I arrive 30 minutes early to the Student Union and walk upstairs with my fellow College Republican debater. We quickly run through the topics to refresh our memory, then prepare for showtime.

The biggest thing is that debating person to person makes you realize that your real “opponent” doesn’t exist. You’re not arguing against an “evil idea” you’re arguing against a real person with real beliefs and intentions and thoughts and feelings.

The public forum is an exemplar of American democracy. It upholds the idea that we all have a voice and that the clash of ideas is paramount to the creation of the best society.

Too often, we become polarized when we are on the other side of the screen and all we see are statements or arguments taken out of context. After speaking with this person face to face, we may still disagree but now realize that we are all working toward a common solution. We all care about the people around us and want the best for society. That common ground is often lost in a virtual debate. But it’s starkly reminded when brought together in a public forum setting.

Back to the table.

I’m sitting behind the microphone, getting ready to put into words the ideas I’ve been thinking about. In trying to formulate my thoughts, I take a moment to pause and look around at the room. Every individual here came for a reason, be that interest in politics or extra credit for class. But we are all here now, at Kansas State University, trying to answer complicated questions about things like taxes and healthcare. And we respectfully did so. That’s an accomplishment, that college kids who are so often called brash and uninterested in politics can reason through problems together, despite our differences.

Go Cats.