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Student Advisory Board: Meet Alexander

Arielle Mizrahi

Oct 10, 2024

Oct 11, 2024

Name: Alexander Jensen
‍Hometown: Prior Lake, Minnesota
‍School: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
‍Major: Criminal Justice
‍Year: Senior

If you could be a character in any TV show or movie, who would you be and why?
Walter White from Breaking Bad. A transition from high school chemistry teacher to drug operation mastermind is absolutely insane, and the adrenaline rush I felt from just watching the series would be even crazier in real life. Though the ending would not be optimal (sorry for the spoilers), the journey would be one out of an alternate reality from what I am living now.

What led you to take part in civil discourse initiatives?
‍College piqued my interest in civic activities. It was one of the first times I found myself surrounded by so many varying walks of life, prompting me to get involved on campus. Through initiatives such as Bridging the Divide and BridgeUWEC, I have been able to bring students from all studies and backgrounds together in ways that are more productive than ever.

Who is someone you look up to?
‍Throughout my life, my parents are the people I look up to the most. They taught me all of the qualities that make me who I am and always pushed me to get myself involved in the activities I enjoy. In giving me such a strong foundation at a young age, they allowed me to pursue opportunities such as working with Unify America and other organizations and groups in which I support and believe I can create positive change through.

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Do you have a story of a time you were able to connect with someone across differences?
‍Growing up in a town with mostly the same demographics and perspectives on life, I was not exposed to many different views other than those that were taught to me by friends, family, and peers. Moving out of state and going to college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, I was instantly exposed to those with different viewpoints and walks of life. Through this, I have conversed with many who have vastly different opinions than my own, and while it was hard at first to go about these conversations, I can now say that some of my best friends at college are those in which I connected with across different viewpoints, which makes me hopeful for our future.

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What are one or two initiatives you want to highlight at UWEC?
‍There are two initiatives I’m really proud to be a part of.

The first is Bridging the Divide. Through Bridging the Divide we bring students with different ideological and partisan political perspectives together for in-person small group conversations about current political issues and beliefs. Our goal is to simply to replace snark with civil dialogue and increase engagement and understanding.

I’ve been an active part of growing the program from just half a dozen students participating to nearly 20 students consistently engaging in our events. I’ve been able to facilitate conversations myself and also plan events for my campus. This Fall, Bridging the Divide has been brought to all 13 Wisconsin public universities.

Second is BridgeUWEC. We’re a chapter of BridgeUSA, a multi-partisan student movement that champions viewpoint diversity, responsible discourse, and a solution-oriented political culture.

In addition to BridgeUWEC holding bi-weekly meetings, the Menard Center for Constitutional Studies hosts a variety of speakers. As a Menard Center employee and active participant in the group, I’ve been involved with event planning and various student engagement efforts. Shoutout to the BridgeUWEC Board for providing even more opportunities for students to be involved in discourse on campus!

Interested in BridgeUSA? Maybe your campus already has a club, you can find out here. You can also fill out a form to set up a call with one of BridgeUSA’s team members and learn more about how to get involved.

a little bit about us

Unify America is a nonpartisan nonprofit on a mission to replace political fighting with problem-solving. We leverage technology and games to reduce political polarization and teach civic and problem-solving skills so Americans can work together to reach our shared goals. Founded in 2020 by Harry Nathan Gottlieb (founder of Jellyvision and Jackbox Games), Unify America builds interactive experiences to teach and master critical civic skills across cultural, political, racial, geographic, and religious differences.