Obama’s Emphasis on Education and ROTC Resonates with Students

Harvard students gathered everywhere—from suite common rooms to the Institute of Politics—to hear President Obama’s annual State of the Union address last night, which touched on many topics directly affecting undergraduates, including education reform and the reinstatement of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps on college campuses.

Students said that they thought the speech’s tone inspired young people to get involved with their community in order to make a difference.

“The speech spoke to larger issues calling on all of us to dream big,” said Jeffrey F. Solnet ’12, president of the Institute of Politics. “It was a message that Harvard students can take to heart, especially the sections about the entrepreneurial spirit, which is something that I think Harvard students have really adopted.”

Many students said they were particularly moved by the President’s strong emphasis on the importance of education and quality educators to the future of the nation.

“I appreciated his focus on science and technology, and was encouraged to do research and to look for ways to find a career in teaching science after college,” said Jenny Ye ’13.

Students also said they felt that the President’s message about the urgent need for education reform was one that could cross party lines, despite the divisive rhetoric of politics today.

“I think that’s a goal we can all be proud of, regardless of our political affiliations.” said Gabriel S. Neustadt ’13, communications director for the IOP.

The President’s call for colleges to reinstate ROTC with the official repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” also resonated strongly with students, as the absence of the program at Harvard has been widely debated.

“I appreciated his call for colleges to bring ROTC back to campuses, as this is something that [the Harvard Republican Club] has worked hard on in the past,” said HRC President Michael W. McLean ’12.

Despite their concerns about President Obama’s previous policies, HRC members said they felt the President was also putting forth ideas that Republicans in Congress would be able to support, such as lowering the corporate tax rate.

Regardless of their political opinions, students expressed reservations about whether President Obama will ultimately be able to pass legislation based on the ideas put forth in yesterday’s address, especially given the polarized nature of the current Congress.

“There were a lot of areas he mentioned that Republicans and Democrats can work together on, but it depends on whether the President wants to find common ground,” said McLean.

—Staff writer Monica M. Dodge can be reached at mdodge@college.harvard.edu.