Students discuss federal government shutdown and border wall

Members of the Talk It Out club gathered in the Reflection Center on Thursday, Feb. 7 to discuss controversial issues in contemporary politics.

Guidelines were set out before the start of the meeting to identify when the discussion had gone to a unhealthy place. The topics discussed during the meeting were the wall along the Mexican border and the government shut down.

Club president Serré Splond opened the meeting by explaining that the purpose of the meetings is to exchange ideas and viewpoints while respecting others and building friendships.

Chris Foster, an advisor for the club, explained the three goals the club tries to accomplish every meeting: to enjoy, to learn and to discover.

“One of the soft skills that we teach is charity… to understand what people mean in the fullest and fairest, you have to do it charitably,” said Foster.

The discussion started by explaining different motivations for building the wall, whether it be family, religion, culture, expenses, etc.

“It was a great experience for people who were invested in the situation… to learn from each other in a way that was very calm and structured,” said freshman Mason Lang.   

The Talk It Out club meets every Wednesday at 2:30 in the Reflection Center and is welcome to all students whether wanting to discuss or listen contested issues today.