Kent Lenci, an educator, founder of Middle Ground School Solutions, and author of Learning to Depolarize, dissects a depolarization story in three acts. What starts as a heated confrontation over a seemingly neutral photo of Donald Trump evolves into a masterclass in de-escalation across multiple media, from the rapid-fire tension of video calls to the deliberate, cooling pace of email and the intimacy of a long-form phone conversation. Lenci reveals how discovering shared humanity, like the common struggle of a parent's schedule, can dismantle the "performativity" of public disagreement. It is a powerful exploration of the "Listen First" philosophy and why sometimes the most difficult people to talk to are exactly the ones who need to be heard.

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Is civic education a fundamental duty of higher education or a dangerous political risk? Alex Kappus of Carnegie Higher Education Consulting and the Democratic Knowledge Project to discuss the growing institutional fear of being labeled "partisan" for simply teaching the mechanics of democracy. Kappus shares a decade of firsthand accounts (blocked voter registration drives, administrative pushback, etc.) to reveal how the quest for "neutrality" often results in student disillusionment. Together, they explore why colleges must move beyond the "optics" of fear to cultivate an informed, active citizenry that can navigate a polarized world.

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Andrew Perrin, SNF-Agora professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University, reflects on leading a high-stakes effort to redesign general education at the University of North Carolina, revealing how institutional change sparks deep and often personal disagreements about what students really need to learn. What begins as a debate over course requirements becomes a broader argument about the purpose of higher education itself. Perrin describes shifting the focus from content coverage to core capacities like asking questions, evaluating evidence, and acting on informed judgment. The conversation highlights how academic turf wars, incentives, and identity shape conflict, even among experts. Ultimately, this conversation reframes argument as a fundamental skill at the heart of education, citizenship, and public life.

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