Obama’s still a politician!

In response to Monday’s column “”The other side of Obama’s speech,”” I need to stop you before we all start to get on our hands and knees to kiss Barack’s feet. Remember, Barack is as skilled as they come in being a politician. His “”monumental speech on race relations”” was a prime example of him spinning the real issue about his character and lack of good judgment. Obama launched his campaign promising to be the agent to unite both sides of the political spectrum, yet he has been involved in an extremely divisive church for over 20 years and has called the leader, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a personal mentor and father-figure.

Barack’s attempt to compare his white grandmother’s private confessions (that made him cringe) to Rev. Wright’s crafted hate-driven Sunday morning sermons is as pathetic as it is despicable. Now we are applauding Obama for throwing his grandmother under the bus to save his political reputation. Should we call this the Audacity Of Hope or the Hope Of Audacity? When we vote in November to elect the executive decision-maker – Commander in Chief – please know character does count.

Alex Parisi
visual communication senior

Fired for film?

As I read through your “”Students beware”” article (Monday) I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Just a couple of hours earlier I received a phone call from a prospective employer that I had an interview with yesterday – they called to inform me that they wouldn’t be offering me the job because of what they found online when they Googled me.

More specifically, what they found when they surfed over to one of my YouTube profiles didn’t mesh with the “”image”” that they’d like for their place of business, a charter high school. They said the first thing their students do is Google staff and my UA student films, made during my time in the Media Arts BFA program, aren’t appropriate for the Internet. YouTube, by the way, is blocked on their school’s computers. None of my films feature any kind of gratuitous violence or drug use, and the only film I’ve done that features implied nudity has an 18+ age verification form attached to it on YouTube (a film that’s won its fair share of critical “”acclaim,”” appearing in local film festivals). So, there you go – your reporting is accurate! I just didn’t think they’d go Google hunting after the interview, you know?

Phillip Lybrand
media arts alumnus

Longboard laws

Everyone who sobers up enough to come to campus is aware of the chaotic traffic that blights the streets and sidewalks between classes, and the long-running grudge match between pedestrians and longboarders. Collisions between the two can have disastrous results including anger, argument, injury, fighting, hospitalization, unwanted pregnancy and the black lung. But I think with a little understanding, we can prevent all of these.

First, let me say that I am a longboarder. I need a fast way to get around, since I like to be really late for things. I get up in the morning, enjoy my breakfast beer and before you know it I have to skate to class at breakneck pace so I can burst in 20 minutes late and disrupt everybody. On the way, I really don’t want to collide with anyone, but some common pedestrian behavior makes that goal almost as unachievable as my desire to copulate with Heidi Klum. Some dangerous pedestrian behaviors include: No. 1. Stepping out into busy streets at random while staring at the ground. No. 2. Standing in the middle of bike paths. No. 3. Noticing an oncoming longboarder and freezing in place, deer-like. No. 4. Noticing an oncoming longboarder and jumping around like a hyperactive jackrabbit on crack in an attempt to get out of the way.

So to those walking around campus, I say this: Just walk where you’re going, don’t try to avoid us boarders. We will go around you, really; none of us want to eat a pavement sandwich. If you jump around or stop, you’ll be infinitely harder to avoid. But also, stay aware enough that you don’t pop out into a busy path when it is too late to avoid you. Those crosswalks are there for a reason.

But wait! My rambling criticism isn’t aimed only at pedestrians. I have a bone or two to pick with longboarders, too. It’s pretty simple: Learn to control your board. The reason pedestrians are so scared of us is because of the bright bulbs out there who buy a $60 WalMart-quality longboard and then hop on and skate into the fray without a shred of practice, balance or coordination. You need to learn a few things first, such as how to push smoothly, turn and foot-brake to stop. You shouldn’t be on a board putting others in danger unless you can control yourself. Stop by the campus longboard club: They can help you get started and also impress you with their bitchin’ hairdos.

Chris Poole
aerospace engineering sophomore