What is your reaction to President Obama's speech to students? Was it political? Should the President be addressing students in this manner? How does it compare to President Reagan's speech to students in 1988. Below are links to the speech and text, as well as a letter from Florida Republican Party Chairperson Jim Greer that launched a national debate, news stories, and Greer's response just prior to the speech.
Local Debate:
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Greenwich
Reporting about Obama speech, Jim Himes' reaction was one-sided
New Canaaan BOE
Due Monday 9/14 (pm).
91 comments:
I believe that Obama did the right thing by addressing students in this manner. He only wants the best for the future of America, and telling them straight up is the best way. No body listens to someone who just "beats around the bush."
The difference between Reagan's Speech and Obama's Speech is that Reagan talked about cutting taxes and that he talked to many middle schools. Obama on the other hand talked actually about the kids education and how they are the key to their future. I think Obama's speech was also much better than Reagan's because he focused on all grades not just junior high and high school. He wants the best for grades k-12. I believed Obama's speech was much better and more effective than Reagan's as well.
My reaction to Obama's speech to students was that it was very understanding and inspirational. Even though he is always an excellent speaker when addressing his speeches, this one seemed more to the heart. Obama's speech praised how hard work leads to a promising future. He wants all of the students of America focused on doing their best and being able to be the best they can be. He wants us all to have a good future. He gave examples about lives that had hard times and showed that they all succeeded. His speech showed that he understood that most kids have a hard time and that most of us 'hate' school but he spoke of what great things will be accomplished if we apply ourselves and strive to do our best. His speech was not really that political though; it was more inspiring. He did not talk much of the country's issues but more of the child's future in the U.S. I think that the president should address students in this manner because it shows that they care not only about all of the political, mature issues but that they also care about the future of the adolescence in America. I believe that Obama’s speech was nice to send out to all of the students in America. Even though some might think of it as one of those “if you do good in school…” speeches, Obama only wants the prospective people of the future United States to be successful.
President Obama’s speech compares greatly to President Reagan’s speech to students. Reagan’s speech to students is very political. Even though the speech shows how great our country is, it is not really directed toward the students. Obama’s speech was directed right towards the students of America of all ages. Reagan’s speech is aimed towards the different types of government and how freedom is the best opportunity that we are given in our democracy. Reagan’s speech also talks about foreign policy, taxes, and the vision of economic freedom. The speech doesn’t seem to be directed toward the students. It could have been troublesome for some students to understand. I think that Obama did a better job at addressing to the students then Reagan. Reagan wrote a very descriptive speech that addressed many different points but it seemed too political.
I think that Obama's speech was the right thing to do. Most politians do not address school age children as personally as Obama did. The government should not only address adults, and what Obama did gave students a role model and inspiration to succeed. As the President i believe that he has a right to ask us to do the best we can and to try hard in school to succeed. I believe that it gave many kids motivation and a new respect for Obama. I think that the controversy over it, isnt necessary. Because he is our President he has the authority to talk to us, and I personally felt that what he did was great. He talked to us like an actual person unlike some politians who sound so robotic, and understood what kids go through everyday in school.It showed that he really does care about the people and wants us all to succeed.
Personally, I didn't think Obama's speech was extraordinarily inspirational. Sure it had a good message to it, but most of it wasn't anything new. It's the same messages that we've been hearing from our parents, teachers, etc.: try hard in school, dedication and persistence leads to success, practice makes perfect, and so on. Even the struggle stories were cliché. However the fact about J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book being rejected 12 times was rather interesting.
I think Obama made the correct choice in refraining from talking about political issues (other than education, of course), because he would have received much opposition if he pushed liberal ideas to the students. Addressing the students in this manner is good because the message achieved was something universal that almost everyone would agree with.
Reagan's speech was very different from Obama's. The reason Obama gave his speech in the school was because what he said was directly related to those students. Obama was addressing the students. The reason Reagan gave his speech in the school was to give him a more heartfelt atmosphere. He wasn't addressing the students directly, he was addressing the entire nation, hence his more politically-issued speech.
Not to be too crude, but I hope Greer isn't the chairman for too much longer. After watching Obama's speech, I'm sure he regrets saying most of what he did. Obama's speech was nowhere near socialistic, nor was he spreading any "liberal propaganda". He was spreading a good message, not one that many conservatives expected to "indoctrinate students". It's understandable that the conservatives would be concerned that the president planned to give a speech directed for all the students, but it was stressed that the speech was "entirely about encouraging kids to work hard and stay in school". I think both parties should accuse and assume less in cases such as this.
I think it was right for obama to address kids in school.Obama is one of few politicans the talked to kids in all grades and i think it was a good idea because they should know what he think and that he is thinking about kids not just adults that would vote for him. Obama helped motivate kis to do better and that they are the future of america. As the President i believe that he has a right to ask us to do the best we can and to try hard in school to succeed. i think that people should be glad that he is addressing all ages and wanting the best from everyone. He showed that he cared and cold relate to us and talk so he could be understood. I think it was a good idea for him to should he cared and wants everyone to succeed and be the best they can.
I think that President Obama's speech was well thought out and that he had chosen the correct way to address the students. He made addressed the students as if they are completely capable of making their life as successful as they want it to be. He furthers this point when he talks about three different students, all of whom had been faced with issues far greater than most of our own, yet still are successful and will continue to be because of their education.
I do believe that his speech was political. Politics ultimately revolves around the people of that country. In his address he talks about the younger generation and how he hopes that he can make their futures better, not only by finding ways to improve schools but also by having students aware of what it takes to be successful.
Unlike President Reagan, Obama made sure to talk about the students and make not just ones at a certain grade, but everyone in all grades. Obama also made sure to let the students know that they have the potential to be something great in the future and that the education will lead them there through hard work.
I thought Obama's speech to the students of the US was very inspirational and well put. I agree with Obama 100% on what he's telling the students. School is very important to be successful in life and it's an opportunity that all students should be taking full advantage of. This speech was very motivational in the sense that many students who may feel as though they don't do well in school or aren't smart enough or won't have a good future can do better and turn things around. It's true that every student has the choice to succeed as long as the best effort is put into it. All he wants is for the students to have a good future.
What I also liked about his speech was how he delivered it. I really felt like he was talking directly to the students. Everything that was said kept me interested and I understood what he was saying the whole time. It wasn't one of those speeches by the president that a kid would get bored listening to which is great. This contrasts with Raegan's speech because his was very politcal, unlike Obama's. In other words, Raegan's was more directed to the whole country and not just the students. Also, the content of his speech was focused just on motivating students in education; it was more about the importance of the American Revolution. When watching Raegan's speech, I was definitely not as interested as when I was watching Obama's speech.
When I looked at the what Greer had to say about Obama's speech I was appauled. I don't agree with what he had to say at all about the speech. Obama was just trying to give the message to students that education is important. In my opinion, it is in no way "liberal propoganda" as he claimed it to be.
As a student who is already highly-motivated, and determined to get into a good college; President Obama’s speech did not really have an impact on me. My personal opinion is that I have heard this same kind of speech many times before from my parents, teachers, other adults, etc. I found his speech exceptionally boring and repetitive. Although I believe it was a good message to send to other students across the nation, I feel like it just wasn’t geared toward me, and also most of Cheshire High School. I say this because I know that most, if not all of my friends, are planning on pursing higher education and we have heard all of this lecturing before. It is a good message to send to other students that do not have all of the opportunities that Cheshire High students, such as me do. This is because often these students who do not value their education often get into trouble because they are in a financial struggle because of their lack of education and their inability to get a good job because of this. Overall, I think that Obama had a good message, but it was a message that I have heard over and over again throughout my life.
After listening to President Reagan’s address to the middle school students, I feel that the message is differs between the two speeches. Obama had a more straightforward approach to the students than Reagan did. Reagan took a different approach and included a lot about the history of our nation and how we fought for our freedom. Reagan also addressed some political issues at the time, while Obama simply just delivered his message to stay in school and that the future of the country is the students. Lastly, Obama tried to connect to the students by sharing some personal experiences and telling the stories of the three young students. I feel this is the more appropriate way in talking to the students of our nation.
As for Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer; I think he jumped the gun and over-reacted before he knew what Obama’s speech was about. I understand where he was coming from with Obama “spreading his socialist ideology,” and how he could be against that, but this was not the case of this speech. I believe it would have been wrong for Obama to do this, and I’m glad he didn’t. I think that Chairman Greer should have waited to make a public statement like this, because all this really did was make him look foolish and damage his reputation.
