Thursday, September 16, 2010

President Barack Obama's Annual Speech to American School Students


Today we listen to the President of the United States of America give his annual speech to students. It is now your turn to give your opinion on what leads us as individuals to strive for the best? After answering the above question please answer the following:
1. what did you like about the speech? In other words, what did the Presidents say that you were impressed with or that held special meaning for you?
2. What did you dislike about the speech? In other words, did the President say something that you did not feel was accurate or hold any meaning for you?
Make sure to read the other blog entries and comment on at least one.
Due at the end of class.
Points: 50

172 comments:

Unknown said...

The president said that "nobody gets to write your destiny but you." That got to me, because i know it's true, but he kinda reminded me. Although, i didn't like how he said everything, it's what everyone else says to us, just it's coming from the president of the U.S.

He stated things that I already know to be true, because of experience, but it made me realize that i have been slacking, and that I need to get on my feet again.

dmcfarland1 said...

I didn't really like or dislike Obamas speech.......and I really dont care about the president, or politics because No one person can rule over a billion people, plus everyone is blind, like in the Bush president run, most people voted to him because his father was the president and he is a texan...I really dont know and dont care anymore....The whole system is corrupted. One question I would ask Obama is why

Jen said...

In my opinion, I think students should just do their best in school but don't go overboard on it. Also they should ask a lot of questions when they don't understand it, because they might be on that subject for a while..

What I liked about the speech was how smoothly he put his words together and he didn't jumble them up. He also gave credit to the students at that school and the student body president that introduced him. Obama also used some words of wisdom. What I didn't like about the speech was the fact that he basically stated that you need to go to school to have a successful future. He also stated the obvious about a lot of things.

Victoria Lewis said...

1. What I liked about the president's speech was that he tells everyone that "the future is in our hands." He tells the students that our success is going to determine America's success in the 21st century, and that we may have talents we never dreamed of.

2. What I didn't like about the speech was that her told us that "Life is precious." Sometimes life can't be that good. We make mistakes and we sometimes can't fix them.

Sean McSpadden said...

I was impressed by his confidence in himself, I just wanted to point that out.
But I did like the fact that he was extremely encouraging to the students about following their dreams and achieving goals in life.
I disliked the fact that he put an obligation to the students in the name of America, it seems like a pressure that shouldn't have to be carried by any selected individual, or for that matter, realized by any individuals. I also didn't like the fact that I heard stuff in the speech that my mother has said to me before.
And I think he should not have brought up other countries, although it is a true fact that other countries are succeeding more than we are in education, I don't think it should be viewed by anyone as a competition, it will instill the wrong reasons for actually doing homework and trying to succeed for themselves.

Ethan Burr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jspainhower said...

One thing i liked about Obama's speech was how he covered lots of views, and lots of age groups so it reached most of its listeners. His opinions on motivation to succeed in school were very positive, but didn't seem impossible for most children to reach his goals.
I didn't like some of the phrases he used because they have been used in lots of his prior speeches, but, for the most part, his speech was original.

Steven Espinoza said...

I totaly agree with the president it is up to us the education is there and its free so s long as we apply ourselves and try hard we are going to be ok and keep the 21st century going on.

Some things i liked about the speech was that he was encouraging us to become the best we can and how it's up to us to keep the 21st century going. He said don't ever think you cant do something when you know you can.

I didn't like how he kept over introducing and applying to himself, to like cocky with his name and who he is.

Raul said...

I think his speech was very intresting and i think he did a great job encouriging the studintd to fight for there education and make there dreams come true btut also to help others acheave there goal.I think his speech was really good and it had nothing of my dislike.

Unknown said...

Sean, i agree that he had a lot of confidence in him self. I really admire that. The only thing is that he seemed a little too conceited, and that really bothered me. I don't think that the president of the U.S. should be conceited. :(

Ethan Burr said...

What leads people to strive for the best is that they want to make good money during their careers. Others strive to do what they love or to prove themselves.

1.I liked how he made some general relations to people and I also liked the fact that he addressed success being the most important factor in education.

2.The dislikes i had was that he basically only addressed the importance of success in education. He also had 1 but, 2 ands, and 4 uhms, which is pretty good but still not good enough.

Steven Espinoza said...

i agree with ndickinson its basically the same idea that i have.

amartinez1 said...

Some of us strive for the best because we want to be somebody in life and make a change in our or other people's life. I like the encouraging words and quotes he used. They seemed genuine and they hold much truth to them. Things DON"T just fall from the sky. You must work to get what you want because nothing worth having comes easy. There was nothing about the speech that I did not like except for that, it could have been a little more inspiring. The words were strong but it may not have held much meaning to many because those are things we hear all the time. They eventually become just words. It needed something a little more unique to stand out more. This speech was perfect for those who understand the importance of an education and what his words truly mean but to those who lack in support and motivation maybe didn't have as much meaning.

Caitlin said...

In all honesty, I believe an individual's determination is what leads us to strive for the best. If we want to be, say, a physician, and claw through the world for that, we'll certainly achieve it. If we want to be some drunk bum lounging on the couch of our friend's apartment, we certainly will be, however disgusting that is. Yes, determination is a key part to the shape of this society.

I liked how Obama was a little cheerful in his speech, saying that life is precious. I also liked how he admitted that he was a casual and lazy student back in his day.

However, there were many parts of his speech that I did not like. I felt as if I were being treated like a child. How am I supposed to be nervous about school anymore? I stopped that in second grade. I also felt that he was degrading other schools by saying how special Mastermin was and how all schools should be like Mastermin. I mean, really? If we were all the same perfect school, then there would be no variety - no uniqueness, nothing to make OUR school look beautiful in its OWN way. I also disagreed when he said America is responsible for us. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we fail to climb to the top.

shotchkiss said...

What strides us to achieve for the best is the ambition that we can do what we can achieve if we give it our best shot at it.
About the presidential speech, I liked the way that Obama addressed everyone that is in the educational group that is into learning an getting a perfect education so they can all succeed and go to a great college in life after graduation.
I didn't disliked anything about the speech because Obama fully spoke about getting a proper education and find your right place in the field that you are in for your own educational purposes.

Raul said...

I think his speech was very intresting and i think he did a great job encouriging the studintd to fight for there education and make there dreams come true btut also to help others acheave there goal.I think his speech was really good and it had nothing of my dislike.

sharman said...

liked how he was saying no matter how tough you think it is, if you get motivated and just work hard, you can achieve your dreams. Education is so important and opens up so many opportunities if you just put forth some effort. He mentioned how kids can feel threatened by their friends because they might be doing better than you. I can personally say i have felt that way before. One of my friends will get better grades than me and I feel stupid because i know i can do better. From that though, I should take example and do just as good or better.
What I disliked was how he was saying how he had hard times because his dad left when he was two. He was two, how could he remember? Also how he repeated a few times how if you succeed you help America succeed. Some kids might take that as, well if I don't do good, then I will mess up my country. Some kids might be pressured by comments like that.

Brianna Wolfe said...

I think what strives people for the best is looking at the world today and wanting to make a difference. Our world has many problems and I think it makes people reflect on the issues and try to make a difference for instance Obama.

1) THe one thing I liked about the speech was he inspired the students that education is extremely important. He also included the term "NEVER GIVE UP" Many people need to tell themselves that more often so one day their dreams will come true.

2) I liked the speech for the most part. I had no dislikes.

Steven Espinoza said...

Raul: i agree with you have good thoughts on speech

jcarrillo1 said...

As an individual, what strives me he most is that my dad and his brothers don't believe that i can achieve anything higher than they have. Needless to say they haven't exactly done much with their lives, but they say that the sole fact that apparently I don't know anything because I'm a little girl.

Doesn't make much sense to me...
But i guess that"s just me.

1. I liked how President Obama said that "...I have an obligation for myself and America has an obligation to our students."
I've had teachers that didn't exactly follow those guidelines for ethnicity issues. I wish that wasn't an issue in the U.S. Especially for my younger cousins who've already been exposed to that, unfortunately.

