Posted Nov. 6 - Like clockwork, America votes in November. Like clockwork, voters in North Manchester flock to the Rotary Pancake Breakfast on Election Day. And, like clockwork, Chemistry Professor Susan Klein shows up at the pancake breakfast with students in tow.

The Rotarians know to expect Susan and her entourage and greet her warmly. On Nov. 6, she paid for eight students to enjoy pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage. This year they included her lab assistants, senior chemistry majors and assorted others. In the past, she’s brought international students with her. It’s a civics lesson, she says. Even if the students she treats to breakfast can’t vote in North Manchester, it’s an opportunity to talk about why elections matter.

It’s also about building community: among students, between a beloved faculty member and her students and with North Manchester residents. A good lesson in civics, indeed.