Amid rising political polarization, BridgeUSA — a national, multi-partisan student movement dedicated to open and constructive dialogue on key issues — will soon have its first University of Iowa chapter, offering students a space to engage with diverse perspectives on today’s most pressing topics.
Cielo Herrera, a third-year communications major and president of UI’s soon-to-launch chapter, said she hopes the organization’s mission will help students move toward meaningful progress.
“One thing that’s really important is progress never really gets done when you’re angry,” Herrera said. “We really emphasize this idea of discussing to learn rather than discussing to argue.”
Herrera is joined by Vice President Brianna Aleksiejczyk, a third-year UI student majoring in criminology, sociology, and ethics and public policy. Aleksiejczyk discovered BridgeUSA through her friendship with Herrera and recognized its potential impact on college students in the current political climate.
“It’s a turning point in history right now with the presidential election and in our personal lives,” Aleksiejczyk wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. “As we are becoming more independent, we are the future.”
Aleksiejczyk said she has observed the state of civic dialogue on campus often fails to meet the moment.
“I personally have felt uncomfortable in spaces across campus where voices were unable to be heard, and empathy or active listening is not even in the conversation,” Aleksiejczyk wrote.
UI President Barbara Wilson has recognized this issue as well, prompting the launch of the Civic Dialogue Initiative this semester as part of changes to the UI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office announced last spring.
David Supp-Montgomerie, a UI professor and co-leader of the initiative, said that after 16 years of teaching political communication, he’s seen a growing need for the Civic Dialogue Initiative and groups like BridgeUSA as students navigate ardent political discourse.
“It’s hard to get people talking because we’ve developed habits for avoiding disagreements,” Supp-Montgomerie said. “And yet, I have a lot of hope when I speak with students in my classes because so many students want a different way of talking to each other about politics.”
He said the addition of a BridgeUSA chapter will offer students a valuable opportunity to develop the civic dialogue skills needed to engage in productive conversation on political issues with peers across ideological and party lines.
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“Talking to people you disagree with is a skill that gets better with practice,” Supp-Montgomerie said. “It’s not something you’re naturally born good at.”
As a regular participant at Civic Dialogue Initiative events, Herrera was invited by Supp-Montgomerie to spearhead the creation of a UI chapter of BridgeUSA.
“He recognized that this was something that the University of Iowa didn’t have, that it could use,” Herrera said.
Supp-Montgomerie explained that unlike other political student groups, which often focus on activism or debate, BridgeUSA prioritizes open-ended discussions in which students can engage without the pressure to take a hard stance.
“It gives more people an opportunity to participate,” Supp-Montgomerie said. “If a debate or a protest is the only type of event, what if you don’t have a strong opinion? If you see strengths in multiple positions, you should still be able to participate.”
Aleksiejczyk shared a similar sentiment, adding that BridgeUSA offers a valuable space for unity.
“We have such a divided community when it comes to politics,” Aleksiejczyk wrote. “Having Bridge on our campus will provide an amazing outlet for our students and community to rise above division.”
Herrera said she and Aleksiejczyk plan to host biweekly discussion groups focused on specific topical issues, prioritizing peace and civility as well as events aimed at fostering unity across campus.
“We have more to offer than just discussion events,” Herrera said. “We’re looking to bring in speakers or host political roundtables between other student groups that are politically affiliated.”
When it launches next semester, Herrera hopes the UI chapter will attract a diverse range of students, offering unique viewpoints and ideas.
“We want all opinions, all thought processes,” Herrera said. “We want that engineer. We want the social studies major, the poli-sci kid. We want everyone.”