PoliTalks Club Bridges the Political Divide

Students found a new club for safe and respectful political debate and discussion.

Stephen Hook '25 (left) and Zach Affeldt '25 smile for a portrait in front of Gibson Center for the Arts.

In the fall of 2023, Zach Affeldt ’25 and Stephen Hook ’25 saw a need on campus for more political engagement and education without partisan bias or rancor.  

“There were some big political conversations on campus last semester and some real unrest,” Hook said. But he and Affeldt felt students had no place to meet and discuss their differences in a civil manner.  

To fill that gap, they created PoliTalks, a club where students can debate and discuss political topics respectfully. The goal is to inspire political engagement on the campus level—which ties in nicely with Washington College’s mission to inspire emerging citizen leaders. So far, 35 students have joined the club. 

“We don't expect students to come fully briefed on today's news,” Affeldt said. “We provide a venue for students to ask questions, not be judged for not knowing, and be willing to change their minds or hear out the other side.” 

PoliTalks aims to not only help students stay informed, but also teach students how to have civil discussions about sometimes controversial topics with people they disagree with. In this day and age, that may seem like a tall order, but Affeldt and Hook believe that making change at the local level is a first step toward influencing the national conversation. 

They point to their own friendship as proof of PoliTalks’ potential for civil political discourse. Despite coming from different political backgrounds, the duo practice what they preach and have the kind of respectful discussions they wish to see their peers having around campus. Through compromise and genuine engagement, they have discovered new perspectives and broadened their horizons. 

“I often tell people that Zach and I disagree on a lot, but the fact that we can be friends and have conversations and debates in a respectful way is proof enough that other students can do the same,” Hook said. They characterize their club as taking small steps toward bridging the larger political divide in our country by helping students see, acknowledge, and understand different points of view on campus.  

Throughout the fall semester, Affeldt and Hook experimented with different formats for their club events, including weekly meetings, but had the most success hosting outside speakers on campus. In December, PoliTalks brought their first major speaker to campus, Maryland Congressman David Trone. Hook and Affeldt put in a lot of work and time into organizing the event, resulting in an engaging conversation that was well-received by the campus community.  

Affeldt and Hook plan to host more speakers and to continue to bridge the political divide by building up an organization that they hope will benefit the College community for years to come. 

“I think these issues will last longer than our tenure here,” Affeldt said. “And we’re hoping that PoliTalks is something that lasts beyond our time at Washington College, too.” 

— Tim Corrao