Spring Break
Obama on the way
President will come to Aggieland to speak about community service
By: Patrick Hayslip
Issue date: 9/16/09 Section: News
To the mixed emotions of students, President Barack Obama is coming to Texas A&M University on Oct. 16 to speak about community service at the George Bush Presidential Library as part of his "United We Service," call, which is challenging Americans to be more productive members of their community. Obama is being hosted by former President George H.W. Bush and the Points of Light institute.
"I didn't vote for him and I probably won't go see him speak," said Jeff Gage, a senior telecommunication and media studies major. "I have nothing against it though. We must be a pretty important University for him to come speak."
Though other students said they weren't enthused he was coming to speak, they recognized the importance of the current president coming to campus for the second time in less than a year.
"I don't have a problem with him coming to speak," said Cody Hammond, a junior petroleum engineering major. "I'm pretty excited about him coming here though. I hope he doesn't talk about healthcare. I've heard enough of that from him."
The Young Conservatives of Texas made news nationally with a protest of voting for Obama on Oct. 30, 2008. The YCT held an anti-Obama carnival outside Rudder Plaza, with the focus being on a game where students could throw eggs at an image of Obama and a "Hello, my name is bad for America" nametag below his picture. Other students said they can't help but wonder if such an episode will happen again.
"This campus doesn't have a good reputation with race relations," said Elizabeth Thorpe, a communication graduate student. "I'm afraid there's going to be another YCT incident. It's going to be a mess."
Thorpe said she thinks not enough people know about the projected arrival of Obama and advertised it in her own way by posting it on Facebook.
"I posted it on Facebook yesterday and I got a lot of surprised reactions," Thorpe said. "There hasn't been a whole lot of press considering the importance of the event."
"I didn't vote for him and I probably won't go see him speak," said Jeff Gage, a senior telecommunication and media studies major. "I have nothing against it though. We must be a pretty important University for him to come speak."
Though other students said they weren't enthused he was coming to speak, they recognized the importance of the current president coming to campus for the second time in less than a year.
"I don't have a problem with him coming to speak," said Cody Hammond, a junior petroleum engineering major. "I'm pretty excited about him coming here though. I hope he doesn't talk about healthcare. I've heard enough of that from him."
The Young Conservatives of Texas made news nationally with a protest of voting for Obama on Oct. 30, 2008. The YCT held an anti-Obama carnival outside Rudder Plaza, with the focus being on a game where students could throw eggs at an image of Obama and a "Hello, my name is bad for America" nametag below his picture. Other students said they can't help but wonder if such an episode will happen again.
"This campus doesn't have a good reputation with race relations," said Elizabeth Thorpe, a communication graduate student. "I'm afraid there's going to be another YCT incident. It's going to be a mess."
Thorpe said she thinks not enough people know about the projected arrival of Obama and advertised it in her own way by posting it on Facebook.
"I posted it on Facebook yesterday and I got a lot of surprised reactions," Thorpe said. "There hasn't been a whole lot of press considering the importance of the event."
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