Students.BarackObama.com Blog Director

Unaffordable Textbooks

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:19:49 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

At the Democratic National Convention, the Obamas made mention of the fact that they struggled with college loans into their adult lives. They recognize that tuition isn’t the only growing burden for so many students across the country. The rising cost of textbooks is an added financial strain – one for which many of us will be bracing ourselves as schools begin their academic year.

The Washington Post recently directed some attention to the trouble with textbooks and college affordability:

“The rising cost of college textbooks has driven Congress and nearly three dozen states -- including Maryland and Virginia -- to attempt to curtail prices and controversial publishing practices through legislation. But as the fall semester begins, students are unlikely to see much relief.

“Estimates of how much students spend on textbooks range from $700 to $1,100 annually, and the market for new books is estimated at $3.6 billion this year. Between 1986 and 2004, the price of textbooks nearly tripled, rising an average of 6 percent a year while inflation rose 3 percent, according to a 2005 report by the Government Accountability Office. In California, the state auditor reported last week that prices have skyrocketed 30 percent in four years.

“‘It's really hard just paying for tuition alone’, said Annaiis Wilkinson, 19 and a student at Trinity Washington University who spends about $500 a semester on books. ‘It really sets people back’.”

The rising costs of higher education are driving students into debt and beyond the reaches of federal assistance. Congress has, along with several state governments, attempted to head-off publishers’ efforts to inflate prices, but they’re likely to yield little relief in the short-term:

“Last month, Congress passed legislation forcing publishers to release more information about their prices. It also requires them to sell a textbook separately rather than packaged with a CD or workbook that makes for a more expensive purchase. However, the provisions do not take effect until 2010.

“Meanwhile, although 34 states have introduced similar proposals over the past three years, only six states have approved them. Virginia passed its Textbook Fairness Act in 2005, but Maryland's bills have died in committee for three years. Any impact of the new laws at the cash register remains to be seen.”

Many of us are hurting now, and Senator Obama has been consistently sympathetic and dedicated to easing the burden of college affordability across the country. The problem of textbook affordability is symptomatic of a broader concern – that sprawling college expenses are holding so many young Americans back. Sadly, the only textbook our opponent is concerned with is the used one he is using to run his campaign.

Read Senator Obama’s plan for higher education here.

Working Together

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:06:59 EDT

Yesterday marked the official opening of the College Democrats of America’s convention. The convention, which runs until Wednesday, will be filled with prominent speakers, vital training sessions, and young student activists. More importantly it offers the opportunity for College Democrats and Students for Barack Obama to come together and conceive a united game plan for the fall that benefits both organizations. Working closely with SFBO is on the platform of all of the candidates for executive office within CDA. At SFBO we could not possibly agree more.

Candidates in local and statewide races all across the country are echoing Barack Obama’s message, our message: a message of new politics, cooperation, and change. CDA’s primary mission is to elect Democrats in all of these races. Our mission is to elect Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Thankfully the two are not mutually exclusive. In order to elect our candidate as well as make sure that the message of this campaign, this campaign that can change a country, we need to work together.

At a panel yesterday on youth politics we talked about shared areas of interest. We can register voters together. We can canvass together. We can hold joint meetings. We have a short amount of time left, but students identified with Barack Obama’s vision for our country and a coalesced with the campaign quickly in the primary. We are confident that if we work together, if we turn out, when we turn out, we will be the difference makers in the general election as well.

Tips from College Democrats for America and Obama for America Leadership:
Gather a group of your friends (or in this case maybe new friends from CDA or SFBO) to canvass all the dorms on your campus and get students registered and ready to turn out.
Don’t take anything for granted, don’t wake up the day after Election Day thinking to yourself you could have done more.
Talk to your family members, your classmates and your neighbors face-to-face.
Show with your hard work how important this election is to you, people will notice.
Speak to EVERYONE, just because you think that someone is not receptive to our message does not mean that you cannot convince them otherwise.

Click here are interested in getting more involved and don't know how.

An Open and Honest Conversation on Faith

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:35:50 EDT

by Josh, Boston College

Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, hosted a forum for the presidential candidates on Saturday night. Senator Obama responded to questions about his was world-view, faith, family, and the future direction of our nation.

Pastor Warren's opened with, "who are the three wisest people you know in your life, and who are you going to rely on heavily in your administration?" Senator Obama answered with several names (seemingly unrelated to one another), including his wife, Michelle, former Senator Sam Nunn, Senator Dick Lugar, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator Tom Coburn as some voices he'd look forward to hearing as President:

"What I found is very helpful to me is to have a table where a lot of different points of view are represented, and where I can sit and poke and prod and ask them questions, so that any blind spots I have or predispositions that I have, that my assumptions are challenged. And I think that that’s extraordinarily important."

He made sure the audience knew that his wife was the one to always call him out on a boneheaded mistake.

That sense of working together and listening to solve important problems continued throughout the rest of Senator Obama's time with Pastor Warren. When asked about America's greatest moral failure, Senator Obama replied:

"I think America’s greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me, and that notion of — that basic principle applies to poverty. It applies to racism and sexism. It applies to, you know, not having — not thinking about providing ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class. There’s a pervasive sense, I think, that this country, as wealthy and powerful as we are, still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of us."

Senator Obama also included the idea of empathy and working together when describing what his Christianity meant to him:

"But what it also means, I think, is a sense of obligation to embrace not just words, but through deeds, the expectations, I think, that god has for us. And that means thinking about the least of these. It means acting — well, acting justly, and loving mercy, and walking humbly with our god. And that — I think trying to apply those lessons on a daily basis, knowing that you’re going to fall a little bit short each day, and then being able to kind of take note and saying, well, that didn’t quite work out the way I think it should have, but maybe I can get a little bit better. It gives me the confidence to try things, including things like running for president, where you’re going to screw up once in a while."

The Saddleback Forum on Saturday allowed Senator Obama the chance to speak to the faith community across America, and emphasize the role of faith in his particular spiritual journey and how that faith might influence his public policy as President.

It is important to bear in mind the differences between us and those we disagree with, we must try to follow the Senator's example in trying to have a open, honest dialogue about our views. It's only through discussion and debate that we will come to know others as equally concerned citizens and not as people who are pursuing a radical agenda that we don't agree with. Pastor Warren urged the audience to find a way to disagree with out demonizing the other side. I think that is something we should all strive for.

For a full transcript of the exchange click here.

NYC Students Hit the Streets for Change

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:16:27 EDT

By Josh, Boston College

Less than half of 18-24 year olds voted in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Instead of being discouraged by that statistic, a group of enthusiastic students in New York City are doing everything they can to make sure more young people vote in November.

In a profile by local news affiliate Fox 5, Obama supporters shared how they plan to spread awareness of the campaign to their friends and classmates. Sara Haile-Mariam, a student at New York University, explained how she is approaching the process:

"It's peer-to-peer conversations that are going on, so I'm, you know, talking to my roommates, talking to my classmates, letting them know why I'm doing this."

Our organization, Students for Barack Obama, is based on this idea: any student, anywhere in the country can make a difference by reaching out to their friends and neighbors and encouraging them to vote and support Senator Obama. Even those of us in reliably Democratic-leaning states, such as New York or Massachusetts (my home state), can reach out to others and help through programs such as the "Sister Schools" program.

NYU for Obama member Patrick McClellan explained the program in the report:

"They set up New York colleges with Pennsylvania colleges, so that New York Students for Obama group chapters can meet up with a counterpart in Pennsylvania, crash at the dorms in Pennsylvania, and do voter registration and canvassing."

With creative programs like this, student-to-student connections, and unbridled enthusiasm and commitment, the youth vote can breakout this year as a clear force in our country's elections.

Early Voting Possible in Ohio

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:48:56 EDT

If you are a first-time voter in Ohio, or know a first-time in Ohio or know someone who knows someone who is a first-time voter in Ohio, make sure they know that they can register and vote between September 30th and October 6th:

Ohio has created a window in the election calendar that would allow residents instant gratification — register one minute, vote the next. It's also given the campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain a chance to bank thousands of first-time voters during that Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 window.

The move will benefit Obama, who enjoys a 2-to-1 lead over McCain among 18- to 34-year-olds, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released last month. If Obama's campaign were able to tap into college campuses with one-stop voting, it would add thousands of votes to his tally in a state where, in 2004, John Kerry lost to President Bush by only about 118,000 votes, putting Bush over the top in the electoral count.

Something You Probably Didn't Know: Colleges, Voter Registration and the Law

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:58:35 EDT

I can't speak for students around the country, but I did not know that colleges and universities were supposed to be making a 'good faith effort' to register us. I know at least at my university it seems that most of the work to register college students comes from College Democrats, College Republicans and NYPIRG. Sen. Durbin, a key backer of our campaign, recognized that most colleges and universities aren't acting in good faith and he is trying to do something about it.

Sen. Richard Durbin, also of Illinois, has introduced a bill in the Senate that would require all colleges and universities that receive federal fund to offer voter registration services to students.
“Making registration applications automatic will remove one burden preventing young people from getting involved in the democratic process,” Durbin said in a statement accompanying his legislation.
In 1998, Congress required colleges and universities to make a “good faith effort” to register students to vote. But a 2004 Harvard University study found that only 17 percent of colleges and universities nationwide fully comply with the law.

Teachers Flock to New Orleans

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:49:16 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

Countless young teachers have answered the call to service in New Orleans in the years following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In fact, Americans of all ages, from all walks of life have flocked to the city and its surrounding parishes in hopes of making a difference.

The Houston Chronicle recently covered the influx of volunteers into the region:

"As the surge in applications to local universities such as Tulane showed, New Orleans has become a destination for young people who want to live in a place where they feel a unique potential, both to make a difference and to have fun.
"The explosion of interest in teaching here can also be attributed to the marketing techniques of programs such as teachNOLA and Teach For America, which have used the Internet to spread the message that New Orleans is the place to be for young educators bent on change. The city's growing reputation in education reform circles has fueled that message."

The article profiles a few intrepid volunteers who set their sights on New Orleans' schools in an effort to lend a helping hand:

"Mark and Amy Lucker left rural Minnesota with their young sons, inspired to become teachers in New Orleans after reading a newspaper article.
"After a chance encounter with two teachers at a basketball game, native Louisianian Craig Laborde quit a long career in law enforcement and is headed for a job in the classroom.
"Northwestern University senior Rachel Durston was drawn by an ad for college students interested in education. Eager to return to her Southern roots, she applied to teach in the Crescent City.
"After years of scrambling to find good teachers, many public schools in New Orleans have more aspiring teachers than they know what to do with as the new school year approaches.
"'We have far more applicants than we have positions for', said Paul Vallas, superintendent of the Recovery School District. With more than 1,000 resumes on file, Vallas said the district could easily double its teaching pool, if necessary."

Our commitment to service begins with people like the Luckers, and Craig Laborde, and Rachel Durston. Senator Obama has sounded this call throughout the course of this campaign, and he has long partnered with the people of New Orleans in their efforts to rebuild and revive. Senator Obama's Gulf Recovery Plan is available on our website:

"In the Senate, Barack Obama introduced legislation with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to enable public schools affected by Katrina to immediately attract and retain top talent. He also introduced legislation to help three historically black colleges and universities in New Orleans recruit and retain students and faculty. Obama has proposed a loan forgiveness program to encourage students to return to institutions of higher education in the affected Gulf area. As president, Obama will help communities in the Gulf make necessary school infrastructure investments so all kids from all backgrounds have safe and supportive environments to learn."

Along with the federal assistance necessary to help rebuild the city's schools, New Orleans and much of the Gulf region are in need of intrepid young volunteers to help fill their classrooms. This challenge is greater than our campaign, but our committment to service must always look beyond the politics of today and toward the societal ills of yesterday and tomorrow.

A New Focus on HIV/AIDS

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:20:17 EDT

Senator Obama released the following statement on the Center for Disease Control's report about new cases of HIV/AIDS in the United States:

"We have now learned that 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006, not 40,000 that had been previously cited. These new figures should bring new focus to our efforts to address AIDS and HIV here at home.
"As president, I am committed to developing a National AIDS Strategy to decrease new HIV infections and improve health outcomes for Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Across the nation, we also need to prevent the spread of HIV and get people into treatment by expanding access to testing and comprehensive education programs. This report also demonstrates the need for more timely data about HIV transmission so that we can effectively evaluate prevention efforts.
"Combating HIV/AIDS also demands closing the gaps in opportunity that exist in our society so that we can strengthen our public health. We must also overcome the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS – a stigma that is too often tied to homophobia. We need to encourage folks to get tested and accelerate HIV/AIDS research toward an effective cure because we have a moral obligation to join together to meet this challenge, and to do so with the urgency this epidemic demands."

To read Senator Obama's plan for fighting HIV/AIDS at home and worldwide, click HERE

A student perspective on this issue to come on Students.BarackObama.com later this week.

See you in Denver?

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:26:42 EDT

By Lauren Wolfe, President of College Democrats of America

Though it may seem like all the spots in Denver are reserved for those of us who are Senators and/or millionaires, the best spot in the house may actually be reserved for students.

The College Democrats of America Convention starts just days before the Democratic National Convention. At the CDA Convention students have the opportunity to take part in valuable trainings, interesting panels and hear from some serious speakers.

We are starting on Friday, August 22nd and students can stay throughout the CDA and Democratic National Conventions to attend youth events throughout the week. We've got the cheapest rooms in Denver. Registration for the CDA Convention itself is only 65 dollars. For more information and to register check out our website. I'll be driving from Detroit so if you need a ride along the way, let me know!

Rising Cost of Living Hits Students Hard

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:25:28 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

Many Americans are struggling in the reality of our economic downturn. The pressure of rising food prices has affected people across a range of income levels, and students with part-time incomes are struggling to keep pace with their increasing cost-of-living. The Associated Press recently offered a snapshot of this now-broadened economic hardship:

"Just blocks from the University of Washington, a line of people shuffle toward a food pantry, awaiting handouts such as milk and bread.
"For years, the small University District pantry has offered help to the working poor and single parents in this neighborhood of campus rentals. Now rising food prices are bringing another group: Struggling college students.
...
"Some of the students are working their way through college with grants, loans and part-time jobs. Others are just reluctant to ask parents for more money.
"'More and more, it's just the typical traditional student, about 18 to 22, that's feeling this crunch', said Larry Brickner-Wood, director of the Cornucopia Food Pantry at the University of New Hampshire.
"In the past year, the price of groceries has jumped nearly 5 percent, the highest increase in nearly two decades. The cost of some staples has shot up by more than 30 percent."

Even with tuition assistance, students living off-campus and without access to campus meal plans are increasingly unable to keep up with the rising cost of food and other essentials. Senator Obama has proposed an educational tax credit to help relieve the financial strain of our increasing cost-of-living through offsets in overall college costs:

"Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year's tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due."

Read through Senator Obama's education package here.

We Can Look to Berlin and to Each Other

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:21:19 EDT

By Marc Peters, SFBO Blog Director

“People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.” Senator Barack Obama, A World that Stands as One, July 24th, 2008.

In the 14 months I’ve spent running the Students.BarackObama.com blog, I have often found myself getting sucked in to the echo chamber that exists in political news. Far too often journalists and bloggers are writing for each other and advancing issues of polls over issues, process over policy and drama over substance. They draw me in with speculation and rumors. They draw me in with the latest scoop. That’s what this summer in particular has been like for me…until yesterday.

When Barack Obama stood before 200,000 people at Germany’s Victory Column and began to address the crowd not as a candidate, but as a citizen of our great country, I got chills. Throughout the speech I was reminded time and time again of the smallness of our politics. We let ourselves be divided over the trivial when we could come together from all walks of life for something more.

If Germans and Americans could work together to protect democracy in the 20th century against a communist threat, there is no reason that we should not be able to work with each other, Democrat, Republican and everyone in-between to face the perils of our generation.

“History reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy,” Senator Obama said. “True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.”

As Americans, as citizens of this world, we cannot exist in a vacuum. No matter how much we think we have, no matter how much we think our lives should be envied, each of us will always need something from someone else. Our lives lack meaning, if while we are succeeding there are millions and millions around the world who do are not. Individually we cannot help all people, but together we can lift up our country and lift up the world.

We can look for someone to blame for a broken education system, global warming, a flawed healthcare system, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the endless other problems we face, but that is a waste of time. We need to take that energy and put it toward ending poverty, insuring more Americans and saving our planet.

Don’t allow yourself to become distracted and forget about the immense task at hand. When you watch the pundits and prognosticators and you start to grow more and more cynical of the process, look to Berlin, look to Senator Obama and look to the thousands of students just like you who hunger for a more perfect union and a more fair and just world.

Click here to watch or read the speech.

University of Washington Freshman Class

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:48:08 EDT

A recent poll done by the University of Washington’s Student Life showed incoming freshman overwhelmingly supportive of Senator Barack Obama’s presidential bid. Almost 80 percent of soon to be freshman plan to vote for Senator Obama in the fall election, an impressive number considering these individuals will be new voters. This number reflects the breakdown across the entire student body of the University of Washington, with 78 percent in favor of Obama.

The most amazing thing about this poll, to people who do not know our fervor, is not that Obama is winning overwhelming support among our generation, but rather that these incoming freshman intend to vote. The recent polls done by the mainstream organizations, (Gallup, NY Times, Rasmussen, etc.) treat their representative samples according to past elections. With polls like the one from the University of Washington, it’s evident that we are turning those representative samples on their head.

Obama enjoys fantastic support from our generation, but his words, actions and beliefs have transformed that support into activism, into a drive to participate. 18-year-old college freshman, many of whom have never paid attention to politics before, are throwing more than their support behind the youthful, charismatic, and intelligent Senator from Illinois. Our generation is becoming the new base of the Democratic Party, a base that is coming out in force for Obama.

While Obama has gotten excellent reviews for his recent trip abroad (and Students for Barack Obama will have our own on his landmark speech in Berlin), it’s important to remember that he is getting even better reviews domestically. With colleges reopening their campuses to classes soon, the ever-growing Millennial base of the Democratic party will play an even bigger part in moving the national story, the national polls, and even the national platform.

Paying with Action

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:37:29 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

"Want to score one of the tickets to Senator Barack Obama's speech accepting the Democratic nomination in Denver next month? You won't have to pay, but you may have to work for it, according to the Obama campaign."

That's right, we're looking to host a whole legion of supporters at Senator Obama's acceptance speech in Denver, and we're hoping to have those supporters hit the pavement in search of even more supporters! What a fitting official kick-off for the general election campaign!

"In an interview with the Denver Post, deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand indicated that the price of admission to the speech would be a pledge to volunteer and recruit new voters on behalf of Mr. Obama.
"'We're going to ask those 80,000 people in that stadium to march out of there and go with very specific instructions and goals to register millions of new voters', Mr. Hildebrand told the Denver Post."
...

"Nearly 60,000 members of the public could receive the "community credentials" that carry the price of activism between the convention and the November election, the Post reported."

The energy in Denver is sure to spread to the rest of the country, red states and blue states alike. Claim your spot at the convention: pledge to campaign through the fall.

Young Voters Surge in Virginia

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:21:21 EDT

by Joshua, Boston College

There's a lot of coverage in the media about how young voters are excited by this presidential election and the candidacy of Barack Obama. That's always accompanied by one question, however: will they register and vote?

Here at Students for Barack Obama, we think that they will, and a just-released report by the Virginia State Board of Elections backs up our case with some encouraging numbers. The number of registered 18-25 year old voters in the Old Dominion has jumped 10% in the past year, bringing the total number of registered young voters to 568,817. For some comparison, the total number of registered voters jumped 5% to a total of 4.7 million. Youth registration grew at double the overall rate!

Volunteers in Virginia are trying to "Best Barack" by registering over 151,000 new voters, which would be more than Senator Obama registered in the voter registration drive he engineered after leaving law school. You can visit Virginia for Obama here.

Young Evangelicals for Obama – Coming Soon!

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:24:12 EDT

By Joshua, Boston College

Here at Students for Barack Obama, we know something about the power of organizing young people. Soon, the Obama campaign will apply its organizing skill to a new program for young evangelicals.

The as-yet-unnamed program will launch in early August, according to David Brody of CBN News. Brody cites “an enormous response” from younger evangelicals who are excited about Obama’s faith message. The campaign’s young evangelical outreach program will be a place for “younger Evangelicals to get on the same page and start house parties, blog like crazy and organize and volunteer for service projects across America spreading the faith message coming from Obama.”

