Let’s Find Common Ground
In this election year, many of us have reflected on the way Americans go about communicating across a divide, and the truth is, we, as a country, are not good at having productive, open, and honest conversations or respectfully disagreeing with someone. We put people who think differently than us into boxes and don’t allow them to explain themselves or attempt to understand where they may be coming from. So, when the members of Commons College were presented with an opportunity to challenge ourselves to have those hard conversations, we were enthusiastic.
Earlier this semester, as a unit for our house class, we took on the Unify Challenge: a guided conversation with a fellow American college student who comes from a different background and may vote differently or hold different political beliefs. The organization paired each of us with a student based on a short survey about our political beliefs. The virtual meeting was an hour long, with around ten prompts, covering some of the most contentious current political topics. We could not move on to the next prompt unless both participants decided that the conversation was over.
After a robust discussion in our class, we agreed that the Unify Challenge was an overwhelmingly positive experience for our house members. One of the main benefits we took away from the Unify Challenge was the space it created for connection with another individual, particularly over sensitive or taboo topics, such as political and social beliefs. Boone Schaffer 27’ said, “The Unify Challenge was a reminder that students on college campuses across America have more core values in common than differences.” We were able to openly discuss our own morals over social issues, and the majority of us found we had more common ground with the person we were conversing with than we might have initially suspected. This discovery helped us to see past the restrictive boxes we tend to put people in.
Another main takeaway we all had upon completing the challenge is the importance of open dialogue and the value of overcoming discomfort. Talking about morals and politics can be quite uncomfortable, particularly in this era of political polarization. However, we all found that by opening a dialogue with somebody of supposed differing beliefs, we were all able to better understand their point of view, become comfortable sharing our own beliefs, and overall feel more confident in having difficult conversations. Aubrey O’Flynn ’26 said of the person she was paired with, “Although we disagreed on the majority of topics, our discussion was productive and we created a space of mutual respect, which I think our country needs a lot more of.”
In this time of changing administration, tensions are running high, and it’s easy to vilify those who may fall on a different side of the political spectrum than you do. However, it is important to remember the value of honest, respectful conversation, and to avoid reinforcing the political divide we currently have in our country. Completing the Unify Challenge helped us to understand the importance of communication across an ideological divide, and we encourage all of you to remember the value of connection and civic engagement as our generation becomes increasingly powerful in the political world. We hope to participate in the Unify Challenge in coming semesters and even open it up to the greater SLU community.