Oregon State University freshman Teddy Badege wanted to combine two of his passions and create something for people like him, who support both the OSU Beavers and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
So the 19-year-old printed up 300 T-shirts, which look nearly identical to official OSU merchandise. Only instead of O-State in orange lettering, the name O-bama stands out against the black background.
Badege starting selling shirts for $15 each about two weeks ago. He’s nearly out of them. He sold nearly 40 on election day Tuesday. But he’s more thrilled with Obama’s win in the Oregon primary election.
“I think he’s the right candidate (who) will lead this nation in a new path. And I really think the nation needs his guidance to come out of a lot of the recessions, for lack of a better term,” said the Corvallis High School graduate.
“He definitely does represent the young generation, specifically college students and all walks of life.”
The Illinois senator also is a great inspiration, who exemplifies what a black man can accomplish, said Badege. He was born in Ethiopia, but has lived in Corvallis for 16 years. He attended Obama campaign events in Albany and in Portland on May 18, when an estimated 75,000 people showed up at Waterfront Park.
Badege, who interns for the Obama campaign, also is the equipment manager for the OSU football team.
The latter job helped him get in touch with the company that does OSU’s official gear.
He’ll have to do a new printing of 100 black shirts, and is considering adding white and orange T-shirts.
Badege figures that sales will step up as fall approaches, since he’s confident that Obama will be the Democratic nominee by then. And then, there’s the OSU football season as well.
Although he is making some money from the shirts, Badege is donating some of that money to Obama’s campaign. He also gave a few shirts to Obama’s brother-in-law, new OSU basketball coach Craig Robinson, in the hope those might be passed on — and maybe a certain Democratic candidate might end up wearing one.
Badege also hopes to head to the Democratic National Convention in August as an Oregon delegate.
By KYLE ODEGARD, Gazette-Times reporter
Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 758-9523.
To order T-shirts, contact Badege at 760-3790 or [email protected].
4 thoughts on “Ethiopian student cashes in on Obama’s popularity”
Good Job Teddy!
Teddy can you also start campaigning for you beloved country against the terrorist group of TPLF or weyane that are killing our people everyday. I guarantee you that you would be a wonderful role model for many Ethiopian youth especially college students in many areas of the united states, Europe and other continents. The youth has the play the biggest role in bringing the truth of Ethiopia to the rest of the world by exposing the weyane crimes on to our people to the rest of the world. As well as, the weyane regime could get to its final era if we all together contributing our own part in bringing the right democracy and peace for our people, so that our people can get the chance and time to over come the other problems including poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, famine and other major obstacles from being productive.
Again, Teddy, good job and continue the other good ones for our nation as well.
Excellent!
The most important thing is to be part of a positive phenomena and live a life of hope and vision. Getting involved and helping others to get involved inorder to make life some what broader and some what communal and much more meaningful.
As the saying goes, “…If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Ward
Watch our for IRS brother man.I did the math and 15×300=$4,500.If the T.shirt and printer charged you $2,000 bucks you still walk away with $2,500.
i encourage everyone to make money whenever possible.