UPDATED: Joe Biden to visit University on Thursday
April 16, 2015
UPDATE: Gregory Dr. between Goodwin Ave. and Dorner Dr. will be closed Thursday from approximately 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm to accommodate the vice president’s motorcade and campus appearance.
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The gym at Campus Recreation Center East will be closed Tuesday through Thursday in preparation for Vice President Joe Biden’s event. The upper level, as well as Racquetball Court 1 & 2 will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. CRCE will be closed Thursday.
Biden will deliver remarks on the “It’s On Us” campaign at Campus Recreation Center East on Thursday. The event will begin at 1 p.m. and is open to the public.
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In anticipation of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the University on Thursday, the Illinois Student Senate will host a pledge drive Monday through Wednesday to encourage students to join the “It’s On Us” campaign.
During his visit, Biden will speak to students and deliver remarks about preventing sexual assault and specifically, the “It’s On Us” campaign. The initiative aims to make college campuses more able to prevent sexual assault.
Students can sign up on Monday and Wednesday on the Main Quad or Tuesday near the Alma Mater to attend Biden’s speech and to sign the “It’s On Us” pledge.
Matt Hill, ISS vice president-external, said Biden’s appearance will celebrate University students’ national leadership in the campaign.
“It’s sort of an ‘It’s On Us’ rally to celebrate what we’ve been doing here at Illinois,” Hill said. “To celebrate success and keep building momentum around the cause.”
Hill said the event is intended to empower students. The University is among the top participants in the campaign, which was launched by the White House in 2014.
According to the campaign’s official site, the pledge is “a personal commitment to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault.”
The pledge serves as “a promise not to be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution.”
Biden’s appearance will take place Thursday from noon to 2 p.m., but the location has yet to be determined. Tickets are free but limited.
Students interested in attending the rally can sign up to attend through the Illinois Student Senate’s Facebook page.