The author displays the typical attitude of an academic, imo. They’re totally clueless about anything happening outside of their hyper-specific field. This author clearly thinks she can change the world from her classroom. I mean, her final saccharine line is:

There were smiles and enthusiasm and incredulity and frustrated groans, laughter and the whole gamut of human effort. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel like betrayal any more.

She thinks she’s turned around a generation’s attitude after one shitty presentation to group of understandably sullen kids. Totally disconnected from reality