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BridgeEauClaire is a

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chapter of BridgeUSA

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which brings college students

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of different persuasions

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together to discuss

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polarizing topics.

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So BridgeEauClaire

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is basically

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what I would

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describe as

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the anti debate club.

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The goal of the club

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is basically to be

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a conversation club.

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It's less about winning

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an argument

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and it's more

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about trying to discuss

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and understand one

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another in terms

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of our perspectives

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on politics, culture

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religious backgrounds, et cetera

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To that, how eager

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have you found students

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to engage in actual

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civil discussion

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with this generation

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possibly craving

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real connections?

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The Gen Z students

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are absolutely

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looking for ways

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to connect

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but there's this

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feeling among them

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that they don't

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really know

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how to connect.

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There's this kind of catch-22.

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They want a social situation

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They want to

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find a community

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but they're so used

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to being targeted

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or trolled online

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they're scared

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to be able

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to express

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their opinions.

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And so clubs like Bridge

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are a great way

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for them to learn

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you know

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those social skills

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in a real way

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and to do so

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in a closed environment

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where they don't feel

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like they're going

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to get piled on

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or misunderstood

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or have something screenshotted

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and taken out

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of context.