Personally, I think President Obama's speech was completely unnecessary. Although I enjoy the fact that the President is trying to reach out to students, the speech he gave was not quite the speech I was expecting to hear. He did touch on the issue of the future, but he did little to reassure me that he is doing everything in his power to make sure that he isn't going to let today's problems become my future. The speech seemed to be more of a moral booster than anything else. He seemed to be trying to inspire, but I felt the speech seemed sort of lackluster. Obama's speech was better than President Reagan's however. Presiden Reagan made his speech much more political, while Obama attempted to actually connect with the students. In summary, although I don't feel that President Obama delivered a good speech, I am happy to see that he was trying to reach out to people my age.
I feel that President Obama’s speech was very motivational. He made a lot of excellent points about how students should be focused on their work and never give up no matter what challenges they face. In order to help prove this point he told the story of three highly motivated young adults who didn’t let the challenges that they were facing bog down their education, and how they were able to overcome these obstacles and become successful. In addition to these three students he also used personal experiences and also references to famous people, such as Michael Jordan, who had to work hard to get to where he is today. In addition to talking about not letting challenges ruin your focus on school he also talked about how everyone has their own responsible to our education. Teachers, parents, and the government all play a role but ultimately we have the responsible not to give up and find what we are good at and keep ourselves motivated. Also how we are the future of America and it is up to us to help our country and that by quitting school we are quitting on our country. I utterly agree with everything that Obama said. I am used to getting lectures very similar to this from my family, friends and coaches. So while this speech introduced no knew ideas to me, I feel that it was still beneficial to hear again and definitely made an impact on me. However, I feel that it made even more of an impact on other students who are not as fortunate as I am or some of the students are at Cheshire High School who have people who constantly believe in them and are helping to push them to succeed in life. For these students I feel that the Presidents speech was extremely powerful and also gave them the support and confidence that they will need in order to succeed not only in school but in life.
President Obama and Reagan speeches had some similarities to them. The main similarity was that they were both about students staying focused in school and trying to do the best that they can do. They also both touched upon the topic of how the students are the future of the United States and the choices that they make will affect the country. They differ in the fact that Reagan’s speech included more historical events and seemed almost like a history lesson, while Obama’s speech included personal antidotes which I feel made it more interesting to listen to. Regardless of these differences, both Presidents were able to strongly make the point of how education matters and that the students today are the future of America.
I beleive that Obama's speech was a good way to get his point across in an informal way. When Obama was introduced by the senior class president you could hear all of the students who were overjoyed to have him at their school. Hearing Obama's expectations for students is very different then hearing them from our parents or other adults in our lives. This speech shows us that Obama cares about the kids in our country as much as he cares about the adults.
I don't beleive in any way that Obama used this speech to talk about his political views. He just wants kids to stay on the right track and make sure that not only do they have every opportuniy to succeed, but that they take every opportunity.
President Obama's speech was very different than President Reagan's. Reagan's speech was a lot more formal and talked about the history of the United States rather than school. Also, Reagan made this speech near the end of his term. Eventhough he was telling kids his opinions, there would be a new president who would have different ones. Obama's speech was also a lot more "kid friendly". He talked about his experiences as a child in school, and he talked about other kid's experiences that we could relate to.
After reading Greer's comments about Obama's speech, I am glad that he is not president. Those comments made Greer sound so ignorant mainly because he hadn't even heard Obama's speech yet. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but saying things as strongly as he did makes no sense to me. Greer made one comment that really struck me the wrong way. "President Obama's use of taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda." Greer's other comment just before Obama's speech shows that he shouldn't have said anything before the speech came out. Now, Greer backed off of his intitial comments after reaging the script, and that his kids will be watching the speech, and all other kids should be as well.
My reaction to President Obama’s speech to the student was that told us not to give up no matter how hard the road took us to reach are destination, which we were trying to get to took to. The speech was not very political. The speech was mostly about students staying in school and the Presidents life story. Obama’s speech is like former President Reagan’s speech because they both speak about how important educations for students are.
My reaction to Obama's Speech to the students wasn't very surprising. Someone every day could be telling you the same information. Alot of adults I know are always saying things like that, but not in a big speech. So many people have been hearing the same thing for awhile now; or at least I know I have. I thought the speech was very inspiring but there was just nothing unique about it. His speech wasn't very political because it was trying to change the way students thought about school and life. He was trying to make the students try harder in everything they did; trying to give them hope. I thought it was a good idea to address the students in this matter because for some people, this could really change their minds on the whole outlook of life. He tried to relate to the students and be more understanding.
Obama's speech and Reagan's speech are very much alike. Reagan's speech was much more political, unlike Obama's. Obama's was really trying to get his word out to the younger population, trying to chagne them for the better of themselves and future America. Reagan's speech was more to the adults who were listening to his speech as well as the students. I feel like the younger students had a much harder time to comprehend what Reagan was getting at. I believe that Obama's speech was much better then Reagan's due to the fact that Obama was more clear in what he was trying to tell the students.
President Obama's speech to the students really captured how much he cares for the future of the country. It really seemed as though the president took this speech to heart. He really stressed how hard work will get you places in life and let us know that although we might fail, we'll end up growing fromthose failures. Obama really knew on how to connect to students by using his own experiences and quotes from our idols such as Michael Jordan. Overall the speech was very motivational and I certainly enjoyed listening to it.
With the above said President Obama and Regan's speeches differ greatly. Obama spoke out to grades K-12 unlike Reagan who directed his speech to junor and senior high school students. Also Obama let students know they have the potential to be anything they want to be. Reagan's speech sounded forced as to Obama's wich you could tell came from his heart. Reagan's speech also mentions taxes and politics where Obama's is straight to the point and for the students. For these reasons I believe Obama's speech was much better constructed than Reagan's.
Lastly in no way was Obama's speech "Liberal Propoganda" as Greer had stated. Obama cares about this nation and its future and you could tell from this speech.
President Obama’s speech to students was good for all students to hear. He didn’t just talk about politics but he talked about how students should make goals and stick to them. He also said to all the students, you need to put in hard work to succeed. He also told the students that the future of America depends on all the students in America now. President Obama addressed this in the right manner; he brought true-life stories of successful people around America and ways they had to work hard to succeed and their hardships in their lives.
Compared to President Reagan’s speech in 1988, Obama’s speech was more directed totally at the students and ways they need to work hard and Reagan’s was more political. Obama did a better job than Reagan with connecting more with all the students.
My reaction to this event is that it is not really a major event, but a media feeding frenzy. What The Honorable Barrack H Obama did was make an address to students welcoming them back to school and encouraging them to get an education and work to make a better future for themselves. The media, as they do with many events, blew it out of proportion to get better ratings and make more money. I believe President Obamas intentions were not malicious or evil, but I also do not think the speech changed the nation. It was a nice gesture that motivated kids across the country and that is all. It is important to be able to analyze important historic events however, it is also important to be able to distinguish events that are just blown up by the media from those that truly have signifigance.
During the days that preceded President Obama's speech to the students of the United States all I had heard was the criticism over the event. Many people were calling the White House's move as "brainwashing", and when the word "brainwash" is used, I always think of the extreme broadcasting of ideals that Hitler had spouted during his reign. So, naturally, I was skeptical of both the government's move and the rebukes of political critics.
After watching the President's speech in America, I was surprised that there wasn't some sort of political agenda. If some consider his speech to the students as brainwashing, then they might as well call the instance of mothers telling their children to eat their vegetables brainwashing too. I felt that Obama spoke with admirable rhetoric and appeal. Although I never bothered to listen to his speeches on politics, since I am not one who is affiliated with such, I can now see why so many young people of the States are enamored with the President. In this speech, he made his message personal. By addressing the students directly--"you are responsible, you may one day do great things"--he gives the students a feeling of power--but also a weight of responsibility. He employs a comfortable, confident, and considerate tone in his speech, yet warns the young population that should realize the great responsibility and duty that they have for their parents and teachers. In addition, Obama stresses the powerful uses of education by having the students imagine the different fields that may call for their certain specializations. All in all, the Presidents emphasizes the possibilities that await the students in the future.