(I wonder where they got the idea to have young people “blog like crazy”? The illustrious Students for Barack Obama blog, perhaps?)

The evangelical youth is just another demographic where Obama’s message resonates, and where organization can help make the difference. Brody gives the Obama religious outreach team an “A” for their efforts so far, and the youth program should only help that effort. Look for the program to be unveiled in early August, and visit People of Faith for Obama here!

What Obama is doing, what we are doing, and what we can do

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:39 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

Senator Obama's recent venture into Afghanistan and Iraq has helped to underscore a central truth to our diplomatic efforts in the Middle East: that we have lasting partnerships in the region, and that these partnerships are best sustained through thoughtful, respectful dialogue with our allies.

In his visit to Afghanistan, Senator Obama - along with fellow Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel - met with US troops stationed in Kabul in hopes of gauging morale and getting a better feel for the situation on the ground:

"Back on the ground in Afghanistan, breakfast with the troops was one of his favorite parts, Obama told a military reporter at the event, according to CNN. 'To see young people like this, who are doing such excellent work with so much dedication and pride, it makes you feel good about the country', he said. 'You want to make sure that everybody back home understands how much pride people take in their work here and how much sacrifice people are making. It's outstanding'."

This most certainly bears repeating. America's image abroad is invariably shaped by us, the young people in the America serving in the military, the legions of Peace Corps volunteers that help rehabilitate so many struggling populations across the world. We are only a force for good insomuch as we ourselves are harbingers of good. Our diplomatic efforts in the Middle East are inextricably linked to our constructive influence in the region, and around the world.

In February, Senator Chris Dodd, a former Peace Corps volunteer, endorsed Barack Obama, proclaiming proudly:

"I'm also convinced, as a former Peace Corps volunteer, that Barack Obama will appeal and excite the imagination of younger people to stand up and contribute, to give something back to our country. Barack pointed out...how I was inspired by a former American president. I've been asked a million times, over the last forty years, why I joined the Peace Corps. I did it because a American president asked me to. I think today we're witnessing across this country that people are asking for leadership to ask them to be involved in something larger then themselves. And this candidacy of Barack Obama, I believe inspires that."

America's volunteers across the world - both as vanguards of peace and as emissaries of good will - have answered this call through past and present. What are we willing to ask of ourselves? What is it to honor our nation's most intrepid volunteers? What is it to honor their example, if not to follow it as well?

"Just as we must value and encourage military service across our society, we must honor and expand other opportunities to serve. Because the future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but it also depends on the teacher in East LA, the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans, the Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and the Foreign Service officer in Indonesia. Americans have shown that they want to step up.

But we're not keeping pace with the demand of those who want to serve, or leveraging that commitment to meet national challenges. FDR not only enlisted Americans to create employment, he targeted that service to build our infrastructure and conserve our environment. JFK not only called on a new generation, he made their service a bridge to the developing world, and a bright light of American values in the darkest days of the Cold War."

As we keep our volunteers in mind, we should keep their charge close to our hearts. They light the world, and so should we.

Over the Weekend: Youth Rally in Connecticut

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:59:45 EDT

Contributed by Connecticut SFBO

Over one hundred people gathered Saturday in Hartford, CT for a youth rally and voter registration drive sponsored by Students for Barack Obama. On the ninety five degree day, youth volunteers from across the state learned and registered new voters and brought in many new people into the political discourse of this election.

The day began at nine o’clock for the volunteers (early for high school students in the summer). The team put up signs, setup tables, setup chairs, and helped to prepare the West Indian Social Club for the event. All volunteers partook in a voter registration workshop, where many people learned the process of voter registration (for the first time) and some of the new state laws pertaining to it. The A/C was on (for the volunteers inside), and the event was off to quick start by ten o’clock.

Ambitious volunteers quickly setup a table outside to maximize the success, waving Obama signs at passing cars, enticing pedestrians to take a quick pit-stop, register to vote and join in on the festivities. Inside, people who attended listened to some R&B music, enjoyed some snacks and cold water, and registered to vote. A live musical performance by local church pastor Cleo White drew a huge response with his song “Yes We Can,” inspired by Barack Obama and written specifically for the event.

Fourth World Nation, a popular youth band from South-Western Connecticut, traveled over an hour and a half to perform. The band featured its original music and was a huge hit among all the attendees. Members of the band exemplified much of what the Obama Campaign has been about – diversity, originality, unity and passion – made evident by an impeccable range of repertoire including songs from rock, reggae, and alternative styles of music.

The musical rendition was preceded by the keynote speaker of the event, the Connecticut high school SFBO director for Students for Barack Obama, Thomas Dec. He spoke of his experiences in the campaign and the common thread motivating many of the youth voters to turn out in this election:

“The key is being able to take advantage of what our country has to offer, but still provide that opportunity to others who might not have the means to provide that opportunity to themselves. Younger voters, voters across the country – they see this concept slipping away. We turn on the T.V and we see millions of people without healthcare, millions of people in poverty.
We see all of these problems and it doesn’t seem like much is getting done to solve these problems, or at least make headway towards [solving] them. The positive thing is we also see millions of young people going and trying to change this – through the Obama campaign, through volunteer service – really trying to take a stake in this country and in this election. We have stood up. We have decided that silence is not the answer.”

The event ended at about one o’clock in the afternoon with many of the volunteers anxious for the next event. The tables were put away, the chairs dismantled, but the journey was certainly far from over – many of the volunteers planned to attend later events throughout the Greater Hartford Area.

Obama at NAACP: "On Our Behalf"

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:26 EDT

By Josh, Boston College

Barack Obama spoke before the 99th Annual Convention of the NAACP on July 14th, where it just happened to be "Youth Night." Obama drew a vivid historical connection between the heroes of the past and the youth of today, by reminding the audience of how much is owed to previous generations and how much potential lies with our own.

Obama reminded the audience of a particular refrain of Dr. King's that is often lost: that "the inseparable twin of racial justice is economic justice." That message resonates with those of us now preparing to leave high school or college. We are stepping into an uncertain economic future, and most of us have serious debts to repay from the cost of our education. Opportunity is not something that can be taken for granted in today's economy. So many of the rights that we hold most dear demand real economic equality:

"What Dr. King and Roy Wilkins understood is that it matters little if you have the right to sit at the front of the bus if you can't afford the bus fare; it matters little if you have the right to sit at the lunch counter if you can't afford the lunch. What they understood is that so long as Americans are denied the decent wages, and good benefits, and fair treatment they deserve, the dream for which so many gave so much will remain out of reach; that to live up to our founding promise of equality for all, we have to make sure that opportunity is open to all Americans."

Too often over the past eight years, tax cuts have gone to those who did not need them. Senator Obama is committed to using tax breaks for the middle class, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and expanded access to healthcare to restore that sense of possibility and opportunity that is central to the concept of civil rights:

"That is what I've been fighting to do throughout my over 20 years in public service. That's why I've fought in the Senate to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create good jobs here in America. That's why I brought Democrats and Republicans together in Illinois to put $100 million in tax cuts into the pockets of hardworking families, to expand health care to 150,000 children and parents, and to end the outrage of black women making just 62 cents for every dollar that many of their male coworkers make."

Senator Obama understands that Washington has a responsibility to reward hard work and provide equal opportunity to all Americans, regardless of age, race, or background. As our generation enters the workforce and public service, we cannot forget those fundamental truths. Senator Obama asks something of all of us:

"Put your shoulders to the wheel of history and take up the cause of perfecting our union just as earlier generations of Americans did before you."

By doing so, we are not only helping ourselves; we are honoring the commitment of those generations who came before us, and we are ensuring a better future for those generations yet to follow:

"If you march with me and fight with me, and get your friends registered to vote, and if you stand with me this fall - then not only will we help close the responsibility deficit in this country, and not only will we help achieve social justice and economic justice for all, but I will come back here next year on the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, and I will stand before you as the President of the United States of America. And at that moment, you and I will truly know that a new day has come in this country we love."

Read the full text of the speech here.

In the News: Liberty University Students Stand for Change

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:31:43 EDT

By Josh, Boston College

From the beginning of this campaign, Senator Obama promised to campaign in all 50 states and speak to people of all different races, religions, and backgrounds. There’s no better example of that than the rise of “Liberty University Students for Barack Obama.”

Founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and located in Lynchburg, VA, Liberty is one of the most conservative universities in the nation. That hasn’t stopped Michelle Miller, the head of Liberty University Students for Barack Obama, from supporting Senator Obama or encouraging her friends to do the same.

Michelle is optimistic about Obama’s chances among religious conservatives:

“You can be Christian and not vote Republican. Jesus was not a Democrat or a Republican.”

Sara Parker, another Obama supporter at Liberty, thinks he can win the state:

“I really think Virginia is in play and I am really excited to be a part of that.”

They’ve got their work cut out for them, but their optimism and hard work should be an example for Obama supporters across the country.

You can read about Obama’s plan for faith-based initiatives here and visit Virginia for Obama here.

From Illinois: MyPolicy Idea

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:37:10 EDT

On the Students.BarackObama.com you have access to a function that allows you to send in your personal stories and policy ideas to the campaign. The best, most comprehensive plan for change in our country will include your ideas and your feedback. America needs a president with a mandate from the people, and everyone deserves a voice in shaping our next president's agenda.

On this blog, we will from time to time highlight someone's story or policy idea. We start today with Lily of Illinois:

My story, well I am 16 years old, a diabetic with a single mother. My mom has 2 jobs, a school nurse, and a nurse for our United States Army reserves. We pay $500 per month for our insurance premium, because we are a family and also since I have a chronic illness. I admire my mother more than anyone. She makes me feel, that if she can do it all, then maybe I can. With the war, economy, and healthcare crisis right now, I feel that we need a person, to get elected in 2008 that saves the US. I feel that Barack Obama is that person.

Sincerely,
Lily

Student News You May Have Missed

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:59:49 EDT

Lauren Wolfe, President of the College Democrats writes about student loans on The Huffington Post

Thanks to the Democratic Congress, today the interest rates for federal student loans will decrease 0.8 percent.
What does this mean in the real lives of students? Though President Bush has no problem spending billions in Iraq, American students can barely scrape enough money together to go to college. With college costs having skyrocketed in recent years, the average college student now graduates with $21,600 [of debt]. That's not the best way to send America's best and brightest into the world. Luckily, decreasing the interest rate on student loans is one of the many ways that Democratic leaders in Congress have addressed increasing college costs.

Samantha Skey, executive vice president of strategic marketing at Alloy Media + Marketing, gives an interview on college students' engagement in this election:

One-third of college students have themselves become media distributors, according to the study. How will they impact this election?

One of the most exciting and interesting findings in the study, and it shows something we anticipated, is that this generation is incredibly capable of passing along a message they believe in.

And since they’re good at creating content, they’re great marketers. That’s a major message we’ve been looking at.

I think the impact on the election, it will be hard to measure for sure, but I think you’ll see that a lot of young people are getting the information they need to determine their vote online. And many are converting their peers. With our data, what’s interesting is they are change agents themselves, whether it’s for Hillary, Obama, McCain or Ron Paul, they take on that responsibility to educate their peers.

Also, the majority of today’s college students are very connected to their parents, so it’s a great opportunity for either candidate to sway two generations together. The Obama campaign has so far generated that kind of parent-student support.
...

How have the candidates specifically targeted this college population?

We all know they’re employing TV in a more targeted fashion, going after specific audiences. And they’re certainly employing social media; never mind the Obama campaign, the Obama supporters are employing it very effectively.

They’re using all the things that candidates have used in years past, but the new one is really social media. The internet was around during the last two elections.

And in state press, a Louisana paper highlights the efforts of young people and their rationale for being involved:

More younger voters participated in the 2008 presidential primaries than in 2004, said Marian Weber, a Rock the Vote Lafayette organizer. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, voter participation was up 131 percent compared with the 2004 presidential primaries, she said.

"If you think about the generation we're talking about ... their worldview has been shaped by 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina," Weber said.

Personal Viewpoint: Because Barack Asked Me

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:40:45 EDT

"I'm also convinced as a former Peace Corps volunteer that Barack Obama will appeal and excite the imagination of younger people to stand up and contribute to give something back to our country. Barack pointed out a few minutes ago, how I was inspired by a former American president. I've been asked a million times, over the last forty years, why I did I joined the Peace Corps, I did because a American president asked me to. I think today we're witnessing across this country that people are asking for leadership to ask them to be involved in something larger then themselves. And this candidacy of Barack Obama, I believe inspires that."

Chris Dodd

By Sara, New York University

On Monday night I had the privilege of meeting Senator Chris Dodd at an economic panel and reception in New York, NY. Ever since his endorsement, I've felt a very profound sense of gratitude for the man who is the senior senator of my home state, Connecticut. My gratitude stems not only from the service that he's given our country, but from the words that he put forth when he endorsed Senator Obama this past February.

I first heard Senator Obama speak in June of 2007- that night was for all intents and purposes, life altering. Before me stood a presidential candidate who was articulating what I had always been thinking. His candidacy has not only given me a reason to get involved, but it has given me a sense of empowerment. He was a man who asked for our assistance. He's never offered to be our saving grace, or to provide all the answers…but what his candidacy guarantees is an energized and active new generation of participants.

He has asked an entire generation to step up. He has reminded an entire nation of the sentiments conveyed by Robert Kennedy in his Day of Affirmation address- "the answer is the worlds' hope; it is to rely on youth". We are the answer, and for far too long a belief in our abilities has been stifled by a society that insists that young people, that all people, are incapable of making a difference.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I could become so impassioned about political activism. For the first time in my lifetime, a politician has emerged and has asked us to invest in something larger than ourselves; the subsequent response is something that we can all be proud of. He has asked us to invest in a notion ascribed to by Martin Luther King Jr. that we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

Although the cynics insisted that college students didn't care, or that we would never bother to do more than wear buttons, members from our generation have come out of political hibernation to confirm what Senator Obama knew to be true, there is a hunger for change in this country that has caused us all to respond with a firm YES to the request to engage in something larger then ourselves. We have reacted to a shared belief that the state of our nation doesn't reflect the spirit of its people, and the realization that the people are capable of changing that for the better.

At the end of Monday's event I approached Senator Dodd to let him know that his words and the words of Senator Obama's weren't falling upon deaf ears. I told him that just as President Kennedy had sparked his desire serve, Senator Obama had sparked my own. I thanked him, because his speech clarified the unique transformation that I had gone through, a transformation mirrored by young people across the country. I wasn't quite sure what to make of my sudden desire to read all things political, and my hunger to really grasp the complexities of our economy, healthcare, the parameters of the war, the basics of our political process and its history.

I shocked myself in my sudden infatuation with helping people- the people that I'd meet volunteering in other states stayed with me, their stories inspired me and kept me going in the midst of even the most disheartening media coverage.

It took Senator Dodd's endorsement speech for me to understand that I wasn't in a phase as some of my more skeptical friends had predicted, I had found a purpose in society, but perhaps more importantly, I realized that this sense of purpose is one I could have embraced all along as it is the basis of what this country was founded on. What's going on right now transcends one election. The problems we face will take generations to fix. Just as the young people who participated upon the request of John F Kennedy built a legacy for themselves, the young people who have come out for Senator Obama will make a continuing impact in the years and decades to come.

That's something that you can be sure of.

A Closer Look: National Service

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:50:09 EDT

By Justin, Georgetown University

Yesterday in Colorado Springs, Senator Obama echoed the call to national service that has helped define this campaign. As the Fourth of July approaches, we cannot help but to reflect on the sacrifices of past generations, both in our armed services and through America's many national service programs. We have all reaped their rewards in some form or another, and we owe it to them to celebrate that greater cause to which they have dedicated themselves. We owe it not only to our servicemen and women, but to our police, to our teachers, to those who serve our communities and our country. We owe it to ourselves to follow their example.

Senator Obama spoke once again of our shared commitment "to serve on stages both great and small; to draw on the same spirit that launched America's improbable journey to meet the challenges of each defining moment in our history." This first decade of the twenty-first century has certainly tried our love of country, but we are all the better for it, and that love is certainly stronger. We came to expect more of ourselves in those solemn months after September 11th. We should expect the best of ourselves, especially when we so readily expect the best of others.

Those men and women who sacrifice, and have sacrificed around the world have set the greatest example of all. Our safety is their cause, and Senator Obama underscored the solemn charge that our soldiers undertake:

There is no challenge greater than the defense of our nation and our values. The men and women of our military from Fort Carson to Peterson Air Force base, from the Air Force Academy to the ROTC students here on campus have signed up at a time when our troops face an ever-increasing load. Fighting a resurgent Taliban. Targeting al Qaeda. Persevering in the deserts and cities of Iraq. Training foreign militaries. Delivering humanitarian relief. In this young century, our military has answered when called, even as that call has come too often. Through their commitment, their capability, and their courage they have done us all proud.

Just as we owe our sincere appreciation to those servicemen and women who stand in harms way abroad, we are indebted to so many of our neighbors who serve America at home. Our community leaders: our communities' teachers, nurses, doctors, police - they have all chosen to serve in their own way, and we should all hope to serve our communities much the same. We should all hope to serve the world's communities much the same, like the intrepid volunteers who have answered the call to serve all throughout the developing world:

Just as we must value and encourage military service across our society, we must honor and expand other opportunities to serve. Because the future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but it also depends on the teacher in East LA, the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans, the Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and the Foreign Service officer in Indonesia. Americans have shown that they want to step up. But we're not keeping pace with the demand of those who want to serve, or leveraging that commitment to meet national challenges. FDR not only enlisted Americans to create employment, he targeted that service to build our infrastructure and conserve our environment. JFK not only called on a new generation, he made their service a bridge to the developing world, and a bright light of American values in the darkest days of the Cold War.

Senator Obama committed to expanding programs like AmeriCorps and USA Freedom Corps, which harvest the promise of so many young Americans as a force for good in America, and in the world:

As President, I will expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots, and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education, saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world, so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face, the American people are not the problem - they are the answer.

...We'll expand USA Freedom Corps to create an online network where Americans can browse opportunities to volunteer. You'll be able to search by category, time commitment, and skill sets; you'll be able to rate service opportunities, build service networks, and create your own service pages to track your hours and activities. This will empower more Americans to craft their own service agenda, and make their own change from the bottom up.

...Just as we teach math and writing, arts and athletics, we need to teach young Americans to take citizenship seriously. Study after study shows that students who serve do better in school, are more likely to go to college, and more likely to maintain that service as adults. So when I'm President, I will set a goal for all American middle and high school students to perform 50 hours of service a year, and for all college students to perform 100 hours of service a year. This means that by the time you graduate college, you'll have done seventeen weeks of service.

Senator Obama's national service goals are certainly ambitious, but this challenge is not beyond our reach. We should never fear that this challenge is somehow too great for ourselves. We will honor the example of those of past generations who have sacrificed, as we follow it as well.

Click here for the full text of the speech.

A Closer Look: the New G.I. Bill

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:15:37 EDT

President Bush finally signed the GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century into law on Monday. The legislation, which was championed through the Senate by Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia, will provide additional health care and education benefits for those men and women who serve, or have served in America's Armed Forces. Webb's legislation extends benefits to any member of the armed services who has served at least three months of active duty since September 11, 2001.

The new GI Bill of Rights is largely intended to help veterans pay down their college expenses to a similar extent that the Montgomery GI Bill provided for veterans' college education after World War II. While the government currently offers a maximum of $38,700 in college assistance spread across all four years of schooling, Webb's bill accounts for the higher tuition and cost-of-living expenses that often exceed the government's maximum assistance level for many prospective students. The legislation also provides for an additional $3.2 billion in VA funding to ensure that our veterans have timely access to adequate medical services and personnel.

Webb successfully ushered the bill through the Senate with the bipartisan support of prominent Republican Sens. Chuck Hagel and John Warner, among others. Tom Philpott of Military.com profiled the full force of the legislation after it was signed into law, along with Webb's sponsorship of the bill:

"'The Department of Defense', [Webb] said, 'is doing a very good job managing its career force, given the strains that are on it. But it's doing a very poor job of taking care of the people who don't come in for a career.

"Raising GI bill benefits nearer to those offered to veterans returning from World War II, Webb said, will give every volunteer, particularly those with no intention of making the military a career, 'a proper reward for their service' and a great tool for transitioning to civilian life."

