Spring Break
The Daily Orange'Political junkie'
Professor Margaret Thompson brings passion to history courses
By Hope Morley
Posted: 9/22/08, 12:32 AM EST Section: News
"She runs the class pretty strictly, but she's not cruel, she just demands undivided attention," said Brain Amaral, a junior broadcast journalism major in Thompson's class. "Leaving the class in the middle of a lecture is a big no-no, and she's not afraid to call out students who leave. But I think she manages to not have students hate her for it, because the class is lively and interesting."
Some students aren't always thrilled with Thompson's political enthusiasm. In her Modern Presidency course, Thompson has been upfront about her support for Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy. She received several e-mails from students who argued her liberal political leanings created a political bias in the class.
"I want to make it very clear to you that when I express something that is obviously an opinion that I don't expect or anticipate that you will share that opinion," Thompson said to her class this fall. "I have taught many students over the years who are ardent Republicans, ardent conservatives and guess what? They left my class as ardent Republicans and ardent conservatives."
Joleen Zanuzoski, a political science and history major who graduated in 2006, took Thompson's Modern Presidency course and later asked her to be her honors thesis advisor. That thesis is now being expanded into a full book on sex trafficking in Southeast Asia.
"She's really inspiring," Zanuzoski said. "She's by far one of my favorite professors I had at SU because she's so excited by what you're doing, and she really takes an active interest in it."
Before teaching at SU, Thompson's first passion was politics. She became involved as a child growing up in Gainesville, Fla. She remembers going campaigning with her father, who actively worked for the civil rights movement and even once had a cross burned on his lawn before Thompson was born.
"I came from a family that was very committed," Thompson said. "We did get obscene phone calls and garbage thrown on our lawn and things like that."
Some students aren't always thrilled with Thompson's political enthusiasm. In her Modern Presidency course, Thompson has been upfront about her support for Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy. She received several e-mails from students who argued her liberal political leanings created a political bias in the class.
"I want to make it very clear to you that when I express something that is obviously an opinion that I don't expect or anticipate that you will share that opinion," Thompson said to her class this fall. "I have taught many students over the years who are ardent Republicans, ardent conservatives and guess what? They left my class as ardent Republicans and ardent conservatives."
Joleen Zanuzoski, a political science and history major who graduated in 2006, took Thompson's Modern Presidency course and later asked her to be her honors thesis advisor. That thesis is now being expanded into a full book on sex trafficking in Southeast Asia.
"She's really inspiring," Zanuzoski said. "She's by far one of my favorite professors I had at SU because she's so excited by what you're doing, and she really takes an active interest in it."
Before teaching at SU, Thompson's first passion was politics. She became involved as a child growing up in Gainesville, Fla. She remembers going campaigning with her father, who actively worked for the civil rights movement and even once had a cross burned on his lawn before Thompson was born.
"I came from a family that was very committed," Thompson said. "We did get obscene phone calls and garbage thrown on our lawn and things like that."
Be the first to comment on this story