Students at Fresno City College carry diverse political thinking, whether that be more right-leaning, left-leaning or in the middle. Does this make the student body divided, or does their differences bring them together?
While it may be hard to find common ground, students do remain respectful to each other for the most part.
Last semester when waiting for a class, I watched two students going back and forth at a pro-Palestine protest. The two students kept a civil conversation even though they had opposing views.
It isn’t uncommon for politics to be talked about in the classroom in today’s social climate. Almost every class I have attended on campus and even online, political views get brought up and discussed.
“Right now I’m teaching HIST-12 and HIST-11 and in both of those classes, I go over reconstruction, and we talk about the 14th Amendment, which is birthright citizenship. I’ve never had students more interested in birthright citizenship. I’m going over tariffs as well,” Lorraine Doria, a history professor at FCC, said.
We have to be able to express ourselves on campus and in the classroom.
“I do encourage my students to be respectful of each other. You know, no personal attacks. But I think not talking about things doesn’t make it any better. So I feel that the classroom is one of the best places to discuss this,” Doria said.
Most students feel comfortable enough to share their views since a safe space is created in the classroom, both in person and online.
“I don’t feel like I have to, like, censor myself or anything. I can pretty much just post my response as it is, because everyone else is posting their response as it is too.” Anthony Joseph-Prieto, an FCC student said.
While speaking in class or replying to those minimum 3 people on Canvas discussion boards, I hear the phrase “I agree” so often. Students on campus often become friends with those who have the same opinions as them. Politics have been used to unify those with the same values.
“I am registered as a Democrat, but I think I’m more socially progressive. I just am a registered Democrat, because of the way our political system works,” Doria said when asked her political affiliation.
I would say that the campus is mostly made up of Democrats. I was able to find a Democrat school club, but not a Republican club.
That is not to say the campus is completely devoid of Republicans.
“I would say I’m Republican, and then kind of, like, middle towards conservative. There’s some things that I probably wouldn’t agree with fully. I’m kind of in the middle. I’d say conservative primarily,” Joseph-Prieto said.
When it comes to community and creating a bridge to any divide on campus, the general environment matters a lot. I think that respect is how we are able to stay grounded in today’s social climate.
“I know there is a bias that everyone has. That bias is, like natural, you know, but just being able to hear someone else’s side and kind of see where they’re coming from with their views, and that’s kind of the really only way to do it, just kind of having that like, mature mindset of just, okay, you know, that’s your views. I have my views,” Joseph-Prieto said when being asked what is the best way to bridge any division at FCC.
At the same time us being divided at times definitely does happen from time to time. Moments happen where we can’t keep the peace and it affects us at home, in our personal lives and at school.
“I think it’s so easy to be locked in an echo chamber and view people who have the same opinion as right, and anyone who has a different opinion as wrong, and to scapegoat people who are different for problems,” Doria said.
Doria thinks a solution for bridging that gap would be difficult due to inflation and needing to be able to provide for our families.
“How can you have community when we’re all locked in on survival mode, community is part of thriving, of growing, but you have to be out of survival mode to be able to do that and I think so many of us that’s, that’s where we are, unfortunately,” Doria said.
I feel like FCC is a place where we can be open with our views without being judged. The campus has so many people from different backgrounds, ages and majors.
This creates a setting of openness and the ability to see past others’ differences while also being able to connect with any relation others may have with you.
