Taking flight with Brandon Rainbolt

While walking down the stuffy halls of Bizzell Library, it was no surprise that I saw Brandon Rainbolt typing away at his computer. He is hard at work trying to finish his expository writing paper that is due a week earlier then the rest of his classmates. Why? He will be high in the Rocky Mountains competing against some of the best athletes in America on the day it's actually due. Brandon is a semi-profesional snowboarder who often has to be away from class for a full week in order to train and prepare for his competitions. "I am in my room studying consistently for a class just to try to keep up and not fall behind," he said. He admits he struggled at first, but is now learning to effectively balance the two and become successful at both. However, he will soon have to make a decision of whether or not to pursue snowboarding as a career and leave school. 
Things are looking up for Brandon on the slopes making this decision even tougher. He competed at the X-Games Railjam, will be competing at nationals and is looking to sign with several sponsors. "I am basically basing the rest of my college life off of the next couple months of snowboarding," Rainbolt said. 
Ian Hammond, one of Rainbolt's closest friends and pledge brother will support him no matter what the outcome of his decision is. “I just want him to do whatever makes him happy, ultimately in life you have to do whatever makes you happy,” Hammond said.

(VIDEO: Chris Corbaz 1:26)

Internet surveillance on the rise

Chris Soghoian (far right) talks about Internet Privacy with students Tuesday. PHOTO: Chris Corbaz

Addressing an auditorium full of students at Gaylord Hall on Tuesday, technologist Chris Soghoian warned students about the increasing surveillance being done by companies through the Internet.

Soghoian, who was recently called “the most prominent of a new breed of activist technology researcher,” by The Economist magazine, shed light on how companies are intruding on its users.

“Companies to whom we entrust our private data, the Googles, the Facebooks; all of these companies are legally required by law to provide surveillance systems to the government,” explained Soghoian.

Many people are not aware that surveillance is being done on a massive scale. Companies do not advertise this feature in their service, so essentially consumers are unaware of the privacy intrusion that can be done.

However, it is not just these companies that have the potential to gain access into your personal life.

“The government also gets to come along for the ride too. So I really wanted to get information about this and expose it,” said Soghoian.

Mary Clancy, a freshman pre communication disorders major at OU, was not aware of this surveillance. “I was surprised by how much access others have to what I would have previously considered private and protected,” said Clancy.

She added that she will be more careful about what she posts online from now on.

 Soghoian was brought in as a part of the Future of Privacy in a Socially Networked World put on by Gaylord College.