Now, Reagan's speech in 1988 was an entirely different story. In contrast to the rally that today's speech had gathered, his address took place in a formal setting with only a few students. When the former President's presence was announced, all of the attendees had robotically stood and applauded to welcome him. For President Obama's entrance, the whole crowd cheered with enthusiasm. Reagan's style of speech was entirely different. At some points, his voice had no inflection. His tone was almost a drone and his humor did not seem to be well received. Reagan talked of tax cuts and other issues that students of today would never have understood. Unlike Reagan who was much more determined to lecture to the students, President Obama makes a connection and gives advice that he leaves for the students to accept or reject. President Obama does not abandon his aura of familiarity and related to the students by making references to such people as J.K. Rowling and Michael Jordan--people who everyone recognizes and sees as successful persons.
I though President Obama did the right thing by addressing the students on education. His speech is surely to have impact. He saw a problem in the education system and decides to directly addresses the issues. Obama makes it known to the public that if he sees a problem, he would do his best to fix it.
I think President Obama’s was very inspirational. By speaking about how we will be the future and how our education will shape how we can help our country was very cool. It gives a purpose to all of the learning that we do each day. I also found it neat that he showed how certain students succeeded who had it very hard in life. It shows how those who do not have a lot of obstacles to overcome should be able to achieve just as much or even more since we do not also have to overcome hardships like the three students that he mentioned did. I do not see a problem with President Obama addressing the students like this. I think he was aiming to inspire and get kids excited to learn and pursue their education. It did not seem like a political speech to me. I think he was really trying to just get a message to the younger generations because we are the future of this country.
In watching both President Obama’s speech and President Reagan’s speech, I notice President Reagan’s seems to be more political. He mentions voting and the Constitution as well as the American Revolution and dictatorships. It does not seem to be like Obama’s more inspirational speech. President Reagan also seems to be speaking down to the audience. In listening to both Obama’s seemed more friendly and personal, Reagan’s felt like I was a little kid who could not really understand so he spoke very simply. He did not seem to connect with his audience and seemed to speak to them not with them like Obama’s did. Reagan was also very monotone in his speech, which made it rather boring to listen to. It was also a very formal setting unlike Obama’s, which was in the school with the students. You can see the great difference between the two in hearing the applause when both come into the room. The kids before Obama’s speech were already screaming and clapping because they were so excited to hear him, while in Reagan’s speech they just clapped and stood up and did not seem all that excited to be there. I did find it cool though that the kids who listened to Reagan’s speech got to comment and share their thoughts about what he was saying.
In reading the letter from Greer, I find it absolutely ridiculous that he could feel that way. He claims Obama is trying to get an agenda across about healthcare, banks, and automobiles, while in his speech there is no mention of any of these increasingly popular political issues. Obama truly was speaking to the students and Greer thinking that his was a political speech is ridiculous. Obama was simply trying to make sure students knew that it was important to get an education and stay in school, which all parents also try to tell us as students. I think if this had not been the president speaking everyone would have been fine in hearing the same exact speech. They would have realized the message and not seen the politics that they feel are in the speech. I think Greer read too much into the coming speech and saw what he wanted to in it so that he could get mad over it. When finally looking at it and taking back what he said he realized he had not been reasonable since there was truly no political scheme behind the speech.
I support President Obama for giving a speech to students. Although, it is probably considered as a political move, I believe that it was something students across America needed. Obama put great emphasis on the importance of education. Compared to other countries, American students tend to lack in effort. For example, America is far behind other European and Asian countries in math and science. Obama encouraged students to try their best and accept failure as motivation. Obama’s speech differs from Reagan’s speech. Reagan talked about political issues. However, Obama talked about issues that students could relate to. I believe that Obama’s speech will be a waking up call for many schools and students across America.
After watching this speech, I gain a higher appreciation for him as a president. I have never witnessed a president make a speech that i felt was directed towards me. I personally feel that it was needed that the president make such a statement to every child in the U.s. attentending schools and bettering their education. Many adolescents do not have the inspiration coming from their homes and some schools do not encourage all to try their hardest. This gives me as a student hope that he will do more to benefit us in the long run.
In my opinion, Obama’s speech was very forward and somewhat inspirational. I personally believe that president Obama’s speech was called for in that, the future of voters and the American population will be people in the age group that he was addressing. This speech made it clear that without an education, not many things are possible. Obama’s speech highlighted the importance of education and its affect on your own success in the future. Although this may not have been the most controversial political issue, Obama addresses and informs students across the nation, with an important message about molding their futures.
This speech seems to differ from Ronald Reagan’s speech in 1988, because Ronald Reagan’s speech seems to focus less on the success of each individual, and more on the success of a nation as a whole. Not that Reagan’s speech had less of a moral message, but both speeches seem slightly different. In fact, Ronald Reagan’s speech focuses more on moral values and the importance of them. Reagan’s speech also focuses on the technological advancements in society.
I think that President Obama made a good choice by addressing the students. He encouraged students to do there best in school because we are the future of the nation. Obama told students the truth in his speech, he did not make up any lies. Obama said that you are not going to drop out of school and drop into a good job; this is very true and sometimes people don’t believe that it will happen to them.
This speech should motivate students to stay in school so they can do something great with there life and work through the challenges that you face because most people take their education for granted but in other countries kids don’t get as good or even any education. Obama told us not to give up but try our hardest, just like our parents, family, and teachers are telling us. I believe that when you hear this coming from the President it makes a harder impact to you. I fully agree with everything Obama said in his speech and the politicians that were arguing about his speech and not wanting students to watch it were wrong, this speech is what students today need.
In my opinion, I believe that Obama's speech to the students was addressed well. He did the right thing talking to the students about staying in school. The student generation today is going to be leading America in the future, so he only wants the best. I agree with all of his speech. Education is the only way you are guaranteed to be successful with your life. He states that working hard pays off in the long run. School and opportunity that you should take advantage of. Overall, i think his speech was very motivational and well stated.
I do not think Obama's speech was political at all. He refrained from talking about anything other than education. I believe that Obama does have the right to talk to the students like this because students need motivation so they can strive to do their best. His speech is something that should do told to every student. I would say i think almost everyone would agree with the message he achieved.
I feel as if Reagan's speech was much more political related. I feel as if he was still talking not just to the students but the the nation about other issues other then education. Obama was more straight forward in his speech unlike Reagan. Reagan spoke about much more than just students and their education.
I have no problem with Obama addressing the students as he did, but, like many things Obama does, people seemed to take it over the top. Organizing lesson plans around the speech seems a bit ridiculous. Few people could find fault in what Obama said, and I agree that education is important. However, no government official should have to explain to students that if they want to succeed, they have to work hard. That is inherent in the way our country works. That is why I feel Reagan's speech was "better" than Obama's. While Obama simple told students what they should already know, Reagan told the students about the principles behind the founding of our country, something that seems to have been forgotten in the past few decades. Most people, especially my peers, seem to be complacent with the role of government in their lives. Since the creation of our country, each successive generation has seen more and more government intrusion into the lives of private citizens. It is all they have ever known, so they see nothing wrong with it. What Reagan was attempting to do was remind the future voters that the government has become too big, and its accumulation of power must be reversed. I agree, and feel eventually, the size of the federal government will shrink. Those who feel the government is not too big will change their opinions eventually. As Thomas Paine wrote, "Time makes more converts than Reason."
Following the links on the website took me to www.examiner.com. It took me all of about three seconds to realize this was far from a credible source, and I hope we will not be asked to read or view any sort of media on that website again.
In my opinion President Obama speech to the students was a waste of time. The whole point of his speech was to try and encourage the American students to try harder this year. The way he went about it I felt was kind of vague. Only repeating the same ideas that we have heard are whole life, of how every student can be what ever they want to be if they work hard enough. Even though that maybe true I don't believe that a President who believes schooling is so important should be interrupting classes for such uneventful speech. How ever towards the end of his the 20min it pep talk I did see a window of opportunity for him to make the speech more useful when he said “I've been working really hard to get you all the books and computers you need.” But then quickly he turned the topic back to how students need to work harder, what I would have liked to hear was more on how he plans to obtain these books and computers in the state of our economy. Another thing that I had noticed was that when they cut to a shot of the students watching the speech, almost all of them had there head in their hands and a blank look of boredom on their faces.