2.There wasn't much that i didn't like about the speech. The only thing that bothered me a bit was that when Obama came out on stage he kind had that celebrity momentum. But then again, i would to if I was the president of the U.S.A.
:]

Sean McSpadden said...

@Wheathin
I don't think it matters how many buts and uhms he had, he was on national television, give him a break. But I do agree with the likes, the relations between things in my life and what he said made me pay more attention.

Theresa Murray said...

President Barack Obama's annual speech to American students was very interesting. He did say some very inspiring words to our nation, that may have an effect on students everywhere, not only in American. He mentioned seniors in high school. The worries they are having, thinking about the future of college and living life after school. I am a senior and this did apply to me.

Everything that The President said, had some sort of meaning to it. I would not say that I dislike the speech, or any part of it, but that I feel that he could have addressed the students of the United States of America better.

awhite said...

Effort and determination focussing on our personal interests leads us as individuals to strive for the best. I liked that he declares effort and commitment are key to success. This is very true and has been proven time and time again. I also liked that he states it does not matter how smart you are, but how hard you work. I did not like that he did not mention the fact that some students make their way to success because their parents are wealthy, or have connections in the world. I'm not saying he was avoiding the topic, it just would have been nice if he had addressed and shortly discussed the issue.

Samantha Henson said...

1. In his speech it was meant to be encouraging and seemed to be more towards the older crowd of students such as high school because her brought up the problems teenagers go through and everyone can relate to that. I liked that he used examples from his life such as his talk with his mom because I have also had that talk with my mom as well.
2. One of the things I didn’t like about his speech was that is only directed to older grades he could of talked more about elementary school also. I also feel like we’ve all herd this stuff before so it wasn’t anything really new.

rross1 said...

I thought that the school that he pick was a bad one because that school is already successful he should have went to an average school so he can address the right kids who actually ave the problems that he is talking about.

dmcfarland1 said...

@EthanBurr
"2.The dislikes i had was that he basically only addressed the importance of success in education. He also had 1 but, 2 ands, and 4 uhms, which is pretty good but still not good enough."

Stop being a baby so what if he used BUT, AND, and UHMS.....seriously and why are you even counting? You even used but in your sentence.

Jen said...

sharman I completely agree with your post. I also felt that way too when my friend got a better grade then me. It's just natural to feel that way I suppose.

jspainhower said...

I really have to agree with Adam, his thoughts on the speech are very similar to mine.

sharman said...

dmcfarland1- haha i like the honesty

Samantha Henson said...

ndickinson I agree with you that it does feel like what everyone else says to us and it wasnt as moving to me that it could be, even though it came from the President.

shotchkiss said...

Ndickson, I would totally agree on what Obama said, "nobody gets to write your destiny but you," that is a very promising statement that will get to everyone and I follow that statement a lot, a true statement that will reach out to everyone that wants to succeed in his/her life in school/college.

Jorge said...

First off, I liked that Obama thanked everyone in the beginning. From the student who introduced him to the political leaders, that was deeply respectful in general. I liked when Obama said that education determines how far you will go because that statement is so true and should be relevant and be applied to all of us students. What I also liked was when he mentioned that letter from the girl in Georgia, that we should try hard to accomplish our goals and help others.

I admit, a lot of what Obama said was true. However, there were some points he made that were not necessary to state. I did not like it in when he would continuously mention how he is there and how he stated that we "been through a depression" when, in my personal opinion, have not even seen the high point of it...

Caitlin said...

Seth, I totally agree with you. Ambition, (determination), is what helps us on the road to success. Without that, we are roadkill. :)

jcarrillo1 said...

amartinez!!!

:D

I liked how you said that those are words we tend to hear all the time and eventually it just becomes noise to us.
I didn't think of that.
Gewd Yob :b

Andy said...

In land such as america, a youth and their dreams is the quite a powerful thing. The sheer force of a dreamer is enough to change the world... But in america, where the sky is already the limit, there really isn't anything that todays youth, my generation, cant accomplish.
I've always thought that our president is a great orator. He knows how to inspire and stir up any audience. However, I found this speech better than alot of his previous speeches on education (dang, he sure likes to talk) In the sense that he used personal experiance to connect to his listeners.
I did not like the fact that 1) Whoever writes Obama's speeches most likely wrote for the poor girl that introduced him... or so it seemed. 2) He stresses the importance of attending a collage way to much

Alokken said...

Striving for the best is a common human trait, everyone wants the best they can get for themselves. To some people the best is becoming a multi-millionaire or to others its becoming an olympic gold medalist. No matter what it is everyone wants to achieve their goals because through success comes happiness.

The speech by Obama included many things i liked, but here are just a few. I loved how inspiring Obama was through stories of his own like when he described his mother sitting him down and talking to him. He is a very down to earth guy. I also like how involved he is in the communities.

In the speech there wasn't really anything i disliked except the cheesy jokes and non-stop applause. Other than that a great presentation!

Spencer Katoa said...

I have enjoyed the fact that he has emphasized on the importance of hard work, determination, and respect.Also how he has stated on how our nation is now competing with many others on the educational playing field, to be quite honest we need to get a move on or we will loose.

To my surprise i didn't find many things about the speech that disturbed me. All i can really say is that he just needs to control his hand motions, stop saying uh, and reword some of his sentences.

Brianna Wolfe said...

ethan I love the way you write and prove your point on your dislikes. I did not have any dislikes before until I read yours. It is true about how he only talked about the importance of success. He could of added a lot more to it.

amartinez1 said...

dmcfaland1: Yes this country is biased on whom they vote for but that's just the way this world works sometimes. The president made this speech to inspire students and that's the idea. You make your future and if you don't like this world you have the chance to make a change and not everyone has that opportunity.

Mrs. Burr said...

Brandon Andrews
1. I liked that Barack could relate to the hardships of being a teenager and the difficulty of excelling in school.

2. I didn't dislike any thing about Baracks speech. I thought that it was motivating and truthful. However, He should have given examples of how important education is and how it will help you achieve your goals later in life.

Mrs. Burr said...

1 thing i loved about his speech is how encouraging he is to the students and how all you need is a little effort and determination. I also liked how he told some personal stories it gave the speech more feeling.

I didn't like that he is so repetitive he says the same things just different ways. And that he was saying that all you need to do is try and everything will work great and I think thats a little bit of a fantasy.
Chad H

hydrocat said...

I liked Obama's speech. He seemed to identify to the kids better than past presidents and he seemed to genuinely mean what he said. He also promoted procrastination, which I thought was pretty funny.

What I didn't like was that his goals are what they would be in an ideal society. They aren't realistic enough for American kids.

Btw hey McFarland, get real. If the system is so corrupt than why has it worked so well for hundreds of years? look at the facts. You think your the first little "rebel" to think this way? Stop listening to so much SOAD and open your eyes.

Ryan Becker said...

The thing that leads to personal success in school is the personal drive students have to succeed. This drive can be obtained by their own hard work and dedication, or it can be instilled in them by their parents or teachers.

What I liked about President Barack Obama's speech was his ability to interact with the Masterson crowd. I also liked when he said that everyone has to work together to help each other achieve their dreams.

The only thing I didn't like about the President's speech was that he said that, in difficult times, students may be forced to "scale down their dreams". I disagree with this statement, and I believe that should strive for their difficult dreams in difficult times. Never take the easy way out.
Make sure to read the other blog entries and comment on at least one.

kwelsh said...

To me it seems that people strive to be the best for money and power other than the help of others in most cases.
1. When Obama was talking about how his mom told him to apply himself just a little bit, that if he does he can go a long way, I've been told that numerous times by my own mum.
2. after awhile i started to stare at nothing, it was like he made a few loops back and repeated himself a couple of times.

csayegh said...

the speech was nothing special or nothing that wanted to change the way i am in school or what i do. i did like how he said "life not all about having to go to a good collage", because if i did get into one, its for me not anyone else. i did not like how it seemed to me he favored the school he kept talking about and did not say anything about any other schools. i also HATE how he said "nothing is more important then school". this is not true to me at all. Your education can get you a good job, but your not getting any income to survive off of anything. The way economy is today, people who have their masters degree are getting normal jobs with normal incomes, and are barely making it. 1

jborowski1 said...

