Political Polarization: The Solution Might Be at Your Dinner Table
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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We’ve all been there. We’re out to dinner with friends and in an instant the tone of the conversation turns from convivial to confrontational, from amicable to aggressive. Alarmed you find yourself kicking your partner under the table, nudging them “not to go there.”
With the country polarized over politics it’s a situation that is hard to avoid.
But instead of skirting all points on which we disagree, is it better to find a way to conduct a civil discussion? How will we understand one another if we can’t discuss the issues that tear up apart?
That’s the subject of the documentary “Undivide Us,” that was shown at the Scarsdale Library on Saturday September 21 at an event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale and the Scarsdale Public Library.
The film takes us on a road trip to three swing states, Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania where focus groups are conducted with people of divergent viewpoints. Raising subjects like gun control, abortion and the environment, the group leader attempts to show the participants how to conduct productive conversations where they can understand the views of others and also be understood.
Using conversational techniques designed for marriage counseling, participants can reflect on why others feel the way they do in order to bridge gaps. Simply put, a participant can ask, “Can I reflect back to you why I think you think what you think?”
The film was directed by Kristi Kendall, a television news producer, who “has developed an expertise in leveraging the power of story to bring together unlikely collaborators to work synergistically on project that help shape public opinion.” And that’s just what she does in “Undivide Us,” where she contends that in reality, “Only about 20% of Americans are unable to have discussions with people they disagree with ….so the other 80% can chat.”
Valerie Abrahams interviewed Director Kristi Kendall
Following the screening, Kendall was interviewed via Zoom by Valerie Abrahams, former editor of the Scarsdale Inquirer.
Asked for advice on how to bring her ideas to the Scarsdale community Kendall told the people in the room who had viewed the film, “You are now part of the solution. In social circles and at dining tables, treat others with respect and authentic honesty. … seek to understand rather than seek to be understood.”
Sadly, the producers noted that even after hours of conversation no one changed their minds on the issues, but they did change their attitude about people who disagree with them.
In order to spread the word, Kendall recommends the following:
Go to Undivideusmovie.com, and first sign the Undivide Us Pledge for Respect.
See a long list of venues where the film will be shown this fall and request a screening in your community. Share the movie trailer on social media and with friends.
It starts with you. Rather than avoiding touchy subjects, use civil discourse to understand and build mutual respect.
Learn more here: https://undivideusmovie.com/
Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month
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Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month this September with the Scarsdale Public Library and the American Library Association! The Scarsdale Public Library is inviting everyone to discover the incredible resources and opportunities available at your local library by signing up for a library card.
This back to school season all Scarsdale residents are encouraged to sign up for a library card! There are no fines, and digital materials are available 24/7. Library cards provide access, connection, independence, and responsibility, and parents can sign up their children (of all ages) either in-person or online through the library website. Study rooms are available and students can reserve them ahead of time using their Scarsdale library card through the SPL website or app.
This year, we’re thrilled to have Optimus Prime from the TRANSFORMERS as the ALA’s special ambassador, highlighting that there's more than meets the eye at the library. On Tuesday, September 24, from 5- 7 pm there will be a Library Card Sign Up Month Celebration, where you can meet a 9-ft character - Bumblebee - from the Transformers while exploring library offerings and services.
Whether you're looking to enhance your skills, find valuable information, or connect with fellow avid readers, a library card unlocks a world of possibilities.
Today’s libraries are vibrant community centers offering books and more! At the library you'll find diverse programs, job search assistance, homework help, book clubs, author talks, storytimes, and more.
Curious about exploring a new hobby or learning a new language? Scarsdale library card holders have access to Craft & Hobby and Mango Languages. Interested in starting or growing a small business? We provide poster printing, color printing, faxing and scanning services, in addition to books and digital databases. Scarsdale Library cardholders also have access to our Makerspace and Maker 101 programs, including Cricut design, 3D printing, sewing and embroidery programs.
During the school year, teens can join the Teen Advisory Board to earn service hours and share their interests and talents with their community. For those who are not yet in school, the Scarsdale Public Library offers a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program to encourage literacy from birth and up.
Photographs by Ruth Raskin on Display at the Mamaroneck Artists Guild Gallery
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Scarsdale resident Ruth Raskin's photos are now on exhibit through September 28 at the Mamaroneck Artists Guild Gallery in Larchmont.
Here are her words about the show. "Carl Jung coined the term The Shadow Self in 1912. In psychology it refers to a person's dark, repressed side--those parts of ourselves we don't want to acknowledge much less reveal to other people. For this show, My Shadow Self is a way for me, a camera-shy photographer, to avoid more classic self-portraits while sharing something (but not too much) about myself. In this exhibit I invite the viewer to interpret what I am disclosing and what I am hiding in these dark, sometimes cryptic, sometimes lighthearted, photographs."
The Flavor of Home: A Scarsdale Student’s Experience in Taiwan
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- Written by: Eian Tsou
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It was 16 hours of movies, napping, and pretzels before we arrived in Taipei, Taiwan from JFK. My brother, mother, and I stumbled out of the plane, picked up our bags, and were greeted by grandparents and cousins.
Like many others when they were younger, I used to take traveling for granted. I’d whine about the humidity and heat, beg my mom to let me play video games, and insist on staying indoors whenever possible. It wasn’t until I grew older that I began to appreciate the richness of these moments – the joy of reconnecting with family, the vibrant culture, and the unique beauty of a place so different from home.
