On the first day of my Introduction to Philosophy class last Spring, we were about 10 minutes into discussing the curriculum when the teacher asked for a show of hands.

“Who in the class voted for and supports Trump?”

The atmosphere felt timid and quiet, and only one student raised a hand.

The teacher asked the student to explain why. The student said something defensively about agreeing with Trump’s economic plans and not really with anything else.

But throughout the rest of the semester that student and the teacher easily had the best discussions in the class; their different perspectives always led to interesting directions to take the curriculum.

That same professor also granted extra credit to students just for voicing different opinions and trying to dispute the curriculum.

College is and should be an institution of progressive mentality, but every humanities professor I’ve had has discussed the importance of understanding and empathy in the classroom.

We should all speak up as much as possible so we can make the most of our time here. It’s a learning experience to be shot down or taught better or challenged.

Life is fleeting and the pursuit of knowledge is a privilege not many have. We should make the best of it.

Trystan Hay is a 20-year-old environmental engineering major at AACC.