White Owl's status overrated?
Sarah Neff and Matt Hirschfeld talk White Owl for the Editorial Board.
By Matt Hirschfeld (Contact), Sarah Neff
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Distracting
White Owl is the classic modern celebrity, famous for being famous, but what has he actually done? White Owl’s engagement has been the most discussed story The Kansan has published all summer. The story has been picked up by other media outlets including the Kansas City Star, the Lawrence Journal-World and Fox 4 News in Kansas City. While his antics are entertaining and it is interesting that he is engaged to a 22-year-old, his outward behavior is a distraction from who he actually is: a Vietnam veteran who obviously still suffers from his wartime experience. Rather than laughing at him, we should use his story as a lens to examine our long-term treatment of veterans. By refusing to fold quietly back into society, White Owl is giving us a chance to see what happens to veterans whom most of us would easily allow ourselves to ignore.
— Sarah Neff
for the Kansan editoral board
Entertaining
Buffet at Cici’s Pizza: $3.99. One handle of alcohol: $12.95 Increase next semester for an in-state student taking 15 hours: $175.50. White Owl getting married: pointless. Pointless, though, in that White Owl becoming engaged to a student does not affect my eating habits, my drinking or my education.
It will cause me to look at the University’s icon and take a break from reality. A reality full of increasing prices and a decreasing number of hours in the day to get it all done. I gawk at him on campus during one of his rants, become distracted from figuring out how I am going to pay my credit card bill, and return back to my life.
And if White Owl is considered more of a distraction as opposed to beneficial, satisfaction can result with one thought: “I may be broke, busy as hell and eating cheap pizza, but at least I’m not that guy.”
— Matt Hirschfeld
for the Kansan editoral board
Discussion
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Thank you! You finally wrote an article that was worth the paper printed on. Bravo! He is NOTHING and 100% OVERRATED! He is a plague on this campus and needs removal!
As someone who considers White Owl a good friend, I would encourage people to get to know him. I agree with the first response about learning something from not only a Veteran but a Lawrence elder. His stories about this cities history alone deserve to be republished in the UDK. I really wish they had gotten it right and decided to focus more on the man and his life than the controversy of his marriage. The only reason he has become a spectacle is because people make him one instead of investing some time to find out what he knows. I see this type of thinking often in the KU community, people are content to being spectators in their studies and the goings on at the campus. The knowledge you gain here can forever be used to change the world around you. The comments about prices for this and that are the result of your ignorance and resistance to change the world around you.
Yawn...that rant was more boring than most articles
like they said you should look in to his life you just might find out the truth about him. Just a couple of years ago he said he was gods chosen one and he was christ. check that out
Maybe the Kansan should focus on him instead of his outward personality. If you don't like him, why waste your time writing a rant about why you can't stand him.
As for this: "Vietnam veteran who obviously still suffers from his wartime experience."
Did you graduate from the med school over in Kansas City or consult someone from over there about your diagnosis?
No, didn't think so.
What an amateur, immature, liberal, piece of garbage opinion.
Get it together.
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