As Madison prepares for President Barack Obama’s second visit in less than a month to campus, sophomore Beau Branson said he was eagerly awaiting his Washington D.C. friend.
Branson told the student sitting next to him in his African storyteller class that he felt a “deep personal connection” with Obama last time he visited that was stronger than any friendship he had ever made, but would have preferred it if the other 29,999 people around him would have given him a bit more space.
Although their relationship is long distance, Branson said he gets emails from Obama daily.
“Sometimes he just says ‘hey.’ Other days he gives me advice about voting. He asks for money a lot, which is a little annoying,” Branson said. “But he always follows those ones up with a ‘thank you’ email so that’s respectful.”
But he said it was weird that Obama always addressed him by his whole first name —Beaunair.
After Obama’s speech Monday, Branson is planning on asking him to share a drink at Karaoke Kid and hopes he will say yes.
