Barack
H. Obama is the 44th President of the United States.
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009.
He graduated from Harvard law school and then went to the University of Chicago to teach constitutional law. (So we really think he has a good background on the Constitution.)
Already, it the first few days of his administration, he has begun to fulfill some of the promises he made during the campaign.
Below are some thoughts from the 7th and 8th grade students in Julian's Virtual Classroom.
(photo of President Obama <http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president_obama/> {{PD-USGov}})
I believe that Barack Obama has good ideas and is the best thing for our country. He is smart, and knows exactly what he needs to do to help America. However, Obama needs our support if he is to really turn things around. If we the people truly believe in him, then anything is possible. I hope that Barack Obama can turn everything around. Our previous president dug us into a hole, and Obama needs to get us out. I hope that there will be peace in Iraq, and all of the fighting will end. I hope that our soldiers can come home soon. I hope that Obama will find a way for us to deal with the financial crisis. I hope that no more honest, hard - working people will lose their jobs. I hope President Obama can do this, and I believe that he can.
Erin
My impressions of President Obama are that he is a awesome public speaker. He writes terrific speeches and really inspired me, and many others I'm sure. I hope that the country will follow up on what President Obama said about needing help. I hope that they won't just vote for him then go back home and see what he can do all by himself. I think that there are many things that people can do to help President Obama. We can take part in community service and give to people who need someone to help them. Furthermore we can buy hybrid cars and donate money to schools who are researching alternate energies. I believe that Mr. Obama will make big changes and that if we all get off our butts and help, that his plans will work.
Nate
I think Obama will make a great president. I think that it's good that he is younger because he would have a better sense of the world around him now than if he were older. I also think he will help get out of this bad economy because he will bring troops out of Iraq. I say this because our government spends 10 billion dollars on Iraq yearly. With troops coming out, the government will have more money to spend instead of having to put these ridiculous taxes on us. We will also have more money when we close Guantanamo bay will give us more money too. I think we need to support our new president if we are going to go anywhere. If John McCain became president, we would have to support him too.
Joseph
I think that President Barack Obama has the right ideas to bring our country back up to where it once was. He has a positive attitude and is willing to work hard to make a change. He is right though, in the sense that it cannot be just him alone. President Obama will need the help of each and every citizen. I hope that the future brings us sunny days and happy memories. I hope that the people of today will realize that today's future will be tomorrows today. One day we will be living in what we now call the future, and it is up to us to make the best of it. We need to start making the right decisions and realizing how they effect us. Each and every person in this world can make a difference, no matter how big or small.
Emma
I think Barack Obama has good ideas as president. I hope we will get out of the economic depression. I will help by taking shorter showers.
Ryan
Obama has great ideas to help the world and I agree he can't do it alone. I hope for that he can motivate everyone in the world like he did for many others. I can and I will make a difference in saving the planet by fixing everything I can help that I see.
Ron
My impressions of Barack Obama are obviously slanted, as I live in Oak Park, the most liberal, anti-Bush town in the Midwest. But, this has actually slanted me the opposite way. I've spent the last year in amazement that most everyone at Julian, and in Oak Park, ignorantly follows Obama simply because he's black and as different from Bush as you can possibly be (In their eyes). I've asked people whether they support Obama on his position of pro-life and they say yes. I even found a few who supposedly supported Palin, simply because I slapped Obama's name in front of it.
People are making him a God, and they're making Bush Satan. Neither of these statements are the truth, and this question is a perfect example of it. I've heard so many times "He's going to fix the economy," "He's going to fix health care," "He's going to bring our troops home," "He's going to bring world peace." Yet, not once have I heard him say how he's going to do this. He can say he's going to pull 10 trillion dollars out of his sleeve, but does that mean he's going to do it? McCain was said he was going to do all those things. Every single president nominee said that. Why does that make him so special?
My hopes for the future are that everyone in this ignorant town, starts thinking for themselves, and not blindly following a leader who hasn't actually told them anything. I don't have a problem with supporting a leader who has shown his/her people facts, but unfortunately, over the last 20 years, this his begun to grow less and less frequent. So let the issues be the issue, things that he is actually likely to do, not the color of his skin, not his charisma and orating abilities, or even his opposition to the most hated man in Oak Park.