Philpott further detailed the specific cost-of-living considerations of Webb's bill that were intended to adjust for the inadequacies of the previous assistance limits:

"Maximum benefits, earned for 36 months' active duty, would cover tuition for up to four years at a level to match tuition at the most expensive in-state public school. The average across states is about $1900 a month. MGIB pays $1100.

"Webb's bill also would pay a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. The stipend would reflect local housing costs near school and would be set to equal military Basic Allowance for Housing for married enlisted in grade E-5.

"A feature added to win Warner's support would encourage private colleges to make their schools affordable to veterans. Schools that agree to pay half of their tuition in excess of the most costly state schools would see the government cover the remaining half. Thus academically qualified veterans could attend some of the best schools in the country."

Our duty to our veterans does not end here, but renewing our commitment to the health and education of those who do choose to serve - for a stint, or as a career - certainly makes for an honorable start.

Personal Viewpoint: Renewal of Patriotism

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:38:32 EDT

By Jon Cardinal, St. Lawrence University

We need a renewal of patriotism among young Americans. In conversations with some of my peers, I have been astonished to find that some are not proud to be American. I have heard many of my generation say that after studying abroad that they’ve come to believe that America is not a great nation, but rather a shameful one. I have also come across professors that believe patriotism is a destructive force in our multicultural world. We need a renewal of patriotism on our campuses.

Recent U.S. policies have alienated the international community and have led to unimaginable death and destruction in misguided causes and flat out mistakes. We cannot allow our disappointment in the administration to break our patriotic devotion to America.

Patriotism is not about approving of our current president or agreeing with all of our nation’s policies. Patriotism is an unconditional love of one’s country and in the case of the United States, an unyielding faith in the American idea, this great experiment of Democracy. This love is unconditional, but not blind. We are expected to be stakeholders in this democracy and ask questions of our leaders.

To understand this idea we must recall the founding of our nation. We are a country founded in dissent. The Founders had such courage and commitment. They signed their name to the Declaration of Independence knowing that in doing so they would be branded as traitors to the British Crown and risk execution. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the ideals of liberty, equality, self-governance, respect for life and human dignity and opportunity for all to realize the fulfillment of their personal dreams – blessings we all take for granted.

Although our country’s history is not perfect and is riddled with injustices, the Founders blessed us with the notion that individual liberty fused with common effort can deliver on the promises prescribed in our founding. They knew that they would not live to see the realization of their dreams for a free land, but they gave us the blueprint. This is the real glory of our Republic – the ongoing struggle to close the gap between the ideals of our remarkable documents and the painful realities of American life.

It was the American idea that impelled Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, inspired women suffragists to fight for the right to vote and stirred Martin Luther King, Jr. to challenge our nation to live up to its promise of equality and domestic tranquility. These brief examples affirm the greatness of America and justify why we all should be proud to be American.

Patriotism is not synonymous with nationalism. As stated by Albert Camus, “I love my country too much to be a nationalist.” The kind of patriotism I speak of is what legal scholar Joseph P. Morray explains in his book Pride of State. He writes that “love of country is the desire for her good,” and we must “recognize that the good of a country does not lie in great power used to dominate others but in national conduct which can serve as a model worthy of imitation by all.”

In this day and age when America’s military, economic and cultural might is unrivaled, we must recognize that a true patriotism is shaped by humility and magnanimity. Going forward in this campaign, let us as students make patriotism a priority.

Personal Viewpoint: Uniting in New York City

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:56:02 EDT

By Sara, NYU

It's really amazing to think that this past Saturday gave way to the opening of over 4,000 doors. Over 4,000 doors were opened as both strangers and friends alike answered the call of a common purpose, to unite in an effort to change this country.

New York City was home to hundreds of house parties throughout the day, and New Yorkers gathered at 9am to kick off the day with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and rally in City Hall Park. Over 100 New Yorkers from all walks of life participated, and as we hit the bridge we were welcomed by passing cars that sounded their horns in agreement, by pedestrians who stopped what they were doing to applaud. By a troop of girl scouts, I saw over 6 of them mouth the words yes as the high-fived one another and squealed in delight. I caught a few of the pedestrians looking at as with curiosity and bemusement, I can only wonder what they were thinking but I can't help but feel that our presence on that bridge was giving a face to a movement. After all, something pretty special has to be going on to get New Yorkers up and walking at 9am on a Saturday morning.

We convened at City Hall Park for a short rally. I was given the opportunity to share a few words. After the rally I was overwhelmed by the response I got. People who came up to me to thank me, or to share their own stories. It dawned on me that there gratitude was less about me or even what I said, I stood up there as one voice, as one person articulating the thoughts of a movement. It made me realize how powerful my one voice is- and how lucky we are all to have a leader who's reminded us of that power. It made me realize that in the months ahead my one voice isn't alone, it is joined by millions. In my heart I know that if we stand together, if we speak together nothing can stand in our way

Below is an excerpt from the speech I gave at the rally:

Today we come here to Unite for Change- although we come armed with our different stories, arriving under different pretenses we come together to insist that this time is different, that this is our moment, and in this moment we will ensure that against all odds, against all predictions, in spite of the spin and the smears, the polls and the press releases, change is coming to America. A lot has been made of the change that we seek. Everyone is scrambling to define it, and in some cases to distort it, suggesting that it's radical, or threatening, superficial, or empty. And yet we know that change is about more than one person or one party, what has already changed, and what will continue to change is how we see ourselves in relation to each other and in relation to the country.

See I'm of the belief that the founders of this nation, the writers of the constitution knew that the America that they envisioned wouldn't come to be in their own life times. And so they provided successive generations with tools, built into the bill of rights- freedom of speech, the right to organize and petition, freedom of the press- and generation after generation have spoken out and stood up to do all that they could to make the reality of this country more consistent with a vision forged into the founding documents.
This vision has been articulated throughout history by different people using different words- whether a call for liberty and justice, or a dream that calls on us all to reevaluate our judgment, whether a promise of prosperity and opportunity or a request to ask what we can do for our country it is a constant that defies time a struggle founded in hope, it's less an indication of where we are going as it is a reminder of what this nation was intended to be.
Today we come together to remind ourselves- that in this country, it doesn't no matter what you look like, what your gender is, what party you belong to, who you choose to love, what god you pray to, whether you're from a red state or a blue state whether you're rich or poor, young or old we have an obligation to each other, we have an obligation to remember the most American of all principles out of many we are one, and as one we can't be stopped.
Recognizing that our differences are beautiful and our commonalities are great. This time is different because this time we are united in our cause to ensure that the vision of this nation is reflected in the lives of its citizens. And in this election it couldn't be more clear that Barack Obama is the only person to lead us forward uniting us all under a common purpose, a higher purpose that is the change we've been talking about- ignore the distractions, ignore the diversions, the attack ends won't stop us, the spin won't stop us. We don't want to hear that it won't happen- we don't want to hear that change isn't possible, or that America's not ready – because this argument fails to account for the fact that America is comprised of Americans and we will determine what they talk about centuries from now.
This is our moment, and this is the change that unites us.

Personal Viewpoint: On Faith and Politics

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:40:05 EDT

By Justin Charity

There's been much talk of "evangelicals" over the past few election cycles. Faith is a most thoroughly personal endeavor, to be sure, but it is certainly a factor in so much of our politics. Our pluralism rightly compels us to separate church from state, but the separation has never demanded that we pry God from our thoughts.

We inhabit a world of injustices, and our sense of right and good often inspires our struggle against them. We live with so many moral imperatives, both as individuals and as the most powerful, most resourceful nation in the world. We are compelled to know good from evil.

But my faith does not belong to any single party, or any single issue. No politician can lay claim to it as theirs and theirs alone. Faith pervades our politics much as it pervades our many worldviews, and it's a credit to our country that we are so richly inspired in so many different ways.

Two years ago, Barack Obama spoke at the Call to Renewal's Building a Covenant for a New America conference, where he proclaimed:

"...over the long haul, I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in people's lives -- in the lives of the American people -- and I think it's time that we join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy."

It is not how our faith compels us to vote, but how it compels us to live that wholly shapes our society. Indeed, faith informs our compassion for others, along with duties toward others. God compels us to care for the sick, to carry the less fortunate, to uplift the downtrodden. As God showers blessings upon us, we shower those blessings upon others. We humble ourselves before "the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind," and we serve them as we would serve our own.

Scripture is a powerful starting point, and faith is a powerful force for good for many in this world. We see it on our campuses, where religious life and community service are essentially one and the same; where faith and good deeds inspire our pursuit of social justice. Campus ministries have long concerned themselves with the least among us. Senator Obama often highlights the invaluable contributions of our religious communities:

"Across the country, individual churches like my own and your own are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, helping ex-offenders reclaim their lives, and rebuilding our gulf coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"So the question is, how do we build on these still-tentative partnerships between religious and secular people of good will? It's going to take more work, a lot more work than we've done so far. The tensions and the suspicions on each side of the religious divide will have to be squarely addressed. And each side will need to accept some ground rules for collaboration."

There is nothing so necessarily ideological about righteousness or compassion. Our leaders would do best to understand this. The swelled hatefulness of political dialogue in America has often fevered our religious differences, and politicians have often stood at the sidelines, ever happy to fan the flames. Senator Obama has underscored the greater cost of these contentions:

"...when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another; when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because we assume that we will be unwelcome - others will fill the vacuum, those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends."

Our campuses are as diverse as our country. Christians, Muslims and Jews worship across from one another and do great works side-by-side with believers and non-believers of all stripes; liberals and conservatives battle similar injustices in our communities. We live our lives among others, and we live our faith with others in mind. This does not mean that we should subject the lives of others to our own challenges and conclusions, but that we ought to reap the best of our spirits to bring out the best in ourselves. We might very well bring out the best in our politics when we do.

21st Century G.I. Bill

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:18:29 EDT

Thursday evening, the U.S. Senate passed Jim Webb's G.I. bill which, among other benefits, provides veterans with a free college education.

Sen. John McCain missed the vote and has spoken publicily about the bill being too generous. Our candidate was among the 92 senators voting in favor of the bill and he had this to say:

"I respect Sen. John McCain's service to our country. He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can't understand why he would line up behind the President in his opposition to this GI bill. I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans.
I could not disagree with him and the President more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them."

The Students.BarackObama.com blog will focus more on this issue in the coming days.

Service Beyond this Campaign

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:12:14 EDT

By Justin Charity

We launched this campaign with the hope that - win or lose - we would inspire the millions of Americans across this country to take an active role in our nation's politics, and in our government. Senator Obama has echoed this call to public service over the course of this campaign, and now that we've captured the nation's attention we owe it to our country and to ourselves to echo that commitment as well.

The challenges that face us both at home and abroad are daunting, but as Americans we are blessed with unmatched resources, unmatched influence, and an unmatched resolve. National service projects like AmeriCorps and Teach for America provide opportunities for us help our fellow Americans out of poverty, out of illiteracy, on to a better education, and on to a better future.

The volunteers of the Peace Corps, and of America's armed services venture bravely around the world as harbingers of our nation's greatness. Where conflict and poverty breed fear and contempt, the men and women serve the hopes of peace. Such a sacrifice of self is truly the greatest sacrifice of all.

These organizations really do lift up their volunteers as much as they lift up those in need. We owe it to ourselves to consider such service to our country, and we owe it to our country to honor of those who do. Our call to public service is not merely a call to politics, but it is a call to the best in ourselves and it is the call of a lifetime.

Our Potential to Change the Map

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:09:08 EDT

The Chicago Tribune speculates that our campaign may stand to reap tremendous benefits from our legions of young voters come November:

"Barack Obama could make major gains in at least nine states the Democratic ticket lost in 2004 if he can achieve a relatively modest increase in turnout among young and African-American voters, a Tribune analysis of voting data suggests. ...With its unprecedented resources, the campaign can fund an array of specific targeting operations, and Obama exploited early versions of those to great success during the primary campaign."

Having rounded up thousands of newly-registered Democrats during the primary season, our campaign is poised to reinvigorate the independents and youth voters who helped us seal the nomination:

"Just a 10 percent increase in turnout among blacks would make up more than 40 percent of George W. Bush's 2004 victory margin in Ohio and more than 20 percent of the Republicans' 2004 victory margin in Florida. "Turnout increases of 10 percent of young voters and African-Americans could virtually eliminate the Republicans' 2004 victory margin in Ohio and go a long way toward closing the gap in Colorado, Nevada, Missouri, Virginia and—a bit more of a stretch—possibly North Carolina."
...
"...the Obama campaign sees reason for hope after a primary season in which at least 3.5 million new voters registered and young people of voting age, typically apathetic, turned out as much as older voters in some states."

Still, there's plenty of work for us to do between now and November, and we've already begun hitting the pavement in some states:

"Volunteers have been registering voters at bars and nightclubs as well as visiting hip-hop parties and gas stations—where drivers irate over rising fuel prices are a target, said one organizer. More than 250 of the campaign's 'organizing fellows' arrived last week in Virginia, a state Democrats did not seriously contest in 2004.
With the Illinois senator's enthusiastic following and organizational resources from his campaign's fundraising successes, his campaign sees a chance to reshape the electorate this fall to the Democrats' advantage, possibly for several elections."

Check out the full article here.

Uniting Behind Change

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:31:41 EDT

Marc (Students.BarackObama.com Blog Director) and Jon (Clinton supporter) share a handshake.

By Jon Cardinal, Clinton supporter, once and future Democrat

It has now been over two weeks since Hillary Clinton suspended her historic campaign and endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee. As a Clinton supporter from day one, it was tough for me to immediately fall behind her charge to work as hard for Barack Obama as I had for her. My hesitation wasn’t so much that I was against Senator Obama as much as it was that my hopes and dreams for the future were pinned to my belief in Senator Clinton.

Like so many other Americans, the last year and a half of my life has been dedicated to articulating why my candidate’s vision and abilities best enable her to lead this country. Nothing is more personal than deciding who you entrust the future of your nation to. And when you dedicate time, energy, passion and money to getting that individual elected, you become even more personally invested. And because of that investment, you cannot simply flip a switch when your candidate loses and automatically support the presumptive nominee after such a hard fought primary.

As a way of making sense of this rollercoaster of an election, I gave myself time in the past few weeks to reflect on the outcome of the primary season and to really dig deep to discover what I genuinely hoped for in this historic year. I was experiencing my first major campaign loss and all of the emotions that go along with it, including a natural feeling of bitterness towards the other candidate and his supporters.

But I am sick and tired of a politics of bitterness and of fear and failure. Under the leadership of the Bush-McCain Republicans, the past eight years have been framed as an “us versus them” game that has led to disastrous consequences. We cannot adopt this destructive approach to politics in reaction to the primary results. This election isn’t merely about supporting a particular candidate – it’s about endorsing a new and brighter future for this country.

So as a proud Clinton supporter, I pledge my full support, passion and energy to Barack Obama’s movement to change this country and this world for the better, and I ask my fellow Clinton supporters to do the same. Uniting behind Senator Obama is more than just buying into “party unity.”

Uniting behind Senator Obama is about an endorsement of a future that lives up to the noble mission of the United States as a beacon of hope and progress to the world. Uniting behind Senator Obama is about fulfilling Senator Clinton’s dreams for this country as a place where no one is left behind and everyone has an opportunity to live the American Dream. Uniting behind Senator Obama is an invitation to all, regardless of party affiliation, to stand up and demand a new kind of politics that speaks to our hopes rather than our fears and that values opportunity for all and special privilege for none.

Since the founding of our nation, young people have been on the front lines of change. This year is no different. Over six million young people voted or caucused for Democrats over the past five months, pledging their support for change. This election has ignited young people’s commitment to country and faith in the political process. Let us make certain that in this election year, we do not let differences in which candidate we originally supported get in the way of making 2008 the year of the young voter; the year our generation steers America in a new direction.

So to all of the Hillary supporters, stand tall and move forward together. What we have accomplished alongside Senator Clinton is historic. Now it’s time to fulfill those promises to the millions of Americans without health insurance, to the millions of children that have little hope of living a good life and to the world that is looking for renewed leadership by doing everything we can to elect Barack Obama. We students must show our parents and the rest of the Democratic Party that unity is not a dirty word. If we come together quickly and join our efforts we can truly transform our nation.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” said Martin Luther King, Jr. In the primary campaign, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama grabbed tight to the arc and bent it further than we’ve seen in any other election in our lifetime. Together we can grab hold of the arc and bring needed change to our country and to the world.

Following Barack's Lead

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:14:50 EDT

By Justin Charity,

We've reached some milestones in this campaign. Together, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton helped shatter barriers across this country, and they've both been breaking barriers ever since their college years.

"The new president of the (Harvard Law) Review is Barack Obama, a 28-year-old graduate of Columbia University who spent four years heading a community development program for poor blacks on Chicago's South Side before enrolling in law school."

The quote is from a New York Times' story from February of 1990, in which Barack Obama reflects upon his then-recent ascension to the editor's desk of the Harvard Law Review.

"On his goals in his new post, Mr. Obama said: 'I personally am interested in pushing a strong minority perspective. I'm fairly opinionated about this. But as president of the law review, I have a limited role as only first among equals.'

"Therefore, Mr. Obama said, he would concentrate on making the review a 'forum for debate', bringing in new writers and pushing for livelier, more accessible writing."

He was indeed prepared to follow the significance of his election with a tenure of leadership that would reflect his own sense of progress. Where the Review's staff was often fractured and deeply fissured, Obama set the tone for an inviting, more inclusive dialogue. Ben Smith of Politico, having interviewed a number of Obama's Harvard Law peers, offered a bit of retrospective on Obama's presidency:

"Under Obama's guidance, the Review underwent a period of relative peace after the turbulent 1970s and '80s, when the publication — like the institution itself — attempted to balance its inherent elitism with some semblance of openness and multiculturalism.

"'He was as much a traditionalist as anything', recalled Susan Estrich, the USC School of Law professor who served as Michael Dukakis' campaign manager in 1988 — and who broke ground as the first female president of the Harvard Law Review 14 years before Obama took the reins. 'It was a big deal that he got the presidency. He was selected because of merit, and he believed in the institution and its history. There are some years [at the Review] that are radical and others that are traditional.'"

The Boston Globe, having also spoken with Obama's former colleagues at the Review, seemed to have a similar impression:

"'The politics of the Harvard Law Review were incredibly petty and incredibly vicious', (Bradford) Berenson said. 'The editors of the review were constantly at each other's throats. And Barack tended to treat those disputes with a certain air of detachment and amusement. The feeling was almost, come on kids, can't we just behave here?'"

Obama's leadership style has carried him far - from the contentious helm of the Review, to the Democratic mantle. In the unlikely story that is this campaign, he has upheld his commitment to inclusion and to the idea that political discourse should bring out the best of our differences, not the worst of our divisions. That, my friends, is leadership we can believe in, and we should strive to demonstrate it wherever we can in our lives, on our campuses, and in this world.

Barack's Statement on Title IX

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:27:10 EDT

Today is the 36th anniversary of Title IX and our candidate had this to say:

“Thirty-six years ago today, America took a bold step forward on the long march toward justice and equality when Congress enacted Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, banning gender discrimination in all education programs that receive federal money. When Title IX was passed, many schools had formal or informal policies that suggested no young women need apply. High school girls were routinely barred from vocational education classes. Girls who wanted to play sports were told it was too dangerous, too unfeminine.”

“But thanks to Title IX, we have made much progress. Women now make up more than half of the students in our nation’s colleges and universities. American dominance in women’s sports on the world stage is a testament to the door that Title IX opened for young female athletes - and we know the women on the U.S. Olympic Team will make America proud this summer.”

“But even as these facts speak to the progress that we’ve made, we know that too many of America’s daughters grow up facing barriers to their dreams. Women’s sports still often get short shrift in high school and college. High school vocational courses still tend to guide women toward lower-paying occupations. And when Americans need new skills to compete in this 21st century economy, women still make up fewer than one in five of our engineering graduates, and the number entering computer and information sciences programs is on the decline.”

“When I’m President, I’ll fight to make sure our female students have equal opportunities from pre-kindergarten all the way through graduate school. I will strengthen Title IX enforcement at the Department of Education. I will support the High School Sports Information Collection Act, which directs schools to make information on equality in athletic programs publicly available, as it is at the collegiate level. And I will direct my Department of Education to help schools take proactive steps to fulfill their Title IX obligations in both the sports and academic arenas.”

