College of the Canyons political science professors held a panel discussion on Wednesday — the one year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s election — allowing students to ask questions concerning the current state of affairs.

Not a seat was left empty in the College of the Canyons lecture hall, and as students continued to file in and line the walls, the Political Science Panel continued to answer student questions, with a particular focus on the current presidential administration.

“As political scientists, we need to talk about the protocols, actions and miscalculations of presidential administrations,” said Dr. Phil Gussin, political science faculty and panel member. “It’s also our job to educate our students about these matters.”

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Addressing questions from both the audience and their colleagues, panel members utilized their knowledge and specialization in the various fields of political science to discuss the current administration, socio-economic policies, foreign affairs and domestic issues.

“This is the world we live in and students need to be aware of it,” said Gussin. “We need to talk about the administration’s actions, protocols, and be aware of the consequences of miscalculations.”

College of the Canyons professors and panelists listen to a question posed by a student in the audience. (Back to front) Dr. Phil Gussin, Prof. Nick Hernandez, Dr. Deems Morrione, Dr. Majid Mosleh and Prof. David C. Andrus.

One such issue that was widely discussed was the administration’s presence in the international community, particularly Trump’s current Asia trip and his interactions with North Korea.

While some students expressed concern over the possibility of a military engagement with North Korea, members of the professor panel assuaged these concerns by explaining about the hermit kingdom’s leader, Kim Jung Un.

“Something we all need to keep in mind is that Kim Jung Un is not suicidal,” said Gussin. “When we look at the exchanges between President Trump and North Korean officials, we must remember that Kim Jung Un knows a military engagement with the United States or our allies would be detrimental to his regime, and he wishes to continue his regime.”

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Along with the review of diplomacy in Asia, some professors took the chance to highlight what they believe to be a general degradation of America’s standing in international politics, and how this can be traced back to the United States’ electoral process.

“There might be a lack of international polling data, but we do see, every once in awhile, leaders on the world stage make those snide remarks,” said Dr. Deems Morrione. “We’ve had two elections since 2000 that have been decided by the electoral college as opposed to the popular vote, and countries now get to say, ‘Who is the United States to tell us how to run a democratic election?’”

However, while Morrione delved into what he believes are the historical and future flaws of the electoral college, it became clear that some of his colleagues did not share his opinion.

“As someone who has been critical of this process in the past, I do have to admit that our system and institutions have worked well under this system,” said Dr. Majid Mosleh. “We have a constitutional mechanism in place, and while there has been recent outcomes that have been disappointing, mathematically there is a correlation between the popular vote and electoral college system.”

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Furthermore, in response to a student question concerning certain members of the administration and their fitness to serve, Gussin asked the audience to view the situation with more empathy and logic.

“I’m a critic of President Trump, but I have a huge respect for those staff and cabinet members that have stayed on to give the president guidance,” said Gussin. “Put yourself in the shoes of people like McMaster or Kelley and imagine what they’re going through. They may look at the door longingly, but I think they’re worried about what happens if they leave, and for that reason they stay.”

Arguments like these, which percolated throughout the two-hour-long discussion, are why many students seemed to find the talks productive and enlightening.

College of the Canyons students and faculty filled the campus lecture hall Wednesday afternoon.

“I️ came today in to get a new perspective on what our political science professors had on the first year of Trump,” said Ricky Aguilera, a political science major and student in attendance. “Overall it was a very interesting panel that discussed a lot of the concerns and taught me some new things.”

Panelists for the event included Professor David C. Andrus, Dr. Majid Mosleh, Dr. Phil Gussin, Professor Nick Hernandez and Dr. Deems Morrione. The free event was sponsored by College of the Canyons’ Political Science Club, Model United Nations Club and the Department of Political Science.

Political Science Panels and Workshops are sponsored and held by these organizations once a semester on the College of the Canyons campus.

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