2008 Woodie Awards
Mark Hamill visits campus
Michael Peirtsh and Carrie Potter
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News
Hamill has continued to back Obama ever since he was first won over after hearing him campaign for John Kerry in 2004.
Hamill admitted that he knows little about Obama's stances on certain issues such as immigration but agrees whole-heartedly with his position on his main concern: the War in Iraq.
"[It is] an unnecessary war that shouldn't have been waged. It is the biggest strategic blunder in our nation's history," he said.
The Star Wars parallel was drawn from Hamill's retelling of Star Wars creator George Lucas' pitch of the title Star Wars: Episode 4's subtitle, "A New Hope" to Hamill.
Lucas told Hamill that it was his character that was the new hope for the failing Rebel force.
"I don't want to go all Star Wars on you, but I can't help seeing the analogy here because I was the new hope in a fantasy world while Barack is the new hope in the real world," Hamill said.
"Bush is the emperor," a student yelled.
"If they took a test, the emperor would have a much higher IQ," Hamill responded.
The 56-year-old was in the Pittsburgh area scouting locations for a possible film based on his comic book, Black Pearl. Pennsylvania is such an important state in the Democratic race, he said, that he called Sen. Obama's headquarters and asked if there was anything that he could do.
Hamill met students and signed autographs in the hall afterwards.
Ben Harkins said he did not think he would be nervous when meeting Hamill, but could not help it as scenes from Star Wars flashed through his mind.
"This dude blew up the Death Star," the junior cinema and digital arts major said, "This dude got his hand chopped off in the next one. Then he blew up the Death Star again. It was real cool to meet him. It's just one of those movies that does that to you."
Hamill admitted that he knows little about Obama's stances on certain issues such as immigration but agrees whole-heartedly with his position on his main concern: the War in Iraq.
"[It is] an unnecessary war that shouldn't have been waged. It is the biggest strategic blunder in our nation's history," he said.
The Star Wars parallel was drawn from Hamill's retelling of Star Wars creator George Lucas' pitch of the title Star Wars: Episode 4's subtitle, "A New Hope" to Hamill.
Lucas told Hamill that it was his character that was the new hope for the failing Rebel force.
"I don't want to go all Star Wars on you, but I can't help seeing the analogy here because I was the new hope in a fantasy world while Barack is the new hope in the real world," Hamill said.
"Bush is the emperor," a student yelled.
"If they took a test, the emperor would have a much higher IQ," Hamill responded.
The 56-year-old was in the Pittsburgh area scouting locations for a possible film based on his comic book, Black Pearl. Pennsylvania is such an important state in the Democratic race, he said, that he called Sen. Obama's headquarters and asked if there was anything that he could do.
Hamill met students and signed autographs in the hall afterwards.
Ben Harkins said he did not think he would be nervous when meeting Hamill, but could not help it as scenes from Star Wars flashed through his mind.
"This dude blew up the Death Star," the junior cinema and digital arts major said, "This dude got his hand chopped off in the next one. Then he blew up the Death Star again. It was real cool to meet him. It's just one of those movies that does that to you."
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