“I am the father of two young girls who are growing up playing sports and who are beneficiaries of the doors Title IX opened. I’m running for President to make sure that the American Dream is within reach for every young girl in this country. That, after all, is what Title IX is all about – fulfilling our founding promise of equal opportunity for all. And that is the America we can build together – an America where our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons.”

Students For Barack Obama: The Challenge

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:36:03 EDT

By Justin Charity

So it's summertime and most of us have managed to finally escape from campus. Good times, right? Well, Politico's Ben Adler recently highlighted the challenge that the campaigns will be facing over the next few months now that we're all out on vacation.

"Many young voters — those under 30 — are college or graduate students. And with those students away from many campuses until late August or September, and unsure of where they will live in the fall, it is much harder for campaigns to organize them, activists say.

"So while College Democrats of America and the College Republican National Committee will focus on getting their core activists to volunteer at their parties' conventions, the John McCain and Barack Obama campaigns, along with nonpartisan voter registration organizations, have made it a priority to engage young people wherever they can find them over the summer."

We may have abandoned our halls of learning, but there's still plenty of work to be as we rev up our organizing efforts for the fall:

"The Obama campaign, meanwhile, is urging student supporters to informally organize their high school friends and other acquaintances through online social networking sites such as Facebook. 'Young people are a lot more likely to be responsive when one of their peers approaches them,' said Meredith Segal, national director of Students for Barack Obama."

Wherever you are, the campaign is too. And if you can't rally your peers, you can always rally your neighbors. So kick back, relax and enjoy your time away from school. Just remember: we've still got an election to win.

A Student Perspective on Obama's Education Plan

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:12 EDT

By Justin Charity

As students, we come to bear new responsibilities after college. We often carry a near-impossible burden of student debt with us into the work-world, and for many the burden is just too much.

"For so many generations, college has been the passport to a better future," Obama said yesterday.

Senator Obama's remarks to the students of Taylor, Michigan on college affordability speak to the promises of a better education, and to the commitment of our leaders to help ensure the opportunity to learn for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. He outlined his proposals of a fully refundable American Opportunity Tax Credit, larger Pell Grant awards in order to keep pace with college costs, more forgiving federal loan programs, and a renewed focus on local education and community colleges.

Anyone who is willing and determined to pursue an American education should not be barred from achieving it. Our land of opportunity demands equality of opportunity, and Barack Obama certainly appreciates the opportunities that greater education yields for the young and disadvantaged:

"I had a teenage mom and a dad who left us when I was two. But I was given love, and support, and an education that put me on a pathway to my dreams. The same was true for Michelle. She came from a simple, blue collar family on the South Side of Chicago. Even though he had multiple sclerosis, Michelle's father went to work every day at the local water filtration plant to support his family. And Michelle and her brother were able to go to a great college, and to reach a little further for their dreams."

But the financial burden is great, and it is often overwhelming. For those who attend college as the first in their families or with the hope of working toward a better future for themselves, the strain of student debt threatens to drag them backwards:

"Unfortunately, another thing that Michelle and I have in common is that we left school with a mountain of debt. We didn't finish paying off our student loans until just a few years ago. Like a lot of families, we were still dealing with the cost of our own education when we had to start worrying about how we'd save for school for our girls."

The burden is difficult, but we are willing to work toward our dreams. Senator Obama understands this of us, much as he understood it of himself. He is prepared to challenge us, as students, to challenge ourselves as individuals:

"...when we invest in your future, we're going to ask you to invest in the future of your country. To receive this credit, we'll require 100 hours of public service - you'll have to work at a veteran's hospital or nursing home; join an AmeriCorps program or work in a local school. You get a hand living your dreams, and then you help your fellow citizens live theirs - that's how we're going to move this country forward; that how we're going to come together behind a common purpose."

We help our country and ourselves when we resolve to help each other. Senator Obama's challenge to America's students requires us to challenge ourselves, but his resounding commitment to educational equality will ensure that we are prepared to face whatever challenges may come.

Click here for the full text of the speech.

Obama's Plan For Higher Education

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:54:29 EDT

By Justin Charity

Barack and Michelle Obama are particularly familiar with the weight of student loans, having only recently relinquished the debt from their college years. Indeed, the financial burden of higher education has grown heavier for many of America's students, despite the President's commitment to college cost reduction.

We live with the realities and responsibilities of student debt, but we deserve a real commitment from our leaders to help ease our burden. Senator Obama is demonstrating his priorities in his plan to make college affordable for every student:

Provide a $4,000 American Opportunity Tax Credit. This fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. Recipients of the credit will be required to give back by serving their community for 100 hours a year, either during the school year or over the summer.

Eliminate Costly Bank Subsidies. Obama will save taxpayers billions by eliminating the more expensive private loan program that exists today, and directing that money into direct aid for students. A transition to the direct lending system will also ensure that access to federal financial aid isn't disrupted future market turmoil.

Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid. The current application for federal financial aid is longer and more involved than many federal tax return. Obama will simplify the financial aid process by eliminating the current form altogether. Instead, he'll base aid on a much simpler but equally accurate formula, so that students can predict their eligibility well in advance. And families will be able to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, eliminating the need for a separate application.

Create a Community College Partnership Program. This initiative will help community colleges analyze what skills are needed to prepare students to work in local industry, and rewarding success by providing grants to community colleges that graduate more students and increase the number of their students who transfer to four-year colleges.

Help Students Become Aware of College Readiness. Too many high school students discover they are unprepared for college when it's already too late. Barack Obama will provide $25 million in matching funds annually to states that develop Early Assessment Programs that help inform students early what they'll need to do to prepare for college.

In fact, Senator Obama is focused on not only making college more affordable for those already in attendance, but on preparing incoming students-in-need to understand the opportunities for student aid at their disposal, and to withstand the long-term responsibilities of incurring student loans.

Graduation Surprise

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:42:13 EDT

Our campaign has rallied record numbers of young voters to the polls over the past several months, but Senator Obama took some time this past Wednesday to encourage some even younger Americans - eight-graders, actually - to make the best of themselves and their futures.

From The Page
The Illinois Senator unexpectedly walks onstage during the graduation of four dozen eighth grade girls from the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago following his town hall. In short remarks, he urges the grads to read, turn off the TV and decide “how can I make myself the best young woman I can possibly be.”

Senator Obama was himself pleasantly surprised as the young crowd began chatting "Change!" as he shook hands.

Students for Barack Obama: University of Washington looks back

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:30:45 EDT

By Zach Charat, University of Washington Chapter Coordinator

The UW Students for Barack Obama chapter brought the school year to a close with a bang, at our school’s annual free spring concert. The UWFSBO and the UW Young Democrats painted our campus of 40,000 students “Obama” with tables around the HUB Lawn for the big event. Volunteers were wading through the crowd, passing out hundreds of buttons, stickers, and signs; while registering new voters along the way.

It has certainly been an exciting year for us at UWSFBO, a few weeks ago, eager volunteers hopped aboard “Big Red”, the iconic double-decker bus donated by Hale's Ales, to head south to Portland to assist the campaign effort for the May 20th primary. These student volunteers were no strangers to yielding successful primaries, as our 43rd legislative district went 79% for Obama and 20% Clinton in Washington’s February 19th Caucus. The UWSFBO also hosted Senator John Kerry for a town hall meeting with students before our caucus.

Photo Retrospective

UW Students enjoying the free spring concert on the HUB lawn.

Local band Minus The Bear performs.

An Obama supporter grabs some free gear.

Washington volunteers gas-up “Big Red” for the Oregon road trip.

An unprecedented amount of first-time voters flocked to the University Temple to caucus.

We thank the University of Washington students for their hard work and congratulate them on their efforts. If you have stories from your chapter's journey this year please email them to Marc@StudentsforBarackObama.com.

A Student Perspective: Barack Obama's Commencement Address

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:51:43 EDT

In American history there are certain speeches that resonate for generations and spur the people into action. President John F. Kennedy tasked the American people to work for a cause greater than themselves in his inaugural address by simply urging them to ask themselves how they can help their country. And for those of us who thought our actions might be insignificant or our contribution might be trivial, Robert Kennedy inspired us with these words,

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

This past weekend, Barack Obama had the honor and the challenge of standing in for Senator Ted Kennedy to deliver the Commencement Address at Wesleyan College. Continuing the mission that JFK laid out for our parent’s generation, Barack Obama’s threw down a gauntlet to the 2008 graduating class of Wesleyan, and truly everyone in our generation, to do more for others and to do more in service of our nation.The words “service”, “obligation”, and “duty” are not typically applied to new graduates, but on Sunday, Barack Obama promised us that those words will play an integral role in our lives. It is service, obligation and duty that will lead us to serve now that we are past the days of mandatory service hours in high school or service for credit in college.

He cited JFK's creation of the Peace Corps as the type of leadership a president can bring to the mission of expanding public service. he envisioned people of our age working not for themselves, but for the greater good that is America. Obama told the new graduates that he intends to not only increase the size of the Peace Corps, but to provide more opportunities for us to take our education and apply it to the injustice that still exists in our society and across the world.

Senator Obama talked about how his family was pressuring him to go to law school when he graduated from college. His friends were going on to the Ivy Leagues or the glamour of Wall Street. But instead of sending off college applications, Obama sent off letters to every possible community group that might be interested in a young, dedicated public servant. A group of churches in Chicago reached out to him and offered him a meager salary and an old beat up car to work as a community organizer. When Obama urges us to take lower paying jobs in order to do more for the public good, he does so knowing from personal experience how rewarding it is. He knows first hand the benefit to the community being served and to the person providing the service. He is a trustworthy source to talk about community building, public service, and fighting injustice. I don't know about you, but when I hear him ask me to serve I have the urge to say yes.

Obama provided a laundry list of areas where our generation can have an impact, ranging from primary education, energy crisis, global warming, and societal equality, and he pointed out that many people out there do not see us, just like they did not see our parents generation, as willing to roll up our sleeves and fight for this. These are the people who call our hope and our potential for service naïve. In the face of the people who call us apathetic and uninvolved, Obama believes in the power of our generation. Near the end, Obama put his faith in us, “I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready, and eager, and up to the challenge.” I hope we live up to that.

Student Rewind: From Iowa to Oregon and Back

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:20:18 EDT

In Oregon

In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last week, Joel Connelly, reporting from Oregon, used his column inches to highlight how Barack Obama is engaging young people in his presidential campaign:

"They've got an operation here that looks like the old grass roots, the Eugene McCarthy and Bobby Kennedy campaigns of 1968: Go down to headquarters in Portland and you'll see 40 or 50 people under 25," said Robert Eisinger, a political science professor at Lewis & Clark College....
...Beginning in Iowa, however, 2008 has brought out the young. "I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like this," said Portland pollster Tim Hibbitts.

"Whatever else this campaign has done, it seems to have ended, at least temporarily, a long period of apathy and cynicism toward politics among university students," said Stephen Ponder, a University of Oregon communications professor (and onetime Seattle P-I colleague).

Looking Back at Iowa

Last night, as ballots were being counted in Oregon, Barack Obama was back in Iowa for his victory speech. The Students for Barack Obama blog team thought now would be an ideal time to take a look back at the runup to the Iowa caucuses and how students really stepped up and delivered for this campaign.

In November, there was a lot of uncertainty in the air around what date Iowa would settle on for its election and students stood to be directly impacted. When Iowa chose a date that would fall during winter break, SFBO blogger Luke Messac looked at what that meant for the influence of the student voting bloc:

Democratic organizers for the upcoming Iowa caucuses are beginning to realize that their unusually early date—January 3rd—could increase the power of the student vote.
As Norm Sterzenbach, the political director of Iowa's Democratic Party, explained to the Washington Post this week, college students will have a greater impact because they will be on winter break and voting in their home towns:
"Everybody talks about college students are going to be disenfranchised and they're not going to be allowed to participate. It's actually going to be the exact opposite. College students can have a significantly higher impact now--by voting at home rather than on campus."
Why does having students spread around Iowa give them greater say in the caucuses? Because the formulas used to apportion delegates benefit candidates who are able to win majority support in a large number of precincts rather than overwhelming support in a few.
So if students vote as a bloc, their votes will make a bigger difference if they are spread out across the state. With SFBO chapters working hard to make Obama the student's choice for president, this early caucus date could be a great boon to the campaign. But with 50 days to go until the caucus, there is still much to do to maximize the student vote for Obama on the big night. As the Washington Post explains, turnout is the key:
"Obama has strong support among younger Iowans…If Obama actually can turn out a sizeable percentage of these student voters, his campaign may have caught a break by the timing of this year's caucuses."

Then papers started to examine what the individual campaigns were doing to court student voters:

From the Chicago Tribune...

Courtship in the air on Iowa campuses
…Obama makes extra push
Obama, who appeared Monday in nearby Cedar Rapids as part of a candidate series sponsored by MTV and MySpace .com, has perhaps placed the greatest emphasis on the youth vote.
At 46, his relative youthfulness and message of change resonates on campus. And at the University of Iowa, where nearly a third of undergraduates are from the Chicago area, he also enjoys something of a home-field advantage.
"There are definitely more Obama supporters," concedes Cody Eliff, 19, president of the campus chapter of Students for Hillary. "But we keep in mind that so many of the kids are from Chicago."
Eliff said he well knows the reputation for political apathy among his peers. "We are trying to change that," he said.
Still, there are signs—some anecdotal, others measured by polls—of a growing interest in politics among young people.
Volunteerism is on the rise, students are leading sophisticated divestment drives and technological advances have provided a broader forum for their views.
No one is suggesting they will suddenly vote in the same proportions as their parents and grandparents, who are about twice as likely to cast ballots. But the combination of strong opposition to the Iraq war and online social networking has altered the campaign dynamic and could stimulate turnout.

When the national media doubted our message of hope and change and argued that Barack Obama would have a hard time finding traction, student newspapers were a constant source of support:

It is fitting that an Iowa student newspaper would endorse Senator Obama considering the width and breadth of his support among students in Iowa and around the country. Read exerpts of the endorsement below:

"...In Obama, we have a candidate who has more to offer than a strategic plan or policy that will change America for the better. What Obama brings above all else is a renewed sense of hope. The past seven years have caused our hope for a better world, a better America, to waver. We have lost a national direction, and Obama can restore that."
"Obama has not been afraid to throw a lot of his time and resources into trying to invigorate the younger crowd. This strategy has failed other candidates in the past, but we appreciate Obama's commitment to the generation who will inherit the country. His message to those of all ages - even those who don't vote in droves - is genuine and inspiring."
"He may be raw. He may be too optimistic. But he has ignited a passion for a change in the direction this country is headed. Jump on board, because just like Obama, we're fired up and ready to support him in his quest for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination."

When election day drew closer and closer students were criticized for an inability to follow enthusiasm with turnout and the Obama campaign came to our defense:

As the campaign comes into its final hours, reporters are turning ever more attention to the amazing grassroots organization supporting Barack Obama in Iowa. Barack is doing well with voters of all ages and backgrounds, and certainly some of his most enthusiastic supporters are young people.
Two articles examine this in more detail, here and here, one of them including this quote from our Deputy Campaign Manager, Steve Hildebrand: "Young voters were the ones drafting Obama to run for president last year, and we saw his ability to inspire them… We say to them, 'You know all those pundits and prognosticators who say you don't vote? You need to prove them wrong.'"

In Iowa, it paid off with 57% of 17 to 29 year-olds supporting Barack. Young people have continued to be steadfast supporters for the duration of this campaign, and last night early exit polls in Oregon showed that 71% of 17 to 29 year-olds voted for Barack.

A New GI Bill for A New Generation

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:44:04 EDT

While our focus is often on the outstanding job the Students for Barack Obama chapters are doing across the nation, sometimes it is important to reflect on the fact that many of our peers are risking the their lives overseas for our freedom and so that we have the luxury to do things like being apart of this campaign. We’ve all kept those soldiers in our thoughts and prayers, participated in rallies and support drives, and honored them on Memorial and Veterans’ Day, however, Barack Obama feels we should do more.

A week ago in West Virginia, Obama gave a speech detailing how he will serve those individuals who are serving us. Over the last few years, the deplorable conditions in some of America’s VA hospitals, the rising cost of college coupled with the insufficient and outdated GI bill, and an administration’s unwillingness to acknowledge or treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, has led Obama to co-sponsor Sen. Jim Webb’s 21st Century GI Bill. This bill would provide veterans with free education to state schools, a more streamlined VA system, and better health and mental health care services for all of our honorable veterans.

This bill and Obama’s plan have critics, though not many. The new GI bill already has 57 co-sponsors in the Senate, though opposition to it has said that it is “too generous”. The critics feel that a bill that provides for the complete health and safety of our troops, many of which are members of our Millennial Generation, will lower retention rates. Obama today told these individuals that he adamantly disagrees. Where does it say that once you are in the military, once you have sworn the highest oath to protect your nation, your government wont give you the support you so deserve because it might seem “too generous”. That’s the not American Dream I know, and with Obama as President, he will ensure that soldiers, young and old, will receive the care, treatment, education, and respect that they deserved.

While trying to report on what Obama spoke about today, I find it easiest to end with Obama’s passionate closing remarks:

To live the way that those heroes at Walter Reed have lived; the way that all those men and women who put on this nation's uniform live each and every day. It is now our task to live so that America will be proud of us. That is true test of patriotism - the test that all of us must meet in the days and years to come. I have no doubt that this nation is up to the challenge.

Young people help deliver another endorsement

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:28:11 EDT

Caroline Kennedy and Bob Casey both cited their children as part of the reason they joined this campaign for change, now former United States Representative, former Senator, and former Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern credits his as well:

“I have three daughters and one son, and 10 grandchildren,” McGovern said. “After I endorsed Senator Clinton, all 14 of them enlisted in the Obama campaign. That is some measure of the influence I had at home.”

A Generation of Progressives

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:15:04 EDT

The Center for American Progress just released a report on how our generation is overwhelmingly progressive when it comes to economic issues. The report, found here, details how the Millennial Generation, our generation, is rejecting the conservative ideas concerning government involvement in economic issues. Barack Obama is a champion of the progressive movement. His economic policy is geared towards providing universal healthcare, more federal education funds, easier accessibility to colleges, and tax breaks to the middle and working classes,. This is just another one of the many reasons why the young vote is coming out in unheard of numbers to work and vote for Obama.

One of the interesting aspects of this report is how our generation is more politically active, more progressive, and more willing to sacrifice for the greater good of our nation than previous generations. 87 percent of our generation is willing to accept higher taxes to pay for better healthcare, and not just for themselves. Even more impressive, 91 percent are willing to accept higher taxes to provide better education for everyone.

We should be proud to be a part of this generation. We are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that our government is working in a way that makes America better for all people. Our generation is ready to play a major role in American politics. While it is comforting to see these statistics, just by looking at the turn-out in the primaries and the involvement of Students for Barack Obama, it’s apparent that the Millennial Generation approves the progressive economic ideals that Obama proposes. It’s obvious that our generation is ready to surge forward to ensure a better healthcare, an affordable college education, and more government assistance to those in need, and it’s obvious that we plan on making Obama our champion of these issues.

Coming out in droves

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:34:28 EDT

By Jason Zimmerman, University of Florida Law

New polling data was recently released by Democracy Corps, detailing the influence of the youth vote on this year's Presidential campaign. I urge you all to go read the statistics, but to me, the most impressive stat is the increase in young voters from 2004 to 2008. On the Republican side, there was an increase of seven percent. Seven percent is around the average the youth vote typically increases from primary to primary. On the Democrat side, led in my opinion by the excitement generated by Barack Obama and the hard work of SFBO, the increase in our generation’s vote in the early primaries was 88 percent. That’s right; almost double the amount of young voters came out for the 2008 primary than the 2004 one.

An plausible explanation for this remarkable growth is the work ethic of the many SFBO chapters nationwide. In Virginia, the 20 chapters of SFBO worked tirelessly, increasing registration rolls, manning phone-banks, participating in local media debates, and frequently engaged in nationwide campaign activities. Did it pay off? In the 2004 primary, roughly 30,000 young voters participated for 8 percent of the vote. In 2008, more than 120,000 came out for 14 percent of the vote. That’s a 6 percent gain and more than 90,000 new young voters.

