George H. W. Bush to visit the university in April
Like It Is
Cody Kees
Issue date: 3/11/09 Section: Opinion
Mark your calendars: the UA will welcome former President George H. W. Bush to campus Monday, April 6, as the Distinguished Lecture Committee's spring speaker.
From what I could gather, this is Bush 41's second official visit to the UA, the first being the 1969 "Big Shootout" between the University of Texas and the UA for the Southwest Conference Championship. (Bush was in attendance with then-President Richard Nixon.)
Bush's visit on April 6 will also be the first trip to Fayetteville on a past commander-in-chief's calendar since former President Bill Clinton was on campus in 2002 for the dedication of the J. William Fulbright Sculpture.
Though both Bush and Clinton have been in the area several times since their last campus appearances, it will be nice to welcome a president back on "The Hill" for not simply a brief speech, but for a full evening of activities catered to students.
The sponsoring organization, the DLC, is a student- and faculty-run committee charged with managing a student fee that has the potential to serve students very well in their educational pursuits.
The DLC seeks to bring to campus high-profile, engaging individuals who have significantly impacted the world around them.
But like any student program or event, the venue can often be less-than-packed and the crowd much older than the average student.
This means there is almost always plenty of room for more students to accompany the older community members who attend to enjoy the free show.
Though the DLC has found that affordability and scheduling are often the biggest struggles when choosing a speaker, the committee always first asks, "Who will students be most excited about seeing?" This question is obviously rather subjective and has many possible answers, but there is a universal question that tends to have a universal response: "Who is the most powerful individual in the world?"
The answer, of course, is the president of the United States.
Bush's visit in April is sure to be an exciting occasion and will give many students, including myself, their first opportunity to meet one of our nation's former commanders-in-chief.
Members of the DLC will brainstorm for hours on how to get students to come to this free, once-in-a-lifetime event. Truthfully, the speech will probably not be life-changing or any more inspiring than the many tear-jerking lines delivered by our current President Barack Obama, but this event does afford students the chance to see our oldest living president live and up close, and many students will even get to meet him.
So, my friends, the DLC is not catering to the students who prefer to attend a lecture by an athlete, pop star, author, journalist or philanthropist, but instead, the committee is simply bringing a member of our nation's most elite club - one that has only five living members.
A short read over Bush's biography will help any attendee see that the former president has a background that covers just about everything, and I hope students will find time to attend what will certainly be an unforgettable evening for our university and for themselves.
See you 8 p.m. Monday, April 6, in Barnhill Arena!
Cody Kees is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.
From what I could gather, this is Bush 41's second official visit to the UA, the first being the 1969 "Big Shootout" between the University of Texas and the UA for the Southwest Conference Championship. (Bush was in attendance with then-President Richard Nixon.)
Bush's visit on April 6 will also be the first trip to Fayetteville on a past commander-in-chief's calendar since former President Bill Clinton was on campus in 2002 for the dedication of the J. William Fulbright Sculpture.
Though both Bush and Clinton have been in the area several times since their last campus appearances, it will be nice to welcome a president back on "The Hill" for not simply a brief speech, but for a full evening of activities catered to students.
The sponsoring organization, the DLC, is a student- and faculty-run committee charged with managing a student fee that has the potential to serve students very well in their educational pursuits.
The DLC seeks to bring to campus high-profile, engaging individuals who have significantly impacted the world around them.
But like any student program or event, the venue can often be less-than-packed and the crowd much older than the average student.
This means there is almost always plenty of room for more students to accompany the older community members who attend to enjoy the free show.
Though the DLC has found that affordability and scheduling are often the biggest struggles when choosing a speaker, the committee always first asks, "Who will students be most excited about seeing?" This question is obviously rather subjective and has many possible answers, but there is a universal question that tends to have a universal response: "Who is the most powerful individual in the world?"
The answer, of course, is the president of the United States.
Bush's visit in April is sure to be an exciting occasion and will give many students, including myself, their first opportunity to meet one of our nation's former commanders-in-chief.
Members of the DLC will brainstorm for hours on how to get students to come to this free, once-in-a-lifetime event. Truthfully, the speech will probably not be life-changing or any more inspiring than the many tear-jerking lines delivered by our current President Barack Obama, but this event does afford students the chance to see our oldest living president live and up close, and many students will even get to meet him.
So, my friends, the DLC is not catering to the students who prefer to attend a lecture by an athlete, pop star, author, journalist or philanthropist, but instead, the committee is simply bringing a member of our nation's most elite club - one that has only five living members.
A short read over Bush's biography will help any attendee see that the former president has a background that covers just about everything, and I hope students will find time to attend what will certainly be an unforgettable evening for our university and for themselves.
See you 8 p.m. Monday, April 6, in Barnhill Arena!
Cody Kees is a columnist for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every other Wednesday.
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