Less Heat, More Light

May 8, 2026

Given the choice between watching a political discussion among pundits on a cable news network or facilitating one in my classroom, I would choose my classroom every time.

Pundits substitute volume and volatility for insight and intellectualism, to the unfortunate climax of one red-faced pundit shouting at another earlier this month, “Get your f*%&ing hand out of my face!” (No one had their hand in his face, but clearly that’s not my point.)

The students in my political science classes, on the other hand, exemplify all that political discourse can and should embody. They unceasingly follow my single discussion guideline: “Engage in political discussions that generate light, not heat.” For better or worse, the Spring 2026 term provided them with ample opportunities to illuminate the classroom.

Our first day of class was seven days after the U.S. military invaded Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro, five days after and 12 days before ICE agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and seven weeks before the U.S. attacked Iran. As the weeks passed, we witnessed the bombing of roughly 50 Venezuelan boats, the blundered release/non-release of redacted/unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files, various states’ re-gerrymandering of congressional district maps, and the resigni-moval of three Cabinet members (all women).

This was followed by President Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself seemingly as Jesus Christ and a subsequent verbal attack on the Pope. These events only scratch the surface of what transpired in our 16 weeks together, and my students (many of whom have not yet voted in a general election) discussed these dubious demonstrations of executive power with propriety and decorum for 75 minutes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Together, we forged and nurtured a community based on mutual respect and civil dialogue based on what I call the “Four C’s of Political Discourse.”

My students are:

1. Conversant: You have to know stuff in order to “talk politics.” You have to understand our political history, the Constitution, governmental institutions, the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil liberties, civil rights, elections, political norms, and so much more; my students do.

2. Curious: As Ted Lasso wisely said, “Be curious, not judgmental.” I have a sign on the classroom wall that says “Speak bravely, listen generously.” I encourage my students to - barring evidence to the contrary - assume other people are coming from a place of good, ask questions, and listen to responses. I can’t describe the joy I feel when I hear a student say to another, “I never thought about it that way” or “Tell me more.”

3. Civil: My students have manners. They use each other’s names and even turn around in their seats to look at each other when they speak. Quite frequently they stay after class to continue their discussions and then exit the classroom together, chatting and laughing.

4. Community-minded: My students care about the general welfare of their classmates and the world. When a student’s calculator literally crumbled in his hands, students in the seats near him scrambled about to help pick up the pieces so he could rebuild it to use during his math test later that day. We have provided each other tissues, cough drops, paper, writing utensils, Band-aids, phone/laptop chargers, gum, and food. These small - but powerful - acts show their desire to advance the general welfare of our classroom community.

Americans would be well served to be more like my students: politically proficient, intellectually inquisitive, collectively compassionate, and considerably community-minded. Following the example set by my students, I believe, will help our country generate more light and less heat.