In Missouri, the 22 chapters of SFBO not only registered new voters in their state, canvassed entire campuses, and hosted concerts for Obama supporters, they went to Indiana to help work in that campaign. Let’s look at the numbers. In 2004, 9 percent of the primary vote was young voters, amounting to roughly 36,000. In 2008, 115,000 youth voted, equaling 14 percent of the total vote in the state.

Across the board, young voters are coming out in droves, whether it is in historically blue states like Illinois, or historically red states like North Carolina. The effort Students for Barack Obama are giving to this campaign are nothing short of marvelous. However, when the message we push is so full of hope, integrity, and spirit, it hardly feels like work at all.

Click here for the full report.

An open letter to uncommitted College Dem superdelegates

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:25:09 EDT

Jason Rae attracted a lot of attention this campaign season. At 21 years old, Rae is the youngest superdelegate eligible to cast a vote at the Democratic National Convention in August, and in February he declared his support for Senator Obama. Right now, Students for Barack Obama is trying to organize students to lobby uncommitted superdelegates who happen to be College Democrats. I asked Jason to write an open letter to Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel to let them know why they should join him in supporting this campaign for change.

Awais and Lauren—

I wanted to take a minute as both your friend and a fellow super delegate and encourage you to endorse Senator Barack Obama. I know that you have been hesitant because of your role within the College Democrats of America, but as you well know, Senator Obama has emerged to speak to and speak for our generation. He is the voice of this generation.

I appreciate and respect the efforts you have made to make sure you are representing the millions of college students involved in the Democratic Party through your YouTube video. However, I think you need to make your choice known now. I firmly agree with DNC Chairman Howard Dean that it all of the remaining superdelegates need to make their candidate preference known. We need to come together as a party and go forward to November united behind a candidate. We need to stop fighting with each other and take the fight to the Republicans. We need to fight for health care for all Americans. We need to fight for an improved K-12 education system. We need to fight to make college affordable for all who want to pursue a degree. We need to fight to give a voice to the voiceless and hope to the hopeless.

This letter would not be complete if I did not encourage you to support Senator Obama. After being lobbied heavily by both campaigns because of my role as the youngest superdelegate, I endorsed the Senator in February. I encourage you to do the same. He has done more to draw new voters into the process than I have seen of any candidate. I believe he can keep them engaged through November and through his eight years in office. He has truly brought out a new generation of loyal and dedicated activists. Youth turnout in the Democratic primary has doubled or even tripled in most primary and caucus states. Not only that, but young people are overwhelmingly supporting him. In Wisconsin alone, Senator Obama received 73% of the votes of 18-to-24 year old. This is similar in states all across the country. Our generation is speaking clearly and loudly in support of Senator Obama.

I sincerely hope you will consider endorsing Senator Obama and doing it soon. If we unite behind a banner of hope and change, we can take back the White House and resume our position as the leaders of the free world. We can mend damaged relationships abroad and return our focus to those who need our help here at home. It's time to stand up.
Sincerely,
Jason Rae

You too can contact Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel to let them know why they should endorse Barack Obama.

We came out to vote yesterday

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:10:00 EDT

By Jason Zimmerman, University of Florida Law

62% of the youth vote in Indiana. 74% of the youth vote in North Carolina. Chris Cillizza at the Post cited young people as winners in last night’s primaries. In Indiana, there was an increase in the youth vote by more than 30,000 over the 2004 presidential campaign. This primary, an event that typically has a significantly lower turn out than the November general election, showed that all of you decided to roll up your sleeves, and work hard for a candidate that plans on working hard for you.

I don't think it's simply Obama's eloquence, or his ability to inspire is what is drawing these amazing amounts of new and young voters to the Democratic process. Rather, I think its Obama's willingness to talk about the problems affecting our generation, and his willingness to listen to us and speak to our issues.

Take for instance the growing student loan issue. Just today, an article on Mobilize.org, a site geared towards informing young voters about issues affecting them, wrote up a brief on the impeding student loan crisis. This is a real issue that would affect the young voters who are coming out in droves for the Obama campaign. The brief, entitled “We’re Broke, Let’s Fix It: The Student Loan Crisis and Its Impact on the Millennial Generation”, gives an insight on a crisis that we as a generation have to deal with. Cost of higher education is going up, while amount of long-term government assistance is going down. Interest rates are going up, so the loans that we need are getting harder for us to pay back.

Obama has a plan to fix this; a plan that has thousands upon thousands of college students working hard to ensure that plan is brought to life. Increasing the amount of Pell Grants, while streamlining the financial aid process by eliminating the over-complicated FAFSA are just some of the fixes Obama has in store. However, the centerpiece is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. This credit will write-off the first 4,000 dollars of your college education. To earn this credit, all you have to do is participate in 100 hours of community service. All you have to do is roll up your sleeves, and give back to the community that is helping you get a higher education. College is being made more affordable to all groups of people, while strengthening community bonds and relationships.

This idea directly helps the millions of youth in our generation who are struggling to get to college. This idea is one of the many Barack Obama has that will directly help the people of America. This idea is just one of the reasons why new and young voters are overwhelming the expectation game with their involvement.

For a full report on the youth vote in the primaries yesterday visit CIRCLE.

Student Rewind: We Need You Indiana and North Carolina Students

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:41:09 EDT

Senator Obama plays a game of PIG with a young man in Indiana.

Well-Rounded Voters

College students are not single-issue voters, and higher education isn’t the only factor when we step inside the voting booth. But when you read compelling statistics like the fact that North Carolina students who graduated in 2006 owed an average of $18,000, according to the Project On Student Debt, you know why it is important.

"Higher education won't be the only issue that determines my vote, but there is no doubt it is the one that most directly affects me," said Nick Tosco, a senior at North Carolina State University and a volunteer for Sen. Barack Obama's campaign.

Senator Obama's education plan will guarantee that the first $4,000 of a college education is free for most students.

Bringing our Troops Home and Keeping Them Here

Bradley University sophomore Anna Ruch supports Obama because she knows he will keep her brother out of Iraq when he returns home in a few weeks. Obama has her fired up.

"Barack Obama has really tapped into what excites and inspires a generation of young people that would have not necessarily been involved before," said Ruch, 20.

We Need You Indiana Students!

“I need every Indiana student to vote for me,” Barack Obama said to a crowd of 13,000 at Indiana University.

According to the Indiana Daily Student, “the massive turnout was greater than the number who came to see Sen. Hillary Clinton last week and former President Bill Clinton earlier this month combined.”

In Other News

This campaign for change has struck a chord with my generation.

North Carolina student journalists, 8th graders in fact, cover the Obama campaign.

High school journalists cover our youth appeal as well and highlight Molly Kawahata, former national high school coordinator for Students for Barack Obama , even though she goes to a rival high school.

North Carolina 17-year-old student Hillary Rosen, a 17-year-old student skipped school so she could line up early for a seat at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner. She wore a T-shirt that read "This Hillary is for Obama.” (Students for Barack Obama does not condone skipping school, but we do condone Hillarys for Obama.)

UNC Ashville student reacts to Obama speech.

Monroe County clerk reports that most of the 6,985 new-voter registration forms processed in Monroe County in April were from Indiana University students.

Tennessee students organize for Obama.

70 to 30

A new Harvard's Institute of Politics' poll confirms that Obama's youth base of support is still standing strong with 70 percent of 18 to 24-year-old voters supporting him in the Democratic primary:

"The youth vote has been central to [determining] who's going to be the next president of the United States, and who's going to be the nominee," said Jim Leach, director of the institute and a former Republican congressman from Iowa.

According to the poll, in a general election match-up 50 percent of young voters would go to Obama and only 29 percent would vote for McCain. Clinton would only take 41 percent of the youth vote against McCain and the senator from Arizona would climb to 34 percent in that scenario.

PA Wrapup: Youth Vote Breakdown

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:28:13 EDT

According to CNN exit polls, Obama took 60% of the 18-29 vote and 65% of the 18-24 vote. This was especially important in a year where 276,065 voters under 30 cast a ballot in the PA primary. These young voters accounted for 14% of the total vote in the state, according to The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE):

"Young Americans have been turning out to vote at remarkable rates in these primaries. This reflects their deep concern about the critical issues at stake and the impact of this election on our country's future," said CIRCLE Director, Peter Levine. "Since 2000, young people have been volunteering at high rates and are becoming more interested in news and public affairs."

CIRCLE says that over five million young people have voted in this year's primaries and Obama has won among young voters in 17 out of 20 states. Let's put the youth vote in our column in North Carolina and Indiana!

From the streets of Pennsylvania

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:27:44 EDT

Sara Haile-Mariam is a student at NYU and recently returned from campaigning in Pennsylvania:

I arrived in Pennsylvania Friday afternoon, and moments within setting foot in Philadelphia, I found myself on the streets going door to door with fellow volunteers. Although we only had three hours of sunlight remaining in the day, we managed to each knock on over a hundred doors and the response was resounding. We were in Obama Country, and it felt good. The people we spoke with were far more capable of hoping, of joining our campaign for change, than the cynics would have us believe. The long streets, and the mostly uphill turf did little to damper our spirits.
Philadelphia and the streets I canvassed in are a far cry from the streets of New York or the NYU campus I've been able to temporarily call home. I saw people in desperate need of something to place their hope in. I walked through desolate neighborhoods and managed to find some of the most inspiring stories:
The 93 year old woman, who sat patiently in her arm chair almost as if she were waiting for something to come along. When I told her I was from New York she stared at me with curiosity, and yes, with hope. For I stood before her as a representation of what we, my generation, of what we could be. A generation that Barack Obama has inspired to roll up our sleeves and get involved. She knew this by looking at me. I stood before her with optimism and as we chatted she told me about her children and grand children and all she hoped for them. I left her porch feeling both uplifted and heartbroken. Despite the splintered walls that comprised her duplex and the broken glass that lined her porch steps, she managed to offer me a genuine smile. As I descended down the steps of her porch she all but whispered "Goodluck to you, Goodluck to us all".
There were the children, the future of this country, who ran along side me beaming with curiosity as I made my way up narrow streets in Chester County. They wanted to know what I was up to, and when I told them I was canvassing for Barack Obama, they demanded that I provide them with literature to hang on their bedroom walls or to bring home to their parents. For a moment I was the bearer of bad news when I told them they couldn't quite vote just yet. "When can we vote!" one of the little girls asked with exasperation. I ran into a bunch of kids my own age, or just a bit younger, who were anxious for the opportunity to register and cast their ballots, some for the very first time, come November. I gladly provided them with information on where to get forms- and they listened so intently, as if I was entrusting them with some treasured piece of information.

There was the man in his mid forties who told me that he drove his 97 year old grandmother to the polls first thing on Tuesday morning so that she could cast her first ballot in over 25 years.
And the woman who spotted my button through her screen door to ran back inside, to arrive moments later with a scrapbook she had been creating over the last few months. The book was full of pictures of Michelle and Barack. With no thought as to what her vote might mean, she told me confidently that the next day would bring more papers with pictures that she could include in her scrapbook.
There was the man I met in Bucks County- who's wife was undecided. "Don't you worry, I'll work on her," he told me with confidence. "She's usually right, but this time around I KNOW I'm not wrong," he told me with a smile.
These stories are not unique to Pennsylvania, I saw them and heard about them first hand in Wisconsin, Maryland and New York. I saw people in previous trips to Pennsylvania in Bucks County and Montgomery County who thanked me for my time, and wished me luck, wished us all luck as I left to continue canvassing. These are the people who our grass roots efforts reached in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, we hit the streets at 6 am to flier doors and watched as people emerged from their houses at 7 on the dot to make their way to the polls. I knocked on one door at 9:30, and when I asked the man if he had voted he retorted with a chuckle "you're late, I was the first one there".
To those of you who have given your time and talent to this campaign, I encourage you not to get discouraged. When you start to feel that our message isn’t getting through- know that for every ballot cast in fear, there was a ballot cast with hope. I’ve seen it in the eyes of the people I’ve met while campaigning. Every time you think we could have done more, remember all that we have come to accomplish.
We are fighting against not only a formidable opponent, but against a mindset engrained into the electorate. A mindset that cautions against hope equating it with blind optimism. Those supporting the status quo will attempt to categorize the change we seek as some sort of "radical change" not realizing that there is nothing radical about reinstating the democracy that we were originally promised. There is nothing radical about millions of voices calling for change- our constituion encourages this dyanamic, encourages this kind of participation.
On to North Carolina and Indiana!

Student Rewind: On the Night Before

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:14:52 EDT

ECU Students Help Obama Give "Notice" on Colbert

By Joshua Darr

As part of The Colbert Report's star-studded final show in Philadelphia, Senator Obama appeared via satellite from Greenville, North Carolina, standing before a huge "Change We Can Believe In" banner and a crowd full of supporters.

Those supporters, many of whom were students at Eastern Carolina University, worked hard to make Obama's event on their campus a success. They helped set up, showed up hours early, started "the wave" around the arena, and some even skipped class to see Senator Obama speak. Students such as Barry White, a junior, helped to make signs for the event. Attendees were encouraged to text "NC" to "OBAMA" to receive updates about the North Carolina campaign.

After the packed-out rally finished, some stayed behind to film for The Colbert Report. They were part of one of the best episodes of the year, and a hilarious send-off with Obama. Senator Obama and Colbert argued about the merits of the ABC News debate, before Obama made "political distractions" the newest addition to Colbert's famous "On Notice" board. The Senator refused to take off "grizzly bears" to make room – after all, they are "the number one threat to America" – and instead removed "James Baker," saying that "He's a good guy."

You can watch the Colbert clip here, and read about the rally in the Greenville Daily Reflector here.

In Other News

Dan Rather Reports interview with Senator Obama is now up on Facebook.

Maryland students campaign in neighboring state.

Overwhelming student support for Obama at UPenn.

View a Q&A with politically active college students in PA.

Semi-charmed kind of campaign event

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:35:45 EDT

On Tuesday, Mansfield University students sat and listened to Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins as he took a break from his semi-charmed kind of life to tell them how it's gonna be.

"You're invited to join this campaign," he told the students, assembled in Mansfield's Alumni Hall. "Make it your own. Take ownership and work toward a better outcome. There is an unprecedented opportunity Pennsylvania students have. This time, Pennsylvania matters."

Pennsylvania students are still making up there minds and we can all be advocates for change like Jenkins. There are still people we need to reach.

"Initially, I was a Hillary supporter," said Chris Stanton, 19, a sophomore from West Chester, Pa. "Then I started looking at Obama. I read his book, 'Dreams of My Father,' and that helped to change my mind. I started listening to his speeches, and they made sense. I think he can change our culture for the better."

Read all about Jenkins' visit here.

One Year Later: Virginia Tech

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:49:31 EDT

"One year after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, families are still mourning, and our nation is still healing. As Americans gather today in vigils and 'lie-ins' – or pray silently alone – our thoughts are with those whose lives were forever changed by the shootings. But one year later, it’s also time to reflect on how violence – whether on campuses like Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University or on the streets of Chicago and cities across this nation – can be prevented. Clearly, our state and federal governments have to strengthen some laws and do a better job enforcing others. But we all have a responsibility to do what we can in our own lives and communities to end this kind of senseless violence. That is still our task one year later, and it will be our ongoing task in the years to come." ---Barack Obama

Courting Montana

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:07:43 EDT

By Joshua Darr

There’s a certain American who can excite today’s youth like no other. Known for filling arenas and inspiring serious devotion from fans, this newcomer burst onto the scene and hasn’t looked back since. The wave of popularity shows no sign of slowing down, and appearances across the nation will definitely increase this icon's fan base.

How do you know you’ve made it big? Even Barack Obama can’t get tickets to see you.

Miley Cyrus, star of Disney’s smash-hit show “Hannah Montana,” taped this segment before this year’s Country Music Awards.

Many privileges go along with seeking the highest office in the land, but apparently the ability to score tickets to the hottest new teen sensation isn’t one of them. Malia and Sasha are going to be so disappointed.

The Michael Jordan of Politics

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:02:11 EDT

By Justin Charity

There's been some talk of presidential dream-teams over the course of this campaign. For some of our most dedicated supporters in Indiana, the dream is about to become a reality…on the basketball court:

"McKay, who volunteers for Obama's campaign office in Kokomo, is one of two students from Indiana schools who earned a chance to play three-on-three basketball with the senator. High school students who registered 20 people to vote and university students who signed up 30 new voters for Indiana's May 6 primary were eligible to be chosen for the game.
Obama's campaign announced Monday that Blake Hancock, a Marion High School junior, and McKay, an Indiana University-Kokomo freshman, have been chosen to play. Hancock and McKay each collected more than 150 registration cards, Obama's campaign said."

Hancock and McKay have invested an impressive amount of time and effort in our campaign, registering legions of new voters for Indiana's upcoming primary all while maintaining their own rigorous academic schedules back at school:

"Thirty-eight other students from around the state who helped in the Obama campaign's voter registration effort will also be invited to meet the Democratic senator before the game. The campaign said Indiana was chosen because of its rich basketball tradition.
Obama was a member of Hawaii's championship high school basketball team in 1979. A recent YouTube video clip shows him casually sinking a three-point shot at a school gym in South Carolina during a visit to promote his education policies.
'He's a political Michael Jordan,' Kory McKay said. 'I've heard he's a very talented ballplayer'."

Even as the campaigns winds on, we know that if we're all still having fun while working toward changing the way the game of politics is played in our country, we're probably doing something right. Read the full article here.

Student Rewind: Little 500

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:57:42 EDT

Barack at the Little 500

For the past 57 years, Indiana University has held the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, the “Little 500.” Senator Obama stopped by the women’s event on Friday and IU students welcomed him with open arms:

“Barack stopped for a town hall meeting at my high school Friday before making that appearance at my university,” said Students for Barack Obama leader Torrey Kittle. “We are used to celebrities showing up. Lance Armstrong has shown up twice, and our basketball team typically shows up. They are quite the celebrities here. You know how much we love our basketball in Indiana. However, I have never seen anything like that. I just stepped back and took it all in. I never thought I would see college kids flock to a politician, but they flocked to Barack like he was a rock star. Most importantly, people are still talking about it.”

Read news coverage here.
See a slideshow of images from the event here.

Paying for College
By Laura Kelley

According to the NY Times (‘Fewer Options Open to Pay for Costs of College’ 04/12/2008), the credit crisis is beginning to limit students and their families attempting to finance higher education. With rising rates at banks and problems with student loan companies, it is true that more colleges have elected to participate in the direct federal loan programs.

Accessible federal student loans are not enough, however. Funding the gap between tuition price and financial aid for today’s families stems from several sources such as savings, bank loans, and home loans in addition to federal loans. As turbulence in the market stretches consumers and lenders become more selective, families and single parents are left feeling insufficient when paying for their child’s education is not a reality.
While there is a not currently a huge crisis, issues such as borrowers shifting to another lender can cause loans to be delayed significantly. In addition, private loans to supplement federal funds may be a larger issue if the economy continues to sink; students with mediocre or limited credit histories may finds their loans denied or granted at interest rates up to 20 percent. As real estate prices drop, the option of borrowing against the equity of one’s home is disappearing as well.

Senator Obama’s proposal to improve college financial aid will certainly help students and families to fund higher education during this time of need. The plan includes several measures, most notably a new refundable tax credit worth $4,000 toward annual tuition and fees, which is about two thirds of the tuition at the average public university. By using tax data to grant the funds, Senator Obama’s plan ensures that they will be available upon enrollment. Other components of the plan include streamlining the application process for federal financial aid, expanding Pell Grants for low-income students, and eliminating bank subsidies.

In Other News

Check out Motivoter, a blog highlighting a documentary that features interviews with SFBOers in Iowa.

Students from all over the country can now call students in PA and encourage them to vote for Senator Obama.

Watch a student-made viral video urging moms to vote for Obama.

Visit our blog daily at Students.BarackObama.com.

Please Mom, Vote for Obama

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:24:43 EDT

Sara Haile-Mariam is a junior at New York University. Earlier this year she produced a YouTube video entitled My Five Bucks in order to raise money online for Senator Obama. She is back at it again with a new video by the name of Please Mom, Vote for Obama. When she sent me the link and asked me to check it out I was blown away by the professionalism of the project and poignancy of the message. Senator Obama keeps saying that we are the ones we've been waiting for and Sara is a perfect example of that. She's not sitting on the sideline rooting for Obama. She's rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. So watch the video (and then show it to your Mom).

Pushing our Parents

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:39:00 EDT

Obama student supporters are known for their zealous support of this campaign for change and more and more the press is taking notice of the sway we have over our parents. It's unclear whether or not young people around the country are boycotting their chores or merely are just that persuasive, but we are having a clear effect on this election.

