When it was announced that Barack Obama would become the next president of the United States in November 2008, students ran through the streets of Ann Arbor and congregated on the Diag in celebration of his victory. And after yesterday's announcement that he will deliver the keynote address at commencement this spring, the president is once again evoking excitement in Ann Arbor.

In interviews following the announcement last night, students across campus expressed their enthusiasm.

LSA junior Carly Grob said after a year defined by disappointments for University students — including the elimination of the Michigan Promise Scholarship in the state's fiscal year 2010 budget and the Michigan football and basketball teams’ lackluster records — the announcement came as a much-needed turn of events.

“It’s uplifting almost,” she said. “It’s exciting that it’s a change of luck.”

“I think it’s an extreme honor for our school,” LSA sophomore Luke Chowaniec said. “I’m proud to be at Michigan and be a part of the place he chose to come to.”

LSA senior Sandra Forlemu agreed, saying that whatever the President chooses to address in his speech will be noteworthy.

“Whatever he decides to talk about will be inspirational,” she said.

Sam Marvin, chair of the University’s chapter of College Democrats, said the announcement was especially exciting in light of the work the group had done for Obama leading up to and following his election.

“It’s great whenever you can have a sitting president come and speak,” Marvin said. “It’s great especially in this case because we are a very liberal campus; even more so for (College Democrats) because we have spent so much time working for him.”

Marvin added that having Obama speak to the graduating class during one of its final milestones at the University will be an especially powerful moment.

“It’s an amazing feeling just to know that after four years of a wonderful experience, and then Barack Obama’s going to be the one to say, ‘now you take your next step into the real world,’” Marvin said.

Marvin, an LSA senior, said having Obama be his commencement speaker is especially poignant for him, as he is working for Teach for America next year, and will be doing work in line with the president’s efforts to reform education.

Marvin said he believes Obama’s commencement address will be a historical moment similar to when past presidents visited the University. He cited President John F. Kennedy’s announcement of the Peace Corps on the steps of the Michigan Union in 1960 and President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 commencement address in which he announced the Great Society program.

Obama’s commencement speech will be a “rekindling” of his campaign’s “messages of hope and change,” Marvin said. He added that he predicts Obama will address health care, funding for K-12 education and higher education, and financial regulation.

Charles Bogren, co-chair of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, said despite the fact that he disagrees with Obama politically, having the sitting president speak at commencement will still be exciting.

“I don’t necessarily agree with the majority of his policies, but it really is cool that the University got him to come to our commencement,” Bogren said.

Bogren added that he anticipates Obama will address Michigan’s “brain drain.”

“Because there are a lot of top people who get degrees from our state and leave, it will be interesting to see what he has to say about that,” Bogren said.

Nathaniel Eli Coats Styer, the chair of College Democrats last year, said he expects Obama to speak about “bringing back a sense of pride to America.”

Styer, a Public Policy senior, said he also predicts Obama will discuss his plan to reduce student loans for post-graduates as well as the importance of innovations in engineering and science.