A scrumptious meal, drinks, silverware, family and friends and Settlers of Catan may sound like the perfect recipe for a successful dinner party, but one crucial, invisible ingredient may ensure a better night than all the food and games combined: the absence of politics.

Dismissing politics as a conversational topic at dinner has increasingly become a popular practice, as the saying “no politics or religion at the dinner table” limits the discussion of controversial topics in intimate settings.

Notorious family members like haughty Aunt Irma or extremist Grandpa Karl bring about either uncomfortable silences or explosive arguments, making dinners a prelude to heartburn,” as NPR host Neal Conan puts it.

However, dismissing politics as a viable topic of conversation leads to the faulty belief that political engagement stimulates frustration instead of change. Ultimately, the lack of conversation contributes to the pervasive thought that there is no productivity in discussing political topics, and ultimately no productivity in politics itself.

Dinner Conversations as a weekly column seeks to bring politics back into our daily conversations on campus, not in an attempt to sound politically correct, but in order to foster sincere communication between diverse people in an attempt to understand each other. As former CIA officer Amaryllis Fox reflected about her experience interrogating in the Middle East, “The only way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them.”

That being said, today marks 42 days until the 2016 Election Day as the nation looks to both major party nominees for responses to the New York bombing and more police killings in Oklahoma and North Carolina. In turn, both major party nominees look to overcome major barriers as November nears.

Trump’s campaign has launched an outreach to African Americans to ensure more votes in his least polling demographic. Clinton, on the other hand, has attempted to reach the millennial voters by appearing on Internet shows like “Between Two Ferns” with Zach Galifianakis and speaking at colleges around the nation. Both candidates face obstacles in their last attempts to leave their mark before Election Day. Trump faces continuous racial controversy as more people raise concern about the practicality of his stances on issues like the refugee crisis, immigration policy, and supporting controversial measures like “stop and frisk.” Clinton faces a battle for the millennial vote, who are increasingly considering third party candidates Jill Stein and Gary Johnson.

Though Clinton and Trump can be perceived as privileged, both nominees can also be considered underdogs in some respect. So many times we make the mistake of thinking that simply looking presidential and having a charismatic personality are requirements for our Commander in Chief. However, we desperately need perspective when looking at our nominees. Trump is not solely full of hate spews, and Clinton is not defined by her scandals. When looking forward to the future debates amongst the election mayhem, may we not forget to humanize the leaders who represent us.

Dinner Conversations as a weekly column strives to stimulate conversation throughout campus that will transform politics from an overlooked topic to many multiplied and essential conversations.