Politics

While doing a little looking at the editorials page today in the daily (which I never do but I thought I would in order to get some info for my letter to the editor assignment), I saw an opinion piece about how it should be no surprise that college professors push a liberal agenda in the classroom. Call me a wet blanket but I was under the impression that unless your political ideas are relevant to teaching me the class, you ought to just stick to the basics there, professor.

Don't get me wrong, politics have their place in college classrooms. Political science, sociology, these are classes where a political discussion, including the professor's views, are not out of place. But please, do not interrupt your lecture on cellular biology to go on some kind of tangent about the current presidential administration to get some laughs and comraderie out of those who share your views among the students. I have a philosophy about going to college, and the bulk of it consists of my daily doctrine: go to class, sit down, learn, take the test, and get out. I didn't come to class to hear your opinions on politics. Quite frankly I don't give a damn what they are anyway. I came to learn, and you came to teach. That's what I am paying exorbitant sums for anyway, right? To pay your salary and to get a quality education. I missed the part of my billing statement where it said "political diatribe fee."

Perhaps the most galling of these offenses in my mind is when the professor explicitly states on the first day of class "my opinions are not going to be aired in this class." What a load of shit that is...first of all, most humans love to air their opinions and putting that in check is next to impossible to do. I consider myself pretty reserved in that regard and I still do it once in a while. Secondly, if you ARE going to be so committed to impartiality, then you have to make a conscious effort to not be a hypocrite. The moment you say your political stance on an issue, you've already violated your personal doctrine. C'mon...teach me the material and don't make me lose respect for you. It's one of my least favorite things about attending college.