Hello ePal Users!

Here at Central Elementary School in Maryland, Lexi has been researching the global warming crisis. We believe there is good news. Not only is the world more aware of the problems, but the ice caps are now at the levels they were 29 years ago! Since September of 2008, the ice caps have been rapidly recovering, which is the fastest rate of change! This is great news for our polar bears!

How much of this recovery do you think is due to people being more aware of the global warming crisis?

Give us your feedback!

Central Elementary Third Grade Students

Hello ePals Members,

We are less than one hour away from President-elect Barack Obama becoming the United States' first African American President. This historic moment is the culmination of the dreams and aspirations of many who worked tirelessly to make this day possible. My colleague, Mr. Kofi Handon and I teach at the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science located in Washington, DC on the historic Howard University campus. Through research, our students developed a number of contest entries for ePals the Presidential Minute Contest, many of them are featured in the Best of 6th-8th entries. 

Some of the issues our students covered included healthcare, unemployment, renewable energy, the war in Iraq, and education. We will continue to monitor the first 100 days of the new President-elect's administration. We are extremely optimistic and look forward to the implementation of his agenda. Moreover, we are extremely excited about new ways the youth can become involved in their communities through community service. Our students will serve as ePal Inauguration correspondents this week. We will check the blog daily and we look forward to hearing from you!

Ms. Rebecca Christian

English Language Arts Teacher/Reading Specialist

Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, Washington, DC

Arthur J. won Top 10 in K-5th grade! See his video about Global Warming.

Hello from the Third Grade students at Central Elementary School,

We are reporting from Edgewater, Maryland, near Annapolis. We think the most important issue that President Obama is facing is Global Warming.

"Global warming is bad for the environment, because if we don't recycle, we will kill more trees and that hinders our ability to live on oxygen." -Cole M.

"It is also bad for the environment because polar ice caps are melting and polar bears are losing their homes and dying." -Arthur J. 

"Every summer it gets hotter, so the ice is melting in Antartica and the penguins are dying." -Sofia B.

"We now have to make stronger houses because of stronger weather patterns." -Gillian N.

"So now we have to start recycling more and stop throwing trash in several places, like the Chesapeake Bay." -Addie U.

"The more people recycle, the better our earth will be." -Helen D.

Question for discussion: How can you help stop global warming?"

Hello ePal Users!

My third grade students at Central Elementary are extremely excited to be able to blog with other ePal users this week! The students have spend a vast amount of time reading and researching about issues important in the US, and hopefully to President Obama. My students feel passionately about global warming, the economic crisis, new energy, and ending crime and drug abuse. Please take a look at our videos K-5 (Central) to see more.

Tomorrow will be an historic event. We will be viewing the inauguration in school. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to watch it. Please send us a blog about what issues you think are important. My students and I will check in everyday this week.

Thanks!

Mrs. Dana Manojlovic

Third Grade Teacher

Watch out ... here it comes: President-Elect Obama's inauguration is expected to be the largest inaugural event in history! Lyndon B. Johnson holds the record right now, with 1.2 million folks attending his inaugural in 1965. Planners are expecting more people than that on January 20th. What are all those people going to see? What are they going to do? There's going to be lots of very cool things: parades, balls, free concerts, even a kids' inaugural ball. (First daughters Sasha and Malia are hoping to go there.) Even if you live far away, ePals will bring it all right to you. Students from Howard University Middle School for Math and Science are lucky enough to live and go to school right in the middle of Washington, D.C. They are going to be our Inaugural Ball team! They will take you to the Inaugural and give you the real scoop. Read their daily updates on the blog; send in your questions. Join the party!

Congratulations to Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States! With a decisive  victory in the Electoral College (349: 148), and a victory in the popular vote (52%), the American people have chosen their new President. (At his time, 2 states have not yet reported their votes. In both North Carolina and Missouri, the voting is too close to call.) Obama encouraged many people to vote for the first time in their lives. With voter turn-out at historic highs, Obama's campaign appealed to many. Eight states that had voted Republican in the past, changed their votes to Democrat last night.

