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Unify America Challenge: FAQs

This Libguide is dedicated to the Unify America Challenge College Bowl, a face-to-face video conversation between two students who attend different schools and may vote differently, live in different geographies, or have different life experiences.

I'm not eligible to vote in the United States, can I still participate?

  • Yes! Definitely! Regardless of your citizenship status, you live in the United States and have the obligation and power to be an informed and engaged community member and changemaker! 

Who will I be paired up with? What if we don’t get along?

  • You will be paired with another student (during the spring/summer challenge, it is possible you would be paired with faculty or staff from another college) who you wouldn’t ordinarily interact with in your daily life. You may not always agree (and that’s the beauty of it!) but everyone does this with the best of intentions. People worry that they'll be paired with a troll or someone combative. In our experience, this simply doesn't happen. But if it does, you can just leave the conversation and contact us (events@unifyamerica.org).

Wait. Do I need to know a lot about these topics?

  • Nope. No need to prepare at all.

How are people matched?

  • Our system tries to match folks who are political opposites first. Sometimes, people who are more politically aligned but are different geographically or demographically get matched. We have a special experience for those Challenge matches!

Will my email address or contact info be shared with my partner?

  • No. We protect your privacy. Some people really like getting to know each other and may choose to share contact info — but that’s entirely up to you!

Do you screen participants?

  • People worry about this and wonder if they’ll encounter a troll. To date, we have never had this issue. On the off-chance you get matched with an idiot, you can always just hit the Help button or simply close your browser.

How much time will it take?

  • Plan for about an hour. Sometimes it takes less time… and sometimes partners go longer because they are so interested in the conversation.

What kind of computer setup do I need?

  • You will need a desktop or a laptop computer. This experience is a video call, so be sure your camera and mic are working. The Unify Challenge won’t work on a phone or tablet. (No Google Chromebooks, either, please.)

I did the College Bowl last semester, can I do it again?

  • Yes, you can do it more than once. You will be matched with a different person and the questions often change slightly from semester to semester. 

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