Students involved in Obama visit

Local News

February 10, 2009

Anonymous The Goshen News Tue Feb 10, 2009, 01:28 PM EST

By CHASE SNYDER

Correspondent

DUNLAP — Barack Obama visited Concord High School for the second time Monday, this time as president and the student body mobilized to make the event go smoothly.

A select group of students helped set up before the event, guide spectators to their seats and pass out microphones during the question-and-answer portion that followed Obama’s speech.

Approximately 60 students staffed the event. Seniors from the National Honor Society and student council were given priority, as were the student council representatives from each grade. Since President Obama visited Concord High School in 2008, some of the students who volunteered Monday have seen him twice now.

“We didn’t find out (he was coming) until Saturday,” said Pat Pyfer, Concord High’s student council president. “The school found out on Friday, then Saturday we got a call.”

Pyfer admitted to not knowing much about the economic stimulus package, but expressed optimism.

“Nothing’s happened yet,” he said, “but I’m hopeful.”

After his second time in the audience of an Obama speech, Concord senior Ben Clark is optimistic.

“It’s great for Elkhart to be getting national attention,” Clark said.

“I think it’s just a matter of time before it resolves itself,” he said of Elkhart’s ailing economy.

Concord High’s students have had above average exposure to the current president, both before and since the election, but their opinions still hinge largely on the success of Obama’s many plans for bettering the United States.

“I think he has a lot of good ideas that are going to cost a lot of money,” said Chris Holcomb, a Concord senior. “I’m not sure where that money’s going to come from, or how things will play out.”

Concord High wasn’t the only school with a student contingent at Obama’s town hall meeting. Several Goshen College students managed to score spectator tickets, and three GC students were granted press credentials, allowing them access to the barricaded press area of the gymnasium.

Jheny Nieto, a member of Goshen College’s Latin Student Union, was in the stands for Obama’s speech.

“It was really sweet to know that he came to Indiana before he was elected, and then after he was elected he came back,” he said. “It’s good that he is willing to address the people of a community in so much need.”

Nieto was most interested in the diversity of jobs that Obama claimed would be created by his economic stimulus package.

Ben Noll, a writer for the Goshen College Record, was impressed with Obama’s candor.

“I appreciated his acknowledgment that the plan was not perfect and that everything may not work out exactly as they planned,” Noll said. “But I felt like he presented this in such a way that I didn’t feel like he was incompetent to handle the problems or trying to rush something through.” Noll was enthusiastic about the differences between Obama and the previous administration.

“The entire concept of a town hall meeting post-election is such a drastic change from the insular Bush White House,” Noll said. “I thought he handled the questions expertly, thoughtfully, and succinctly.”

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