Salt Lake City Councilman Luke Garrott took office in January. At the time, he scored a seat representing District 4 based on his qualifications as a respected University of Utah political-science professor with a burning passion for soccer, preserving historic neighborhoods and planned, sustainable development. These days, however, he could easily run on the platform, “Luke Garrott—You Know This Guy,” because Garrott is, first and foremost, “someone who walks his neighborhood talk.”
On any given day, you might find him commiserating with salt-of-the-earth folks at Junior’s Tavern, or maybe jogging—not in some fancy sports club—but right past the homeless shelter several miles from his Trolley Square neighborhood. Garrott recently, and somewhat infamously, demonstrated to his constituents just how devoted he is to curbing crime by intervening in a knife fight. Should he have called the cops instead? That’s debatable. But, one thing is certain: Garrott is not afraid to take action.
At the U, he further connects with the children who, it turns out, really are our future.
“My students, especially the upper-division ones, are intelligent and engaged,” he says, adding that he is made hopeful by the next generation. Garrott is similarly optimistic about the 2008 presidential election, predicting an Obama landslide, “but only if we get our friends to register and vote!”
How does he stay motivated in these cynical times? Sly and the Family Stone makes him feel patriotic, but this audiophile has about 120GB worth of tunes to complement any mood.
We invited Garrott to submit to a game of chance—to see how far he’s willing to open up—by putting his iPod on shuffle and reporting the results. No skipping around. No hanging chads. No questioned ballots.
Turns out he had nothing to worry about. His reputation remains solid gold.
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Flaming Lips, “In the Morning of the Magicians,” Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots |
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Swirlies, “Jeremy Parker,” Blonder Tongue Audio Baton |
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Air, “Run,” Talkie Walkie |
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Heatmiser, “Low Flying Jets,” Mic City Sons |
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Aimee Mann, “All Over Now,” I’m With Stupid |
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