A Tale of Two Tickets

One thing I love about Cornell is the absolute diversity of the student body. 122 countries and all 50 states are represented here and as a result multiple viewpoints are a part of the norm here. There are plenty of conservatives on this campus but I have to admit that the conservative way of thinking often gets lost in the sea of liberalism that is so readily embraced here. But today I present to you the tale of two tickets. This tale expresses just how diverse the political spectrum is here at lovely (and surprisingly warm) Cornell.
As with every good tale these days it all begins with facebook. In all of the 12 (yes 12!) event invitations, I received a few days ago, two events caught my eye. One was called "An Evening with Keith Olbermann '79." Keith Olbermann, a well-known Cornell grad and until recently host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, was coming to Cornell! YAY! Mr. Olbermann was an idol of mine right up until I realized that his show was based only on his undying hatred of Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. I am not a fan of these people either but I certainly would not make them the centerpiece in my primetime show. Regardless I was excited at the prospect of meeting Herr Olbermann, so I happily clicked the "I'm Attending" button.
The second event was "Karl Rove: Thoughts on 2012." Yes that's right, Karl Rove. For anyone even remotely knowledgeable of American politics has come to know this name as one of the most infamous figures ever to have existed. There is no doubt that Rove is an excellent political strategist. He managed to get George Bush, one of the most hated figures of the 21st century (though the century is still young) elected to the Presidency TWICE. You may hate Karl Rove but you can't deny that the man's got skills and style.
So yesterday my friend Rachel and I packed up from our brief lunch and headed over to the ticket office in Willard Straight Hall. Once there we dutifully collected our two tickets each; one for Karl Rove and one for Keith Olbermann. Both events within a week of each other, hosted by different clubs on campus and each with a decidedly different goal and topic. The tale that is to be told with the help of these two tickets is sure to be extraordinary. And with that I place my tickets in my top drawer, ready for the respective dates printed clearly at the top of each.

I can't help thinking, "I'm so damn glad I didn't have to pay for these."
Until next time.