Academics is the training ground for people who get into politics, obviously. At the same time it has to keep a certain degree of autonomy, not to become completely immersed. It needs to be both inside and outside. One of the great things about the university is the discussion about the development of these ideas. That interaction is most direct in the classroom.
Teachers gain a variety of benefits from the contact with students.
The extraordinary thing with students is they don't take anything for granted. They're constantly questioning. Stephanopoulos, too, looks forward to two-way communication with students. They keep me up to date. It's how I know what's going on in music and popular culture.