State Sens. Bramnick and Cryan launch ‘College Civility Tour’ at Rutgers

Bramnick and Cryan’s visit to Rutgers is a direct reaction to the recent deaths of political figures.

Chris Keating

Sep 25, 2025, 9:27 PM

Updated 3 hr ago

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Talking politics with coworkers, through social media, or even on a college campus might not always be a good idea in the current climate of polarized viewpoints.
But two New Jersey state legislators are trying to change that climate with what they’re calling a “College Civility Tour.”
State Sens. John Bramnick and Joe Cryan sit on opposite sides of the aisle. Bramnick is a Republican and Cryan is a Democrat. But they have been longtime friends as well.
They were at Rutgers University on Thursday to speak with students who are studying political science about how to disagree with others without having a conversation escalate into something ugly.
Bramnick and Cryan’s visit to Rutgers is a direct reaction to the recent deaths of political figures.
Some students say they are very aware of what they’re typing online.
“As they’re looking for job opportunities in the future, they definitely want to be concerning themselves with exactly what they say. Even in this interview, I’m watching my words as well,” said Alvin Mak, a junior at Rutgers.
Some communication specialists are taking note and offering ways to avoid issues in the workplace or on campus.
Experts suggest that people redirect political conversations if they are not comfortable or directly tell a colleague they don’t want to talk about certain topics.