There are times when a university professor needs to cancel a class.
For an advertising and public relations professor at the University of Tennessee, that time came when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement was announced Tuesday in a post on Instagram.
According to a report on Newsmax, Matthew Pittman announced to his class that time was needed to “process this information” so class was canceled.
Pittman’s announcement went viral when the clip was posted on Instagram.
“Taylor and Travis just got engaged,” Pittman said. “Due to this information, I can’t focus, you all can’t focus. Class is canceled, get outta here. We need time to process this information.”
The students then billowed out of the classroom without hesitation. One student is heard reacting to the engagement, saying, “No Way!”
After the clip was posted, Pittman was declared “favorite teacher ever.”
Some have since wondered it the class cancellation was real or theatrical.
Pittman said in a later video that it was a teachable moment.
The engagement announcement provided a real-time case study in how major cultural events dominate digital platforms and capture public attention.
“This is pretty big news,” he said in a later video. “The engagement announcement will very likely become the No. 1 shared post in the history of social media. It’s gonna be everywhere for a long time. This is gonna be crazy.”
College students in Tennessee weren’t the only ones reacting to the news.
President Donald Trump, who has spoken out against Swift in the past, was asked about the engagement in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
“I wish them a lot of luck,” he told reporters, Politico reported. “I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy. I think that she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck.”
Watch:
