Political webisode series to visit Turlington Plaza, downtown Gainesville

August 23, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — “Bring it to the Table,” an online webisode series and engagement campaign aimed at bridging political divides and elevating the national conversation, is coming to the University of Florida’s Turlington Plaza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 31. The program is sponsored by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.

The tour will stop in Gainesville fresh from the Republican National Convention. Students are invited to sit at the table, which is adorned with a star-spangled tablecloth, and state their beliefs. The sessions are taped and will be featured on the group’s interactive website, http://bringit2thetable.org/.

Julie Winokur, founder of Talking Eyes Media — the group behind Bring it to the Table, said the idea for the table was born from an uncomfortable discussion about politics she had with her own son at their dining room table.

“My 17-year-old son accused me of being ‘the most intolerant person’ he knows when it comes to politics,” she said. “He said that whenever someone’s politics don’t agree with mine, I dismiss what they have to say. I’m hoping that by forcing people to look at their personal perspectives, our participants will gain a better understanding of why they believe what they believe.”

Participants are interviewed with a standard set of questions. But everyone is encouraged to speak their mind or bring up their own issues.

“My team and I hope that our project can inspire people to think a little deeper and engage more broadly,” Winokur added.

The table is being taken to a wide range of locations, from small towns to big cities, from universities and shopping malls to places of worship.

While in Gainesville, the table will also stop from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 31 at United Downtown, a free family-friendly community event held on Friday nights before Gators’ home football games, sponsored by United Way of North Central Florida.