Area students divided over whether Obama is the right 'change'

November 06, 2008|By MIKKEL WALLECH / For The Herald-Mail

Tuesday's presidential election ended in a landslide victory for Barack Obama. Local students interviewed Wednesday agreed Obama's election is a historic event that will bring change to the nation, but did not agree on whether it is the change America needs.

Colleen Ayers, 24, of Chambersburg, Pa., said she was unsure whether Obama can live up to expectations.

"Obama's victory represents a change for our country; it's a moment in history that this nation, and the world for that matter, will never forget," said Ayers, a freshman at Hagerstown Community College.

"But Obama has to go into his presidency knowing that he has a lot of people that are waiting for him to fail," she said. "I'm curious to see what he can do for the American people and our country."

Whitney Schroyer, 18, a freshman at HCC, agreed that the election was a great moment in history, but doesn't believe that Obama is the right man to lead the country.

"This election is great as far as the history made, but I don't agree with Obama's morals on some of his issues and I feel he doesn't have the experience needed to lead this country in the right direction," Schroyer said.

Brandon Benson, 17, a senior at Washington County Technical High School, said it is the possible loss of jobs that has him worried.

"I believe many blue collar Americans could soon be out of work due to the coal mines that could potentially be shut down" with Obama in the White House, he said. "It would be discouraging to see so many jobs lost, jobs which are depended on by those people to support their families."

"I'm glad Obama won," said Corey Monroe, 21, a sophomore at Hagerstown Community College. "He won because people needed a change after the eight years of President Bush."

Monroe said John McCain "represented an extension of the Bush Administration in many people's eyes. A concern I had, and I feel many people had, about McCain was his choice for his vice president."

"I feel many people were wary of (Sarah) Palin becoming president if something happened to McCain," Monroe said.

Mary Reinhardt, 22, who takes classes at Towson University through the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, said she believes that Obama was the change America needed.

"Obama is a good step for the country," said Reinhardt, who said she was discouraged at how much Obama's race was an issue leading up to the election.

"The election should be about the issues and choosing the right candidate to lead the country," she said.

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