The young supporters of Mr. Obama, who has captured a majority of under-30 primary voters, seem to be leading in the pestering sweepstakes. They send their parents the latest Obama YouTube videos, blog exhortations and “Tell Your Mama/Vote for Obama!” bumper stickers.

Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are among the elected officials who were convinced to support Obama by their offspring.

"He’s a complete Barackomaniac,” Mr. Doyle said in a phone interview. “When I asked him why, he said, ‘I think he’s really going to work hard for us.’ I thought, that’s it through the eyes of a 7-year-old. ‘He’ll work hard,’ and ‘for us.’

Get on your parents and get out the vote.

He Can't Wait

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:08:22 EDT

By: Kim Ahern

While Barack tours across Pennsylvania, attending town halls around the vast state, he is taking time to meet with all constituencies . . . and we mean, all. In a town hall earlier this week, an already civic-minded 2nd grader, Michael (who attended with his grandmother) asked Barack this question: "How can I become President?" Barack, not only showing off his quick wit, also reminded the crowd that he too is a parent of two young children with his answer:

1. "You have to work really hard in school and get really good grades."
2. "You have to do everything that grandma tells you to do."
3. "When you get out of school, then you gotta go to college."
4. "After you go to college, you have to hopefully find a job that's helping other people, so that people appreciate that you're helping them, and they'll say that Michael will make a good president some day."

Watch Barack on Hardball College Tour on MSNBC

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:14:30 EDT

UPDATED: You can watch the full program right now YouTube.com/barackobama.

Tune in tonight at 5 p.m. ET as Barack Obama goes head-to-head with Chris Matthews on the Hardball College Tour. Senator Obama will be appearing at West Chester University. The episode will re-air at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET

From the Mountain State: Endorsement from youngest council member in Fairmont, WV

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:21:25 EDT

On November 7th, 2006, at age 20, Matthew S. Delligatti was elected as the youngest council member in the city of Fairmont, West Virginia’s history. Recently, Delligatti announced his formal endorsement of Barack Obama:

It is a truly rare occurrence that a person can ignite the otherwise tamed resource of our nation’s youth I remember in high school being drawn to President John Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. not just because of what they did or what they stood for, but because they asked that generation what they could do and inspired them to achieve it. This opportunity has come again

As a high school student studying the Kennedys and Dr. King, I recognized my generation lacked that type of leader who could inspire and unite us like our parents’ generation had been inspired and united. When I was watching the telecast of the Democratic National Convention on July 27th, 2004, I discovered the man who could lead my generation into a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous future. As we all know a star was born that evening in Senator Barack Obama. Senator Obama has been a true inspiration to me. He encourages me to dream big and to dedicate myself to the betterment of others. We also all know there is a lot more to Senator Obama than his amazing oratory skills.

On November 7th, 2006, at age 20, I was elected as the youngest council member in the city of Fairmont, West Virginia’s history (Population 19,000). When I decided to run for the council, my critics said I was too young and that I did not have enough experience. I was discounted from the start. What they didn’t know was the citizens of Fairmont were tired of the political bickering and the standstills that prevented us from moving into the future. The great people of Fairmont were ready for change.

Today, the United States of America is ready for change. Some people will say Senator Obama is too young or that he doesn’t know the ins and outs of Washington, but what they are really saying is that they want to cling to the political standoffs that are preventing us from solving the pressing problems that we now face. In my case the criticism at least had some semblance, but Senator Obama’s unique life experiences put him in a place to restore America’s standing in the world and heal our nation from the political battles of past administrations.

As a local elected official, I respect Senator Obama’s hard work as a community organizer assisting people who lost their jobs from plant closings. As President, he will recognize the battles we face not only at the local level, but at the national and international level as well. While it is one thing to have the foresight to see that the Iraq War was wrong, it took a lot of courage to stand up and say so during the days leading up to war. Senator Obama’s opponent only came around to opposing the war when it became politically convenient.

One of the primary reasons I am endorsing Senator Barack Obama for president is what he calls the politics of hope. Like me, he believes in uniting our citizens to work together for the common good. I have witnessed, on a local level, the detriment derived from divisive politics. When I stepped into office, I inherited years and years of schismatic local politics brought on by personal conflicts. This type of politics gives us policy that is not created out of compromise for the common good, but policy that is made in spite of a political rival for the interests of a select few. He understands this because he has lived this from his time on the streets of Chicago to his times in the halls of the Senate.

At the most pivotal election of my lifetime, I pray my state and nation does not pass up on Senator Barack Obama. As President, Senator Obama will be a true blessing to the Mountain State and begin to heal the wounds of our nation and world.

Matthew S. Delligatti
Fairmont City Councilman
Harry S. Truman Scholar ‘07
West Virginia University Senior

Talk to your parents

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:36:45 EDT

Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania recently joined the growing list of parents who having watched their children become consumed with Barack Obama and his vision of a new politics and his message of hope decided to join our campaign for change:

"My daughter Caroline, our second, she saw Senator Obama speak at the 2004 convention. She was not only listening … by the end of his speech, she was standing on her chair. And that's the same reaction that we've all had about his campaign and about his character. My daughter Elyse was sitting in our home the night of the Iowa caucuses. Senator Obama was speaking, and she was transfixed looking at the television set. And all of a sudden—I was standing there in the kitchen with her—the telephone rang, her cell phone rang. One of her good friends called her, she picked up the phone and she said, 'I can't talk to you now, I am listening to Barack Obama,' and she hung up."

We may not all be sons and daughters of senators and governors, but we can all bring up Barack Obama at the dinner table. We can discuss healthcare policy over rolls and education over the main dish with a helping of not taking money from federal lobbyists for dessert. A Newsweek article depicting the generational politics of Pennsylvania highlights the efforts of Penn State students Angie McNie and Andrew Craft to get their parents to at least consider joining our effort.

For the full article click here.

Pennsylvania Campuses Mobilize

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:21:59 EDT

By Justin Charity

With less than four weeks left before the Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, we're stepping up our presence all across the state. And Pennsylvania's college campuses are mobilizing their masses as well. UPenn's student newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian, covered their campus' recent surge in student voter registration, noting that the numbers at UPenn reflect a similar upswing in registered voters for this year's Democratic primary,

"While final numbers are not yet available from the Pennsylvania State Department, it appears that voter registration has increased dramatically this year leading up to the state's April 22 primary...Penn for Obama, in coordination with Penn Democrats, which endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) earlier this month, has registered more than 2,400 new voters on Penn's campus over the past weeks, the group said."

Students at UPenn are working off of a few pages from our campaign playbook, going door-to-door with volunteers and student organizers,

"Wharton freshman Michael Stratton, co-president of Penn for Obama, said the new voters his group registered had varied candidate preferences and party affiliations. He said the group 'expanded exponentially' to accommodate the Obama campaign's door-to-door tactics throughout campus, in which 50 to 60 volunteers helped."

Read the full article here.

Student Rewind: On the Air

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:16:33 EDT

On the air with student focused ad in Pennsylvania

Our campaign is airing a new radio ad in Pennsylvania, targeting youth voters in the run-up to the state's Democratic primary. "Across America, our generation is stepping up for Barack Obama, and now it's your turn." With a consistently close race in the Keystone State, we're looking to bolster youth turnout beyond all expectations. Our campaign is in overdrive as we prepare for Pennsylvania's primary, "but the change we need begins with you."

Remember, in order to vote for Senator Obama in Pennsylvania's April 22nd Democratic primary, you must register as a Democrat by Monday, March 24. You're eligible to vote so long as you will be 18 years-old by primary day, and so long as you live in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a minimum of 30 days.
Listen to the full audio here.

Dule Hill at Leigh University

In other news

63% of PA voters under 34 would choose Barack.

Students at the University of Oregon embrace Senator Obama.

Michelle Obama stops by Oregon high school.

Marshall University Students for Barack Obama get active in West Virginia.

North Carolina students hear Obama's plan for Iraq.

Student reactions to last week's speech

“Senator Obama offered us all a moment of true candor today, as he addressed some of the most entrenched prejudices that divide our country to this very day. Our history is imperfect, but we will always have our future right there ahead of us. I cannot help but to be hopeful, having witnessed the birth of Barack Obama's candidacy and the life of this campaign.” ---Justin Charity, Georgetown University

“The speech displayed a depth of understanding that I have not heard in race dialogue in America. Senator Obama once again proved that he is ready to take on the most important aspect of the presidency - clear, informed, moral leadership and agenda-setting. I hope the message resonates with all Americans, regardless of color, and spurs substantive, level-headed, and hopeful debate about the future of race in this country.” ----Joshua Darr, Boston College

"What gives me the most hope is the next generation"

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:52:17 EDT

There is something different about this campaign. We know it’s about hope. We know it’s about change. We know it’s about a brighter future for our generation brought about by our generation. But today, today we were reminded of Barack Obama’s willingness to tackle the tough issues that face our country. We were reminded when Senator Obama took the stage in Pennsylvania today to deliver a major address on race. He reminded all of us that we are an unfinished nation. We are meant to keep discussing and debating and working toward forming a more perfect union:

“The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through – a part of our union that we have yet to perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.”

We will never be truly equal until we have an equal education for every student in this country. As college students across America we are privileged to have the access that we have. Many are never as lucky and blessed as we are, they are trapped in a failed system from the outset:

“Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven’t fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today’s black and white students.”

Our generation is hopeful for the future. We know what Senator Obama knows:

“What we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

And if we are going to achieve what we all know is necessary for progress in America, we have to live up to the expectation that Senator Obama has for us:

“This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.”

For the full text of Obama's speech click here.

Newflash: Changing the electorate

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:56:41 EST

As we witness record-breaking crowds and an ever expanding Students for Barack Obama organization, we know that this campaign is changing the landscape of politics for the first time in generations. Today Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. wrote about Obama ability to draw in new voters:

Obama not only created an alliance between African Americans and upscale reform voters, but he also changed the composition of the Democratic electorate by drawing in hundreds of thousands of voters under age 30.
If Obama prevails, historians will see him as the first Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to bring a whole new constituency into the system. That, the political scientists tell us, is how realignments happen.

Student Rewind: Young Stars Rise in Texas

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:26:42 EST

At Rice University this week Ben McKenzie of The O.C. and Kerry Washington of the Fantastic Four held court on campus promoting Senator Obama.

Michelle Obama Encourages College Students to Enter Public Service

Today's graduating seniors often find it difficult to pass up a job in the corporate world, even though they may prefer to enter public service.

Speaking in Zainesville, Ohio on Friday, Michelle Obama encouraged college students to reconsider jobs in public service. She recognized, though, that the ever-growing burden of college debt constrains students' career choices:

"Become teachers. Work for the community. Be social workers. Be a nurse. Those are the careers that we need, and we're encouraging our young people to do that. But if you make that choice, as we did, to move out of the money-making industry into the helping industry, then your salaries respond…the salaries don't keep up with the cost of paying off the debt, so you're in your 40s, still paying off your debt at a time when you have to save for your kids."

Studies of recent college graduates entering the workforce corroborate this disparity between public and private careers. According to a June 2007 survey conducted by the Harvard Crimson, approximately 50% of Harvard seniors entering the workforce in 2007 took jobs in either finance or management consulting. Comparatively paltry percentages of seniors went into education (11%) or government and other forms of public service (6%).

Barack Obama recognizes that the high cost of a college education keeps too many young people from going to college at all, while leaving many who are able to go too burdened with debt to explore lower-paying careers in public service. To address these barriers that current and prospective college students face, as our next president Obama will propose a $4,000-per-year tuition credit for college students.

He will also simplify the financial aid process, expand Pell Grants for low-income students, and strengthen community college education. To learn more about Obama's plan for college affordability, click here.

Students for Barack Obama sightings

Senator Obama campaigned to a capacity crowd at Ohio State University

In Other News

Actor Kal Penn continues his Obama college tour at Denison University in Ohio.

Ohio high schooler helps voters register.

University of Hawaii student is the one millionth donor to the campaign

The Music Video Sequel

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:50:55 EST

Check out "We Are the Ones" from the makers of the ever so popular "Yes We Can" video.

Student Rewind: Making Choices

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:18:56 EST

Focus On: Jason Rae

Jason Rae has been attracting a lot of attention this campaign season. He's met with Chelsea Clinton, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama; he's taken phone calls from Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright. At 21 years old, Rae is the youngest superdelegate eligible to cast a vote at the Democratic National Convention in August, and just this past week he declared his support for Senator Obama.

Rae first met with Senator Obama back in December, where he immediately noted that Obama evoked "the energy and the excitement to move this country forward." He met with Michelle Obama in the week before Wisconsin's primary, and he remarked that she was "a phenomenal woman" who displayed an impressive command of the issues, and of the concerns of our country.

I spoke with Jason about his decision to support Barack Obama, and he was more than happy to share his enthusiasm for our campaign:

"When I met with Senator Obama back in December, I was blown away by his intelligence, his charisma, and his energy. For me, the choice was simple. As a young member of the DNC and one of the youngest superdelegates, when I saw my generation lining up at the polls on Tuesday, I knew that there was no other candidate than Senator Obama. He has inspired a whole new generation of political activists, a whole new generation of voters."

Having witnessed the force of our movement firsthand, Jason is eager to lend his voice to our call for change, echoing the hopes of countless young supporters across this country,

"I ran for the DNC because I wanted to get more young people involved in the process and Senator Obama is helping with that. 73% of 18-to-24 year olds voted for Senator Obama here in Wisconsin. That is a huge number and one that truly shows my generation is looking for change and I am so glad to hear their voice and be able to represent these voters as a superdelegate by voting for Senator Obama."

We welcome Jason Rae to our movement, as we march onward to Texas and Ohio, and to the Democratic National Convention.

Michelle Obama in Rhode Island

Michelle Obama came to Rhode Island this past Wednesday and over 2,300 supporters packed into the Community College of RI's campus! Many of those supporters were students, both college and high school. It was truly inspiring to hear Michelle speak about her own journey. For instance, that her and Barack only finished paying off their student loans three years ago..imagine a President who actually understood what the burden of student debt felt like! She also had some time to meet with members of SFBO in the state.

On the Trail

While campaigning in Texas this past week, Barack made time to meet with a group of Latino youth voters to specifically discuss college affordability at the University of Texas Pan American. In particular he discussed the details of his education plan, which includes a $4,000 tuition tax credit for students per year of college in exchange for 100 hours of community service per year. The article on this meeting had this to say:

"The discussion was livelier than most town halls, and students veered the discussion away from Obama's plans to a sticking point among many college students: loans are often determined by the federal government and higher education organizations based on parental income without proper consideration given to a family's situation or if students are living on their own."

Focus On: Kyle Bella

Hometown and School: Kenosha, WI; school is Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, MA

Why you're supporting Barack: I am supporting Barack Obama for so many different reasons. I have never seen a politician more able to unite people from all walks of life and all political affiliations; more than anything, we cannot afford to have a divisive Democratic presidential nominee because we will lose election. I am also supporting Obama because he is hopeful, and in turn this hope will help inspire the people to change this country. Change cannot happen from a politician or governmental system. It must come from the people. I am supporting Barack because now, more than any other time in our history, we have the chance to leave behind the politics of Washington and prove the cynics wrong.
Why did you work so hard to get to Texas for your spring break (i.e. soliciting donations on myBO)?: I worked so hard to solicit donations for frequent flier miles or money to purchase a plane ticket because I wanted to do something different for my break, instead of simply sitting on my campus in rural Massachusetts with nothing better to contribute to the Barack Obama campaign than a few blog posts. I wanted to volunteer in Texas because I realize just how important the state is for the momentum of the campaign and getting a chance to have real hands-on experience in such an important environment would only further inspire me to fight for the Obama campaign. I also liked to joke that I would be getting a chance to get away from the winter weather, but this was only a small factor in choosing between Ohio and Texas.
Tell us the story of the woman who is paying for you to fly there? (i.e. have you even met): A women named Michele on the Obama website had already donated frequent flier miles to get three college students to Texas and Ohio and had been in touch with a woman named Beverly from GA who ended up giving six college students a chance to volunteer during their breaks. In making repeated postings, Michele attracted the attention of a woman named Carol from Iowa, who has agreed to purchase my ticket last minute (I leave on Saturday) to go to Austin. I've barely even spoken with her online, never over the phone, and I certainly haven't met her, so I am grateful that she has agreed to do this for me. I hope to chat with her more in the upcoming days.

Healthcare for college grads

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:58:55 EST

The AP reported this week on a 21 year old part-time student, Thomas Mahoney of Dublin, Ga., who shares the same circumstances of many young people across our country. Those of us who are no considered full time students or are recently out of school who often have a difficult time finding health insurance that we can reasonably afford. Mr. Mahoney was not allowed to stay on his father's health insurance policy without increasing his rate to $1,500 per month, and no other insurer would cover him due to pre-existing epilepsy. The Commonwealth Fund predicts that along with Thomas Mahoney there are 1.4 million young people who currently do not have health insurance but would if states extended dependent coverage to anyone under 23.

The fact that this many young people are left on their own as we are just getting on our feet, often still needing to pay off student loans and likely not making huge salaries, is unacceptable. As President, Barack Obama will prevent young adults like Mr. Mahoney from slipping through the cracks by extending the age to which students in all parts of the country can stay on their parents' health care plans to 25.

Houston Rallies after Wisconsin Victory

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:09:20 EST

By Laura Kelley

Chants of ‘Si se puede’ interspersed with the usual ‘Yes we can’ ringing in Houston’s Toyota Center on Tuesday demonstrated the inclusive nature of Senator Obama’s campaign. Texans came out in huge numbers, with 19,000 in attendance and several thousand guests waiting all afternoon on standby. Their distinctive Lone Star flags were plastered onto many Obama signs and shirts.

Senator Obama actually cracked during his speech what many in the crowd were marveling, that “there really are Democrats in Texas!”. News of the primary victory in Wisconsin traveled quickly through the wireless crowd, and spectators were fired up and ready to go when the senator came out to accept his northern primary victory. The Houston crowd was thrilled about Wisconsin and excited that they will not have to brave 5-degree weather for the upcoming March 4 primary. During his speech, Mr. Obama touched on hot topics for the state including energy, early childhood programs and student loans.

The Rice University chapter of Students for Barack Obama comprised assembled into a huge block of ‘Texans for Barack Obama shirts’ in front of the podium. (The t-shirts have been all over the campus in recent weeks.) Here’s what a couple of them had to say:

“It's amazing, as a student from Wisconsin, that I could be at the rally in Houston and feel connected to so many different people so far from home. Senator Obama has started something incredible: he is bringing the American people, including youth, together in an unprecedented way.”
Kyle Clark, Rice University

"Seeing Senator Obama speak in person will literally change your life."
Roger Sharpe, Rice University

The greater Houston area is crucial in the Texas primary as it represents 26 of Texas delegates, rivaled only by the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the state. Senator Obama is poised to do well in the unusual Texas ‘two-step’ which consists of a primary and a caucus on March 4. Two-thirds of the 228 delegates will be awarded by the primary vote in 31 districts; the remainder will be earned through a caucus that evening after the polls close. The excitement from the speech tonight and Senator Obama’s traditional strength in caucuses will make an exciting Texas primary.

Young People Help Carry Barack to Victory in Wisconsin

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:17:49 EST

The results from Tuesday's contests demonstrated the ever-encouraging enthusiasm among our campaign's youngest supporters. The exit polling from Wisconsin indicates that 71% - nearly 3 out of every 4 voters - between the ages of 18 and 29 voted for Senator Obama in Tuesday's primary.

Furthermore, Senator Obama carried every age category comprised of voters under the age of 65. Americans young and old took to the polls on Tuesday, and they delivered a decisive victory to our campaign, and to our movement. Today, we are prepared to march onward to Texas and Ohio, and we will carry our message of hope to the doorsteps of voters across this country.

Photos from University of Wisconsin Students for Barack Obama

College Democrat Suchita Shah helping someone find his polling place.

Students line up to cast their votes for change.

Student hard at work at headquarters (based in a student laundromat).

Click here for more pictures from the University of Wisconsin chapter.

