Due to a request from the White House Staff, the university covered up the “IHS”- a symbol of the name of Jesus Christ – on the stage of Gaston Hall during President Obama’s speech on Tuesday.

“Georgetown University was pleased to host President Obama to deliver a major address on the economy in Gaston Hall earlier this week,” university spokesperson Julie Bataille said in an e-mail. “In coordinating the logistical arrangements for the event, Georgetown honored the White House staff’s request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind the Gaston Hall stage in order to accommodate a backdrop of American flags, consistent with other policy speeches.”

The “IHS” symbol, which is located directly behind the podium from which Obama spoke, was covered with a piece of wood that was painted black.

Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., executive director of campus ministry, and Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J., an associate professor in the theology department, could not be reached for comment.

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