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Barack Obama appears on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'

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President Barack Obama laughs as he tapes an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show at Memorial Hall on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tuesday April 24, 2012. POOL PHOTO/CHUCK LIDDY/ THE NEWS & OBSERVER

After giving a policy speech about student loans in Carmichael Arena, President Barack Obama took a more musical approach on the issue Tuesday by “slow-jamming” the news with Jimmy Fallon.

Obama, who was a guest in Tuesday’s taping of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” participated Tuesday in a musical number with the renowned talk-show host and comedian.

Fallon announced to the audience that he wanted to “slow-jam the news,” to which the president responded:

“I’m president Barack Obama, and I, too, want to slow-jam the news.”

Obama described the importance of keeping student loan interest rates low, while Fallon sang about Stafford loans and a blues band performed behind them.

The performance brought the audience — filled with UNC seniors — to its feet with applause.

Obama and Fallon went on to banter about the Secret Service, Obama’s college days and his most embarrassing moment in his presidency.

When asked about one of his most embarrassing moments as president, Obama replied that “the worst thing at an official event” was when they were hosting human-rights activists who were receiving the Robert Kennedy award at the White House.

Obama said he gave his speech and then grabbed First Lady Michelle Obama’s hand and together they proceeded to leave the event.

But they were stopped by a staffer, who said the president was supposed to remain at the event.

“We had to turn around and walk back,” the president said.

Fallon also addressed Obama’s college days by showing a black-and-white photograph of Obama in college.

“Notice the afro,” the president said to laughs from the crowd.

Fallon also asked about Mitt Romney, the Republican front-runner in the primary race.

“I’ve met him, but we’re not friends,” Obama said. “His wife is lovely.”

Obama went on to mimic his earlier policy speech about the importance of keeping student loan interest rates down.

The show was taped at Memorial Hall at 2 p.m,, and it aired at 12:35 a.m. Wednesday.

Obama departed Chapel Hill at 3 p.m. Tuesday for Colorado — his second stop in his three-part college campus tour.

Contact the State & National Editor at state@dailytarheel.com.

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