A political odd couple: College Dems boss rooms with GOP chair

Politics in this country have become increasingly polarized, but Ryan Melchin, 21, of Hoffman Estates, and Matt Van Vossen, 20, of Oak Lawn, prove there is still some room in this world for compromise and reasonable debate, all under one roof.

The two University of Illinois at Springfield political science juniors share a townhouse, even though Melchin is the chairman of the school's College Republicans and Van Vossen is the president of the College Democrats. Two other students live with them.

Despite their political differences, Melchin and Van Vossen became fast friends at their freshman orientation. They found common ground in their level of political activism, despite their opposite viewpoints.

"Since we both are so involved in campus political groups, we thought it would be really great if we lived together," Melchin said.

The pair were featured in a May 17, 2010, article in the Chicago Daily Herald

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