Barack Obama ran for President on a message of change, and on a message of hope. He spoke to people, and helped many to believe that their voice was important, and that they had a chance to help America change and become better. Even John McCain, in a gracious concession speech, noted Obama's unique ability to inspire people to believe their votes mattered. Last night, as word spread of Obama's victory, in Washington, D.C., thousands of Obama supporters -- young and old, black and white-- spilled into the streets, stood outside the White House gates, chanting "Yes We Can!" The spontaneous celebration was unexpected and joyous.

On television news, reporters commented that Obama ran a campaign of hope, as opposed to McCain's campaign of fear. Obama spoke of hope for a better future for America, while McCain spoke of the dangers America needed to avoid. Do you agree with that? Did the American people choose hope over fear? Tell us what you think!

Hi. My name is Shelby, and I live in the U.S.A.  

When you see the word public servant what do you think about?   When I see it, I think about a government official who works for the people.  There is no doubt that this election will be a historic one no matter what, but do you really think that either of these candidates are looking out for our best interests? From what I've seen of this election, I think not. These candidates seem to spend more time in the limelight talking "trash" on their opponent instead of giving the public solid reasons why they are working for US. This troubles me because of the fact of how important this election is, America itself is at a crossroads. It will either expand and grow, or slowly decline. So making yourself knowledgeable on the issues is the main thing you have to do to make a difference in the future. 

This election affects all of us. Some of the biggest issues, of course, are the economy, government spending and also the War in Iraq. Not to say there aren't other important issues, these are just a few of the biggest. The War in Iraq has been on of the biggest issues on a global scale since the early 2000's and has affected many. There are two distinct plans that differ very much on this hot topic. One of the plans is that we should withdraw immediately from Iraq. The second view on Iraq is that we should stay in Iraq until the Iraqi government can firmly stand on its own.

My personal view? Well, my dad has been to Iraq twice and although it does indeed cost the United States billions of dollars each year, you can't put a price on Freedom and Democracy. I'm a firm believer that we should stay there until the job is done.

I am a teenager, yes, but I am very interested in politics and I commit myself to knowing a lot about them. If you were to ask me who I think would be the best President of the United States, I would have to say neither. I honestly can say that I don't believe either of these candidates is worthy of such an honorable title. Of course, if I were of voting age I would still vote because I believe it's every citizens duty to do so. If you were to ask me whom I would vote for out of the two main party candidates, I would say on most of the issues I lean toward McCain/Palin. Personal view points aside though, I hope that each and every one of you, no matter what age you are, decides to gain some knowledge about the elections. If you are a teenager, this is YOUR future! You owe it to yourself to find out what and with whom we are dealing. If you are of voting age, Rock the Vote on Election Day! Every vote counts and it's up to every American Citizen to keep this country on track.

Thank you for reading this.

Hi I am Alexis from Kansas! So this election is very unique! No matter who wins, history will be made. The United States will have either a woman Vice-President or black President. There have been many pre-voters this election, which just shows how important this election is to the people of our country. There have been many debates and media-based stories on this presidential election. So what are the main issues? I will tell you what I think:

-War in Iraq           -Taxes
-Education              -Abortion
-Illegal Immigration  -Gun Control
-Poverty                  -Health Care
-Social Security       -Global Warming/Fuel crisis
-Foreign Affairs

My life could very well be affected depending on who gets elected. Here is an insight on what my life is like: I own guns; I live in the country; my mom is a teacher; my dad is an iron worker.  I have to go to college in a year; in order to get to a Walmart, I have to drive 30 miles at least. I have friends who have been or who are in Iraq, I go to a public school; I go to a Christian church;  I am a minor.