One thing I especially missed was the food.
That was the first thing on the list – and the main objective in general. Hours before our flight, my brother Andre and I watched Mike Chen's YouTube video “Eating BRUNCH at Taiwan 7-ELEVEN”, eager to try out the various types of teas, tea eggs, pork buns, and most importantly, instant ramen. Upon arriving at our apartment, the two of us strolled to the nearby 7/11, coming back with “beef-flavored instant noodles” – a bowl of deliciousness that isn’t just beef-flavored but has large chunks of tender beef and tendon in it, a gamechanger compared to that of Cup Noodles or Top Ramen in the US.
Obviously, instant ramen isn’t all that Taiwan has to offer.
Every morning, we walked just around 10 minutes or so to a local breakfast joint to delight in its soup dumplings. Nestled in a bustling side street, the eatery was easy to miss if you didn’t know where to look. It had an unassuming facade, with faded signage and a cluster of plastic stools accompanying the plastic tables within. Yet, it’s where you find great food – and for great prices. Meals for three people may only cost you around $10.
However, the finest soup dumplings are found at no other than Din Tai Fung. Din Tai Fung started its humble business in Taipei and recently opened its long-waited branch in NYC. We visited the Din Tai Fung inside the grand Taipei 101 tower. Contrary to the small local eatery we frequented in the mornings, this restaurant was sleek and modern. The minimalist decor created an air of sophistication, yet it retained the warm, inviting energy that Din Tai Fung is known for.
Besides soup dumplings, Taiwan offers deliciously made beef noodle soup, pork buns, the best boba tea, and traditional desserts such as Aiyu jelly and boba with shaved ice, sweet rice balls with sesame paste, and Tanghulu. 
The highlight of the trip for me, though, was Jiufen.
As if it was the real-life rendition of the film Spirited Away (even though Hayao Miyazaki denies taking any inspiration, which I personally don’t believe), Jiufen felt like stepping into a world where time moved differently. Perched on the mountainside, this former gold mining town was a maze of narrow, winding streets lined with red lanterns, teahouses, and shops selling all manner of trinkets and snacks. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed tea and the savory scent of fried stinky tofu, mingling with the earthy smell of rain-soaked stone.
Every corner seemed to reveal something new – a cozy café next to a store selling Studio Ghibli souvenirs, a clothes shop selling traditional garments, or a panoramic view of the misty ocean far below. I also learned that, at the top of Jiufen, there lay an elementary school. How nice it would be to leave class and run down a few steps to enjoy some taro balls while watching the clouds roll over the hills.
As our time in Taiwan drew to a close, I found myself savoring every moment, every bite, every sight. It was a reconnection – with family, with my heritage, and with a part of myself that I hadn’t fully appreciated before.
I'm already looking forward to my next visit. Whether it's slurping soup dumplings, exploring the busy streets in flip-flops and a tank top, or just hanging out at a 7/11, I can’t wait to dive back into those familiar yet ever-exciting moments.
Scarsdale Resident Publishes New Book: Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery
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“It’s not brain surgery!” is a common phrase—but what about when it is? No other field of medicine is as synonymous with difficulty, but most people know very little about this 120-year-old profession.
One local man does know a lot about brain surgery. That’s Scarsdale father, dad and doctor Theodore Schwartz who has just published a new book, GRAY MATTERS: A Biography of Brain Surgery. Schwartz is a lead professor of neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and in this deeply insightful book, he explores the past, present, and future of neurosurgery.
Schwartz invites readers into the operating room with him as he extracts a tumor, removes a blood clot, and completes other harrowing tasks—when every second can mean the difference between life and death. He explores several high-profile case studies—from Bob Saget and Natasha Richardson to Presidents Kennedy and Biden to athletes like Muhammad Ali and Lance Armstrong. Schwartz also dives into sports-related injuries—from CTE to Second Impact Syndrome and more—illuminating what differentiates one injury from another and how age, size, and other factors play a role.
He examines the new field of brain-computer interfaces, as recently popularized by Elon Musk’s company Neuralink, and provides an insider’s perspective on this new groundbreaking technology and what ethical questions subsequently arise.
From wrenching personal stories to shocking historical missteps, intel on what symptoms can signal danger to a forecast of the technical advancements in neurosurgery, GRAY MATTERS, is an incredibly compelling book for anyone who wants to better understand the three-pound organ that rules us.
About the book, Dr. Sanjay Gupta says, “Gray Matters is a must-read, and Dr. Theodore Schwartz is the perfect guide, a master brain surgeon, and superbly talented writer. I have not read a better biography of our shared profession, and in Schwartz's talented hands, the most enigmatic 3 1/2 pounds of tissue in the known universe comes to light in remarkable and revelatory ways.”
And Kirkus Reviews wrote this: “[T]he author is warm and insightful, making the book accessible to general readers as well as specialists. Mixing expertise with storytelling, Schwartz provides a remarkable account of a crucial but misunderstood field.”
About the Author: Theodore H. Schwartz, MD is the David and Ursel Barnes Endowed Professor of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the busiest and highest-ranked neurosurgery centers in the world. He has published over five hundred scientific articles and chapters on neurosurgery and has lectured around the world—from Bogotá to Vienna to Mumbai—on new, minimally invasive surgical techniques that he helped develop. He also runs a basic science laboratory devoted to epilepsy research. He studied philosophy and literature at Harvard.
