From his election into the presidency in 2008 to his reelection in 2012, President Obama has been a staple name in American households for well over 8 years now. He became the 4th president to visit all 50 states, and on January 13, 2015, Obama came to Omaha to speak on UNO’s campus at Baxter Arena.

MN students were in the crowd, along with 8000 other Omaha spectators eager to hear the president speak on problems facing our country, along with his policies put in place intended to move our country in the right direction.

President Obama arrived at approximately 2:00 P.M. and departed from Offut Air force base in the evening. His speech ran over 30 minutes over time, as he spoke to an excited crowd of Omaha citizens.

President Obama’s impression resonated on MN students who had the opportunity to attend his speech. He allowed students to hear a first hand account regarding the current state of our country, coming right from the source. President Obama left a political impact more profound on spectators, especially MN students who learn about the United States government within the walls of our school.

“He talked about how we should just treat everyone with respect and how it’s the right thing to do. He’s just a really good person.”

President Obama left a lasting impact through his words, which incorporated the overall message of equality and respect for individuals. He discussed how much our country has grown and how much it has also changed.

“He was able to relate to us. I didn’t see him as above us. He was at our level as civilians, and was just a funny guy,” junior Odochi Akwani said.

President Obama’s speaking skills aided him in constructing an atmosphere in which high school students and young adults alike could relate to. He also addressed issues that are prominent in society.

“He was talking about how voting could be hard for some people because it’s on a random Tuesday, and if a mother has to drop off her kids, then go to work, she might not be able to vote. It should be open to more people,” Akwani said.

If anything could be taken away from Obama’s visit, the experience was undeniably one that comes around once in a very while. President Obama’s coming to Omaha was an opportunity for MN students to obtain firsthand exposure to a prominent leader of our nation.

“I thought it was neat to actually listen to him talk because that’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. The whole speech was nice, just how he related to everyday people,” junior Kierra Healy said.

President Obama’s ability to relate to the public, and the effort he puts in to speeches like the one given in Omaha could have assisted him in being our nation’s president for the past eight years. He has had a lasting impact on our country, and the direction in which it is heading.

MN was proudly represented on January 13th, and it is undoubtable that Obama left a lasting impact on our student spectators. Obama’s influence on our country has been well known. MN students had the opportunity to hear about it directly from the source, which is an experience that is profound in it of itself.