Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Friday for President Obama’s town hall-style talk at the Binghamton University Old Union.
Students, faculty and staff interested in attending can enter their names in a lottery through the White House website, www.whitehouse.gov. Names from the lottery will be selected at noon on Wednesday, Aug 21. University spokesperson Ryan Yarosh said he couldn’t confirm how many spots are available, but that “a majority of the tickets will be given to students.”
Those who won’t be able to attend the president’s talk can also watch the event on the BU website through a live stream, which will also be played at Watters Theater while the president speaks, Yarosh said.
The president will visit Binghamton as part of a bus tour of upstate New York, which will also include stops at colleges in Buffalo and Syracuse. The trip will take place Thursday and Friday, Aug. 22-23.
In a letter posted on the president’s Facebook page Wednesday morning, he explained his thinking behind the tour.
“I will be embarking on a bus tour to offer my plan to make college more affordable, tackle rising costs, and improve value for students and their families,” Obama wrote. “My plan includes real reforms that would bring lasting change. They won’t all be popular with everyone — including some who’ve made higher education their business — but it’s past time that more of our colleges work better for the students they exist to serve.”
Pipe Dream will continue updating this story with more details about the president’s visit as they become available.