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.
“Kamala stood up, smiled confidently, and then… nothing. She just stood there, smiling, for what felt like an eternity. The entire class was staring at her, waiting for her to speak. Finally, she said, ‘What is debate, really?’ And that was it. That was her argument.”
Walters says Harris’s debate skills—or lack thereof—were a running joke for years. “We started calling that move ‘The Kamala.’ Anytime a student wasn’t prepared, they’d just stand there and smile, hoping their charisma would carry them through. It worked once or twice, but nobody ever mastered it like Kamala.”
Another professor, Dr. Leonard Clark, who taught Philosophy of Law, recounted Harris’s reliance on her trademark laugh to escape tricky academic situations. “Whenever Kamala was caught off guard in class, she’d laugh. A big, hearty laugh. It was like her secret weapon. I’d ask her to explain Hobbes’s view on the social contract, and she’d just laugh, say something vague about the ‘human condition,’ and then somehow pivot to talking about yoga. It was baffling.”
Clark admitted that, over time, professors just gave up. “It became a running joke in the faculty lounge. ‘Oh, Kamala didn’t turn in her paper? Just wait for the laugh.’ And sure enough, she’d waltz in, laugh her way through an excuse, and somehow walk out with an extension.”
