By Jane McNeill ’28 (DCI Fellow)
On Davidson College’s 2,000 student campus, it’s not unusual to run into people you know, especially on routine walks to class. Whether it’s individuals leaving their class that ended before yours or others heading to the same building where you’re headed, these brief moments of interaction are common. In these encounters, you’re likely to exchange a quick, “Hi,” or “How are you?,” as you walk opposing directions. These brief interactions offer a sense of acknowledgement, weaving individuals into the fast-paced and busy rhythm of campus life. Despite their brevity, these moments contribute to a larger sense of belonging for all members of the community.
However, as communal as these exchanges may be, they often remain surface level. Responses like, “Good, how are you?” offer little more than a passing glimpse into one another’s lives. While the exchanges are genuine, the context doesn’t typically lend itself to deeper reflection or conversation. A “How are you?” on campus rarely sparks a meaningful discussion–it serves more to maintain connectivity than to foster substantive dialogue or deliberation.
Yet, the apparent insignificance of these interactions doesn’t diminish their value. These brief conversations can serve as entry points to more thoughtful, deliberative exchanges. They establish rapport and trust, crafting an environment where deeper interactions can develop, these seemingly trivial exchanges can lay the groundwork for dialogue that fosters greater understanding, empathy, and more thoughtful deliberation. It was this thinking that inspired the idea for my Spring Deliberation Project.
As I began exploring possible topics, I was drawn to a project from a previous fellow–“Five Minute ‘Bite-Sized’ Conversations”–which seemed to align with transforming casual exchanges into informal deliberations. I found my peer fellows Izzy Cevallos, Ben Files, and Liam Mann shared a similar interest in how these short conversations could evolve into more intentional dialogues.
We were also inspired by fellows at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University who hosted informal “couching” sessions with a mobile living room that pop-up around campus. Similarly, Davidson’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) has hosted Commons Conversations and DCI Outposts, which aim to create approachable, informal spaces for deliberation. These efforts share a common goal: to make deliberation more accessible and casual, encouraging greater engagement with the process. Their informal conversations act as stepping stones to more in-depth deliberation. For busy students, committing to a two-hour DCI deliberation three times a semester can feel overwhelming. But smaller, more casual conversations are easier to engage with and can spark meaning conversations and reflection.
For our pop-up deliberations, we designed a variety of questions that range from philosophical to political, as well as more lighthearted topics. Questions like “What’s one thing you think everyone should try at least once in their life?” or “Are we defined more by our actions or our intentions?” or “Is there a political issue you’ve completely changed your mind on?” allow participants to explore various levels of depth. The goal was to encourage responses based on reasoning, prompting people to think about why they hold certain beliefs. This format also provided us with the opportunity to ask follow-up questions based on what participants share, allowing the conversation to develop more organically.
Through these pop-up deliberations, we made deliberation not only more approachable and accessible but also more fun. By creating an environment where participants feel comfortable engaging in informal but thought-provoking discussions, we hope we were able to foster deeper connections and spark curiosity about the larger deliberative process.
