I submitted my absentee ballot two weeks ago, after spending countless hours researching and educating myself on the subjects at hand. This is the main reason that I was invested in attending the election viewing party that was hosted last Tuesday night. Yet, my takeaway from that event was not at all what I had expected. I went in with the intent of keeping in the loop with the outcome of the election, and I left with a renewed sense of community.
After the last presidential election, Rose House hosted a support event for people who wanted to express their fears and feelings, which I left with a newfound notion that this country is divided not only by different ideology but also by a barrier in communication. What I witnessed through the election were people who were already so rigid in their stance that they were unable to hold an open minded conversation listening to someone who may disagree with their opinions (which I also believe to be the path to solving disagreements). It seemed to be as though political opinions could only be expressed around those who already agree with you, creating a positive feedback cycle of validation for each other.
At this viewing party, I found myself not only researching more thoroughly the procedures surrounding the electoral system, but also being able to openly discuss different topics with those around me. I made a new friend who taught me more about her views and her experiences, while we patiently waited for updates and attempted to further understand the forecasting methods used for reporting predicted outcomes. I really felt this was a wholesome and uncommon event, to feel like part of the community and be able to hold open discussion on different issues. I’ve seen politics end many friendships, but I have hope that bridging the gap of communication can also create new ones.
I agree with your sentiments and am glad you could freely speak your mind during the event like the First Amendment intended. Coming from a high school that was overwhelmingly partisan to one side, I felt uncomfortable speaking about what I believed, and self-censored all my speech to avoid offending others. I appreciate events like these when people can come together, usually to the realization we’re not so different in our opinions after all.
It is great to know that you felt comfortable speaking your opinions at this event. This is a good way to interact with others who might not agree with you, but to have an intellectual, open-minded discussion with them. It is essential to learn to communicate with people from different mindsets since this will end up being the case in most social interactions.
The after-election viewing party was indeed very fun. I attended the event as well. However, I felt that the topics and issues being discussed were not being discussed in enough depth. Given that Cornell is a strongly left leaning school, I also noticed a lack of diversity of opinions, thus creating a feel good discussion of politics instead of an exhaustive debate of topics.