Mrs.Burr I disagree with what you said which is "And that he was saying that all you need to do is try and everything will work great and I think thats a little bit of a fantasy" I know that if we try our hardest anything can be achieved like the people who invented the light bulb they tried and tried and tried again until they finally invented the light bulb so that could be applied to school because if we try and try and try again until we get good results then we could make things better.

Slupia said...

I don't have my parents pushing me, or my teachers baby stepping me along the way. My success comes from my insides, my heart. It sounds corny, but the only reason I have success in my life is because I want it. I want to go places, I want to not have to struggle like my family does. I want to be an example for my little brothers and sisters, and even though they seem not to care, I want to be someone my parents can be proud of.

Obama seems to be a relatable man, who had issues just like everyone else. He is relatable, and shows that he wasn't always perfect. He is humble and inspirational. Obama used his past experiences to encourage the students to whom his speech was toward. One of my favorite parts was when he said, "You can't wait for luck." This spoke to me because it is a motto I hold true to myself every day. Another part that stood out to me was how he acknowledged the fact that diversity is a good thing. It defines the individual, and that is something that I think we all need to take to heart. We need to stand up and embrace our individuality.

I didn't happen to like the fact that he singled out the school he was at during the beginning of the speech. To me is seemed that he labeled the school as superior to every one else. It is always important to be recognized for your accomplishments, but I felt that the way he did it wasn't the best way to do so. Other than that I enjoyed the speech :)

sandy truman said...

I liked his wise words about stuff. It made me feel special because he made me believe that some day i could be doing what he does i guess. Even thought i would never want to he still made me believe and that's what counts? The thing i didn't like about his speech was he was telling kids to become try-hards i don't like try-hards because they are annoying most of the time. I didn't like the fact he seemed so happy, i honestly don't think he was that happy to be there at that school but then again, i don't know.

ltrog said...

I feel that us as students strive for our best because most parents push us to keep going and not to give up also i know that i strive for my best because i feel alot better about myself if i get good grades or just accomplish something i was really trying for. Obama had many good points in his speech about being the best you can be and thats what i liked. He related average people to everyday life and that if you just work hard you can do anything you want. He was very encouraging which makes me want to work harder. Obama really isn't my favorite person so watching his speech was kinda hard. I noticed that he "ummed" a couple times which was annoying but actually i really did overall like his speech.

Heather LeBlanc said...

I feel that our future goals and the approval of others is what causes us to strive for the best. In this society, people's opinions of us and what we desire in life is basically what we are all about... One of the things that I really liked about the speech and could relate to was when he spoke of school and wanting to give up. Regardless if you are good at a subject or not, he simply said that you can try your best and continue on with it, and you never know, you may end up discovering a talent you never knew you had. Regardless if you are a 'science person' or not, you do have the capability to excel. I can honestly say that I did not dislike anything about his speech. If one, maybe the fact that the speech seemed so NOT rehearsed, but that could be seen as a 'like' considering it wasn't so robotic and was actually relateable.

Xavier said...

I liked that he said that all you need is a little effort and determination & you can succeed even in things you're not good at because that's something that my father always tells me & that inspires me to work harder & stay focused on what I need to


I didn't like that he tried to make some jokes that had no meaning & weren't even funny & that he took a long time just to say something small & simple

Crobinson said...

Well i don't really know what to say due to the fact that I don't really understand all this president stuff. But, I like how he said, "There is nothing that we can't accomplish as long as we set our minds to it.
I really agree with that because if you put your mind to anything you can achieve.

I also did not like the fact that he said you have to be in school in order to have a successful life. I really disagree with that because my friends mom did not stay in school and she has a successful life for the most part.

cblazcabrera said...

As individuals, we should focus on our own future. Helping others get to where they want to go is great, but I'd rather focus on myself to get where i want to go & what I want to do with my life. Obama's speech enlightened me to work harder in school, because if I don't I'm not going anywhere in life.

1. I liked when the President was saying something about striving for our future & getting educated. Also, to focus on getting somewhere in life; especially if we want to become the next President of the U.S.

2. I didn't like how he kept preaching on everything over & over, when we already know what to do. I mean, yeah, get educated for the future, how else are you going to get through the struggles of everyday life?

sandy truman said...

dmcfarland1


i feel ya man.

jborowski1 said...

what I liked was that he tries to motivate us to try our hardest and to help others to try their hardest.

the only thing I disliked was that he tried to put himself in our position which somewhat affected me but mostly it did not affect me.

ltrog said...

rross1 : your point was right about how h e should go to a normal school but i feel it was right for him to go to a high level school because he is congradulating them so they can even be better then they are.

Heather LeBlanc said...

dmcfarland1 was actually quite entertaining. I think I side both ways, in that I did like Obama's speech but this kid brings up pretty interesting points to think about. His comment brought up alot of talk in our class, and some people really liked it. I fricken loved it! It's soo opinionated and I love things like that. I kinda agree too... niiiice.

iyurgayev said...

I really didn't like or dislike Obama's speech i just don't like the fact that they put one man in charge of over a billion people. The pressure of even ruling one person is overwhelming. I will say, in his speech he probably touched the hearts of a lot of the people and a lot of the student's that where their.

kwelsh said...

@dmcfarland i agree about must people vote because they feel obligated to and blindly cast their vote and it is hard to control a few billion people to with one person and that most of the system is corrupt but there are people that do try to change for the greater good

avalenzuela said...

THE PRESIDENT SAID "nobody gets to write our destiny but our self, we know what we want in the future" AND THAT GOT MY ATTENTION REALLY FAST BECAUSE ITS TRUE..NO ONE CAN CHOOSE FOR US.. THE FARTHER WE GO IN SCHOOL, THE FARTHER WE'LL GET IN LIFE.AND WE AS TEENS NOW NO BETTER TO WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANT IN LIFE WE NO THE GOOD AND THE BAD..NO KNOW,WE HAVE TO TAKE THE RIGHT PATH TO SUCCEED IN LIFE..THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFICULTIES WE WOULD HAVE TO FACE AS WE GOING ON THROUGH OUR EDUCATION..WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE EFFORT. AND ALWAYS KEEP OUR HEAD UP TO ACHIVE WHAT WE REALLY. BECAUSE NO ONE SAID LIFE WAS GOING TO BE EASY. WE JUST NEED TO KNOW HOE TO HANDLE THE THINGS WHEN WE GET STUCK...

Mstemkowski said...

I think what leads us to strive for the best is the hope that we can be what we want to be in the future.

1. I Liked that the speech was very positive, and that he tells us our future is what we want to make of it, and how he tells us to be the best we can be.

2. I felt that what he said about anyone being able to be the best at anything if they tried hard enough is wrong, even though it sounds encouraging I think everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses.

ncoman2 said...

I think what leads individuals to strive for the best are their goals and dreams.
In his speech I liked when he said "Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.." I wish I wrote the rest of it down because it was really an outstanding quote! It is something that motivates me to succeed knowing that my destiny wasn't planned and I can change my mind at any moment.
In his speech what i didn't like was how in all his sentences they basically stated the same thing; saying that education is the most important thing in your life. Other than that i really liked listening to his speech because it was very well worded and i could understand it. Also he made a big impression.

Pgruber said...

We instinctively give an effort into something only if we will be rewarded in some way.
What I liked about the speech was how he showed sympathy for the families affected by the current recession. I also like how he encouraged the students to go above above and beyond and always give their best effort.
The one thing I didn't like is how unoriginal his speech was, and that the students always hear this encouragement from their parents and teachers.

Josh Pehota said...

