Unlike some other New York college professors that canceled classes the day after our election, my students at Orange County Community College had a unique opportunity to celebrate democracy and the system of government created by the Framers of our Constitution in 1787.
Michelle Greene, an adjunct professor at Columbia University that teaches international and public affairs, told her students to not bother showing up because “current events would make it difficult to concentrate,” according to the New York Post. As a professor of political science, I relish teaching my national government class during presidential election years. It is an opportunity for students to witness history in action as they are learning about our republic created in Philadelphia 237 years ago.
What could be more educational for students and invigorating for professors genuinely interested in teaching, rather than indoctrinating their students, then going to class the day after a presidential election? I showed the electoral college map for the race as well as the status of the balance of power in the House of Representatives and Senate. In short, we learned.
We discussed how even though none of the swing states were called for a candidate until later in the evening, it was clear Donald Trump was on his way to victory because of the trend happening throughout the country in other states. Specifically, the 45th, and now 47th president, was over-performing compared to 2020, and gained support from key demographic groups. Kamala Harris was under-performing compared to Joe Biden in 2020. If this was the trend in other states, why would it not hold true in the seven swing states? It did. These are lessons in the moment and allow students to appreciate their course content.
Unfortunately, for professors like Michelle Greene that may not have liked the results, they chose to cancel class and deprive students of lessons during a time they will never have again. After all, for most Americans, you only get to be a college student during a presidential election year once in your life.
Barnard College professor Amelia Simone Herbert, who also canceled her class, told her students she recognized “that processing the results of a national election can be heavy and having space to breathe and go a bit slower is vital.” On the contrary, the day after a national election is a time for educators, at least those that care about teaching, to rush to class to discuss the process created by our Founding Fathers to elect the president.
Another Barnard professor, Marjorie Folkman, made her class optional so students could “sleep for an hour to catch up or take a walk.” Can we assume the walk for her was to shake off the results?
You do not need to have a PhD in Political Science to know that if Harris had won the election, these classes would not have been canceled. They would have met, and these very same professors would likely have celebrated the results. This is yet another example of the leftist indoctrination that has occurred in many of our higher education facilities.
We should not expect the leadership of Barnard or Columbia to offer any critical comments against these professors that canceled classes. However, with the election results, Americans demonstrated that they are tired of these far-left antics. Let us hope we can return to a time where educators educate, and classes meet during the most consequential days in American life.
Bob Capano, a Brooklyn resident, has been an adjunct professor of political science for almost two decades and has worked in senior level positions for Democrat and Republican elected officials in New York. Follow him on twitter @bobcapano
