Give to the Texas Student Media Excellence Fund by clicking here, and your donation will be matched!

Support hands-on experiences such as The Daily Texan for generations to come.
Donate
Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan
Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan
Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan
Categories:

‘There’s a reason it’s here,’ Students reflect on political polarization at UT

Joseph Sweeney and Ava Saunders
October 31, 2025

According to a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, 79% of Americans express negative sentiments about US politics, and 84% say political debate has become less respectful in the past few years. These tensions are undoubtedly evident on college campuses, resulting in the increased polarization of students.

In this forum project, we asked UT students with various beliefs, levels of civic engagement and backgrounds to share their experiences with political polarization on campus.

Produced by Joseph Sweeney and Ava Saunders

Advertisement

Cover Photo by Leila Saidane

Print this Story
More to Discover
More in Multimedia
Halloween on the Forty Acres
Halloween on the Forty Acres
Austin's Heritage Trees
Austin's Heritage Trees
Quadeca performs at Antone's Nightclub on Oct. 29.
Photo gallery: Quadeca at Antone's
Comics 11/04/2025
Comics 11/04/2025
The Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love holds his microphone over saxophonist Randy Leago during a performance on the LBJ Lawn on Nov. 1. The band played at the Longhorn City Limits following the Texas vs. Vanderbilt game.
Liveshot: The Beach Boys bring sunshine to rainy Longhorn City Limits
From left, psychology sophomore Zoe Rodriguez, English sophomore Madison Smith, and informatics sophomore Joanna Torres pose for a portrait in West Campus on Oct. 31. Rodriguez is dressed as La Catrina, Smith is dressed as Liz Thompson from "Soul Eater," and Torres is dressed as Pete the Cat.
Photo gallery: Halloween
More in Opinion
Inclusivity of language learning
Inclusivity of language learning
Rethinking student activism
Rethinking student activism
The necessity of Prop Q
The necessity of Prop Q
AI is empirical, not a miracle
AI is empirical, not a miracle
The promise of education for a stable future
The promise of education for a stable future
Political polarization on campus
Political polarization on campus
More in Video
Safe in Austin: Connecting children and animals
Safe in Austin: Connecting children and animals
Longhorn Essentials: What You Need to Know About UT
Longhorn Essentials: What You Need to Know About UT
Inside Austin's Sports Card Scene
Inside Austin's Sports Card Scene
What you need to know about the upcoming CBD special session
What you need to know about the upcoming CBD special session
'Fashion Focus,' how these students are redefining style on UT's campus
'Fashion Focus,' how these students are redefining style on UT's campus
Meet the owner of 1972: Austin's First Women's Sport Pub
Meet the owner of 1972: Austin's First Women's Sport Pub
About the Contributor
Joseph Sweeney, Director of Digital Strategy
Joseph Sweeney is a journalism & political communication senior from San Antonio, TX. Joseph has held various positions at The Daily Texan, including Video Editor, Audio Editor and news reporter. He is currently the Director of Digital Strategy.