Students of the Undergraduate Political Science Association began to gather in a tucked away, tiny room on the fourth floor of the Multidisciplinary Studies Building. With a dozen or so members attending the 5 p.m. meeting on Feb. 12, the organization’s small size allowed ample opportunity for quick and close connections to form among those in the room.
Junior political science major and president Marco Rodriguez led the meeting. Between scheduling upcoming events and talk of relocating the meeting space to the ground floor, Rodriguez engaged in some friendly banter with the club’s liveliest members.
“I think this is the one of the only spaces that I’ve personally truly felt that is safe,” UPSA Recruitment Coordinator Lauren McCollough revealed. “I do think just because of the open-mindedness that org has, it’s very unique in that it always, 99% of the time, remains civil.”
Their light-hearted, casual nature was a far cry from the verbal dogfight occasionally overheard next door from an alleged speech and debate group.
“We set ourselves apart by specifically honing in on the education part,” Rodriguez clarified. “With debate, like you heard them earlier, they were yelling, and you can hear the sweat coming off of them because it’s so intense. We want to kind of move away from that.
“We want to focus on not what you’re arguing, but why you’re thinking the way you do and why other people think that the way they do.”
Rodriguez, an army veteran, likened the squawking next door to overhearing his parents’ arguing, which garnered quite a few laughs from UPSA students. The meeting continued with scheduling upcoming events, including Fight Night.
That event features members and newcomers alike debating topics of their choosing, like foreign policy, prison reform and women’s issues. However, Fight Night is not some kind of free-for-all like the folks next door; it is a professional, educational and structured event with a swear jar to keep foul language at a minimum.
The final item on the agenda was the weekly discussion question: Can people of different political ideologies be in a relationship?
The feeling in the room shifted. The air’s agitation became palpable. Students scooted towards the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting a chance to go head-to-head and say their piece.
When they finally did, it was just as peaceful and cordial as the entire meeting had been.
“I think every single person in that room is very intellectually curious and empathetic,” McCollough, a junior political science major, said. “Connecting with other people is what we’re meant to do, and I think that that’s really impacted me and it’s made me push myself harder to try to solve some of the issues we talk about.”
There was no debate in which attendees yelled at each other at the top of their lungs. There was genuine discussion about overarching stereotypes among political parties, ethics and conflict resolution. UPSA meeting guests elaborately discussed points and reflected on different perspectives.
In a time where conversation between people of opposing political beliefs has become increasingly contentious, Rodriguez and UPSA hope to be an exception.
“I wanted to bring people from all different kinds of political ideologies to come into the fold, discuss with one another, because the purpose of our organization, as a nonpartisan political organization, is to encourage people and educate and mentor other people,” Rodriguez shared.
To keep up with UPSA, follow their Instagram @utsa_upsa.
