President Obama’s personal touch connects with Fort Hayes students

By Felix Hoover

For Your News Columbus

Sept. 13, 2011

 

Teens who might not normally have interest in the political scene perked up today when the president of the United States showed up on their campus.

 

The 1,400 students at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center and people from the community gathered on the grounds of the old Columbus Barracks to hear President Barack Obama promote the American Jobs Bill he announced on television last week and presented to Congress yesterday.

 

“It motivates me to do better in school,” said Cheyenne Younger, 15, a 10^th-grader at Fort Hayes High School.

Much of the president’s speech was devoted to upgrading educational opportunities and giving students the tools to compete globally..

 

“Teens don’t really get involved in thiss kind of stuff, but he made it seem like it was our problem,” said Tamarah Smtih, 15, also a 10^th-grader.

 

When Deangelo Harshaw first saw mention of the president’s visit on Facebook, he didn’t believe it. An all--class announcement from Principal Milton Ruffin confirmed the news.

 

The respect for President Obama was evident throughout his talk, said Harshaw, 15, also a 10^th-grader.

 

“I think our behavior was in completely in check today,” Harshaw said.

 

Fort Hayes was established before the Civil War, then was known as the Columbus Barracks. In 1922, the military base was renamed Fort Hayes in honor of former President Rutherford B. Hayes, who also had been an Ohio governor.

 

Although President Obama didn’t mention the work in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps that helped create the parade grounds at Fort Hayes, he acknowledged the many construction jobs that were created when the old buildings on the base were renovated and modernized.

 

You’ve got computers in every classroom, got state-of-the-art graphic design and science labs, new media center, music rooms,” the president said. “And when you combine that with outstanding teachers, and a challenging curriculum, you’ve got the foundation for what you need to learn and graduate, and compete in this 21st century economy. “

 

The need for similar improvements in education facilities is great throughout the country; he indicated.

 

Much as Fort Hayes has transitioned from an army base to an education campus, President Obama said he wants to ensure that those who have served in the military have jobs awaiting them when they revert to civilian life.

 

Paul J. Tanner, a Chillicothe native and Vietname who was inducted into the Army at Fort Hayes, said the lasting impression from the speech was the need for Congress to end its stalemate over the nation’s economy.