Politics honestly just bug me, it's like there just repeating everything that I have learned in life but just from the president, because he is supposed to be this great guy to look up to, you know, given, this guy rules over us and makes sure that we are protected, but there will always be that person in society, so I feel like I wasted a good 20 minutes listening to the same BS I hear all day long every day. So, as a citizen, why don't we sit down and think, what am I doing wrong and how can I try harder to be a better person and make the world a better place starting with myself, because if you are the type of person who sits back and let's things happen, nothing will ever change, take the initiative and change the world yourself. Be nice to people do good in school and treat people how you would like to be treated. Try not to worry so much about the small things, and what everyone else is doing and take your life into your own hands and change it for the better. That is how I believe we can change the world.

Crobinson said...

DMCFARLAND1:

I agree with you because there is not a single person in this country that can rule over a billion people. People are gonna do what they want and some are gonna listen. But, I can't really say I like or dislike the speech because Obama had some good things that he said.

csayegh said...

dmcfarland, first of all, your funny. Second i agree with you except that was a little harsh.

apollack1 said...

The speech from Barack Obama was interesting. I like his speech, because he speak not so boring like our in Germany Angela Merkel. What I like is, he speak about students future and he told us about his experience in High School and College.
But at the other hand everybody makes mistakes and nobody is perfect. And he told us: "Our future is in our hands". I have nothing for my dislikes.

iyurgayev said...

ndickinson.... i totally agree with what your saying it did kinda touch me when he said it too just hearing it from a powerful man like that.

tvalente said...

The one thing that makes me strive to do the best is my suport, of my family. The things that i liked about the speech is that he was always being positive. He really didn't say anything negative. He also said that if you put effort into everything you do then you can excell in anything that you try to do. Also i liked how he talked about dreams and how no one can tel you other wise.The one thing i didn't like about his speech is that the paused a lot and said umm a lot.

AnnaM said...

We strive for the best because most of us will get in big trouble from our parents if we don't. I really liked how President Obama told that story about how his mom got mad at him for slacking off. I could relate to that because my mom is the same and gets mad at me for slacking off. I didn't like how he would be talking normal then out of nowhere start yelling.

ncoman2 said...

Ryan Becker
I agree with you i also like how he interacted with the Masterson's crowd.

Pgruber said...

That's how how i feel too jspainhower.

Daniela said...

Well I like every thing that he said most I like that he is happy he tell as that we can do whatever we want if we work hard .He tell as to no live school because f we study we can do are goals he give as wings

caleb said...

I like how President Obama looks at the different types of students that are found across the United States. He even gave examples of himself growing up in a troubled home. But nevertheless, i agree with ''ndickenson'' (aka natasha) that he encourages us that we are the ones that write our own destiny. That is so true. If it wasnt true then how would a ''goof-off" be the president of the United States today?
The one thing I didn't like about Obama's speech is that he paused and stuttered a lot! But he did get all of his points out so it's ok. I'd be nervous too if i were in front of a gigantic group of people nationwide.

fabiola said...

1.What i like about the speech was that he was really possitive tours everything he was saying and encourageing students to do good in school. He also said ''Life is precious'' That make's us who we are. I like the qoute because everyone is different and we all choose choices who make us who we are.

2. What i did n ot ike about the President was that he was just talking about school and he did not change anything. He basically said the same thing. And did not like that. Hes umm's got really anoying after a while.

Alicia Guzman said...

I think what leads us as individuals is the power of ourselves, and help from others.
I liked when he said "Nobody gets to write your destiny, except for you." I believe that is very true, you can not follow someone else's ideas, or else you are not you.
However, he continued on saying what we should do, and was setting goals for other people, that I did not like.

fabiola said...

1.What i like about the speech was that he was really possitive tours everything he was saying and encourageing students to do good in school. He also said ''Life is precious'' That make's us who we are. I like the qoute because everyone is different and we all choose choices who make us who we are.

2. What i did n ot ike about the President was that he was just talking about school and he did not change anything. He basically said the same thing. And did not like that. Hes umm's got really anoying after a while.

Diana Del Pozzo said...

i think you need to set a goal, and try your hardest to do things to achieve those goals. Obama's speech was pretty good, i liked plenty of things ,like that he related things to his personal life and family,he can easily relate to the students, and that he gave alot of encouragement to the students. I did not like that he repeated some things, and stayed on basically one topic, and that he didn't give solutions to how we can fix these problems, he kind of just stated them. Also, i think he shouldn't have had told the students he barely got by in high school. To me its not such of a good example. Overall i think the speech was very encouraging.

Tsendelbach said...

I liked, as many other people seem to, Obama's charisma. It's undeniable he has charm.

I didn't appreciate his "advice" to everyone, however; it was cliche and overly repetitive. He grouped all teenagers together, as if all of us are the same and in he same situations. While hard work goes a long way, I don't think it's fair to assume that all people who are in bad situations are able to fix everything for themselves and do ANYTHING if they just applied themselves. Much of his speech is very idealistic and very non-specific.

eturner1 said...

What makes me strive for the best is to show or impress other people. This sounds contridicting considering im not a person to really mind what others think, but when i do something good enough for others to notice it makes me feel a lot better about myself. I like how President Obama talked like an 'average joe'. He didn't use obsurd words that no one without a dictionary in their hand would understand. I also liked his view on being different. I didn't like however how cliche and predictable his entire speech was. Anyone could have written a speech that plain, there was nothing special about it. We've heard the same thing about all of his points time and time again.

Tyler Smith said...

@Ethan Burr
I agree with your likes, but I also agree with Sean McSpadden on your dislikes. It doesn't matter about the grammatical errors or few unnecessary conjunctions. That doesn't take away from the message at hand, and pointing that out is rather useless for the few mistakes that actually happened. Critiquing him on that is about as useless at critiquing the clothing he is wearing.

1. I liked the emotion he fathered to his speech. He used emotional appeal, and it worked well. He seemed rather meaningful about what he was speaking and generally had a positive tone. The idea behind the speech is good.

2. Yet, the speech lacked decent depth. It was a superficial speech. It didn't answer questions I wanted answered, instead he answered vague ideas and spoke about self preservation. I would have liked to hear a well constructed idea to help students have a better school experience. He spoke about to and for emotion, not to and for logic.

jnavarrete said...

Today we saw president ObAma speech. Personally i try to look to the person next to me and i say i can do better than them even tho sometimes is not true. What i liked about his speech was the fact that he was encouraging all the students to do better in school and fellow there dreams. It means a lot to me because that what i really try to do everyday. This nothing that i thought was bad in his speech

mathew pennington said...

For me, what strives me the most to just even finish high school, is knowing most of my family are drop outs and doing bad choices in there life, i want something better than that. The thing that i liked most about his speech was when he said "Nobody gets to write your destiny, but you." That really meant a lot to me and inspired me a little to be better. I don't like how he says that anybody can go to college. That is not even close to true because, even if i get good grades, my family won't be able to afford it.

Alicia Guzman said...

Sean McSpadden:
I agree with you 100%

caleb said...

ndickenson; i agree with you even though i already said that in my comment but i'm just posting it cause Mrs Burr told us to respond to comments in this manner....

nicoleprouty said...

I believe that as individuals we strive to do the best because we have people who are there to help us and encourage us. I know that personally, if my family and friends and teachers encourage me more then I have more of a personal need to succeed and want to be the best. I also want to strive to do the best because I want to show people what I am able to achieve.

I think that when the President made references to his life as a teenager made the speech have a lot more meaning to me. I would rather here someone say their story because it helps me see what and whatnot to do. I mean, he is the President and he still made mistakes as a teenager but he still made it very far in life and achieved one of the best goals there could be. Also, when he kept saying how we are the future to the United States, it scared me. But it made me realize that it is very important to strive to do the best in everything. Even if striving to do the best means something different to you. If it means being the best or just trying your best or even just being a hard worker, it makes a huge difference then sitting back and doing nothing about failing a class, or doing nothing when you don't understand something. We, as teenagers, will be the future of this country.
There wasn't very much I disliked about his speech, I thought he did a very well job. He did seem to keep repeating himself and I got bored but then he would catch my attention again with something he said.

fabiola said...

