Emerging from what had been a historically exhausting election cycle, I’d never felt so estranged from talking about politics. Even the word itself seemed to have a negative connotation. Discussing contemporary issues and events, which sounds much nicer, is a big hobby of mine. However, the bitter attitudes by opposing sides have turned political discussion into quite the quagmire. Driving home with my mom for Thanksgiving Break and talking for hours about all the events that had transpired during the past five weeks, I wondered why I felt so much freer to talk about politics openly then, compared to my time at Villanova. Coming back to campus after break, I began looking for opportunities to find a place where I felt similarly comfortable to speak freely.
I initially saw its stand at the club fair and had routinely received emails about its weekly discussions on current political stories. However, it wasn’t until recently that I ventured deep into the labyrinth that is Falvey Library and attended one of the Matthew J. Ryan Center’s meetings which occur Wednesdays in Old Falvey 304 at 7:30 p.m.
“The Ryan Center seeks to facilitate conversations about American values and contemporary politics in a civilized manner on a regular basis,” President Nicholas Shapkarov said. “We seek to maintain a place open to everyone where students can engage in a structured dialogue and seek to understand a wide array of viewpoints without the vitriol that has seeped into so much political discussion in recent years.”
This was clearly seen at the meeting I attended, whose topic was Hunter Biden’s pardon by President Biden. Points were made on both sides of the argument, discussing the move’s ramifications for the future and even diving into the legitimacy of the pardon itself.
Disagreements were had, yet they were respectful and constructive. So often on social media or even on our own campus, I see people so sunk into their holes, armed to the teeth with arguments against the other side. Here, we talked about a major political decision, yet if you watched us on mute, we might as well be talking about movies. I can see this approach being especially refreshing to students who yearn to talk about politics. But talk, not debate. People floated points and ideas seemingly without fear of being ostracized. This was the type of environment I see people dream about when discussing our divided political climate. In reality though, is it as divided as it seems to be? Are our conceptions of the current landscape muddled by our inexperience with true and friendly discussion? After attending the Matthew J. Ryan Center’s recent meeting, I see now that maybe we aren’t as divided as we think. If we treat politics as a serious topic, but with an attitude that it isn’t the make-or-break factor that decides our judgment of someone, we may see each other as the community we really are as Villanovans.