For more on what students are doing in this campaign visit Students.BarackObama.com

Student Rewind: A Look at What's to Come

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:00:49 EST

Focus on: Nick Hambley, Rice University

By: Laura Kelley

Age: 21

Hometown: Monterrey, CA

School: Rice University, Houston, TX

Western Regional Coordinator, Students for Barack Obama Campaign

Nick Hambley may be unique among Students for Barack Obama supporters in the way he first encountered the senator: in Kenya. Stationed in a rural village there during the summer for humanitarian medical outreach, the Rice University student heard villagers’ excitement about a prominent American visitor coming to reunite with his family. Unfortunately, Nick was leaving the day Senator Obama arrived and he did not get to see him speak, but remembered the name upon returning to the states.

Several months later, during a year-long study on leadership and communications, the California native received Dreams From My Father as a holiday gift from his academic mentor. He was struck by Barack Obama’s thoughtful portrayal of complex issues and felt connected to the senator’s leadership style. Obama’s inspirational message for youth and refreshing approach to racism in America stirred Nick as well. After finishing the book he immediately looked up Senator Obama’s next speech, and was able to travel to Oakland, California the next day to witness his largest rally to date in March 2007. Nick said he ‘felt called’ to support Barack’s presidential bid and immediately signed on to work for the campaign.

Nick never looked back, and has served in many capacities for SFBO, Deputy Field Coordinator for Houston, Field Director for Texas, and (most recently) Western Regional Coordinator, in addition to leading the effort on the Rice University campus. During his work Nick has been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that students have showed for Senator Obama. Mobilizing this group has been challenging, however; students have many demands on their time and often feel unaffected by key policies on taxes, healthcare and foreign policy. His favorite part of the job was the opportunity to travel to Iowa for the January caucus and experience the electrifying excitement of the first win with so many fellow Obama supporters.

Focus on: University of Wisconsin

Recently students from the University of Wisconsin helped to organize Senator Obama's Potomic Primary victory speech. UW student Josh Burstein made a video of the event that the SFBO chapter is using to promote our campaign. Click here to watch the video.

In Other News

SFBO makes its presence known on the Ohio State campus.

Michelle Obama makes an appearance at OSU.

Obama's views on education impress Wisconsin students.

UMD Students Lead the Way to Victory

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:38:34 EST

By Chris Sopher

The University of Maryland’s Diamondback newspaper reported today that more than 1,000 UMD students turned out to vote on their campus yesterday in the presidential primary, despite treacherous weather and long lines that were the result of record turnout across the state.

Barack won UMD’s precinct by an overwhelming margin, thanks to high student turnout.

Voters showed in similar numbers to the similarly contentious 2006 gubernatorial race, with 623 ballots cast at the Stamp Student Union and 453 at Ritchie Coliseum. The student union turnout exceeded voting numbers in the 2004 primary, with nearly 13 times as many students voting this year.

In Maryland, as across the Potomac region yesterday and across the country over this primary season, students are making the difference.

Unfortunately, the effect was not as great as it might have been under perfect circumstances. According to the Diamondback as many as a third of the students had to cast paper ballots or leave without casting their vote. (Paper ballots only count in close elections).

You can read the entire article here

Students fired up by Obama victory speech

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:34:03 EST

Empty house before last night's event in Madison, WI.

Student volunteers get fired up and ready to go.

SFBO State Coordinator Bryon Eagon working the crowd and talking about turning out the youth vote.

Obama addresses a crowd of students and community members

Obama on the JumboTron

For video of last night's event click here

These pictures were brought to you by University of Wisconsin Students for Barack Obama. Check out their complete Flickr album.

Obama Talks Education in Alexandria

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:22:05 EST

By Luke Messac

T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, is probably best known for its football team, coached to victory by Herman Boone in the 1970s and profiled in the blockbuster movie Remember the Titans. But last Sunday Senator Obama made the school the site of a public forum for the future of American public education. In his discussion with Northern Virginia parents, he addressed the persistent problems of under-resourced and under-performing schools and low teacher pay:

"I do not accept this future for America's children," Obama said. "I do not accept passing a law called No Child Left Behind and then leaving the money behind. I do not accept an education policy where a child in southwest Virginia starts at a disadvantage because her parents can't afford quality pre-school. I do not accept teachers working at Dunkin Donuts to make ends meet, or reaching into their own pockets to pay for school supplies. Every child in America should have the opportunity to succeed, from birth through college."

Obama's comprehensive plan for education includes a program to make college more affordable by offering an annual $4,000 tax credit to students in need of assistance in exchange for national or community service. His plan would also pay the full cost of college for aspiring teachers who commit to working in an underserved area or understaffed field. In the end, said Senator Obama, this is a question of our willingness to unite around the fundamental value of opportunity:

"I am running for President because I want to work for a world in which my two girls have every opportunity to achieve their dreams – and because I want every American child to share those opportunities," Obama said. "If we come together in this country, I know we can create a more hopeful future for our kids. If we recognize that the success of all of our children is linked – through our schools, our communities and our country – I know that we can make sure that every child has the same kind opportunity that I had."

Click here to see Obama's plan for a world-class education for all kids.

Student Rewind: Pre-Potomac

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:54:06 EST

Young Voter Focus On: Wisconsin

Wisconsin polls are preparing this week for the deluge of young voters expected to show up on February 19th for the state's Democratic primary. Already, turnout voters aged 18-29 for primaries and caucuses in Iowa, Georgia, and Missouri has more than tripled since 2000, with other states seeing similar increases. This tidal wave of young voters could be repeated in Wisconsin. Wisconsin already has a history of solid voter turnout among youth, a trend often credited to the fact that primary voters in the state can register on Election Day. An article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette profiled students at St. Norbert and the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and found them fired up to vote in the upcoming contest:

"I think a lot of people are very excited that Wisconsin is going to be big," said Molly Lubinsky, a communications major and a sophomore who is the co-chairwoman for the College Democrats at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. "The important thing is to make sure students are getting registered and educated on the issues."

The Green Bay Press-Gazette observes that "droves" of college-aged volunteers are organizing for the Obama campaign. The number of student volunteers for Obama is yet another bellwether of the anticipation among youth for next week's election.

"I don't think apathy is the trend anymore," said Katie Trazaska, 20, of Muskegon, Michigan, a St. Norbert College Student who already has cast her ballot in her home state. "This election especially shows our generation how important it is because of the things that have happened in the last eight years…and we are definitely getting involved."

Young Voters on a National Scale

In a recent Politico article, Ben Adler writes about just "How Significant is '08's youth vote?" Of course, many reading this blog already know the answer: hugely significant! It is clear from the record turnouts, occurring across the country, that this has included a large amount of new youth voters. However, Adler points out that this is most promising for Democrats:

"So far this primary season voters younger than 30 have constituted 14 percent of the Democratic electorate. In 2004 they were 9 percent, and in 2000 they were 8 percent. Young voters have been 11 percent of Republican participants so far, which is better than the 8 percent they were in 2000 (the last time Republicans had a seriously contested primary)."

He points out the vast amount of youth that have come out to support Barack Obama's movement for change

"On the Democratic side, young voters' increased turnout has been essential to catapulting Obama to many of his wins. The Obama campaign said it is pleased with the turnout rate among its young supporters, even if it has not equaled that of older voters."

College Voices: Tim Hiller, University of Maryland's The Diamondback

Check out Tim Hiller's passionate plea for his classmates to vote for change:

Enter Obama. Though he was not in the U.S. Senate at the time of the Iraq vote, he has opposed the war from the beginning, even when it was not politically fashionable to do so. Moreover, you get the sense that he understands how foreigners think, perhaps because he spent some of his childhood living abroad. He understands that it enrages the Muslim world when we put more than 100,000 troops in the heart of the Middle East. He understands that this rage manifests itself into terrorism. He has promised to open up dialogue with Iran and Syria, something Clinton and McCain have refused to agree to do. In short, he is the only one with the right judgment and the right experience to be trusted moving forward in Iraq.
On Feb. 12, Maryland holds its Democratic primary. I'll have Iraq on my mind when I cast my vote for Barack Obama. I hope you will do the same.

College Voices: Max Chaiken, Brown University's Daily Herald

Chaiken, the SFBO Campus Coordinator at Brown, explains how SFBO converts the much used "Yes We Can" slogan, into a mantra for action: "Yes We Do"

"Yes, we can" does not mean that we sit at home and wait for Barack to save our country. It means that we believe in this candidate and this movement, and that we will work relentlessly for that which we know is possible. "Yes, we do" mobilized 40 Brown students to volunteer in New Bedford, Mass. days before Super Tuesday. It motivated dozens to trek up to New Hampshire last semester and over winter break. It inspired us to make hundreds, maybe thousands of phone calls to voters over the past few months. It calls a movement of people to action.

Young people in Maryland get involved before Tuesday's primary

In Other News:

Obama addresses thousands at University of Maryland.

Kal Penn campaigns at Johns Hopkins University and Towson University

Time: The Year of the Youth Vote

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:10:39 EST

It's phenomenal that young people are making the cover of Time. It just goes to show that the nation is taking notice of our political participation and the profound effect we are having on the presidential race. Unsuprisingly Time's cover story on youth voting focuses heavily on the Obama campaign and the movement of millenials that it has brought together:

FFrustrated by feckless Washington, energized by the unscripted, pundit-baffling freedom of a wide-open race, young people are voting in numbers rarely seen since the general election of 1972 — the first in which the voting age was lowered to 18. Obama is both catalyst and beneficiary. In state after state, he has drawn more young voters than any of his competitors. For a group of voters with no memory of a time before Bushes and Clintons, Obama is a fresh face. His opponents promise to fight, but Obama promises healing. His is the language of possibility, which is the native tongue of the young. And if he happens to be light on details — well, what are details but the dull pieces of disassembled dreams? "I had a friend tell me this was impossible, quoting all these political-science statistics at me to show that it's hopeless to try to organize students," says Michelle Stein, 20, media coordinator for Obama's youth campaign in Missouri. "Now he says, 'You were right, I was wrong. Where do I sign up?'"
Combining digital-age technology with old-fashioned shoe leather, the Illinois Senator first rallied Iowa students to cancel Clinton's cakewalk. While enthusiastic Democrats of all ages produced a 90% increase in turnout for the first caucuses, the number of young voters was up half again as much: 135%. The kids preferred Obama over the next-closest competitor by more than 4 to 1. The youngest slice — the under-25 set, typically among the most elusive voters in all of politics — gave Obama a net gain of some 17,000 votes. He won by just under 20,000.

And it's not by accident. We are much more aggressive in courting youth:

But Obama's support among youth is not just a matter of mood; it is a product of effort and organization, of finding his supporters and getting them to the polls. In TIME's national survey, he has a 3-to-2 advantage over Clinton among young voters, but he is doing significantly better than that in actual balloting, thanks to his superior ground game.
Obama's outreach to students didn't spring from some starry-eyed principle. It started as a specific element of his early strategy in Iowa. The first-in-the-nation caucuses allow 17-year-olds to vote if they are going to turn 18 before the general election, which means most high school seniors are eligible. To win those kids, Obama did something unusual in politics: he made them a genuine priority.
Basically, it's 19th century politics using 21st century tools. The idea is rooted in a deceptively simple truth: voters are more likely to go to the polls if they are asked face-to-face by someone they trust.

The article also focuses on how technology is changing the outreach game:

Finding and communicating with students have traditionally been a nightmare for politicians. Students are constantly moving from home to dorm to group house to campus apartment. They don't typically show up in the databases purchased by campaigns: rolls of past voters, lists of homeowners and membership files of special-interest groups. They aren't regular watchers of TV news or subscribers to newspapers. But kids can now catch candidate speeches and debate snippets on YouTube. Their cell-phone numbers and e-mail addresses follow them everywhere. Technology makes it easier for them to volunteer too: students who might never show up at a phone bank can now download contacts from a central database and make calls from the comfort of their dorm rooms. Loosely connected to traditional networks, young people are intensely connected online. They once were lost but now can be found, and Obama is being rewarded for making the effort to look.

And this isn't a one nighter with politics. We are in it for the long haul:

When young people get involved, they tend to stay involved. The graybeards of today's Democratic Party were once the inspired youth of the New Frontier, or Clean for Gene McCarthy, or bell-bottomed foot soldiers for George McGovern. Scan the crowd at an Obama rally, squint, and you just might see the future. For the moment, it's enough for young Obama supporters to feel that they are part of something big and historic. "I am a believer that change can happen," says Patricia Griffin, 25, a student at St. Louis Community College. "So-called Washington experience has given us an unjustified war, an economy slipping, the dollar losing its value, health care impossible to afford. I'm telling my friends they can make a difference this time. They can vote."

For the whole article visit Time.com

Newspaper Endorsements (Round II)

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:06:53 EST

By Justin Charity

Campuses across the country have been lending their voices to Senator Obama's call for change since the beginning of this campaign. In the past few weeks, we've enjoyed an influx of endorsements from colleges and universities in states that will be voting throughout the month of February.

NYU's student newspaper, the Washington Square News, recently offered a glowing appraisal of Senator Obama's candidacy and campaign message:

“Obama inspires our generation in particular because he personifies the path less traveled. He could have sought a high-paying job; instead, he chose public service and succeeded. In a time when résumés, MCATs, LSATs and GPAs stalk many of us, his example is a powerful one. The new frontier of the '90s, with its rapidly expanding job markets, has been folding in on itself before our eyes. Anxiety over being left stranded - diploma in one hand, unpaid loan statement in the other - dominates the campus. Obama's optimism is inspiring because it is rooted in experience: his experience, and ours.”

The Daily Campus of the University of Connecticut recently declared its support for Senator Obama, echoing our campaign's call for a new kind of politics:

“It is time again to elevate the presidency to a position of reverence and respect, and give heed to the type of smooth, lofty oratory which evokes thoughts of the American ambition for greatness. It is time to believe in the unifying power of the chief executive again. With many similar candidates battling for the Democrats, the question this election is about who can best achieve the common Democratic vision. In Sen. Obama, there is an answer.”

The Georgetown Hoya offered up its own outlook on an Obama presidency, noting the new highs of civic engagement among younger voters, many of whom will be voting for the first time in this historic Democratic primary,

“An Obama presidency would encourage more of America’s youth to work in government and participate in the political process — his campaign has already done so. It would demonstrate to the next generation that public service is a noble calling and one that is desperately needed after the horrifying incompetence of the present administration. And, although he was derided by the Clinton campaign for saying so, the formative years Obama spent growing up abroad would assuredly lend him a greater degree of credibility on the international stage.”

The endorsements keep coming in, and we're always excited to hear from our fellow students across the country as they help us spread our message and the hopes of our campaign. Stay tuned. For more information on Students for Barack Obama please visit Students.BarackObama.com

Super Tuesday Digest

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:31:24 EST

From the Boston Globe:

Elsa Scheie was rushing across campus in blue Chuck Taylor hightops and a red Clark University sweatshirt yesterday to hear Hillary Clinton's speech.
When asked if she was a Hillary supporter, she gave a quick and breathless nod. And then a quick clarification.
The 19-year-old psychology and sociology major said she "supports" Clinton - as polls suggest a young woman and registered Democrat probably would - but she is planning to vote for Barack Obama.
"It's the war in Iraq. That is what has me pretty much decided on voting for Obama," she said, walking toward the packed Clark University gymnasium where Clinton delivered a campaign address on the eve of today's Super Tuesday primary vote.

From the Los Angeles Times:

"They do think America's going to hell in a handbasket," said Curtis Gans, director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University in Washington. "But they have some feeling of hope, some feeling of idealism."
...Both Democratic candidates have worked hard to overcome the cynicism of Generation Y. Clinton has promised to set up a team of government bloggers to explain where tax dollars go and what the bureaucracy does. Obama has vowed to make government cool again.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The Obama campaign is using the new medium of text message as way to establish more conventional contact with would-be voters. After texting "HOPE" to the campaign, respondents receive a follow-up message seeking their ZIP Code, which is then used to send local information to potential voters.
In Idaho, those responding to the text-message radio ads are invited to twice-weekly training sessions held at a field office in Boise. There, potential voters are put through the rigors of a mock caucus -- but are not prodded to support anyone in particular.
"We use superheroes as the candidates because we know that independents and Republicans are coming in for our training," explains Channi Wiggins, an Idaho for Obama staffer. "We don't want to make them uncomfortable." Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have stood for election in Idaho's mock caucuses, she says.

From the New York Times:

Ben Fried, who was interviewed as he straddled a bicycle under a sky that threatened a downpour at any moment, said that he had participated in many conversations about the election and that race had not been a factor in any of them. “I would just say the kids like Obama,” he said.
(Elizabeth Currid, a young, urban planning professor at the University of Southern California, told me recently: “This is a generation that really embraces diversity and equality.”)
A handful of interviews on a college campus is hardly a scientific survey. But well-educated young people are the distilled version of Mr. Obama’s supporters, and it’s a fact that younger people in the U.S. have had it with the bitterness, divisiveness and ineffectiveness that make government and politics in their eyes seem so unsavory.

Yale endorses Obama

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:47:06 EST

It would seem natural for us to endorse Hillary Clinton for president.

She attended Yale Law School — the roots of the Clintonian dynasty are here in New Haven — and left an accomplished and well liked alumna. She has led an inspiring career of public service since.
And indeed, we are grateful for the past 18 years of Eli representation in the Oval Office. Four, or eight, more sounds nice enough.

But the time has come to abdicate Yalie rule over America, at least for now. The past three United States presidents — George H. W. Bush '48, Bill Cinton LAW '73 and George W. Bush '68 — had their strengths. But in the end, they were good presidents (if that) — and not great ones. Too often, they behaved like politicians — and not leaders.

Hillary Clinton LAW '73 is of the same breed. To endorse her would be to endorse intelligence and preparedness, but also divisiveness and the politics of manipulation. And, as it seems of late, it would be to endorse Bill Clinton, with his own baggage and questionable campaign tactics to boot.

So we turn instead to an honest, and brilliant, man who represents his actual home state in the U.S. Senate, has more years of elected experience than Clinton and gave so many of us chills with his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. His Harvard Law degree notwithstanding, Democrats across Connecticut and the nation should embrace Barack Obama as the next president of the United States on Tuesday.

Read the whole endorsement here

Senator Obama and Caroline Kennedy rally 10,000 at the University of Denver

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:47:01 EST

By Justin Charity and Luke Messac

The politics of the past few years has taken its toll on our hope for the future, but our hope still lives in the message of this campaign and in the dedication of our supporters. Caroline Kennedy recently joined the ranks of those campaigning on behalf of Senator Obama across the country, having declared her support for "a leader who can inspire us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals, and to imagine that together we can do great things." Kennedy introduced Senator Obama yesterday at the University of Denver, where she underscored some the most important elements of this campaign and of Senator Obama's candidacy:

Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wish they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This longing is even more profound today. Fortunately, there is one candidate who offers that same sense of hope and inspiration. That candidate is Barack Obama. It's rare to find a leader who can inspire us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals, and to imagine that together we can do great things. And when that kind of leader comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible. That is the kind of opportunity we have in choosing Senator Obama.

Obama reminded the crowd that they Denver would be the site of the Democratic Party Convention this summer:

Seven months from now, the Democratic Party will gather here in Denver to nominate our candidate for President of the United States. We will come together after a long and hard fought primary campaign – and that's a good thing. Because it is through campaigns that we hear directly from the American people, set our common goals, and debate our differences. It is through campaigns that we bring new people into the process; build new coalitions; and renew who we are and what we stand for as a Party.

Mobilizing in Tennessee

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:22:28 EST

Contributed by Zack Marshall, SFBO Tennessee State Coordinator

The Students for Barack Obama chapters across the state of Tennessee have been actively working to get students to the polls during the early voting period.

Students at Vanderbilt University in Nashville spent their Saturday getting students together on campus and taking them to the nearest early voting site to campus. Historic black universities Fisk and Tennessee State University have also worked to get students to the polls. Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro is working with local volunteers, professors, and students to take Blue Raiders to the nearest polling place.

The University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, Belmont University in Nashville, Rhodes College in Memphis, and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City have all been actively informing their students to the ease of voting early for our generation. Juggling classes and homework and exams can sometimes impair student’s abilities to get out to the polls, so the ability to put voting into their schedules over the course of two weeks is key.

Some schools have it a little easier. The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has the luxury of having an early voting site on campus, and has been turning out students in droves!

Across the Volunteer State, dozens of students have been to the polls already, taking part in ensuring that Senator Obama wins the Democratic nomination in less than a week! The awesome Students for Obama chapters from Memphis to Johnson City and every point in between, have been putting in the incredible hard work of taking an active role in bringing change to this country.