I feel that Reagan's Speech was even worse than Obama's. I felt as though Reagan's was a publicity stunt, the students that were selected for his audience was selected by how they would be able to make him look good. All the students raised there hands to say only good things about the government and the country. None of them brought up current issues that they wanted to know how Reagan planned to solve. Also one reason I believe this was a publicity stunt was the audience was made up of one boy and girl of each nationality proving that some people were most likely chosen by there appearances. In conclusion I don't believe a president should be interrupting classes to talk to students unless they have something of extreme importance to say.
Obama did the right thing by talking to the students of America. We are the future of this country, and its up to us to better our education and stay in school. Reagan origionally only talked to middle schools, and about cutting taxes and other thing kids dont really know or care about. But Obama adressed the students directly, and gave examples of everyday kids who think because they do have something like a learning dissability they might not be able to be successful in the future. But he made it clear that this was totally not true, kids with learning dissabilities, or cancer, can go on and have a successful future, by finishing highschool, and going on to college.
I believe that Obama did the right thing addressing students like he did. I feel this way for a few reasons. The first is Obama gained a lot of popularity among future voters because its not often that a polition adress just school children and it put a feeling that he does care what we think and what we do with our lives. I also feel that Obamas speech was better than Reagans because Obama adressed all kids except for young adults and talked about the kids education and things that matter to them as apposed to taxes like Reagan did
I found President Obama’s speech to be very inspirational. He showed plenty of encouraging ideas regarding the future of our country. He made you think beyond what we usually we would think. He shared an inspiring speech which is sure to motivate the students of America. It will drive them to achieve more and really think about the pressure that is on us as a class or even bigger as a country. Based on what he said he was trying to stress two main components. One it is our responsibility as the future of the country to achieve the best each individual can be. Two it is only in the hands of each individual to accomplish these goals. No one can force you to do your homework, or project, or lab but yourself. It’s by that basis that Barrack Obama believes we will live to our potential. By working hard success will follow. In my opinion this speech was an absolute success and really makes you think twice before you make a move in your life that could potentially be beneficial or detrimental
Eric Ploch, Period 6
I didn’t exactly have a problem with Obama’s speech and what was said, but due to how many parents felt about it being shown to their children, I think it may have been better for Obama to make his remarks at a different juncture. I thought he just repeated what we hear everyday from our teachers about working hard and doing our school work. When we hear these thoughts everyday it becomes repetitive and students become sick of it. I don’t agree with people like Jim Greer who said that the speech was a ploy by Obama to use propaganda to attract the children of the United States. I think Obama was just trying to change how kids think about school, not try to change their minds into a political mess.
In both Obama’s and Reagan’s addresses, they talked about freedom and about the avenues that education leads to. The technology and world research produced by a good education can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. In Reagan’s address he talked more about the American Revolution where as Obama made little to no historical references.
Lastly, I don’t think that everyone should have the same drive to succeed and that not all people need to give maximum effort without excuse. There could be things going on in someone’s life which can definitely alter their ability to work, meaning a decrease in their education. I think it is more important for educators to make sure that children are happy and content in their lives than worry about how many facts or statistics they are learning.
I believe Obama did the right thing by addressing the kids of our nation. In doing this, he created a more of a fan base to support him in his future decisions. All Obama did was reinstate that school is important and that we as kids are the future of this country. He knows that we have a tough life, but Obama wants us to do the best we can to make our country a better place.
When I first heard about his address to the students of America, some people were for it and some people were against it. I don’t understand why people don’t have faith in President Barack Obama. Most of the people against him are Republicans because they think that he will brainwash their kids to become Democrats. Once I heard this, I just laughed because people have to give our president a chance in order to make a difference. People are against him for another reason, which is our economic state. They think that he will fix it in a year, but it’s 8 years of damage that he really has to fix. People will finally understand that Obama is trying his best to do the right thing and get our country back to where it was before.
My personal belief is that President Obama made the correct decision giving a speech directed towards the students and younger generations of the United States. Although not completely inspirational due to the fact he was regurgitating the same cliches that students hear everyday, the speech still held validity. Hearing such things from the first African American president of the United States gave the speech a much more meaningful message. I believe that of all people the president should be allowed to talk to the students about certain things, mainly their personal education and furthering their lives.
I also the feel that the speech was in no way a method of preaching a political agenda. The speech was a way to provide an inspirational message to the children of America, to give them the recognition that they also have the ability to further themselves. The secret political agenda being pushed through the speech was one created by the media in order to further criticize the president's performance. While the president holds allegiance to a certain political party, and carries those views with him no matter where he goes, I believe that he did a splendid job at keeping a neutral tone throughout the speech.
The difference between President Obama's speech and former president Reagan's speech was the contents of which they spoke of. President Obama used the opportunity to speak directly to the students about issues that they could relate to and understand. However, President Reagan used the speech as a way to further his political agenda in a situation that made the speech seem less harmful to the opposing beliefs. Obama set aside his political agenda for a while in order to have a heartfelt discussion with the future of America. Reagan's speech differentiated from the new president's in that it contained more information about political issues as opposed to education related issues.
After listening to President Obama’s speech to students, I felt as if the speech did not really apply to me. I could not relate to it because the same message has been beat into my brain throughout my life. Sure, it was a good message to some kids, but I feel that my friends and I are all likely to pursue higher education after high school. If my parents, teachers, and peers hadn’t pushed me to do my best in school, I feel that the speech would have meant more to me. Instead, I found myself bored, wasting my time listening to him talk about the same old story that we’ve heard a million times throughout our childhood.
The speech was not as political as it was expected to be. It seemed as if the president kind of put aside the whole political aspect of his speech and focus solely on trying to motivate kids into doing well in school. Reagan’s speech differs in that it was more political and seemed as if it was addressed to older students and adults, rather to students. Both speeches, however, stress how important education is to our country’s future.
Lastly, I would just like to mention that most of the hype about the speech was probably due to the belief that he was going to mention controversial topics such as universal healthcare and so forth. After hearing the speech, I felt as if the president had left out some of the controversial topics that caused all of the commotion because he didn’t want to give the appearance that he was trying to “brainwash” students. I have mainly conservative ideas and beliefs, and I had no problem with how the president addressed the students, but I just found the speech to be boring.
I believe in his address to the students President Obama did the rite thing to try and motivate the students to do their best work. I also felt that some of the advice he gave to the students of the United States was very helpful. He held this address I feel in the best interest of the kids and I feel that some students really took this speech and used it as motivation to work hard to be the best student they could be. I feel that President Reagan’s speech differed from Obama’s in a few ways. One is that it was addressed to students in middle school and it was about more issues that they would understand such as drugs and taxes. On the other hand President Obama’s speech wasn’t directed to a specific range of ages but to all students K-12. Reagan’s was also given in a different situation; his was trying to help assist the students before he departed from office while Obama’s was given to help earlier in his term. I felt like that they were both good speeches that had the same intentions to help the students of the United States of America.
I honestly appreciated President Obama speech. To some it could have just been another person saying to do well and many people could have just disregarded it but I thought it was a pretty noble for him to direct a speech strictly to the younger audience. In the manner it was presented in I thought it would be informing us young people of social issues and other political nonsense that I nor the majority of people my age would care for too much. To my surprise it was about us the student, how we could better ourselves and how hard work really can take you to places else wise unattainable.
Regan’s speech was very political and was to be honest extremely boring with not only the content but how boring he was as a speaker. That comparison showed how much better of a speaker and how much more attention grabbing Obama is. Overall I thought addressing the younger audience was very effective and the message that he sent was much more sincere that Regan’s.
When you watched Obama's speech to American students, you knew he meant business. He was straight forward in his approach and it was very effective. You could tell that he really cares about the educational issue, maybe due to the fact that he has young children. You really heard from a smart man on how he felt the country should deal with education. When Reagan presented his speech to the students, he presented a lot of topics that were foriegn to many of them, thus his speech was not very effective. Students don't want to hear about tax cuts, they want to hear about things that are going to directly effect them. I feel Obama did just that, and you saw a nation that was very receptive to his ideas because of it.
I believe that what President Obama had said is very true, we are the youth of this nation and should be taking responsibility to ourselves and doing everything we can at the best of our abilities. Obama is really getting down to earth with all ages of students (especially K-12) about letting us know we have the freedom and opportunity to decide our future, but it would not be possible without education. I think that Obama should be adressing students exactly as he did. Obama and Reagans speeches were very similar but I feel Obama's speech gave a more motivational aspect to the students to make the right choices and to help our nation out as it tries to help enhance out educational experience to determine our places in society.
