As pundits and pollsters mulled over state and national election results last month, Dartmouth’s One Small Step initiative kept moving forward, bringing together students with different political beliefs, not to debate politics, but to get to know one another as people. 

Over the course of three days, Nov. 13 to 15, participants met in pairs at Dartmouth Library’s Starr Studio for conversations facilitated and recorded by staff from the nonprofit StoryCorps, the university’s partner in the three-year program. 

“We weren’t sure if recording the week after the election was a good idea,” says Dialogue Project Executive Director Kristi Clemens. “But we figured it was a great time to really dig into some difficult conversations that we are probably all having in different parts of our lives right now, so we were excited to welcome them again.”

Part of the Dialogue Project, the central initiative of Dartmouth Dialogues, the One Small Step program aims to remind the country of the humanity in every person, even those with whom we disagree. Participants apply online, are entered into a queue, and are contacted when a partner becomes available. To date, 62 students, alumni, faculty, and staff members have taken part in the sessions, which are held each term.

Snapshots of those have been captured in audio cards, such as one from last winter featuring Massachusetts Republican Malcolm “Mac” Mahoney ’26 and Nebraska independent Samantha Palermo ’24, former president of the Dartmouth Outing Club, who says she leans “a tiny bit” to the right.

During their discussion, Mahoney says the DOC is known as “a very progressive place,” and asks Palermo about her experience with the club.

The members’ mutual respect for one another and shared love of going outside together transcends politics, Palermo says. “Even if I don’t agree with you, I still respect you as a person, and I’m not going to let that stop me from being friends with you.”

Jack Coleman ’26, who is conservative, and Shakeb Arsalan ’26, a progressive, traded thoughts on how a multi-party political system might benefit the U.S., and shared a laugh. 

One Small Step, which kicked off in April, is open to the entire community, but the fall sessions were solely for students—about two dozen in all.

“I felt like I would love them to have this experience, especially before going home for the break,” Clemens says. 

A related Dialogue Project workshop on Nov. 13, Butter Down the Hatches! Skills for Navigating Thanksgiving Dinner, was designed to help students engage constructively in what could be emotionally charged conversations.

Looking ahead, the next One Small Step recordings are scheduled for the week of Feb. 10; anyone interested in participating should apply online as soon as possible. This spring, online training will be offered for undergraduates interested in becoming facilitators. And plans are in the works for panels of alumni participants to share their experiences during upcoming reunions. 

In addition to the One Small Step initiative, the Dialogue Project offers special topics series and ongoing training for the Dartmouth community. Registration is open for Foundations in Facilitating Dialogue, a training for faculty presented by the Constructive Dialogue Institute, on Dec. 5., and for a two-day motivational interviewing workshop open to the entire Dartmouth community on Dec. 10 and 12.