UW-Stout Polytechnic junior Brooke Zeman will join a select cohort of student leaders from across the 13 Universities of Wisconsin who will conduct monthly civil discourse discussion groups on campuses this fall.
The cohort represents the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership’s program, Bridging the Divide, which brings students of different ideological backgrounds together to foster civil discourse and reduce partisan division through small group conversations about current political issues.
The 13 student leaders range from sophomores to seniors and come from a variety of academic backgrounds.
Bridging the Divide hosts four events a semester at each of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses. Each session is free, student-run, and includes dinner. All students are welcome.
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s events will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom B. The first event, “Let’s Talk World Affairs,” will be on Thursday, Sept. 10. Following events will be on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Thursday, Nov. 12 and Thursday, Dec. 3.
Active listening can bring humility to the conversation
Zeman, a business administration major from Ladysmith, has always been interested in politics but hasn’t always enjoyed conventional political spaces.
“Sometimes these spaces feel like it’s you against the other person, and it can feel like it’s more of a personal disagreement than a productive conversation. The first time I went to a Bridging the Divide event, the atmosphere felt way different. I felt like my opinions were valued, and disagreements weren’t personal attacks. After experiencing this, I knew I wanted to be involved in a program that actively promotes civic discourse,” said Zeman, who has minors in economics, investments and finance and philosophy.
The number one step Zeman thinks people can take to bridge the divide is to actively listen.
“When people actively listen to others, even if they think they 100% disagree, they start to notice more commonalities in thought. Overall, it brings more humility to the conversation as well,” she said. “I hope everyone leaves each event with a little bit of a better understanding of the topics. I also hope that Bridging the Divide’s mission to improve civil discourse translates into every attendee’s life, and everyone can help make political conversations more productive by listening.”
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Center for Applied Ethics Director Xan Bozzo, assistant professor of philosophy, will serve as Zeman’s mentor during her student leadership role.
“Bridging the Divide’s main goal is to foster civil discourse and reduce partisan division. My main task is to help Brooke achieve these aims, whether by navigating the logistics of putting on events on campus, recruiting for them or just serving as someone she can bounce ideas off of,” Bozzo said.
Bozzo sees the program’s goals as being consistent with UW-Stout Polytechnic’s applied learning focus. “The best way to help people work through tough conversations – and have fun doing it – is to do so in a supportive and encouraging environment,” he said. “There will be disagreement, and we may not reach consensus, but the aim is to learn from others and come to appreciate how open disagreement, when civil, is beneficial and worthwhile. It can even be something to look forward to.
“Bridging the Divide helps students put this into practice. At Stout, we don’t just talk about how to reduce partisan division; we model it in concrete ways. Bridging the Divide is one of the many ways we do this,” he added.
Bridging the Divide has engaged more than 3,900 students in civil discourse across the Universities of Wisconsin since the program began in 2024. Student leaders are chosen based on the strength of their academics and their written essays. They are awarded scholarships through the program.
UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Center for Applied Ethics serves to increase and enhance ethics across the campus community. Its programs and offerings include an applied ethics certificate, discussion societies such as Philosophers' Café, book clubs, guest speakers and workshops, consultations, grants and research participation, and research opportunities.
The university’s Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovations regularly advertises Bridging the Divide events. It is a nonpartisan, nonideological academic center dedicated to the study and discussion of civil liberties and related institutions and innovations through scholarly inquiry, educational activities and community outreach.
