\u201cEMU encourages us to work toward peace and justice and resolve conflict, and this feels so woven into our values,\u201d she said. \u201cI think we created something we saw was missing, and we see that missing in the world more broadly. It\u2019s so tempting to disengage, but I hope this can serve as an example for how to lean in and continue to care for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2018The elephant on campus\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDisagree Together\u201d formed in response to tensions that student leaders felt on campus last fall. After a campus vigil for Charlie Kirk sparked arguments in the Royal Radar group chat, Longenecker said it became clear that students needed a space to discuss political issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat demonstrated to us how much energy and conflict is under the surface here at EMU that we often don\u2019t address,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels like the elephant on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SGA leaders heard from students across the political spectrum who said they felt ostracized and misunderstood because of their beliefs, with no clear place for them on campus. Longenecker and fellow co-president Leah Frankenfield<\/strong> believed it was important to pull in many perspectives to dream up a way forward. They met with the College Conservatives and Young Democrats to develop a space where students of all political persuasions could feel comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dibora Mekonnen<\/strong>, co-president of Young Democrats, said the series created a meaningful space for students to engage in difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversations in a respectful way. \u201cI believe it has positively affected students by helping them become more open-minded and more willing to engage with perspectives different from their own,\u201d she said. \u201cIn shaping the campus, the series has contributed to a culture of dialogue, understanding, and community-building by showing that disagreement does not have to lead to division, but can instead become an opportunity for learning and growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jacob Dwyer<\/strong>, president of College Conservatives, said he also felt the event was a success and was encouraged by the turnout. \u201cI think it\u2019s important that we engaged in meaningful dialogue,\u201d he said. \u201cGoing into it, I knew we might not agree on everything, but because we were able to have open conversations, we gained a better understanding of why we each think about certain issues the way we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Longenecker said she was surprised by how willing people were to be honest with one another. \u201cI thought it would be harder to get people to have conversations about the things they disagreed on,\u201d she said. \u201cBut once people got in a room, sat down, and started asking questions, it was beautiful to see that engagement happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The series unfolded over three sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of disagreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first session centered on the question, \u201cWhy do we disagree?\u201d Students mapped their identities to better understand how their experiences shape their beliefs and examined how those views are formed. Kory Schaeffer<\/strong>, director of programs for the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, facilitated the discussion and offered guidance on creating a respectful environment for disagreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second session was titled \u201cHow do we disagree?\u201d and featured a panel discussion on politics and Christianity. \u201cWe thought that was important to discuss because EMU is an Anabaptist institution, and it\u2019s such a central part of our values,\u201d Longenecker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third session, \u201cPractice disagreeing,\u201d invited students to sit in small groups and ask one another questions about political topics or anything else they were curious to explore. \u201cIt was beautiful to look around and see people, who I\u2019ve never seen talk to each other before, sit down and have these deep conversations about their beliefs,\u201d Longenecker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said she believes new relationships have formed as a result of the \u201cDisagree Together\u201d series, especially during the third session. \u201cI hope people walked away feeling like someone new sees them as a person first and is also interested in hearing their beliefs,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope it\u2019s started conversations that will continue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As members of the SGA executive board prepare to hand off leadership to their successors, she said they\u2019ve developed a plan outlining how future boards can respond and create similar spaces for students to engage in difficult conversations if another contentious event arises on campus. \u201cI see this as a beginning, not the end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\n\n\n\nThe Why and the How<\/h2>\n\n\n\n