So now that you know this, how will I be affected by this Election? I want you to think about it, dig for information so maybe you can find out how it will affect you also. So, if I could vote whom should I vote for? Which one do you think would benefit me most? State your reasons why you think I should vote for one or the other, not for your personal opinion, but for legitimate reasons. My choice would be McCain/Palin. Why? Maybe you can figure it out.

My name is Kinza M. I live in New York State, USA. The election means a lot to me. To me it means change because every President is different and different things will happen when we choose them. If we choose right, most of us will be happy and if we choose wrong, we can only hope to have better judgment the next time. The election is a huge thing to me especially in foreign relationships, because I am Pakistani. I do not want a leader against my country, Pakistan. I want a leader who wants peace. The economy is also a big issue to me because I noticed prices going up everywhere. For instance, my braces cost more than my sister’s last year, and everything in the vending machine went from $0.75 to $1.00. The election decides the next four years of our lives, so we want to choose right. I do not consider myself Democratic or Republican, because they are two parties that do not agree. I do not think it's good, because I would keep switching. I consider myself to be an Independent, or neutral. This is the most important to year to vote -- either we will have an African-American president or a female Vice President.       

I think Barack Obama will bring change to America - the good kind. I do not think John McCain is a good choice, because to me, he is a person who will bring war. He also calls Obama everything bad he can. He calls him a terrorist because he is half Muslim. Sarah Palin accuses Obama of meeting with terrorists. (I am Muslim!) I like Obama's policies because most of the people I know are middle class. If he gives more money back and people spend that money, the economy will go up again. Also, he wants to stop global warming so the Earth will live longer. When I think of Barack Obama saying “change,” I think the good kind, but when I hear John McCain say change, I think the bad kind. I also recently found out that Sarah Palin’s wardrobe cost $150,000. I think that is insane! Sure, she needs professional clothes, but at a lower price. They could have done more campaigning with that money. I do not think Sarah Palin has enough experience to be Vice President, especially when she makes mistakes like how she is going to run the nation? I like the mix of Barack Obama and Joe Biden because it is young and old and it mixes very nicely.             
   

When Barack Obama is President, I believe he will strengthen the USA. He will help us became a richer nation. Both McCain and Obama want to drill in the U.S. for oil, but McCain wants to drill in the ocean, which will kill the animals and hurt our environment. I feel that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States because he’s got what it takes and I hope I am not wrong. :)

Hello. My name is Sharky, and I am a student in China. I think Barack Obama will win the election for President of the U.S. because he is handsome. The China students are not watching the news of the U.S. president elections because we study and do not have TV. We use the computer in the Computer Center. I think Barack Obama is popular with the black people and also the white people.
He will be the first black President and that is important for America.

Hello everyone! My name is Haree and I live in Korea. We do not do much politics in Korea about the world, but the Election of the President of America is very important. The news has many things about Barack Obama and I think he will be the next President. He will be good for America and for Korea. He has less racial bias because he is both black and white. He was born black, but his parents are white Americans so he has seen life from both sides. He is a very fortunate to have studied very hard and now he will be the most important man in America.

Hello. My name is Kings and I live in China. We too follow the U.S. President Election in China. I personally think Barack Obama is more suitable for being the President of the United States.  First,I know much more about Obama than McCain and also I think Obama is more friendly. He has made lots of schemes for helping America pass the obstacle in economic development.  We hear much more news about Barack Obama than John McCain in China.

In chinese news, we can see that chinese people think that the person who is going to be the President of America will be the key factor on passing the Economic Crisis. So they need to consider this issue with great care. Finally, in my opinion, most college students in China are paying attention about the American election.

I am Kevin, and I live in Korea. I think Barack Obama will win the election for U. S. President. He has lived with white people and he is a black person. He is black and white. This is important as he will bring experiences and knowledge from both black and white.
We know of Barack Obama and John McCain in Korea. I think Obama will be a good President for America as he is a clever man with a good background.He has much to offer his country.

We did not look at the Vice Presidents, as I think the man to be the President is the important man that the people will look towards.