Penn Staters Know How to Win... Winning the Future? No Big Deal






Our friend on the White House staff!



Today I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at President Obama’s speech in Rec. Hall at Penn State. After squeezing people into their seats, I got to stand on the floor and listen to the President talk about investing in innovation. I left feeling inspired, which surprises me. I have previously admitted that I am not too interested in politics.

How did Obama make me interested in his speech???

Watch the speech!

Obviously, there is no surprise that the President of the United States is an excellent public speaker.



Obama knows his audience, his rhetorical audience. His audience is capable of being influenced and bringing about change, and that’s what he wants…Change.

Before getting into the heart of his speech, “You understand that it’s not going to be a cake walk, this competition for the future. Which means, all of us are going to have to up our game,” Obama talked about something college kids love to talk about…football. He referenced the upcoming Super Bowl and Pennsylvania’s Steelers while also recognizing that some of his audience was Eagles fans. In the middle of his speech, he even brought up something Penn State is extremely proud of, Joe Paterno and his 400+ wins.  Knowing what kids care about, he wasn’t afraid to use football to get the crowd excited and interested in what he had to say.



We're official!



Obama also called on the young people at Penn State specifically. Penn State’s motto is “Making life better.” (Don’t worry. I didn’t know that before today either.) So as Penn State students, we should strive to make life better. While Obama’s message is for all of America, especially the youth, standing in that room it sure didn’t feel that way. Obama continually said things like, “here at Penn State,” and called on Penn State students directly. Obama was talking to me (and 40,000 others). He made me feel like it was my job to make the difference, to make the change. Obama was able to keep me interested in a speech I normally wouldn’t care much about. The President knows his audience.

The Exigency-



“We need you to seek breakthroughs and new technologies that we can’t even imagine yet. And especially the young people who are here, we need you to act with a sense of urgency. To study, and work, and create as if the fate of the country depends on you, because it does. It depends on you.”  

- President Obama