Obviously he's already elected, but I still think its never a good idea to follow any one with so much blind faith.
Keenan
I think that having Obama as our president is very good. my dream has finally come true to have a African American president. i think we our finally about to be a better country. And i know we can make it with him as our president. i know some people didn't vote for him, but guess what he's here, where everyone wants him to be. He is going to stop the war and the depression we have that i think Bush did. big grin
My hopes for the future is to get better jobs for people and to hope that none of our family looses there jobs and people will have to lay them off. I think we can make a difference and that's supporting Obama and when we do he will support us in all the things we do. That's the kind of person he is. Together we can make a difference.
I'm so happy that he is our president. He is really going to make this country a better place for people. So people won't be scared to live in there own country. I also think he can stop the gang violence that is happening in Chicago and all over the world.wink I have hope in him :]
Ashley
I believe that President Obama will do a really good job as President. I think he's going to do so well that America will elect him a second term when the time comes. My hope for the future is that this nation will start a big transition technology wise. After all, it is getting closer to the future that everyone has seen movies about. Soon those movies will be just like the actual future. I think the best that I can do to make a difference is to stay in school, stay healthy, graduate from college and live a good life, rather than going down the wrong path.
Gabe
My impression of President Obama is he is a great leader and I believe that he is going to run he county very well. My hopes of the future is like the president said a change a better health care for children and sending the troops back from Iraq. Also I want less violence in the U.S. but not just the U.S. the world I want the world to come together and stop the violence because people are dying for no reason getting shot and killed for no reason people just shooting at any one it most of the people is innocent no one should be afraid to live anywhere. We the people are already doing something to stop the violence but what I believe that I can't do anything to stop the violence but maybe are new President will help the violence in the U.S. go down.
Caylan
I think that President Obama will make a fabulous president. He has the heart for it and he cares for his people. President Obama's catch phrase "Yes We Can," is a very true statement. If we all help around, we can do anything. My hopes for the future is that we can all stop global warming. I am not a tree hugger, but i so wish that global warming can stop. All the animals in the polar regions have practically no home to live in because all the ice and snow is melting. Yes, we can make a difference in global warming. We can use energy efficient light bulbs and other non - wasting materials. I hope that this can all work out because it does not and cannot take only one person to stop this horrible thing happening to the nature around us and I think President Obama can and will do some thing to help.
Miriam
President Obama is a powerful man, and even for a powerful man, its hard to do anything alone. So as Americans, I believe that if we want a better country, we should be able to step up and lend a helping hand to our newly-elected president. I am convinced that Obama can lead America to change and hope. Being that he is a Chicagoan, this may mean better education for many Chicago children. We can do many things to make a difference. We can change America in many ways, and its time to step up and notice that......
Qari
I think that Obama and other presidents always needs some peoples help for accomplishing things. I think Obama will be a great president, because others people believe in Obama changing our future. To me, if I was the President of the United States, and was close to changing our nations future, I would agree that I would need people to pitch in for some help. Also of course anyone can make a difference by just taking some responsibility.
Alexis
My impressions of Obama right now from other presidents is he seems like a nice guy but, I don't think he can pull all the things he said off. Of course, maybe and hopefully, one day i will be proven wrong but that just seems like a tactic to get people to follow him.
My hopes is that some of the things that Obama said will come true so that this country can hold its head high with confidence and then strive to complete the rest of his goals for this country. Like I said before he has a lot of goals but I can only hope that they will come true but if they did then it would fix a lot of problems.
I think that what I can do is just keep on recycling to bring down pollution and I can just keep my faith up that the world will get better.
Reuben
My impression on Mr. President Obama is that he is a hard worker and will do what he believes is right. He is and independent man who knows right from wrong and is going to lead our very horrible economy to a more secure place. He might not fix it that much, i don't think anyone can fix it completely, but he will help it get more stable standings. I hope that when I'm 18 i will still have all the rights that my mom and dad had when they were 18. I also hope that everything will be a lot more stable. For example, everything is less expensive, the dollars value goes up, housing goes down, and there is so much more to offer. I know that is a lot to hope for but at least i have hope for the future. If I help out around the community then I am making a difference. I help out at my church and at the Animal Care League. I tell myself I am helping the community, and I believe I am.
