Ari Shapiro relates to young audience

When National Public Radio White House correspondent Ari Shapiro joked about Beyonce’s “singing” at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, he was just warming up.

“Four years ago at the inauguration, Aretha Franklin sang, and then this year at the inauguration Beyonce sang — well,” Shapiro said.

“Aretha Franklin was born in 1942 into segregation, and she sang at President Obama’s first inauguration, and four years later Beyonce, who was born in 1981, was the singer, and you think about what a different place that America is now from the place that America was then.”

The Carolina Union Activities Board brought Shapiro to UNC for a lecture Wednesday night where he spoke and answered questions.

“I would challenge anyone from any political background not to feel some kind of incredible pride in this country that we have,” Shapiro said. “My experience covering the White House for the last few years has been full of those moments in one way or another.”

Shapiro spoke about his enthusiasm toward the state of American politics and the progress it has made toward bipartisanship, alluding to Hurricane Sandy and Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s ‘bromance’ with Obama.

“Chris Christie toured storm damage with President Obama and called the president’s response outstanding,” Shapiro said. “He said the administration was wonderful and added the president has been all over this and deserves great credit.

“It was the most unlikely bromance of the year.”

Shapiro credits rare situations like this for his belief in the possibility of a bipartisan government.

Journalism major Kirsten Chang said she was impressed with Shapiro’s knowledge about politics.

“It is sort of incredible how one person can know so much and be so knowledgeable about a subject,” Chang said.

Chang heard of the event through a coworker and decided to attend because of her interest in public relations.

Shapiro is the youngest NPR journalist to be promoted to White House correspondent, and he connected well with the students in the audience with many inside jokes about politics.

“He is sort of inspirational, you know,” Chang said.

“He is the first NPR correspondent under 30. He is a young guy, but he is on top of things, and he is giving the young people interested in journalism hope.”

Sophomore Breeze Riley, a journalism and political science double major, said she found the inside anecdotes from the world of politics entertaining.

“As someone studying journalism, it’s nice to hear about the experiences journalists have,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.