Mrs. Burr

i Totally agree with what you have to say

Samantha Nielsen said...

I believe that some ppl strive on the praise that others give. I know that for myself hearing ppl saying "good job" or "Way to go" makes me wanna keep going, makes me wanna do better go longer go harder. Others strive on the silent sadisfaction of doing they did their best.
What I like about the speech was that it he talked about how how we do in school will reflect how we do in our lives. That no matter how messed up your life is that that you can get through the dark times if you just believe and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I didn't like how he repeated himself a lot and how he told the same story he did before. But thats about it. I enjoyed and agreed with everything else he said. :)

Samantha Nielsen said...

I believe that some ppl strive on the praise that others give. I know that for myself hearing ppl saying "good job" or "Way to go" makes me wanna keep going, makes me wanna do better go longer go harder. Others strive on the silent sadisfaction of doing they did their best.
What I like about the speech was that it he talked about how how we do in school will reflect how we do in our lives. That no matter how messed up your life is that that you can get through the dark times if you just believe and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I didn't like how he repeated himself a lot and how he told the same story he did before. But thats about it. I enjoyed and agreed with everything else he said. :)

Anonymous said...

I Liked Mr. Barack Obama's speech. I was impressed with the advice he mentioned. I can tell you he is a better speaker than Mr. Busch, He gave GREAT advice for students. He also talked about how he didn't get the best grades and that his mother didn't discipline him. This speech will help students work harder to become someone in life. There really wasn't any "dislikes".

Lexi Clark said...

What I liked about the speech was how he tried to relate to everyone and how he said his mom pushed him succeed. Also how he admitted his mistakes and said I was talented. I did not like how how he said umm all the time and how he kept rambling. Just Get to the point!! I also didn't like how he kept repeating his statements.

SBradford said...

What leads to strive to be the best is how school will affect the rest of my life. The president's was very well spoken. I liked how he inspired kids to put effort in their school work. He admitted his mistakes when he was a kid and that shows he is not afraid to admit he had problems. His overall message was a good influence to kids and he did a good job. There were only a few things that I disliked about the speech. I didn't like how he jumping around in stories and talking about random stuff. He also stuttered a little too much and also said um a lot. Obama was also repeating what he was saying but in a different way. I get he was just trying to get a point through the students' minds but it was unnecessary. Overall his speech was very good.

Amanda Dugan said...

what pushes me to learn is knowing that its all getting my ready for the world when i have to make my own choices and knowing that i am not going to end up living with my parents and having trouble finding a job.

1) i liked how he talked about his childhood and addressed how others struggle with the whole economy problem.
2) i didn't like the fact that he didn't directly address any problems

jnavarrete said...

Fablola

I kinda agree with you but he doesn't get annoying because he talking about encoraging students

Samantha Nielsen said...

@nicoleprouty agree with what you said! :)

eturner1 said...

ndickinson- i completely agree, "nobody gets to write your destiny but you" i also kind of forgot about that so when he said it, it had meaning even though in the back of my head somewhere i already knew that.

Duy Doan said...

When I always follow my dreams and never forget my goal. This is a point how to get the best out of us. We also have to want it, we have to fight for our own success. Thinking positive is another point. If you think positive, you will success in life, if you think negative, you will fail. If you do something with the thought "i wont get it" , you will fail. So... If you keep focusing on your goal and keep thinking positive, you will do the best.

The Speech

1. I like it how easy he is saying that, he is close to the folk, like he is one of them. The Way he talked about his life was so authentic and believable...

2.I didn't liked how he compared the U.S to other countries. That's how a war begins. Everyone wants to be the better one. He shouldn't compare the United States to other nations. We should do the best we can and not trying to be better than other people. you have to reach your own goal.

rachel said...

For us to strive for the best we must think about our future. Wouldn't you want a great future? I personally try to be the best that i can be. "Your future is in your hands."
1. I like how President Obama mentioned the problems that are going on in the world. I think it's important to be aware of our surroundings. He said, "The farther you go in school, the father you'll go in life." I think that's definitely true. I mean, you see people today who don't have jobs because they didn't finish school. Also, "Life is precious."
2. I didn't like that President Obama seemed fake. It was as if his speech was staged-to me anyway. I felt like he was "preaching" about things that were unnecessary. For example, his earlier years. If you want us to believe in you don't tell us you were horrible way back when.

Tsendelbach said...

@Sean McSpadden
I agree that telling people that they are obligated to make America proud is too much pressure, especially for middle school students. I also don't think everyone currently living in America should have obligation to their country if they don't agree with the way the government works or many other key issues. If they appreciate where they live and the way America works, they should be allowed to make that choice for themselves.

Diana Del Pozzo said...

@ltrog
I think your comment explains what i thought very well. He isn't my favorite person to listen to, however his speech was actually very encouraging, and he seems to know what he's talking about relating to education and achieving things.

brian l. said...

my opinion is that we the students have our destiny in our hands and that we make what we want out of it because if we just slack off on homework we'll just make it more difficult for our selfs. so we just have to do good in school and stay on topic and if u don't understand any homework ask for help.




1. what i liked about his speech was that he was really serious and made very good points of view about our education.

2. what i idid not liked about him was that he used too much and or other certain phrases that did not make sensed. he also sttutered on many occasions.

Krisa Duff said...

I strive for my best because i want a strong education and i have high goals for myself.

1. I really like when the president was talking about how you can not just sit around waiting for luck to carry you through life, but that you have to put a little effort into accomplishing your goals. Also how he said that you are the one who gets to determine your future. No one else can prepare and work hard towards your goals and dreams for you.

2. Overall i thought the speech was well done. Although there is a specific part when he began talking about his experience at the school he visited last year. I didn't feel it was important enough to share and kind of went off topic. Also i feel the conclusion of the speech could have been stronger and differently worded.

Zach Langford said...

People today strive only when they will get something out of it. As Americans today we don't care for a "greater good", no, we care about ourselves. Even with people helping their community they don't truly care about the people they are helping, they care that other people will look at them with a higher level of respect. Bettering ones self is the bases for all people to strive for their best.

In the speech I liked how he was able to use his real life experience with his own kids to connect at a more personal level with the viewer.
I think Obama over-stepped his bond by saying when he was the viewers age, elementary-high school, that he wasn't a "good" student, but as we see today he is now the president of the most successful country in the world. In stating this he is saying that even the students who don't care about school may still succeed but then why should we try good in school then? He is giving students "the wrong idea".

SBradford said...

nicoleprouty; I agree with you all the way, he is president and he still made mistakes.

Luis said...

I think that his speech was really good because he is encouraging all the students in america. He wants the best education for us and i didnt dislike anything about the speech.

Andreas Korths said...

I think what makes us want to be as good and smart in school or in life as we can depends on our surrounding. If we live in a family that wants us to be good and learn new things we will probably also want to learn. If you can see that others are getting rewarded if they are being good, you will see that their effort paid off and you will try to do the same things as they did. If it's fun to be good, you will try to succeed in life. Your surrounding determines who you will be.

1. He was very passionate about what he where saying. He told us about his own life and how he had struggled in life. I think its was very important that he said that it's never to late to show effort in your work.

2.He didn't say anything about what concrete changes that we need to do. He didn't say anything about any real problems. Everything can't be good in school so i think that he should tell us about some problems that we are facing. I didn't like that he used himself as a price. He is the president, not a gold medal.

LuisOrnelas said...

I think that the president gave a great speech a especially like the part when he said you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it, and work hard. i dint really dislike anything about his speech he did a good job.

jwarner3 said...

What leads us to strive for the best is the overall outcome of money and power. I work hard in school to be able to make money and live a luxurious life. People say money can not buy happiness, that is a complete lie, money can buy power and much more. the only people that say money doesn't buy happiness, are the people with no money.

