Around 1 PM, President Obama spoke in front of thousands of NC State students and the general public urging them to push congress to pass the new American Jobs Act.
Before arriving on campus, President Obama made a stop in Apex to speak at WestStar Precision, a small manufacturing company.
President Obama said that he wants to ensure that college students have jobs when they graduate. He wants to ensure that schools are in adequate shape, so that students can have a safe and clean environment to do the things that they need to do so that they can have access to higher education.
He also made it clear to the audience that this bill will only be possible if he can finally get Congress on one accord and get them to do their jobs, rather than worrying about party affiliations and election campaigns. “The time is now for Washington to act,” stated the President.
Following the event, the president had a short reception and is now on his way back to Washington.
Access to several roads around campus was blocked off until the President made his exit.
Many students were very excited to see the president and many professors cancelled class to give students a once in a lifetime opportunity. However, there were concerns from many who wanted to know the reasoning for why people who arrived later got better seating.
Student Body President Chandler Thompson said that the White House arranged the seating.