My reaction to Obama's speech to students was that it was very appropriate. The was he addressed the students was perfect. He didn't talk down to them like other politicians might, but he related to them, and even threw in some of his own experiences. His main idea was if you work hard and don't take your education for granted you will succeed. He made his speech personable and interesting which is important when your main audience is students k-12. The way he presented his speech was very appropriate for the particular audience.
I think that Obamas speech was telling school kids what their parents have been telling them for years. Their should be no reason why parents would freak out and demand that their child could not see the presidents speech. It was blown way out of proportion and there was nothing wrong about the president’s idea to give a speech to the kids of America. I hope that kids take his speech seriously because if you take the presidents words to heart you can accomplish a lot.
I definitely supported Obama’s speech. I felt that he did an excellent job at connecting with the students on a more personal level. He really conveyed a strong message of the importance to staying in school and getting an education. He used effective tactics such as mentioning JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in order to keep the students attention and show them a real life example. I felt that he brought up a good point in how he said that everyone has something to contribute to this country and has the potential to have great talent but that you won’t know until you try new things. Obama’s speech differed from Reagan’s in how his was not political. Reagan discussed tax cuts and other stats that most students don’t know/care about. Obama, on the other hand, really talked on a personal level with the students. I liked that he was very honest, saying basically if you don’t graduate from high school, let alone college, don’t expect to make a lot of money. But he also was very inspirational, providing hope to the students to change their country for the better.
I believe president Obamas speech to the students was a good thing for him to do. I believe that it will benefit the children to talk to them about staying in school and how important and how lucky we are here in the United States to be able to get a good education. I believe his intention was to motivate the students to try there hardest at school. We are the future of this country. The president wanted to talk to the students on their level so they would relate more to what he was saying. I think that he was trying to get the message across to the students how important it is for them to take full advantage of the education they are given. Reagan’s speech was much more political. He talked about other issues other then education when he addressed the students. I believe that Obamas speech was to more motivate the students to want to do well in school. Regans speech wasn’t as directed towards the students. I believe that his intentions were good and I got to watch the speech in class, I believe it was the right thing for him to do. I believe it could have a big impact on a students educational future.
I am glad and impressed that Obama made a speech directly to students. I am glad because he makes an honest effort to connect to the American people, no matter what age. It is also positive to see someone illustrate the importance of education, and who better to illustrate that importance than the president. I am also impressed because he is able to make a meaningful speech to students about what matters most for their future and the future of this country. The speech is political in the sense that he is connecting himself to the people, and showing a concern in their present and future lives, which is what some honest politicians like to focus upon. I believe it was a good idea to address the students in this way. People see President Obama in a positive light, for the most part, and he makes himself out to be a friendly and approachable president. Displaying a genuine interest in the lives of young Americans just serves to better his position as a President that represents the people.
Obama's speech has major differences in comparison to President Reagan's speech back in 1988. For one, Reagan approached the speech in a more political manner, as opposed to approaching it as a speech to the students. Reagan wanted to illustrate the importance of education in relation to freedom and American values. Obama's concern was more of the students themselves, as opposed to focusing on the political issues. He understands that in a speech to students, he should be talking about the students, instead of political issues that they cannot easily relate to. By giving his speech on education, President Obama was able connect to American students, and address them as students instead of objects in the game of politics.
I do think that the way Obama addressed students was very direct, and thats good because many students might not be going out and actually see what he is saying, so it is good that he came to them. As far as what he said, i do agree, i believe that every person must work hard in order to be successful and that in this country all people have the same opportunities as others. Obama talked very little, if at all, about politics, or any current issues other than the students and their future. Which again i think was smart, i mean, why would students want to sit and watch our president rattle on about issues that kids are unrelated to, whereas education, and their own future is something students will listen to. I think the speech was a very good move on Obamas part and i applaud him for it.
After listen to President Obama's speech last week, I felt that the president was very straight-forward and inspirational towards students nationwide. He wanted to inspire the children in all grades K-12 to do well, work hard, and succeed in school. I thought this was smart and different because, as long as I have been alive, I do not recall Bill Clinton or George W. Bush addressing students specifically. I believe President Obama did the right thing when addressing the students in the manner he did so. He reached out and connected to all ages and spoke at a level of which everyone could easily understand. I liked how he connected to the students by using some humor and more modern terms. As compared to President Reagan's speech in 1988, I felt that President Obama's reach out to students was much more powerful and effective. Overall, I felt that his speech was a success.
As President Obama continues to grow and show what he is capable of. The president maintains a positive relationship with mainstream America. The speech President Obama conducted to the students of America preaching about working hard and never to give up was a great way to start of his presidency. The well presented speech got off a clear message, and inspired young workers to work to their potential. President Obama has impressed many so far and im sure people are very excited to see what else he can do.
Only Period 7 posts from here on. All late posts should be submitted as a hard copy for 1/2 credit.
I feel that Obama’s speech was more motivational than political. His speech was geared towards kids in general than the way the kid’s education could be improved on as in Reagan’s. I also feel that the way Obama addressed the students was effective because it was more centered on the future instead of the past that I feel Reagan’s was based around. I think that comparing the two speeches would be trivial because the audience that was being spoken to is too different to compare. Today the students are more involved in the future than connected to the past like in 1988. Therefore I feel that if the two speeches were to be switched than neither would be effective but, at the time they were said they were effective.
I thought president Barack Obama’s speech to the students was very appropriate and well justified. I thought Obama made a lot of good points and he is trying to reinforce what our parents and teachers always tell us, which is to try your best and work as hard as you can in school. I think Obama’s speech has a lot in common with Reagan’s speech, both trying to send a message to all the kids that are in school. I believe it is a good thing that President Obama addressed all the students, the students will listen to his message that he has for them, and hopefully the students will be more motivated and try harder after hearing his speech. In no way in my opinion did he make it political, all he did was try to give students motivation to work harder, and always try their bests, because students today will be the future of America someday. I thought Obama’s speech was very motivational and I supported what he did.
After watching President Obama's speech, I strongly feel that our country's decision to elect him as president will be for the best. His views on education are going to improve our country in tremendous ways, and will help those who are going to school today, appreciate the education being offered to them. He stated that each one of us holds our future in our hands, and that it is up to each individual to lead themself in the right direction to ensure a successful future.
Listening to Obama's speech, I felt that he really does want the best for the kids of this wonderful country, and he kept reminding us that with hard work and dedication comes much success. He wanted to reach out to kids everywhere while they still have the chance to make something of themselves and to not hold back or be afraid of failing. He wanted all of us to realize that we only get out as much as we put in, and that giving up is not an option. He also talked about the struggles Michael Jordan faced before being as successful as he is today. Many kids these day look up to him, and hearing that he too, went through what we are going through today defiantly touched those students.
Obama's speech differs from Reagans because unlike Obama, Reagan focused more on the success of society as a whole versus the success of the individual. Obama in my opinion did a better job of personally connecting with the students to make them feel more "at home" with the speech he gave. He made it seem to the students that it is okay to feel the way they feel, and that not always knowing the answer is okay.
President Obama essentially focused on how one person controls their destiny, and he explained it to students in a non-political way for them to get a better understanding of what he was saying. Reagan also talked about how we as students should value the education we have been given, but went about it differently. His speech was more political and seemed as though it wasn't just addressed to the students. He mentioned other aspects such as taxes and economic freedom which most students would not understand. Lastly, the main difference was that Obama feels that education is one of, if not, the best thing provided to us. Reagan on the other hand felt that freedom was the best opportunity provided to citizens of the US. Obamas's speech definiatly touched me in many ways, and I'm sure every kid in grade K-12 experienced the same feeling as me.
I believe that Obama's speech was very good. It was very insiprational to all the students. What he said though was not very different than what our parents or teachers would say. The best thing was that he was not political at all. I think that if he added political ideas to the speech than people would not agree with him. The difference between Obama's speech and Ronald Reagan's speech was that Reagan was more political. Obama was only addressing the students he didn't want them to worry about taxes or shortage of books. Obama wanted all the students to think about their education and how they can make their future with education.
After watching the address that President Obama made to students of America, I think it was a genuinely good speech. My views on education are similar to his. If our students don’t do their work, and don’t try to achieve in school, then who would take over the infrastructure of our world? Who would run the governments, who then would ensure the roads are up to snuff, what would the quality of our military forces be? If we want society to succeed, we will need new bodies to fill in the jobs. If students neglect their education furthermore, it would create a vast burden on society. All those people who we would need to support, rather than people helping us flourish.
