I’m sitting in a coffee shop writing this. The same coffee shop I have visited almost every single day.

I’ve talked to many in this coffee shop, including coworkers, romantic interests, friends and strangers. 

Yet in only three weeks of my internship, I’ve discussed more about the future of America than in my two years at UC Santa Barbara. 

To be fair, I’m in Washington, D.C., and I entirely expected this, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. Back in Santa Barbara, I talk about the UV rays, when I’m getting Cajé and whether or not I’ll make it out of econ. But in D.C., politics just come up naturally. It’s part of everyday conversation. It doesn’t feel like class, or like anyone’s trying to prove a point. People just talk about what’s happening in the world for fun. 

I know people care in Santa Barbara. I know many students who are passionate, who vote, who attend events. But still, something feels muted. There is a hesitancy around political conversation. When people do talk, they are scared of saying the wrong thing or seeming like they are trying too hard. 

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why that is. Is it the culture? Do the Isla Vista sunsets really wipe people’s minds? Or is it something else, something more personal? 

Maybe it’s not UCSB. Maybe it’s me. I’ve chosen comfort and haven’t pushed myself to find the right spaces or people to have these conversations with. It’s been a hard thing to think about. But the more I think about it, the more I believe it’s not just personal, it’s culture. 

At UCSB, there’s this unspoken rule: don’t make things too serious. And it’s not that people aren’t smart or engaged, it’s that being openly political, especially outside of class, feels out of place. 

That mindset doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s reinforced in the way we talk, the spaces we hang out in and the kinds of conversations we normalize. I see countless numbers of people repost infographics on Instagram, but then refuse to talk about the matter in person.

I’m not saying UCSB should become some “think tank” where every interaction is about policy. But it feels like something is missing, something I’ve found here in D.C. — a place where talking about the world isn’t weird or performative. It is just part of paying attention.

So how do we shift that?

Maybe it starts with being OK with discomfort and asking more questions. Or maybe it starts with creating a space where people feel OK expressing their opinions. I’ve recently spoken  to another UCSB student here about this dilemma, and she decided to start a club to get people talking. But taking the steps to create these kinds of spaces can be controversial. We shouldn’t have to convince people to be politically literate; it should be the norm. 

And yet it’s not.

When political discourse isn’t woven into everyday life, creating space for it can feel disruptive. It makes me wonder how many students at UCSB have wanted to talk but held back because they didn’t want to make things awkward. 

I think about how easily these conversations flow here, in this coffee shop. One minute you’re joking about how much coffee you drink, and the next you’re breaking down the new tariff rates. No one looks around or apologizes for getting “too political.” It feels good, and honestly, it’s made many of my perspectives change so much. 

I’ve realized how much I crave that, not just here in D.C., but back home, too. I don’t want politics to be something we tiptoe around or engage with when it’s trending. I want it to be something we live with and grow from, even if it’s messy. 

Sometimes, it really can start with just one conversation at your local coffee shop. 

Nina Rossi would like to disclose that the coffee shop she visits every day is not a charming local spot, but actually a Pret A Manger. She has a very affordable coffee subscription and intends to get her money’s worth.