Area students tune in to president's speech

Students at Greenwood Elementary in La Grande gather to watch and listen to President Obama’s address to school children across the nation Tuesday morning. The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

Some parents contacted school districts and asked that their children not be shown Obama’s televised speech. The La Grande School District office received six or seven calls Friday from parents asking that their children not be shown Obama’s speech, said

La Grande Superintendent Larry Glaze. The Imbler School District also received one such call, Superintendent Doug Hislop said.

Teachers in the La Grande School District were encouraged to show Obama’s talk but were not required to. Glaze told school administrators to tell teachers that the president’s speech represented an excellent learning opportunity and that if they chose to show it they would have his support.

Glaze praised Obama’s speech because it emphasized good citizenship, hard work, goal-setting, the importance of graduating from high school and more. The superintendent said it is unfortunate that the speech generated so much controversy across the nation.

“Political arguments between adults put kids in the middle,’’ Glaze said.

Tucker Wallace, a La Grande High School junior, believes the national controversy was much ado about nothing.

“I felt that it didn’t need all of the controversy. He was basically saying ‘stay in school,’’’ Wallace said.

Wallace is a member of a speech class taught by Kevin Cahill. The class watched a portion of Obama’s presentation Tuesday afternoon after reading the full text of the speech in class.

In the Imbler School District, teachers had the option of showing or not showing Obama’s talk. Those who showed it had to do so via computer since none of Imbler’s classroom’s have televisions. Imbler faculty members who attempted to show Obama’s speech included Barry Bowers, a math and social studies teacher. A computer problem prevented him from showing it to his students in his U.S. government class. He believes he was unable to access the speech because there was so much traffic on the website carrying the speech.

Bowers gave copies of the text of Obama’s speech to his government class students. He asked them to read it and be ready to discuss it at the next class session. Bowers hoped to show a recording of the president’s speech to his students today.

At Imbler, Hislop said he was impressed with Obama’s “stay in school and work hard message.’’ He said it is one young people need to hear.

“You don’t wake up rich and with a great job. You have to prepare yourself for the opportunities which will arrive down the road,’’ the Imbler superintendent said.

At LHS, Cahill discussed the controversial aspects of Obama’s talk before showing it to his speech students. He first read a quote from Jim Greer, Florida’s Republican Party chairman, from cnn.com:

“As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology,’’ Greer said.

Cahill then read the White House response to Greer’s statement in the same cnn.com story:

“The goal of the speech and the lesson plans (available to teachers) is to challenge students to work hard, stay in school and dramatically reduce the dropout rate,’’ an administration spokesman said. “This isn’t a policy speech. It’s a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school.’’

Cahill asked his students if the content of the speech bore out either or both claims. He said none of his students said they found evidence of Greer’s claim of an expression of socialist ideology in Obama’s talk. Students generally agreed with the administration spokesman’s statement.

Davon Michael Dunajski, an LHS junior who saw Obama’s speech at school, speaks enthusiastically of the president’s message.

“I think people need to hear more of this. People are always saying not to drop out and stay in school. He tried to inspire us to stay in school,’’ the LHS junior said.

Emerson Hovecamp, an LHS senior, is another student who supported Obama’s presentation, but said it was a little redundant.

“It was more of the same, inspiring people to work hard,’’ Hovecamp said.

At La Grande Middle School, sixth-graders Josh and Bryce Ebel, who are twins, gave the speech high marks.

“It inspired me, I thought it was a good speech. He was being serious and addressing us specifically,’’ Josh Ebel said.

Bryce Ebel noted that few other presidents have done what Obama has.

“He was only the third president to speak directly to children,’’ Bryce said.

LMS Principal Kyle McKinney also lauded Obama’s speech.

“He made some nice points. Kids need to show respect, have goals in life and stay in school. I have not heard anyone complaining. He did a good job,’’ McKinney said.

The fact that Obama cared enough to try to connect with young people impressed LHS English teacher David Westenskow.

“It is neat that the president wants to reach out to youths. He should have the opportunity to.’’