Kal Penn will be at UF today to host President Obama’s Facebook Town Hall Watch Party at 4:30 p.m. in Pugh Hall’s Ocora Room.
Penn, the movie and television actor-turned-activist who serves as the associate director for public engagement at the White House, will open the event and host a question-and-answer session afterward.
“On this day, UF students will have the ear of the White House,” said Cesar Fernandez, a political science senior at UF who helped coordinate the event.
The Graham Center is partnering with Fernandez and Elesa Rectanus, another UF student, to put on the watch party. Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham will also attend the roundtable and watch party.
Fernandez said they invited Penn to UF because of his White House position, not because of his fame as an actor.
“Yes, people know him, but there’s a little more than that,” he said.
About 200 people are expected to attend. The event is free and open to the public, although Fernandez said he would like students to be the majority of the participants.
“This really is about youth engagement,” Fernandez said.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page: “Join Kal Penn @ UF for President Obama’s Facebook Town Hall Watch Party.”