Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is not just a presidential candidate anymore; he is a movement for change. During his speech on Super Tuesday, he told a story about a group of boys throwing rocks at a building. He said that they needed guidance and direction.

Obama also added that we should be “going for better schools, fighting for better jobs, fighting for better health care… we are the change that we seek, we are the hopes for those boys that have so little.”

There has been an ongoing trend in federal and state politics, especially in California to cut educational programs. Fees have increased five times in six years. Although the president does not have the authority to tell California where to spend its money, there has been no leadership or initiative from the White House to create new opportunities. In fact, the current administration has done just the opposite.

About 41 percent of low income students manage to graduate in five years, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, while 66 percent of high income students do so; clearly money is a problem for students.

“We are going to have to recruit a generation of new teachers, we’re going to have to pay our teachers more,” Obama said in a Sept. 2007 online Democratic debate.

An improvement in K-12 would enhance education at the undergrad level, students would come better prepared, more students would survive freshman year and be able to take more from their tertiary learning. Gayla Martindale of the College and University blog wrote that “students’ academic readiness is a key factor in college retention. Students who are well prepared for college coursework are more likely to stay in school.”

Again, according to the 2000 census, one in three undergrads drop out of university now, compared to one in five in the 1960s.

So it comes as no surprise that a unscientific, on-campus survey outside of the voting booth at SF State showed overwhelming support for Obama. Of 409 students surveyed, 281 said they voted for Obama, 364 of the 409 voted for a Democrat (New York Sen. Hillary Clinton had 81 votes).

Although SF State showed a positive want for change, the rest of California disappointed, with the majority of people 18-24 voting for Clinton.

Clinton is clearly willing to spend on education. When her husband was in charge of Arkansas, taxes and spending on education were up, two things everyone should be in favor of when it comes to the future of America.

Clinton, however, was a terrible administrator as chair of the Arkansas education system. In a Senate debate in 2000 it came out that when she left Arkansas, student performance was down, and although she is clearly willing to spend the money, that isn’t enough. So it comes as a shock to me that people who make under $50,000 a year have overwhelmingly supported Clinton, according to analyst Paul Begala.

Clinton also locked up the Hispanic vote, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the dropout rates for Hispanic and black students are much higher than other demographics and the risk of dropping out is even higher for students who are the first in their family to attend college.

With the election 270 days away we are no closer to having a clear candidate. About 59 percent of people aged 17-29 have voted for Obama; he needs to ride this positive youth wave and end the dead heat. It is a shame California dropped the ball.

Obama, who taught at a Chicago school, will be far more in touch with the needs of today’s students.
“We are the hope for the future,” said Obama—and he is, and SF State knows it.