I think his message was not meant to be a political statement. The message that he urges in the speech is like what a parent tells their child. Except in this case, it’s the most powerful man in the world telling you to keep up your studies! I think that his influence as being the president that especially young people like (whether it is a biased like or genuine like because of his political ideals) that could make it seem like a political underlying meaning.
This speech, compared to the one made by President Reagan, has an overall different presentation. I think that Pres. Reagan was addressing the kids as if they were just children, but not only that. He was maybe trying to show them the wondrous quality of our country that makes us separate, or the envy of, so many other nations. Obama on the other hand just was focusing on keeping with your studies.
I feel as though Obama did the right thing with addressing students for his speech he made on September 8th. When there are issues in our country most of the time the president doesn’t really talk enough to the children of the nation but to the adults. In this time of need and the economic hardships our country is going through, the only people that can get us out of it are the children of the U.S. Obama wants everyone to succeed because if so, the country will also succeed. If the kids today in school don’t succeed, the country will fall down to the ground. With Obama talking to kids about their education, they will listen and try to do better. Who better to motivate kids and to make them strive further than the President of the United States.
Reagan’s speech was a little different than Obama’s in the sense that Reagan talked and focused too much on the nation rather than the students. It made it seem as though his speech was more political which it was. Obama’s speech was far greater than Reagan’s because he addressed the student and told them to do the best that they can to succeed and lead this nation.
President Obama’s speech was, in my opinion, just a speech to get kids to stay in school. Plenty of presidents have made this speech such as George Bush Senior. Both of them had the same message…stay in school. The only difference that was truly noticed was that president Barack Obama had added a list of activities to do to either prepare for the speech or discuss the speech. Many parents did not like this idea because it went against the very idea that the president was attempting to bestow upon students. The speech was supposed to be about working in school and doing your best to obtain a diploma and to be proud of your work. The activities that he proposed that the students should do, take away from class time and in effect takes away from the learning experience that he was so keen on mentioning in the speech. This is my only concern. Other than that it was a good speech, he just wants us to stay in school and do well, and that is exactly what his speech did say.
I think that President Obama's speech was the correct way to address the students, and a good way to start the school year. He addressed students trying to place the thought in our minds that we our in control of our own lives and can make them what we want. He elaborates on his topic when he talks about three different students that have grown up with struggles but pasted them to make their own lives successful.
This speech was political. Politics, and status essentially control most peoples lives. Being that he is the newly elected president he needs the backing of the american people so with this speech he hoped to accomplish just that. In his speech he speaks of the younger generation and how his hopes are that he can make their futures better. He then stated that he wants to improve schools and educations given within them
Unlike President Reagan, Obama talked to and about students of all grades not just the middle school grades. along with his he encouraged kids to do well and succeed
I think that Obama made an awesome speech to the students of America. He spoke directly to the students in a way that didnt belittle them.
As a student myself, i took this speech to heart because it shows that politicians actually care about us. It really hit home when Obama said, "I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part, too. So I expect all of you to get serious this year". This made me realize that not only should i work hard for myself, i should be returning the favor to all the people providing me with the tools i need to be successful. This speech has helped me realize that i need to focus and get an education for my country and myself. If want to enjoy my life and be successful, i need an education. I should also be taking full advantage of the education that America has to offer because i realize there are many kids in the world that dont have the opportunity to get that.
Another thing that opened my eyes were all the kids he talked about. I see now that even though they had obstacles in life, they still are making the most out of their education so why shouldnt i?
I think Obamas speech was more effective than Reagans because it connected better with the average student. Obama is also trying to motivate the students. Im very pleased that Obama make this speech.
I believe President Obama did the right thing in making his educational speech to the students. I didn’t find it political especially when I compared it to Reagan’s 1988 educational speech. Reagan’s was definitely political since he seemed to focus more on our history while Obama focused more specifically on education and the challenges kids go through. In other words, Obama used more examples that kids could relate too, while Reagan spent a lot of time talking about history instead of educational issues and challenges kids go through while they’re in school.
I definitely thought it was good that Obama addressed kids in this manner because he did it in a very good and relatable way. He stressed how important it is to stay in school and get the education you need to be successful in the future. He also talked about challenges that kids in school may face and how it might make them loose focus. But I liked how he later used real life examples of kids that had certain disabilities or other types of challenges and how they didn’t lose focus on their education and became very successful. Not only did he stress the matter clearly but he made it very relatable to the audience.
I think that Obama's speech was unnecessary and did not necessarily accomplish anything. This speech, in my opinion, is a way to get Obama's name out in the media in a positive way in his slump of American approval. Obama's approval ratings are seriously down and this was simply a way to get some positive feedback from the people.
Reagan's speech was much more productive by actually talking about real concrete solutions to issues the government should be handling rather than vaguely explaining education is important, especially because the students this statement would be targetting is probably not well recieved. Drop outs probably don't take an Ivy-grad as a relattable influence when it comes to education.
In general I'm indifferent to this speech.
I think that Obama's speech was really encouraging to students from all of the schools of America. It showed that he does care about the future of America. And he mostly, I think, gave a message to students of America that the future of America lies on your shoulders. And that here in America it is your decision what you want to do with your life. He said that here in America you write your own destiny. Here you choose what you want to do. Obama's speech was really inspiring. He knows that how hard it is for every student to go to school and get up early but if you work hard and succeed you might have a better future for yourself and for America. His speech was more educational and not political. I believe that he came right to the point and that was what he was suppose to do as he was addressing the students. When Obama's speech is compared to Reagan's speech, i think that Reagan was more political and Obama was more educational in the sense. Reagan talked about how he could set things up better where as Obama said that how students could do much better and that will change the future of America. I will say that Obama's speech was more inspiring and sensational than Reagan's speech. He also gave examples about his life which was really interesting. Obama showed that in America an American
has a duty to its country. Meaning that WE have a duty to our country.
After seeing President Obama’s speech, I think that more political leaders should address students in the manner that he did. Despite the fact that many leaders have busy schedules and have many responsibilities, I don’t think that they are too busy to encourage and uplift the youth. Obama was right to speak to the youth because they go through a lot in society and need to be supported and encouraged to strive and succeed. The inspirational speech was well-stated and inspiring. I appreciated Obama’s speech more than Reegan’s for the simple fact that it wasn’t about a political issue. Foreign policy, taxes and the economy are all important issues but I think that the future of the youth is important as well. The youth deserved to be addressed on a motivational level as well as on issues of society. However I think that this should be done separately. As a student, I previously felt that many political leaders don’t connect or keep in touch with people my age. Usually, parents, employees, and voters are constantly addressed. However, political leaders should also focus on the youth because they are the future.
In my opinion Barack Obama's speech to the students was well presented. Obama did a good job of making me as a student understand and think about the points he was trying to get across. His speech was a more inspiring and understandable version of the lectures our parents give us almost every day-especially as seniors. Obama also didn't make his speech to students political propoganda, but simply sent a message to the students in the United States to make sure they try their best.
Reagan's speech, although closely related to this speech, had a much different feel than Obama's speech. Obama's speech addressed the students more than Reagan's speech did because Reagan's speech was more complex and political in a way where many students might lose interest. It seemed like Reagan was addressing the country as a whole more than giving a speech to the students.
Katherine Peinhardt
After watching Obama's address to students, I find it hard to believe that it was initially clouded with controversy. I see no problem with asking students to try hard, stay in school, and make an effort to use their talents for both their own good and the good of others. It seems to me that it was criticized prematurely; what, precisely, about this message is harmful?
I have heard the speech called "Communist" in some comments and articles and do not understand this viewpoint. Obama stresses finding your own individual talent, and exercising your freedom; "No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future." This, to me, sounds as though he is expressing to America's youth the importance of personal decision-making, using what you have going for you, and realizing the boundless nature of possibilities and individuality in life.
I find myself caught in the middle of hatred and love for Obama’s speech. I loved the messages he sent and how he went about it, but the entire thing had one gigantic flaw. Though his speech was supposed to be catered to the nation’s students, his examples will only be heeded by the upper tear students who are not afraid to take on challenges and who know what hard work truly is; such students will not give up on school and drop out. The students who are at risk of doing so do not understand what overcoming a true challenge means because they have no motivation to strive for what they truly want, which is why they would be careless enough to drop out in the first place. The references to the challenges faced by celebrities who such students might look up to were a good idea, which might have caught the attention of a few more students. However, the speech met the same fault in the call to responsibility as Obama stated that quitting school is quitting on the country. The students that are careless enough to quit school do not care about their own futures, let alone the future of the country they live in. Overall, such an address is unprecedented to say the least as those who did not need to hear it considered it a simple repetition of what they had already known, while those who did need it most likely never bothered to even watch it.
