ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Forget the textbooks and traditional lectures. At the University of Michigan, one teacher is making headlines for a classroom musical performance that has social media users wondering whether students are paying for an education or tickets to a political cabaret.

Dr. Laura Yakas, a lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, is featured in a viral video posted on X reportedly recorded by a University of Michigan student, showing her singing during what is described as a classroom presentation.

MORE NEWS: Opening Day, New Rules: Michigan Deer Hunters Get More Rifle Options

An unimpressed student who recorded the performance says, “I can’t make this sh*t up. This is what my professor does for my class.” He later adds, “I pay money to go to this college.”

The song she sings includes references to the fact that she thought she was here to help save the world but is actually here to watch it melt. As she plays her guitar, she sings about not romanticizing the past because “it was sh*t back when in many ways though it’s even more sh*t now.” She says some days she’s fine with it because she is mature and has a “happy world.”

Social Justice and Social Media

According to the university’s course listings, Yakas teaches several classes during the Fall 2026 semester, including Engaging Social Justice, Diversity, and Oppression in Social Work, Social Work Essentials Skills Lab, and Advanced Topics in Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse. Her scheduled Winter 2027 classes include Social Work Essentials Skills Lab and Practicing Policy with Current Events.

Previously, she taught Social Media & Social Change, Behavioral, Psychosocial and Ecological Aspects of Health, Mental Health and Disease, and Social Work Capstone courses.

MORE NEWS: Mother and Son Face Trafficking Charges Tied to Oakland County Massage Businesses

Whether impromptu musical performances are often part of her lesson plans is another question.

Body Hair, Monogamy and the Madness of Love

Yakas’ academic publications are equally unconventional, including her 2009 work, Femininity, Sexuality and Body Hair: The female body hair(less) ideal, which is no longer available online.

In her chapter Love Is Merely a Madness in the 2023 Routledge academic book Exploring Sexuality and Disability: A Guide for Human Service Professionals, Yakas argues that society has historically treated people whose sexual identities or behaviors fall outside traditional heterosexual norms as mentally ill or abnormal. She challenges those beliefs, arguing that sexual diversity is natural and that labeling it a mental disorder is itself harmful.

In the same book, she co-authored the chapter Compulsory Monogamy Is Disabling: Connecting Disability Justice and Critical Non-monogamy with Nicole Ariel Lopez. In it, Yakas and Lopez argue that society’s expectation that people should have only one romantic or sexual partner can be harmful and discriminatory. They compare traditional expectations of monogamy to discrimination against people with disabilities, arguing that both create barriers that prevent people from living as they choose. They advocate for greater acceptance of relationships involving multiple partners, arguing that people should be free to pursue love, sex, and companionship in ways that meet their individual needs.

They compare traditional expectations of monogamy to discrimination against people with disabilities, arguing that both create barriers that prevent people from living as they choose. They advocate for greater acceptance of relationships involving multiple partners, arguing that people should be free to pursue love, sex and companionship in ways that meet their individual needs.

And She’s an Award-Winning Lecturer

Yakas has also received recognition from the university, including its 2024 Distinguished Lecturer Award. The award recognizes teaching excellence, suggesting university officials have a considerably different assessment of her educational approach than the student criticizing her online.

Michigan News Source reached out to Yakas about her newfound fame on social media, but she did not return our request for comment. However, one thing is certain: When students are paying thousands of dollars for a college education, some might prefer a little less singing and a little more schooling.