1) What i like about president Obama's speech was the fact on how he speaks inspiration into the youth in the United Sates. I also like how he brings be able to pay for college is hard due to the economy.

2) The president brought his personal life into the equation which honestly made no significance in my life. that was his life not mine. he was a kid 30 years ago, i am a kid now and the education system is way different now than it was then.

nicoleprouty said...

@ndickinson
I agree that when he said that it did remind me also that it's up to me to write my destiny and every choice i make determines it. And again, I agree that by some of the things he was saying made me notice that if i keep slacking things will just get worse and that I need to fix that.

Amanda Dugan said...

i agree with jen !

Mrs. Burr said...

Barack Obama was talking about striving for the best and the way I strive for my best is by focusing and and setting goals and not giving up on them. He said that "Nobody gets to write your destiny but you" and I love that quote. I absolutely agree. There is so much out there to do and so many great things people can become and a lot of different ways to get there so there.

1. I loved that in his speech he related to the audience and said things that anyone could relate to. He also didn't try and make himself seem better than anyone else and above all of us which makes me respect him more. He told the story about him and his mom, I know my mom has said that to me a bunch so I could relate. I like that he smiled and make eye contact:)

2. There wasn't a lot that I disliked about the speech because he didn't really say anything to disagree with. All his views on education were great and very inspiring. How could disagree with someone telling you not to give up on your dreams? Some technical things could be that he said "uhm" too much or when he was repeating himself.

bFrazer

rachel said...

Caleb: I agree with you that the President stuttered and paused a lot...I didn't like that either!!

josh ortiz said...

1) As individuals self-confidence and alertness leads us to strive for the best because being self confident means you believe in your self, while being alert makes you think twice about your choices.
2) The part when president Obama stated "Nobody gets to write your destiny but you.", i liked because he was preaching reality and meaning that nobody could affect your life or future but your self.
3) I disliked when the Obama mentioned other countries and stated that they didn't have our skills in other words. That just puts lives in the bin.

Krisa Duff said...

erin turner; i agrree with erin turner and liked how Obama made it understandable for students.

Mrs. Burr said...

I think that as an individual the best motivation would be people encouraging me and telling me that I can be whatever I want to be as opposed to saying that its going to be very hard for you to achieve your goals. I think in Obama's speech he did an excellent job encouraging students by doing that. However, I did not like the fact that at some points in his speech at some points it was all about him. I thought it was kind of funny when he said that he was lazy in school. That kind of scares me because I don't want a lazy president.

kyle K

Mrs. Burr said...

Well in my opinion my "likes" of "Obama" are kinda bleh
let's see he is a family man. He tries to be funny XD, He mess up a lot, and he brought up the issues of violence increasing in the "hoods" and heres my real like about Obama the fact that an 12 year old girl has a better motto then the president himself.

MY dislikes consist of, how he makes an political event look like the "Emmys", tch he always couldn't read from the paper in front of him which is another waste of money, trying to teach this monkey how to read, also through the entire speech it seemed like he kept saying the same things about education over and over, making it seemed like it was up to us to "fix" "America" cause we are the last hope or we're all screwed, and the all together fact that he the anti christ himself wants me to succeed to become another part of the "american dream" and just work into a hole and throw away my rites lol

Alex R

kyle quiggle said...

I liked it when President Obama said that only you can write your own destiny. When he said that it really stuck in my head and i am always going to keep that in my head for forever. I did not like the speech when he started talking about himself and he was using his ums and ahs alot which i did not like. I did like that his speech was clear and he was really funny in the speech.

Yokusme7 said...

it depends on how the person is. yes, some people strive for their goals from their parents, but others strive for goals for their own personal reasons.

i really didnt like how he stuttered, and when he said uhh, come on obama, be creative in what you say!

i really liked how he introduced the staff of masterson and how he talked about his own childhood in how he was a slacker but decided to prove himself and become the motivated person he needed to become to be the president. i admire that alot.

RAinslie said...

Spainhower's right, Obama did use age groups to reach students to get them to understand and listen about what he has to say about school and to do what you can to achieve your goal to graduate and start college and a career. Although i am not excelling i am still trying to achieve my goal to graduate and become a surgeon. Obama has influenced me to try harder than i did before.

Nongwee Marleeram said...

What i liked about his speech was how he talked about excelling in life. It really motivated me to do better in class. He also talked about how everyone is different and unique and we should be proud of our differences, that i really liked.

There was nothing in his speech that i disliked.except for his ummms and uhhss

tjohnston said...

I noticed that a lot of the things he said wasn't anything we haven't heard before, he could of just listened to an adult talking with their child and he would have the speech without adding some of his own opinions.He also was saying how he's always identified his goals and gone after them but what i don't understand(all political people do this) is that he's made all these promises to get himself elected and he probably wont follow thru with even half of them. Simply because it cannot be done.

stacey said...

i believe what makes individuals strive for the best is the thought of the future, how everyone else around you is doing, and the encouragement people give you along the side. when i think of my future, it makes me push and work harder for better grades, and when i see other people are trying super hard, then i want to try harder, and the encouragement from my mom and friends pushes me as well.

in the same thought, i really enjoyed President Obama's speech, and the "future lies in our own hands" was one quote he said that really attracted my attention, because students these days go around thinking that luck will come to us or money will get us into a fancy life after highschool, or that the teachers and our family has so much to do with our bad grades or our good grades, but in all reality, WE are responsible for our own faults, accomplishments, and problems.

Buy i do agree with ndickinson, what Obama said is the same thing every teacher or parent tells us and it gets old to hear, but coming from Obama it meant more and made me realize that i need to try as hard as possible. But other than that, i really liked his speech and i think it left the effect on students he had intended it to.

Ismael Diaz aka. Y3y0 said...

I think what makes us strive for ourselves is the experiences we have in our lives and to do the best. To know you could accomplish anything that yo desire.
What I liked most about his speech is that he reaches out to the audience really well on how important your own education is in these times.
I didn't really dislike nothing although he did say a lot of umms and uhhs here and there.

tcervantes said...

i think the want to succeed and be able to go out on your own and be independent leads us to strive for the best
1. i liked that in his speech Obama applied what he was saying to more than one age group. he included everyone and connected with his audience.
2. i disliked when he was saying how India and Beijing were doing the best. even though it is true, success should not be seen as a competition. success should be achieved for yourself, not anyone else

Lauren Lund said...

I didn't like or dislike the speech I'm not big into politics but i respect him for taking the time to talk to all students about going for their dreams and doing good in school. One thing i really didn't like about his speech is hes telling all of us America is in our hands. If it was in the hands of the students the world we be a completely different place.

cdrosendahl said...

•I think what makes individuals strive for the best is true to be better then people to show off... Or to make there life better for them and there family(if they want one).
•I am one of those people who slack of and do the minimal work in school because i am lazy. When the president said that i started to think how to make myself better. And my mom has tried to start that conversation it has never actually hit me.
•I didn't think there was anything to dislike or if there was i missed it.

akelling said...

What leads individuals to strive for the best?, is how they live their life, make it worth while as long as they know what they want in life they can do what they want to meet that goal. there's nothing in the speech that got my attention because ive heard alot of it before like just stay out of trouble in life and you'll be fine, or like teachers and parents are there to help you, its like if we needed help we might ask for it be first we want to try and make it on our own. what i disliked about the speech was he had a long introduction he shoulda just gotten straight to the point, and he needs to work on loosing all the "hum's and uh's" that kinda bugged me. but other then that i guess it was an ok speech

tjohnston said...

Dmcfarland is a genius of politics. Id vote for him in the future.

Yokusme7 said...

shotchkiss i definitley agree to what your saying, ambition is the key to what makes us have determination to succeed.

Yokusme7 said...

shotchkiss i definitley agree to what your saying, ambition is the key to what makes us have determination to succeed.

Ascerbo said...

