Aaron Gillespie

Column is…. GO:

Let me start this off by saying I’m in the engineering Library right now. I’m killing time until my study-buddy gets here so we can do our shit. I decided to write the column after I realized the following:

The phrase "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick" means something entirely different when you are in the library.

There are two issues I’d like to cover in this column. So I can’t dwell on either for long.

Issue #1-  "movie mode"

I watched about half of "Donnie Darko" the other night and I slipped back into this mind frame that I always get when I watch a movie for the first time. I get an overwhelming sense of contentment. I feel as though everything I do has a meaning, has a purpose, and was done for a reason. Essentially I feel as cool as the Cheeto’s cheetah. If a movie has a moral, the mood seems to be enhanced and driven towards that moral, but even if it doesn’t it is still very much there. This effect seems to wear off over time, as I’ve seen "The Boondock Saints" well into 20 times I’d think and I don’t get this feeling anymore. Anyways, what I’m interested in is the psychology of the whole thing. Why is it that like clockwork I feel this way after watching a good movie for the first time? What about a movie does it? Is there any other ways for me to get this feeling? I imagine that’s what marijuana is like. hahaha

Issue #2- Emily Cressy

Emily Cressy is a soccer stud here at KU. There’s a big thing on her in the paper and on KU’s website today. The headlines read "Signs of success: Deaf soccer player Emily Cressy thrives on the applause she sees." Now, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Emily a few times now (due to a highly-coincidental friendship she had with my roommate last year) and I know this: Emily is a good, nice, extremely talented, and otherwise normal college-age girl. The headlines of the paper seem to only give her credit for being excellent because she has hearing loss and has excelled to the level of play that she is at today. I haven’t even read the article because I would feel bad in doing so. is it possible that Emily is an extraordinary athlete no matter what? I mean, is the fact that she’s deaf so important that it has to appear even before her name does? I think we are sending the wrong message here. If I put myself in her shoes I see the headlines reading something along the lines of "Signs of success: 6′8" tall Aaron Gillespie thrives at writing a blog, that he has to sit down to do!" Sure, I’m tall and that’s one of my traits just as much as Emily is deaf and that’s one of her traits- but don’t put me into a cardboard box along with every other tall person and don’t put her in a box with every other deaf person. I’m sure she’d probably rather have the headline play down the fact that she’s deaf if they have to include it at all. The added "applause that she sees" at the end of the headline is just a bonus "oh and don’t forget that she’s deaf!" to make sure that we pigeon hole firstly as a deaf person, secondly as a student athlete, and finally as a human being who has excelled at something she has worked hard for. Come on guys, I think we are a little better than that. It’s beyond political correctness, because it would be politically incorrect also if you completely ignored that fact. She’s deaf just as I am tall, I’m sure we’d both rather be known for something other than our obvious and uncontrollable trait. Just show a little respect for that please

 

 

Top 5: Possible other completely headlines that show a complete lack of deserved respect

 

5. ALS Afflicted and almost completely paralyzed Stephen Hawking writes a book about black holes!

 

4. Parkinson’s disease hasn’t stopped Michael J. Fox from a happy retirement!

 

 

3. African-American Barack  Obama  wins  presidency!  (did we mention he’s black?)

 

2. CVC Female person with NO Y CHROMOSOME Sarah Palin  accepts vice-presidential nomination! (cvc: Certified Vagina Carrier)

 

1. Obese loudmouth annoying lesbian  Rosie O’Donald has no other defining traits!

Come on guys, that’s bullshit.

 

Quotes:

“ It’s KU, they are working on a way to charge you for the air here "
         - Some guy behind me just said that to somebody on the phone -

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm and is filed under columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.