Issue date: 12/8/08 Section: News

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President Bush will be back in Aggieland on Friday for the first time since he was Governor of Texas.

Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano personally invited President George W. Bush to speak at the December commencement during her fall stay in Washington, D.C.

While some students said they are unenthusiastic about the visit, others said they are honored that Bush will speak at this year's graduation.

"After that meeting, we extended an official invitation to the president through the White House and we were excited to learn that our invitation had been accepted," Murano said.

Bush's commencement address will be an honor, Murano said, especially since his presidential term is coming to a close.

"President Bush has led our country through many historical events, if you look back to 9/11, the invasion of Iraq and the current economic crisis," Murano said. "I know that Aggieland has a special place in the hearts of the Bush family, and we are looking forward to welcoming the president back home to Texas."

Malika Te, a senior political science major, said Bush chose A&M because of his father, President George H.W. Bush's, involvement at A&M.

"I'm not a big fan of Bush, so I'm not too excited about it," Te said. "I'm going, but I'm going because my mom wants to go."

Te joked that she would have liked to see a popular TV personality speak at her graduation.

"Steven Colbert - he's hilarious," she said.

Senior Georgia Kate Lombardo said her parents are more enthusiastic than she is about Bush's address, but the business major is excited about what Bush will discuss.

"I'm interested to see if he'll be motivational or generic, or if he'll use this platform as an opportunity to say something with a political impact," Lombardo said.

"[Bush] could have chosen any college across the nation," she said. "Now I'm even more intrigued to see what he has to say."

Junior Paul Wyatt remarked positively on Bush's arrival.

"Anybody should be honored to have a president speak because presidents doing that shows they actually care about what everyone thinks about them," he said.

Wyatt said he hoped to listen to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speak at his graduation.

"Of all the people that got replaced when Obama took over, [Gates] was not one of them," Wyatt said. "His quality passed party lines."

Emily Jankowski, junior political science major, said the majority of students' political affiliations share similarities with the Bush family's views.

"We're the most conservative school," Jankowski said. "When the Bush family is here, they aren't being harassed or hounded. If you put them in a different campus, I think they would be hounded. Here, it's nothing."

Regardless of who the president is, Jankowski said she's honored and hopes Aggies will be respectful.

"I don't want to be in the news for something disrespectful because that happens at A&M sometimes," she said.

Senior political science major Chena Medina agreed.

"How many people can say that their president gave a speech [at their school]? I'm not a fan of his, but I will still be honored," Medina said.

When and where
Graduating Aggies can listen to Bush speak at 10:30 a.m. on Friday in Reed Arena.

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