Siloe Brown, Contributing Writer
In August, a new student-led organization called BridgeUSA at VCU was added to the university’s long list of groups. They focus on empowering students to participate in politics with confidence, including encouraging students to vote in upcoming elections and holding political debates.
BridgeUSA at VCU places an emphasis on civil political discourse and reduced political polarization with a multi-partisan approach. With 300,000 members nationally, the VCU chapter is looking to continue its growth.
BridgeUSA at VCU was founded in February of 2017 at UC Berkeley and as of 2026, it has spread to schools all over the country, working to establish roots as a respectable organization for students to exercise healthy and productive political conversation skills.
Lauren Zuber, a second-year student and BridgeUSA at VCU secretary, sets the group’s schedule and tracks their meeting minutes and votes.
“We promote political literacy among college students and campuses through debates,” Zuber said.
Killian Korchnak, a fourth-year student and co-president of BridgeUSA at VCU, said that progress can only be made if people start understanding one another.
“We want to bring a solution where we can all move forward and hopefully have a positive outcome,” Korchnak said.
Erica Powell, a second-year student and co-president of BridgeUSA at VCU, said their discussions are similar to a socratic seminar, where there is no right or wrong conclusion, only good or bad reasoning. She suggested that students go into these debates with an open mind.
“It’s a good way to learn more if you want to challenge your own thoughts,” Powell said. “It’s also a good space to just meet people and hear different perspectives.”
According to BridgeUSA’s website, its ultimate goal is to create “A thriving US democracy where leaders and citizens engage in respectful, productive dialogue.”
The club sets parameters for each debate to ensure that they remain respectful and safe for everyone. These parameters include addressing statements rather than people, absolute silence while one is speaking, having participants represent themselves and listening with the intent to understand, not respond. This way, students practice the skills necessary to participate in other aspects of political life with the same values.
Members of BridgeUSA at VCU are working to raise awareness about the club and build their student-led organization. Visit @bridgeusa_vcu on Instagram for information on their latest events and activities.