What i like about his speech is that he knew what he had to say. he also encourage people to do better. he also told everyone "do it for yourself and not anyone else".

what i don't like what he said "i'm helping to preparing for school and life but he's spending money and students don't have the things they need to be successful because schools can't afford it. Also he tells them to fulfill their promises but he hasn't fulfill his promises either as the president of the united state. i know its political but we need to get things the things we need but without the money, then how can we succeed? how will we know if we will succeed if we're still in a recession and how will find a career if other people who are out of work are trying to get that job too?

chistian celinski said...

I liked that he had a confident voice and his speech was cool. I liked it when he said, "no one gets to write your destiny but you." I disliked all of the mistakes he made and all of the "umms" and "uhhs". Everything else was pretty good

jpharr said...

I really enjoyed the presidents speech. I thought it was very thoughtful of him to actually want to talk to kids across America and try to motivate them to do better and to accomplish their dreams. I really liked how he came down to the average mans level. He talked about everyday struggles that we may be going through. That meant a lot to me because it showed that he cared. That he understands we might be going through hard times right now, but that is no reason to give up. Actually, it is a great reason to try your best and put forth great effort. Then, it could possibly get you out of your hard times and you can be proud of yourself for accomplishing your dreams. There wasn't anything the president said that stood out to me and made me dislike it. I pretty much agreed with everything he was saying. Overall, i think it was a great speech.

esusan said...

I think students strive to be the best because they would like to have a good future.

1. I liked the part about how he wants to teach kids and adults respect. Some of them really need it. There are a lot of rude kids AND adults out there.

2. I disliked how he was saying he wants America to be the #1 country. I think that it is messed up to say that because poorer countries are trying to be good too, but he'd rather just have us look "good" which really just makes us look bad.

dhowell5 said...

The speech honestly seemed one of the most pointless things ever, these kids are told the exact same thing by their parents, teachers, friends, EVERYONE!!! what's it gonna make a difference if the president says it to them, sure some will be enlightened but you could have had anyone do something like that. also the whole system of government is screwed and corrupted, all these things about him being excited is probably bs, who would be excited about talking to some kids that probably don't even care what u have to say and are just thinking about what there gonna do when they get home. My only question for Obama would be whether it is true or not that he did not celebrate national flag day because his wife did not believe in it, come on people, this is our countries symbol of hope here. But as i say i don't know whether thats true and would very much like to believe tat its not.

Samantha C said...

I agree with Natasha, with the one get's to write your own future but you. It's true, a lot of people try to control others' futures, especially when it comes to the parent and the teenager. I am lucky because my mom has the same views for my future, she asks me questions about what I want to do, not the other way around.

I didn't like how he tries to be personal and like the students, it's too personal and weird. I also didn't like when he said that he had that Commencement program thing? I don't remember what it was called, but it just seemed wrong to do that, not everyone can do what he wants and I might be taking this the wrong way but the way took it was not right. I didn't like how he made the program to technically see who's the best, it's wrong in my eyes.

zgroll said...

I HATE politics. But I do think it was cool of Obama to talk to students about how they can, they can, they can! But he does too much pauses and ummms and uhhhs. He also studders a little to much. While he makes mistakes he does speak the truth. Our future is Americas future as well. Thats why people say that the children are the future. I liked how he knows somewhat about teenagers and what they go through, but i don't think its that hard being a teen. I think its better than being a little kid or being an adult at some times.

kdickinson said...

Everyone has different motivations.

The only part that I liked was Obama's mother's morals that Obama told about.

There was a lot that I didn't like about his speech. He told us that "just because you aren't the best at something today, doesn't mean that you can't be tomorrow." I'm sorry but, things like straight A's don't just happen over night. Neither does being the best at a sport (unless you are second best and the best player dies over night but not likely).
He also wasn't telling us anything new. Just the same phrases that we've heard since childhood. Sorry Obama but, if we haven't listened to other people tell us those things, what makes you think we will listen to you? Just cause you're Pres.?
He also needs to work on his speech. I counted at least 15 "uh"s and "umm"s. That is better then most people but still.

Jess T. said...

I liked the fact that Obama said DREAM BIG, and basically nobody can tell you what you can or can't do besides yourself, these really got to me because this is exactly what my parents tell me to do, they say i can be anything i want to be and it makes me who I am. Also, treat others how you want to be treated, i treat people with the up most respect and i hope people will be nice and everything else back to me.

I disliked most of the way he talked.. like he paused too often, he studdered, he had bad grammar, he was repetitive, and he just explains things on and on, making it drag on. I like things to the point with no fluff. One other thing that bothered me to no end is that he put so much weight on students shoulders by saying we basically have to beat other countries by being smarter and coming out on top, and the only way to do that is to be smarter in school to make a better US.
- Jessica

Amanda Polich said...

In my opinion i thought the speech was a little pointless because we have our parents who give us the speech on do your best. Some people absoutely love the president, i dont enjoy him as much as some people do. So people may take from it that "the president is telling me to do well, I wouldnt want to disappoint him." and they would strive in school. But also, no one person is perfect. There is a select few students who can grasp concepts right away, but others arent so lucky, like myself. So students maybe striving but failing because they dont have the help they need or the attention they need to succeed in school.

1.I liked a lot that he said "you may not be a master at it today, but that doesn't exclude tomorrow. That was empowering to myself.
2. His cockyness was one thing that disturbed me. I, like I said, am not a huge fan of Mr.Obama. Not everywhere he goes, everyone is going to love him. The speech to me was a waste of time, and I think people like having the bragging rights of saying "O the president was here." Yeah, congradulations...Not that many people in the world care!

Not to offend Anyone.

Zach R said...

1. In my personal opinion I like the way he presented it, and he used his own life to reflect on our generation to strive for excellence. I believe the best thing that come out of his mouth was " Nobody gets to write your future, only you do"
2.I really liked everything about his speech. there wasn't anything i didn't like expect for the fact that he studdered a lot, but other than that it was a pretty solid, well rounded speech.

PGiguere said...

I dont really care a whole lot about politics, I dont get involved in them. I can say though that while listening to the speech President Obama did bring up some good points and brought a lot of motivation to the people. He compares himself to students now and shows how he wasnt so different, that he didnt want to do school either. Obama wants to make sure that students stay on track and he has a positive influence on the kids.
What i didnt like about the speech was that he would stop mid sentence then start over or adjust what he was saying. Obama also seems like he is pushing students to hard and setting too high of standards. He tells the students what they must do, not an option. Another thing i didnt like was that he made a few stupid comments, like that his hand hurt after shaking all the students hands. On top of that there was a lot of repetition of wording.
I think that parents lead us to strive for the best. They are the ones that we must lookup to and follow their rules. They are the ones we have to face when our grades are bad, we want to show them we can succeed. Parents try the best they can to raise us with the correct rights and wrongs. They punish us so that we can learn and in the end they are the main factor in our lives.

cstoutmurphy said...

In my opinion I think that students are mostly inspired to strive for the best by their school teachers, their friends and sometimes their parents. The reason I say that only sometimes parents inspire their kids is because some parents like you to achieve their goal they want for you instead of your own goals. If you talk to your teachers and friends and explain to them your goal in life then they realize what YOU want and not what people want you to want.

1. I actually really liked Obama's speech and I truthfully don't like the guy. Barack was smart and definitely said things that would grab the students attention and related his past and his family in the speech. I liked this because then students actually may believe that he is telling the truth instead of saying things that people want him to say. When Barack Obama states that "we make our destiny" or whatever it was that he said that got to me because I fully believe that is true and if you work hard for yourself in your life then your going to succeed if you continue to make that effort.

2. One thing i disliked about the speech would include Obama's cockyness in the beginning. When he is done introducing the important people in Philidelphia and the important of the school being at his speech he then ends that topic with "and I am hear" probably because he wanted to hear his own applause. One more think that I also disliked about Obama's speech is that some of the things he says could come what bring students down. He states that maybe you should lower your stakes/goals and that probably wasn't very inspiring to some of the student body!

