Rutgers Democracy Lab Hosts Dialogue in Alexander Library Powered by Common Grounds

​Rutgers Democracy Lab Hosts Dialogue in Alexander Library Powered by Common Grounds

The usually quiet study area just outside the Hatchery at Alexander Library was abuzz with conversation. Instead of sitting glued to laptop screens, students were engrossed in conversation. In small group discussions and on the Democracy Wall, they shared intimate stories of educational experiences, future aspirations, and ideas for solving grand challenges. 

These discussions were part of the launch of the Common Grounds Project, which brought together more than 70 students affiliated with Rutgers Democracy Lab (RDL), as well as senior library staff into The Hatchery in the Alexander Library basement on March 31. 

This student-led initiative is the brainchild of Varshini Rajanikanth, a member of the 2025-2026 Think & Do Tank cohort and Janina Walburg, a 2025-2026 Talking Across Difference Student Leader. Rajanikanth’s and Walburg’s vision for Common Grounds is for it to serve as a “third space,” an accessible area dedicated to enabling students to engage with democracy in creative ways. These are the kinds of public spaces where students might socialize with peers in between classes, discuss pressing public issues, or brainstorm actions to make a difference. The students hope to transform public spaces, such as libraries, student centers, and campus greens, into hubs for thoughtful engagement with complex questions and deliberation across differences. 

This engaging evening marked the start of Rutgers Democracy Lab’s (RDL) Solving Grand Challenges Month, which has over a dozen events dedicated to empowering students to collaboratively approach democratic problems.

The event began with remarks by RDL’s inaugural director, Dr. Nicholas Longo, who highlighted the importance of libraries as sites for civic engagement. He explained how the event’s focus on sharing stories, listening, and engaging in dialogue are central to “what democracy looks like” beyond formal, removed moments of participation like voting. He highlighted the need to rethink how young people engage with democracy and define civic participation, noting that RDL is working to create spaces on campus for practicing democracy as a part of day-to-day life. 

The event was organized in partnership with Rutgers University Libraries to utilize the heart of intellectual engagement on campus as a catalyst for civic engagement. After Dr. Longo’s comments, Vice President for University Libraries and University Librarian Dr. Consuella Askew offered additional insights on the importance of third spaces. 

Dr. Askew explained: "In libraries, people encounter differences not through debate or conflict, but through coexistence. You don’t have to agree with the person next to you to share a table, a quiet room, or a public computer. These small, everyday acts of peaceful sharing build the habits of democratic life. As third places, libraries cultivate social trust, the invisible glue that holds a democracy together."

Following Dr. Askew’s speech, Rajanikanth and Walburg discussed their motivation behind developing Common Grounds. For Rajanikanth, the initiative stemmed from an insight she gained as a participant of the SNF Ithaca National Dialogue at the University of Delaware: “third places…or public space[s] where people can come, gather, and embrace community” are disappearing, particularly on college campuses. For her, the reason it is increasingly difficult to engage in genuine conversations to bridge, or at least understand, political differences is because of resulting feelings of disconnect in democratic discourse. Rebuilding these connections means fortifying third spaces for dialogue.

Meanwhile, Walburg’s perspective builds from her experience as an RDL Talking Across Difference Student Leader, where she witnessed how cultivating spaces for open disagreement humanized conversations and allowed participants to find common ground. For her, practicing deliberative dialogue — the process of thinking together to understand differences — is at the heart of democracy. “Real democracy is built in the spaces between elections, in the conversations we choose to have, in the communities we choose to build, and in the courage we find to engage with people who are not like us,” she said. 

After these public remarks, attendees were divided into two group activities. Rajanikanth led Pass the Problem: Solving Grand Challenges, where participants discussed real-world challenges and actionable responses at the university, local, and state level. Prompts focused on solving challenges like climate change, and asked how to best catalyze voter engagement and civic participation. Walburg simultaneously led a civic dialogue activity based on 36 Questions for Civic Love developed by the National Housing Museum, which paired students to engage in storytelling and reflection. Questions included: “What law would you change for the betterment of the community?” and “What was the diversity of your high school like?” 

After about 25 minutes, the groups swapped to experience both activities, and the sessions culminated with all participants adding their reflections, questions, and insights to the Democracy Walls.  

The launch of the Common Grounds Project embodies the RDL’s 2025-2026 Inaugural Theme of supporting innovative, student-developed research and programming to reignite civic engagement. "This event is premised on the idea we hope to emphasize in all of our programming: students lead change," said Dr. Longo.