BridgeCU members meeting in the Eaton Humanities building on the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus. (Courtesy of Emmett Spreitzer/BridgeCU)
At a time when political polarization between Americans remains prominent in communities, many organizations are forming to tackle the issue by encouraging diverse viewpoints and respectful disagreement as an essential piece of democracy.
Students across the United States feel the effects of polarization, including in academic communities like college classrooms. This division also manifests online, finding its way into identities.
“People are looking for communities on social media because they’re losing them in person,” said Abby Schaller, a senior studying political science at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Because we get so much news thrown in our face on social media, it makes political identification so accessible to us, and it becomes a huge part of our identity.”
BridgeUSA, a national organization, encourages students to discuss and engage with opposing beliefs, experiences and perspectives to create more shared mindsets and understanding.
BridgeUSA has over 10,000 student members across 40 states. The only chapter in Colorado, stationed at CU Boulder, was started by Schaller in the spring of 2024 due to her concern over political polarization and her desire to better the CU community.
Before beginning discussion at each meeting, members fill out a pre-survey asking questions to examine open-mindedness regarding personal beliefs, value placed on dissenting perspectives, self-identity and the ability to listen to understand. A similar survey is also taken at the end of each discussion.
During discussion, BridgeCU uses a method of “addressing the argument and not the person” to navigate through difficult conversations and ensure they remain constructive. Schaller emphasizes the importance of maintaining a willingness to listen and the ability to converse without attacking.
Meeting topics have included immigration policy, college protests, the electoral college and “hot takes.”
Schaller said it was originally challenging getting people to stay consistent with attending meetings, but the club now has more frequent members.
“Bridge encourages people to be uncomfortable because you’re challenging their ideas, and you’re disagreeing with people,” Schaller said. “So it’s hard to ask people to come and be uncomfortable.”
While the meetings often encourage discomfort, Schaller said the difficult conversations held at Bridge help her understand other perspectives and provide guidance for navigating conflicts within her personal relationships.
James Wherry, a sophomore BridgeCU member, said that the more he attends Bridge meetings, the more he notices that everybody – no matter where they sit on the political spectrum – tends to want the same thing.
“We all want safety in our communities. We all want respect. We all want fairness and equality, and we all want more money in our pockets, but we just disagree on how to get those things,” Wherry said. “I think that having these conversations really humanizes the people we disagree with.”
The club initially struggled to gain conservative members. Schaller said that through outreach methods, such as inviting more conservative speakers like Patrick Deneen, the author of “Why Liberalism Failed,” membership is growing. She encourages people with all political viewpoints to attend meetings to broaden the perspectives of all members.
Patrick Deneen speaks to BridgeCU on Feb. 6, 2025. (Emmett Spreitzer/BridgeCU)
Wherry, also a member of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization, finds that when people are given a chance to be heard, they’re not very different from one another.
Amie Stewart, a junior majoring in international relations, said that she finds that most members come to Bridge meetings for the purpose of conversation and to question, learn and understand other people’s views. She believes this process helps in making better informed decisions.
Looking forward, Schaller’s goal is to continue the Bridge mission through collaboration with other college clubs such as Turning Point USA and College Democrats. Such partnerships can help build the skill of being able to agree to disagree.
“I think you have to have an appreciation for experience in different walks of life,” Schaller said. “We need to understand that someone else’s truth is just as true as your own truth and your experiences.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Camryn Montgomery at camryn.montgomery@colorado.edu
