Last week, we got a glimpse of Harlem students’ reactions to Barack Obama’s election, courtesy of a staffer at the school who dutifully wrote down what they said. Today, we can look inside a Bronx middle school, CIS 339, where 98% of students are black or Latino and 83% qualify for free and reduced lunch, via the students’ own blogs. (Why do they have blogs? Read my Village Voice article on the school.)
The students appear to have been asked to say which issue they hope Obama will focus on as president. Many answer education:
“I think that he should really change the educations and schools of the kids and work really on making us wanna go to college,” Carlos wrote. “Obama election means to me that he will build better school for us and put better teachers to teach us well,” Alexis wrote, adding: “The issues i care about is education because i want a good education and i want a better job and a better collage.”
More excerpts from their blogs are after the jump. You can read their principal Jason Levy’s description of post-election day at the school here.
Also i really liked how he really wants to stop the war and i think he should that its really good for us because theres parents in there houses right now just thinking bout there kids like how there kids could end up dead with out them knowing whats even going on. And i really was happy when i heard that Obama won because i really think that he will make a change in this world. I think that he should really change the educations and schools of the kids and work really on making us wanna go to college.
I feel very happy and excited about Obama, the country and this big election. I feel that Obama has come very far in this election and I thank him for that. In the next 4 years I think Obama will still be president and bring more change for each year that pass. The issues I hope he take care first is education, economy, and health care. I think and hope that Barack Obama will live for ever.
Ana:
I’m speechless,I can’t believe that I am going to say that I was thirteen years old when this happen.When someone asks me in the future what do I know about this important peace of history they are going to be surprised.When the people from this country choice Obama that meant that there was no racism in this country and people don’t care about other peoples skin color. I think he will change and fix the country in every way little by little. I would like him to take care of the immigration issue because I don’t want to see people that I love suffering anymore. I think he’s a brave man and he wouldn’t give up because he work a lot to be the president of the United States.I really hope this election helps everyone.This makes me want to think that anyone could be anything they want because if he is the president we could be important as him to.
This election is historic because he was the 1st African-American to be elected for president and he will get us to collage and get a excellent job. Obama election means to me that he will build better school for us and put better teachers to teach us well. He will give us health care if we got an accident or we are sick. To the country people will love heath care and the education of there children’s. I feel well in the election today because i believe on obama that he will win and he did and he almost became the president. He will do in 4 years that he will put cars that never waste on oil and schools. The issues i care about is education because i want a good education and i want a better job and a better collage.
Having Barack Obama as a president is like helping other people to feel the way you feel.and started your day clear and new.America get ready!
What Obama election means to me is, that now we have someone who cares about education, someone who will strive hard to make sure everyone has a future. What Obama means to the country is that he will care for the troops and Iraq and the economy. We lost money cause of the war. And lots of people lost job, or not getting paid well, and need to care for their family. What I feel today about the country is that now there is a change for things that bush has not accomplish. What i feel about Obama is that I know that he will make a change and trust in the U.S. and try to make the country stronger and better.What I feel about the election is suprised, because I knew Obama would have a lot of votes. When I was watching last night he had one hundred and something. And later on he had 200. He needed 207 to win I knew he was going to win.What I think Obama will do in the next 4 years is that he will do what ever is takes to accomplish what he wants to do, to make this country better.I hope the first issue he cares for is the economy because a lot a people are nit getting paid enough or fairly.
Barack Obama the new President of the United States, as a country we(the people old enough to vote) chose him as its first black chief executive and that says it all. This election also means so much to the country because it shows that a black(African-American)man just won the highest role in the U.S of A.(United States of America)and that if we can change the way that we think about people, then people can change the way that they think and feel about life and the way that we treat our environment.
I’m a john McCain supporter and wanted him to be the president. but yesterday i seen that Barack Obama is really loved by the people. the reason why i think this is the most historic election is that Barack Obama is African American and no African Americans have been elected as presidents of the united states. but from yesterdays results you can see lots of people don’t care about race they care about the big issues these years. i think john McCain should have won but Barack Obama might do a pretty good job as president of the united states of America. he has good results for issues like health care. and taxes. yesterday i was surprised with Pennsylvania and Virginia also Florida and Ohio. those states were meant to be red states. and Florida was the state that made gorge bush in the past election win. that state made him the president of the united states.
As a citizen of the U.S I will love for Barack Obama to take care of the our education first because as everyone knows Barack Obama has kids and everyone want the best for their kids , so I know that he will solve that problem first.
Now I could say that when I was middle school the first African American President was elected. What I hope Obama takes care of 1st is education because I want to have a good school to have a great life.