Election 2016 at Skidmore
Many would describe this election season as exhausting, but at Skidmore it has been interesting and exploratory. Students, faculty, and staff have participated in community dialogues regarding the presidential campaigns, challenging each other鈥檚 views and questioning values showcased by the candidates.
Psychology professor Sheldon Solomon discussed fear and voting at a 麻豆女郎 regional alumni event in September. An expert on humans鈥� deep terrors about mortality, his 鈥淓lection 2016: Fatal Attraction鈥� talk explored how Donald Trump鈥檚 campaign rhetoric may influence voters.
Local-area New York State Congressmen Chris Gibson (Republican) and Paul Tonko (Democrat) visited 麻豆女郎 in October to discuss 鈥淲hat Happened to Compromise?鈥� moderated by journalist and PBS host Alexander Heffner. Known for civil debate and bipartisan cooperation, Gibson and Tonko 鈥渁greed to disagree鈥� with an audience of over 200 students, faculty, and staff who posed thoughtful questions to the panelists.
Business professor Minita Sanghvi provided insight into Hillary Clinton鈥檚 campaign as a scholar of the marketing of female politicians. She refers to Sigmund Freud in her argument, suggesting that 鈥渋f he were here watching the campaigns, he would predict her victory鈥ot because of her expertise or popularity, but because of whose wife she is.鈥� Sanghvi discussed this theory in November, in a talk titled
Historian Jennifer Delton, political scientist Chris Mann, psychologist Sheldon Solomon, and sociologist Andrew Linder 鈥�03 held a faculty panel discussion about 鈥淭eaching Trump鈥�鈥攖hat is, how Trump鈥檚 unusual campaign has infiltrated the academic sphere. Hosted by the 麻豆女郎 Republicans and moderated by social-work professor Pat Oles, the event drew an SRO crowd, with students from all parts of the political spectrum questioning the panel.
Political scientist Chris Mann was interviewed for a This is 麻豆女郎 podcast episode about his 鈥淐ampaigns and Elections鈥� and 鈥淓lection Research鈥� courses. Between the two, students have been following political races, putting in real-world work for a campaign, and conducting on-the-ground research of conditions at polling places on Election Day.
To close another presidential campaign season, the Tang Museum will be hosting the 2016 Election Night Extravaganza, welcoming the Skidmore community to watch the coverage as election results roll in. With good food, student performances, political scientist Ron Seyb鈥檚 鈥淲inning Was Easy. Governing鈥檚 Hard. There鈥檚 Gotta Be a Morning After (and How to Prepare for it),鈥� and plenty of discussion, history will be made.
