Securing a ticket just to be in the same — giant — room with President Barack Obama had thousands of Kansas University students giddy on Tuesday.

Imagine the excitement of a select number getting a special spot.

“I couldn’t even breathe,” junior Ramiro Sarmiento said of receiving a message he was selected to stand in a group behind Obama when he delivers remarks at KU. “I can’t wait. I saw the State of the Union yesterday and got really excited … for everything that’s to come in the future.”

Sarmiento is one of about 200 students across various departments at KU and 11 students from Haskell Indian Nations University chosen for preferred seating during Obama’s remarks. The president is scheduled to speak at 11:20 a.m. Thursday at Anschutz Sports Pavilion.

In collaboration with the White House, deans were given a certain number of students to invite from their respective schools, KU Director of Strategic Communications Jack Martin said.

Sarmiento is president of KU’s Multicultural Greek Council and former president of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization. He said he was nominated to represent the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and that he’s a big Obama supporter.

Junior Eric Pahls is not an Obama supporter, politically speaking. But the journalism major, a conservative who’s been involved in Republican campaigns, said being chosen for a special spot at Obama’s speech was an honor and that he was excited for the opportunity.

When the president of the United States is in your town, on your campus, “that’s a big deal,” Pahls said. “I’m one of those people that firmly believe in holding the office of the president in high regard, no matter who the president is.”

Sophomore political science major Connor Birzer, vice president of KU Young Democrats, also was notified that he’d stand near the president.

Birzer called Obama his inspiration for getting involved with politics. He, too, watched the State of the Union and is eagerly awaiting Obama’s remarks on Thursday.

“I’m excited to see how he’s going to elaborate on it at KU,” Birzer said.

The Haskell Indian Leader, the student newspaper at Haskell Indian National University, posted on its Facebook page that President Venida Chenault and 11 students, including Student Senate President Beverly Foley, had been selected to represent Haskell on stage during Obama’s speech.

The national anthem also will be performed by a KU student.

Ashley Puenner, who is pursuing her master’s degree in voice performance, said she got word this week that music department leaders had chosen her for the solo.

Puenner has performed in operas at KU and elsewhere, sang the anthem at the 2013-2014 men’s basketball season opener and also sang the anthem Wednesday in Topeka at the Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice’s State of the Judiciary address.

Puenner said she was excited about performing during Obama’s appearance — a different kind of excitement than her usual performances.

“Not everyone understands the world of opera,” she said, “but they know who the President is.”