Episode 56: A Bridge... Far Enough? with Jessica Carpenter

UnityNow's Kimberly Kolb Eakin sits down with Jessica Carpenter, RCMO at BridgeUSA. Jessica, a 2021 graduate of Arizona State University, shares the story of her and BridgeUSA's journey to try to bring open and civil discourse to Generation Z, fighting against both the political apathy and the apprehension towards sharing views that has become all too prevalent across college campuses.

Throughout their discussion, these two explore the successes and challenges experienced by BridgeUSA in its first six years, working to understand what they mean about the state of our nation. The organization's journey has not always been an easy one, from being branded both a right- and a left- wing group, to dealing with red tape from administrators, to struggling to reconcile maintaining a civil and positive atmosphere with making sure everyone feels free to share their thoughts (even if those thoughts might come across as offensive to some) - a delicate balance which the two debate.

Throughout all that, though, BridgeUSA has bloomed into an organization that runs multi-hundred-student events across many of its campus chapters, capable of bringing College Democrats and College Republicans into open discussions and forums that many thought extinct. Now at the forefront of bridge-building in American politics, theirs is an encouraging and inspiring example - making this one episode you won't want to miss.

To learn more about the Podcast, visit:
https://www.unitynowpodcast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnityNowPodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnityNowPodcastInstagram:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitynowpodcast

#BridgeUSA #JessicaCarpenter #unitynow