Isabel
I personally think that Barrack Obama will do a very nice job at running our country, and he chose a very good team. But, they will need to do a lot of work to get this country up and running again. He wants us to help out anyway we can, that could be by donating money to charities or even working at soup kitchens.
Alex(3)
I think that Barack Obama will make a lot of changes for the USA. One of my hopes is he will help with the environment and reduce greenhouse gases. Another thing I hope he'll do is create cease fire between Iraq and here. That would make things a lot better. I think that we can help Barack Obama by picking up trash and recycling.
Alex(1)
Can we? Yeah, I think we can. Although I believe that the phrase "Yes we can" is overused, it is true. Our nation is really in desperate need of an intelligent president who is actually going to try to do something for our nation. When asked what his proudest moment in office was George W. Bush answered "The time I caught a seven pound carp in my lake." I hope after Obama leaves the White House, he will have something to say about our nation. As for what we can do to make a difference, we can crush the lies and rumors circulation about the right-wing media. We can support our President. We can accept the blame for what we've done. And maybe, our country will become a better place.
Jeremy
Obama looks to be a good influence to our government in the future. According to his inaugural speech there is a terrible war going on filled with hatred and fear, our economy has been weakened, our health care is too costly, and our schools fail too many.. Barack Obama says that these problems will be very hard to fix, but they will be fixed. He also says that he can not fix them on his own, he says that he needs our help
Obama gives me a good impression. He is a smart, resourceful man who understands American government, and who is a very good speaker. He has outsmarted every candidate he has faced which to me means he is smart enough to run the Executive branch.
Some things I hope for in the future from Obama are that he does not just talk about ending the war, and improving our health care, but that he actually does that. I also hope that he keeps the people informed about our foreign affairs and not keeping us in the dark. I had a big feeling that when Bush was in office we did not know as much stuff about Iraq and Afghanistan as we could have known. I hope this trend does not carry into Obama's years in office.
John
I think that president Barack Obama is hopefully doing to be a very good president but he and his cabinet, etc. have a lot of work to do because of our troubled economy and the Iraqi war. I can make a difference simply because of cleaning up the planet.
Mark
I believe that Obama must do a good job as president. Everyone
voted for him because he embodied change. If he does not follow through,
he will be a big disappointment. Many people are hoping that he will do
these many things, and that he's not just lying about stuff. If he doesn't
do what he has promised, he will be known as a failure.
I hope that he helps out with a lot of things. Working on (if not solving), our economic problems. Many people are hoping for this, because a depression will not be good. I also hope that he really works on bringing America together.
Seina
Well I can start walking and riding my bike instead of having my mom take me every where in the car which will save gas and save my money. I like Obama and I saw him playing basketball on TV, so that means that he cares for the kids. I don't really think of the future that much. But I do feel his pain.
Eddy
I don't believe Obama will make a good President his lack of experience is frightening and his expectations are high. Maybe I am wrong and he will help bring this nation together but I think his supporters will be let down.
Ivan
My impression on Obama is that he will truly change the world. Not in a bad way like Bush did in some areas, but in a good way to get the world going again. My hopes for the future are universal health care, better conditions for those less fortunate, better conditions for natural areas, and to end the violence in the Middle East. What I can do to make a difference is help clean up the environment and be more energy efficient.
Ethan
I think President Obama is a great leader. He is rebuilding this country to stand stronger than ever. He has great intentions for this great nation. My hopes in the future is that Obama will make the economy better and bring the troops home from Iraq. We all can make a difference in this world. President Obama showed us that by not giving up and going for his dream to be the first African American president of the United States of America.
Amaris
I think very highly of our newly elected president, Barack Obama. Many people think of him as a hero to his race, and as a extremely gifted and good man. Two things that are true come out of these statements. The first, is that he is the fist African American president. The second, is that he has promised change from the very beginning for all of America, and not just the people who can afford it.
I do hope that president Obama will get our nations economy back together. If he does that, then so many jobs that have been lost, will be open again and people will be able to make a living. I also hope that he will make our nation as safe as possible from people in, and outside of America. I am also hoping that he will help the automobile industry and make cars that are more fuel efficient, or even solar powered.