Reagan’s speech had the same flaw as he preached similar warnings about staying in school and about the nation’s future, yet he did so in a more textbook-historical fashion, which I am sure garnered even less attention from the nation’s student body. My guess is that Obama attempted to reach out to more students with his modernized version and references to people important to the student body of this day and age. Overall, both had a great message, shadowed by a lack of care.
After watching President Obama's speech to the students, I found myself inspired, and willing to work harder in my school work.
I believe that the way Obama addressed students across the nation was completely appropiate and a good way to get through to them. His speech was not ancomplicated one. It was simple, yet help a very important message. Which is why I think it should be seen as a successful speech. After the President said, "We are doing our part to give you all the best education you could have, but none of that will matter if we don't have students willing to take advantage of that education," it made me realize that so much work is put into creating greater school systems in this country, and with Cheshire having a good school system itself, then I should be greatful and use that education to my advantage and try the best of my ability.
I would not say this speech was a political one. I think the purpose was more to motivate and help students realize that a better future is in their hands, they just have to use it.
After watching President Obama’s speech to the students, I couldn’t understand why people were so upset about it. I think his speech was motivational, inspirational and just what kids in school need to hear. He really connected with the kids our age by using examples of people like Michael Jordan and J. K. Rowling, and even using his personal experiences to show the kids what they could grow up to be. I don’t think this speech has some socialist ulterior motive, I just think he really was to make each person realize their abilities and to encourage them to live up to their full potential, and a good education can only help them do that. I thought his speech was better than Reagan’s speech simply because Obama was concise and to the point, using examples that we could relate to, whereas Reagan used a lot of history in his speech, and I got a little boring towards the end. Every kid learns about the Boston Tea Party in history class, so I feel like his incorporating events like that into his speech made it less personal and relatable.
I do understand however, why some people are upset; they don’t want the government to get too involved in their children’s education. But all in all I think Obama’s speech was fine. He told kids everywhere that they could be anything they want to, but they have to work for it, nothing is going to come to people who sit around and wallow in their failures.
President Obama has the right to give a speech to the american students, however i found his speech to be ineffective because he was telling me something i already know. I know that i have to work hard to succeed that is why my parents have me in school and i really found it unneccesary to have to hear it from him. The American dream is that if you work hard you will succeed; this is something i have know forever. Working is a way of life and America of all countries would know this; that is why i think Obama's speech was in a way pointless. I do think people made a big deal out of nothing; it wasnt like Obama tried to shove his policies down own throat. But based on his speech i felt like he was trying to play dad to everyone and preach to us, but i dont need him to do that because i along with many other students already know that i have to stay in school and work.
I believe that President Obama’s speech to students nationwide was interesting to listen to. However I feel that his speech was not needed for motivation or anything else he hoped to encourage to most students. I think this because what he said in the speech is no different than what most teachers and parents say to their kids. Even though President Obama made the speech with good intentions, I believe it was not effective as he thought it would be.
I believe that his speech was not political at all. It was just a motivational speech that was not meant to promote any of his policies or plans. Also, since the speech was aimed at kindergarten to high school students, I believe most students wouldn’t be able to pick up any political points even if he included them in the speech.
I believe the President has every right to speak to the students in this manner because he is only doing it for their best interest. On top of that our leader of our country should be able to address every citizen of this nation with aid in the things they do.
Lastly, Ronald Reagan’s speech to students in 1988 was different in many ways to President Obama’s recent speech. For instance President Reagan’s speech was focused on politics while President Obama’s was focused on purely education. Also President Obama’s speech focused on all students while Ronald Reagan’s speech focused more toward middle and high school students. I believe that Obama’s speech was much better than Reagan’s due to the fact that Obama’s was probably a lot easier to understand and relate to.
I believe that Obama's speech to students was a good way to try to motivate kids into becoming better students and trying their best. He was able to talk to the students on their level and really connect with them. His speech shows that he cares for the students and feels that their future is very important.
I do not think that his speech was political. He didn't touch on any other issues going on today, and focused more on the importance of education. I believe that it is okay for him to talk to the students like this because they are going to want to listen to their president and strive to do better.
The difference between Reagan's Speech and Obama's Speech is that Reagan focused more on political aspects. I feel as though students had a much harder time understanding Reagan's Speech because he talked about other things such as taxes and foreign policy. Obama's speech was much more effective because it was directed primary towards the students in a language that they could understand and relate to.
Though there has been much controversy in the media about Preisident Obama's speech to students, I found his words to be very inspirational. You don't often hear politicians say much about school, or direct any speeches towards students. I thought Obama's speech was very sincere, and though it was all information I've heard a million times before from parents and teachers, it was somehow more meaningful when the president of the United States said it. I think it's great that he made this speech, we are in fact the future of our country and it is very important that we take advantage of what school has to offer.
Obama's speech was similar to Reagan's in that it was about school and students. But, Obama took a more genuine route, talking about the importance of success and doing your best in school. Reagan's speech was mostly about political things, like government, taxes, and foreign policy. Reagan's speech was for more than just the student audience, where as Obama's was directed mainly at students.
President Obama's speech to students was very inspirational. He made it very clear to everyone that without education nothing is possible. Personally I felt great motivation to give a better effort in school. After watching his speech I really appreciated Obama's efforts to address the students of America apart from the rest of the nation. He is the first president that I can recall making a personal attempt to influence the students of U.S. at the begining of a school year. The fact that Obama spoke directly to students as individuals shows his ability to reach out to one group at a time. This is a very respectable trait in a President and I feel that if he addresses other issues one at a time, like education, the U.S. people will slowly gain motivation to improve society in any ways possible by listening to President Obama.
I believe President Obama's speech addressing the students was an acceptable thing to do. He wants to make sure the kids of America know that their education is not something to take lightly and that it is extremely important for their futures. Reagan's speech was mostly about financial issues regarding the education system, while Obama's speech was to allow students to acknowledge that education is beneficial to those who try to get everything out of it. Reagan focused politically while Obama focused on the more social issues facing education. Obama was also able to reach out to a larger audience by concentrating on all grades not just middle school through high school as Reagan did. Obama was able to establish motivation in his words to make young students realize the importance of hard work and determination. I believe Obama delivered a much more enthusiastic and memorable speech on education than anyone before him, and should be perceived as an innovator of a new way for politics to be involved in the classroom.
My reaction to President Obama’s speech is that he was very inspirational to everyone and that he gave hope to everyone. I think his speech was not political but from his own life and other people life. I think that Obama did the right thing by address the students this way because he got them interesting in their future and their schoolwork and how important it is. Obama’s speech differed from Reagan’s because Reagan’s was more political and did not reach down and touch each student, Obama’s did.
I laughed at the way this speech was going to be upheld in most of the school districts. Many had the notion that it was going to be a political banner, one that mainly motions for how the children of America can help Obama. And so they held back, not allowing the children to watch the speech. Yet when it was over, it was more like a shot to the foot for those who hadn't allowed it to be seen. The speech was inspirational in the way on how he only adressed the kids k-12, and no one else. Obama also made sure that the only message he was to get across was that the kids of America need to get an education in order to succeed. He spoke nothing about politics or his own personal needs, only the determination every child needs in order to succeed in life.
This speech differed from the Reagan Speech in the fact that Reagan included other issues as well, such as taxes. Do get me wrong, both were very well put speeches, but in the end, for what I believe, Obama held more ground and got the message across more clearly.
Katherine Peinhardt - Response #2
In addition to what I posted before:
I think that Reagan's speech was much less about being a student than Obama's was. It was more about the ideals of American society, and the continuing in the steps of historical American figures. It was much more about praising modern American society. I did not see it as conveying anything academic to the students beyond the very beginning statements.
In response to Jim Greer's statements; I think this is an attempt to scorn Obama, and an attempt to use schoolchildren as a means of attack. Obama does not mention much that could be interpreted as having a particular political leaning; the only politically inclined comments are about supporting schools, sympathy towards students whose parents may have lost a job, and I see these as things that are a common theme across any political party. It is mostly about his experiences as a student, his recommendations, and his expression of responsibility on today's students.
