Rutgers students seek Springsteen to bolster image
FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2007 file photo, Bruce Springsteen, left, and band member Steven Van Zandt get together between songs when they appeared on the NBC "Today" television program in New York's Rockefeller Center. With old friend Springsteen stopping by to swap music stories for the ninth anniversary of Van Zandt's rock radio show, Van Zandt laughed at the notion that he'd set the bar pretty high for the tenth year. "It's been an open invitation," said Van Zandt, guitarist in Springsteen's E Street Band. "He just finally got around to it." (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. >> Some students at New Jersey’s largest university believe Bruce Springsteen is their salvation.
They have started a Facebook campaign called "Let’s Bring the Boss to Rutgers!" to counteract fallout from a recent appearance by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.
The Rutgers University Programming Association paid the "Jersey Shore" reality TV star $32,000 to answer questions. That’s $2,000 more than Rutgers will pay Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison to deliver the commencement address.
Freshman Daniel Oliveto and junior Paul Tranquilli are spearheading the effort. Oliveto tells the Asbury Park Press Polizzi’s message to "study hard, but party harder," was offensive.
The students hope Springsteen would either perform or have a question-and-answer session similar to the sitdown Snooki gave last month.
Springsteen’s publicist has not replied to a request for a response.
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