To help our new president, I will go to school to become a better person, so I can later in life benefit my country. I will also start paying more and more attention to are government so if there is anything that I might think is wrong, I can do something about it to change it.
Sam
Obama has changed the lives of many people and hopefully will continue. I hope that all of the war soldiers come back from war.
George
I think that Barack Obama will be a great president because he is focusing on health care and education. Our economy in in a crisis right now and he will get us out of it eventually. In the future I hope less people will being driving cars. When I can drive, I will try to drive less and take part in service projects. I will take part in a group that travels around the world to help people in need. You have to be 18 to do it but my cousin who already did it said it was very fun and he wants me to do it with him again when I'm 18.
Chris P
My impressions of Obama are that even though he is new and young, he will still be a great president. My hopes for he future is peace in our country and equality. There are things that we can do to help make a difference and that is to support the president and with our support Obama and Congress can bring peace to our country.
Mason
My overall impression of President Obama is that he has a set plan and he knows what he has to do and what he has to fix. I was extremely impressed with his inauguration speech. He was knocking Bush (who I hate more than everything but the White Sox) very subtly but enough that the point got across. I think it was pure genius. It showed also that he is a very good orator. Additionally, President Obama knows that he will not be able to get the troops back from Iraq in the 4 years he has; even if he gets reelected all of them won't come home. However, he will try very hard to get as many troops back as possible and mend the situation in the Middle East.
My first hope for the future is simple. I want gas prices to go very far down. In 3 years, I will be able to drive, so it will directly affect me then. I am guessing my parents will buy me the car or most of it and I will be responsible for buying the gas. My second request is a lot bigger than the first. It is for the voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16 . One of my biggest reasons for this is that 16-year olds- when they commit a crime or a felony- are tried as adults. If they are imprisoned as adults, they definitely can have a say in adult issues. My final issue is global warming. It is making summer nearly unbearable and winter horrible And i REALLY don't want the ocean to overflow and flood New York City. So, maybe President Obama can put in standards for vehicle size or mileage, and all new cars in the U.S. must meet those standards in order yo be put up for sale.
I think I can do a lot to make a difference. As I get older, there is definitely a lot more that I can do. I am writing a persuasive paper in Language Arts about why the voting age should be lowered. If I get a good grade on it, I might just send it to Congress. Also, once I am 16, instead of buying some gas-guzzling SUV or roadster, I can buy a cool, but sensible car, like a Smart Car©. Finally, when I am out shopping with one of my parents, instead of buying lots of small packages, I can buy one big package that uses less materials to make.
Arlo
I believe that President Obama has many good ideas for our future. But I also agree he cannot do it alone. I myself have many hopes too. I am hoping to help stop global warming, and I hope our new President will do something to help stop it too.
Next I think that we need to help all the endangered animals that are becoming extinct for many reasons, and one is global warming which I brought up earlier. I believe yes, the youth and parents of all ages can do something to help this cause.
Finally, if our President rallies together with many citizens, including those of the congress, senate, and the presidential cabinet, we can all achieve our hopes and dreams of the present and future. If we all fight for what we believe in, and what is right, we again will achieve our goals.
Henry
I think that Obama is going to be a fine president, and could lead our country to do things we thought were impossible. My hopes are mainly that the troops actually leave Iraq sooner than later, I'm sick of war. I also hope that, as foolish as this sounds, we don't have taxes raised on us to ridiculous levels. I think we as a people can and might make a difference, the question is if we're ready.
Kelsey
President Obama has some good plans. Just recently he signed a paper to shut down the prison of Guantanamo Bay, in one year. I think this is a good idea because that place is very cruel. He also wants to bail out wall street and I think this is good because then our economy will get better. Everyone needs to help. One thing I can help with is hot use so much power in my daily routine. If everyone does this then we will start to be living in a cleaner environment, and everyone will be happier. President Obama can't clean up our world by himself. He needs everyone to help. If we all do then I think we will all live better lives.
Ian
President Obama seems like he has and had plans for the U.S. to be a better country. I think he feels that the U.S. isn't at its best right now and he feels there are changes to be done. I look at it like my room is dirty, and I need to clean it up so it will be easier to live in and I won't have to worry about much. The country is like everyone's in America's room and we all have to help clean it up so we can live better. President Obama shouldn't have to clean it up by himself.