BrandonMcKee said...

1. The thing i liked the most about the speech was one quote. That quote is " Nobody can write your destiny" i just thought to myself that is so true. its just a really good reminder that everything in your life depends on you. no one else. of course some people have impacts either good or bad on someone's life. what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. the things you wanna do in your life is completely up to you.

2. I have nothing bad to say about the presidents speech. he said things that just stuck in my mind. he had a lot of great points and advice in his speech.

chistian celinski said...

Judith Pharr- Yours was pretty long, but awesome!
OBAMA!

Ismael Diaz aka. Y3y0 said...

I agree with Raul because there wasn't nothing I disliked about his speech and he did a good job to explain his main message

jpharr said...

Christian Cetlinski- i like your comment. I agreed that it was a really good speech. good job with your comment! However, it could have been a little longer haha.

Lauren Lund said...

@Sean McSpadden i agree that he does have a lot of confidence and i agree completely with you on him leaving it in out hands, i don't think it is in our hands.

Jess T. said...

@Samantha Henson i agree with you and i like the fact that Obama more or less pointed the speech to older students, it also makes sense to me

kdickinson said...

i agree with natasha and sam c

Mason Williams said...

I like how he recognized the people's troubles and somewhat sympathized with the troubles that most students have today.

I disliked how he didn't seem very professional and to me he didn't seem to show much emotion either.

Donald Slusher said...

I liked President Obama speech. I agree that kids need to strive to do good in school to better shape their future. Obama said that "The future is in ours hands". I agree with that meaning we as a whole shape the future of america. Some of us don't know where we go but education and a better understanding of the world will help us find a more solid path to what we will do in life. Not everyone has all the same talents or skills but hard work will make a difference in our life is a statement i believe the most out of the entire speech. The couple things i didn't agree with in the speech is that parent and faculty help is needed to accel in school. I believe that it is on the kids to choose to learn and work hard. Lastly, i don't agree that America is all about helping themselves with their goals and to help other people with their problems and goals. It is just a fact that people don't always want to help everyone and just want to help themselves.

alli trottier said...

I really enjoyed watching Obama's speech. I liked that he puts himself in our place and speaks for us, remembering what it is like to be young. Obama understands that things are tough and the difficulty in keeping your focus in school while dealing with home problems. He says "Life is precious because of our diversity." I love this statement because everyone has their differences and it's time that we start to except them and realize that the world would not be the same without these differences. Another thing I really like about Obama's speech is that he talks to us with maturity. He does not talk down and treat us like young children, he treats us like the young adults we all are or soon will be. He speaks with real world problems and talks as if we we're sitting in front of him having a conversation. There is nothing about this speech i disliked. It was simple yet important and covered basic topics that everyone should talk about. I look forward to seeing/hearing more speeches from our president.

tcervantes said...

@jwarner3; i respect your opinion but i disagree with you. money can not always buy happiness and success shouldnt be achieved only for money and being able to live a luxurious life it should be done for your self and to better yourself.

Nongwee Marleeram said...

@Jen i totally agree with about how smooth he talks and how there was no sign of nervousness and yeah he did pretty good :) and where were you after third hour!!!lol

BrandonMcKee said...

raul

made some really great points. i agree with him about the presidents speech.

Samantha C said...

I sort of agree with Steven Espinosa, he did seem conceited and cocky, not a good trait at all. And that it is our job to keep the 21st Century going but too much pressure can cause havoc.

Gentry Beauclair said...

I believe what makes us strive for the best is based on what we have been through in life, on our experiences. If you are struggling and are not happy it is human nature to do anything we can to fix that. Every time we fall we get right back up and thats what makes us strive for the best.

What i liked about the speech was how straight forward and on point Obama was. Although he said the same things we all have herd before he kind of just reinforced the importance of it and it reminded me that it really is time to step up to the plate.

Like i said, the only thing that i disliked was that i've herd it many of times before its just this time it was from the president from the united states.

Zach R said...

Ethan Burr i agree with you

Amanda Polich said...

I agree with Josh Pehtoa. Politics bring out the worst in just about everyone. And there is no one way that people can agree with each other. Its unrealistic.

cstoutmurphy said...

ndickinson made a great point and also wrote about what I stated about how you make your own destiny. I think that she very well understood the speech and was very appreciate of our presidents speech. In a way I don't really understand what she dislikes about the speech because I don't see it as very clarifying.

PGiguere said...

@ Sean McSpadden, I think that his confidence is a little too cocky. but your right that he did encourage the students correctly

slewis said...

As individuals I believe that we strive to be our best not only for our own benefit for being successful but also for the acceptance of others. Most students try their hardest in school because they know that colleges look at their grades and the parents want their own children to have good grades. But that doesn't only apply to students but also for athletes and at work, athletes try their best to get noticed by their coaches and employees do their best to get a great rep from the boss.
During Obama's speech I really enjoyed hearing about how he puts a lot of faith in the hands of my generation. I also liked how he had the personal stories and the way that he started his speech off talking about the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.
I didn't favor how he would stutter or say umm in his speech. Come on Mr. President didn't you take toast masters. Also the part about the Second Commencement, school shouldn't be a competition students have enough stress about college. Plus a kids school years should be fun. :)

Meagan Rieck said...

What I believe that can make people strive for the best, is what Obama says about effert being the best way with courage, hard working, and going for challenging and acheiving those goals.
1. What I really agreed on the speech is where he tells all those kids about his self in high school with the talk with his mother. That word he spoke out hit a soft spot in me and I know I must work the best I can. Think about it what is effert to you, for me its the work and the hardship you go for by choosing some challenges and leadership to acheive the goal you create. That is what effert means to me.
2. What I disagree on is that when people in general make speeches they always say to young kids "everyone can become president" but not everyone can most likely rarely it happens unless you really want to take on that difficult dicission. I don't get it when you go for it and don't acheive it, why do people just give up. I say keep on going for it and you will acheive and complete that goal or dream. Dreams really can come true if you go for it and work or give enormous effert to accomplish those dreams.

alli trottier said...

Sara i loved what you said about the speech! love you

Spencer Katoa said...

Rross1 makes a good point i think it would have been much more effective if he had gone to a school of average level.

Alokken said...

@slupia I agree with your comment. Very deep and intelligent.

apeden said...

I think that some of the things that make us want to strive for the best are our families, our friends, wanting to make a difference in the world, wanting to be successful in the future, and providing financial support for your family in the future. Some of the things that i liked about the speech was that President Obama speaks with a lot of confidence. When he speaks, it flows very smoothly and he seems to have a lot of personal experience with school, life, etc.. I also liked that some of his stories related to the people of the U.S. Like when he said that he wasn't a very good student when he was younger, and that his mom had that stern talk with him about achieving his goals and that if he tries harder in school, he can achieve anything. Some of the things that i disliked were that some of the things that he talked about, everyone has heard about a million times. Like with trying hard in school, and about bullies. Also, it kind of bothered me when he kept saying that if we tried harder, then america will be successful in the 21st century, and it makes it seem like were like in this huge competition with the other countries. It seemed like he was mostly focused on America's success in the "competition". Another thing that bothered me quite a bit was that he stuttered a lot during the speech.

Jorge said...

Akendig....I totally agree with you little man!

Kathryn said...

I agree with what the president saidf that if we actually try hard in school and do not blow off our homework then we will be okay in life, just as long as we try our hardest.
1. In the Presidents speach I like how he encouraged children and said if you try your best your going to make it. And how he said to never give up and to have big dreams.
2. I did not like how he kept looking from side to side and never in the center, it annoyed me and was a distraction.

Anonymous said...

one thing i liked about his speech is how he told us that the future is in our hands and he was very influential about us doing better. what i didnt like is how he stated the obvious about things and it was kind of pointless to say.

Anonymous said...

wha i liked about his speech is that he was very influntial about us doing better and made us realize that we control our future. what i didnt like about his speech is him stating the obvious about a lot of things.