The students' successful courtship of Obama has resulted in officials scrambling to accommodate what was originally envisioned as an event for only 3,200 people, says university spokeswoman Patti Waid Istas. Because of high interest surrounding the first lady, officials now expect a crowd of about 12,000 on Saturday, including 500 graduates. As a fledgling campus, Merced does not even have enough seating for such a crowd, so chairs and related items have been rented in recent days.
News media interest has been high, Istas says, including an inquiry from the BBC.
Ezell says that, while he and other graduates remain excited, they occasionally worry that the avalanche of attention on their keynote speaker may overshadow commencement itself. “Michelle Obama is a part of the experience, but she's not the experience."
The pursuit of Obama has featured humorous moments, too, such as instances when Ezell has unwittingly shunted White House calls to voicemail because his cell phone's screen showed the caller's number was blocked.
University chancellor Dr. Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang, who sent a letter to the White House endorsing the students' pursuit, issued a press release praising student efforts as “a true testament of the founding class' vision, hard work and can-do attitude that will take them far in life.”
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
