Obama’s inauguration met with positive responses.
Klahowya Secondary School teacher Jeff Kreifels’ class didn’t have to worry about hitting the books Tuesday morning.
Instead, they watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama, joining millions of other students across the nation in observing a watershed moment in history.
As Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, students watched intently and after listening to his inaugural address, Kreifels offered students his perspective on the historic moment.
“Martin Luther King Jr. started the ball rolling and lots of people worked hard to get us where we are today,” Kreifels told the history class of about 15 students.
Obama fulfills the dream of King and many others that one day there would be an African-American president, he said, noting that although Obama voted against Roberts for his position on the U.S. Supreme Court, it was Roberts who administered his oath of office.
Sophomore Stephanie Malcolm said Obama did an excellent job with his inaugural address, which covered everything from the economy to the war on terror and a call to action by all Americans to help return America to prosperity.
“I think he’s started getting people back on track and that we’re going to find solutions,” Malcolm said.
What Obama has already accomplished is important and it’s going to take everyone to make things better, she said.
When Kreifels asked the class about the issue of differing opinions in government and the possibility that some members of Congress might fight against Obama’s plans for the nation, Malcolm was the first to respond.
“I think it’s good to have different positions on things because it helps us find better solutions,” she said.
Fellow sophomore Chris Smith agreed with Malcolm’s assessment, stating how important it is to have more than one point of view in dealing with issues.
“If it all goes just one way, we wouldn’t find different ways to do things,” he said.
Throughout the Central Kitsap School District, other students also had the opportunity to watch Obama’s inauguration as history was made not only in Washington, D.C., but in Kitsap County as well.
