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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
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Bumper stickers proclaiming "Well-behaved Women Don't Make History" and "Peace Takes Courage" adorn her office door. Hanging on one of her walls, a collection of political buttons tell visitors to "Question Authority" and "Clean up Politics, Elect a Woman."
Around Syracuse University, Thompson is known as the history department's resident political fanatic.
"She's a political junkie per se," said history professor Scott Strickland, who has known Thompson since 1984.
Thompson came to SU in 1981 as an assistant professor in history after working at Knox College in Illinois. During her years as a graduate student and before, Thompson worked on a number of political campaigns, including several presidential ones. Though she is still active in politics, she decided that teaching was a better career choice for her.
"In government work, even when you are working for somebody you really admire, you're ultimately working for them. You do what they need done," Thompson said. "I decided that what academia offered me that those jobs didn't was control of my own mind."
Thompson is teaching two courses this semester: HST 341: "The Modern Presidency," and a new honors course, HST 300: "The Election and the New Media." The latter is composed of fifteen honors students and about ten senior citizens from Oasis, a local senior enrichment program.
"To hear from people who have been involved in politics and have been voting for a long time, but who may not be as familiar with the technology as young people are," Thompson said. "I think there's going to be some good intergenerational communication there."
While talking to her classes or anyone in her office, Thompson demands attention. She will not enter into a conversation lightly, but when someone poses a few good questions on a topic that she is passionate about, the stories begin to flow. In every conversation, she offers experiences, examples and historical information.
In her Modern Presidency course, a full lecture class with 100 students enrolled, Thompson works to engage her students. She holds no lecture notes, even when that day is based purely on theory. As students volunteer their opinions on articles read for homework, she pulls in those who did not raise their hand with comments like, "You're nodding, talk to me."
Students often comment on her uncompromising manner.
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