Barack Obama - Back to School Event

Obama: Back to School Event

How do you motivate the young people to go to school – which is a great privilege – and get a good education instead of using all their spear time on video games and the TV? “Obama: Back to School Event” is a speech by the American president Barack Obama which he held at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia at September 8 in 2009 – and in this speech Obama emphasizes the importance of education and hard work. The president is expecting to get the reaction that the entire county’s future depends on the young people and to make the students, whom he is speaking to, more interested and motivated towards school, to work hard and to get a brighter future.

The composition of the speech isn’t complex or difficult to follow – it’s structure is very simple with an introduction, the message of the speech supported by different arguments and at last an ending with a short summary of what he just said. The speech is directed towards students of all ages, as previously mentioned, and with opening the speech with “(…) how’s everybody doing today?” Obama sets the scene and reaffirms his authority not just as the most powerful man in the world – but more importantly, as an equal to everybody who are listening. This use of ethos works, even though it isn’t new, because Obama knows that people doesn’t want to be talked down to by an authority of any kind. Also he chooses to address the students directly by mentioning every grade and giving them a sense og familiarity: “And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, […]. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, […]”
Obama spends the whole introduction giving the students a reason and explanation to like him. Obama tells a story about himself of how he didn’t want to get up early in the morning to be home schooled by his mother, and here he clarifies that he is no super human – this is also why Obama refers to an Xbox as a device to pass the time, Obama is actually in the same cultural frame, or “hip” as the kids would say.
Then we have the “real” speech where President Obama says: “(…) I have something important discuss with you” This way of talking isn’t something you would hear in a room full of adults. As students are more likely to lose interest, Obama needs to bring attention to the fact that he is saying something important now. Responsibility, hard work and education – This is what Obama finds very important to talk to the students about. The President tells that no one is useless and we that we all can contribute: “Every single one of you have something to offer” And he even gives examples and ideas of how the future might look like for someone who discovers a hidden talent in a certain class in school. Today one of the big problems is that the students struggle with finding relevance in what they are learning, this is where Obama uses this powerful trick of offering this perspective: “(…) the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math (…)”, “(…) the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies (…)” and “(…) the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes (…)” – Obama is here able to show a generation of students that they truly are the ones who shall inherit the Earth at some point. Obama also makes sure that he says, do not give up because “you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country” which is sure to set every patriotic heart on fire.
At the next part of the speech is mainly uses to assert President Obama’s authority once again by making him identifiable. He states that he knows how difficult life can be sometimes and that he has had his share og troubles himself. Obama uses an anaphora, a repetition, “maybe you don’t have an adult in your life, maybe you don’t live in a safe neighborhood” – Obama acknowledges that some people have it worse than others because of their appearance, ethnicity, or financial status but “That’s no excuse for not trying” This is a typical American value and in fact, President Obama even talks about the American dream, which is based on creating your own happiness and future. And this is a strong use of pathos. He then goes on to personify this dream by listing three people from different states in the US who fought against all the odds and have achieved what was considered the impossible. This part of the speech is the very core of the central message. Saying this as a politician in any country other than the United States simply would not work because only the Americans values the “from newspaper boy to president”-dream this much.
There are countless Hollywood films with this theme and many Americans define themselves and their nationality in regard to exactly this idea. Ultimately by saying that “you can be anything” is just a rhetorical tool that works.

However, the students will also have realized on their own that education is important no matter who says it or how they say it. Because, despite the fact that the speech has a very American attitude and outlook on life, there is at least one universal truth that is applicable in every country: Knowledge is our strongest trait and it shall pave our way to greatness.