It is a truth universally acknowledged that as a nation we are hopelessly divided along political lines. But is that division as intractable as our social media feeds lead us to think?

As Rebecca Asmo, the executive director of Ohio Humanities, pointed out in a recent lecture, listening to individual human stories helps us find connections across our differences. Ohioans of all political backgrounds bond over the stories of Ohio’s history — from native American mound-builders to the leaders in the Underground Railroad.

Asmo explained to an audience at Cleveland State University that the humanities are far more than subjects at school but are the stories that connect us.

Many of the students attending Asmo’s lecture are enrolled in Honors 101 — Collaboration, Humanities, Leadership — a

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