Obama Appeals to Pennsylvania with Message of Change

by Tiara Marshall Special to The Washington Informer

WILLIAMSPORT, PENN. April 18- “Obama For Change” What does this mean? I had a chance to know what that meant first-hand when I attended one of his rallies at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Penn., where Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had another theme called, “On Track for Change.”

It was exciting to see what looked like a thousand people coming out to support Obama. Everyone seemed to have an idea of what they wanted to change in America and it seemed Obama appealed to everyone’s needs. At this particular rally, he showed that he truly is a man of change.

Arriving late didn’t stop Obama from using his sense-of-humor to appeal to the crowd. While being comical, Obama still tackled some very important issues and questions. The words that really appealed to me were, “The American people are desperate for change.” Obama emphasized that after eight years of the George Bush Administration, change is a must.

At this rally, people asked him what he would do to make college affordable, how would he fix the No Child Left Behind Act, how would he solve the problems airlines face because of the economy and what is his plan to bring the troops home from Iraq.

Obama said under his plan students will receive more money with a $4,000 tax credit and lower interest rates on student loans. He said he will strengthen the No Child Left Behind Act by fixing the flaws and financing it with federal funds. For the airlines, he said it is all a matter of energy consumption because higher prices for fuel equals less money for workers, which leads to cutting corners and unpleasant trips for passengers.

Finding the right type of environmentally-friendly fuel for energy is going to be a long-term problem, Obama said. So the solution will also be long-term. He said the war is one of his main priorities, and he has a plan for getting the troops out. He emphasized that the $10 billion going to the war every month can be used for something else.

At the rally, I did not get a chance to ask him a question nor did I get an interview with him. I did not realize how tightly packed his schedule was. Nevertheless, he made me feel like he is truly going to be a president with the common interest of the people at heart. He said the common people fund his campaign—not lobbyists. He said he works for working people and he wants tax cuts—not for Wall Street but for Main Street.

Obama really appeals to me and people my age. He made me feel like he actually cares about me. I truly believe he wants me to go to college by making colleges affordable and by giving each student a $4,000 tuition credit. He even said that he would pay teachers more.

When he said $150 billion will go to energy technology, my heart soared because I am an environmentalist. He just wants to change the world altogether. At the rally, I really liked what he was talking about and that’s how he won my vote.

Tiara Marshall is a sophomore at School Without Walls and a reporter for Friendship News Network, the student news network located at Friendship Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.