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The UNT Coliseum is located on the southeast corner of North Texas Boulevard and Highland Street on the UNT Denton campus.

UNT student led protest “Don’t Pay Bush.” In the midst of budget cuts, the $100,000 George W. Bush is being paid to speak this evening will be taken out of student-paid activities fees.

By Candace Carlisle

From Denton RC.com | Original Article

He’s the president whom Kevin Sanders and other current college students grew up with, and now they’ll have the opportunity to see him in person.

Former President George W. Bush is set to speak at the University of North Texas on Nov. 17.

The opportunity to see Bush, the first Republican former president to speak at UNT, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, said Sanders, president of the Student Government Association and chairman of the Distinguished Lecture Series.

“In our generation, he’s the president we’ve always known. … He was the president we have grown up with,” Sanders said. “People have strong feelings, either positive or negative, toward him because he was so influential with this generation.”

Bush follows in the footsteps of former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat who previously spoke at the university.

UNT President Lane Rawlins, who will moderate the event, said he hopes Bush will talk candidly to students about his presidency.

“This is the right place for open and free discussion, and that’s what we’re hoping to have,” Rawlins said, adding that he hopes security issues don’t hinder dialogue.

Sanders said he hopes Bush will touch on how the global economic downturn relates to higher education, such as state budget cuts and tuition hikes.

Bush will speak at the UNT Coliseum for a cost of $100,000, which will be paid through a student services fee, said Elizabeth With, vice president for student affairs.

“We have future leaders on our campus, and for them to hear from a leader [about] the impacts of the decisions he made and why he made them, … it will be a great opportunity for our students,” With said.

Admission for students will be free. Officials haven’t determined ticket prices for the general public, but UNT faculty, staff and alumni will receive a discounted rate, With said.

The Coliseum seats roughly 5,000 attendees for speeches, and the event likely will sell out, she said.

Bush also is scheduled to meet with a small group of students, who have yet to be identified.

While Sanders said he doesn’t know if he’ll join the small group, he does plan to attend the event, which shows that UNT is a major player not only in the region, but in the nation.

“This is a chance to see the most recent former president, and it’s not every day that can be pulled off,” he said.

Bush has been interested in visiting UNT for some time, since Denton is not far from his residence in Dallas, officials said. UNT and Bush tried to arrange a speaking engagement last year but were unsuccessful.

The former president is expected to sign copies of his memoir, Decision Points, at the event. The book is scheduled to be released Nov. 9.

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .