OC political science professor witnesses history at the U.S. Senate’s impeachment trial

Trey Orndorff used the experience to enhance his classes, visit with a community group and gather research.

February 24, 2020 - There have only been three U.S. Senate impeachment trials of a president, and the last one was this month. Oklahoma Christian University Associate Professor of Political Science Trey Orndorff was an eye-witness to the trial, accepting an invitation made to OC by Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford. The invitation was made to President deSteiguer who thought of Orndorff, due to his background and expertise in presidential politics.

The time spent in Washington, D.C., was not only a great experience for himself, but it was also very beneficial to his students. 

“Faculty cannot be effective scholars or teachers if they are walled off from the world and their fields. We need active scholars,” said Orndorff. “Doing this allows students to have access to the most recent, critical, empirical data, but it also forces them to approach current events with a different paradigm than they are using as news consumers. For social scientists, it also allows them to be mentored by people who are still deeply active in their fields — something I strive hard to do not just for my own scientific pursuits, but to the edification of my students.”

Along with Orndorff, Dean of the OC College of Liberal Arts Tina Winn was also thrilled about the experience that Orndorff is getting in his field. 

“Having a professor be able to participate in an historic event, such as being in the Senate gallery during the impeachment hearings, brings politics to life for our students who are able to experience this vicariously through Dr. Orndorff,” said Winn. “Getting to engage in professionally relevant activities energizes faculty and provides great applications to integrate into classes. It was fun to see how excited Dr. Orndorff was about being a witness to these events.” 

A few days after returning to Oklahoma, Orndorff brought students to The University of Tulsa where they had the opportunity to sit in on a constitutional law class. Then on Feb 11, Orndorff was honored to speak to the Sons of the American Revolution on revolutionaries and conservatives during the framing of the American Constitution.

While Orndorff spent a large majority of his time in Washington sitting in on the hearing, he also got the opportunity to gather other types of research. For Orndorff’s next paper, he wants to look at changes over time regarding how close the average voter can get to the White House. 

To continue to hear about the political experiences and opinions that Orndorff has had over the years, catch him and some of his friends on their podcast at politicalguys.com.