"We had a lot of commonalities about human nature, and I found him to be incredibly realistic. We disagreed on the value of public versus private education but found agreement on international security and the extent to which the U.S. should play a role on the world stage."
"I'm very rarely pulled towards optimism, and if I am, usually there's something that quickly shuts that down. [This assignment] showed me that many of the individuals in the middle have a lot of agreements, but they're pulled by people on far opposite sides toward thinking that there's really not much we have in common."
"It really became the backbone of the class. The conversations that [students] engaged in-I mean, I asked them initially to be 30 minutes to an hour, and some of them ended up being multiple sessions."
Hollis Masterson, a social democrat, interviewed a libertarian for a senior seminar at Kalamazoo College. The conversation revealed shared views on human nature and international security, despite disagreements on education. Masterson noted that many in the middle share agreements but are influenced by extremes. The seminar emphasizes civil discourse, teaching students to engage in structured conversations and navigate disagreements. Professor Justin Berry observed that students often rethink their approach to opposing viewpoints after these interviews, highlighting the importance of dialogue in understanding diverse perspectives.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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