American politics wasn’t always this way, though. With contenders putting their names in the hat for the upcoming battle, two of Wichita State University’s most venerable faculty members, Professor Melvin Kahn and Associate Professor Kenneth Ciboski, prefer to handle their political differences old-school – with mutual respect and intellectual integrity.
Ciboski, an avowed Republican, has been teaching at WSU for 47 years and is a regular commentator on KMUW 89.1 FM. Although his original academic field of expertise was the former Soviet Union, Ciboski is considered a Renaissance man among WSU’s political science instructors, qualified in all areas of the department. Annual exit exams with new graduates and alumni interviews frequently single Ciboski out as the professor most accessible to students.
Kahn, a staunch Democrat, has taught at WSU for 45 years after nine at Southern Illinois and Indiana State. A self-described “lifelong political junkie,” Kahn’s specialty is political parties and interest groups. In 2004, he served on the Democratic Platform Committee. Kahn has a reputation at Wichita State and among politicos as an expert who doesn’t permit partisanship to interfere with his ability to relate to people of all political persuasions, particularly his students. Kahn cites his own son – a top Republican Party fundraiser – as an example.
Both Kahn and Ciboski have watched the political climate in the United States change over the years, and although they approach the same subject from opposing viewpoints, they have become close friends.
“Well, we are,” Ciboski said. “He thinks wrongly about some stuff, but he thinks the same about me. I think it’s a benefit to the student to hear about competing viewpoints.”
Kahn agreed, adding that the good-natured tone of their dialogue is important in today’s rancorous climate.
“I think the kind of politics that we have now, whereby if working with someone from the other party sets you up for a primary challenge, is something that is not healthy.
“I think it is important that the university be a place of free inquiry,” Kahn said, “and not just be oriented to one viewpoint. Our students like the idea that we have a department with people who aren’t in lockstep; that they can be exposed to various viewpoints. I think that’s a real asset to our majors.”
To share their perspective on the past, present and future of America’s political climate, the two professors recently sat down for a candid interview with a group of WSU students.
Read an edited transcript of the interview. Go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?3855.
Contact: Kenneth Ciboski, 316-978-7137 or [email protected].
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