations. The main focus of the event was to focus on the “why” behind people’s political beliefs and to provide room for people to touch on topics that they are most passionate about.
When talking about the importance of having these conversations for students to be able to better understand each other and to voice their opinions, sophomore Meredith Lehman from EMU Young Democrats said, “We often reduce people to a single piece of the puzzle that comprises who they are. We let preconceived social ‘boxes’ define them and, in the case of politics, automatically equate the positions and decisions of a given party to the identity of its members. I think it’s important to have these conversations, especially with our peers, to understand how much gray area exists within our very limited perception of who they really are.”
Family and community can influence people’s views regarding politics and many other topics. When talking about how her views and opinions have been influenced over time first-year Sarah Campbell from EMU College Republicans said, “Politics was always a conversation in my house and at the dinner table. I grew up in a very conservative household but was always given an opportunity to have my own opinion and it was always valued. I was raised on a small farm in Staunton, Virginia. My community was full of agricultural and blue-collar workers.”
While talking about the importance of holding an event like this at a college setting, Lehman said, “I think that the most valuable conversations you can have are with people who don’t agree with you. The intense polarity that’s been rampant politically has all but diminished the existence of true civil discourse. It’s unfortunate because tough conversations are what create change. I want to help change the negative connotation that often accompanies these discussions. A failure to communicate with our dissidents results in deadlock; we’ve seen it over and over again in our government at all levels. By normalizing conversations between adversaries, we can facilitate compromise and political progress.”
Campbell also added, “College is an opportunity to have your own opinion and learn new things. I believe that conversations like the ones we will be having or have had create an open classroom environment. These conversations create an open environment for everyone and allow you to look past your own beliefs and accept someone that is different from you.”
The event allowed students to freely express themselves and share their different opinions regarding their political views and what it is like to have different opinions from others on campus.
