Hillary Returns to the Podium After Over 50 Years, Popularity Explodes: "This Is Not a Concert Hall"

First Lecture After Joining Columbia University Faculty in January
Lecture Title 'Inside the Situation Room'... Utilizing Dipliplomatic Policy Experience
Jokes to Students "Like Paparazzi"... Indirect Reference to Trump Also Made

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who took the podium for the first time in over 50 years, felt her enduring popularity.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 7th (local time), Clinton took the podium for the first time since joining the faculty of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in New York the previous afternoon. She became a SIPA professor at Columbia University in January. This marked her return to the podium after more than 50 years since she served as a law professor at the University of Arkansas in her twenties.

On the 6th (local time), former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (front row, far right in the photo) gave her first lecture at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and fellow professor Karen Yari Milo is taking a selfie with students. (Photo by Columbia University SNS)

On the first day of class, Clinton stopped the lecture just 20 minutes in as many students began filming her with their cell phones. She said, "There are students taking pictures with their phones," adding, "This is not a Taylor Swift concert" (Taylor Swift is the female pop singer who recently drew the largest audiences in the U.S.).

However, the students did not stop taking photos, and when a fellow professor suggested a 5-minute break during the first lecture, hundreds of students simultaneously raised their phones to take pictures. Clinton joked, "It’s like the paparazzi."

Clinton’s class had already become popular even before it started. Over 800 applicants wished to enroll, and based on essays submitted, 370 graduate and undergraduate students were finally selected to attend. The students also underwent background checks by the White House Secret Service (SS).

During this fall semester, Clinton is teaching a course titled "Inside the Situation Room." Drawing on her experience related to foreign policy during her tenure, the course will cover various topics such as whether groups make better decisions than individuals and how public opinion influences foreign policy.

Although Clinton is known for her bold and confident public persona, she appeared nervous just before her first class. The NYT reported that in an interview right before the first lecture, she said she felt "good" but also "anxious."

The class indirectly referenced former President Donald Trump, who competed against Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Without explicitly naming Trump, Clinton said, "He tore up the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran." However, she made it clear, "This class is not about him (former President Trump)."

The NYT evaluated, "With Clinton taking on a new role as a professor, she can reappear publicly as a foreign policy expert rather than just the presidential candidate who lost to former President Trump," adding, "There is no better place for a smooth landing than an Ivy League campus in New York (Columbia University)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.