As the Early Voting period comes to an end in Tennessee, the Students for Barack Obama are hard at work getting their fellow students out to the polls! We are very excited about Senator Obama’s chances in Tennessee and the role that our generation has had in making him the nominee.

Quiet? I don't think so

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:04:46 EST

By Justin Charity

With each passing primary, we've defied the conventional wisdom that young people simply don't vote. Our dedication to our country and to this campaign hasn't gone unnoticed by many, even though it is still doubted by some. The New York Times' political blog covered a recent panel discussion in Washington, DC of youth voting trends. The panel featured several prominent youth vote coordinators, including Rock the Vote and the College Democrats of America, and the speakers all sought to address concerns that the current tide of youth turnout in the early primary and caucus states might not carry into the long-term:

One member of the audience brought up a Thomas L. Friedman column that ran in The New York Times last October. In it, Mr. Friedman dubs the young adult crowd “Generation Q” — the Q meaning “quiet” — because America’s youth, despite a promising slant toward community service, are too subdued when it comes to voicing their political discontent.
That got the panel going.
Kat Barr, a political outreach director at Rock the Vote, said the column was “based on a lot of mistaken and outdated stereotypes. She noted that the youth vote at the Iowa caucus was triple that of the previous election cycle, and the figures nearly tripled in New Hampshire.

Looking past the primaries and caucuses, Karlo Barrios Marcelo of CIRCLE, a nonprofit center that studies the civic engagement of youth, paints a positive outlook on our generation's trend to civic engagement in the years to come:

We know that this generation, especially compared to those in the 1990s, this generation, while they might be sort of skeptical of politics, they’re very involved in their community. And they want to see change happen right in front of them.
They’re more interested in, say, going and tutoring a kid as opposed to “you know, this whole politics thing that’s sort of corrupt, and sort of a maze and sort of old white men, I’m not sure what’s really going on there.” They’re not really sure how to break through.

But once you engage a young voter, they pay attention. Person-to-person efforts work best, Ms. Barr said.
Our campaign is grounded in the belief that - by going from town to town, from door to door - our hope and our message might help steer young voters out of that maze, and into the light. We've defied expectation in four states so far, and we'll continue to do so in the days to come.

We're seen and heard

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:08:16 EST

By Justin Charity

Despite all conventional wisdom to the contrary, America's youngest voters are turning out to vote in record numbers across the country, and they have already begun proving themselves to be fully and personally committed to translating their hope into action in this all-too-exhilarating campaign season. Marisa Lagos of the San Francisco Chronicle recently highlighted the peaks of youth turnout in states that have already held their respective primaries and caucuses, looking to further analysis from California political observers suggesting that this early enthusiasm among younger voters would likely spread to the national stage come February 5th:

The youthful voters also are excited by the ubiquitous buzzword of this campaign - "change" - as they grapple with issues from the economy to the war to health care. Conversations about politics are cropping up. Everywhere.
"People are talking about it on Muni," said Larriva, a technical account manager who lives in San Francisco. "I think people are at a point - a lot of things have taken a turn over the past eight years, and we are really feeling the weight. People are throwing around the word 'recession.' ... It's definitely at the forefront of my mind, and I know I've discussed it with friends."
Analysts and politicians have long lamented the low voter turnout among the 18- to 30-year-old set, which has fluctuated over the past three decades but never surpassed the 52 percent recorded in 1972, the first year 18-year-olds could cast ballots.

But this year, young voters and those who study them say things appear to be changing. Lagos credits the war in Iraq, the economy, and college affordability as among the many critical issues driving the youth vote in California, and across the country. From day one, our campaign has turned its attention toward these issues in our dialogue with America's voters, young and old. Just as we've excited legions of first-time voters in the early states, we look forward to encouraging even more young voters to enter the process on February 5th and beyond.

Obama and Kennedy Rally at American University

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:42:52 EST

This afternoon Senator Obama formally recieved the endorsement of Senator Ted Kennedy (brother of President John F. Kennedy).

“Ted Kennedy’s, like, ‘Mr. Democratic Party,’ and everyone’s always talking about the whole experience thing, and here’s the most experienced guy in Washington saying he thinks Barack’s the guy for the job,” said Brian Levy..who attends George Washington University in Washington.

Senator Kennedy spoke to the inspirational nature of the Obama campaign in his remarks:

I remember another such time, in the 1960s, when I came to the Senate at the age of 30. We had a new president who inspired the nation, especially the young, to seek a new frontier. Those inspired young people marched, sat in at lunch counters, protested the war in Vietnam and served honorably in that war even when they opposed it.
They realized that when they asked what they could do for their country, they could change the world.
It was the young who led the first Earth Day and issued a clarion call to protect the environment; the young who enlisted in the cause of civil rights and equality for women; the young who joined the Peace Corps and showed the world the hopeful face of America.
At the fifth anniversary celebration of the Peace Corps, I asked one of those young Americans why they had volunteered.
And I will never forget the answer: “It was the first time someone asked me to do something for my country.”
This is another such time.

Now is the time that we can all do something for our country. We can start by getting Barack Obama elected president.

Campaign releases new video about young voters' energy

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:35:17 EST

Check out the new youth video from the campaign on YouTube

Student Rewind: Moving Forward

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:34:05 EST

South Carolina Victory

Senator Obama won the South Carolina primary by an impressive margin, but equally impressive was Obama's ability to attract young voters. He carried 65% of the 18 to 24-year-old vote compared to 25% for Clinton and 10% for Edwards.

Looking Past February 5th: Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin - Madison SFBO chapter held it's second semester kick-off this past Thursday. The event included a whole host of speakers, headlined by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. 260 students fought for the 200 seats available. Governor Doyle shared his thoughts on Obama with the over-capacity crowd:

Barack Obama has done more for this country than anybody has in a long time. His election to the presidency will be the most transforming event in history...in the United States. So, no pressure, you guys. Change the world.

In other news

Columbia University students film documentary about Obama supporters.

International coverage of the youth that drive this movement.

Student groups rally around Obama.

Sen. Claire McCaskill fires up college students in Missouri.

Student Profile: Naomi Michaelis, New Jersey

A profile on PolickerNJ.com reports that Naomi Michaelis, a sophomore political science and history major at Rutgers and the New Jersey field coordinator for SFBO, did not have to wait long to begin celebrating Barack Obama's South Carolina primary victory last night. Having just completed a long afternoon of canvassing dorm rooms, she settled down in the student lounge shortly before 7 PM to wait for the returns to start coming in. But only a few minutes after the polls closed, the networks confidently projected a big win for Senator Obama.

Naomi was elated because she knows the importance of this election. Though she first got into politics after getting hooked on The West Wing TV show in 8th grade, she has since felt first-hand the consequences of our broken political system. Michaelis is among of the millions of students whose choices for college are constrained by their inability to afford ever-rising tuition costs. She believes strongly that Obama can address this growing problem while inspiring young people to serve others:

Senator Obama wants to make college more affordable for me and my parents—and my brother. Two kids in college isn't easy. That specific issue is important. And also his emphasis on volunterism, bringing that back again in politics—that sense of giving back to the community was vital to me.

Michaelis says that Obama's appeal to youth is well-earned by his unique attentiveness to their voices:

I loved that Senator Obama has taken the time to speak to people, and particularly young people, college-aged people. You want to know the people you elect are going to listen to you, and from the time I started about a year ago, he was actually taking the time to let people know what was going on and getting feedback and that was important to me.

Newly energized by Obama's rousing victory speech in South Carolina, Michaelis is back to work. In the wake of Saturday's primary, the national spotlight shifts to the many states—including New Jersey—that will vote on February 5th. Michaelis and other New Jersey SFBO members will continue phone-banking and canvassing on campus and in their communities. Organizers for the Obama campaign say they plan on knocking on 100,000 doors throughout New Jersey in the days leading up to the primary.

For more on Students for Barack Obama in action visit our website.

Yes We Did

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:45:29 EST

Tonight Senator Obama won the South Carolina primary by an impressive margin. Equally impressive was Obama's ability to attract young voters. He carried 65% of the 18 to 24-year-old vote compared to 25% for Clinton and 10% for Edwards.

In other exciting news tonight we learned that Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy will endorse Senator Obama in an op-ed in tomorrow's New York Times. Just as a mantle was passed when Kennedy was inaugurated, a mantle will be passed to a new generation of Americans when Barack Obama is sworn in as president. SFBO knows that Senator Obama is a transformative political leader who can unite this country and inspire people young and old. It is good to see that Caroline Kennedy agrees:

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Students at HBCU's rally behind Barack Obama

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:25:40 EST

By Luke Messac

The January 22nd issue of Diverse Magazine reports that students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) are overwhelmingly and vocally supporting Obama this primary season. DeVaughn Ward, president of the Howard University College Democrats, explains why he thinks Obama has earned the support of African-American students:

Black students see a lot of themselves in Obama. Howard's motto is 'Leadership for America and the global community' and a lot of students feel that he embodies that.

As the primary season continues and students have a chance to learn more about the candidates, students at Howard and elsewhere are increasingly drawn to the Obama campaign's invitation for students to become integrally involved. Jeremy Taylor, president of the Alabama A&M Democrats…says:

I have worked on other campaigns and this is the first time that I really feel a part of the process. I really feel like I'm making a difference.

At Tuskegee University, the atmosphere grows more electric every day. Erick Harris, a student government officer, describes the political scene:

In my opinion, the majority of students at Tuskegee are leaning towards Obama. I constantly hear students talking about registering to vote just to vote for [Obama]. They're really excited about him.

Meanwhile, at the University of Houston, CBS News reports how SFBO members see in Obama's campaign an opportunity to continue the struggle toward a better America. April Spreeman, SFBO chapter coordinator at the University of Houston, feels more hopeful than ever after canvassing and phone-banking for Obama:

This Martin Luther King Day is more exciting than any Martin Luther king Day I have ever been a part of.

Everything's bigger (for Barack!) in Texas

Marc R. Peters — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:22:16 EST

By Kim Ahern

The Daily Cougar, of the University of Houston, recently featured the school's SFBO chapter at this university. I find it incredibly exciting to see chapters forming in Texas of all places, given where our current President is from. Some students from the University of Houston SFBO chapter were inspired enough to travel all the way to New Hampshire to campaign for Barack Obama and our movement for change. The chapter's leader, April Spreeman, said this of her chapter's organization and why she chose to start such a group:

"I like the fact that he was against the Iraq War from the start. He believes in bipartisan work, he's not a divider, he's a uniter. I believe he can do this like no other candidate right now (can)."

Read the whole article here

Arizona Activism

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:57:22 EST

By Justin Charity

Granted, most of us would rather spend our three-day weekends on vacation, or in bed. But this past weekend, Sean Bowie, one of our many dedicated student supporters at Arizona State University, made the road trip to southern Nevada to help campaign for Barack Obama. Bowie, who is also a founding member of ASU's chapter of Students for Barack Obama, was recently interview by ASU's online student newspaper about his efforts and about his commitment to the campaign. Leading up to the Feb. 5 Arizona primary, Bowie and fellow members of Students for Obama will have their hands full, he said.

'We've got an interesting two weeks ahead of us and a lot of work to do', Bowie said. 'It's really a semester's worth of work packed into two weeks.'

Bowie plans to graduate this May but said he will be spending a significant amount of his remaining time at ASU working on the campaign.

Back on campus, Bowie is already looking forward to February 5th and beyond in his organizing efforts, and his work in Arizona is likely to pay off come primary day. Raul Alvillar, the Arizona state director for the Obama campaign, noted that,

'We have a great group of ASU students [helping on the campaign],' he said.

Students can be influential in getting others to the polls by convincing voters to support Obama, Alvillar said.

'There's nothing like a peer-to-peer conversation', he said.

Of course, we should all make the effort to engage our fellow students, and to get them more involved in the issues of this campaign, as well as the campaign itself. There's nothing like a little peer pressure to help get out the vote.

Read the whole story here

Student Rewind: Lending a Helping Hand

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:22:03 EST

Saturday, January 19 was an impressive day in South Carolina for the Students for Barack Obama program. On the 27,000-strong campus of the University of South Carolina, more than 125 hard-charging students spent the afternoon making phone calls to young voters across the state, encouraging them to get out and vote for Barack Obama. Here’s the scene from USC, where the Gamecocks for Obama were joined by students from the Georgia colleges of Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spellman, organized by our Georgia Students for Barack Obama and our national HBCU Student program. They used their cell phones to make thousands of calls in one afternoon. Many of these students then spent Sunday morning visiting South Carolina churches on behalf of the campaign.

Students from California headed down to Nevada to canvass and organize before the caucus and also to lend a helping hand on the day of the caucus.

In Other News

Arizona State University's SFBO chapter gets noticed by AZCentral.com.

For more on Students for Barack Obama visit Students.BarackObama.com

One Night and One More Time: Fall Out Boy's Wentz Backs Obama with Fundraiser

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:51:07 EST

By Luke Messac:

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz always thought of himself as a tough voter to win over. "To find a candidate that I completely agreed with, I'd have to run myself," he joked to MTV in a recent interview. For years, Republicans and Democrats seemed so similar that he did not find himself excited about any of them. But this year, Wentz and the group's lead singer Patrick Stump are trying to help Barack Obama become our next president. What awoke Wentz from his political slumber?

"I find Obama to be an electrifying candidate," he explains. "His perspective is fresh, [and] he's said that he would meet diplomatically with almost any world leader, which, in my opinion, would greatly change the rest of the world's view of the United States. I said for a long time that I didn't think there was much of a difference between parties or candidates, and then I sat through the last eight years and promised myself I would never think that way again."

This Tuesday, Fall Out Boy and Illinois State Representative Sara Feigenholtz will host an Obama fundraiser for small donors at Chicago's Lakeview Broadcasting Company. The event is open to anyone, including students too young to vote.

"I'm not interested in shoving anything down anyone's throat," Wentz says. "I just think young voters need to know this is one of the most important elections in years."

Even Without Obama on Michigan Primary Ballot, Students Show Support

Marc R. Peters — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:28:57 EST

By Luke Messac

Michigan students went to the polls last week to show their support for Obama in the state's Democratic Primary—and his name wasn't even on the ballot!

After the Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan's delegates for insisting on holding an early primary, Senators Obama and Edwards withdrew their names from the ballot.

Without them, only Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, Representative Kucinich, and former Senator Gravel remained. Unbowed by their inability to cast a vote for Obama, supporters made a point to go to the polls anyway. Under state law, Michigan residents could not cast write-in votes for Barack; instead, they had to vote "uncommitted."

After Tuesday's primary, The New York Times could not help but notice the strong showing by "uncommitted." In Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, "uncommitted" won with 46% of the vote!

As Katharine Seelye of The New York Times writes, "That's a lot of people who took the trouble to go out to the polls and vote—for no one." Michigan students may not have been able to vote for delegates, but they still found a way to make their voices heard.

Student Rewind: Looking Forward

Marc R. Peters — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:44:46 EST

February 5th Focus: New Jersey

By Naomi Michaelis

Having driven all morning from New Hampshire, I arrived at the rally site in Jersey City over an hour and a half before the doors opened to volunteer. I was stunned to see that the line to get in was already wrapped around the corner. The line continued to grow. It was obvious that the event was drawing in people all ages and from all over the state and across the river. It became so long that a large number of people were unable to enter the building. It was inspiring to see the number of high school and college students that showed up not only to attend the rally but to volunteer as well. Many of them were working up until the minute Senator Obama showed up.

When Senator Obama arrived the crowd went crazy. People kept chanting “Yes We Can” as he approached the podium. It took awhile for everyone to calm down enough for him to be heard. He talked about the problems we are facing as a nation but he also talked about the problems that the youth are facing with rising costs of college tuition and the lack of jobs available. The energy that he generated was amazing. The speech ended and he stayed to shake hands and take pictures even though he was running late for a big fundraiser in New York City.

Students, with school starting back up again, it is our job to keep the energy Senator Obama generates going on our campuses and to turn out the vote.

SFBO Leadership Highlighted by Washington Post

By Justin Charity
Jose Antonio Vargas of the Washington Post recently profiled George Washington University student and SFBO’s own Tobin Van Ostern in the run-up to the New Hampshire Democratic primary. Tobin, currently the deputy director of Students for Barack Obama, took to the streets of both Iowa and New Hampshire over the course of his winter vacation, carrying Senator Obama’s message of hope to the doorsteps and into the homes of anyone willing to listen. Tobin remarked of his own experiences over these past few weeks,
"I know it might seem a little weird for some people, spending all this time, even my whole winter break, working for a candidate," Van Ostern said. "But this is a movement, and it feels incredible."

He laughed, shook his head, then continued: "It's like watching history happen before your eyes."

Like many young volunteers throughout the state – and across this country – Tobin has dedicated his time, his energy, and forfeited more than a few hours of sleep throughout the course of this campaign to help turn the pages of history toward a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow. Where many once doubted our commitment to such historical political change, the media and the American public have now begun to take notice that America’s youth are prepared to seize the day.

In Other News...

High school students hit New Hampshire for Obama...

Down south, students raise money and get pledges...

SFBO stands at 648 chapters strong. Check out Students.BarackObama.com throughout the week for more on what we are doing to get Senator Obama elected. And if you haven't already seen it, check out this short documentary about Students for Barack Obama:

Missouri Senator encouraged by daughter to support Obama

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:22:35 EST

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is just the latest in a string of endorsements for Senator Obama. She was drawn to the message of hope and change for our country, but she also received direction for a less-than-likely source:

“At the fierce urging of my 18-year-old daughter, I could not sit in the bleachers any longer,” Ms. McCaskill explained. “I felt like I needed to get down on the field, fighting for what I think is so important for our country.”

Throughout this campaign, students have been encouraging parents to follow their lead and support Barack Obama. It goes to show what we can do in this election. Talk to your parents!

Editorial Shoutout: Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press Columnist

Marc R. Peters — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:47:37 EST

Take a look at Stephen Henderson's column in the Detroit Free Press discussing Obama's youth support (excerpt below):

Every four years, someone says they'll win the presidency by playing pied piper to disaffected voters who typically sit home on Election Day. And every four years, that person loses, mostly because these new voters never materialize. They get excited early on, then trickle away as the months wear on and fail to show up in numbers that would make a difference.
But Obama may be the first to pull it off with that strategy, and he's coming closer already than anyone else has. If he can ride a wave of new voters into the White House, his campaign won't just be about race, or hope. It'll be about changing the very face of the electorate, a shift that could alter politics in this country for a generation.

Good luck in New Hampshire

Marc R. Peters — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:08:51 EST

We are all pulling for you guys! Let's turn out like we did in Iowa and prove the cynics wrong!

Facebook Debate Recap: Words do inspire

Marc R. Peters — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:27:40 EST

"Senator Obama offered a commanding performance at tonight's debate and demonstrated why he won in Iowa and will do so in New Hampshire as well. He did an effective job of showing why he will bring real change to our country as President and distinguished himself from the other candidates. Also, it was great to see Facebook as a sponsor, ensuring that even more youth voters will join the process and vote for Obama!" ---Kim Ahern, Rhode Island State Coordinator

"In general, Obama was sober, thoughtful, and strikingly calm throughout the debate while developing his stances on issues. In conjunction with Thursday’s more spirited speech in Iowa, the evening showcased the senator’s versatility and presence as a leader." ---Laura Kelley, Rice University

"For me, his best moment of the night was in response to Senator Clinton's continued renunciation of and scorn for Senator Obama's call for change. Senator Obama asserted that words can and do inspire change. It seems clear to me that words--ultimately simple connections between people--have done more than anything else to inspire change in our history. That is of course because they inspire people to feel compassion and cohesion, and thus action to make our world better." ---Alex DeGolia, Deputy Blog Director

"It was incredible to see the other candidates finally come around to what Barack has been saying all along--about our choices in our relationship with Pakistan, about the undue influence of lobbyists, and about the need for a leader who can galvanize the American people and include them in the political process Senator Obama is already transforming the nature of political discourse, and the primaries have only just begun!" ---Luke Messac, Harvard University

Let's stay inspired by Obama's words tonight and get out the vote in New Hampshire, like we did in Iowa!

A Facebook Debate?

Marc R. Peters — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:16:05 EST

Tune in tonight for the Democratic debate at 9 pm on ABC. We spend most of the day on Facebook anyway...