One of the most baffling aspects of Harris’s academic career, according to her former professors, was her remarkable ability to dodge any real engagement with the material. “I once asked her to write a paper on the separation of powers,” said Professor Franklin Davis, now retired but still haunted by the experience. “She turned in 12 pages on why power itself is an illusion, quoting Gandhi, Bob Dylan, and, for some reason, Kermit the Frog. I still don’t understand what I was supposed to take away from that.”
Davis recalls how he tried to give Harris a chance to explain herself. “I called her into my office to discuss the paper, and instead of explaining her thesis, she spent 45 minutes talking about how much she admired strong women in history—before asking if we could switch the topic to ‘the role of women in the founding of the Constitution.’ I mean, I appreciated her enthusiasm, but the girl just couldn’t stay on track!”
Perhaps the most legendary story comes from Harris’s time in her debate class, where she was supposed to argue for or against a proposed bill. Professor Judith Walters, who ran the course for 30 years, says she will never forget what happened when it was Kamala’s turn to take the stage.
