Given widespread interest and skepticism surrounding the current United States presidential election, the Department of Political Studies and Champlain College held a “Round Table Discussion on the U.S. Election” on Tuesday October 5th inside the Champlain Living and Learning Commons.

The conversation, which drew students, staff, and faculty largely from the arts and humanities, held a strong focus on American political processes and the nature of the election, rather than providing critical opinions on either candidate—a refreshing approach, considering the high amount of contradictory, opinionated information available in the media.

Paneled by four Trent University professors, the discussion identified each candidate’s political background or lack thereof, the national and global implications of each candidate’s presidency, outlined a number of campaign promises, and illuminated the rise of the alt-right on social media and in the news. With various arguments raised by those who attended, the discussion reflected on issues of racism and white supremacy, the loss of national identity in America, and the dubious link between Donald Trump and Nazism.

Of particular interest, panelist Dr. Brandon Tozzo identified that the 2016 presidential election is not unlike those of the past, with outsider Donald Trump challenging established candidate Hillary Clinton. Despite potentially being “the most important election” in recent history, a common theme of the conversation was the insignificant power of a U.S. president against Congress in the current political system.

Tuesday’s discussion offered unbiased understanding of American politics and the U.S. presidential election, something that is seemingly impossible to find

online and in the news. If you find yourself looking repeatedly to subjective mainstream media sources for insight into political issues and processes,

consult your local political science professor.

The roundtable discussion was paneled by four professors from the Department of Political Studies and the Department of Cultural Studies; Dr. Liam Mitchell, Dr. David Shzinin, Dr. Brandon Tozzo, and Dr. Hasmet Uluorta.