On the night of Nov. 4, the UCLA campus buzzed with apprehension and excitement as students awaited the results of the presidential elections.
Upon learning of President Barack Obama’s victory, students across the campus were overcome with an array of emotions. Those students who had voted for Obama erupted in celebration, dancing with friends and classmates. Others watched the results with disappointment as they saw their preferred leader, Sen. John McCain, defeated by a narrow margin.
Now, seven months after the historic election, student opinion toward Obama remains largely unchanged, with some agreeing that he has effectively maneuvered through the numerous obstacles that have stood before him and some critiquing his current actions.
These obstacles include pressure both internationally and in the United States regarding U.S. policy in Iraq and in the Middle East as a whole.
Obama’s new direction and style of diplomacy with the Middle East has elicited varying reactions from students on both sides of the political aisle.
“He has substantially outperformed how I thought he would do with international relations, particularly regarding Iraq. He’s shown that he is knowledgeable about national security and foreign relations,” said Andrew Kreitz, third-year business economics student and chairman of Bruin Republicans.
Another key accomplishment of the Obama presidency has been the renewal of dialogue with the Middle East, said Chris Ah San, a third-year economics and music student and member of Bruin Democrats.
“He has a good understanding of the Middle Eastern culture, and his policies reflect that. Closing down Guantanamo was a major accomplishment because it shows that he understands some of the major facets of Arab culture,” Ah San said.
But although many praised Obama’s foreign policies, some students disagree with his reliance on strict diplomacy and his urgency to pull out of the war on terror.
“I believe that the war on terror should be continued officially, and we should accomplish what we went in for, even though we should withdraw as soon as possible,” said Brian Bornemann, a first-year atmospheric, oceanic and environmental sciences student and member of Bruin Republicans.
While Obama’s policies in the Middle East are a key point of interest among students, the economy also tops student lists of important issues.
For some students, Obama’s dramatic budget reform was vital given the current economic climate.
“The budget reform, including the money to be directed toward student loans, was a necessary action to take in the midst of the current economic situation,” Ah San said.
In contrast, Kreitz said that Obama’s federal stimulus plan has expanded the control of the federal government to a dangerous level.
“With the stimulus plan, Obama has expanded the role of the federal government in private industry, which I believe is a very dangerous road to go down,” Kreitz said.
But despite differing opinions on Obama’s policies thus far, several students agreed there are many crucial issues that the president still needs to address.
Kreitz said a focus on national security, especially with respect to North Korea and Iraq, is going to be imperative in the future.
In addition, the president has yet to address thoroughly the issues that are currently plaguing East and Central Africa, Ah San said.
“There are conflicts in East Africa that (Obama) hasn’t made any progress on, and we’re starting to reach a tipping point on that issue. The situation could flip into civil war, which could destabilize the entire region,” he said.
He added that if Obama does not focus on conflicts in the Republic of the Congo and Chad, these regions could quickly turn into new fronts for the war on terror.
But while there are still numerous issues to address abroad, Ah San said that Obama has been successful domestically, especially in creating dialogue between the government and the citizens.
“He’s been able to remove the barriers and open up dialogue ““ our country hasn’t had this much dialogue in a really long time,” he said.