Event
April 18, 2025
Unscripted Conversations over Dinner
Food is a unifier. It’s easier to find common ground while sharing a meal with someone with a different perspective than when embroiled in a social media debate or a heated protest. Universities are turning to dialogue dinners to unite campus actors across generations and from different ideological standpoints. Often led by a trained facilitator, these dinners get people talking about pressing issues of our time and more theoretical questions about personal values. Learn about the schools leading the charge on dialogue over dinner:
Washington University in St. Louis
Can conversations about difficult topics over a meal help lower the temperature? Washington University in St. Louis’ Dinner & Dialogue series shows it’s possible. Part of The Civil Society Initiative, these events are bringing students together to discuss hot-button topics like immigration, Indigenous land rights, and the limits of protest. Two student leaders, Ben Ewer and Kate Farmer, talk about what it’s like to host these discussions and how they manage to bridge political and ideological divides.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
What makes a topic suitable for a dinner table conversation? Politics are usually off-limits, but the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Deliberation Dinners invite students to discuss issues like abortion and gun regulation. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin discusses how to foster an environment that promotes open, respectful dialogue, where students engage with peers who hold differing views, challenge each other’s perspectives, and listen and learn throughout the process.
Sewanee: The University of the South
At Sewanee, the university actively practices fostering a culture of civil discourse. The Dinner & Dialogue project brings together students and faculty from across the university for a meal and structured conversation. It’s an opportunity for the Sewanee community to discuss big, challenging ideas in a relaxed environment outside their comfort zone. Themes include “The Value of a Liberal Arts Education” and “Free Expression on Campus.”
Rollins College
Joseph Pool, Rollins College ’26, founded Breaking Bread to help students find common ground and foster meaningful conversations through connections over the dinner table. Inspired by culinary diplomacy—a practice throughout history of using food to unite people—Pool started the student club as a faculty/student research project after taking several food-related courses with religion professor Yudit Greenberg. The club launched with 80 students at its first dinner event and has doubled in size, gaining support and grant funding. Breaking Bread creates space for productive conversations and empowers students to step up, inspire their peers, and make a difference.