Wednesday, June 19, 2013

News
Anchorage Reacts to the President's Address
State of the (Student) Union
By Lacie Grosvold


ANCHORAGE - If you watched President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on a major network, it was different than what University of Alaska Anchorage students saw when they livestreamed the event Tuesday night.

During the speech, which lasted over an hour, the president spoke on the left side of the screen while infographics illustrated his points on the right. This administration’s enthusiasm for new technology is partly an effort to connect with younger voters.

Jonathon Taylor, who was helping coordinate the livestream projected onto a large screen for the few dozen people who watched, said he liked the technology. "I’m a very visual person." While Taylor didn't agree with all the statements, or the information supporting it, he did enjoy the graphics.

One libertarian student said he liked the option, but he was more interested in reading the president, "focusing on his body language and the way he used inflections," Aaron Streitenberger explained.

During his speech, it was clear who favored the more Democratic policies. Several clapped, while others rolled their eyes or nudged their friends. Erin Conlon said the speech was good. "I’m on his side, generally. He said a lot of good stuff."

Streitenberger said pointed out what he interpreted as double speak -- the president calling more government spending "investment."

Students held a moderated discussion after the speech. They demonstrated that even though lawmakers aren't always capable of doing it, they could have a productive discussion with those whose opinions are different from their own.