This Rose Cafe focused on one of the more relevant topics of the day, the political troubles of the nation. I’m glad that the Cafes make a deliberate effort to remain relevant, no matter how controversial the subject. Though the event’s headliner was an expert in government and politics, the focus remained on providing a forum for students to share their thoughts and opinions. One of the more salient points of the talk was the inability to accept nuances in the political views of others. Instead, people are split into diametrically opposed political camps which can be internalized although most possess views on both sides of the political spectrum. As genuine as this attempt was, I question the real value of such discourse. It was only after another student brought it up that I realized the views shared merely echoed each other, that a tacit code was guiding the conversation. It shouldn’t surprise me that this microcosm was as homogeneous as the college political culture can be, but how can real change occur if the dialogues we participate in are reactionary in nature?