The Virginian-Pilot
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Everybody wanted to know Friday how Hampton University President William Harvey landed the big guy.
"If I answered that, it would sound like I'm bragging," he said. "But I think it's significant that we're the first African American institution that he's chosen to give his commencement address."
The university announced Thursday that President Barack Obama will give the commencement address at the May 9 graduation. The president will also address the University of Michigan and one of the military academies this spring.
Harvey said he wrote Obama in October asking him to consider the Mother's Day engagement, and that U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and "others in the White House" have been lobbying for the university. He said he knew the list of schools requesting Obama was extensive and he's honored that Hampton was selected. Harvey said he expects the university's Board of Trustees to approve an honorary degree for Obama.
"The president is a great role model for family," Harvey said. "He's a visionary, he believes in leadership... that's our mantra. That's been my mantra for 32 years."
Obama won't be the school's first presidential speaker. George H.W. Bush gave the commencement address in 1991.
The university's marching band had also been selected to perform in Obama's inaugural parade last year.
Tickets will go first to graduates and their families and then to faculty. Any leftover tickets will be available for the public, and the university likely will follow the same protocol it did for Bush's visit. Hampton will print two sets of tickets: One for the scheduled ceremony at Armstrong Stadium, which holds up to 20,000, and a different set for the Convocation Center, which is used during inclement weather. The center holds about 8,000. Approximately 1,200 students are eligible to graduate, Harvey said.
The school is working out details of ticket availability and distribution.
Security will be tight, he said.
Harvey said he got the official word Tuesday but kept mum until a town hall meeting with students Thursday night. He said the students started texting the news before he'd finished his remarks, and he started receiving calls from around the country within an hour.
Kathryn De Shields, a senior, said Friday that she was "so stoked" about Obama's visit.
"Him being the commencement speaker makes the past four years all worthwhile," the 21-year-old said. "I think it adds more meaning because this is the first president that I was able to vote for."
Moira Mack, a White House spokeswoman, said in an e-mail, "President Obama is looking forward to addressing the graduates of Hampton University, a school with a rich tradition of opening the doors of opportunity dating back to the Reconstruction era by fostering the exchange of ideas and educating our nation's future leaders."
Denise Watson Batts, (757) 446-2504, denise.batts@pilotonline.com
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What a racist prejudice.........
thing to say!
The truth is an absolute
The truth is an absolute defense against slander.
true, but
This particular poster labels any criticism of President Obama as racist.
It is possible to disagree with the man on substantive grounds. I criticize his policy positions when I disagree with them irrespective of his race.
The "racist" accusation is being thrown around quite cavalierly on these boards. If they were all to be believed I would truly be a miserable human being. If I believe in legal immigration it's because I don't like Hispanics. If I support the Second Amendment it's because I'm afraid of black men. If I criticize President Obama it's because he's black.
Frankly, I'm getting tired of it.
Frankly, I'm equally tired
Frankly, I'm equally tired of people making slightly veiled racist remarks and then denying that they are racist. This usually is followed by the sort of hyperbole in the last paragraph of the post to which I'm replying as an attempt to illustrate how ridiculous any and all accusations of racism. Such tactics only muddy the water. They certainly have little basis in truth. Birthers, the teleprompter meme,the Affirmative Action meme, the loaded questions about his education, the unusual emphasis on his middle name are each examples of this thinly veiled bigotry. Any discussion of Obama that features these topics is tainted with racism. There are indeed legitimate grounds to criticize Obama and if his political opponents would stick to them there would be no grounds for accusations of racism. But when someone throws up one of these topics it is unreasonable to expect that fair-minded people would not call them out on it.
well
You make some valid points.
Incidentally, I think President Obama is pretty smart not to release his original birth certificate because it keeps the birthers active. It helps him if he can paint his opposition as loons - smart politics.
I've had to get a
I've had to get a replacement birth certificate because I lost the "souvenir" quality original in my misspent youth. I'm betting were I to run for dog catcher, the only post I can imagine myself being qualified for, there would be no question about the authenticity of the copy of my birth certificate. But that because I'm a white middle aged male with a conservative hair cut.
It's not celebrated because
It's not celebrated because Obama clearly supports the demise of America. He drums up class warfare, implements blatantly socialist policies, cow-tows with America-hating dictators, accepts their America-hating gifts, sits in front of an America-hating pastor for decades, he even appoints America-hating radicals to new, big government posts. There is no reason to celebrate this man. We all know why he was elected; after decades of terrible public education and guilt-mongering, our country has a new criteria for selecting officials.
please pay attention
If you don't want to celebrate Barack Obama the man, that fine. Neither do I. About the only think he's done with which I agree is his increase of UAV missile attacks in Pakistan. I disagree with just about every other aspect of his agenda. I didn't vote for him and I sure as heck am not going to be voting for him should he win the Democratic nomination for President in 2012.
However.
He is the President of the United States and should be respected as such. It saddens me that many of the same people who use childish monikers to describe President Obama demanded repect for President Bush.
The President is coming to Tidewater. End of story.
The childish monkiers
directed at Bush is why there are ones directed now at Obama. I think it's great.
perhaps
As conservatives we should take the high road and not resort to the same sorts of childish tactics we decry when liberals use them.