CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign leading an effort to persuade former President Barack Obama to serve as commencement speaker at the May 13 ceremony have sent a video invitation to the former state and federal legislator from Illinois.
Within the span of 1 minute and 26 seconds, the university staff-produced video conveys the views of several students who relate the impact that Obama has had on their lives – and the further significance of his participation in the commencement ceremony.
A petition drive has garnered more than 2,100 signatures to date.