Two Bucks students struggle to rejuvenate political politeness after starting the Political Club and weekly table discussions that have caused unknown partakers to ripe down their club’s posters.
In a world of increasingly polarized political and social views, attempts at civil discourse often devolve into emotionally charged hostilities devoid of logic. In an attempt to revive mannerly discussions, the Political Club at Bucks began a weekly “table discussion,” a format of civil discourse that has not gone without controversy among both students and faculty alike.
Mark McFarlane, a 30-year-old paralegal major from Langhorne and co-creator of the Political Club, said “The Political Club was born in the void left by the absence of the Republican and Democrat Clubs” and that the club “espouses no specific political affiliation.” He detailed that forming the club “was a long and arduous process that required a club constitution. We had to piggyback off the previous club constitution until we drafted our own, which was eventually recognized after one semester.”
Drew Schaffer, a 25-year-old social science major from Abington and co-creator of the Political Club, said “We started the Political Club and began the table discussion in the interest of encouraging civil discourse among our peers.” He went on to say “It’s a skill that has great importance in professional settings.” He also made clear that “club membership is open to political affiliation, and we run the club encouraging participation by people of all political and social backgrounds.”
Schaffer went on to detail that the discussion table “was ultimately set up at the entrance to the cafeteria for higher visibility to encourage student engagement. The ground rules are simple; participants should be respectful and civil with each other and be prepared to support your ideas.” He added, “Opinions are separate from facts, but our opinions can be supported by anecdotal and statistical evidence.”
McFarlane said, “The overall topic of discussion is communicated a week before on the Bucks+ Suitable application, with the title of the discussion divulged at the table on the day of.”
The Political Club also posts flyers around campus to raise interest. Unfortunately, some of these flyers were recently taken down by anonymous parties. Schaffer and McFarlane were disheartened by this, with Schaffer stating, “We create flyers to draw attention to the event with no intention of hurting any group.” McFarlane added, “While everyone has the right to be offended, instead of taking down flyers, join the discussion!” Both feel that there is a general misconception about their motives and feel they have been unfairly “put in a box.” Schaffer added, “Contention seems to be coming more from faculty than the students themselves.”
McFarlane and Schaffer said, “The title of the flyers goes through a rigorous process of review to ensure the title is attention-grabbing without being offensive.”
Regardless of any misconceptions about the Political Club’s discussion table format or motives, everyone should be encouraged there is a platform to discuss their ideas in a civil manner. So join the discussion; it’s imperative to move social and political conversations forward in the interest of creating a more positive and inclusive societal landscape.