RU-TV release campaign video to convince Obama to speak at commencement

Rutgers 250^th celebration has been going on since the beginning of the school year, but the big question which has been going around is who’s going to speak at this year’s commencement.

With Rutgers being one of the oldest universities in America, it’s important that we honor our legacy with a symbolic speaker. So who better to speak to our Scarlet Knights than our current president of the United States?

RU-TV just released a video inviting Obama to “come make history with us” at the anniversary commencement in May. The hashtag #Obama2RU is being used to help promote the student body run campaign.

In November, Rutgers University Student Assembly (RUSA) sent a letter to President Obama encouraging him to visit the banks of the old Raritan.

Back in 2013 another letter was sent by US House of Representatives member Frank Pallone Jr and NJ Senator Robert Menendez, appealing for Obama to visit us, but unfortunately there was no reply.

RUSA President Matthew Panconi told us: “The hope from writing the letter and the entire campaign is to get President Obama to speak at Rutgers’ 250th commencement. Obviously given this milestone and Rutgers’ history, this will be a big ceremony. It is fitting to have the President of the United States be the keynote speaker.

“Regardless of anyone’s political views, this is the President of the United States, the leader of our country and the free world. This is a time to put politics aside to celebrate the graduates of the class of 2016 and Rutgers’ history.”

It will be interesting though to see how exactly students will react to this campaign inviting a political figure to speak. In 2014, Condoleezza Rice was invited to speak at commencement but later declined after several student protests.

The Facebook page “Obama to Rutgers” has already reached 662 likes since it was created, and a petition to have Obama speak has already been signed by 486 people.

RUSA representative Brian Nealone revealed we may not know until as close as a week before graduation if Obama will come, but Rutgers does have a back up (just in case).