Depending on who you talk to, classes may or may not be cancelled for the debate on Wednesday.

The latest word on the street, according to Glenn MacIntosh, dean and assistant vice president of student affairs, is that classes are not cancelled. Unless your professor feels like it.

I object!

Given the circumstances, classes really should be cancelled.

When a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness a presidential debate comes to campus, I say it’s more of an inconvenience to the education of students and faculty alike NOT to cancel classes.

First of all, we are citizens of a democracy. Many of us, both students and professors, are beyond the age of 18 and may vote.

Even if we don’t want to vote, we, as Americans, really have a moral obligation to. This country was founded on the participation of citizens like us, and debates like this one help us to make an informed decision, and help us to better participate.

Heck, I consider myself a Democrat and I still care about this debate.

It would be silly of me to ignore it, agree or disagree as I may with many of the candidates’ political views. After all, one of these candidates may well end up president next year, so it is worth my time to respect what they have to say.

Second, the opportunity to proudly host another debate on our campus may not come around again — at least, not for a long time — so let’s consider ourselves lucky, cancel classes, and savor the experience.

It occurred to me as I was commuting to campus on Monday to pick up my debate watch party tickets how I could be 40-years-old by the time another debate comes to Oakland University.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not waiting that long. This is our chance.

And, finally, contrary to popular opinion, I think this debate is educational, not just recreational. Because the reality is -— unless your major is political science, whether you’ve dutifully read the “Politics”  section in a newspaper lately, or you’re currently groping through American government class — any political information you may have has probably fallen into disuse.

OK, so maybe you pull this information out every once and a while when you need it, but despite your best intentions, you still might need to Google the majority of it.

Besides, it’s one thing to learn about politics in class, it’s another thing to learn about politics in person.

It’s that sensation a beginning Spanish student gets when he or she walks out of Spanish class and is confronted with the language in real life.

While this student suddenly realizes his or her true incompetency in fluently speaking the language, they also have an opportunity to, with patience, attempt to speak fluently.

Similarly, this debate is an opportunity for us students, even if we must watch it from a television in our dorm, at home or in the Oakland Center, to apply what we have learned.

So students, for democracy’s sake, for our sakes and for our education’s sake, I say it’s time to grovel.

Yes, you heard me correctly. I said

“grovel.”

Bat your eyes. Talk sweetly. Bring your professor some Starbucks. Haggle with them like an old lady bargaining with a salesperson at a flea market.

Beg like you just missed your final exam.

Plead like your mother grounded you.

Cry like a small, disturbed child having a temper tantrum at the mall.

Perhaps then our professors will let us go to the debate.

Or, at least, just allow us turn on the TV.