Best on-campus speaker

While Auraria Campus hosted a plethora of riveting speakers this year, including Run DMC and Talib Kweli, the most noteworthy of all speakers by far was President Barack Obama.

When Obama announced that he’d be speaking at CU Denver, the university scrambled to put on a good show for the president. Thousands of faculty, staff, and students from all three schools lined up for the chance to get a pair of tickets to the once-in-a-lifetime event.

The morning of the speech, those who had obtained tickets arrived early only to wait outside in the snow and freezing cold. Auraria Campus was filled with reporters, Secret Service, and protestors.

Obama used the platform to call attention to the fact that student loan debt had surpassed credit debt in the United States, and he promised students that he would work toward a solution to keep college affordable.

The event itself wasn’t without its criticisms. Of the thousands who obtained tickets to Obama’s remarks, many who lined up the morning of the event were turned away at the door and literally left in the cold because more tickets were given out than there were available seats.

Despite the plight of severely bummed ticketholders, the president’s visit solidified Colorado’s role as a swing state in the national spotlight of the 2012 elections. Obama’s appearance also offered students an unforgettable opportunity to see politics in action on their own campus, along with some pretty cool photos to show off to their friends.