President Obama’s speech to students was an effective way to get students to start working hard and motivated them to start striving for the best they can do. He really got through to the students by giving his speech in a way they would understand instead of using a lot of political terms. By giving this speech in the way that he did, Obama shows that he knows students are the future of this country and what they do now will affect them in the future. He inspired many students with this speech and connected with them on a personal level.
This speech wasn’t very political because it focused more on just the students’ education rather than on issues going on around the world. I think it’s good that the speech wasn’t more political because he said most of the same things the students hear from their parents and teachers, but it got through to them more coming from their president.
In Reagan’s speech, he focused more on the political aspect of education which must have been harder for the students to understand and connect to. Also, Reagan didn’t only stay on the topic of education, but ventured off into other topics such as foreign policy. Although both speeches sent along a good message, Obama’s speech was more effective because of the way he gave it using language the students could understand and relate to.
I think that Obama's speech was very inspirational and uplifiting. I think he did do the right thing by adressing the students. I think that he spoke out because he wants us to do the best we can and to excell at whatever we want to do with our lives. I liked how he gave examples of people he knew that weren't in the best postion but ended up being successful from hard work an determination.
The difference between Reagan's speech and Obama's speech is that Reagan really never talked about the future of the students and how important it is to work hard. Reagan's speech was more directed toward the goverment and democracy. I think Reagan was more concerned about the polictical aspect than just talking out to the students and encouraging them to do well.
I believe Obama's speech was inspiring to our country's youth and effective. Many times I've been told by the people in my life to try your best and stay in school because education is a privilege. However, hearing this messege from a powerful figure and listening to the examples he spoke of demonstrated a larger impact on me and the youth. I'm pleased with the fact that Obama eased off the political stuff for a little bit and took the time to be real with the youth of America. The main difference between Reagan's speech and Obama's speech is that Reagan's speech discusses issues like foreign policy, taxes,the economy and other political issues. Listening to Reagan's speech i almost forgot that he was talking to students. Obama's speech is targeted to a larger audience (k-12) and focuses more on the importance of education and the future. Reagan's speech was geared more towards political issues than education. It also was aimed at a smaller audience (mostly middle school students)
This is Angela Romano
First off, I actually commend Obama on his address to the students. I think alot of his fans and supporters are in the younger age bracket so I really felt like he was talking straight to us. I wished I had watched it in its entirity during school. I noticed and believe that it fit with school expectations, both academically as well as behavior. What appealed me the most that he was talking to us, the student body. Obama is an amazing speaker and I believe that is one of the reason he is so well liked by many, honestly I feel like he could make me believe anything! He has a very different and slower way of speaking that draws you into what he is saying. I liked that he set educational goals, but as long as there is an effort to get these goals met. I do highly commend Obama for failing to mention anything political. It was not the time or place and this meeting was generalized to the students of grades K-12. I can guarentee it would have been highly critized if he had.
The main point that rang true with Reagan and Obama's speech was the focus on bettering and focusing education in our school systems. Obama made each student feel important, he made ME feel important so I really think his point hit home. He didn't generlize he made sure all students were included. After watching Reagan's, and even though I really like Reagan, seemed much too political. I liked Obama's speech because I felt like he talked to me whereas I felt Reagan was talking at or down to me.
I believe President Obama’s speech was well thought out, inspirational, and perfectly timed. Obama is known for his impressive speeches, and this one hit home extremely well. He covered all relevant topics, and actually sent a true message home to the kids of America. Enforcing the message that putting in hard work pays off, Obama used true life examples from around the country to show students that their dreams are not to waste, and can actually be achieved. What I enjoyed most about the President’s speech is that he spoke to the students of America in a realistic aspect, rather then political, which could have proved of very little interest. I can almost guarantee that the majority of kids sitting down to watch the speech did not expect to leave with such a captivating and inspirational message, myself included. President Obama’s address to students was a great kickoff to the upcoming school year, and hopefully should prove helpful to him in the years ahead.
I thought Obama's speech went fairly well after the whole controversy. I actually thought he was going to somehow try to persuade students into becoming liberals. Obama did the right thing in addressing students on the matter and importance of their education. Students need guidance and inspiration when it comes to their studies and who's better than the President himself. In comparison to Reagan's speech, Obama emphasized mostly on the importance of hard work and how only the individual is responsible for one's own success. Reagan however focused more on the lines of the American Revolution and how students need to be reminded of its values and how we can learn from it. Watching both speeches, I felt Obama's speech was much better because it seemed more inspirational and will help students in their path for success.
I thought President Obama’s speech was a great motivational tool for the youth to use to improve the study and work habits to influence the future. I thought he challenged the youth to better themselves in order to create a brighter future for all America. He spoke very differently though by signifying that a large part of this process of better education rests in the hands of the students and that it is their responsibility to study harder so they can create change in the future. I don’t believe the speech was political as much as it involved motivating people and setting a common moral standard. Weather the president chooses to address students in this fashion shows little relevance to me because regardless of how he’s saying it what he is saying is not anything harmful in fact it can only be taken as positive reinforcement for students. President Obama’s speech revolved around the idea of stepping up to the plate and taking advantage of the great academic opportunities in front of today’s students to help the world and the United States. In comparison President Reagan’s speech centered around maintaining morals set by the founding fathers of our country, and to continue to hold up to the United States global reputation at the time.
I feel Obamas speech to the students of the US was a very inspirational speech he showed his feelings towards the youth of the nation and used motivational speaking to try to give students a new outlook on schooling. He related to the students and gave his personal feelings from the heart. His speech wasnt like listening to a monotone politician telling us all to try to succeed. He encourages students to try their best to obtain their goals. Nothing will be handed to you in life, you have to work for it. With hard work comes great success. Reagans speech was much more political related and not from the heart like obamas. Reagan touched on other subjects like taxes and information unrelated to students.
This speech was most definitely much ado about nothing. When speculators first brought the "situation" to light before the speech, it seemed as if Obama was planning some sort of propaganda in support of his policies. But this ended up being merely a motivational speech to students about working hard and achieving their goals. This speech was in no way political, and had little representation of his current policies.
The 88 REAGAN speech seems much more politically motivated that Obamas. Reagan was clearly discussing the specifics of his ideologies to students, whereas Obama was just trying to motivate the students to have bright futures.
I feel as though Obama's speech gave a lot of understanding to the students he was addressing. Because of this different audience he was able to speak in a different way and I was able to connect with it more personally. Obama talked a lot about how working hard throughout your education can better your future and I agree with this. I think he was able to reach out and influence a lot of students with his words of applying yourself to gain accomplishment. Obama's speech is different from Reagan's speech because Obama connected better with the youth and made it easier for them to understand the idea of his speech. Reagan's speech was not as much altered for a younger audience, and made it difficult for the students to connect and understand what he was say. Overall, I feel Obama's speech was more effective.
I strongly believe that Obama's speech was very inspirational and motivational to students. Although Obama has been a good speaker he has only been talking to the adults in his speeches. I think he did a very good job to directing his speech to the children so that they would be interested and want to listen. He also showed that he truly cared about the children and not the money issues or anything else. On the other hand President Reagan's speech was mostly political. He talked about cutting taxes for schools and other issues not directing affecting the children's education. President Obama really showed that he cared about the children's education and wanted to inspire them to do better
Done. If you're late, see me.
I felt that President Obama's speech was very motivating. He focused alot on the theme of responsibility, and educational value. President Obama emphasizes the importance of hard work and perserverance. The President's speech points out that if we expand our intellect, we will develop the skills necessary to succeed. I do not feel that the speech was political. I thought that the speech was inspiring,and as the President of the United States, he has the right to address his speech to the students.
The difference between President Reagan's speech and President Obama's speech is that Reagan's speech is political. Reagan mentions different types of government, and compares it to our Democracy.
I believe that President Obamas speech as a student was very motivating. As President of the United States he wants nothing but success for out country and the citizens that live in it. He strongly presses upon students how important schooling is and how important it is to make sure we all try our best. I do not feel that his speech was political he was encouraging students making them realize that it’s important work hard with no political strings attached.
When it comes to Kennedy’s speech I do feel as if it was political definitely compared to President Obamas, he discussed cutting taxes for the schools. He didn’t directly talk to the students of the United States, and because President Obama did I have much respect for him as a student.
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