Reaching Across The Aisle: The Power Of Connection

Posted by Forbes on September 22, 2026

Discussion is a crucial part of the democratic process, but in an era of division, it can be difficult to bridge the gap. That’s why Muhlenberg College student Skylyn Ellison and her nonpartisan student voting group, BergVotes, developed its “Across the Aisle” program, resulting in a stronger campus community with a deeper understanding of each other.

There is no more powerful tool for collaboration than meaningful communication. In today’s hyper-polarized America, it is easy to believe you have nothing in common with those on the opposite side of the political aisle from you, leaving little room for meaningful conversations and informed debates. Most people are afraid to have simple conversations with those who have different political perspectives from themselves. This isn’t our fault. We are siloed from each other through strict party line divisions and social media algorithms fueled by confirmation bias, which make it near impossible for us to even consider seeing “the other side” as anything more than storybook villains pitted against us. The age-old art of civil debate and exchange of political ideas seems all but lost in the current age of technology and selective reclusion.

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