I can help change the country by doing small things that will help in the long run. I can pick up any trash or don't through trash on the floor, because global warming is increasing and trash increases it. I will also not smoke because that hurts not only me, but people around me.
Travon
Personally, I believe that President Obama is going for good things for our Country. The problem with Presidents is you may never know what they will actually do, for example, Nixon, we knew nothing. I believe that President Obama will lead the the Country strong, and I believe that the one thing we all can do to help is make our problems real, and noticeable.
Jacob
Yes we can? I think that Obama is facing some of the hardest challenges a new president can face. After following a president who holds the record for the lowest approval rating ever, and the economic crisis to top it off. I think yes he can.
Spencer
I think he's going in the right direction, but will need more help to get the job done. If he's successful in just ending the war, he will be applauded for the effort. If we just are on the ready to do anything we can, it will make a huge difference.
Jahi
I am really glad that Obama is our president of the united states because i just know that he has good ideas and goals as being the 44th president. Also I'm glad he's African American because he will and already did make a huge change in American history.
I hope that in the future, Obama gets us out of this terrible war in Iraq and he fixes the economy a whole lot. I also hope that he helps to prevent global warming and pollution, and that he helps with peoples taxes and health care. But, I think we can make a difference to by helping Obama complete his goals and hopes.
Tommy
I think that he is strong and he will have an effect on the black people of today's society. I hope that he will help stop the violence in today's society. Yes, we can help clean up the neighborhood and get educations.
Malik
I think President Obama will help this country economically. I say this because since our president actually wants to do something that will help the economy, that will encourage us to take part in making the U.S.'s economy more efficient. This will help us in the future! From now on i choose to recycle all bottles, cereal boxes, etc.. When the weather is nice i choose to walk instead of getting a ride to and from school. Also, I am going to get a bike to make transportation environmentally friendly and easier for me!
Akalyia
I followed and supported President Obama's campaign since Iowa. I disagree with him on some issues, but in a time like this it is important that I set my priorities. I believe that he will lead our country in the right direction in the areas that I care most about.
I have always been a pacifist, so I want to see him end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible. Killing fellow humans is not a great way to get what you want. I realize that it will be awhile before our troops Afghanistan, but I hope that the wars in the Middle East stop soon. The economy is currently my number one problem. With my brother in college, my dad's job on the line, and my mom's job not paying as well as we would like this is a hard and scary time. I hope this stimulus bill Obama recently signed does what it's supposed to and does not make things worse like the Republicans are afraid of. I also hope to see cleaner cars being made. Even though my family can not afford a cleaner car, and will most likely be buying a used car next time we need a new one, others can. I would also like to see our new President work on stopping companies from sending jobs over seas. If that is fixed, there is a better chance my dad will keep his job.
In this bad economy I have trying to cut back on spend so that I can save money. However the things that I do buy I am making sure are made and manufactured in the US.
Sarah
I believe President Obama was the right choice for President. Many of his ideas, ( like his idea that people can get more jobs building solar panels and windmills, which will open new jobs in the future) I am very fond of.
My main hope for the future is that the economy will get gradually better. If anyone can improve the economy, Obama can. I think that unlike Bush, Obama is thinking completely about the people when he thinks about the country. I think for the first time I really feel included.
The way I can make a difference is to promote the best of the Presidents ideas. If I get more people to know what Obama is actually trying to do as President, they will be more informed in the long run.
Zach
My very first impression of President Obama was that he actually knew what he was talking about. He knew the issues of the American people. Unlike in the past 8 years. I really hope that Obama can solve the problems our country has been facing. Whether it be the war in Iraq or the economic crisis, even responding more effectively to natural disasters, I hope he will solve these problems more effectively the former president. I believe that everyone can make a difference, whether it's raising awareness of a cause or cleaning up a park or volunteering, everyone can help to make our world a better place to live.
Nora
Barak Obama is a true miracle if you look at where his people were only 70 years ago. It would have been laughed at if you predicted this at any time before 1950. I do not agree with some of Obama's ideas and would have voted for McCain but either way he is our president and we need to support him. I think and hope that he does a good job.
Nick